I saw If I Stay on August 25, 20414!! I thought this was an incredible movie. I saw this in a packed theater with several females. It was an interesting experience. I actually don't understand why more guys see these types of movies. Action movies are so one-dimensional overall. I'm never really invested in any stories (if there even is one) in those types of movies. It's obviously a very emotional movie, but it had a great story. It is a great look at how powerful a bond with family, friends, and relationships can be. This movie really makes you appreciate your family & friends. You don't want to take anything for granted, because in an instant things can change. It made you appreciate how beautiful music can be. It also made you appreciate how beautiful music can be.
I haven't read the book that this movie is based on, but I've been told a big emphasis was placed on the music aspect in the book. It was definitely a major subplot. It was cool seeing how opposites attract just based on music. I actually am a big fan of both styles that they focused on: rock & classical music. The relationship between our two main characters Mia Hall & Adam grows based on love of music-whether it's simply listening to the notes/lyrics or creating it. Mia was actually born into music and you explore that through her memories.
Chloe Grace Moretz did an amazing job in the role of Mia. She's really one of the better young actresses today. I've been a huge supporter of hers since Kick-Ass. It's great seeing her in a more dramatic role.Throughout the movie, we are shown her memories of her dedication to the cello, her relationship with Adam, her fun relationship with her parents, and the close bond that she & her brother Teddy have. Being a cellist, she has ambitions to become a successful musician. She certainly has the talent. The exploration of how far she can go with her music while balancing her relationships with Adam & her parents is a big focal point of the memories.
I like how the movie jumps between her memories prior to the car accident & the events unfolding in the hospital. It told a beautiful story. It showed how close the family is. It showed how strong their bond is. I also think it's very interesting seeing things from Mia's point of view. It really added to the emotional aspect. She has to make a life or death decision. As you're watching these hospital scenes unfold, there's a good chance you'll shed some tears. I think Stacy Keach (who plays Mia's grandfather) gave a powerful speech to Mia after everything that happened in one day. Everybody in the theater just lost it here. If you don't, then I'm not sure you have a heart. The power of music also plays a huge role in the hospital scenes. Classical music is very calming is all I'll say. It's a big part of what Mia chooses in the end. I don't know how you can watch this movie & not feel anything. Moretz captured the severity of the emotional landscape so vividly.
If you want to see a well made movie celebrating the importance of family & friends, or you have a deep appreciation for music, then I'd highly recommend this. It's one of the best movies I've seen this year. I give it a 5/5 because it's a well made movie-shifting between Mia's memories & her present predicament, the acting performances are great, the music is beautiful, & emotions are at an all time high-you'll feel both joy & sadness watching this.
Welcome to the Two Geeks Go To The Movies! This is a project of two college friends who watch way too many movies and have decided to tell the world. Enjoy the ramblings.
Monday, August 25, 2014
Thursday, August 21, 2014
The Giver Review
I saw The Giver on August 21, 2014!! I remember reading the book by Lois Lowry in Mrs. Christie's 6th grade Reading class. While there are definite changes from the book to the movie, I actually really enjoyed them. I felt it made the story more interesting. I felt it gave more substance overall. It really is a movie about what it truly means to be human. The movie's message really focuses on that. It delves into the faults of the perfect society created. It shows that one needs to experience the full gamut of emotions to be a whole person. While conforming to societal norms is less conventional, I felt this movie spoke to all ages to be accepting of others. The Giver shows us that different races, religions, & cultures are essential to life. Our memories & choices-good & bad make us whole.
