Category: Adventure

Assassin’s Creed in Real 3D

I never played any of the video arcade games of Assassin’s Creed, but judging from the movie, the game must be pretty serious.

I have been waiting for this movie for over 18 months. It’s better than I expected, but not as good as I hoped it would be.

The movie is dark, grey and a bit dreary. The action is awesome!! There are many cool fight scenes and sequences. Michael Fassbender looks “hot” without a shirt on. The 3D aspects are ok.

The bigger issues are that the movie is disorganized, the story and/or plot is disjointed. Nothing happens in a sequence that you can really follow. There are philosophical undertones to the movie, but even those are not fully developed and there is too much CGI.

I left the theater with a big question mark on my face because I didn’t really understand the story or lack there-of.

“Assassin’s Creed” may join the likes of “Silent Hill” and “Hitman 47” that is a video game to big screen adaptation that isn’t very successful.

If you played the game or are a video game fanatic, the fight scenes and sequences are pretty awesome to see.

This is a 2 ½ Star Movie!

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story: The IMAX 3D Experience

A new Episode of the Star Wars Franchise is upon us. It’s the old-school Star Wars, but with a new deeper story!

This episode is pretty deep, wide and intense. The story is laid out in painstakingly fashion. Revenge and Justice are the order of the day.

Jyn (Felicity Jones) is separated from her parents at a very early age. She ends up being raised by Saw Gerrera (Forest Whitaker). The story picks up when Jyn is an adult. Jyn has become a “Rebel”. She and others join forces to steal the plans for the Death Star. This sets up an epic battle between several nations. The story unfolds from there…

The cinematography is breath-taking. The camera angles are awesome. There is plenty of cool special effects, CGI’s, intergalactic action and serious space battles.

IMAX is a must. You will feel like you are riding on the space crafts.

Once again Star Wars delivers. If you are a Star Wars fan, Rogue One is your movie!

This is a 4 ½ Star Movie!

Allied

Intelligence officer Max Vatan (Brad Pitt) meets up with a French Resistance Fighter Marianne Beausejour (Marion Cotillard) in North Africa, together they participate in a deadly mission behind enemy lines. Sometime later they reunite in London, their relationship blossoms, they marry and have a child but soon their relationship is tested due to the wartime constraints. The story unfolds from there…

There are parts of the movie that at times show signs of brilliance, but in the end it just doesn’t quite make it. From an execution stand point there are holes that need to be filled. The plot isn’t really clear.

“Allied” is a fairly decent movie. It should be better given the cast in front of the camera and behind the camera.

This is a 3 Star Movie!

Dr. Strange: The 3D IMAX Experience

Marvel Entertainment brings us another installment from the Marvel Comic Universe! This installment is about Dr. Strange.

Dr. Strange’s story is told in a colorful entertaining fashion. You are shown how Dr. Stephen Vincent Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), the renown Neurosurgeon becomes Dr. Strange the powerful Sorcerer after suffering through a tragic accident that leaves him unable to perform any medical surgeries.

“Dr. Strange” is an entertaining action movie that is a must see in IMAX 3D! The cinematography is awesome. The 3D aspects are very good. You are treated to a spectacular kaleidoscope of wizardry and special effects. Some of the scenes and special effects will remind you of the 2010 box office hit “Inception”.

Benedict Cumberbatch is smooth as silk as Dr. Strange. This will be another box office hit for the Marvel Comic Universe.

This is a 4 Star Movie!

Inferno

“Inferno” lacks fire. It’s like riding on a runaway freight train without actually being on the train.

In this adaptation of the fourth Dan Brown novel, the opening finds Professor Langdon (Hanks) in a hospital with no recollection of how he got there or how he sustained his injuries. The doctor taking care of him is trying to extract information, but having no luck.

The police arrive at the hospital to speak with Professor Langdon, but it turns out to be the same people who actually kidnapped the Professor. Sensing something is about to go down, the doctor gets Professor Langdon out of his hospital bed and they flee the hospital in a cab.

The next day Professor Langdon slowly starts to put the pieces together. He figures out that there is a plot to release a deadly virus into the world. This virus would kill millions of people. After accessing his email on the doctor’s computer, the professor is tracked to the building where the doctor lives, so they both flee again. The story unfolds from there…

The absolute best elements of “Inferno” is the cinematography and the camera angles. There are some great shots of Venice Italy and Istanbul Turkey. Beyond that the story is very weak. The plot is almost non-existent and the movie has no substance.

This is by far the worst installment of the Dan Brown series and not a great outing for Ron Howard as the director.

This is a 1 Star Movie!

Jack Reacher: Never Go Back: The IMAX Experience

In this second installment based on the Lee Child’s best-selling novel “Never Go Back”, Jack Reacher (Tom Cruise) makes his way back to Washington DC to visit Major Turner. When he arrives at Major Turner’s office, Reacher finds out that the Major has been arrested and faces court-marshal. Not understanding this situation Jack starts doing his own investigation into the supposed charges. As he starts to uncover information, he finds out that there is a paternity suit against the army naming him as the father to a daughter that he isn’t aware of.

