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Posts Tagged ‘Weekend Box office’

Don’t Breathe “Movie Review”

Posted in Fantasy literature, tagged , , , , , , , , , on September 4, 2016| Leave a Comment »

​Don’t Breathe directed by Fede Alvarez and produced by Horror Legend Sam Raimi, stars Stephen Lang and Jane Levy.  The story follows a young woman and her two friends as she tries to make a better life for her and her daughter. Living the life of a criminal, Rocky and her two friends have knowledge and experience in robbing houses. They soon come to learn that a local blind man is sitting on hundreds of thousands of dollars of settlement money. The three decide to rob the man with the hopes of everything going smoothly. The plan is underway but things soon go sour despite the blind man’s disability.

This movie was just outstanding. It’s the perfect horror movie that fans have been anticipating for a long time. The intensity and suspense building is great. The overall concept was nice and fresh. The score kept the thrill going and Stephen Lang did an amazing job portraying “the blind man.”

I give this movie 5 stars, this is the type of film that people will be talking about for a long time. Go see it, if you haven’t already!

Happy Haunting

L.L 

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Captin America:Civil War Review

Posted in Fantasy literature, tagged , , , , , , , , , on May 22, 2016| Leave a Comment »

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Marvel’s Captin America: Civil War wasn’t as good as I thought it could be. Directed by Joe and Anthony Russo and starring Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr, the movie felt like an Avengers reject project with the exception of Ironman’s  storyline. I’m not going to give too much away, but the battle between Ironman and Captain America was highly overrated and uneventful. The storytelling process was way off for me and it took production two in a half hours just to reveal the truth behind Tony Stark’s past. I don’t understand why they couldn’t tell the important part of Stark’s story within his own movie and just let CA’S story be enough. I realize that stories will overlap within the Marvel Universe, but it just wasn’t enough for me to be satisfied this time. Some of the characters I really liked but I felt that there were just way too many at one time. The amount of characters just tried to overshadow the lack of storytelling. I don’t like the idea of good guys battling each other, but now that seems to be the norm within the superhero comic world.

Everything else was fine, the special effects were good and the action was ok. I just can’t remember what the initial mission was for the Avengers. If they make another CA movie, I will wait for it to come out on Dvd.

Sometimes waiting is better.

L.L.

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Batman Vs Superman Review

Posted in Fantasy literature, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 27, 2016| Leave a Comment »

batman vs superman

Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice was not as bad as most of the reviews claim. Directed by Zack Snyder and starring Henry Cavill and Ben Affleck, the movie merges Metropolis and Gotham City in a way that helped to possibly introduce a future that fans of the DC  comic world has been anticipating for years.

Without giving too much away basically Bruce Wayne aka Batman believes that Superman is a major threat to the world and sets off on a personal vendetta to put an end to the extraterrestrial hero. Superman does everything he can to try to clear his name as a killer. His intentions were misunderstood, but no matter what he does to help,the people just can’t fully put their trust in him. In this movie Batman is more of a villain than a hero. Another villain soon surfaces, Lex Luther played by Jesse Eisenberg. Lex does all he can to try to destroy Superman once he gets his hands on Kryptonite.

Some interesting characters make an appearance like, Aquaman, The Flash and Cyborg, which I think will set the stage for future movies.

Overall the movie was very interesting. The action scenes were done in a manner that was exciting, but I just think that the some of the casting choices muddled the story-line and brought down the overall mood of the film. First and foremost I just can’t get over why Christian Bale declined the original offer. Aside from Michael Keaton,  Bale is by far the best Batman and that is why I just cannot accept Ben Affleck in this role. Batman appears to be aging, and the fact that he still hasn’t come to grips with the death of his parents just makes him even more distant as a character. It is clear that this is not the crime fighting Justice seeking individual that we have seen and grown to love in the past. We have struggled with Bruce and seen him in ways that made him more identifiable than any other hero we have seen. Affleck was unconnected and cold on so many levels. This role was not meant for him and it was clear that his on-screen delivery expressed that.  Another problem I had with the casting was with The Social Network star Jessie Eisenberg. He just did not channel a serious Lex Luther character. His comical air,seemed to be a better fit to play the Joker. It was as if his character was trapped in the body of another character. He was not a good fit.

