Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

Year: 2013

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Tom Cruise, Morgan Freeman, Olga Kurylenko, Andrea Riseborough, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau

Director: Joseph Kosinski

My Review: A visually spectacular sci-fi thriller derivative of many other sci-fi movies (notably Moon). Directed by a new talent - Joseph Kosinski (Tron Legacy), starring some old talent - Tom Cruise, Morgan Freeman, Olga Kurylenko and others. The story is interesting if a bit derivative. In the year 2077, the Earth is a scarred husk barely surviving after a long running battle with off-world invaders. Earth's irradiated landscape is home to a caretaker force of technicians tasked with the tedious job of patrolling the remaining radiation free zones and maintaining the water conversion reactors. Jack Harper (played by Tom Cruise) is a maintenance tech left behind on the earth to care for water conversion reactors. He lives in a secure facility high above the desolate landscape of a ruined earth. His live-in companion - Victoria, is a controller and he's the troubleshooter who goes out on runs to maintain the drones that service the reactors. He's occasionally called upon to deal with the irradiated scavs (scavengers), but the alien refuse is no match for his technological edge. Everything is going smoothly until a crippled starship crashes and the lone survivor emerges from the wreckage. The CGI, photography, locations, lighting, editing and visual effects are all outstanding. The soundtrack, pacing and production superb. The acting is average, and the direction fair. The cast does a fine job of selling the story and the execution is superb. I didn't have any trouble following the plot as it contained numerous elements derived from previous sci-fi movies/themes. While the script is tight and well written it's a bit of a let down in the lack of originality. Thankfully all the other elements exceed my expectations. I give this movie a 4 out of 5.

Summary:

Genre: Comedy, Thriller

Year: 1977

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Mel Brooks, Madeline Kahn, Cloris Leachman, Harvey Korman, Ron Carey

Director: Mel Brooks

My Review: Mel Brooks is a comic genius; a director, playwright, writer, actor, comedian, producer, composer, rap musician! Some of his better movies: The Producers, Blazing Saddles, History of the World: Part I, Young Frankenstein, Robin Hood: Men in Tights, Spaceballs. In this movie - He plays Dr. Thorndyke the new director of the Psychoneurotic Institute for the Very, Very Nervous. Soon after he arrives, he's framed for murder. It's a spoof on Hitchcock films and features several scenes from famous Hitchcock films such as The Birds, Psycho, Vertigo, and others. As Thorndyke works to unravel the plot to clear himself he also works through some of his own 'issues'. Starring with Medeline Kahn, the two were an excellent combo in this film. This send up of the Psychiatric community is quite humorous. It's good for a watch or two - I think this may be the third time I've seen it - Here Mel Brooks has his revenge as he spoofs the oh-so-serious industry that caused him such angst. I give it a 3 out of 5.

Summary: Dr. Richard Thorndyke arrives as new administrator of the Psychoneurotic Institute for the Very, VERY Nervous to discover some suspicious goings-on. When he's framed for murder, Dr. Thorndyke must confront his own psychiatric condition, "high anxiety," in order to clear his name. An homage to the films of Alfred Hitchcock; contains many parodies of famous Hitchcock scenes from THE BIRDS, PSYCHO, and VERTIGO.

Genre: Adventure, Western

Year: 2012

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kerry Washington, Samuel L. Jackson

Director: Quentin Tarantino

My Review: Starring Jamie Foxx as Django, Christopher Waltz as Dr. King Schultz, Leonardo DiCaprio as Calvin Candie, Samuel L. Jackson as Stephen and many others. This movie shouldn't be confused as a successor to the Sergio Corbucci spaghetti Westerns featuring a character named Django. In this film Quentin Tarantino takes the Django to heart as he transforms the character by transforming him into a black slave who escapes the bonds of tyranny in a transformative epic. Jamie Foxx plays Django a freed slave as he accompanies a German bounty hunter named Dr. King Schultz. The two trek across America to free Django's wife from some sadistic SOB played by Leonardo Di Caprio. The characters are as rich as the tradition of Django and the action as brutal as a Tarantino directed war movie. The violence - Which I detest - is a signature Tarantino element. Without it, this film would be far less memorable, far less powerful. The movie is polarizing. Set during the mid 1800s. Slavery is in full effect in the south, and white southerners have reached the height of arrogance and self-aggrandizement. They are the Nazis of America. Having conquered the black man, they saw themselves as the pinnacle of human achievement. This movie is confrontational, racist, edgy and brilliant. If it weren't for the abhorrent and excessive violence (a Tarantino signature) I would give this movie higher marks. 4 out of 5.

Summary: Former dentist, Dr. King Schultz, buys the freedom of a slave, Django, and trains him with the intent to make him his deputy bounty hunter. Instead, he is led to the site of Django's wife who is under the hands of Calvin Candie, a ruthless plantation owner.

Genre: Action, Adventure, Thriller

Year: 2012

Country: UK, USA

Rating:

Starring: Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Javier Bardem, Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris

Director: Sam Mendes

My Review: Yet another in the long line of Spy Thrillers written to the Ian Flemming character. This makes 23 or is it 25? Starring Daniel Craig as James Bond (His third time playing the role), Judi Dench playing M. (Her seventh time in the the role), Javier Barden playing Silva, Naomie Harris as Eve (aka Ms. Moneypenny), Albert Finney, Ben Whishaw, Rory Kinnear, and many others. Written by far too many people, directed by Sam Mendes (American Beauty, Road to Perdition, Jarhead, Revolutionary Road). In this Bond thriller (the third featuring Daniel Craig) James puts aside his own personal feelings in order to hunt down and eliminate the latest threat to the very foundations of MI6. MI6 is compromised, agents around the world are exposed, MI6 itself is attacked, the institution is weakened from within and without. James will have to operate outside the normal channels in order to defeat the hidden motives of Silva a former MI6 agent. This bond movie features some outstanding stunts and magnificent opening chase scene through the Grand Bazaar of Istanbul, Turkey. Daniel Craig does an excellent job in this movie. The writing is lighter than the last two (there's even a laugh or two) and the story quite good. The bond tradition has little to worry about in the hands of Daniel Craig and Sam Mendes. I give it a 4 out of 5.

Summary: When Bond's latest assignment goes gravely wrong and agents around the world are exposed, MI6 is attacked forcing M to relocate the agency. These events cause her authority and position to be challenged by Gareth Mallory (Ralph Fiennes), the new Chairman of the Intelligence and Security Committee. With MI6 now compromised from both inside and out, M is left with one ally she can trust: Bond. 007 takes to the shadows - aided only by field agent, Eve (Naomie Harris) - following a trail to the mysterious Silva (Javier Bardem), whose lethal and hidden motives have yet to reveal themselves.