Brick Mansions (2014): Review

I just realized that I didn't make a post for when I saw Brick Mansions last weekend.  It seems like that last few weeks have been crazy busy and out of character for my basic life but hopefully everything will be getting more regular and I will be posting on here more like I have in the past.  Anyway back to the post on this movie.  I wasn't sure what I was expecting when I went into watching Brick Mansions.  It stars Paul Walker, who I usually really like in movies, this goes back to thinking he was absolutely fantastic back in high school when I first saw him in movies, but since he has since passed away in a tragic car accident I didn't know how it would work with this being the last movie that he completed before his death.

Brick Mansions was what I tend to like in the crappy action movie category and it was a pretty solid effort.  It was worth seeing for people who like these type of car chase, fight sequence, shoot-um up movies but would not be that much interest to people who do not like this type of movie.  I liked the addition of the parkour element but do not believe for one minuet that Paul Walker was ever able to do those moves like his partner.  Brick Mansions is set in not far future Detroit, Michigan which has deteriorated as a crime center and this criminal area has been walled off and separated from prosperous Detroit.  They do not receive aid and crime has run amok.  Undercover cop Damien Collier, played by Walker, is going into Brick Mansions to de-arm a bomb that is in possession of crime boss Tremaine, played by RZA, who is responsible for the death of Damien's father.  Damien is partnered with criminal Lino, played by David Belle, who has his own beef with Tremaine. Can Damien and Tremaine learn to work together and trust each other to figure out what is going on and prevent the bomb from going off.

First off the parkour in this movie by David Belle is fantastic and since I have discovered that he is a founder of parkour I am even more impressed and believe that he was able to do some of the stunts, maybe not all together an in the ridiculous sequences but it was still pretty amazing. I liked that mix of action sequences in this movie and how they mixed up the type, it went from parkour sequence, to shoot um ups, to car chases, to fist fights allowing me to not get bored as it was not becoming too repetitive.

The story of this movie was kinda weak and pretty easy to identify what was going to happen next, but since I tend to like these kinds of action movies this doesn't really bother me.  The thing that bothered me the most was how clean everything was for it suppose to be in a ghetto with no support where crime runs rampant.  Also the timeline didn't really work but reality isn't something you can focus on in this movie.
This movie does do the thing where the have tight in cinematography which I am slowing just accepting because I cannot change.  But the story also did that things where no matter how much people get the crap kicked out of them they don't go down and no matter how many bullets are shot at them they don't get hit.
Like I said it was a pretty solid action movie and is worth watching if you like these kind of movies but doesn't have anything that will interest people who don't tend to like these kinds of action movies.

My Rating: 2

The Amazing Spider-man 2 (2014): Review

Tonight for Friday night movie night I went and saw the newest Marvel movie The Amazing Spider-man 2, the second installment of the reboot of Spider-man staring Andrew Garfield as the Peter Parker A.K.A Spider-man. I am happy to say that it was a solid movie and a good all around family film.  It had comedy, drama, and action in spades.  I was hoping to enjoy it as I think Andrew Garfield is adorable as Peter and liked The Amazing Spider-man (2012) but as Spider-man is not my favorite all the super heroes I wasn't sure. After watching it, I will have to go back and watch The Amazing Spider-man (2012) because I don't really remember what happened in it and with my crazy work week this week I was unable to watch it before.  Although I didn't really remember what happened in the first movie of this reboot it seemed like just knowing the basic Spider-man stuff from that movie was enough.  That Peter Parker became Spider-man when he was bitten by a Oscorp spider. Oscorp is the evil company of the Spider-man cannon.  He lives with his Aunt May who raided him along with his Uncle Ben, who was killed in the last movie.  He is dating Gwen Stacey who's father was a police officer who died in the previous movie and wanted Peter to stay away from Gwen for her safety.

In The Amazing Spider-man 2, we start with a little more back story about Peter's parents and how they were killed but not before they managed to upload information to "Roosevelt."  We jump to present day where Spider-man is saving the day from bad guys but is called out by his girlfriend Gwen Stacey, played by Emma Stone, because it is their graduation.  Throughout the movie there are ups and downs in their relationship but the undercurrent is that they both love and have strong feelings for each other.  Spider-man saves a man, Max, played by Jamie Foxx, who works for Oscorp and only wants others to notice him.  Max fixates on Spider-man but then gets caught in his own disaster and turns into Elextro, Feeling betrayed by Spider-man he goes on a rage to bring down the city which never appreciated him. The question is can Spider-man prevent this from happening and what will it cost him.  The movie also includes Sally Field as Aunt May and Dane Dehaan as Harry Osborn.

