The Critical Wall

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Edge of Tomorrow was a very well paced and well directed film. Tom Cruise is in good form here. There aren't really any dull spots in the movie. The plot moves along at a fairly brisk pace with enough happening on the screen to hold your attention. What surprised me the most were the moments of humor, particularly those involving Cage's many deaths. The film had fun with itself at times and that made it more enjoyable. I guess why the aliens are invading, as we are never told anyway, since it's been done so many times before or why they're called Mimics (although that's implied) isn't necessarily important as it doesn't really harm the story, at least for me. I can let it slide. The action is well done and the choreography with the mech fighting is executed nicely. The lightning quick movement of the Mimics works very well too, while difficult to track and see see at times, it's very effective. As I said Tom Cruise is in good form here. He really does put everything he has into every role he takes. He's and actor that just goes for it, regardless and that's something you can appreciate. His evolution from crybaby, to soldier was well done and you see the subtle change in his character. Emily Blunt was great in this too. Her character had some good depth to her and while little of her backstory was told most of that was shown in her performance. You get a rough idea of what she's been through with little exposition and it works quite well. She really showed how much of a veteran soldier and fighter she was and did a great job with the action scenes. Bill Paxton was good as well as a hardassed Master Sergeant. He isn't in it for long but his scenes were fun to watch, especially giving his recruits, including Cruise a hard time. I'll admit, I wasn't planning on seeing this initially. I guess the marketing kind of threw me off and made it seem fairly generic, at most I was expecting another "Oblivion". Nice to look at but nothing to really write home about. I would've most likely checked it out on TV. But through word of mouth and great reviews, I relented and I'm glad I did. Most of the movies I saw this summer, while not bad in quality were a bit clunky and didn't have much of a lasting impact. This film was very enjoyable, surprisingly had fun with it's premise with it's bits of humor and only took itself seriously when it served the plot. There is some talk about how Tom Cruise isn't much of a box office draw or isn't much of a leading man anymore, but to me, that's all it is, talk. Cruise rarely disappoints, as evidenced here. He does a fine job and proves that he is still capable of carrying a film and playing a character that you care about and can become invested in. Don't let this one pass you by, check it out.     8.5 Phil Connors out of 10 Another thing you shouldn't let pass you by is QUICK REVIEWS on INSTAGRAM. You give us 15 seconds, we'll give you an honest opinion about a recent film. And while you can't be like William Cage or Phil Connors, you can still relive some of our earlier reviews as well. That's @quickreviews on INSTAGRAM. We believe in movies.   

A very simple plot for a fairly simple movie. Even for a comedy it doesn't really seem like much thought was put into the plot for this, it just seems like Seth wanted to make a comedy western. The story is basically a romantic comedy plot set in the past with modern sensibilities. That's all well and good, but there are times when Seth's character starts monologuing about how much the west sucks and gives a bit of a history lesson. It essentially veers into stand up at times and can get a bit distracting. Just let the jokes tell themselves. Speaking of distracting, the cameos can get a bit much. It becomes a cavalcade of Seth's celebrity friends. Some were understated and a nice surprise, but some while leftfield and pretty funny, kind of added nothing. Especially one by a famous time traveling Doctor, it was good but he was kind of shoehorned there, minor nitpick. Otherwise, the jokes themselves were pretty good. There are a good number of laughs in this and the jokes are mostly delivered well and with good timing. However I do feel that some of the humor suffers a tad because it seems that either the story gets in the way of the jokes or vice versa. I didn't really find that the comedy worked well together with the story. And yet, while I felt the film was paced well, it just felt like as the story progressed it had to come to an almost immediate halt just so a joke could be told. As for the cast, everybody did well except for Liam Neeson, I'll get to that. Seth was a good lead but I didn't really believe his character was a hardluck kind of guy. Charlize Theron I really liked in this. She gave a very natural performance, her character felt real and not artificial, she wasn't doing schtik or a caricature. She was the most human out of the characters in the film. Sarah Silverman was great as a hooker waiting to be married. I felt she got the biggest laughs. Neil "Doogie" Patrick  Harris's character is essentially the western version of Barney Stinson from How I Met Your Mother, but he did fine in this as well. As for Liam Neeson, I guess the joke is that "hey, it's Liam Neeson"....that's it. I guess it's because he's so out of place it's kind of funny, but to me that was a problem. He plays his character so straight that he isn't even a straight man, thus his character comes off really bland. His henchmen weren't even idiots that he could play off of. He was just a typical outlaw except he's in a comedy. It's like he was in the wrong film. Whatever the joke was, it wasn't really done well. Criticisms aside, I did like the film, however, while I can understand most of the poor reviews it received, I feel they're a tad exaggerated. Especially those calling it the worst film of the summer and what not. If you like Seth MacFarlane's humor or just like this type of comedy, give it a look, but don't expect to get anything else out of it. A good time waster, with a good number of jokes but mostly forgettable. 7 Mongos out of 10 Follow QUICK REVIEWS on INSTAGRAM already.....have you done it yet? @Quickreviews on INSTAGRAM. We believe in movies.

