Month: May 2017

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales

At Last…This is supposed to be the final installment in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. To be perfectly honest I believe the franchise died after “Dead Man’s Chest”.

In this installment the legendary Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) is down on his luck. Things get really dark when a band of deadly ghost sailors lead by the notorious Captain Salazar (Javier Bardem) escapes from the Devil’s Triangle. The ghostly band of sailors are out to kill every Pirate they can find especially Jack Sparrow.
Captain Jack however continues to get himself in predicaments. His only hope of survival is to locate the “Trident of Poseidon”. Jack will have to team up with an Astronomer known as Carina Smyth (Kaya Scodelario). On the other front though Captain Salazar gets a line on where Captain Jack is located. The story unfolds from there…

Javier Bardem as Captain Salazar breathes life into this installment. He is a breath of fresh air. Aside from the special effects, costumes and cinematography Captain Salazar is by far the best element in the movie.

The movie is entertaining, but the problem is that it drags at times and it’s way too long at 2 hours 15 minutes. The story just seems to drone on and on…

This franchise is old and tired and should sail off into the sunset.

This is a 2 ½ Star Movie!

Alien: Covenant

Ok, Ok, Ok…I had not planned to see “Alien: Covenant”, especially after seeing “Life” back in March and having nightmares to boot! But my curiosity got the best of me plus, I have seen the other three “Alien” installments. So here goes…

“Alien: Covenant” is an epic Sci-Fi/Action/Adventure that has parts of “Prometheus”, but also gets back to its original roots of “In-gestation” and “Incubation”.
Believe it or not this 4th installment is fresh! It does pick up some parts of “Prometheus” to remind you of what transpired there over the past few years.

What really makes “Alien: Covenant” work is the cast. This cast is way better than the “Life” cast and is on par with the 1979 hit “Alien” which starred Sigourney Weaver. Michael Fassbender reprises his role from “Prometheus”.

“Bloody, Edge-of-Your Seat Suspenseful and Intriguing” are how to best describe “Alien: Covenant”.
Michael Fassbender is such a “Butt”, but I mean that in a nice way. There always has to be an “Antagonist” in these types of movies and he is it!!

The door has been left open again! so I suspect we will see a 5th installment in a couple of years.

This is a 3 ½ Star Movie!!

Everything, Everything

“Everything, Everything” is adapted from the Young Adult Novel by Nicola Yoon. The story centers around a teenage girl named Maddie (Amandla Stenberg) who is house-bound due to an immunodeficiency that makes her allergic to almost everything.
Maddie’s life changes after a new family moves next door. There is a young man in that family and he catches Maddie’s eye and visa- versa. They start to communicate via phone and computer, but that’s not enough. Soon Maddie decides she wants to go outside. The story unfolds from there…

“Everything, Everything” is a romantic story with an interesting twist. The movie is best suited for the 15 to 30 age group, but I did find it enjoyable. The movie centers on relationships, not just romantic relationships, but relationships in general.

This is a 3 Star Movie!

The Wall

“The Wall” was not on my original “Watch List”, but I decided that it was a better choice this weekend than “Snatched”.

It’s 2007 and the end of the Iraq War. President Bush has declared victory and the rebuilding has started. “The Wall” is a suspenseful psychological thriller that follows two US soldiers who are pinned down by an Iraqi sniper. There is nothing between them but a crumbling wall. The fight becomes as much a game of wills and wits as it is about accuracy. The story unfolds from there…

“The Wall” is intense, nerve-racking and at times hard to look at right up to the end. There is so much dirt flying that you will feel like you are eating dirt right along with them. You are given a very realistic view of what the soldiers who protect us have to deal with. If you like military-themed movies, check out “The Wall”.

“The Wall” was directed by Doug Linman who also directed one of my favorite movies “The Bourne Ultimatum”. Other Doug Linman directorial credits include “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” and “Edge of Tomorrow”.

This is a 3 ½ Star Movie!

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 the 3D IMAX Experience

In this installment the team continues their adventures as they make their way across the galaxy. “The Guardians” must fight to keep their family together as they are confronted with challenge after challenge, but one challenge made by Peter Quill’s (Chris Pratt) supposed father “Ego” (Kurt Russell) proves to be more than the team bargained for. The story unfolds from there…

“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” is a CGI feast. The special effects and cinematography are off the charts. There is plenty of action, suspense and intrigue. I did not review the first installment, but saw it later. This installment is a lot cruder and a lot more violent than the first installment, so Parents beware.

The movie is fast-paced and will keep you on the edge of your seat. There is plenty of humor, probably more than in the first installment. Normally sequels lose some luster, but I would say this installment kept it real and fresh. My favorite Guardian is “Baby Groot”. He looks like a miniature Mummy.

If you are a die-hard Marvel Comic Fan, you will love “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2”.

This is a 4 Star Movie!