PADDINGTON

(2015) 95 Minutes, Rated PG

Mike's Review: This movie was actually better than I thought it was going to be.  The story was good. The special effects were pretty good and it was actually kind of funny. Overall it was a really good, entertaining, family movie.

My 5 year old daughter really enjoyed it as well.  There were plenty of funny scenes to keep us laughing, but we both didn't like the fact they killed off the uncle bear.

Best Scene:  There were a few pretty funny scenes I thought were pretty good.  My daughter liked the bathtub down the stairs scene as well as the ending where they had a snowball fight.

Mike's Rating: I would have to say this is a must see. 

NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: SECERT OF THE TOMB

(2014) 98 Minutes, Rated PG

Bean's Review: Yet, another sequel.  Entertaining enough, but not as good as the first one.  If a sequel is not going to be as good or better than the initial movie, create a totally different movie.

The museum figures are losing their ability to come to “life” at night due to the tablet losing its magic because it is not obtaining enough moonlight.  So, the movie is based on getting the tablet “rebooted”.

It was disquieting seeing  Robin Williams character, die, than come back to “life” when the tablet regained its magic. 

The introduction of Sir Lancelot was welcomed, as he was pretty amusing.  I did not care for the monkey and its relationship with Larry.  

Ricky Gervais’s acting is always fun to watch.

Best scene:  Sir Lancelot interrupting the play “Camelot” on stage in London.  Hugh Jackman, portraying King Arthur, was a riot, especially the nod to “Wolverine”.

Bean’s rating:  borderline Matinee/DVD

Mike's Review: This was a cute movie, but you can tell the story is getting old and they are trying to change it up.  I agree with my brother on the way they ended the movie, It could go on or turn into a different type of story line with a new cast and at a different museum.

Overall its a good family movie with some laughs

Best Scene:  Hugh Jackman was a riot.

Mike's Rating: Matinee

THE GAMBLER

(2014) 111 Minutes, Rated R

A.C.’s Review:  Writing a review for this is very difficult because the film is not even worth the time to write it but if it saves even one person from blowing a hard earned $10.00 on an admission ticket then I can justify it. Every now and then I go to a film where I know little or nothing about it and usually am quite surprised and satisfied...and then there is an experience like THE GAMBLER where I actually walk out of the theater angry.

Where to begin…I guess with a thumbnail sketch of the alleged plot. Mark Wahlberg plays Jim Bennet a college professor so addicted to gambling to the point where he owes some very bad men hundreds of thousands of dollars and has 7 days to pay up…or else DA,DA, DUM!!!

I can’t remember when I have ever seen such a loathsome central character in a movie. Bennet doesn’t give a s@#t about anybody . For example he tells his entire lecture class of students only one of them has any true talent (the next time we see the class almost everyone but a half dozen have dropped his course). He has a loveless relationship with his rich mother played by Jessica Lange (who knew she was old enough to play Wahlberg’s mother!) He is disrespectful to everybody including three different sets of gangsters he owes money to. Just a complete creep with NO redeeming qualities. None.

The glacial pace is scene after scene of him either pontificating to his class, playing cards (thankfully one scene employs the “speeded up” camera technique so  we don’t have to see him lose all is money in real time and just being a general A-hole. I just hated this guy. At one point he gets $250,000 from his rich mother only to blow it at an Indian casino instead of paying back the Korean mobster he owes. Idiot.

At on one occasion its even pointed out to Bennet he’s got everything going for him, looks, position, a wealthy family…he even is a published novelist and still he manages to throw it all away.

What else to hate about this movie? Let’s see:

A tacked on “Love Story” that you can’t even call it that because it exists for only a few reasons. (It’s with one of his students and the one he proclaims in the class as the one who has any TRUE writing talent-she also serves drinks at the illegal Korean casino)

*Nobody wants a movie in the 21^st century whose only female role is that of the mother. She is there for eye candy…plain and simple.

*Someone is needed for Bennet to allegedly care about (he only cares about himself from everything presented on the screen) when the mobsters need to threaten someone other than himself to get the money due to them.