I would also like to say that people who want the perfect X-Men film or are constantly whining that this isn't their X-Men, I can understand, but they're never really going to get what they want. The first 2 films and First Class really came close and were very true to the characters and spirit of the books. But over the years there has been a rotating team of X-Men with so many characters you just can't please everybody. The comic itself is a gigantic clusterfuck to read that is very inconsistent in quality and story. You may never truly see your idea of what the X-Men are onscreen but I do feel that they are represented well enough and it does feel like I'm watching a film about the X-Men. If that's not good enough, don't worry, a reboot is just around the corner, there always is. While it's far from perfect and just above average, the film does what it sets out to do and succeeds. By film's end, everything seems restored to the way it should be and sets us up for the next one, which I hope will bring a bit more excitement this time around. Worth the hype? No. Worth a look? Definitely. 7 Supaflys out of 10 Want this summed up a little better because you're too important or have the attention span of a knat? Check out QUICK REVIEWS on INSTAGRAM! We pride ourselves in telling you what to think about a film in 15 seconds or less. @quickreviews on Instagram. We believe in movies.

Godzilla is presented here as a force of nature, something that "nature" created to keep the balance. Balance of what exactly is left to interpretation as things are only hinted at or not elaborated on further. The problem is, Godzilla is not supposed to be that at all. The character is a warning. A product of nuclear war, born in fire and rising from the depths to judge humanity through destruction. Though the original film might seem like a product of it's time, it still is quite relevant thematically and it would have made much more of an interesting story, serving as a cautionary tale for humanity's hubris although if done right it won't seem heavy handed or ham fisted. Humanity bound together through trial by fire to try to stop this creature from destroying us before we destroy ourselves. Sure, it's cheesy, but if done right it can work. Hell, it's no more cheesy than what the rest of the franchise became. That aside, they did get the look of the monster right and it's design was well done. Although, Godzilla did look like he just came out of retirement and was a slow and lumbering mess that looked almost as bored as the audience half the time when he appeared. I get that he was slumbering for years but in every film that's always been the case and they choose now to show him jetlagged? Really? The Muto designs and story of these two monsters finding each other in order to continue their offspring was interesting but their designs left more to be desired. They were too plain and almost seemed like a dig at Cloverfield, which carried more of the essence of Godzilla than this did. Character wise, Bryan Cranston as Joe Brody was great for the little time you see him. And it would have been more interesting to see him and Ken Watanabe's character  team up to try to figure out these creatures origins and purpose, while also trying to figure out how to stop this. Instead, we get stuck with Brody's bland son who is a Naval Officer. I'm getting really tired of seeing these types of movies from the point of view of the soldiers. They're too capable, there is less tension because while the odds are against them, they can handle themselves, we don't really worry about them. Brody's son Ford can do anything in this movie except be interesting. He is trained in bomb disposal which helps him create an analogue nuclear bomb, Halo jumping is not a problem for him because he was trained for it. So, he can get close and personal to the action and really not feel any sense of dread for the guy because he can 100% handle himself. It would have been more compelling if it focused on random civilians without any special skills who we get to know throughout the film, maybe they're a subplot while the scientist characters do the heavy lifting. Yes, you can have a soldier character of some sort to be a leader and help guide people or have someone go through an arc and become a leader. However, the character portion should almost be irrelevant because when you watch a disaster movie of anykind, the event is the main character, while all the other characters revolve around it. Here, the main attraction is relegated to a background character until the final moments of the film. I understand that they wanted to build things up but it's so focused on it that the pacing suffers as a result. This film is such slow paced that