THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E.

(2015) 116 Minutes, Rated PG-13

Bean's Review:  Quite enjoyed this movie.  Loved that it was a period piece in that it was set in the 1960’s, like the original series from which this movie evolved.  I do not recall much of the original series, but you do not need to have seen the original series to enjoy this movie.  However, if you are familiar with the original series, the movie may be more interactive for you.

The two main characters, Napoleon Solo, played well by Henry Cavill, a/k/a Superman, and Armie Hammer, a/k/a The Lone Ranger, portraying, also very well,  Illya Kuryakin, are spies from the CIA and KGB, respectively, who need to work together to obtain a nuclear bomb from the “bad guys” with the help of Gaby Teller, portrayed very cutely by Alicia Vikander, who is later learned to be a British spy.  Hugh Grant plays Alexander Waverly of MI6 and later becomes the 3 spies’ “handler”.  Grant does a good job and it was good to see that he will become a part of this “franchise”, as I am hopeful there will be sequels.

The storyline was very familiar, tried and true, but due to the heavy emphasis of the character development, a “run of the mill” storyline was acceptable.  The clothes also helped make this a movie a great period piece.  Cavill and Hammer did quite well in developing their rapport and the humor of the movie.

I also liked the soundtrack and will probably purchase it.

Best scene:  Gaby dancing in the hotel room

Best line:  “…he had soft bones…”

Bean’s rating:  Full price-will definitely watch again

Mike's Review:  When I go to the movies, I like to be entertained, and enjoy the movie. This movie was way to sixties for me.  They even filmed it old style which was kind of irritating.  I did not care for the story line or the characters of the subtle weird old humor which I did not get at all.  It must have been funny because I heard other people in the theater laughing.  I thought the story would have at least been fun to watch but it was so corny and slow I couldn't wait for it to be over.

I will say this the actors did a good job in their roles, but because this movie was so over the top nostalgic it really made it hard to watch, and definitely not my cup of tea.

Best scene: Um .. the preview for The Intern before this movie.

Mike's rating: If this is your kind of movie, then see it on the big screen. But for me it was a waist of time.

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - ROGUE NATION

(2015) 131 Minutes, Rated PG-13

Bean's Review: Surprisingly, what I expected from a Mission Impossible movie!  Very entertaining and great action.  The storyline was much like the original series storylines.  Tom Cruise is a very good actor and his movies are always very well done.  The plot keeps you guessing as to who are the good guys and who are the bad ones and who begins good, but is really bad.  I was glad to see that the Alec Baldwin character turned out to be a good guy.

  

Rebecca Ferguson was a great addition to the cast.  Her stunts were fun to watch.  I always enjoy watching Jeremy Renner and wished he had been in more of the movie, especially the action scenes.  Simon Pegg is a “hoot”.  Sean Harris was very convincing as the very “bad guy”.  I am not sure why Ving Rhames was in the movie, as his character did not really advance the storyline and he is way too out of shape for action parts.

  

Really enjoyed the movie and the plot, not just the action, kept your attention.

Best scene:  There were many, however, the funniest is when the Prime Minister is given the truth serum dart in the scene with Alec Baldwin, Jeremy Renner and Tom Cruise (in the famous MI trademark mask)

Bean’s Rating:  Full price-I will definitely watch this movie again

Mike's Review:  I agree with Bean's and A.C.'s reviews.  I good movie that was entertaining to watch and just as good as the previous four Mission Impossible movies.

I enjoyed the fact that Simon Pegg had a larger role in this installment and adding Ving Rhames this time was strange because he really didn't add anything to the party.  It was also impressive seeing Tom Cruise do the stunts that he did and I am looking forward to the next Mission Impossible.

Best scene:  The second glass box.

Mike’s rating:  Worth the price of the ticket.

A.C.'s Review:  Tom Cruise returns in perhaps his best known role of Ethan Hunt in the MISSION IMPOSSIBLE series. This time it looks like the end of the road for the IMF as congress is preparing to shutter the operation after too many high profile incidents regarding the IMF force such as the destruction of the Kremlin in the last movie.

However before Hunt can be seized by the government he flees and joins his ragtag band of operatives to stop an organization which is basically an “Anti-IMF that are currently behind a series of nefarious evil deeds throughout the world.

The movie doesn’t offer anything you haven’t really seen before in an IMF movie but that doesn’t matter because it’s a pretty exciting  ride. Also Simon Pegg actually is a great fit in his role as comic relief…the polar opposite in terms of how his casting has ruined my favorite character in the STAR TREK movies…Scotty. Back to ROGUE NATION though. There are some great sequences during the movie and the female equivalent to Ethan Hunt is introduced and she is an audience pleaser. The capture of the bad guy felt in tune with what you might see on the original 1960’s TV series.

