Paranormal Activity 4 (2012)

Halloween began early with an October-full of horror flicks.  'Resident Evil' brought the action back to 3D, 'Sinister' (review to come) rattled the month off with scares centralized on old Super 8 murder tapes,  and 'Paranormal Activity,' the annual horror tradition has once again failed to scare anybody over the age of 12.  This is unfortunate, however, because this 'Paranormal' is a real sucker.  This time around, the film changes the setting of Southern California and pushes the film to a new family living in  Colorado.  The new setting is a breath of fresh air, but the old scare-tactics are still present.  Sure, the producers upped the budget and made an introduction into CGI, but the more the CGI is present, the less "real" it is.  This movie is garbage, seriously.  The writing is horrendous, and the acting makes you want to puke.  But you have to hand it to Kathryn Newton, she does a superb job portraying "Alex."  I feel let-down and disappointed after seeing PA4 because PA3 was such a well-made movie.  I don't really know what else to say... the movie is a product of greedy money-makers.  When Paranormal Activity 5 is going to arrive next October, the producers need to refresh the ill-fated series. (By the way, PA5 has been greenlit and is FOR SURE coming to theaters next year).  

Bottom Line:  PA4 tries to be different, but it can't shake it's over-used formula so many people are used to.

D-

Jack F.

Review: Marvel's The Avengers (2012)

The most hyped movie of the 2012 kicks off the summer with a very loud ‘Bang!’  Director Joss Weldon assemble an extreme cast with even extreme(er) powers and abilities.  As usual, Marvel really steals our minds and makes us believe that a god joins forces with a man in an iron super-suit along with a sleeping captain from World War Two.  If you spend the two-and-a-half hours judging on how ridiculous the plot is, you will have a horrible time.  However, if you let the eight year-old inside you come out, you are going to have a blast.  That is what “The Avengers” does; it brings the kid out from inside you.  The slapstick script helps make this movie memorable, while the action gives it a sense of identity in a world of silly high budget flicks like “Battleship” and “Wrath of the Titans.”  But let’s be honest, the one who stole the show was clearly Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man.  His script and dialogue is sharp, pinpoint, and downright hilarious.  He is only person that can ever be Iron Man in my opinion.  But you also have to consider the other actors such as Chris Evans and Liam Hemsworth who play Captain America and Thor.  Put the Hulk, Black Widow, and Hawkeye and you have pure entertainment.  And if you want the Avengers to keep on going, no surprise, Captain America 2, Thor 2, Iron Man 3, and Avengers 2 will be coming in the latter years.  Enjoy this movie at the theaters, but not in 3-D (it was converted after the shoot during post-production).   Please, you like this review please come back as more reviews are yet to come!

Bottom Line: One of the best superhero movies ever made, but hype and excitement push the film to unnecessary high reviews.  Go watch it; this is pure cinema.

A-

-Jack F.

TheQuickWrap:

Here is something new: doing short BT's (bottom lines) and the grade to movies, to get the main point of the review.  The movie will get TIMELESS (for a great, rememberable film), or TONY (YNOT spelled backwards meaning why not go see it; it's harmless), or CRAP (it sucks; just don't bother).  Here we go!

Elf:  This is the best modern Christmas film. Period.  TIMELESS!

Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol:  It has been more then 10 years since the original, and it seems as if maintains the same tempo as it, and with the new cars, special effects, and the Dubai Tower, it doesn't get any better than this!  TIMELESS!

Hugo:  This movie surprised me, I went into it not know what it was about, yet came out happy for the characters.  I don't care how creepy the Automoton looks, this is movie-making at its best.  TIMELESS! 

Immortals:  If you like slo-mo panoramic action sequences (300), see it.  If you don't, don't bother.  TONY

Our Idiot Brother:  This movie is heartfelt, funny, and a touch of raunchiness.  Best movie of August 2011.  TONY (no one will remember this, unfortunately)

...for the rest of the wrap-up, Ill be posting a full 2011 edition for the movie that hit theaters in 2011 (that i have seen).