batman

Henry Cavill was great as Superman. He gave the same passion and energy he did in the Man of Steel which was a great movie. Another Character that I really loved was the new Wonder Woman played by Gal Gadot. The only problem I had with her was that I wanted to see more of her and know more of her backstory. I hope they get her to do her own movie before Dawn of Justice 2 comes out. I’m not talking about the 1980’s Wonderwoman version.

I won’t spoil the end, but the movie was very interesting and it seems as if some characters have to go through a deeper transition, which will shape who they will become in the future of this adventure.

I give this movie 3 in a half stars. It would have been 5 but for obvious reasons I just couldn’t do it.

If you are a fan please go see it. Check out the trailer below.

L.L.

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Terminator Genisys “Movie Review”

Posted in Fantasy literature, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on July 8, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Term Gens

Terminator Genisys directed by Alan Taylor and starring Arnold Schwarznegger and Emilia Clarke tells the story of Kyle Reese as he is sent back in time to the year 1984 to save John Conner’s mother Sarah Conner from the ultimate Terminator.

This movie answers a lot of questions about the series and gives movie goers a lot of insight on how the world really is in the future of John Connor’s life. We are taken on an adventure that really opens our eyes to the consequences of “we” as humans having too much technology and being able to only depend upon that technology to survive everyday life. The story runs deeper than the I-robot story, and more than touches the surface of those deep unanswered questions that the new AMC show “Humans” has to introduce.

This movie has a lot going on and I’m not going to get into too many details here, but I must say that I thought it was very well done, and that the storyline was well written. To my surprise the theater wasn’t sold out and this film did not do as well as it deserved to. I think that it’s been too many years since the series started and I felt that only people in my generation really had the chance to appreciate it. If this was done maybe ten years earlier then I believe that it would had done better at the box office.

Arnold Schwarznegger did a great job with his performance, he gave only what classic Arnold could give. The movie paid homage to the original film but also honored and embraced the Arnold of today. It was great to see Emilia Clarke in a strong female lead, something different from the fragile dragon princess in Game of Thrones. The idea of the hero ending up becoming the ultimate villain was unexpected and thrilling.

The special effects, makeup and sound all presented a fluidity of consistency that created a tone that was appropriate for a 2015 Sci-Fi action film.

I gave Terminator Genisys four stars out of five and recommend it to any Sci-Fi fan. See the others first, because once you do, the entire story will flow better.

L.L.

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Jurassic World “Movie Review”

Posted in Fantasy literature, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on June 15, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Jurassic World

Jurassic World directed by Colin Trevorrow and starring Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard is the Blockbuster hit of summer 2015! The action adventure Sci-Fi thriller takes place twenty-two years after things went awry at the island of Isla Nublar.  Now it is not just a park, but a full functioning adventure theme park like Disney World, which is reflective of John Hammond’s original vision from the 90’s. This island has a long list of dinosaurs and would not be complete without the genetically modified mutant dinosaur. Yes I said mutant because a lot of them are not purebred, but completely engineered with the DNA of other dinosaurs and animals like frogs and fish.

Claire a strong career driven woman played by Howard runs the massive island with an iron fist. She is soon forced to take on the role of responsible caregiver, when her sister sends her two boys on a vacation to the theme park for some much needed family time. Gray and Zach—Claire’s nephews arrive to find out that their family vacation with their aunt is now just a play-date for two. Claire continues to run things and trusts her assistant with the care of her nephews. The two quickly ditch their chaperone and start to tour the island by themselves.

Meanwhile Owen played by Pratt—an ex-military man and animal specialist works at the park training Raptors. He demonstrates his progress to some of the leading experts on the island and Claire requests his assistance before she opens a new exhibit at the park. She shows him the place where a new dinosaur will be revealed. Owen expresses his initial concerns when he finds some potential weak spots in the habitat containment unit.

