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 and the drones that do most of the ‘hands on work’. 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 good, and the direction excellent. 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. 4 out of 5.

Summary: In 2077, the human Jack Harper works with his companion Victoria "Vic" on the surveillance station Tech 49. Jack repairs drones and his memory was erased as part of the security process to stay on Earth, and he knows that Earth is completely depleted after sixty years of war against the alien invaders Scavengers "Scavs". The aliens have destroyed the moon and were defeated by nuclear weapons and the earthlings have moved to Jupiter's moon Titan since the planet was completely destroyed. Now Jack has to protect the power stations that use the ocean to supply energy to Titan fixing the drones. He also has recollections of a mysterious woman at the Empire State Building when Earth was habitable. Jack and Vic receive instructions from Sally (Melissa Leo), who is located on the space station Tet, and Vic is anxious to leave Earth in two weeks to join the survivors on Titan. However, Jack has a cabin in a secret place where he likes to stay alone. When the spacecraft Odyssey crashes on Earth, Jack witnesses the drones killing the human crew but he rescues a woman, Julia, who is the woman of his recollections. Julia and Jack recover the flight recorder but they are captured by the Scavengers. Soon they learn that the Scavs are actually a group of humans, who tell Jack that the invasion was a lie. Jack does not believe them, and they release Julia and Jack into the radiation zone to find the truth.

Genre: TV Movie

Year: 2008

Country: USA, Canada

Rating:

Starring: David Carradine, Daryl Hannah, Jimmy Taenaka, Kay Tong Lim, Yu Beng Lim

Director: Philip Spink

My Review: Written by Jacqueline Feather and David Seidler. Directed by Philip Spink (Once in a blue moon). Starring David Carradine, Daryl Hannah, Jimmy Taenaka, Osric Chau, Anya Wu, and others. David Carradine reprises the role of Kwai Chang Kaine.. Sort of. Playing 'White Crane', the character seemed to be the same as the one he played in the TV Series Kung Fu. In this 'Made for TV' movie (Spike TV), he plays a philosophy whispering, flute playing, monk and Kung Fu master, who seems to move with graceful and fluid motions. If you were expecting a Jet Le style Kung Fu movie, then you didn't watch the Kung Fu TV shows in the 70s and 90s. David Carradine is no Jackie Chan. Having Daryl Hannah (from Kill Bill) and Jimmy Taenaka in the movie made for great casting, but overall the movie isn't the greatest. In this movie, an aging Caucasian monk (David Carradine) must infiltrate the criminal underworld of 1930's Shanghai in order to find the killers responsible for murdering the Grandmaster. The writing was pretty bad, but seeing David Carradine and Daryl Hannah together again was a treat. Osric Chau did a good job in his role, but ultimately David Carradine is a bit old for this role, and most in the audience will not appreciate this style of Kung Fu. We've become too accustomed to movies where the good guy kicks and punches the bad guy a thousand times before he executes a spinning, tumbling escape, and no one gets hurt? I enjoyed the movie for its return to basica/old-style kung-fu and the setting in 1930s Shanghai. 3 out of 5.

Summary: A Caucasian monk in Shanghai infiltrates the underworld to find the killers of his spiritual female Grandmaster.

Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance

Year: 2011

Country: USA, Germany

Rating:

Starring: Topher Grace, Anna Faris, Dan Fogler, Teresa Palmer, Chris Pratt

Director: Michael Dowse

My Review: Story by Topher Grace and Gordon Kaywin. Screenplay by Jackie & Jeff Filgo (Writers for "That 70's Show"). Directed by Michael Dowse (Fubar, Goon, What If). Starring Topher Grace, Anna Faris, Dan Fogler, Teresa Palmer, Chris Pratt and many others. A party movie - Topher Grace (from "That 70s Show") plays Matt Franklin (aka Eric Forman), a young man who's still trying to figure it all out. It's the late 80s, wall street is flying high, and Matt is living with his parents and working at 'Sun Coast Videos' - He's struggling to figure it all out, after graduating from MIT and quitting his lucrative job at a research lab. That's when one of his high school crushes walks in on him (at the store), and he makes up an 'on the spot' lie - I'm working at 'Goldman Sachs' - She's impressed, and he gets invited to a party. What follows is hilarity. A raucous 'coming of age' romantic comedy, filled with laughs, music, and some sexy ladies. Something akin to 'American Graffiti'. The movie and music makes me yearn for the 80s again. I'm glad there wasn't a 'Topher Grace' amongst my friends… Then again, maybe I was the Topher Grace? I liked the movie, but you can only take so much Topher Grace. The funniest/best acting came from Dan Fogler (playing Barry Nathan), Matt's sidekick and criminal co-conspirator. With this second viewing, my rating moves up to a 3 out of 5.

