Magic Mike Review

Justin and I saw Magic Mike on June 30, 2012. Now, before I get into the review, the theatre was legitimately packed...and Justin and I were the only males there. I also want to point out that if you have a gut feeling that there might be something else going on in a movie than what the trailer is showing you, then go with it. Justin and I were really impressed with this. It's not just a "male stripper movie." The plot does involve this element, but there is alot going on and it focuses on friendships/relationships and the demons that can damage them. Channing Tatum and Alex Pettyfer in their respective roles of Mike Lane and Adam develop a friendship that has several ups and downs throughout the film. They were both excellent and I think Pettyfer is a future star, because he has decent acting chops. Tatum really did a good job as well, putting on a great dramatic performance mixed in with some great comedic elements. I'd describe the movie as 50/50 comedy and drama. I really liked the dramatic side of this as you begin to get invested with the characters and their stories. The stories all intertwine and create a good cinematic experience. Mike has been working at the Male Revue for 6 years at this point under the tutelage of Dallas played very well by Matthew McConaughey. I think if you give this guy a dramatic role like in The Lincoln Lawyer he does a good job with it. He does this job as part of a way to get his own business going. Adam and him are acquainted on one of his jobs working at a construction site. Mike shows Adam the ropes of making money when he takes him to a nightclub to get customers for the show they will put on. As this is going on, Tatum is involved in a relationship with Joanna played by Olivia Munn, who turns out to be a big time bitch. I really loathed Joanna. You had the sense she was playing Mike. Adam has a sister named Paige played by Cody Horn. She is dating this boring insurance guy named Paul. I just wanted to punch this guy because not only is he the cure for insomnia, he is just a douche. I hate the way he acts. Luckily, this doesn't last. I love Paige's personality and Cody Horn is cute too in my opinion. I honestly hope to see alot more from her. She is somebody that really impressed me throughout. I love her smart, witty dialogue, and I like the way she interacts with Mike. That develops over time. The comedic part is mostly the first half. Then the second part presents the nice dramatic side to counterbalance it. Adam is a guy that does whatever he wants whenever he wants. He gets involved with dangerous things and it effects his life as well as Mike's relationship with Adam, and more importantly Paige. There were some powerful scenes mixed in here that Justin and I really liked. Paige and Mike get into a huge argument while standing over Adam about him growing up and ditching this Magic Mike gimmick he is living off of. Definitely one of my favorite scenes in the movie. I also found a face to face scene between Mike and Dallas about a business venture to be pretty good as well. Dallas is definitely an underhanded character and I could sense that from the start. I really liked watching how Mike wants to show Paige how he isn't a gimmick, he's different from what you see on a stage. He really does an amazing act for Adam that puts a damper on his plans, but still shows how important his friendships and relationships are. There's also some great appearances by Kevin Nash, Joe Manganiello (Alcide in True Blood), and Matt Bomer (Neil Caffrey in White Collar)-actually a very important character in terms of ruining relationships and creating a chaotic environment for the main characters. All in all, we were both impressed by the blend of comedy and drama with a good story and good performances especially by Pettyfer, Horn, and Tatum. I'd recommend seeing this and not just scoffing at it. It really will surprise you at how emotionally invested you will get with the characters. I will give this a 4/5 just because everything clicked really well with this. Steve Soderbergh did a good job with this one.