A small incident occurs when some of the dinosaurs escape their habitat. Claire believes that she has everything under control, but it is just the beginning of a chain of events that eventually leads to the escape of one of the most dangerous creatures that man has ever encountered.

The playdate for two quickly transitions into a journey of survival as they along with Claire and Owen fight to survive the earthly beasts that the island has to offer.

What can I say? This movie was just great. I’m still thinking about it and I saw it Saturday night. Everything about this movie was awesome. The storyline, character portrayal and development, score and sound, and the special effects were amazing. I’ve been looking forward to seeing this movie ever since I found out that they were doing a Jurassic World. I saw it in 3D which enhanced the movie experience for me. Chris Pratt did a wonderful job with his character and he made me feel that old school excitement for cinema that only classic Harrison Ford can channel. The director Colin Trevorrow’s vison moved me as he showcased his own unique abilities while conjuring some of Spielberg’s inspiration. This movie is worth seeing a second time. Just thinking about it makes me smile which you will too, once you’re in your seat.

I gave this movie 5 stars. If I could give more I would.

L.L         

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Poltergeist 2015 Movie Review

Posted in Fantasy literature, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on May 26, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Poltergeist-poster

Poltergeist starring Sam Rockwell and directed by Gil Kenan and produced by Sam Raimi was a horror movie remake that disappointed me in many ways. The movie was supposed to be a reboot of the haunted house classic Steven Spielberg film, starring JoBeth Williams and Craig T. Nelson, but I just couldn’t get over how badly it was done. There was nothing authentic about this film, and the writers did nothing but add some overrated special effects and overuse the original script. The names of the characters were changed for some reason, and I found that the actor’s performances were weak. The mood of the film was disappointingly mellow, and for me there was no real fear that the characters displayed.  For this to have had Sam Raimi’s name behind it, I was expecting so much more. I think that the film could have been done so much better if Sam Raimi would have had complete creative control in addition to the writing. The casting and storytelling was just all wrong, and I hope that the next horror I see will make up for this one.  The only two positive things I have to say was that the scene where we were able to see how the other realm or alternate dimension looked was good, even though I also think that the drone going into that realm was out of place. Technology should be dead in this this case. (I believe that was Raimi’s influence, good idea but it just wasn’t delivered creativity.) I also thought the scene with the family trying to leave the house was good. They are sitting in their SUV and are suddenly dragged back in through the garage as the house becomes consumed by the portal. That was an interesting add on to the movie. Throughout the movie I kept calling the little girl “Carol Anne and was comparing the remake with the original. It was so hard not to. The ghost hunter Carrigan Burke played by Jared Harris didn’t do much for me, but prove that the writers tried too hard with making the movie fit into the modern world. The paranormal research team was horrible, and at this point I can’t write anymore bad things about this movie. Wait, yes I can, it was in 3D which was an excuse for theaters to charge more money than necessary. It didn’t add any depth to the movie at all, just a dent in my purse. Not worth seeing it, but if you must as a fan of horror, wait until it’s out on cable and you have nothing else better to do.

I gave this movie two stars just because of the two scenes I liked and because I like Sam Raimi.

L.L

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“Annabelle” Movie Review

Posted in Fantasy literature, tagged , , , , , , , , , on October 6, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Annabelle poster

Annabelle directed by John R. Leonetti and starring Annabelle Wallis and Ward Horton tells the story about a young couple that experiences paranormal activity in their home. It all starts when Mia’s husband John brings home a vintage doll as a gift for his expectant wife. Soon after the couple’s home is broken into by a husband and wife that belong to a cult. Mia and John barely make it out alive. The cops intervene, killing both intruders. The female named Annabelle was found in the nursery holding the life sized doll in her arms.