This movie had all that I like for a big budget family action movie, it had action sequences, comedy, heart, and drama while still keeping it on a level that is appropriate for most older children.  There are some scary parts that would be too much for the younger kids but the older boys will definitely love it.  The humor is woven in to the movie, but was focused in the beginning and I found myself laughing out loud at some parts.  Sally Field as Aunt May really brought in the heart and drama of the movie and Sally showed what a great actress she is and I fell in love with Aunt May and believed her struggle with the whole situation she is in.   She helped ground the movie and through caring about her, I cared about Peter. I like Andrew Garfield as Peter mainly because he is just adorable in that I guess I will let you get away with being allusive way and could by why Gwen kept coming back to him.  I through Jamie Foxx was okay as Elextro, but I had trouble with him as this villain.  I thought that the fact that he was the villain was built up in the promotions for the movie, but I had difficulty really having any contempt for him, even after he started killing people and really falling into the baddie role.  Because of all the things he went through, I felt for him as a forgotten troubled man and never had a chance to build up the belief in him as the main villain.  I went through that process more with the Green Goblin then with Elextro.
Overall I liked the story and where it took Peter, but there was something toward the end of the film that I didn't really like.  Apparently it was inline with the Spider-man cannon but I still didn't like it, I know it helps with the emotional arc and troubledness of the story but I still didn't like it.

I did go see this movie in 3D and some of the swing through the city was cool but I kinda forgot about the 3Dness, I think this means that it wouldn't have mattered if I had seen it in 2D.  The main thing that bugged me was during the beginning action sequences it looked more like a video game and that took me out of the movie a little.  I like characters being introduced as the actors and not a CGI sequences of them.

Like I said, I was a solid family action film and I think I will try and go back and watch The Amazing Spider-man (2012) this weekend to refresh myself on that story.

My rating: 3-

Sabotage (2014): Review

I went and saw this movie last week and although I thought it was better then i imaged it would be, I didn't have internet in my new apartment and then procrastinated writing it.  Now that I am getting around to it I would recommend that anyone who likes action movies and this type of film see it when it comes out on DVD/television because although it was pretty standard it wasn't as cookie cutter as some other films of the same flavor.
Sabotage is the new Arnold Schwarzenegger movie and I think that overall he does a good job and this movie kept my interest throughout and went more for a seeder feel then some of the other recent action movies of this type which have been going more toward the weary protagonist.  In this Arnold plays John "Breacher" Wharton the head of a DEA task force that specializes in installing themselves in drug organizations to take them down.  The movie starts with Breacher's team taking down a drug cartel and in doing so steal ten million dollars from the cash store.  When the team goes to get the money they find that it has been stolen from them. They have to pull it together and act like nothing happens when the DEA suspect them of stealing the money. When the investigation is dropped for lack of evidence Breacher pulls his team back together but everything is not how it seems.  The team is being targeted and taken down and they do not know who it is who is targeting them, could it be the DEA or the drug cartel?  This movie also stars Sam Worthington, Joe Manganiello, Josh Holloway, Terrence Howard, Max Martini, Kevin Vance, and Mireille Enos as Breacher's Team as well as Olivia Williams and Harold Perrineau as the investigators of the teams deaths.

This movie went for gritty and seedy but to me it didn't quite pull it off as it was too shiny around the edges and had high production value.  This would usually be a good thing but as it felt like the grit was wanted and to see how the team really embraces the criminal and drug world which the team had immersed themselves in.  There is lots of swearing, sex, strippers, drug use, etc.  This movie really went for the feel they wanted but didn't quite capture it.