it just drags. The first and last 30 minutes of this are all you really need to see because those moments are giving you what you paid for. Instead of having monster battles that play on tv screens and get cut before they even start until the very end. As I said, Bryan Cranston was great in this and I liked his story at the beginning. Ken Watanabe as Dr. Ishiro Serizawa was a tad uninteresting but had potential. It seemed hinted at that he had ties to the monster but there was really no pay off to anything he said. He mostly observed, looked worried and gave vague ominous answers that weren't really warranted, almost a waste of a great actor. Aaron Taylor-Johnson (who played the titular character in the overrated "Kick Ass") is quite bland in this. I don't find him to be a bland actor but his character wasn't very interesting and was placed in almost too convenient situations to his benefit. Elizabeth Olsen who played his wife did alright but you could honestly care less about these two. The movie wasn't badly cast but they dominate most of the film with talk about things that could be better substituted with showing more of Godzilla. The effects were fantastic. The film has a nice look and had a very realistic feel to it. Gareth Edwards did a fine job and delivered a good monster fight in the end with some exciting moments in an otherwise mediocre Godzilla film. The film begins with promise then peters out until we're left with nothing in the end with no lasting impression. Kind of sums it up. Regardless of what kind of a Godzilla fan you are or just a fan of monsters or Kaiju in general, proceed with caution for this one. It's nice to look at and has some good effects and a great fight scene but it ultimately leaves you unsatisfied. 6 Gameras out of 10 *Hey, better than our first attempt at least. Anybody can do a Quick Review, but nobody does'em like QUICK REVIEWS on INSTAGRAM! See for yourself on @quickreviews on Instagram. We believe in movies.

This was really a mixed bag. Plot wise and tonally it was all over the place. In some instances it didn't really know what it wanted to be. We would have high flying action with Spider-Man, which was great and then it just switched to a romantic dramedy with Peter and Gwen. Character is important yes, but the scenes would linger so much that it would almost stop the movie. Spider-Man's scenes would give you a nice adrenaline rush and then just screech to a halt with Peter and Gwen's "who's quirkier?" scenes. Peter's parents were almost unimportant as the mystery was sort of solved but didn't really pay off. We get a reason why Norman and now Harry were after Peter's Father's research but the rest was just pointless to have, especially since Peter will never know the whole truth. The biggest problem with the film is bloat. We have too many villains and set up that it almost has no clear direction. If we had one villain less in this, it would have been better. It would seem that Electro was the one not needed in the film given the events. But in truth, we didn't need the goblin in this at all. Electro was billed as the big bad but was just as unimportant. He showed up and technically had no clear motivation as to why he hated Spider-Man. Yes, he was a man who was already on edge and his misunderstanding with Spider-Man was the catalyst to his freak out but it was just too one dimensional. He was reduced to a lacky once Harry took center stage. And after Electro was disposed of, it was almost an after thought. Dillon left the same way he came in, a nobody. No pay off to his character and quite a disservice. Peter and Max were almost cut from the same cloth. Their story could have been much better if Spider-Man tried to reason with him more, try to get on the same page (and he has done this with other villains in the past) and show that he indeed does understand what it (was) like to go unnoticed. He just doesn't bother to try again and just resorts to outright murder. Power and Responsibility Pete. Yeah you tried to save your girl and the city but you never bothered to try and save the man who just needed a friend. Something in which you clearly saw and understood in him. Spider-Man is smarter than that. Harry had a bit more depth to him and more of an arc but he just sort of shows up and steals the spotlight from Electro and causes major consequences for Spider-Man. And given that it's an iconic moment in the Spider-Man comics, what should've felt more personal between these characters wasn't. While it was sad in and of itself, it felt rushed and could've had so much more emotional weight to it. Harry's relationship with Pete was well done for the most part. I didn't really have a problem with them telling us how great friends they