FREE BIRDS

(2013) 91 Minutes, Rated PG

Mike's Review:  A cute movie, the best turkey cartoon movie I have ever seen, but it is the only turkey cartoon movie I have seen as well.  I think over all the story was somewhat original and the voice talent was pretty good.  I liked Owen Wilson as Reggie and and Woody Harrelson as Jake, but the really cool voice was George Takei as S.T.E.V.E.  Free Birds was way better than Planes that is for sure, but not as good as Despicable Me 2

When my 4 year old daughter gave me her review on the movie she said she didn't like it when the hunters found the turkeys' home, but she did like the scene where Jake was slapping Reggie in the face, she said it was funny.

Best Scene: I liked the scene towards the end where all the Reggies came back in time. And have you heard of a Turducken?
Mike's Rating: Worth the price of the ticket.

Karyn's Review:  The story had its funny moments but to me it seems like cartoons now a days are way to violent.  Cartoons shouldn't have a body count or explosions in every other scene.  Granted the cartoons I grew up on were violent as well, but there was never any of them dying to save their families from hunters, it was Wile E. Coyote falling off a cliff.

Best Scene:  When S.T.E.V.E. was replaying Jake's time travel trip to Jenny.
Karyn's Rating:  Matinee

ENDER'S GAME

(2013) 114 Minutes, Rated PG-13

Mike's Review:  I never read the book(s) and didn't even know it was based on a book until after seeing the movie.  Overall it was an interesting story, it kept my interest for the two hours and I generally liked it up until the last 10 minutes when all was reveled and maybe the aliens were just trying to communicate when they supposedly killed millions upon millions of people when they first came to earth 50 years prior to Ender's battle. The ending really left a sour note for me.  I like my super battle "humans versus creatures" type of movies more like Starship Troopers (1997)...clear cut and to the point...kill all the bugs.  And for the chosen one to be more like Neo in the The Matrix (1999) or The Last Starfighter.(1984).  If it wasn't for the wishy-washey ending this movie would have gotten a much higher rating from me.

Best Scene: The final Zero G fight scene was cool.

Mike's Rating: In between full price and matinee price ticket..

Bean's Review:  The mission is to destroy a supposedly deadly alien race before it takes over the world.  This story was interesting, not for its constant simulated battle scenes and endless war games, which became quite boring, but for the psychological complexity of the characters.  Ender Wiggens, played well by Asa Butterfield, is the teenage prodigy that will save earth from the aliens.  Harrison Ford’s character of Colonel Hyrum Graff of the International Military is Ender’s mentor. 

As the story delves into the psyche of Ender and Graff, you begin to question who is the real enemy?  Colonel Graff and the military or the alien race?  The interplay between Ender and the game he plays which reveals his confusion and his torn loyalty was unique.  It also gives a hint of the ending.

Best Scene: when the alien reveals itself to Ender

Bean's Rating: DVD – not much interest in seeing it again

PARKLAND

(2013) 93 Minutes, Rated PG-13

A.C.’s Review:  A TALE OF TWO CONTRAST Part 1 - I recently viewed two movies that are the polar opposite of one and other in terms of storytelling but share the same style in that they both are vying to be a serious adult oriented movie. First up Parkland.

 

Is a retelling of the weekend in Dallas when JFK was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald who was later gunned down by Jack Ruby. The alleged focal point is on the Doctors at Parkland Memorial Hospital and their attempts to save the president. After he dies they pretty much exit the story until later when tasked to save Oswald but that scene is a blip on the radar. So the film was pretty much left with a gaggle of interchangeable secret service men and Abraham Zupruder and the events surrounding his sale of the film to LIFE magazine.

The characters are little more than stick figures whose names, despite initial subtitles, did not stick. The only memorable performance is by James Badge Dale whose sympathetic portrayal of Oswald’s brother is the heart of the film as we are shown his horror at what his brother has done and how it will forever taint the Oswald name.

Best Scene:  The Secret Service refusing to let the Dallas coroner perform an autopsy on JFK at gunpoint thus condemning history to endless speculation of which direction the bullets came from…the book depository building or the Grassy Knoll.

A.C.’s Rating:  It’s a fine DVD rental but perhaps not worth full price. Matinee maybe.

THE COUNSELOR

(2013) 117 Minutes, Rated R

A.C.’s Review:  A TALE OF TWO CONTRAST Part 2 - I recently viewed two movies that are the polar opposite of one and other in terms of storytelling but share the same style in that they both are vying to be a serious adult oriented movie. First up was Parkland.and the next is The Counselor.

 

Starring Michael Fassbender and Cameron Diaz is a strangely paced film that does the opposite direction from Parkland…the characters are given too much development in that there are endless scenes of conversations between the characters that are supposedly enriching their character. Some of it was so over the top like the opening scene is literally five minutes long of Fassbender and Penelope Cruz having a conversation during a graphic sex scene under white sheets that leaves the audience wondering if someone switched the reels with something from the back room at the video store. Later on Brad Pitt’s; character gives an overlong description of a murder weapon that can choke a person to death while severing their jugular…is anyone surprised later when Pitt is murdered with the exact same weapon? Still later yet we have the leader of a Mexican drug cartel waxing philosophy to the Counselor as to why he must kill the lawyers girlfriend Penelope Cruz.  The stuff Diaz has to say and do including a sensual performance on the windshield of a Jaguar has to be seen to be believed.

After endless scenes of very meaningless conversation the plot of the movie finally becomes clear but literally it’s in the last 45 minutes or less when things start finally picking up and even then I had to consult the internet to find a summary of the plot to help me understand what I just saw.

Best Scene: (Barely) A shootout between two of Cameron’s bad guys and the Mexican drug cartel.

A.C.’s Rating:  A confused miss-mash not even worthy of DVD rental. If it’s on cable late some night check it out but don’t pay.

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AFTER EARTH - DVD REVIEW

(2013)  100 Minutes,  PG-13


Mike's Review:  This is one of those movies I wanted to see at the theater but just didn't have time so now that it is out on DVD I finally had some time to watch it.  All-in-all it was a pretty decent movie, I have like Jaden Smith in everything I have seen him in but it feels like he keeps playing the same type of character over and over again.  This movie had some good effects and the story was pretty good, it was more of a father and son coming together movie then a hard core sci-fi type of movie. It will keep you entertained.

Best Scene: The ending

Mike's Rating: Matinee or DVD

Dad's Review:  Will Smith plays Cypher, father to Kital Raige, played by Jaden Smith, (Will’s real son) in this movie which takes place a millennium from now when Earth is supposedly no longer habitable. Cypher is Head of a Ranger Force riding in a Space Ship which crashes on planet Earth. The ship breaks up upon impact with sections spread around. The Emergency Beacon they need to signal for help is in a section 100 kilometers from where Cypher and Kital land. Cypher is seriously injured so Kital must embark on a dangerous journey to get to the Emergency Beacon to set it off to get help to save his father’s life.

It is an entertaining movie which gives much sound advice on controlling ones fears of the unknown and how to function in very bad situations.

Best scene: Hugs father at end.

Dad’s Rating:   Worth seeing as I did recently on DVD at least.

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