As Jack continues to dig a lot of people get nervous and they plot to get Jack Reacher out of the way using any means possible. The story unfolds from there…

“Jack Reacher: Never Go Back” should not have come back! It’s not Tom Cruise’s fault. He does everything he can with the story and script he was given. The problem is that the main plot gets messed up and becomes a plot among the many sub-plots.

I commend Tom Cruise because he does all of his own stunts! There is a fair amount of action, suspense and intrigue, but the execution somehow got lost. The movie seems a lot longer than the 1 hour and fifty eight minutes running time.

The first Jack Reacher that came out in 2012 was directed by Christopher McQuarrie. That installment was excellent. This installment was directed by Edward Zwick and its execution is a departure from the first installment.

Unfortunately “Jack Reacher” Never Go Back” only rates a Cable or DVD or Blue Ray viewing.

This is a 2 Star Movie!

Deepwater Horizon

“Deepwater Horizon” is based on the true story about the worst oil spill in American History. The events are played out in the movie in painful fashion. Director Peter Berg really gives you an inside look at the good, bad and the very ugly of a horrific event.

As the events play out you will be on the edge of your seat. The tension mounts in pain-staking fashion. You will also be disgusted at how this all happened. Corporate (BP) greed takes center stage. Eleven lives were lost in this event. Those eleven lives were recognized at the end of the movie. The oil spill continued for 87 Days.

“Deepwater Horizon” is one of the better disaster movies. The movie is executed very well. The performances were awesome. There are many great panoramic views and the camera angles are mystifying. You won’t be bored.

If you can stand seeing a horrific event play out on the big screen, I say check out “Deepwater Horizon”.

This is a 4 Star Movie!

The Magnificent Seven (2016): The IMAX Experience

Remakes are never as good as the original upon which they are based, but the remake of the 1960’s The Magnificent Seven does a pretty good job. It’s pure “Pop Corn Entertainment”.

The cast is awesome. Think the “Wild, Wild West” of 1897 or better yet think “Gun Smoke”, “Dodge City” and Sheriff Matt Dillon.

The little western mining town, Rose Creek is under siege by a greedy tyrant named Bartholomew Bogue. He and his merry band of men over throw the town’s sheriff and his deputies. All of the town is in jeopardy, but one resident, Emma Cullen (Haley Bennett) and other desperate residents seek out the help of a Bounty Hunter who comes through town looking for one of his Bounties. The Bounty Hunter finds out he knows Bartholomew Bogue and agrees to help the town out. The story unfolds from there…

“The Magnificent Seven (2016)” does what it’s supposed to do. It provides great entertainment. There are no special effects, CGI’s or anything that would remotely remind you that we are in 2016. This is a good old-fashioned western. It’s not perfect, but the cast makes the movie worth watching. There is lots of western style violence, action and blood-shed. There is even a bit of comic relief.

If you like Westerns, you should enjoy “The Magnificent Seven (2016)”.

This is a 4 Star Movie!

Sully

“Sully” recounts the events that led up to US Airways Flight 1549 landing in the Hudson River. The flight’s destination was Charlotte, NC, but a “Bird Strike” hit the Airbus 320 Engines as it was climbing to reach its cruising altitude. The “Bird Strike” caused both engines to fail. The airplane was not able to make it to Teterboro or back to LaGuardia, so the next best option was to land in the Hudson River. The story unfolds from there…

The movie at times is a “Nail Biter”, but that is to be expected given what the movie is about. There is definitely some suspense and tense moments.

Tom Hanks gives a wonderful performance as Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger the Captain on US Airways Flight 1549.

This is actually a very well executed 96 minutes. The movie could have actually gone a bit longer as the ending was a bit strange. Kudos to Clint Eastwood. He still has the directing bug and he is excellent at it.

This is a 4 Star Movie!

Mechanic: Resurrection

Arthur Bishop, The Mechanic (Jason Statham) is forced to come out of his 5 year retirement.

An old nemesis, Riah Crain wants three of the most dangerous men in the world assassinated.
Of course there is a beautiful woman, (Jessica Alba) being used as a pawn to get the Mechanic to take the job. The Story unfolds from there…

There is some great cinematography, nice panoramic views of some exotic locations, and some decent stunts and action, but unfortunately the movie has no substance. There isn’t really a plot. Why kill those three men? That is not explained.

The best things about “Mechanic: Resurrection” are Jason Statham with his chiseled body and great charisma, Tommy Lee Jones looking suave as an aged hippie. It’s too bad that Tommy Lee Jones appears really late in the movie. When he showed up things got real interesting.

All in all “Mechanic: Resurrection” is a B-grade movie with some decent action, a few stunts and some good views, but no substance.

“Mechanic Resurrection” will be great on Cable or DVD.

This is a 2 Star Movie!