I thought that the movie captured the general core of the book quite well. The overall premise of the unique community, advanced technology, as well as the black & white nature of it all-the important ceremonies, the job selection (nurturer for instance), the family dinner scenes, the transcendence to color, & the relationship between Jonas & The Giver were all very good. I thought Brenton Thwaites captured the personality of Jonas really well. Making the characters older in the movie works a lot better for the movie's overall message. I realize the community eliminates any notion of feeling physical or emotional, but a 12 year old would not be able to understand the importance of what the role of a receiver really means. A person should have to be at a higher level of maturity to undertake this task,
They definitely made the characters older so they could understand the emotion of love. While a romantic edge is touched upon between Jonas & Fiona, it's really a look at understanding emotion. It's looking at love as a whole, not just romantic love, but love of family, friends, & community. Both joy & sadness are well represented throughout the movie. I think the movie allowed the story to flow at a better rate than the book. I liked the three central young actors: Thwaites, Odeya Rush, & Cameron Monghan all did well in their roles. I liked Rush's deeper look into Fiona. She's definitely somebody I'd like to see more from. I think she has potential to become one of the better young actresses. We have plenty great ones now, but there's always room for more. The connection with her & Jonas is great to watch on screen. Cameron is known for playing the excellent Ian Gallagher character on Shameless, and did an excellent job as Asher switching from a rebel to a conformist.
For me, the two people that truly stole the movie were Jeff Bridges & Meryl Streep. I loved the characters because it represented two different ideologies. Watching his interaction with Thwaites shows how passionate he is about the project. His interaction with Jonas displayed that a true receiver will be able to balance the good & bad memories. With The Giver's guidance, Jonas realizes he can give the community it's memories back. On the other side, you have the chief antagonist in the Chief Elder played by Streep. She played the idea of conformity and adhering to rules really well. Her look was great since she was basically dressed in black & white. She actually reminded me a little bit of Angelica Huston the way she looked in this from her earlier work in the 90s.
It's really interesting to watch how Jonas's acquisition of memory can influence younger members of society to accept differences. We see this with Fiona. Even though Asher becomes more of conformist, we see his understanding of emotion as well. Jonas is definitely a great choice for receiver. He wants to give memories to the whole community. He wants to create a society of unique individuals. The Giver's ideology influences the younger generation. The Chief Elder's ideology influences the parents & older members of society. The adults conform to the rules of society. I think Katie Holmes did a great job with that. She was the justice representative & she even tries to keep Jonas on point with society. I've always been a fan of Katie since Joey Potter in Dawson's Creek. I've seen most of her movies over the years-always will be one of my favorites. Alexander Skarsgaard did a great job in his role as well. I think he captured the idea that he doesn't actually think about what he's doing. That's the idea of this "perfect" society. You don't make decisions for yourself. You just do whatever the chief elder tells you to. Jonas is trying to free people from this. The Giver is the one that gets the ball rolling on that.
One of my favorite scenes was one towards the end where both The Giver & The Chief Elder debate about their ideologies while Fiona is being prepared for the ceremony to elsewhere. I really felt you could understand where both characters were coming from. Both Bridges & Streep were phenomenal in this scene. Both made intelligent points. What side of the fence are you on? For me, I agree with both view points. I feel you need to find a balance between the familiar & the unfamiliar. You need to appreciate tradition, but you need to welcome change in a constantly changing world.
I give this movie a 4/5 for great performances, memorable scenes, cool transition from black & white to color, the tweaks from the book (Lois Lowry was very supportive of this adaptation), and an incredible overall message of what it means to be human.
I thought that the movie captured the general core of the book quite well. The overall premise of the unique community, advanced technology, as well as the black & white nature of it all-the important ceremonies, the job selection (nurturer for instance), the family dinner scenes, the transcendence to color, & the relationship between Jonas & The Giver were all very good. I thought Brenton Thwaites captured the personality of Jonas really well. Making the characters older in the movie works a lot better for the movie's overall message. I realize the community eliminates any notion of feeling physical or emotional, but a 12 year old would not be able to understand the importance of what the role of a receiver really means. A person should have to be at a higher level of maturity to undertake this task,
They definitely made the characters older so they could understand the emotion of love. While a romantic edge is touched upon between Jonas & Fiona, it's really a look at understanding emotion. It's looking at love as a whole, not just romantic love, but love of family, friends, & community. Both joy & sadness are well represented throughout the movie. I think the movie allowed the story to flow at a better rate than the book. I liked the three central young actors: Thwaites, Odeya Rush, & Cameron Monghan all did well in their roles. I liked Rush's deeper look into Fiona. She's definitely somebody I'd like to see more from. I think she has potential to become one of the better young actresses. We have plenty great ones now, but there's always room for more. The connection with her & Jonas is great to watch on screen. Cameron is known for playing the excellent Ian Gallagher character on Shameless, and did an excellent job as Asher switching from a rebel to a conformist.
