Tag: Woody Harrelson

Now You See Me: Now You Don’t in AMC Dolby

Now You See Me: Now You Don’t in AMC Dolby

This was a “Highly Anticipated” movie for me. I scheduled 11/14 off 8 months ago just so that I could see this movie because Morgan Freeman had reprised his role along with the other original members from previous installments, plus there is a new generation of illusionists who join the team.

This installment does get the gang (The Four Horseman) back together and you get a repeat of the franchise’s familiar tricks along with some mind-blowing illusions, mind-melding twists, turns, surprises and magic not previously seen in any of the other installments.  

There is an interesting story. The movie is fast paced, but the plot is weak. The cinematography and camera angles are breath-taking. There are some nice scenes in Brussels and Antwerp Belgium.

I was very disappointed that Morgan Freeman’s role was very limited in this installment compared to previous installments. 

If you are a fan of the “Now You See Me” Franchise this installment should not be missed. There is an open door for a 4th installment.

This is a 3 ½ Star Movie!!

Solo: A Star Wars Story in 3D

The “Hans Solo” story is Ok, but it’s not the usual Star Wars blockbuster we have come to expect.

This episode is a new adventure starring Hans Solo. In a far-away galaxy Solo must constantly deal in daring escapades trying to escape trouble. He lands himself a job as a copilot but that too falls futile. Solo ends up dealing with the deep dark criminal underworld where he deals with a gambler to win a ship that he needs for a job. This sets the course for several criminal encounters that Solo has to maneuver around. The story unfolds from there…

The story starts off slowly and drags. It takes over 50 minutes for things to heat up and get interesting. Once the events get going it’s an enjoyable movie. There are plenty of crazy stunts, lots of action and beautiful cinematography.

Please do not expect the usual Star Wars Blockbuster. You will be disappointed. This is a Ron Howard production. It is pretty good.

This is a 3 Star Movie!!

War for the Planet of the Apes in 3D

The third installment of this re-booted franchise is probably the best one yet!

Caesar (Serkis) and his people are pitted in an all-out war that causes HUGH casualties to his colony. Caesar is desperate to save his people while still trying to exact revenge upon the Army Colonel (Harrelson) who is leading the charge to destroy Caesar and his people.

A new uninhabited area to live has been discovered by Caesar’s son. It’s decided that all of the colony should move immediately to this new area. Caesar on the other hand is going after the Colonel. A few of Caesar’s men convince Caesar to let them come with him. It’s believed that that the rest of colony has made the journey to the new area.

Caesar and his posse happen upon the Colonel’s camp, but soon they find out that the Colonel has out foxed them and captured the colony. The story unfolds from there…

“Action-Packed, Suspenseful, Intriguing, Heart-Wrenching and Fast-Paced” are the best words to describe “War for the Planet of the Apes”. The movie is entertaining, smart and well-acted, but also a bit bloody. There are many “Epic” moments. This is one of the best rebooted franchises that I have seen in quite some time.

If you are a fan of the Planet of the Apes franchise, than “War for the Planet of the Apes” should not be missed.

This is a 4 ½ Star Movie!

Now You See Me 2

This is another edition of “Thursday Night at the Movies with “The Movie Warrior”.

Three years later…here we are for another magical installment of “Now You See Me”. Did you see the first installment? If not you should.

This installment finds the Four Horseman (Jesse Eisenberg, Lizzy Caplan, Woody Harrelson and Dave Franco) performing extreme magic and illusions to tantalize crowds of fans. The Four Horseman unwillingly traveling across the globe to China and once there they are enticed to perform their biggest and most dangerous trick yet. They are tasked with stealing a computer chip that has the power to erase every single computer on the planet. That feat will indeed take some serious magic and illusion to pull off. The story unfolds from there…

Plain and simple this installment tries too hard. The magic appears forced. There is a lot of magic and illusion. It’s practically non-stop. The first installment was exciting and fun. This second installment is intriguing but not very interesting. There are parts of the movie that are totally boring. There is no context at the start of the movie. It just starts without explanation. You are left to try and figure it out.

All of the originals from the first installment are back with the exception of the female Horseman, Henley Reeves who was played by Isla Fisher. In this installment there is a new female Horseman, Lula played by Lizzy Caplan.

Magic and Illusion are what made “Now You See Me” an enjoyable movie. It’s the overkill of Magic and Illusion in this second installment that destroys the fun.

This is a 2 ½ Star Movie!

Triple 9

“Triple 9” is a “Dark Brooding” Cop Drama based in Atlanta, GA.

