Pain & Gain (2013): Review

Tonight I went and saw Pain & Gain and I was extremely surprised to fine that I actually liked it.  I was not really sure what to expect going into this movie. I knew it was the new Mark Wahlberg comedy, I tend to shy away from these, and that it was another movie being released in quick succession that has Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson starting in it.  Because nothing really came out this week that I was dying to see and that it had been a while since I saw a comedy, I decided to go see this movie and I am really glad we did.
This movie was completely OTT from start to finish and the movie really goes for it in the dark comedy kind of way.  In this instance it really worked and the caricatured but somewhat developed characters worked.  The development of the characters was done, although each was very much what they were, but it was good that there were not too many characters focused on and that they introduced them at different times, so there the audience was able to understand who everyone was, what role they played, and how they fit into the story. Basically the movie made sense as a story although it was completely ridiculous.
This movie is actually a true story and is based on the Miami Gym Gang consisting of Daniel Lugo (Mark Wahlberg), Adrian Doorbal (Anthony Macki), and Paul Doyle (Dwayne Johnson).  Although the story is about the capture, torture, and murder of actual people, the movie takes a dark comic approach which works in movie form.  Yes, it is horrible that these events actually occurred  but I am going to just focus on the movie and how due to being actual events the story has flow and dept to it.  I still find it hard to believe that what the movie portrayed actually happened and that these stupid decisions were actually made but there are court records and evidence to support this.
The film follows these three bodybuilders turned criminal who kidnap and steal the money of Victor Kershaw (named changed from true story), played by Tony Shalhub.  Lots of ridiculous things happened as they get themselves deeper and deeper into their messy situation.
This movie commits to the dark comedy and the OTT acting of all the characters really works.  I think that it was well cast and the chemistry between them was spot on. There was a focus on the sexual and it definitely earned it R rating, but the focus was both on the male and female.  While their were strippers/women in little to no clothing gyrating and making porn faces, there was also men buffed and oiled up, as well as Mark Wahlberg stripping down to his Marky Marks.
Like I said, I was surprised to find that I liked this movie but I must stress that it is for people who can handle the dark comedies which are presented in high gloss forms. This is one of the better ones I have seen and thinking back on the movie, I enjoyed the OTT ride and, yes, at times it went to places that were a bit too but there were no where near the way to far I have seen and disliked in other movies. Basically I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was not the complete and utter crap I was expecting and that might be why I found myself enjoying the movie.
Also of note, this movie was set in the mid 1990's so there is lots of 90s flair, outfits, attitude, fashion, and technology.

My Rating: 2+

Thor: The Dark World Official Trailer 1 Released

Today the first official trailer for Thor 2: The Dark World was released and it focuses heavy on the drama and action which is to come. Watch here.



 

 

Although my excitement for Thor is behind my excitement for other movies that are coming out this spring, I am looking forward to Thor kicking off the holiday season when it is released in November.  As I said my current excitement are for the spring Blockbusters but that doesn't mean I cant start to look for the next crop of movies and the lead up to the Avengers 2.

In the first official trailer for Thor: The Dark Work it just starts to give us a glimpse of what is to come.  It has Thor coming back to Earth to get Jane and then jumps into the strife that Thor has to deal with as evil is thrust upon the world.  It has he seeking help from Loki and foreshadowing that "when you betray me, I will kill you."   Anyone starting to gear up for this movie and the next phase of the Marvel Saga?

The Place Beyond the Pines (3013): Review

The Place Beyond the Pines is the newest installment of a movie drama with an enigma of a name that doesn't really tell you anything about the movie.  After seeing the film, I still do not see how the name has anything to do with the movie but that isn't really the point.  This movie is set in a middle of nowhere place and focuses on individual lives that sorta intertwine.
The Place Beyond the Pines is a liner movie that first follows Luke, played by Ryan Gosling, who is a motorcycle rider in a travel carnival.  When he comes back into a town on the circuit, he discovers that he has a young son (James) with Romina, played by Eva Mendez.  To try and be a part of his life he goes to robbing banks to try and have money.  It took me a while to realize that this part of the movie is set in the nineties and once I realized that it made a bit more sense.  Specifically the computers and reference to pagers.  In comes police officer Avery, played by Bradley Cooper, who is thrust into a sticky position with dirty cops and has to make a decision on what his life is going to be. This movie ends by coming full circle with the teenage sons of these two men struggling with dealing with their heritage.
This movie was definitely a drama with a focus on the characters and tries to develop the characters and although it was well acted by Gosling and Cooper I do not feel that the characters where really developed.  Not so much by not going into what there were experiencing but by there not really being much sense to the way they respond and struggle.  They are played  and presented one way, but then change their responses and go in a completely different direction.  At times, this was a bit predicable but at times I was like what is going on and is this going to be resolved or just end like some movies like this.
Overall the filming of this was gritty and trying to get you in the space of the characters but there was a moment of steady cam filming that I didn't like.  I think that this movie is only for people who like indie dramas.