For me, the two people that truly stole the movie were Jeff Bridges & Meryl Streep. I loved the characters because it represented two different ideologies. Watching his interaction with Thwaites shows how passionate he is about the project. His interaction with Jonas displayed that a true receiver will be able to balance the good & bad memories. With The Giver's guidance, Jonas realizes he can give the community it's memories back. On the other side, you have the chief antagonist in the Chief Elder played by Streep. She played the idea of conformity and adhering to rules really well. Her look was great since she was basically dressed in black & white. She actually reminded me a little bit of Angelica Huston the way she looked in this from her earlier work in the 90s.
It's really interesting to watch how Jonas's acquisition of memory can influence younger members of society to accept differences. We see this with Fiona. Even though Asher becomes more of conformist, we see his understanding of emotion as well. Jonas is definitely a great choice for receiver. He wants to give memories to the whole community. He wants to create a society of unique individuals. The Giver's ideology influences the younger generation. The Chief Elder's ideology influences the parents & older members of society. The adults conform to the rules of society. I think Katie Holmes did a great job with that. She was the justice representative & she even tries to keep Jonas on point with society. I've always been a fan of Katie since Joey Potter in Dawson's Creek. I've seen most of her movies over the years-always will be one of my favorites. Alexander Skarsgaard did a great job in his role as well. I think he captured the idea that he doesn't actually think about what he's doing. That's the idea of this "perfect" society. You don't make decisions for yourself. You just do whatever the chief elder tells you to. Jonas is trying to free people from this. The Giver is the one that gets the ball rolling on that.
One of my favorite scenes was one towards the end where both The Giver & The Chief Elder debate about their ideologies while Fiona is being prepared for the ceremony to elsewhere. I really felt you could understand where both characters were coming from. Both Bridges & Streep were phenomenal in this scene. Both made intelligent points. What side of the fence are you on? For me, I agree with both view points. I feel you need to find a balance between the familiar & the unfamiliar. You need to appreciate tradition, but you need to welcome change in a constantly changing world.
I give this movie a 4/5 for great performances, memorable scenes, cool transition from black & white to color, the tweaks from the book (Lois Lowry was very supportive of this adaptation), and an incredible overall message of what it means to be human.
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
Magic In The Moonlight Review
I saw Magic In The Moonlight on August 19, 2014!! Over the past couple of years, I've enjoyed Woody Allen's work. Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Midnight In Paris, & Blue Jasmine are all movies that I consider to be really well made. I think he did a really good job with this one as well. His witty dialogue, beautiful scenery, & views on science, religion, and love were well presented. I really enjoyed the dialogue between the characters. I felt there was something really incredible in the message of the movie.
The overall concept of this movie to me was a cynical, intelligent man that makes a living based on fraud trying to find something real in a world of deception. Colin Firth was absolutely perfect. I really find him to be a tremendous actor. He played the Stanley character's abrasive personality so well. I also loved that Allen touched on a real life entity in the history of magic when he shaped the persona of Stanley's Wei Ling Soo. There was a real English magician that masqueraded himself as a Chinese man on stage. The reason was because audiences found the Orient to be exotic. He went everywhere in character. His identity was revealed during a magic trick that went horribly wrong as he was shot. He shouted: "Oh my God! I've been shot!" He hadn't spoken any English on stage prior to that moment. Stanley's experiences in life have led him to be wary of foolishness such as magic or religion. Since he's a magician by trade, I can understand why he doesn't believe in it. He knows all the tricks. His old friend Howard hires him to find out if a psychic named Sophie (who is an American girl from Kalamazoo, Michigan) is the real deal or is she like them & lying about it.