A band of dirty cops are being black-mailed by the Russian Mob. This band of dirty cops go about performing virtually impossible heists. The only way to successfully pull off these heist are to issue a “999” police call which represents “Officer Down”.

You know what happens when you have a crew of people working together and money is involved. People get greedy and paranoid. In “Triple 9” the Rookie Cop in the band is setup to die, but he foils the attack. This sets up what turns out to be the best part of the movie which is only a few minutes from the end.

“Triple 9” is strange and subdued. The movie starts off on the wrong foot and it never stands up straight. Kate Winslet is horrible as a Russian Mob Boss.
There is drug use throughout and blatant nudity. Once again you have a movie with “Heavy Weight Actors” who come across as “Light Weight Actors”.

“Triple 9” is best viewed on Cable.

This is a 2 Star Movie!

The Hunger Games: MockingJay Pt 2

At last the long awaited final installment in The Hunger Games Franchise has arrived!

This final installment picks up where the Mocking Jay Pt1 left off. Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) is recovering from her injuries. She wants desperately to speak with Peeta (Josh Hutcherson), but President Alma Coin (Julianne Moore) and others warn against it.

Once Katniss is well, the team is assembled. The goal is to go to the Capital and kill President Snow. Of Course the team runs into many obstacles, but this does not stop them. The story unfolds from there.

There is lots of action, special effects and mayhem. There are a lot of surprises. Jennifer Lawrence is flawless as Katniss Everdeen. It seems the role was made for her. She brings legitimacy to the story.
Sadly this is the last movie for Philip Seymour Hoffman. This franchise started off in 2012 with a bang, but now goes out quietly.

If you are a fan of “The Hunger Games” Franchise; this final installment should not be missed.

This is a 3 1/2 Star Movie!

Out of The Furnace

I saw “Out of The Furnace” in Atlanta this weekend while visiting my Posse.

“Out of The Furnace” is clearly a case of great actors navigating a horrible script. The music is really good and Woody Harrelson was insanely crazy in the movie. That’s about as good as it gets.

“Out of The Furnace” is about family, fate and justice. Christian Bale is Russell Baze who works a dead end job at a local Steel Mill. His brother Rodney (Casey Affleck) fresh from serving his country in Iraq plays the ponies and eventually hooks up with one of the most notorious crime syndicates in the area. Rodney soon gets caught up in something way over his head and mysteriously disappears. The story unfolds from there…

This is one of those movies that was minimally edited. There are no ebbs and flows and its strictly monotone. For the most part the movie will hold your attention because you want to get to resolution of the situation and events, but the lulls that occur will give you pause.

I would suggest waiting for “Out of The Furnace” to hit Blue-Ray, DVD or Cable.

Hunger Games: Catching Fire The IMAX Experience

This second installment finds Katniss Everdeen back at home safely after winning the 74th Annual Hunger Games. Part of winning means the winners must promote the games, so Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) and Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) embark on a cross country district by district tour. They are also both trying to convince President Snow (Donald Sutherland) that they do love each other and it was the right thing to allow them to be co-winners of the 74th Hunger Games. It would seem though that President Snow is not convinced.

The 75th Annual Hunger Games is approaching. President Snow has decided that all past winners must compete again to mark the 75th Anniversary. The story unfolds from there…

There is a nice continuation from the first installment. “Hunger Games: Catching Fire” flows nicely, keeps you engaged and thoroughly entertained. The cinematography is breathtaking and the special effects are awesome. My only problem was the ending is a bit weird, but the door is open for installment number three.
If you are a fan of the Hunger Games Franchise then “Hunger Games: Catching Fire” is a must see.

Now You See Me

“Now You See Me” is a sophisticated game of “Cat & Mouse” with a group of extremely good magicians, the police and the FBI.
Four top notch magicians perform never before seen tricks. Their tricks are so elaborate they involve theft of money and safes. This draws the attention of not only a former magician who seeks out magicians to expose their tricks, but the police and the FBI get involved. the story unfolds from there…
Things are definitely not what they seem and this is the “Magic” of “Now You See Me”. Move over Houdini because you have nothing on these four fresh magicians.
The movie is good and you will be entertained. The magic is very cool!! The intrigue, twists and turns will keep you on your toes. Don’t blink or you might miss something important. This is a “Must Pay Close Attention” type of movie.
The plot and reasoning is baffling at best and that’s what keeps “Now You See Me” from being a 4-5 star movie.
The paid critics say it’s “So-So”. I disagree, I think “Now You See Me” is worth a look.