The depth of this relationship seems not to rise above a one night stand but that’s not the way its presented in what passes for a climax.

John Goodman with second billing pops up for a total of three scenes for the whole movie. During his second appearance he gives a speech in which only a person in a movie would ever speak like this. It was as if he was aware he was in a movie. Admittedly it was a pretty good speech to Bennet on what he should have done one time when he was a million dollars ahead gambling.

The only time this movie shows any sort of pulse is the last half hour when there is an elaborate plan by Bennet that I can’t even begin to explain here that involves rigging the outcome of a basketball game via one of his students who is the star of the team as a way to solve his life threatening gambling debts.

Why is this dreary film being dropped on the Christmas season? One reason and one reason only. The cast and crew obviously believe it to be Oscar Bait and it has to be released before the end of the year to quality. Mark Wahlberg after years of appearing in popcorn flicks like TRANSFORMERS 4 makes a stab here at being a “serious actor” in this role….bad choice…very bad choice.

Then there is the director…Rupert Wyatt. This guy made the stellar RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES and passed on the sequel because he didn’t think he would have enough time to prepare. Matt Reeves director of the highly praised DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES appears to have had plenty of time and delivered one of the year’s best movies…while Rupert ditched the sequel to direct….this abomination.

In conclusion I am sorry this is the first week of the year because I can’t declare it the worst movie of the year…come next December some film would have to had worked mighty hard to take the crown from this dud.

Best Scene: Didn’t take place in the movie. It was between the couple next to me. 45 minutes in and the boyfriend wanted to bolt. His quotes were as follows “We should leave”. “This is going nowhere”  and “ WTF” his girlfriend’s response was “Maybe it will get better”

I honestly didn’t think he was going to win in his bid to leave but about 15 minutes later she apparently gave in and they hustled out. They were perhaps the smartest people in the audience.

A.C.’s Rating: Not even on free broadcast TV because if this ever aired the channel would get switched before the first commercial break. Take a cue from The Gambler in the movie and use your $10 to buy scratch off lotto tickets instead...it would be money better spent.

ANNIE

(2014) 118 Minutes, Rated PG

A.C.’s Review:  December is one of those times of year that the movie studios roll out what are described as “feel good” movies where you can watch the tale and go away with a positive and upbeat attitude. One of those movies being released this holidays season by the hack plagued SONY pictures is ANNIE and it delivers on its feel good promise.

ANNIE of course is the Broadway musical as well as 1982 movie featuring the rags to riches tale of an orphan who captivates the heart of a wealthy industrialist. As one of the tunes from the musical go they discover “I don’t need anything but you!”. Along with his loyal aid Grace and dog Sandy they form an unlikely but seamless family.

The  remake reimagines the story from FDR depression era New York to late 2014 Manhattan complete with many shots of the Freedom Tower (aka the New World Trade Center) in the background…kind of subliminal message of hope and renewal that permeates the movie.

Jamie Foxx takes the “Daddy Warbucks” role rechristened her as a man named Stacks who runs a cell phone conglomerate that puts AT &T and Sprint to shame. His right hand woman is Grace (Rose Byrne not having to hide her aussie accent for once and the new Annie is played by rising young talent 10 year old  Quvenzhané Wallis. Also on hand is Cameron Diaz playing the wicked/drunken foster home manager Ms. Hannigan.

The movie pretty much follows the outline of the previous incarnations right down to Ms. Hannigan and Stack’s right campaign manager (Stacks is running for Mayor of NYC) plotting to hire actors to portray Annie’s long lost parents to get her out of the way. In a nice redemptive arc Hannigan changes her mind before Stack’s loses Annie forever and a helicopter chase across the city caps off the movie.

This movie was an absolute pleasure. I liked all the characters and it had a great supporting cast such as Annie’s fellow foster sisters and a kleptomaniac social worker Annie must deal with. The story was familiar but that didn’t detract from my enjoyment of this incarnation. Capping it all off was it actually was the first time that I actually enjoyed a Cameron Diaz performance. She stole every scene she was in.