From that moment on, we get a view of Stanley trying to figure out how Sophie knows what she does. Sophie was played by Emma Stone. Emma Stone gave one of her best performances her. She fit really well into Allen's world in my opinion. I think her and Firth, despite their age difference, showed unbelievable chemistry. Stone is one of the better actresses in Hollywood. I think when she is involved in roles like this, The Help, or Crazy, Stupid, Love, she truly excels. Stone's quirkiness really meshed well with Firth's cynicism. You can definitely tell there's something growing between them. Even Stanley's aunt, played wonderfully by Eileen Atkins, knows there is something there. It was great watching Stanley trying to figure out how Sophie is tricking him, while also presenting his humanity. He's a vulnerable man deep down that wants to believe in something. He wants to believe in magic. He needs to believe in something. Being around Sophie shows us that he's not as much of a curmudgeon as you think. Perhaps Sophie is bringing out his true core? Perhaps it's Sophie bringing out the real from beneath the exterior of the fake? That was the deep core of the movie. The more time he spends with Sophie, the more he believes in something more.
There was a good twist reminding me a little bit of The Prestige that I found fascinating regarding who swindled who. It reminds us how something real can be painful. I feel this is a reason we become enamored with a movie or book. We have to escape reality sometimes, because it's not always beautiful. The revelation shows that on the other side of the coin perhaps fantasy can protect you. Don't let reality eat you up. I feel Sophie & Stanley were able to overcome the shock from a real revelation. False pretenses brought them together initially, but as they spend more time with each other, real feelings & beliefs draw them closer together. They ended the movie on a perfect note. I think it showed they both found that aspect of realism & a belief in something more in each other.
Emma Stone & Colin Firth were a tremendous pairing. I was very impressed with their on screen chemistry...or magic. Their performances were both excellent. I found myself really enjoying this. I give it a 5/5 for great lead performances, well written dialogue, beautiful scenery, & a nice jazz soundtrack.
The overall concept of this movie to me was a cynical, intelligent man that makes a living based on fraud trying to find something real in a world of deception. Colin Firth was absolutely perfect. I really find him to be a tremendous actor. He played the Stanley character's abrasive personality so well. I also loved that Allen touched on a real life entity in the history of magic when he shaped the persona of Stanley's Wei Ling Soo. There was a real English magician that masqueraded himself as a Chinese man on stage. The reason was because audiences found the Orient to be exotic. He went everywhere in character. His identity was revealed during a magic trick that went horribly wrong as he was shot. He shouted: "Oh my God! I've been shot!" He hadn't spoken any English on stage prior to that moment. Stanley's experiences in life have led him to be wary of foolishness such as magic or religion. Since he's a magician by trade, I can understand why he doesn't believe in it. He knows all the tricks. His old friend Howard hires him to find out if a psychic named Sophie (who is an American girl from Kalamazoo, Michigan) is the real deal or is she like them & lying about it.
From that moment on, we get a view of Stanley trying to figure out how Sophie knows what she does. Sophie was played by Emma Stone. Emma Stone gave one of her best performances her. She fit really well into Allen's world in my opinion. I think her and Firth, despite their age difference, showed unbelievable chemistry. Stone is one of the better actresses in Hollywood. I think when she is involved in roles like this, The Help, or Crazy, Stupid, Love, she truly excels. Stone's quirkiness really meshed well with Firth's cynicism. You can definitely tell there's something growing between them. Even Stanley's aunt, played wonderfully by Eileen Atkins, knows there is something there. It was great watching Stanley trying to figure out how Sophie is tricking him, while also presenting his humanity. He's a vulnerable man deep down that wants to believe in something. He wants to believe in magic. He needs to believe in something. Being around Sophie shows us that he's not as much of a curmudgeon as you think. Perhaps Sophie is bringing out his true core? Perhaps it's Sophie bringing out the real from beneath the exterior of the fake? That was the deep core of the movie. The more time he spends with Sophie, the more he believes in something more.
There was a good twist reminding me a little bit of The Prestige that I found fascinating regarding who swindled who. It reminds us how something real can be painful. I feel this is a reason we become enamored with a movie or book. We have to escape reality sometimes, because it's not always beautiful. The revelation shows that on the other side of the coin perhaps fantasy can protect you. Don't let reality eat you up. I feel Sophie & Stanley were able to overcome the shock from a real revelation. False pretenses brought them together initially, but as they spend more time with each other, real feelings & beliefs draw them closer together. They ended the movie on a perfect note. I think it showed they both found that aspect of realism & a belief in something more in each other.