I really liked the cast and how all the actors played off of each other. I especially liked Olivia Williams as Agent Caroline and thought that her character was very interesting to watch and I was invested in her journey of discovery.  I think that the feel of team was there between the actors of Breacher's team and that the dynamics of the team was looked at but I think that they quickly added back story without filling it in to give the motivation for decisions some of the characters made that seemed to be put in because the motivation was needed but there wasn't enough to have gone through any of the emotions of those characters.
I tend to like crappy action movies and really like this resurgence of older action stars in movies as their curmudgeonly and beaten down old selves.  It seems that when the movies go for more serious they are more successful and I believe that this one was one of the ones that worked pretty well.  It stuck to basic story's but wasn't as cookie cutter that I thought it was just phoned in.  It tired really hard for the group dynamics and character interactions which I appreciated, as well as the actin and fight sequences.

My Rating: 2-

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014): Review

I have been anxiously awaiting the release of Captain America 2: The Winter Soldier and I am so very very happy to state that it was amazing. I had been hoping that it would be good but trying to not get to exited for this movie because when I get my expectations up I tend to be disappointed. With this movie, I don't think that I would have disappointing no matter how high my expectations were because for me it was one of the best action movies I have seen in a while and that is saying a lot with the movies of this year.  Captain America: The Winter Soldier is definitely one of my favorite movies so far this year and I think it is a must see for everyone.

In Captain America: The Winter Soldier Chris Evens continues to play Steve Rogers, AKA Captain America following the events of the Avengers (2012) movie. For an account of what happens to the Cap in his previews movies click the following links ( http://myreviewsbyjane.blogspot.com/2014/04/captain-america-first-avenger-2011.html and http://myreviewsbyjane.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-captains-role-in-avengers-2012.html ). The Captain has been adjusting to being in modern day and has been taking on missions assigned by S.H.E.I.L.D, which is headed by Nick Fury, played by Samuel L. Jackson. He has been teeming up with Natasha AKA Black Widow, played by Scarlet Johannson, and working with elite shield teams to complete his assigned mission. He discovers that people are not telling him all the information about what he has been doing, specifically Fury.  When it is discovered that more is going on with S.H.E.I.L.D The Captain finds that he is being drawn into all the deception and discovers that HYDRA may not be as gone as he thought it was.  Can The Captain relay on Black Widow and new ally Falcon, played by Anthony Mackie to figure out what is really going on with HYDRA and overcome the link between The Winter Soldier, played by Sebastian Stan, and Roger's past.

I really think that this movie has the right balance of all of its elements, the only week link was that nothing happening in the plot was that surprising or full of suspense. I think the balance of action sequences, fights, changes of pace, story, back story, Roger's journey, and banter was fantastic.  I think that some of the CG was obviously CG, but it seems like some of these graphics are so sharp that they go past realistic for me. I did see this movie in 3D and it worked as there was a bunch of stuff being thrown around (i.e. The Cap shield.) but I don't think you will really need it to be in 3D to enjoy what it going on.

I was surprised to say that I really enjoyed the chemistry between Rogers and Natasha in this movie and think that the banter and relationship growth between them really worked.  It was a way to have a female in the picture and have her build on a relationship with the male lead but without making it a romantic love interest.  I liked how she kept trying to bring up people who he could go out with and introducing the banter between them while The Cap was always the chivalrous soldier.
Overall the cast of this movie was spot on and how they all came together and played off each other was perfectly balanced.  Even the smaller roles worked in the whole scheme of things, with enough about them to work for what they were but not too much to seem out of place.  The only character who I feel should have had a bit more in the general plot was Agent 13, played by Emily VanCamp, because although she had some focus on her nothing would have been missed if she was not there.  I understand this is probably a set up for the story arc between her and Cap or just an obvious Easter Egg for fans.

One of the reasons that I think I am putting this action film above a lot of other ones is I feel that it didn't go OTT with the action sequences.  I have noticed that recently they have really extended out action sequences and the CGI battles, but in Captain America: The Winter Soldier they kept them at a good length and focused it on what the characters where working to achieve, not just focusing on the destruction and how cool the graphics looked.  Although worked in were some scenes of plot and story which broke up these sequences.

I really like Captain America as a character and think that Chris Evens is great in the role. This movie got top marks from me because I was drawn into the journey that Cap was going through and I wanted everything to work out for him.  He was able to touch the emotional connection that I as an audience member want to actually care about him and whats happening.  There have been some movies recently that missed this and I found myself watching the movie but not really feeling anything for the main character and therefore not really caring what happens to them or forgiving their faults.  Captain America, although at times preachy doesn't get pushy because you like you as a character.