Brave Review

Justin and I saw Brave on June 24, 2012!! I absolutely loved this movie, and I am very picky on animated movies, especially of this form as this is the primary animation style used for movies now. The only other animated movies of this genre I actually enjoy are Toy Story 1 & 3 as well as Coraline and the first Shrek. Of course, they're not all Pixar, but they're the only ones I like with the format used. I was excited for this movie when I found out it would be Pixar's first primary female protagonist mixed in a story from Scottish/Celtic origin. I was impressed how different the movie ended up being from the trailer. The movie focuses on a young girl named Merida born into a royal family, but is determined to shake the tradition and rebel against her mother, Elinor's instructions and preparation. She becomes skilled in archery and sword play with the help of her father, Fergus, who is referred to as The Bear King (which is a major part of the storyline). In some ways, she reminds me a little bit of Arya Stark from Game of Thrones which is a good thing. I look at it as Arya with Sansa hair. Elinor would be similar to Catelyn, and Fergus would be like Robert Baratheon, certainly not Ned Stark who is very reserved. Suitors come to try and win the hand of Merida. Her mother decrees that the first born of each kingdom can enter a tournament and whoever wins gets her hand. Merida basically puts everyone to shame and defys her mother's own decree. She wants her mother to change her idea of what Merida's fate/destiny is. There was a scene with a huge argument on the family tapestry between Merida and Elinor which was very well done. The tapestry is the most integral part of the movie. This will carry over into the message in the movie about legends having some basis in fact, as well as the idea that fate and destiny is something that is within all of us/ We have to be brave enough to face it. After the heated argument, both are upset at the actions they perpetrated on one another, and this leads to Merida encountering the power of magic. This magic will have consequences for Elinor and Merida in turn. Remember what I said about the Bear King moniker? Big foreshadowing into what will happen. Interestingly enough, this magic spell is designed to have Elinor change her mind. Well, it does change her. I'll leave it at that haha. However, despite the differences Merida and Elinor have, their bond grows even stronger. As the bond grows, so does the ability to repair the tapestry and the repeating of what happened in the legend of the four princes. Merida and Elinor make their way to the castle to make a decree that the suitors should decide with their hearts who they want to marry, not just the hand of that person. Fergus sees the physical changes of Elinor and leads a party chasing her. Merida protects Elinor from Fergus in a great sword battle. This is followed by Elinor protecting Merida. Very well done!! Amazing battle sequences!! The tapestry is mended. Very powerful message of how important family is. Don't be afraid to face your chosen fate/destiny. Merida and Elinor protect each other throughout the movie in different ways and it just amazed me. I give this movie a 4/5 for great animation, an incredible story (completely different overall to what the trailer says), great vocal performances from Kelly McDonald, Emma Thompson, and Billy Connolly, phenomenal action sequences, great character development over the course of the movie, and an incredible soundtrack. Very well done!! As I said, I am very picky with animated movies, but I was very impressed with this.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter Review

Once again like last week despite being exhausted from my Current Events class, Justin and I went to the movies and saw Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter on June 23, 2012. It is based off a book by Seth Graehme-Smith. There are differences between the movie and the book, and I must say that I actually enjoyed the changes. It is probably not for everybody, but I was immediately gravitated towards the project. It's an action/fantasy/horror movie that I thought blended everything nicely in it's own unique story. I was very into the whole movie. I liked how Benjamin Walker approached the role, and felt he did a good job with what he had to do. When he doesn't have the beard, he reminds me of a younger Liam Neeson. I was worried how Henry Sturgess would be portrayed on the screen, but Dominic Cooper did an excellent job. I was very impressed with him, as he takes on the role of training Abe to be a successful killing machine, and telling him how there are vampires on both the side of good and evil. Abe is very handy with an ax, but the ax is also a shotgun at the handle. It's a pretty intricate weapon. Sturgess keeps his dark secret from Lincoln, until Lincoln himself finds out that Sturgess himself is of the undead. They hit on several of the key quotes from the book and adapted the book pretty well. Smith worked on the script, so he dictated alot of the changes that happened on the screen. Lincoln is pegged as a man to enter into politics by Senator Nelson (who is himself a vampire-take note of the sunglasses as well as different philosophical viewpoints from sects of the vampires) so he can battle the politics of the South and slavery. In the movie and the book, slaves are harvested for blood. It's a really interesting twist that worked well. I thought the storyline worked well with Adam played very well by Rufus Sewell, and his sister Vadoma, who was a good villainous female