The activity begins after Mia returns from the hospital on bed rest as instructed by her doctor. Strange things begin to happen. The doll starts to move on its own. At first the movement is very subtle but progresses throughout the film. The couple attempts to move out of the first house where the occult couple was killed, but the activity intensifies as time goes on. John attempts to throw away the doll but it mysteriously turns up in a box when the couple begin’s to unpack and settle into the new home. Mia decides to keep the doll and soon things get worse. Mia does some research about the young woman Annabelle and the occult she belonged to. She learns that the doll is possessed by a dark entity that Annabelle conjured and that it wants her daughter’s soul. Mia fights to protect her child and seeks the help of the church. Her local parish priest tries to help but is almost killed in the process. Mia’s friend Evelyn played by Alfre Woodard spends time with the family and experiences the activity first hand. She eventually sacrifices herself to save the baby.

The film had its scary moments and at times demonstrated the classic clichés of horror. Child’s play and Rosemary’s baby references were scattered around the film. The acting was just average and there were paths that I thought the movie was moving in but then moved in a completely different direction.
Overall the vision for the film could have been a lot better but I think that it’s a subtle flick for those horror fans that just want a taste of Halloween horror.
I gave this movie 2.5 stars.
Happy Horror
L.L.

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Lucy “Movie Review”

Posted in Fantasy literature, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on August 6, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Lucy poster

Lucy directed by Luc Besson and starring Scarlett Johansson and Morgan Freeman tells an interesting story about a young woman living in Japan that gets swept up into an international drug trade.

The film opens with a so-called friend Richard, trying to convince Lucy to take a mysterious briefcase to someone that she doesn’t even know. Very reluctant to do this favor, Lucy denies his request and she is forced to put herself in a situation that will eventually change her life forever.
Lucy enters the dark world of the unknown as she encounters a group of Japanese Mob men that basically plays Russian Roulette with here life.

She is attacked and forced to smuggle drugs back into the US with an implanted bag of a synthetic pregnancy hormone.
Lucy tries to rebel against her captors and is attacked once again. The bag explodes inside her, and the drug is released into her bloodstream as it opens up a whole new world of abilities that her brain unlocks.

Lucy escapes the prison that she is being held in and soon reeks havoc upon everyone that was responsible for her pain and suffering.
Lucy’s brain functioning is evolving by the minute. She seeks the help of Professor Norman, a Brain Scholar (played by Morgan Freeman, as she tries to cope with her new found intelligence.
One by One she picks off the Japanese Mob crew. Her crusade to put an end to their plan starts a war between her and the Boss. He will stop at nothing to see her die and does everything in his power to make that happen.

In the end Lucy meets allies on her journey for revenge and leaves the legacy of her intelligence behind for the professor.

I thought the overall concept for this film was awesome and I could see the future makings of a great superhero film.
I really enjoyed the special effects, but felt as though there were some unnecessary scene flashes such as the animals running in the beginning,it seemed out of place. The movie was too short, but I felt that the imagery was Sci Fi driven and the action scenes were engaging.
I gave this movie 3 stars.
L.L.

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Dawn of the Planet of the Apes “Movie Review”

Posted in Fantasy literature, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on July 15, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Dawn of the planet of the apes

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, directed by Matt Reeves and starring Andy Serkis was an outstanding film that has all the elements that make a blockbuster.

The movie takes place ten years after the Apes emerged to claim their freedom. The world is plagued with a virus that has wiped out most of the human race. Led by Ceaser and portrayed by Andy Serkis, the apes build a world where they thrive as they band together to protect their home. A group of human survivors led by Malcolm and played by Jason Clark encounter the apes in their search to bring electricity back to the city, so they can begin to restore the life they had before the virus.

Caesar struggles with trust issues with the humans as Malcolm tries to convince him to come into their territory so they can restore power. Ceaser agrees but on the condition that the group of humans enter without weapons. Some of the people in the group battle with their own issues with the apes, in fear that they will be attacked. They betray the trust that is established and Caesar questions their true intentions.