My only quibble in the character of Ethan Hunt is something of a cypher. Yeah, he’s a lantern jawed good guy but I feel we don’t really know too much about him and what motivates him.

Best Scene: The underwater infiltration of a computer core.

A.C.'s Rating: Full Price

THE GIFT

(2015) 108 Minutes, Rated R

A.C.’s Review:  I had seen previews for some months now about this movie and anticipated it coming out. Now having seen it…it is nothing really special. A couple must deal with the sudden intrusion into their lives of a former classmate of the husband from back in the day. Soon the classmate Gordo (Joel Edgerton) becomes almost a stalker and tends to appear during the day when the wife (Rebecca Hall) is home alone. After several encounters the husband (Jason Batemen) attempts to break off the relationship. Soon after unsettling things begin to happen such as the temporary disappearance of their dog.

If this description of events is as pedestrian as it sounds it’s because it is. Nothing elevates this above a TV movie you might have seen back in the day when the networks use to give one or two nights of their schedules to made for television movies.

The movie attempts a twist near the end but it falls with a thud. The whole thing was not very engaging. A thriller with no thrills.

Best Scene: Gordo invites them to a dinner party at his house (only later it turns out not to be his out at all as the husband finds out when he returns to confront Gordo)

A.C.’s Rating: DVD

ANT-MAN

(2015) 117 Minutes, Rated PG-13

Mike's Review: Not at all what I was expecting in a good way. This movie was awesome, interesting and very well done.  Not being too familiar with the Ant-Man story line I really enjoyed the story behind the origin of the Ant-Man and how he ties in with the rest of the Marvel Universe.

At first I couldn't see Paul Rudd as a superhero type of actor.  But after seeing this movie, I couldn't have seen anyone else playing the part.  Paul Rudd "is" the Ant-Man and I really look forward to seeing him in more Marvel movies.

Stay till after the credits for a sneak peak of whats to come in Captain America 3: Civil War.

Best scene:  The whole movie was pretty much a best scene.  I really liked the fight scene inside the briefcase, the ant helpers were cute and I thought there were some really good funny scenes spread through out the movie.

Mike’s rating:  Must See and DVD worthy

A.C.'s Review:  Marvel Studios has dubbed every movie that has come after THE AVENGERS to be phase 2 of their shared cinematic universe. The last movie to finish out phase 2 is ANT MAN and next spring’s CAPTAIN AMERICA 3: CIVIL WAR will kick off phase 3 concluding in 2019 with THE INHUMANS. ANT MAN seems like a pretty good conclusion to this “volume” especially after the somewhat over stuffed and  a bit disappointing AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON.

Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) has just been released from prison where he has been jailed for a “Robin Hood” type crime. Unable to see his daughter due to failure to pay child support as he is unable to find or keep employment due to his ex-con status Lang must consider returning to his life as a cat burglar. His trio of  friends who are all the type of thieves with the heart of gold alert him to a safe in the home of Hank Pym founder of  Pym Tech. Upon breaking in they find no money but make off with an unusual suit…once to Lang’s horror upon donning allows him to shrink down to ant size.

After barely escaping with his life he is confronted by Pym who set the whole robbery up so he could induct Lang into his quest to stop his protégé Darren Cross at Pym Tech who is after the shrinking technology to weaponized it. Pym has an inside “man” at PT in the form of his daughter Hope Van Dyne. He is desperate to stop Cross as he knows the danger of shrinking all too well from his day using it as the original Ant Man, a SHIELD operative and losing his wife and Hope’s mother Jan known as the Wasp in the process. Will Lang join him and Hope to help save the day and earn his daughter’s respect in the process?

All in all this is a pretty good movie. No pun intended but the smaller scale of this movie is an good antidote to the save the world frenzy of AOU. There’s fewer characters and all are served pretty well…and there is even room for a cameo of one of the AVENGERS that doesn’t feel shoehorned in but a natural part of the story.

I’ve always enjoyed movies/TV shows were people shrink down so this was right up my ally. Also as an AVENGERS comic book fan it was time that Ant Man and the Wasp got their due as they were original Avengers and even were the ones that suggested the group stay together after they defeated their first adversary Loki. At the end of the film its strongly implied that Hope will become the new Wasp.

The production was initially troubled as the in my opinion prima donna original director Edgar Wright bailed out because the studio reportedly wanted more elements to tie his vision of the movie into the wider Marvel universe…and based on how little there actually was of that in the film it makes Wright look like a spoiled brat frankly.

ANT MAN is expected to return in CIVIL WAR and his presence would be a welcome one.

Best Scene: Tie between Ant Man infiltrating Pym Tech or his battle with one of the Avengers when he must try and sneak into the Avengers headquarters to steal some needed tech to fight Darren Cross.