character wanting a pure nation of vampires vs. Abraham Lincoln, who was seeking revenge for the death of his mother at the hands of Jack Barts-which is the key reason he begins to undertake this interesting addition to the historical figure we all know. Adam and Vadoma were added for the movie, however, they fit right into the whole philosophy of what Abe and Henry are battling. Adam is important because he is the reason for Henry Sturges's hatred towards his own race as he forced Sturges to watch his wife be killed and was turned himself to live with the guilt. All the training Lincoln undertakes from Henry sends him to Springfield where he works at the general store with Joshua Speedman, who he has a close friendship with in both the book and movie. It's elaborated more in the movie, which is nice to see. He, along with his childhood friend, William Jackson, now a freed man helping slaves escape on the Underground Railroad meets up with him as he is working on his law degree. Anthony Mackie portrayed Jackson, who some may remember from The Adjustment Bureau. He did a pretty good job as I think he is an actor with great potential and hope to see more from him. On the subject of politics, I was glad they kept the plotline from the book intact with how Abe and Mary Todd begin their relationship. In both instances, she is engaged to Stephen Douglas originally. I just love how there's a love triangle between them. Also, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, one of my personal favorite actresses was Mary Todd. It's the only time you'll probably see Mary Todd look attractive. However, Mary Elizabeth Winstead did an excellent job of portraying depression, schizophrenia, and rage fits that many have commented on in several historical articles. Great stuff from her!! I always look forward to seeing her in things. Adam wants Abe to kill Henry, but Abe refuses leading to an all out fight in Adam and Vadoma's plantation. The action scenes were absolutley fantastic-beautifully shot and giving enough to please me. It was directed by the man who directed Wanted so you'll notice a similar style. Now, we all know about Willie Lincoln and how he died at a young age. Well, what they kept intact between the book and the movie is that Willie meets his demise at the hands of the bloodsuckers, except in the movie Vadoma is responsible, which should be how it is here. In the book, it's just a random vampire assassin who follows the same philosophies as Adam and Vadoma here. Willie has a little cavalry sword necklace that Mary Todd gave him which is really cool. That comes back later on in the movie. Abe is in the White House and battling Jefferson Davis who has become one of the undead and makes a pact with Adam to win this war for the Confederacy and to harvest the slaves and most importantly kill the Union. Lincoln, Speedman, and Jackson devise a plan to get silver to the Union as it is a powerful weapon in impeding a vampire's ability as Lincoln himself recognized in his first encounter with Jack Barts. Henry always is telling Lincoln to have a contingency plan and they did an excellent job of making it look like there was dissension between Lincoln's party while Adam thought he was going to kill off the silver supply and allow for the Confederacy/vampires to win the nation. The train scene and the Gettysburg battle scenes are some of the most incredible action sequences I've seen. I love how they used the Underground Railroad to get the silver to the Union with Mary Todd making the commands on the field-very awesome. Basically, the way I look at it Mary Elizabeth Winstead was the general. I was eagerly anticpating a showdown with her and Vadoma over what happened to Willie. It wasn't an all out drag down fight, but it was very well done and I thought that was how it should have been done. In the book, Mary Todd's role is not as big, and I was glad they added a little more to it here. They left out the Ford's Theatre stuff but they imply that Lincoln will live forever even if he isn't immortal. I liked the ending in both versions. Both versions end up in modern times, but are shown in different ways. It's to display the immortality of Henry in both instances. Overall, I really enjoyed this movie. I thought the action sequences, especially the ones I pointed out on the train and the Gettysburg battle sequences were very well done. I enjoyed the performances-Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Benjamin Walker, and Dominic Cooper were excellent. Rufus Sewell was a great villain. He had an evil vibe to him and that's what he should give off. There were several instances of verbatim quotes from the book which is great to see. There were also some genuine comedic parts which is necessary after certain scenes. It's one hell of a thrill ride, and a fun cinematic adventure. It's not going to be considered a masterpiece and you shouldn't take it too seriously. I think it's really creative and love the blend of reality with fantasy like this. I will give this a 4/5 as it just kept me into the movie from start to finish and I enjoyed the differences made in the stories. I liked it because I didn't know exactly what direction they'd take it and that can be a good thing. I thought it worked well here. You won't get me to say a negative thing about this. I realize it won't appeal to everyone, but I definitely will be getting this on DVD when it comes out just because it certainly appealed to me. Smith's addition of characters and scenes to the movie felt natural for this genre. Everything was connected well and led to a good finale.