Emma Stone & Colin Firth were a tremendous pairing. I was very impressed with their on screen chemistry...or magic. Their performances were both excellent. I found myself really enjoying this. I give it a 5/5 for great lead performances, well written dialogue, beautiful scenery, & a nice jazz soundtrack.
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
The Hundred Foot Journey Review
I saw The Hundred Foot Journey on August 12, 2014!! This is a movie filled with food, family, & a fun story. It's why we like going to the movies. It had great emotion, legitimate comedic moments, very good dramatic performances, incredible scenery, truly beautiful music & food, as well as a pinch of romance. The focus of the movie is on the Kadam family & Madame Mallory. Everything branches off of this. We learn about the Kadam family & their ambitions to open an Indian restaurant following a tragic fire that touched the family more than you'd think. They end up in a hotbed of culture in France. Madame Mallory has established a truly popular restaurant that attracts the President of France to eat there. The audience is treated to some friendly competition between the two which provides both hilarious & dramatic moments.
I really feel Helen Mirren was the perfect choice for Madame Mallory. I've been a huge supporter of her work since Teaching Mrs. Tingle. She has a regal disposition about her that made the culture clash here work so well. The main character is Hassan, an ambitious young cook who wants to be a chef. The movie establishes how big of a deal this profession is. I like that-in the United States, I feel professions such as this don't get the attention they deserve. When you eat in a restaurant, how does the food get to the table? Hermione Granger isn't in the back creating delicious dishes using magic & spells. There's a chef creating these meals that you enjoy. Hassan is a very gifted cook at this point utilizing his vast array of spices to satisfy the palette. Manish Dayal did a really great job with the role. I like watching the character reach for the (Michelin) stars. His father (who is just referred to as Papa) is hilarious throughout the movie. Om Puri did really well & his chemistry with Helen Mirren was great.
Hassan is able to get to the next level with the help of a girl the family meets when they arrive in France-Marguerite. Charlotte Le Bon is gorgeous. There's just no other way to say it. She was just so stunning. Hassan definitely fell for her instantly, and I really don't know how you could blame the guy. I really would like to see her cast in some more Hollywood productions. She's primarily a French actress, and casting scouts need to get on the ball & realize that they can make a bigger star here. She's the one that is able to start him on his path to being a chef through cook-books, the different French sauces, etc. I liked that aspect of how both are aiming to be top chefs, but they do end up both helping each other along the way. She did a very good job. While they definitely put a sprinkle of romance, the focus for them was all about the food. You know there's something there, but you don't have to go in depth with it, because it's not the big focus of the movie.
When the competition gets out of hand due to racism (not Madame Mallory's doing), this is when differences are put aside. They become more social with each other. Utilizing Marguerite's information, Hassan is able to gain the favor of Madame Mallory. Madame Mallory & Papa definitely hit it off at the request of Mahira (Hassan's sister). Actually, the way they approached that towards the end was perfect just based on what Mahira says. While there are moments when characters are at odds, its because they all are working towards the same goal. However, the most important thing to note is everybody puts differences aside for the betterment of culture, food, & achieving that 3rd Michelin star.
It's really an ensemble effort to create a truly special movie. I really enjoyed the cast, performances, music, recipes, & natural chemistry of the characters. They cracked the eggs. They stirred the sauce. They created an amazing cinematic omelet that garners a 4/5 for me. I definitely would like to see this considered for some awards nominations, but it could be too early. I really enjoyed this movie. In a world where violence, vulgarity, & crude comedy are what lures people to theaters, it's nice to sit back and see people like Lasse Hallstrom create something innocent & artistic. Bon Appetit!