A.C.'s rating: Full Price

MINIONS

(2015) 91 Minutes, Rated PG

Mike's Review: Not quite what I was expecting, but then again I didn't quite know what to expect.  Overall it was pretty funny and my 6 year old daughter loved it, but it was still a prequel and for me prequels are always a little more predicable than sequels.


The story line was cute and it was interesting enough to keep you enjoying the movie through out.  I think the best part was towards the ending when young Gru showed up and it showed how the minions and Gru found each other.

Best scene:  There were some pretty funny scenes...but I liked it the most when young Gru showed up in the ending of the movie.

Mike’s rating:  Worth the price of the ticket.

SOUTHPAW

(2015) 124 Minutes, Rated R

Bean's Review:  Finally, a storyline not dependent on special or computer generated effects with good character development.

A professional boxer, Billy Hope, played amazingly well by Jake Gyllenhaal, at the top of his career loses it all when his wife, also played well by Rachel McAdams, is accidentally shot and killed.

With the help of a trainer, played well by Forest Whitaker, Hope gets his career back on tract and also, more importantly, gets the return of full custody of his daughter, played convincingly by Oona Laurence.  The daughter draws out the sympathy as well as the empathy.  You become quite involved in Hope’s angst and “hope” he gets it together and pulls through his grief.

Jake Gyllenhaal really got in great shape for this movie and is very convincing as a boxer. 

Although sad at times, as is life, this is an overall good story with great characterization and you do not leave the theater depressed.

Best scene:  when Billy tells his daughter that he is going to fight again

Bean’s rating:  Matinee

 

Mike's Review:  When I go to the movies, I like to be entertained, wowed and enjoy the movie. This movie had the wow factor...as far as the story and the way the characters acted their roles.  But the story is so depressing.  To be fair, I did not care for this movie at all and have no plans on ever watching it again but it was very well done and a well told story.  It was just not the kind of story I want to pay to see. 

 Jake Gyllenhaal did an incredible job on the acting as well as the physical boxing.  The fight scenes were very well done but it felt like some of the story was taken from the many Rocky movies that have been made.

If the movie didn't end the way that it had and finished with an even more depressing story line, this review would have been a lot different.  Thankfully it had a somewhat decent ending. 

Best scene: The final fight and getting his daughter back.

Mike's rating: If this is your kind of movie, then see it on the big screen. But for me its a wait for it on cable type of movie.

INSIDE OUT

(2015) 94 Minutes, Rated PG

Mike's Review: Well I can safely say this is not one of the top movies on my Pixar list of top movies. It was kind of a cute concept but went way out into left field about 15 minutes into the movie.  I should have known it was going to be a strange movie after the weird short cartoon in the beginning about a volcano falling in love.  I think if Pixar had made this movie before buying Disney then it might of had some potential, but after Disney got its hands on it, it turned into blah.

The only time I laughed was when the Anger character was going off.  The rest of the movie was kind of depressing.  I understand you need some sadness to enjoy the joy of life, but do kids really need to be subjected to depressing cartoons?  They are only kids for a little while, let them enjoy it.

Best scene:  There were a few cute scenes...but nothing to spectacular

Mike’s rating:  Matinee

A.C.'s Review:  The downward spiral of PIXAR continues. Yes, this movie is a blockbuster at the box office but that is only because unsuspecting parents will take their children to see and alleged “kid’s movie”: only to find out that it’s not much of a kids movie at all.

The movie features an 11 year old girl named Riley who with her mom and dad have just relocated to San Francisco. Inside her mind we see she is being controlled by her emotions Joy, Fear, Disgust, Sadness and Anger voiced by such folks as Amy Poehler and Mindy Kaling.

This movie is godawful. It was a clever concept to set a movie within the brain and features a few clever bits such as we see Riley’s dreams being put together like a behind the scenes look at a Hollywood movie being made where there are actors, directors and crew. However those are far outweighed by annoying characters such as the leads of Joy and Sadness.  I didn’t like any of these characters.

Worse as said this isn’t a kids movie. I am sure many a tyke will be fidgeting because they don’t understand concepts in the movie such as abstract thought, the sub conscious and trains of thought. Great idea as said but horribly executed.

Yes, Pixar is in decline. Ever since the highlight of TOY STORY 3 their movies have dropped in quality. BRAVE was weak, CARS 2…just a cash grab, UP was good for the first 10 minutes and now this. Adding insult to injury there is animated “short” in front of movie called LAVA about a lonely volcano. If little kids could swear they would be going WTF when this short plays because it’s just so bizarre that I am sure children had to be completely puzzled and thinking “when is the real movie going to start"

Best Scene: Riley’s imaginary friend whom Joy discovers deep within his brain sacrifices himself so Joy can get back to the control center and stop Riley from falling into danger as she plans to run away from home.

A.C.'s rating: Red Box DVD as its only worth a dollar.