Summary: It's the late 1980s, when Wall Street is riding high, and it seems as if the entire country is cashing in on the bumper profits. Disgusted with the materialism that surrounds him, Matt Franklin, a brilliant young MIT graduate, has walked out on his well-paid position at a local lab and taken a low-level job as a video clerk, much to his father Bill's consternation. And the crises keep piling up in Matt's life. His best buddy Barry has just gotten fired from his job, his brainy sister Wendy is getting hitched to her vapid boyfriend Kyle, and the gorgeous Tori Frederking, long-time object of Matt's unattainable adoration, is suddenly back in the picture. Now, on one wild, woolly and irresponsible evening, everything is coming to a head, with explosive results.

Genre: Action, Adventure, Science Fiction

Year: 2012

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Taylor Kitsch, Lynn Collins, Samantha Morton, Willem Dafoe, Thomas Haden Church

Director: Andrew Stanton

My Review: Far better than I had anticipated (due in part to an unfavorable review). As a matter of fact, after watching this movie twice, my rating has actually risen. It is an ambitious, epic, sci-fi adventure. And it deserves a higher rating than it's currently (as of Jun 2019) getting (6.6) on IMDB. Based on the 'Princess of Mars' story by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the screenplay was written by Andrew Stanton, Mark Andrews and Michael Chabon. The movie was directed by Andrew Stanton (Finding Nemo, WALL-E / Screenplay: Toy Story, Toy Story 2, Toy Story 4, Monsters Inc, Finding Nemo, WALL-E). Starring Taylor Kitsch, Lynn Collins, Willem Dafoe, Thomas Haden Church and many others. The story is that of John Carter; a Civil War veteran. Carter has become disenfranchised with the politics of war and he seeks a normal life, but the Army will not leave him be. He's locked up, escapes, is locked up again and escapes. As he flees the Army he stumbles across a cave, touches a medallion and is transported to another world - Mars! Here on the Red Planet he encounters life. Rich civilizations, alien creatures and an epic battle that spans the stars. While the 'wire' work and cgi were less than the best, the story was excellent. Befitting of the Edgar Rice Burroughs novels (I've read some of them), and they even manage to write the author (Edgar Rice Burroughs) into the story. It's face paced, high-adventure which immerses the viewer in an alien world, full of rich history, culture and mystery. The costumes were outstanding, the worlds created were vibrant and believable. The acting by Taylor Kitsch (as John Carter) left something to be desired, but the supporting cast (especially Lynn Collins and Willem Dafoe) definitely helped elevate the movie. A very pleasant surprise. I give it a 4 out of 5.

Summary: John Carter, a Civil War veteran, who in 1868 was trying to live a normal life, is "asked" by the Army to join, but he refuses so he is locked up. He escapes, and is pursued. Eventually they run into some Indians, and there's a gunfight. Carter seeks refuge in a cave. While there, he encounters someone who is holding some kind of medallion. When Carter touches it, he finds himself in a place where he can leap incredible heights, among other things. He later encounters beings he has never seen before. He meets a woman who helps him to discover that he is on Mars, and he learns there's some kind of unrest going on.

Genre: Drama, Science Fiction

Year: 2014

Country: UK

Rating:

Starring: Domhnall Gleeson, Alicia Vikander, Oscar Isaac, Sonoya Mizuno, Corey Johnson

Director: Alex Garland

My Review: Written and directed by Alex Garland (This movie was Alex Garland's directorial debut. He also directed Annihilation / Writer for the Beech (novel), Sunshine and 28 Days Later (screenplays)). In this psychological thriller, Caleb (played by Domhnall Gleeson), a young programmer wins a contest to spend a week at the private retreat of Nathan - the reclusive CEO of a search company called Blue Book. What Caleb doesn't know is that Nathan has invited him to evaluate Ada, an A.I. wrapped in the body of a beautiful android. The movie is full of psychological tension and great visual effects. The acting was excellent and the writing full of many nuanced touches. The secluded environment and moody music helped to elevate the tension throughout. This is not an action film. You can focus on the philosophical questions of intelligence and humanity. An excellent movie. I just added it to my wish list and I want to watch it again. I give it a 4 out of 5.