I really feel Helen Mirren was the perfect choice for Madame Mallory. I've been a huge supporter of her work since Teaching Mrs. Tingle. She has a regal disposition about her that made the culture clash here work so well. The main character is Hassan, an ambitious young cook who wants to be a chef. The movie establishes how big of a deal this profession is. I like that-in the United States, I feel professions such as this don't get the attention they deserve. When you eat in a restaurant, how does the food get to the table? Hermione Granger isn't in the back creating delicious dishes using magic & spells. There's a chef creating these meals that you enjoy. Hassan is a very gifted cook at this point utilizing his vast array of spices to satisfy the palette. Manish Dayal did a really great job with the role. I like watching the character reach for the (Michelin) stars. His father (who is just referred to as Papa) is hilarious throughout the movie. Om Puri did really well & his chemistry with Helen Mirren was great.
Hassan is able to get to the next level with the help of a girl the family meets when they arrive in France-Marguerite. Charlotte Le Bon is gorgeous. There's just no other way to say it. She was just so stunning. Hassan definitely fell for her instantly, and I really don't know how you could blame the guy. I really would like to see her cast in some more Hollywood productions. She's primarily a French actress, and casting scouts need to get on the ball & realize that they can make a bigger star here. She's the one that is able to start him on his path to being a chef through cook-books, the different French sauces, etc. I liked that aspect of how both are aiming to be top chefs, but they do end up both helping each other along the way. She did a very good job. While they definitely put a sprinkle of romance, the focus for them was all about the food. You know there's something there, but you don't have to go in depth with it, because it's not the big focus of the movie.
When the competition gets out of hand due to racism (not Madame Mallory's doing), this is when differences are put aside. They become more social with each other. Utilizing Marguerite's information, Hassan is able to gain the favor of Madame Mallory. Madame Mallory & Papa definitely hit it off at the request of Mahira (Hassan's sister). Actually, the way they approached that towards the end was perfect just based on what Mahira says. While there are moments when characters are at odds, its because they all are working towards the same goal. However, the most important thing to note is everybody puts differences aside for the betterment of culture, food, & achieving that 3rd Michelin star.
It's really an ensemble effort to create a truly special movie. I really enjoyed the cast, performances, music, recipes, & natural chemistry of the characters. They cracked the eggs. They stirred the sauce. They created an amazing cinematic omelet that garners a 4/5 for me. I definitely would like to see this considered for some awards nominations, but it could be too early. I really enjoyed this movie. In a world where violence, vulgarity, & crude comedy are what lures people to theaters, it's nice to sit back and see people like Lasse Hallstrom create something innocent & artistic. Bon Appetit!
Sunday, August 3, 2014
Guardians of the Galaxy Review
Justin, Mike, Dad, and I saw Guardians of the Galaxy on August 3, 2014!! This has been one of the worst years for summer movies. After suffering through awful duds like Transformers: Age of Extinction & Lucy, I didn't know if anything could redeem these last couple of months...until I saw Guardians of the Galaxy. I don't know too much about this comic book & from the trailers I initially wasn't very interested. However, I was pleasantly surprised. Guardians of the Galaxy is an excellent movie!! I felt it combined elements of Star Wars, X-Men, and Mortal Kombat-three things I'm a big fan of.
The premise of the movie revolves around an orb that changes the balance of the universe. We encounter five unique individuals: Peter Quill (Starlord), Gamora (my favorite character, a green assassin with a really incredible backstory), Drax (the Destroyer), Rocket (an enhanced raccoon), & Groot (an emotional tree). Quill initially steals the orb. Gamora is sent to retrieve it. The movie builds from that point. It is constantly flowing. There are no slow moments. Each character particularly Gamora's backstory was very intriguing. I loved the different personalities each character had. I think Guardians represents how important being a part of a team can be. Each member of the group has a strong point. They all have to put differences aside in order to be victorious in the end, and I liked that aspect the most.