Rock of Ages Review

Though I was completely exhausted from my Current Events class today, Justin and I saw Rock of Ages on June 16, 2012. This movie was fun, entertaining, and an overall incredible experience. I knew that this was based off the hit Broadway play of the same name and going in, I knew it was a movie not to be taken too seriously and the actors would just have fun. I felt the casting choices made in this movie were very good and felt that Julianne Hough's Sherie and especially Diego Boneta's Drew did an excellent job of two kids that came from different backgrounds: Sherie is a SMALL TOWN GIRL. Drew is a CITY BOY. I purposely capitalized those by the way for a reason and you'll see as I delve into this for you. I felt it was actually a pretty cute storyline overall between the two of them. They are pursuing dreams to make it in the music business and overall, they do a great job of singing the songs they cover throughout the movie. There is a great storyline of rock and roll and how it has a major influence specifically in Los Angeles, California during the 1980s. There is the religious/political movement led by Patricia Whitmore, played by the absolutely gorgeous Catherine Zeta-Jones, and her husband Mike, who is the Senator, played by the Man of 1,000 Movies, Bryan Cranston-(he seems to be in everything honestly) that is trying to battle the corruption of society, specifically in the form of Stacee Jaxx played fantastically by Tom Cruise. If I could give a guess as to who he was supposed to be channelling, I would say it's a mix between Jim Morrison of The Doors and definitely Axl Rose of Guns N' Roses. He is scheduled to make his last appearance before he goes solo at The Bourbon Room which is important as this is where Stacee's first gig was and the man that helped him get it runs the bar. That man is Dennis Dupree who was played by Alec Baldwin. Him and Russell Brand's Lonny Bannett provided alot of great comedic parts. We see that Stacee is a tortured soul and has a bad boy reputation and I feel throughout the movie he is trying to redeem himself and make himself a better person. I think part of the reason he has such a bad boy image and personality is due to the way his management wants him to present himself. His manager Paul Gil was played by the awesome Paul Giamatti. He really played a perfect douchebag throughout the movie. Also, going back to Stacee Jaxx, one of his bodyguards was played by Kevin Nash, who some may know as a former professional wrestler in WWE, WCW, and TNA. What Justin and I found funny was that Stacee reminded us of Shawn Michaels from the 90s. He even had the same cowboy hat he would wear in his later run. Each storyline becomes intertwined as the love story spills over into the influence of Stacee Jaxx flowing into the anti-rock and roll music movement as well as the dangers of rock and roll, along with a couple of jabs at modern day society politically and socially. You can definitely see them. Most of the covers were very good. I LOVED when Patricia busts out Hit Me With Your Best Shot by Pat Benatar. I also really liked Stacee's Pour Some Sugar On Me-very well done. The whole idea of the movie is truly Don't Stop Believing: Sherie and Drew keep having to endure obstacles like Drew having to be in a boy band and almost selling out by joining that douche Paul, or Sherie having to resort to dancing in a gentleman's club. She gets help from Mary J. Bliges's appropriately named character of Justice. She was very good as well in this and can still belt out the tunes. Stacee gets some influence from positive people that come into his life such as Malin Akerman's Constance that helps him to realize how to grow up but still be a rock star. Patricia realizes that she is fighting a cause that probably can't be won, but then realizes that she is a hypocrite because she was on the other side of the fence at one point. I thought Catherine Zeta-Jones was awesome in this. Actually, I felt everybody did what they had to do to make the parts entertaining and keep the audience interested. They certainly did that. Two more covers I really enjoyed were the We're Not Gonna Take It/We Built This City mash-up with the conservative traditions battling the changing youth of society-very well done. I love that message personally. Of course as I said the Don't Stop Believing message was the overall theme and all the characters put together a really solid finale (which I assume is just as cool to see in the play). I really enjoyed this because I took it for what it was, a movie based off of a play that is strictly a fun musical with larger than life characters and the changes they make throughout the movie. Very well done in my opinion!!! Justin enjoyed this as well. I give it a 4/5 for the creativity, amazing music, and fun performances.