used to be. They show them hanging out briefly and we can get a sense of what kind of friends they were. I thought it was fine. Harry's villain turn was fine as well as he dealt with a father that just didn't really seem to care for him even through the bitter end. He was now a man fighting for his life and was betrayed left and right. He just wanted to live and would do anything to do so. So, him becoming The Green Goblin felt more natural and was quite effectively creepy. The problem though, as I said was that there were too many villains. Either Harry's or Electro's story could have sustained the movie without having to sacrifice the narrative. I thought The Rhino fight was a nice bookend to the film. But it would've been better if he wasn't such a joke and had more to do. Yet it was a nice pay off to above all else, a light hearted film that shows that being Spider-Man gives Peter the ability to rise above his challenges and meet them, while also giving hope to others, thus ending the film on a high note. But my main concern here is while I felt in essence that the Raimi trilogy got Peter Parker right but Spider-Man wrong. Here it's the opposite. Except for being loved instead of being unsure of by the people of New York, The Spider-Man scenes were just perfect. They were fun, energetic, he wisecracked and brings a smile to your face when he was on screen. He feels much more larger than life here, but in a good way. Peter Parker has problems sure, but isn't exactly the hardluck hero he's supposed to be. He's handsome, quirky yet charming and seems a bit more sure of himself. In a way things just seem to go better for him in his personal life than they should. That being said, Andrew Garfield does a fantastic job as Peter and Spider-Man. Tobey never embodied the character for me the way Andrew does. His scenes with Gwen and Aunt May feel so natural and you really do care about his relationships and this character. The problem though is that he almost seems a bit invincible and is not really in a situation he can't handle. You don't really feel worried for him like you should. Emma Stone once again did a fine job as Gwen Stacy. Her and Andrew have fantastic chemistry which brings on a naturalistic portrayal of their character's relationship. Jamie Foxx did okay for what he was given but was just miscast. He was just there for name recognition and that's it. His character felt like an afterthought and that is a shame. Dane DeHaan was great as Harry Osborn/Green Goblin. Dane is a great actor and didn't play things over the top. His character and his motivations were believable and he played them well. When he turned Goblin it was pretty effective, he was very creepy looking and, while brief, was a good villain. Sally Field as Aunt May was great as well. And as always, was Peter's emotional compass. Paul Giamatti as The Rhino was basically a bit part, if they didn't have that final scene with him he didn't really need to be there. And if he did, the least they could have done was made him a running joke. The cast here is pretty strong and for the most part gave great performances. They really elevated this film. The effects were fantastic. They really seemed to have perfected Spider-Man's swinging mechanics, it feels more realistic than previous attempts. The animations are fast and loose and showcase the character quite well. Spider-Man finally looks like Spider-Man. They got the costume fairly note perfect. Electro and Goblin's effects were also well done, from the costuming to the CGI it was very convincing and it seems like nothing was wasted. It all made for some great action scenes. Sadly, you won't really feel satisfied after viewing this film. It improves upon certain things from the first film but feels almost like a step backwards. There was almost no real progression in the story of Peter Parker, in the end he just felt sort of stuck in the same place. If this movie was trimmed down a bit in sections, it could've been much better than what we got. I don't think the film was terrible or (everyone's favorite word) awful as most seem to, it had the potential to be something far greater than what we got, but sadly it was wasted. But I still feel confident that hopefully, 3rd time will be the charm for this one. If you're a Spider-Man fan, you'll most likely in some way either hate or love this movie. General audiences might just find it a decent time waster. Kids will have a great time. It's Spider-Man! 7.5 scowling Leary's out of 10 QUICK REVIEWS on INSTAGRAM has all the dirt on your favorite celebrities.....okay, not really but if you give us 15 seconds, we'll give you the real dirt on your favorite celebrities....wait. @quickreviews on Instagram. We believe in you.