The only points I would take off is in regards to the music. It was nice to have the familiar show tunes from the musical turn up (though tweaked a bit to update them for the modern era) however a few of the best ones were completely left out and they were missed but in some cases it was understandable as they were tied to closely to life in the depression.  And while Wallis was an excellent actress her singing could not match Andrea McCardles from the Broadway musical soundtrack of the late 1970’s.

One final note is that I spend a lot of time on movie message boards as a movie fan and it sad to see the amount of discriminatory comments on the message boards for ANNIE because people had an issue with “Black Annie” instead of the traditional redhead freckled face version. What these room temperature IQ’s don’t realize when the original Annie was written minorities were an afterthought in servant roles at best and never as the leads. If it were written today its conceivable to have been written for a multi ethnic cast as in the movie.

Best Scene: Just about any scene with Ms. Hannigan versus her foster kids.

A.C.’s Rating:  Full Price Admission

EXODUS: GODS AND KINGS

(2014) 150 Minutes, Rated PG-13

A.C.’s Review:  Moses reborn as a 1980’s action hero…and it works! Okay calling him a full blown action hero might be a bit of an exaggeration but this Moses played by Christian Bale isn’t the old man most picture when thinking of the biblical Moses. This is a Moses who as a general in the Pharaoh’s army is in the prime of his life and more than adept on the battlefield swinging a golden hilted sword and making moves like upsetting a chariot with the throw of a spear. In other words forget Charlton Heston…this is a Moses for the modern movie audience.

The movie follows the skeleton of the Moses story from the bible. Moses, a Hebrew placed with the Egyptian Royal family as a baby becomes a prince of Egypt raised along the Pharaoh’s son Rameses as brothers until the day his true heritage is discover and Moses is exiled. Eventually returning to Egypt to free the future Israelites from slavery and lead them to the promised land.

Directed by Ridley (ALIEN) Scott his movie is gorgeously shot. Sweeping vistas of ancient Egypt, with Pyramids and statues being built, the Nile and the Red Sea…all amazingly recreated. None of the CGI looks remotely fake. The best part of all this is that there is an interesting story with compelling characters. What I liked best was that Scott presents Rameses as a somewhat sympathetic character for someone holding a group of people enslaved. It would have been easy to make him a  one note, cartoon villain but that is not the case here.  In fact there is kind of a reverse of the Thor/Loki relationship from the MARVEL movies. Here the Pharaoh clearly seems to love and admire Moses more than his own natural son and it is not lost on Rameses.

Thanks to Rameses being a  more rounded character its hard not to feel something for him as God unleashes horrible plagues of doom  on Egypt in an attempt to get Rameses to free the slaves. Again the special effects of swarms of locusts, flies and their like were so well done you could feel the misery of the people.

Not being an overly religious person I couldn’t help but to wonder if the New Testament came about as an answer to the God presented here from the Old Testament. The almighty we see here doesn’t exactly inspire anyone to fall to their knees and worship. Being a visitor to movie message boards a lot of viewers are basically equating the death and destruction unleased here on the innocent Egyptians who had nothing to do with enslaving people as what you would get if you gave divine powers to Al Quida. God killing all the first born males was the climax of the plaques and Rameses who has lost his beloved baby even calls Moses out on how he can follow a god who did what he did. It’s pretty  heavy stuff.

The movie for all practical purposes concludes at the Red Sea and it’s an exciting climax.

The movie only stumbles in a couple places. Aaron Paul of BREAKING BAD and Sigourney Weaver of ALIEN I was surprised to find out afterwards were in the movie but hidden under their makeup I failed to recognize them and it’s pretty clear that their story arcs must have ended up on the cutting room floor as they are barely in the movie. Also I didn’t care for the period of the movie where Moses in in exile and falls in love and has a family. The courtship is so rushed and little represented that it’s laughable but I guess most movies feel obligated to tack on a love story.

In conclusion this was a biblical epic done right as opposed to NOAH which I would put in contention as one of the top 5 worst films of 2014.

Best Scene: Incredible scene of the Pharaoh’s army losing half its forces as they race across the mountains to catch Moses and the fleeing slaves and fall victim to an avalanche. Amazing effects!