Snow White & The Huntsman Review

Justin and I saw Snow White & The Huntsman on June 2, 2012. Now despite the fact that it has been getting mixed reviews overall, I have to say that I was thoroughly impressed with this. To be honest, of all the movies I've seen this year, this is probably my favorite thus far. Yes, I liked it that much. Not everybody will enjoy it as much as I did, but I am a fan of the fantasy genre, and different takes on classical stories (or in this case fairy tales). Before I get into this a major factor in the events centers around a prophecy and for fairy tale enthusiasts such as myself the three drops of blood. They end up being extremely important in the grand scheme of things. The story begins with the birth of Snow White to her royal mother and father. Snow White has a happy life living with her parents and good friend William who is also destined to be royalty. The mother passes away at a young age, while her father deals with threats to his kingdom. Around this time, a mysterious army springs up and he must take to the field to defend his kingdom. He encounters a young woman in a carriage amidst the chaos on the battlefield. This ends up being Ravena, played perfectly by Charlize Theron. She works her way into the king's good graces and through marriage becomes the queen. This is Snow White's birth right to be the Queen in hereditary right fashion. However, with the marriage Ravena will serve as Queen. At first she comes across as a sweet, young woman, but she quickly sheds the white and unleashes the dark as she slays Snow's father in their bed and takes over the kingdom. I thought it was very well done the way she went about taking over the kingdom. As soon as she had slain the father, her army comes into the castle imprisoning her threats, especially Snow White. The magic mirror tells her that Snow has the power to undo her beauty and power. We encounter Snow White, who has been locked in the northern tower for most of her youth. However she is now growing into a young woman. In my opinion, Kristen Stewart was excellent in this movie. I really thought her portrayal worked well. Ravena takes young maidens and drains them of their beauty in order to maintain her looks. It kind of reminded me of the legend of Countess Elizabeth Bathory, who would bathe in the blood of young maidens to preserve her beauty. It is a curse of beauty. She is obsessed with staying young and beautiful. As she grows older, her powers wane. As Snow White grows up, the threat gets worse. With the aid of Ravena's brother and her Queen's Guard, she attempts to off Snow White immediately. However, Snow escapes the castle. Ravena begins aging rapidly. The queen summons a huntsman, played by Chris Hemsworth. Hemsworth fit into the role very well. Ravena wants him to take her to him so she can consume her heart and gain immortality. She also says that she will resurrect The Huntsman's wife if he does this. Snow encounters the Dark Forest. Amazing visuals at work here and later on in the Enchanted Forest. I thought the magic was captured very well. Snow White and The Huntsman meet up in the forest and realize through a bond that Ravena is against both of them. They join up on a journey to the Duke's (William's)castle to gain an army to lead an uprising against Ravena. Ravena is shown between intervals basically withering away and aging. She looks emaciated in one of the scenes. The encounter with the dwarves was handled well and I liked some of the casting choices such as Ian McShane and Bob Hoskins. They know of the curse and the prophecy, and Snow White is the key to life and can undo the suffering in the land. William learns that Snow White is alive. They are reunited. There were instances where scenes reminded me of Lord of the Rings with the journey to the castle and the dangerous obstacles to overcome along the way. Now, we all know that the poisoned apple would have to make an appearance. I really lked the way it was handled in this instance. Ravena is just obsessed with taking out Snow White and gaining immortality in the process. They also did a different take on the true love's first kiss, which worked well with the plot of the movie and the bond made over the course of the film. Snow White makes an impassioned speech to fight with her father's colors and take down Ravena once and for all. She will pay for the suffering she has caused. Ravena is draining every last maiden she can find. It was an eerie scene to say the least. I thought it captured the darker nature mixed in with the classic fairy tale very well. Ravena's outfit gets darker in each scene, which was very good symbolism of her getting more deranged and evil. The main battle scene was epic!!! Amazing battle at the castle with Snow in battle armor and taking her father's shield straight into the fire. The battle between Snow White and Ravena is amazing and there were some painful looking shots in the movie that made me cringe. Snow White spits out blood and its an all out battle with White vs. Black-incredible stuff!!! With Snow's gift of true life, it is her white magic that will counteract Ravena's black magic. I loved the shot at the end with Kristen Stewart in the red gown with the crown on her head ruling over her rightful kingdom. As I said, I really enjoyed Kristen Stewart's performance and it clashed well with Charlize Theron's darker personality in this movie. Unlike Once Upon A Time, you don't feel sorry for the Queen at all. In Once Upon A Time, Regina is my favorite character just because we have seen her journey and know that her mother is more like what Ravena is in this movie. Barbara Hershey's portrayal of Regina's mother is similar to Ravena, but Ravena goes farther over the edge. Ravena was an amazing character. I just wouldn't root for her to win. I was definitely Team Snow here haha!! However, in Once Upon A Time I'm always Team Queen, so it's very interesting to see how different you can make the same story. That's why I really love this kind of genre. Good action/battle scenes, a good mix of dark undertones mixed with the classic fairytale, good performances, and a fantasy backdrop make this a movie that I absolutely loved. Like I said, this movie is probably not for everybody, but for me it was everything I wanted to see from it. I definitely give this a 5/5. Can't wait to get this on DVD!!!