You learn to love these characters, even if they're a thief, an assassin, or have rage problems. Zoe Saldana is one of my favorite actresses. I've always found her to work well in this type of environment. She's a true female action star, but she knows how to act as well. She did a great job as Gamora, and I absolutely love the look of the character. Chris Pratt was great as the official leader. He really grows into his role throughout the movie. He provides a lot of great comedic moments, but when he has to turn up the volume he does it well. Batista did a good job with what he had to do. He was a big brute hell bent on revenge. He did great throughout the movie. Many of the great moments revolved around Rocket. Bradley Cooper did a really great job shaping the character's personality. This was also written and directed by James Gunn, who once again did a tremendous job with the superhero genre. He also created Super which was a very dark take on the superhero. He perfectly blended the dark dramatic elements, comedic moments, and a heavily detailed story arc that kept everything flowing.
I felt Ronen was one of the best villains I've seen in a movie in a long. The look of the character combined with his aspirations about the galaxy really made him an intriguing antagonist. I like how he's aligned with Thanos as well-true galactic threat. There were incredible moments of drama as well as properly timed comedy. I was impressed with how great the visuals are-the CGI was fantastic. The emotion of each character is felt by the audience. I like that each piece of the puzzle connects to create a bigger picture. Details of the character's back story fuel that character towards the conclusion of the movie. The battle scenes whether they're physical fist fights or huge galactic laser battles are all tremendous. I am simply amazed at how well the scenes looked.
If you plan on seeing any movies this summer, then I'd highly recommend checking this out. This movie gets a definite 5/5 for incredible storytelling, larger than life characters, awesome visuals, and great acting. It's rare to find great acting in comic book movies, but I felt it was on display here. With James Gunn at the helm, he hit a homerun out of the park and saved the summer of 2014 with this hidden gem. It's one of the best movies of the year. It's easily one of the best comic book movies ever. It's just EPIC!!!
The premise of the movie revolves around an orb that changes the balance of the universe. We encounter five unique individuals: Peter Quill (Starlord), Gamora (my favorite character, a green assassin with a really incredible backstory), Drax (the Destroyer), Rocket (an enhanced raccoon), & Groot (an emotional tree). Quill initially steals the orb. Gamora is sent to retrieve it. The movie builds from that point. It is constantly flowing. There are no slow moments. Each character particularly Gamora's backstory was very intriguing. I loved the different personalities each character had. I think Guardians represents how important being a part of a team can be. Each member of the group has a strong point. They all have to put differences aside in order to be victorious in the end, and I liked that aspect the most.
You learn to love these characters, even if they're a thief, an assassin, or have rage problems. Zoe Saldana is one of my favorite actresses. I've always found her to work well in this type of environment. She's a true female action star, but she knows how to act as well. She did a great job as Gamora, and I absolutely love the look of the character. Chris Pratt was great as the official leader. He really grows into his role throughout the movie. He provides a lot of great comedic moments, but when he has to turn up the volume he does it well. Batista did a good job with what he had to do. He was a big brute hell bent on revenge. He did great throughout the movie. Many of the great moments revolved around Rocket. Bradley Cooper did a really great job shaping the character's personality. This was also written and directed by James Gunn, who once again did a tremendous job with the superhero genre. He also created Super which was a very dark take on the superhero. He perfectly blended the dark dramatic elements, comedic moments, and a heavily detailed story arc that kept everything flowing.
I felt Ronen was one of the best villains I've seen in a movie in a long. The look of the character combined with his aspirations about the galaxy really made him an intriguing antagonist. I like how he's aligned with Thanos as well-true galactic threat. There were incredible moments of drama as well as properly timed comedy. I was impressed with how great the visuals are-the CGI was fantastic. The emotion of each character is felt by the audience. I like that each piece of the puzzle connects to create a bigger picture. Details of the character's back story fuel that character towards the conclusion of the movie. The battle scenes whether they're physical fist fights or huge galactic laser battles are all tremendous. I am simply amazed at how well the scenes looked.
If you plan on seeing any movies this summer, then I'd highly recommend checking this out. This movie gets a definite 5/5 for incredible storytelling, larger than life characters, awesome visuals, and great acting. It's rare to find great acting in comic book movies, but I felt it was on display here. With James Gunn at the helm, he hit a homerun out of the park and saved the summer of 2014 with this hidden gem. It's one of the best movies of the year. It's easily one of the best comic book movies ever. It's just EPIC!!!