My Rating: 2

Butch Cassidy and the Sundace Kid (1969): Review

Tonight, I went down to the Old Redford theatre and saw Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.  This was the first time I had ever seen this movie and I was interested in seeing what it was all about.  I have never been much of a old western movie but was expecting it to be like the classic westerns that are spoken about.  I think that this movie was worth seeing, due to the fact that I have heard about it for years but I do not think that it is anything that special.
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, follows the two title characters played by Paul Newman and Robert Redford respectively.  They are two robbers who used to rob banks but then switch to trains. The are driven to move to Bolivia because of being tracked by men hired by the railroad.  They then go back to robbing banks.
This movie has a slow pace and doesn't really seem to have any point to the plot.  The action was fine but nothing really exciting.  There was a female character but I still cannot seem to figure out what the point of her was besides just having a female in the movie.  Like I said there was nothing particular wrong with this movie, besides being slow, but there was nothing really spectacular about it.

My rating: 1

Oblivion (2013): Review

Tonight for Friday Night Movie Night I went and saw the new Tom Cruise movie Oblivion and it was a stunning film to watch. This movie is set around and focused on the character of Jack Harper, played by Tom Cruise, as he discovers that the world he lives in is not the world he thought it was.  It is set in a Earth that was attached by an alien entity who destroyed the moon, which sent Earth into a state of natural destruction and Earth is now uninhabited except for Jack and Victoria, played by Andrea Riseborogh, two people who are stationed on Earth to monitor and repair drones.  As Jack goes about investigating the world and what is left on the world he finds a human survivor, Julia, played by Olga Kurylenko, and discovers that humans have not left Earth like he was lead to believe. 
This movie was absolutely stunning to watch and I loved the sweeping landscape shots.  This movie was not like others that are being made today that focus the shoot tight into what is going on, but it backs up the camera and lets the audience see the vastness of what is going on.  I like how the world that Jack and Victoria live in is white and sterile while the world underneath is dark and dirty.  It is a nice juxtaposition of how the individuals are living their lives and seeing the world. 
The CG is very nicely worked into the shots and it just seems to flow with what is going on, the technology fits into this as well.  It is not there to shock or be cool, it is just what is part of the world and part of how things are.  It is beautiful to watch as Jack flies through the different terrains of the world and I just liked enjoying the ride.
Although this movie was beautiful to watch and was nicely tracked musically the plot was extremely simplistic and predictable.  Nothing really surprised me and I was able to guess what was happening or going to happen.  It tried to do some surprises but there was too much foreshadowing and due to the simplistic plot and limited dialogue, anything said that was ominous, gave you an idea of what was going to happen.  This movie was also set at a slow pace, as it seemed the focus was more on telling a sweeping story and illustrating the cinematography then anything super exciting or thrilling.  It was just a ride to follow and experience without really thinking about it.  The characters were not really developed, except for Jack and even he was only developed as much as he had to be in order to have the plot have anything to it.
This is a movie that is not for people expecting a lot of action or who want a quick pace, but for those who like something that they don't have to figure out and yet get to watch the futuristic setting with focus on the settings it is worth seeing. 

My Rating: 2-

Man of Steel: Official Trailer #3

Also released today was the third official trailer for Man of Steel which will be released in June.  Check it out here:

This trailer really stresses the origin story of Superman and how he came to be on Earth and his journey to becoming his alter ego.  If this isn't really focused on in the movie I will be really disappointed because it is now what I really want to see.  This trailer also hits at the struggles that Superman experiences and his interactions with Lois Lane (I am not even certain that he is a journalist in this rendition but who knows) as well as the villain.  The villain is only hinted at and I hope to see a young boy, became a young man, who embraces his destiny to be one of my favorite superheros.  This late spring, early summer looks to be fantastic for movies and I hope that they all live up to my expectations.
What do you think? Are you getting excited for the spring/ summer blockbusters of 2013?

Star Trek: Into Darkness Offical Trailer #3

Today the new Star Trek: Into Darkness Trailer was released and it really ups my excitement for this movie to come out next month.  I cannot wait.  Watch the Star Trek: Into Darkness Official Trailer #3.

I am excited because this trailer actually gives a bit more then the previous trailers, teaser trailers, and sneak peaks that I have seen in the past.  Yes, they all fueled my excitement to see the movie, but they did not seem to really give any more information about the film, just expanded or re-worked the information that is already out there.  This trailer still does not give away any information on who Benedict Cumberbatch plays but it does focus on how Captain Kirk is juxtaposed against him, and the peril that the Enterprise Crew will be in.  In the trailer it shows that Kirk is determined to go after Cumberbatch, assumingly after he has attacked London, as seen in previous trailers, and is encouraged not to by those around him.  I like this trailer because besides focusing on just the action, which looks to be amazing and exciting, it shows some about the relationship between Kirk and his crew, as well as the struggles that Kirk goes through while being the hero.
So, who is as excited as I am for this movie to come out...