25 Films #1

I figured with every 25 films I watch, I would compile them in a post. If I did a Facebook review I copy/paste it, if I did a blog review I will simply post a link. So... here are the first 25.

#1: 47 Ronin

#2: The Wolf of Wall Street

#3: Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2 (2013)
It has half of laughs of the original, but still plenty of spirit. I did enjoy the voice work, and the foodimals were a lot of fun.

Grade: C

#4: The Best Offer (2014)
An interesting drama with a good performance by Geoffrey Rush. The run time is a little longer than it needs to be for the story, but the ending actually saves it from falling into bad movie territory.

Grade: B-

#5: Open Grave (2014)
A middle-of-the-road thriller starring Sharlto Copely, that doesn't manage to do anything with its interesting premise. The third act is such a dud, that it squanders all of the intrigue it built up.

Grade: C-

#6: The Adventurer: The Curse of the Midas Box (2014)
Despite a lackluster story, and some cut rate cinematography, the majority of this film happens to be a lot of fun. Hammy performances from Michael Sheen and Sam Neill, relishing in their roles, are definitely the brightest spots.

Grade: C+

#7: Enough Said (2013)
Julia Louis-Dreyfus and James Gandolfini (in his final role) make the most believable, and adorable, couple on screen this year as a pair of divorcees. This is not only the best romantic comedy I have seen in a long while, but just one of the best screen romances. Some of the motions are predictable, but still manage to pull off some good laughs.

Grade: A

#8: Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones

#9: Grudge Match (2013)
A couple of good performances (especially from Kevin Hart), and a handful of good laughs, keep this dud from being complete garbage. De Niro and Stallone do nothing but embarrass themselves in what is essentially a sentimental commercial for anybody who was willing to advertise in it.

Grade: D+

#10: Space Jam (1996)  *Rewatched
I haven't seen this film since its release 18 years ago, and I was pleased to discover that it actually stood up pretty well. Despite some bad acting from the basketball stars, and some less than quality cinematography, the movie is a lot of fun, and filled of some good laughs.

Grade: B

#11: Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (2013)
Honestly, as much as I wanted to like it, this movie was a little boring. Idris Elba plays Mandela with a great respect and depth, a depth which the story never seems to accomplish. Naomie Harris is equally as good in the, and much better than Jennifer Hudson, as the under-utilized Winnie Mandela

Grade: C

#12: August: Osage County (2013)
A group of strong performances (Julia Roberts and Margo Martindale among my favorites) , and some fine direction give this movie a strong core. Tracy Letts does his best to polish his own play's script for a film setting, but falls a little short in scenes that should pack a little more punch

Grade: B+

#13: The Legend of Hercules

#14: Her (2013) - A-

#15: Nebraska (2013) - A

#16: Inside Llewyn Davis (2013) - A

Short reviews for these three can be found in this article.

#17: Lone Survivor (2013)
This is a brutal and gut wrenching look at the bonds of brotherhood and the perseverance of will. With strong performances from the four leads, wonderful make-up effects from Greg Nicotero (Walking Dead), and Tobias Schliessler's beautiful in-the-moment cinematography, this is possibly Peter Berg's finest film to date. At least it makes up for the embarrassment that was "Battleship"

Grade: B+

#18: Short Term 12 (2013)
This film will break your heart in so many ways, and you will love it for that. Brie Larson is a complete revelation in this role, and it is going to be an absolute shame to watch this get passed over at every major award ceremony this year, because this movie (and Larson) deserves any accolade that they aren't going to give it (and her). See this now!

Grade: A+

#19: Rush (2013)
Great directing, cinematography, and a stunning performance by Daniel Bruhl, as Niki Lauda, make up for a decent script and a few lackluster performances. Chris Hemsworth was pretty good too. This is a good film, but hardly a great one.

Grade: B

#20: Hell Baby (2013)
It is always a shame to see a bunch of people who are REALLY funny, do something that is very much the opposite. This was a laughless comedy that was more along the lines of the "Scary Movie" franchise than "The State", which its stars, writers and directors (Robert Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon) originated from.

Grade: D-

#21: Thanks For Sharing (2013)
At times it is a tad melodramatic, Stuart Blumberg's film is a interesting look at addiction, and the power it holds over every day life. The seven main characters all hand in strong performances, including Alecia Moore (pop star Pink) in her acting debut.

Grade: B+

#22: The Croods (2013)
A fun family film with a lot of heart, and a lot of good laughs. Clever voice acting (even Nic Cage), stunning visuals, and a funny script make for a mostly solid 90 minutes of entertainment.

Grade: B

#23: Prisoners (2013)
As an expectant father, this is suddenly the scariest film I have ever seen. Hugh Jackman gives a stunning performance as a father who's daughter has been kidnapped, and decides to go all "Liam Neeson" on Paul Dano. Seriously, this is a great movie.

Grade: A-

#24: Big Ass Spider (2013) 
It should seem fairly certain by the title of this movie what it is about, and boy is it a lot of fun. The plot is as cheesy as it needs to be, and the acting is over-the-top at times, to great effect. The special effects are low budget enough to try to make the film better, which made me very happy. If you enjoy films like "Sharknado", then this should be right up your alley.

Grade: C

#25: Devil's Due (2014)
A very silly, very boring, completely scareless "found footage" horror film. I would steer clear of this awful movie entirely if I were you.

Grade: F