Author: moviewarrior

I am an IT Professional who has loved the movie going experience since Kindergarten. My favorite Genres are Action, Suspense/Thrillers, Drama, Sci-Fi, Animation, Art House and Romantic Comedies.

The Judge

In “The Judge”, big city attorney Hank Palmer (Robert Downey Jr.) is summoned back to the Indiana town he grew up in when he is informed that his mother has died. Once he returns to his childhood home Hank attempts to reconnect with his estranged Dad, “The Judge” (Robert Duvall) and re-establish a relationship with the family he walked away from.

Judge Palmer (Robert Duvall) ends up getting arrested for attempted murder when his vintage Cadillac strikes and kills a recently released ex-con that he himself once convicted. The story unfolds from there…

“The Judge” is not a bad movie, but it takes way too long to get to the point. Family dysfunction is the order of the day with the Palmer family. This is played out throughout the movie.

There are at least 5 smaller stories playing out in the movie involving a high school romance rekindled, a mentally challenged younger brother, past transgressions of a father, possible incest and an impending divorce. None of these scenarios have anything to do with the story at hand. This all causes the movie to be disjointed.

There is plenty of star power in “The Judge”, too bad it’s not fully utilized.

This is a 2 1/2 Star Movie!

Gone Girl

“Oh My Gosh!!”, “Gone Girl” is jaw dropping good!! The mystery of it all is insane!! The plot and story are out of this world crazy!! The movie is based on the best-selling novel by Gillian Flynn.

“Gone Girl” is about the ups and downs of a modern marriage. On their fifth wedding anniversary Nick Dunne (Affleck) finds himself contacting the police because he comes home and finds what appears to look like a struggle of some kind took place in his home and his wife is missing…The story unfolds from there…

Straight away it looks like “Been there done that”, but WAIT!! It’s like a made bed that you decide to unmake. As you remove pieces of the bedding the picture starts to come together and oh what a picture it makes.

“Gone Girl” is excellently executed, a slow churning suspense mystery with plenty of intrigue. You will be on the edge of your seat. The performances of the actors are superb.

This has to be the best Suspense/Mystery/Thriller I have seen in a while…

If you like Suspense/Mystery/Thrillers, “Gone Girl” is your movie.

“Gone Girl” is definitely a must see!!

This is a 4 1/2 Star Movie!!

The Equalizer (2014)

The last time Director Antoine Fuqua and Denzel Washington hooked-up to make a movie, Denzel picked up one of the gold statues (An Oscar).

That most likely will not happen this time, but that doesn’t mean that “The Equalizer” isn’t good!!

Denzel Washington brings “The Equalizer’s” Robert McCall to the big screen. McCall believes he has put his strange past behind him and is trying to live a quiet normal life in Boston. McCall goes to work every day at a Home Depot type store. McCall frequents a Diner in his neighbor and it’s there that he meets a young girl named Teri (Chloe Grace Moretz). Teri is under the influence of a roguish Russian Mobster.

McCall witnesses the mobster violently slapping Teri. He can’t stand by and allow this to continue. McCall devises a plan and uses skills no one knows he has to get Teri away from the Russian Mobster. The story unfolds from there…

“The Equalizer” is a “Slow Burn Suspense Thriller”. There is no rush with this movie, but it doesn’t drag either. The suspense and intrigue are at an all time high. There is plenty of action and at times it’s rather bloody.

Watching Denzel in action as Robert McCall is awesome!! You can’t wait to see what happens next!
If you like Suspense Thrillers, you will find “The Equalizer” entertaining and satisfying.

This is a former TV Drama brought to the big screen with a big time actor. I expect this to become a franchise. We will undoubtedly see Denzel as Robert McCall again in the future.

This is a 3 Star Movie!

A Walk Among the Tombstones

“A Walk Among the Tombstones” is a good movie, but not for the faint at heart!
Matt Scudder (Liam Neeson) a Private Investigator is hired by a drug kingpin to find the people who kidnapped and murdered his wife. Along the way to arriving at the awful truth, Matt must also deal with his own demons as he has flashbacks to a time long past.

As Matt digs into the gruesome details of this particular kidnapping/murder he finds a pattern that leads to other kidnapping/murders of woman who are somehow related to drug kingpins. The story unfolds from there…
As “A Walk Among the Tombstones” progresses it gets more and more suspenseful. There is plenty of drama, intrigue and tension to go around.

I mentioned earlier that this is not for the faint at heart. There are some very grizzly scenes and at times it’s a bit bloody.
Liam Neeson is awesome as Matt Scudder. If you like Suspense Thrillers this is a MUST SEE!

Actor Danny Devito is one of the producers of “A Walk Among the Tombstones”. The movie is based on the best-selling novel by Lawrence Block.

This is a 3 1/2 Star Movie!

The Expendables 3: An IMAX Experience

The Testosterone filled franchise is back!! “It’s Old Dogs, Young Dogs and New Tricks”; in this third installment.

In this installment Barney (Stallone) and the team come face to face with an enemy, Conrad Stonebanks (Gibson) they thought was long since dead. Years ago Conrad and Barney co-founded The Expendables, but some bad blood caused them to separate and Barney was forced to kill Conrad several years ago, or so he thought.

Stonebanks (Gibson) has eluded death and resurfaced and is making it his mission to get rid of “The Expendables” for good, but Barney (Stallone) has other ideas. The story unfolds from there…

The movie starts great and has a strong ending, but the middle is just a muddle of senior moments. I have to say that there are a few good comedic moments, some interesting cinematography, some eye opening stunts and questionable special effects.

I find this installment to be better than the previous one. There is lots of non-stop action and some intrigue. There are a few new faces and the on-screen chemistry is interesting. There is a new female member to the team and she is pretty cool!!