The Darkest Hour (2011)

Hey! 2012 is here and hopefully better movies are on the rise this year.  I want a year of originality! Not sequels of sequels (ParanormalActiv3, HarryPotter8ish, IronMan2, such).  So its time to put the past behind us, NEW REVIEW YEAH!  The Darkest Hour really got me pumped.  I saw a bunch of trailers early on and was excited to see it.  Unfortunately, I am 15 and in High School; I'm not able to go to advance screenings or midnight premieres.  So I resort to going a couple of weeks after the release when i have no homework.  Anyways, The Darkest Hour is probably one of the coolest YouTube videos off all time...If it wasn't a full-length film.  The effects are really cool, the aliens look awesome, but the film goes nowhere.  I would love to see the people go to the alien ships and conquer them from up there.  But no.  The acting was horrific, and the 3-D (which I did not want to pay for), was unnecessary.  I left the theater disappointed and thinking how much I wanted to go see Mission: Impossible 4 again (review to come).

BOTTOM LINE:  The disappointing film goes nowhere, when you think it has potential, you start to wonder what pitched the movie to the executives at the studios.  Thanks for getting me excited for nothing!

D
-jack :D

Review: Tower Heist (2011)

Ben Stiller.  Period.  He is one of few that have a direct line to my sense of humor, along with Jack Black, Will Ferell, and Seth Rogen.  But in Tower Heist, he has showed a side of him I have never seen before.  You feel yourself rooting for Stiller to actually get away with an incredible crime.  Tower Heist succeeds with the important help of Matthew Broderick, oddly sexy Gabourey Sidibe, and don't forget a subtle comeback for Eddie Murphy.  Eddie hasn't made a really good movie that shows off his roots as a funny black comedian that we saw in past movies.   The movie is fresh, fun and harmless.  In a couple of years, no one will remember this movie.  It doesn't excel, and it doesn't sink.  But with a subject like this, I feel it hard to create a timeless film to remember for decades.  Tower Heist is a movie that if you love Stiller and Murphy, you should see.  If you don't really care, see it.  The only problem with this film is the major plot holes at the climax.  They make no sense.  Whatever, I had fun.
Bottom Line:  Regardless of the plot holes,  Tower Heist yields an all-star cast lead by Stiller and makes you root for not-so-good criminals.


B
'Til Next Time,
Jack

Review: Paranormal Activity 3

Ahh, just what the world needs.  Another Paranormal Activity that is not scary, meaningless, and downright lame.  However, this one is actually good.  It is a prequel to the first two and features the demon Katie and her sister Kristi as children.  The flick has many of the old scare tactics like mysterious moving chairs or ghosts closing doors.  But this one differs because it has a beat.  In order to capture the "entities," the main character devises a mechanical arm that swings at the same rate of a fan.  You see the living room one second, the it revolves to the kitchen, very slowly.  It reminds me of the clock in Insidious (review on that to come).  It scares you!  The last 10 minutes of this movie is frightening.  And it somehow links up events seen in the first two films. SPOILER: Like we see a fire being started, and fans of the first two know what that means!
But I really liked this film!  It was scary, fun, and has cool twists unlike the other films.
Bottom Line:  Under new direction, this fresh PA film definitely won't be forgotten.

B
'Til Next Time
Jack

Review: In Time

I saw this movie with buddies on a Saturday night, hoping to see Paranormal Activity 3.  However, guards don't allow teen boys to see R-Rated movies without a parent.  So we went to In Time.  This movie looked pretty interesting, but was basically the same concept.  A guy wants time, another guy gives it to him, now the guy with all the time, he vows to not waste it.  Weird how he goes and buys sports cars, hotel suites, and suits, and he says he won't waste the time.  There is plot holes like that and sometimes, the time just goes too fast.  One minute Justin Timberlake has 1 minute on his life clock, then he gets time from a friend.  Instantly.  And yet so many people die in this movie on the street.  Why don't they just shake a random stranger's hand and get time?  But that is just me.  Overall, this is an average movie that has good acting, but just not enough complexity.  My favorite actor in this was Olivia Wilde, and of course she has to die 30 minutes into the movie.
 Bottom Line:  In Time has the stuff, but just does it in an average way.  Sorry Justin Timberlake.


C+
'Til Next Time
Jack