The plot of this film is half ridiculous, half saturday morning cartoons. Luckily it's the latter that's the saving grace for me with this movie. I never saw the original, but from what I've read, the story is fairly faithful to it. However, I think it might not have translated well. It's fairly predictable in some areas and cliched. The rich are evil, the poor are the just. You've seen it all before. David Belle reprises his role somewhat from the original and does okay, there isn't really much of an arc he goes through. Paul Walker as Damien Collier (in his second to last film) does an okay job as well, he has more character growth than Lino, although  both characters grow on you as the film progresses. The chemistry between these two is actually pretty good. They make a great team and play off each other well. The RZA plays Tremaine Alexander, the sort of villain of the film. I say sort of because there is a twist towards the end that's just laughable and even though this film is a bit tounge in cheek, it's still not credible. I really don't know what to make of The RZA as an actor, I don't think he did too good in this. He tries to be Jamaican in some areas (I guess he forgot?) and it's just forced and hard to watch. In the end, I just couldn't take his character seriously. The action and fight scenes were well shot and choreographed and the real highlight of this film. Pretty much one of the only reasons you'd see this besides Paul Walker. David Belle has some fantastic fighting and stunts in this film while Walker actually manages to keep up and equally has some good moments. I have to say, I wasn't expecting much from this one, especially since I heard this was originally going to be direct to video.But, to my surprise I liked it more than I thought I would. If they made a sequel with these 2 again, let alone a franchise, I'd definitely give it a look. The film was shot well, it didn't look cheap and seemed to make good use of it's budget. This is a standard paint by the numbers action movie that does have some genuine thrills despite some ridiculous characters and plot. A decent time killer. Give it a rent. 7 Yamakasis out of 10 If there was a place to find movie reviews in 15 seconds, it would be called QUICK REVIEWS. If such a thing existed, it would most likely be on INSTAGRAM. Well, guess what? It does and it is! Check out @quickreviews on Instagram. We believe in you.

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I've never been into Captain America and the first film didn't really help all that much. I was mostly a casual fan but the concept always intrigued me and thanks to the first Avengers and this film, I think it's safe to say that I'm fully invested in the character. From start to finish you get a pretty interesting story and great amounts of action with just the right balance of realism and superheroics to make the scenes credible and not ridiculous. Despite being another superhero movie, this is a spy thriller, almost akin to a Bond film, so it's a bit more grounded. However, when you do get to the spectacle it's not so over the top that you roll your eyes. Seriously if you had John McClane doing the things Cap did in this, it would be pretty ridiculous and unbelievable, but with Cap it's credible and makes more sense. The plot is very straight forward, tightly paced and doesn't drag. A bit reminiscent of the Bourne Franchise. If you follow Cap in the comics, you know this story, so there really won't be that much of a surprise with the big reveal, however that still doesn't detract from the overall enjoyment. The action scenes are very well choreographed and do a fantastic job of showcasing Cap's combat skills and the variety of fighting styles he uses. Just like in the comics, his shield is used as an extension of himself during combat and it is showcased perfectly here. Each throw has a purpose. Black Widow is just as lethal and quick. She has plenty of great action scenes here as well, possibly more than Cap. The CGI was pretty good and there wasn't too much of it, there were a lot of practical effects and stunts and that's always welcome. Though with all of the hellicarriers that were shown, it did start to feel like the more recent Star Wars movies at some point. The cast is great. Chris Evans continues to grow as Captain America and I like him in the role the more I see him as Cap. But I do feel he's not as a commanding presence as he should be. Scarlett Johansson does a great job as Black Widow. She was really good in this and had an equal role with Cap. This may have been Captain America's story but it was in Black Widow's playground and they worked really well together as a team. Anthony Mackie was good as The Falcon, another character from Cap's comics but didn't really have much of a prominent role, even so he wasn't a waste and did contribute a lot more than expected. It's also nice to see that Steve finally has a friend he can relate to. Sebastian Stan as The Winter Soldier also did a good performance. He handled the action scenes quite well and while he didn't really have many lines, his very presence always ramped up the tension. Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury was just as good as you'd expect. While he did not have as large of a role as he had in The Avengers, he was still a prominent figure and drove portions of the plot forward. The supporting cast did fine as well and it was interesting to see that almost every character had something to add and wasn't just there to be in the background. The directors have a real eye for action and did a much better job than expected. Cheers to them, can't wait to see what they come up with for the next one. I really enjoyed this movie, it's not just popcorn action that you can just turn your brain off and forget about. It has a lot more to offer for everyone, especially if you're a comic fan, a Captain America fan or are following along with the Marvel Cinematic Universe. There are a lot of easter eggs for Marvel fans and Cap fans alike and most of it, of course is leading up to the next Avengers movie. Though I will say despite that, this was more self contained, so no real prior knowledge is needed. Check it out. 9.5 MIGHTY SHIELDS out of 10 Y'know what's great about QUICK REVIEWS on INSTAGRAM? See for yourself @quickreviews on Instagram. We believe in you.

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This film is very divisive, on the one hand I will admit that The Fast and Furious franchise has done it better but on the other hand you don't really watch these kinds of movies for the plot do you? The story is your basic revenge tale as with most of these types of films. It's fairly simple, maybe shallow to a few but of course the main saving grace are the cars and the racing scenes. Basically what you came to see. It sadly falls a bit short in other areas. Sure you have wells shot racing scenes and some good characters played by good and capable actors but it isn't really memorable. Aaron Paul does and okay job and you do care for his character a bit as the story progresses but he just doesn't fit the role. Dominic Cooper was okay as a villain but just didn't really belong here. Imogen Heap...er, Poots (heh...poots) could've been annoying but wasn't, her character had a bit of a progression as the film went on. Scott Mescudi as the pilot Maverick (possibly a Top Gun reference besides the title maybe) could be a bit grating to some especially with his running joke of how many flying vehicles he shows up in but it kind of worked for me, even though it started to feel out of place after awhile. The rest of the cast did okay as well and while I do feel that there were a few misfires, they did manage to somehow pull it together and make it all work in the end. However it wasn't enough to leave a lasting impression. The racing scenes and practical stunts were my favorite part. CG could have been used to make things more stylish I suppose but when you see a real car in flames get tossed up in the air, you get more of a reaction. Those scenes were well shot as well as the locations. The film is pretty nice to look at. Scott Waugh did a good job directing.  As I said, this film is divisive but that's mostly because either liking or hating films like these is subjective. Is it enough that you have great cars, capable actors as well as well shot racing scenes and stunts? Is a film like this an insult to gear heads? Speaking as a person that's not really into cars that much this is a movie that can kill a good 2 hours but isn't really a waste. It's not cheesy, but I think what hinders it is because that it is a more grounded film. It's not over the top and it's done in a more traditional style. Which can make it come off kind of bland. If you're expecting HIGH OCTANE ACTION! Look somewhere else. If you're just a casual viewer of films like this, give it a look. 7 Goose's out of 10 Can't decide what to see on the fly? Need a quick suggestion? Check out QUICK REVIEWS on INSTAGRAM! We make up your mind in 15 seconds or less. Quick Reviews. We believe in you.

