Dumb and Dumber To (2014)

"Dumb and Dumber To" is the "Godfather Part III" of comedy. It came from a well-loved film made twenty years prior, and it failed to live up to even the least of the expectations surrounding it. This movie is completely awful. Jokes are thrown about at rapid speeds, and hardly a one of them lands with the slightest amusement. Gags from the first movie are copied or tweaked, and not a single one brings any laughs. The level of stupid the title characters seems to have been ratcheted up by such an astounding amount, that it makes it impossible to think of these two as worthy protagonists in any form. The performances range from grating to middling, and never quite get above that range. Did I mention that this film is simply awful? Awful!

Grade: F
3D: N/A
Easter Egg: Yes.

Starring: Jim Carrey, Jeff Daniels, Rob Riggle
Director: Bobby & Peter Farrelly
Writer(s): 6 Writing Credits
RT: 110 min
Rating: PG-13 for crude and sexual humor, partial nudity, language and some drug references

Two Sentences:

Ouija (2014): A weak concept, bad acting, and and a group of weakly written central characters make this horror film a complete drag to watch. The conclusion brings a silly twist that doesn't feel genuine or interesting.

Grade: D-

Annabelle (2014):

At no point does the eponymous killer doll ever feel like a real threat, and I think that is the underlying problem with this thrill-less horror film. Despite the failures of the script, a couple of decent performances help bring this up from an unsalvageable mess of a movie.

Grade: D

Jessabelle (2014)

Some half decent scares, and an intriguing concept, give way to run-of-the-mill plotting, and some half-baked twists and turns. Sarah Snook carries the story as well as she could, and should be a welcome addition to a new crop of young actresses.

Grade: C+

Beyond the Lights (2014)

There is a very specific reason I continuously watch movies with horribly edited trailers and awful marketing campaigns. Every now and then a gem slips through the cracks of the studio system, and surprises me more than I would assume. Gina Prince-Bythewood wrote a perfectly serviceable story, that follows a lot of tropes, but manages to rise above them with the help of a few great performances, and Bythewood's elegant direction. What really makes this a film worthy of seeing, however, is the (hopefully) star-making performance of actress Gugu Mbatha-Raw playing rising star Noni. She is broken, lost, and waiting for someone to see her for who she is, and not for what she is. I did not expect to enjoy "Beyond the Lights" nearly as much as I did, and it is a wonder that this got so mishandled..

Grade: B
3D: N/A
Easter Egg: No. Though I was hoping for a set up for "Even Further Beyond the Lights".

Starring: Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Nate Parker, Minnie Driver
Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood
Writer(s): Gina Prince-Bythewood
RT: 116 min
Rating: PG-13 for sexual content including suggestive gestures, partial nudity, language and thematic elements

Two Sentences:

The Judge (2014): David Dobkin has made a self-important dramedy that never rises above a mediocre, melodramatic pitch. Robert Downey Jr. plays an over-intelligent smartass (like always), Rober Duvall is forced to say a fistful of horrendous and silly dialogue, and Vincent D'Onofrio and Vera Farmiga are completely wasted as filler characters.

Grade: C-

St. Vincent (2014): Though it is packed with tremendous flaws, mostly due to the film's unfortunate attempts at humor, this movie is packed with a lot of heart. The moments that it shifts from wannabe comedy to full on drama are the moments where this film really shines.

Grade: C+

Big Hero 6 (2014)

There is a good chance that "Big Hero 6" is the best film that Disney Animation (not Pixar) has ever produced. Hyperbole? Maybe. Is the film really good enough for that title? Absolutely. It is a film about unimaginable loss, and the way it effects those closest to it. It is about the memories of those we lose, and the difference between justice and revenge. The story sounds like the same origin story we have heard multiple times, but the way the young Hiro, a 14 year-old robotics genius, is forced to deal with it, and the way he continuously rises to meet his expectations, and inspires those around him, the more you want to be inspired by him.

Hiro's relationship with his brother's creation, a medical robot name Baymax, is touching, and beautiful. Especially for what it comes to represent. The supporting characters are all very well written. They are a lot fun, and have very distinct personalities, but they are never once annoying in the way many family films treat their supporting casts. Though they seem to take to their new suits a little fast, this gets forgiven by the two major action sequences that they use them in. They are fast, fun, and well animated, without losing the tone of the film. The eponymous fictional super hero team may be in the foreground of the film, but the very real emotions are what really put you into the story.

Grade: A
3D: Not necessary
Easter Egg: Yes. Oh yes!

Starring: Scott Adsit, Ryan Potter, Daniel Henney

Director: Don Hall & Chris Williams

Writer(s): 8 writing credits

RT: 108 min

Rating: PG for action and peril, some rude humor, and thematic element

Two Sentences:

Feast: This short film about a puppy found in an alleyway, given a home, and fed beyond his wildest dreams, is adorable and touching, with adorable and touching to spare. It runs the gamut of gut busting laughs to gripping despair, all within a handful of feeding times.

Grade: A

John Wick: To be honest, their is absolutely nothing special about John Wick. It is a serviceable action movie, with a few really excellent scenes, a couple of good performances, and it was well shot, but it was a lot of fun.