A.C.’s Rating: Full Price Ticket

THE PYRAMID

(2014) 89 Minutes, Rated R

A.C.’s Review:  It’s a big month at the movie for Egypt. In the shadow of EXODUS: GODS & KINGS a low budget horror movie was also released perhaps as a counterpoint to all the comedies, animation and feel good movies of the season.

The Pyramid tells the tale of a father/daughter archeologist team, their assistant and two documentary film makers as they make an unauthorized entry into a newly discovered pyramid before being forced to leave the dig due to the recent political unrest in Egypt.

Naturally things do not go well for the band of adventurers’ because they quickly become sealed in and must find the way out. Complicating matters is the pyramid is full of booby traps and if that wasn’t bad enough they are not alone in the pyramid. It seems the ancient Egyptians built the pyramid to keep something IN…and there lies the horror of the movie.

This short hour and half movie delivered to me more enjoyment than the ponderous INTERSTELLAR did recently. There are no big names and  with these kind of movies you know what to expect. It’s the same reason people return to McDonalds. This movie was made to entertain and mission accomplished.

If the movie had any failings it would be that it’s partially “found footage” a genre that has overstayed its welcome and I hope will soon be played out.

Best Scene: The group triggers a trap that threatens to drown them in sand.

A.C.’s Rating:  Full Price Ticket

THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY - PART 1

(2014) 123 Minutes, Rated PG-13

A.C.’s Review: One of the biggest Hollywood franchises around right now is the Hunger Games series starring Jennifer Lawrence as teen girl hero Katniss Everdeen. Based on a book series the movies follow her adventures as she fights to rebel against an evil totalitarian society that North America has become in some unknown time in the future. President Snow (Donald Sutherland) is the oppressive leader of the country now known as Panam which is divided into 13 Districts instead of States.

In the latest installment there are no more actual Hunger Games. Instead the story shifts to the leader of the rebellion played by  Julianne Moore asking Katniss to step up in her role as the symbol of the rebellion…The Mocking Jay. Katniss is reluctant at first as she is grief stricken by the capture of one third of a love triangle she is involved in…a fellow games contestant known as Peeta. He was captured at the end of Catching Fire and is now being tortured/brainwashed into being The Capitol’s spokesperson/symbol. Everdeen agrees to be the symbol and appear in videos and leading missions that will help encourage others to revolt as long as the rebellion promises to rescue Peeta at the first opportunity.

In my last review I was impressed how much the second movie recovered from the terrible first movie. This movie is a step back…not a disaster by any means but a step back none the less. The problem is twofold. The first is that the studio Lionsgate in a blatant cash grab has imitated the Harry Potter series by splitting the movie up into two parts-the final installment due out next year. This leads to a whole lot of…not much happening. Action is at a bare minimum and surprisingly there is no huge action set piece/cliffhanger you would expect at the end of the movie other than Peeta being rescued (mostly off screen) and being revealed to be brainwashed to try and kill Katniss, once the love of his life.

The second problem is with Peeta barely in the movie more screen time is given to the third wheel in the love triangle. A character named Gale who is Katniss lifelong friend who is in love with her. His role has to be the most thankless role I have ever seen in a movie. Gale pretty much knows he will never have Katniss and spends the entire movie moping about. I almost feel sorry for Liam Hemsworth (brother of Chris “Thor” Hemsworth) who is stuck playing him. The one surprise was he didn’t die in the rescue attempt of Peeta. I fully expected that to be the fate of this hopeless character. Anyway his melancholy brings down every scene that he is in and brings the movie to a screeching halt. I would have rather seen more of the Woody Harrelson and Elizabeth Banks characters who were a big part of the first movies but here are reduced to little more than extended cameos.

I’m sure all will be redeemed when the final movie comes out and Snow and The Capitol get their comeuppance at the hands of Katniss Everdeen and hopefully that will erase the letdown many other must feel about this installment.

Best Scene: A group of rebel suicide bombers take out the dam that supplies power to the Capitol. One of the few exciting moments in the whole film.

A.C.’s Rating:  Matinee