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All kidding aside, this was a very entertaining movie. No, it doesn't rewrite the spy genre but I disagree that it doesn't present anything new. Plot wise, we are presented with a story that isn't based on any of Tom Clancy's works. A reboot of sorts for Jack and some new beginnings as it were. We see Jack's motivations for joining the military and how he was recruited into the C.I.A. How he meets his soon to be wife Cathy and his upcoming rise in his career in the government. The story is simple to follow and while true that it's more suited to Jack's character, the action beats are there to pump it up since it might not have worked otherwise. Typically, Jack Ryan movies are more political intrigue and thriller like than action oriented, but since this is a new take on the character, action elements were added as they are now common. I guess either the story would have been weak without them or people won't stand for anything else. Kind of a shame. I was a bit hesitant when I heard that Kenneth Branagh was directing the film (mostly because of Thor) but this was one of his better ones. The suspense, pacing and action scenes were all very well done. Chris Pine did a good job as the new Jack Ryan and I think is a worthy successor to his predecessors and while I think he makes an okay Kirk, I believe this role suits him better. Keira Knightley also was good as Jack's soon to be wife Cathy. His wife is usually his rock/moral compass and we can start to see the makings of that here. I thought Keira portrayed that really well. Kenneth Branaugh surprised me twice here. Not only did I think he directed the film well but was good as the villain. He turned in a very threatening performance and provided an icy and in control antagonist in contrast for the in over his head Ryan. Kevin Costner was good as well but his role could have been given to just about anybody. He mentored Jack but was mostly in the background. I guess it was just another name to get butts in the seats. Understandable but a bit of a waste of a small role for a great talent. As I said, while the film doesn't rewrite the book on spy movies or give us anything original, it does give us something a little different than we're used to. That comes in the form of Jack Ryan himself. In most of these spy films, a lot of the main characters can perform nearly superhuman feats while still being presented as ordinary. It's true that the marketing for this portrayed the film in the vein of a Bourne movie but that's not true at all. I feel the film stays true to the character while marketing him for today's action junkie audiences. Jack Ryan still maintains his everyman status and comes off more human than any of the aforementioned spies. And that's a good thing as I think it gives him more vulnerability and is put more at risk. Yes he can hold his own but he's not a super martial artist. I think it's a nice and welcome change of pace from the norm. The film is maybe a little uneven in spots as it switches from action movie to thriller and back again but it's still entertaining and has a great cast. While the biggest criticism is that it doesn't provide anything you haven't seen before, that shouldn't discourage you from seeing it. Give it a look. An Alec Baldwin approval rating of an 8.5 out of 10 By the way, if this review was too long for you, learn to be patient. But if that's a problem then you should follow QUICK REVIEWS on INSTAGRAM. Quick Reviews of movies in 15 seconds or less. QUICKREVIEWS: Your sense of humor will thank you.