Grade: B- 

Interstellar (2014)

The latest offering from Christopher Nolan gets so many things right. So many things. The script may not be perfect, but it is exciting in the right parts, and emotional in many others. The cast brings some of their best performances to some very well rounded characters. Nolan's decision to use practical effects instead of constant CGI, is absolutely commendable for a myriad of reasons, but tops among those its keeping the actors' reactions genuine and believable. The biggest problem is that the third act drags on a little long, thus leaving all of the heightened emotions to fizzle out. This is a completely solid film that should be experienced in the theatre, but just know it is flawed.

Grade: B+
3D: N/A
Easter Egg: No

Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain
Director: Christopher Nolan
Writer(s): Jonathan Nolan & Christopher Nolan
RT: 168 min
Rating: PG-13 for some intense perilous action and brief strong language.

Two Scentences:

Horns - Sometimes this film feels a little sillier than it needs to be, but that never really keeps it form being enjoyable. Radcliffe brings a lot charisma to his role, and Alexandre Aja keeps the film just the right amount of dark to not disrupt the tongue-in-cheek humor of the script.


Grade: B+

Nightcrawler (2014)

There are so many things to enjoy about Dan Gilroy's debut. It is shot with complete care around Los Angeles, highlighting the city's darkest corners. He has cast Jake Gyllenhaal (in the best role of his career) as his anti-hero, Lou Bloom, a loner sociopath who spends his time stealing to make a few dollars, and studying many facets of the world in order to make a place for himself. The story takes him to the career of gathering footage for stories for local news affiliates. The events that transpire in his new career become increasingly more disturbing the deeper he gets into the world around him. Gilroy's script is a sharp allegory of the shape of media in America, and a nihilisticly stark view of the current economic landscape. The more I think about this film, the more I love it!

Grade: A
3D: N/A
Easter Egg: No

Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo, Bill Paxton
Director: Dan Gilroy
Writer(s): Dan Gilroy
RT: 117 min
Rating: R for violence including graphic images, and for language

Two Scentences:

The Boxtrolls - Laika Studios has created another gem of a film, and though it doesn't carry the same punch as their last two projects, it does have some genuinely beautiful moments. The story is fun, the cast is spot on, and the characters are rich and vibrant in so many ways.

Grade: B+

The Town That Dreaded Sundown - This was a silly, and mostly forgettable, quasi-remake/sequel of a film which was loosely based on actual events in a town on the Arkansas/Texas border terrorized by a killer who was never caught. It is physical proof that certain films should remain in the library of cult classics.

Grade: C-

Dear White People (2014)

Justin Simien's feature length debut is such an intelligent take on race relations in the U.S. that it will easily go over the head of defensive white people everywhere. This is the kind of thoughtful, purposeful meditation we need on this subject, and it will probably be dismissed in the national conversation as race-baiting. Simien sets up a well-rounded cast of characters who never fall into stereotypes, and constantly evolve throughout the film. His script is poignant and clever, and the film is beautifully shot. I want to call this a do not miss, but only if you actually listen to what it has to say, and don't make up your mind what it says before you go in.

Grade: A-
3D: N/A
Easter Egg: Sort of

Starring: Tyler James Williams, Tessa Thompson, Kyle Gallner
Director: Justin Simien
Writer(s): Justin Simien
RT: 108 min
Rating: Rated R for language, sexual content and drug use

Fury (2014)

"...Anger Can Be Power"

David Ayers is far from my favorite writer or director. This year's "Sabotage" (another film he both wrote and directed) was silly, and far too gleefully violent for my tastes. That being said, he has finally made a film that feels personal, straying from his crooked cop formula that has been the staple of his career up to this point. "Fury" takes no joy in showing you the horrors of war, and gives a few great actors the chance to shine by not turning them into walking cliches. While Brad Pitt gives the performance I knew he would, and Jon Bernthal and Michael Pena were absolutely solid, it was Shia LeBeouf who stole the movie with a quiet portrayal of a southern born-again Christian trying to make sense of the Hell around him.

Though Ayers moves his protagonist, a young typist thrust into the tank crew after only 8 weeks in the service, along a little quickly, he introduces four very interesting characters to surround him. The grit and grime of the German front is captured beautifully by D.P. Roman Vasyanov. He moves his camera effortlessly from battle to battle, making the viewer feel like more than just a witness to the mayhem. The dialogue feels a little stiff in parts, and Steven Price's score is a bit out of place. It would honestly fit better in an Eli Roth horror film than a movie about WWII. This is the most solid work Ayers has done to date, and I would highly recommend a viewing.

Grade: B+
3D: N/A
Easter Egg: No

Starring: Brad Pitt, Shia Lebeouf, Michael Pena
Director: David Ayers
Writer(s): David Ayers
RT: 134 min
Rating: Rated R for strong sequences of war violence, some grisly images, and language throughout


Two Sentences:

The Dog (2013) - This documentary about the inspiration of the film "Dog Day Afternoon" is equal parts funny and bizarre. John Wojtowicz is a larger than life human being, who is captivating to the point of sheer entertainment. 

Grade: A

The Book of Life (2014) - Jorge R. Gutierrez made a fairly pleasant children's film that was filled with honest emotions, and had beautiful character relationships. The script could have used some work, some of the supporting characters could have used some work, and using modern pop songs in the story was a terrible idea.

Grade: C+

The Best of Me (2014) - The newest offering from the Nicholas Sparks catalog is essentially an amalgam of all of the other Nicholas Sparks stories. Some terrible acting, writing, and young actors who look like nothing like their older counterparts really make this close to unbearable to watch.

Grade: D+