Koba—one of Caesar’s lieutenants, who was rescued from the Genesis research facility in the first film holds an unforgiving grudge against the humans and will stop at nothing to break the peace among the two species.

Ceaser sets an example by teaching non violence, community and morels to his fellow apes, but despite his efforts to spare the lives of humans and the apes—a fight between the two is inevitable.
Initiated by Koba, a war breaks out as the two groups fight for freedom. Ceaser almost meets his death as Koba betrays him in the worse way. After his home is destroyed in the forest and he is left for dead, Caesar is saved by Malcom. They seek a safe haven away from all the destruction as Caesar returns to his old home with Malcom and his family to recuperate from a gunshot wound. While on the mend, Caesar makes a connection with Malcolm and reconigizes his genuine nature as demonstrated with his past relationship with Wil Rodman, played by James Franco in the first film.

Meanwhile Koba kills his kind as he makes an attempt to intimidate the other apes to follow him. The apes invade the community of humans and capture them. Koba’s intention is to inflict the same pain on the humans that he endured within the facility.

The final battle between Koba and Caesar is an intense one, filled with lots of action and high energy sequences. The power and emotion behind these scenes are adrenaline driven and will leave you on the edge of your seat the entire time. In the end, power was restored within the city, Caesar killed Koba, re-claimed leadership among the apes and was reunited with his family.

The 20th Century Fox film is an experience that movie goers must see to believe. The visual presentation, special effects ,score and the emotions behind the CG characters bring the story to life in way that demonstrates a creative craft that is absolutely impeccable. Even the language of the apes was impressive, the sign language blending with English and the dialect of the apes fit the tone of the film and was delivered in a manner that made you appreciate what this film represents.

Andy Serkis’ portrayal of Caesar was astounding. If the Academy does not nominate Serkis for an Oscar then they really need to re-evaluate their whole nomination process. This movie grossed big at the box office and the marketing plan was strong in their efforts to draw in movie goers, so why are most films nominated that people have never even heard of, seen and or released in a limited capacity? I’m looking forward to Andy being acknowledged in the Oscar Realm. He deserves it.

Dawn of the Planet of Apes has become an instant modern classic and was masterpiece in every way shape and form that a film can be.
A must see on your summer movie list. I gave this movie 5 Stars!!
L.L.

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Godzilla “Movie Review”

Posted in Fantasy literature, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on May 19, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Godzilla_(2014)_poster

Godzilla starring Bryan Cranston,Aaron Taylor-Johnson,and Ken Watanabe,follows the story of nuclear scientists and the military as they discover,and battle a creature that unleashes a wrath of prehistoric proportions on a modern-day world.

The Warner Brothers and Legendary Pictures duo outdid themselves in the apocalyptic action adventure.

Monsters, and Dinosaurs Oh My!!

After the accident and death of Joe Brody’s wife in a Japan Power plant,Brody sets off on a 15 year study where he learns that all the strange geological activity in Japan is actually being covered up and is something else entirely different.

With the discovery of strange prehistoric creatures,a chain reaction of events leads to humanity fighting for their world.

Once the terrestrial creatures are unleashed, they destroy everything in their path to mate with each other. As scientists learn that the two are communicating with another creature, the race begins as the military fights to save the world from destruction. Another creature surfaces to claim American territory. As Godzilla reeks havoc upon American soil, he is threatened by the two monstrous forces. Godzilla battles the two and defeats the creatures and claims the title King of the monsters.

The story line was engaging, and every scene was directed and delivered in way that kept the movie goer interested. The destructive scenes were exciting and there was a balance of special effects and sound that united all the elements of the story.

The movie had a unique tone to it that subtly paid homage to the original Godzilla. It was a remake that did the original great justice and enhanced the story further. There are talks that a Warner Bros sequel is in the works, which will make movie goers happy. This was a movie that technology embraced to the fullest but wasn’t over shadowed by it.
I gave this movie 5 stars! A must see for Memorial Day Weekend!
L.L

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