Summary: Caleb, a 26 year old programmer at the world's largest internet company, wins a competition to spend a week at a private mountain retreat belonging to Nathan, the reclusive CEO of the company. But when Caleb arrives at the remote location he finds that he will have to participate in a strange and fascinating experiment in which he must interact with the world's first true artificial intelligence, housed in the body of a beautiful robot girl.

Genre: Drama, Comedy, Romance

Year: 1952

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Charles Chaplin, Claire Bloom, Nigel Bruce, Buster Keaton, Sydney Chaplin

Director: Charles Chaplin

My Review: Written and directed by Charles 'Charlie' Chaplin (City Lights, Modern Times, The Great Dictator). Starring Charles Chaplin, Claire Bloom, Nigel Bruce and others. Charlie Chaplin plays Calvero, a washed-up, once famous vaudeville comedian who does his best to help the fledgling career of a suicidal ballet dancer. It's a somewhat biographical movie, in that Charlie Chaplin's career is nearing its end when this film was made. In preventing her suicide and supporting her fledgling career, he finds new purpose in life and even returns to the stage himself. This black and white film does contain dialogue, despite what some might think about Charlie Chaplin films, they're not all silent movies. This movie in many ways is more mature than his earlier works. It is a homage to the career of his characters. One of the best parts of the film is a duet between Chaplin and Buster Keaton. Very well written and acted, if only slightly too wordy and philosophical. I give it a 4 out of 5.

Summary: Chaplin's final American film tells the story of a fading music hall comedian's effort to help a despondent ballet dancer learn both to walk and feel confident about life again. The highlight of the film is the classic duet with Chaplin's only real artistic film comedy rival, Buster Keaton.

Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama

Year: 2016

Country: China, USA

Rating:

Starring: Donnie Yen, Michelle Yeoh, Harry Shum Jr., Natasha Liu Bordizzo, Jason Scott Lee

Director: Woo-Ping Yuen

My Review: Screenplay by three people, based on a book by Du Lu Wang. Directed by Ang Lee (Eat Drink Man Woman, Sense and Sensability (1995), The Ice Storm, Broke Back Mountain, Lust / Caution, Life of Pi). Starring Yun-Fat Chow, Michelle Yeoh, Ziyi Zhang and others. The story is that of a Chinese warrior entrusted to deliver a mystical sword (called 'Green Destiny') for safe keeping. Unfortunately, the sword is stolen by an unknown agent. The chase is on. The sword must be recovered and honor restored. The search becomes quite complicated when the trail leads to the house of politically influential clan. Now what? A cinematic masterpiece. The acting, the casting, the story, the sets, the locations. This movie is absolutely fantastic. A dramatic action flick with plenty of romance. An epic adventure, a kung-fu flick. This movie has it all. A foreign language film that plays out better than most Hollywood Blockbusters. I bought this movie soon after I saw it. You should buy a copy too. 5 out of 5.

Summary: Still mourning the death of Li Mu Bai, Yu Shu Lien returns to safeguard his sword, the Green Destiny. Hades Dai, an underground warlord, sends his lieutenants to steal the sword , with plans to dominate the martial world. A young mysterious swords-woman and the hero with a past, Silent Wolf , comes to Shu Lien's aid, together with a disparate band of warriors who still believe in the iron way of honor.

Genre: Horror

Year: 2014

Country: USA, Mexico

Rating:

Starring: Nick Damici, Ethan Embry, Lance Guest, Erin Cummings, Rutanya Alda

Director: Adrián García Bogliano

My Review: Written by Eric Stolze. Directed by Adrian Garcia Bogliano (Has directed a series of 'slasher' type horror movies (mostly in Spanish) with IMDB ratings averaging ~5.5). Starring Nick Damici, Ethan Embry, Lance Guest, and others. This horror movie contains some fairly tame violence, mediocre costumes and makeup (the werewolf), but the best part of the movie is the characters and acting. Nick Damici does a fairly good job playing Ambrose McKinley a blind veteran (US Army) who is struggling to reconcile and reestablish his family ties after a prolonged estrangement from his wife and son. Soon after Ambrose moves into this retirement home, he realizes that the recent 'wild dog' attack is something more than the authorities think. Dying of old age isn't the biggest danger in this retirement community. The writing isn't the best, and the story is old and worn. As a matter of fact, we could spend a considerable amount of time discussing the fact that this movie has been done before (Bind protagonist vs werewolf - Check out Silver Bullet). Nick Damici's acting was the only thing that kept this movie from being a complete failure. I give it a 2 out of 5.