I believe that when Sylvester Stallone signed up to do this franchise there were only going to be 3, but the door appears to be open for a 4th.

Maybe if there is a 4th installment it will continue to get better.
If you are a fan of “The Expendables” franchise, this installment should not be missed.

This is a 3 Star Movie

A Most Wanted Man

Earlier this year when it was announced that Academy Award winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman had died, I thought it was a terrible joke. His death is another in a long line of famous people gone too soon…

In one of his last performances, Philip Seymour Hoffman plays Gunter Bachmann a counterterrorist expert based in Hamburg Germany who operates as a rogue agent independently of the GSG-9.

A half-Chechen, half Russian named Issa Karpov (Grigoriy Dobrygin), brutally tortured immigrant shows up in Hamburg’s Islamic community claiming his father’s ill-gotten fortune, both the US and German Security agencies take notice and start an all out investigation and surveillance. There is an immediate need to establish this most wanted man’s true identity. Is he an extremist or oppressed victim?

The phrase “Oh what a web we weave when trying to deceive” rings very true in “A Most Wanted Man”.

This is a Spy Suspense Thriller about surveillance, plain and simple!!
The movie has a slow churn to it that doesn’t come together until the last 20 minutes, but you will want to know what happens. There are a few surprises with twists and turns. You have to be patient!

I have seen Philip Seymour Hoffman look better. His dialog is minimal, but his presence and authority in the film speaks volumes.

“A Most Wanted Man” is based on the John Le Carre’s 2008 Spy Novel.
If you are a Philip Seymour Hoffman fan and you like Spy Thriller’s, “A Most Wanted Man” should not be missed.

This is a 4 Star Movie

The Hundred-Foot Journey

A family of cooks from India is forced to flee their home land after tragedy strikes them. They make their way to England. They then travel to France to a small town where they find a place to live and eventually open a restaurant. What they don’t know is that the French Village they set up shop in is very close net, quaint and the best restaurant in town is owned and run by Madame Mallory (Helen Mirren). Everyone eats at Le Saule Pleureur.

The India natives purchase the property across the road (100 feet) from Le Saule Pleureur and Madame Mallory’s home. They turn the property into a restaurant known as Maison Mumbai. Once Madame Mallory gets wind of this she protests vehemently. The story unfolds from there…

“The Hundred-Foot Journey” is a very heart-warming, entertaining story. It’s based on the best-selling novel by Richard C. Morais. There is a few times where the story lags a bit, but the movie definitely has many finer points.

There are some wonderful views of the French Countryside. While “The Hundred-Foot Journey” wasn’t advertised very much, it’s definitely worth the ticket.

As a foot note: Steven Spielberg and Oprah Winfrey produced this movie.

This is a 3 1/2 Star Movie

Lucy

I am really not sure what I expected from the movie “Lucy”. There haven’t been many previews, but the ones I did see were intriguing…

“Lucy” (Scarlett Johansson) accidentally gets caught in a “dark” situation not of her own making. Circumstances present themselves and Lucy turns the tables on her captors. She is then able to transform herself into a merciless assassin that defies logic and reason. The story unfolds from there…

“Lucy” contains lots of action, suspense and intrigue. It’s also very bloody.
There is a pretty intense car chase through the streets of Paris France that will remind you of a Jason Bourne Movie. There are plenty of special effects.

The problem with “Lucy” is that you are not given any background or foundation for the events leading up to Lucy’s situation. Nothing really makes any sense. There is no plot.

“Lucy” is an ok movie, it’s not great!

This is a 2 1/2 stars movie

And So It Goes

Michael Douglas plays “Oren Little” a Realtor who wants nothing more than to sell his house and move on with his life. A nine year old granddaughter (Sterling Jerins) he didn’t know he had is suddenly thrust into his life by his estranged son.

Oren is so mean and hateful that he doesn’t know how to love and care for his granddaughter so he pawns her off on his neighbor Leah (Diane Keaton). Leah has troubles of her own, but takes the child in. The story unfolds from there…

“And So It Goes” is a Rob Reiner production. It’s definitely NOT one of his best.

The movie starts off slow and without meaning. Most of the movie is boring. It shows a bright light and is even funny about 50 minutes into the movie, but that’s not saying much since the movie is only 1 hour and 34 minutes long.
I am guessing Michael Douglas and Diane Keaton just needed something to do because this is not either’s best work.

I would wait for “And So it Goes” on DVD or Blue Ray.

This is a 1 star movie

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes IMAX 3D

Caesar and his colony are back!

Continuing from the 2011 installment “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” there was a war brewing and the Simian flu all but wiped out most of humanity. There are some humans left. They are in San Francisco and trying to survive. Caesar wants to live peaceably, but there is dissention amongst his colony.

The people in San Francisco have no idea that there are apes living near them. It’s been determined that in order to restore power to the city a tactical team will need to travel into the deep forest to a location where a power plant and dam exist. What they don’t know is that Caeser and his colony have established a home right next to and around the power plant.

In order to get to the power plant and get the dormant dam operational, the team is going to have to deal with Caesar and his colony. One of the young apes is mistakenly shot by a human who feels threatened. This causes a bit of an up rise, but Caesar convinces the colony that the humans are not a threat and they should remain apart. The tactical team temporarily retreats, but after regrouping they return to the forest in an attempt to get to the dam. The story unfolds from there…
This is another one of those franchises that I am “Luke Warm” about. I did not care for the first two installments choosing to watch them on cable as opposed to spending money in a theater. This installment wasn’t even on my “Watch List”.

“Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” is really good. There is a real story, plot and intrigue. The CGI’s are excellent. The cinematography is really good. The movie is tension filled with edge of your seat action.

“Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” is a must see in IMAX, but not 3D.

This is a 4 Star movie