My Rating: 4- (almost a perfect movie)

Side Note- Make sure to stay through the end of the all the credits because there are two after movie scenes, one a few minutes into the credits and one after they are completed.  The first one is important for the development of Marvel's Phase 2, and the second hints as another characters personal development and journey post movie.

I am not that familiar with all of the dynamics of the Marvel universe, so if someone could explain to me the general role of the people introduced in the first post movie scene, I would appreciate it.

The Captain's Role in The Avengers (2012)

In gearing up for the release of Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014): I have been re watching Roger's movies.  To see my recap of Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) click here ( http://myreviewsbyjane.blogspot.com/2014/04/captain-america-first-avenger-2011.html ).  Captain America's journey continues in the Avengers, where their is not much development with him but is about him playing a stable role in the team and getting in back into the game of being a hero.
It starts with Rogers, played by Chris Evens, holed up and working out.  He is waiting for a mission and a chance to get back into the world.  This happens when the tesseract is stolen and S.H.E.I.L.D. is infiltrated.  The Captain is brought in and learns that he really is a fish out of water with how things are in the world today. Although he has difficulty understanding references (except about flying monkeys) he knows how to be strong and seek to do what it right.  During the battle of New York he takes a leadership role during the battle and works to control the carnage on the group.  Throughout this movie he starts to discover that people are not always honest about what is going on and that he needs to be careful about putting his full trust in other people.



Based on the trailer for Captain America: The Winter Soldier the professional relationship between Rogers and Natasha, (The Black Widow) played by Scarlet Johansson continues. With her being a ally and someone who helps Rogers to continue to transition into the world of modern day.

I am very excited to see Captain America: The Winter Soldier later on today!!!

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011): Recap & Review

In preparation of Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) which came out today I re watched the first Captain America movie.  Captain American: The First Avenger is the origin story for Captain America and is mainly set during WWII.  It follows Steve Rogers, played by Chris Evens, who wants to join the US Army and serve his country but inst able to because of his diminutive size and health limitations. Through trying to join multiple times he comes to the attention of Dr. Abraham Erskine, played by Stanley Tucci, who sees Rogers for the man of integrity and strength that he is.  Rogers goes through the initiative Army training where he meets Col. Chester Phillips, played by Tommy Lee Jones, and Agent Peggy Carter, played by Haley Atwell.  Rogers continues to impress Erskine and starts to grow on Peggy and is chosen as the man to be turned into a super soldier with the help of Howard Stark, played by Dominic Cooper.

  During this process the facility is infiltrated by a agent of HYDRA and Dr. Eskine is killed.  Rogers is put to work as a marketing tool Captain America because after the attack the super soldier project was seen as a failure.  Meanwhile in Europe, HYDRA who is being led by Johann Schmidt AKA Red Skull, have been working to harness the power of the Tesseract, an outer space infinity stone.  While Rogers in vising the troops in Italy, Rogers finds out that his hometown friend Bucky, played by Sebastian Stan, he recruits Peggy and Stark to help him get to the bunker where Bucky as well as the other surviving members of his unit are being held.  While he is there you can see all that Captain America is really able to do, as he battles against Red Skull, who he discovered was the original partner of Dr. Erskine and the first super-soldier.  After proving himself to Col. Phillips with his rescue mission Captain America is given his own team and set on the mission to take down HYDRA.  As he does this Bucky is killed and Captain America is put in a position where he chooses to sacrifice himself to prevent New York City from being distorted. He crash lands in the arctic and is thorough to be lost.  Captain America remains frozen in the ice until present day when he is revived by S.H.E.I.L.D. and discovered that he now in 2011.

Captain America is one of my favorite Avengers and is one if my favorite Marvel Phase I movies, it is an enjoyable one. It has a different feel then the other phase I movies because it is set during WWII and has a military focus because Steve Rogers is Captain America.  It shows and focus on the integrity of Rogers and how he always wants to do what it right and will protect others.  It is a movie worth watching and I like it.  The main down fall is that because it is set during WWII and the Captain is now in modern day the story line of a romantic connection between himself and Peggy is not possible.



My Rating: 3-

Click here to continue to get a summary of The Captain's story in the Avengers http://myreviewsbyjane.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-captains-role-in-avengers-2012.html