Summary: Ambrose McKinley, a cantankerous blind vet, moves into a retirement community only to learn the residents there have been dying, not from old age, but from dog attacks. After surviving his own encounter with a canine one night, Ambrose comes to believe the assailants are much more than mere dogs...

Genre: Drama, Romance, TV Movie

Year: 2011

Country: UK, USA

Rating:

Starring: Mia Wasikowska, Jamie Bell, Su Elliot, Holliday Grainger, Tamzin Merchant

Director: Cary Joji Fukunaga

My Review: Screenplay by Moira Buffini, based upon the novel by Charlotte Bronte. Directed by Cary Joji Fujunaga (Sin Nombre, Beasts of no Nation, also True Detective and Maniac TV series). Starring Mia Wasikowska, Michael Fassbender, Jamie Bell and others. Here is a retelling of a the classic romance novel; yet again. There are several titles in IMDB based upon the novel. Several TV series, mini-series and movies, all based upon the novel. While I'm not one to normally select such fare for my viewing, I decided to give it a go. The locations and setting are quite interesting. A remote English estate called Thornfield Hall inhabits the Yorkshire Dales. The location and the Castle (filmed in Broughton Castle, Banbury, Oxfordshire, England) are characters with as much gravitas as those played by the actors. Mia Wasikowska did a good job as the mousy governess Mademoiselle Eyre. Michael Fassbender was excellent as the harsh and uncompromising Mr. Rochester. What is Rochester's dark secret? The music was great, but the movie seemed to be lacking in development. It seemed to jump some gaps and I felt that I was only getting part of the story. The pacing was off and the character development lacking. Relying solely on a few critical scenes made it difficult to connect with the characters. I give it a 3 out of 5. A repeat watching may be necessary. Or, perhaps a longer version? Maybe a series.

Summary: After a bleak childhood, Jane Eyre goes out into the world to become a governess. As she lives happily in her new position at Thornfield Hall, she meets the dark, cold, and abrupt master of the house, Mr. Rochester. Jane and her employer grow close in friendship and she soon finds herself falling in love with him. Happiness seems to have found Jane at last, but could Mr. Rochester's terrible secret be about to destroy it forever?

Genre: Biography, Drama, Sport

Year: 2015

Country: USA

Rating:

Starring: Kevin Costner, Ramiro Rodriguez, Carlos Pratts, Johnny Ortiz, Rafael Martinez

Director: Niki Caro

My Review: Story by Bettina Gilois and Christopher Cleveland. Screenplay by Bettina Gilois, Christopher Cleveland and Grant Thompson. Directed by Niki Caro (Whale Rider, North Country, The Zookeeper's Wife). Starring Kevin Costner, Maria Bello, Ramiro Rodriguez and others. An un-pretentious movie about courage and resolution in plain-old America. Kevin Costner plays an average coach and teacher. He's just relocated, again… Now he's teaching and coaching in one of the poorest corners of America. It isn't a glorious or glamorous job, but the kids are just as deserving as any in America. The high school is home to many lost hopes and dreams - Coach White is determined to turn-that-around. He's discovered talent and potential and can't stand to see it squandered. He takes these children of rural immigrants into true American's instilling a dream, hope and a desire to better themselves. Along the way, they become champions. It's an uplifting and inspirational movie. The movie focuses on the interpersonal relationships of the characters and the everyday heroes of rural America. It's an outstanding family focused movie, the kind that Disney does best. I give this movie a 5 out of 5. Not for it's spectacular special effects or action scenes - For it's superb storytelling and amazing positive message. The direction was spot on.

Summary: A struggling coach and teacher who has had to move around for different incidents in his career finally comes to one of the poorest cities in America: McFarland, California. There he discovers buried potential in several high school boys and slowly turns them into championship runners and brings them closer than even he could ever imagine.