The characters are okay. There was a potentially good subplot with Oishi (who was the leader of the Ronin) and his son that if given more focus, could've possibly been the main crux of the film. As for Oishi himself, he was pretty good for the most part and should've have been the main focus. Keanu wasn't bad in this. And at times it was interesting when the film focused on his character's back story but then quickly took you out of it because this was primarily the Ronins' story, not his, which made it a bit jarring at times. But he did the fight scenes well did a good job with what he was given. As for the films villain, Lord Kira who was actually part of the tale, he didn't really do much. After he set up the death of the Ronin's lord that's pretty much it. He's pretty ineffectual, it seems like they try to build him up but there is no pay off to it. To give you an example he kind of reminds me of this character named Curtis from Hackers. He was initially Kate Libby's boyfriend. When Dade asked about him, his new friend "The Phantom Freak" said "he just sits there and looks slick all day". Yeah, that was pretty much Lord Kira in this. If anything the real villain could've been the Emperor. It could've added some complexity to the story. As for the rest of the cast, the all did fine jobs but there weren't really any stand outs. Maybe Rinko Kikuchi as the witch Mizuki who served Lord Kira, but that was pretty much it. The one and possibly only redeeming factor are the fight scenes. The sword play was pretty well choreographed and along with some pretty good special effects, it made for some entertaining action scenes. Speaking of which, once the story starts to pick up (towards the end), the siege on the castle was a good moment in the film. It shows all of the planning starting to pay off and quite effectively too. There have been other adaptations of The 47 Ronin and I think this is one you can skip. I'm sure you can do worse, but I don't think you'll be missing much if you don't see this one. At most, save it for a rainy day. 6 DeNiros out of 10

Directed by Peter (all that and a bag of chips) Jackson, The Desolation of Smaug continues the story of the first Hobbit film. We last left our heroes on their way to the lonely mountain to slay the evil dragon Smaug and reclaim the dwarf kingdom in the name of Thorin, the next ruler. But of course, getting there is part of the "fun". It's kind of difficult not to notice that Peter Jackson is (most likely unintentionally) Out-Lucasing George Lucas. We've got a trilogy set up here that is a prequel to an already successful and popular film trilogy. Except Jackson is doing it right (so far). While there are a few mis-steps here and there, I feel we are getting a trilogy that is on par with it's predecessors. That being said, even though this is called "The Hobbit", it is more of Thorin's story as Bilbo isn't really front and center. He was more prominent in the first film, but not so much here. We should be seeing this world through his eyes much like how Lord of The Rings was viewed through Frodo's but not so here. He mostly just stands around until something important happens and he is used in order to move things forward. Martin Freeman, no matter how sparingly he is used in this one is still fantastic as Bilbo. There is still that innocence but there is a hint of corruption happening the longer he has that ring. Ian McKellan was great as well as Ghandalf but he was also used a bit sparingly but I guess when you have a wizard in your party it's your automatic get of jail free card so without him there as often, it provides much more of a challenge for our heroes to overcome instead of some magical solution or sage advice. As with the first entry, Richard Armitage as Thorin was good in his role and still has that commanding authority that his character posseses and conveys it well. I have to admit, it was great to see Legolas again, even though there was no point to him being there except to attract more of an audience. But, Orlando Bloom still hasn't lost a step and did a fine job once again. Evangeline Lilly plays a new character not in the books called Tauriel. She is another character who doesn't need to be there but was great as an almost equal to Legolas. And while I liked her character and I felt she did a great job, she was caught in a love triangle subplot that didn't serve the story at all. We really didn't need it as there was too much going on as it is. I mean, honestly, do you really care who she'll end up with? We're never going to see her character again in the long run. But, I have to admit, Jackson and the actors make it work and actually make you care, even if it's only slightly.The fight scenes with the elves and orcs was a good highlight in this film. But the real stand out here for me is Benedict (The Sherlock) Cumberbatch as the voice of Smaug (and Sauron). He was very menacing and quite intimidating as the dragon and had such a presence, even if it was only his voice. His build up in this film was worth the wait and his scenes with Bilbo worked very well. I can't wait to see how it all ends with him. The rest of the cast as good and as many as they were just didn't really have much to do. Luke Evans as Han Solo, I mean, Bard the Bowman was good in his role but was a tad limited. But I'm sure, given his circumstances and the books, he'll have much more to do in the final chapter. Everyone else on the other hand didn't really add much. The dwarves were just there and weren't as prominent as they were in the first film. They just kind of seemed to be in the way. I think my main problem with The Hobbit film series so far is that they stretched a more simple story and just added things that just don't really need to be there. Certain elements can be done without as they really have no point to the larger story, it just seems like it's filler. Obviously this was all done to stretch out the series as long as possible in order to make a profit and while most of the time that can be a detriment, it actually sort of works here. While slightly overblown in some places, Peter Jackson has kept the story tight and flowing overall. His caring, love and devotion to it is evident. That's why once again, he continues to make more entertaining entries into this fantastic saga. Check it out. 8 Deedlits out of 10