Stellar and Interstellar Fall Films

JOHN WICK

ACTION/THRILLER

PLOT: Ex-hitman comes out of retirement to take out people who wronged him.

                John Wick (played by Keanu Reeves) lives an ordinary life, has a cute puppy and an antique car.   Iosef Tarasov, a spoiled son of a Russian gangster wants to buy his car but the car is not for sale.  Iosef and his buddies give Wick a beat down and kill his dog.  Big mistake.  His father Viggo Tarasov tells his son that Wick is the best hitman in the business and has do deal with him.  You have seen this story a thousand times but action hounds will love it!! Other stars in the movie , action babe Adrianne Palicki (G.I. Joe Retaliation) and Avi (Dean Winters), second in command. He has done a lot of movies and TV shows but he is best remember as the All State  commercials guy named Mayhem and Lance Reddick (Fringe).  You like action and body count this is your film.

INTERSTELLAR

SCI-FI/DRAMA

PLOT:  In the future astronauts must find another planet than Earth to live.

                First of all Christopher Nolan is not a straight forward director!!  The Batman Trilogy is the only one I know he did do straight forward.  He throws curves and experimental things in his pictures so be warned.  The second thing the movie is long 2hours and 69 minutes about an astronaut Matthew McConaughey along with others to find another planet to live on other than Earth.  He has two children but he bonds with his daughter and he is determined to do it for her.  That is a plus for the film, their relationship.  The special effects are dazzling but if you don’t hear everything you’re not supposed to.  This IS a Christopher Nolan film remember.  If you like his movies go but if not wait until video for you want to see  it repeatedly to truly understand it.

BIG HERO SIX

ANIMATED/SCI-FI

PLOT: In the future a genius makes a cuddly assistant robot.

                This is a cute film about a group of smart kids who end up as superheroes.  You have seen it all before with stock character and all but it is done very well.  There is drama, comedy, action.  The computer animated films seem to have all these elements for than live action.  You will enjoy this if you a kid or a big kid!!!

Vamp Fangs, Sex Pangs and Media Gangs

GONE GIRL

MYSTERY/THRILLER

PLOT:  On a couple’s fifth anniversary his wife is missing.

                The title of the film can mean many things and when you see it you will understand why!!  Did Nick (Ben Affleck) kill his beautiful blond wife Amy (Rosamund Pike) and hid her well and that’s why the police can’t find her?  The media thinks he killed her and wants their audience to think the same.  No one is innocent as they appear even lawyer Tanner Bolt (Tyler Perry) who plays the shady lawyer very well.  It is based on a novel of the same name and Gillian Flynn, the author wrote the screenplay.  Ms. Pike who usually plays English women (she is English) deserves an Oscar nomination. It is a blend of a Lifetime movie and an episode of Snapped!!

DRACULA UNTOLD

HORROR

PLOT:  Another movie about Dracula.

                In this version they mix history with myth.  Vlad (Luke Evans) is king but Mehmed (Dominic Cooper) want one thousand young men and Vlad’s son.  He does not like the idea.  He goes to the Master Vampire(!!) played by Charles Dance to turn him into a monster.  It is a different take on the Dracula legend.  They make him a hero with no other alternative but to turn evil.  

Luke Evans was in the Fast and Furious 6.  He was the bad guy but in that movie but in this film he is the star and he is ruggedly handsome and plays his part very well.  Charles Dance is great as the Master Vampire even if it is like a cartoon character.  The film is not epic – over 90 minutes but it packs in a lot.  Worth seeming if you like Luke Evans or vampires.

ADDICTED

DRAMA/THRILLER

PLOT:  Based on the bestseller by Zane now a movie.

                Zoe (Sharon Leal) has a great job as finding new artist. She has a hunk of a husband (Boris Kodjoe) two cute kids but she is a sex addict!!  Her two boy toys are Tyson Beckford and William Levy.  You have seen this all before but never with an attractive black cast!!  No slaves, no maids no gangbangers!!  It is great seeing that and there is a lot of sex!! 

They always have changes made when they make the movie, but she was much hornier, Zoe was much more of a slut in the novel!!  If you didn’t know about the film don’t worry, many people didn’t.  Codeblack, part of Lionsgate did most advertising on the internet.  Positively worth watching to see sexy people screwing around like in soft-porn movies.

On Races and Mazes

NO GOOD DEED

THRILLER

PLOT:  Convict escapes and terrorizes woman with two children.

                If one of the major black networks had movies this would be it.  It stars the talented Taraji Henson and Idris Elba as unhappy housewife and a psychopath and on a rainy night their paths collide that changes both their lives forever.  It is farfetched in some parts and there is a twist in the film.  Should you see it?  Well it different than black people being slaves and maids.  It is a girl’s night out picture but if you can wait for video wait.

MAZE RUNNER

SCI-FI THRILLER

PLOT:  Based on a popular young adult novel.

                The film is about a young man kidnapped and placed with other males where they have to survive and trying to escape an inescapable maze.  Plot is a little confusing but the young actors are good and there is more to the story and there is a Phase 2!!   The sequel will be even better!! It is worth a look.

THE EQUALIZER

ACTION/DRAMA

PLOT:  Re-imagining of the popular 80’s TV show.

                The movie is loosely based on the TV show of the same name cast Denzel Washington as a man with a set of skills to help ordinary people.  He helps a young girl named Terri (Chole Grace Moretz from Carrie, Hit Girl) who is a hooker in a Russian gang.  The head of the Russian mob gets his fixer Teddy (Marton Csokas, Amazing Spiderman 2) to rid him of Washington.  The acting is good for an action movie.  The moral of the story is don’t mess with Denzel Washington when he goes BADASS!!

Ninjas, Gods & Godfathers End the Summer

HERCULES

ACTION/FANTASY

PLOT:  Another film about the legend of the mythic hero.

                The Greek demigod is now played by Dwayne (The Rock) Johnson who becomes a mercenary after the 12 labors.  It is based on a graphic novel Hercules: Thracian Wars.  A movie early in the year titled The Legend of Hercules was low-budget.  Fans will debate which the better movie is.  The one with Johnson has a better budget but both show how strong and powerful Hercules is.  If you like Johnson please sees it even though he wasn’t good but his body was excellent!!

GET ON UP

BIOGRAPHY/DRAMA

PLOT:  The story about “The Godfather of Soul” James Brown.

                When you see a film about real person you should read more about the person dramatized for Hollywood throw in scenes that may or not have happened.  This movie is about James Brown who was an amazing entertainer but had demons and troubles like most entertainers and people.  Chadwick Boseman should be called “The Biography Man” for he also has done another famous African American Jackie Robertson.  He is very good especially the concert scenes.  He does lip-synch to James Brown but he has his dance moves and excitement!!  The part I don’t like is the jumping flashbacks and him talking to the viewer.  I wish it started when he was a child until he was sixty.  It is a well made IFC kind of movie.

TEENAGED MUTANT NINJA TURTLES

ACTION/COMEDY

PLOT: The reboot of the popular turtle warriors.

                I didn’t think anyone would want to see TMNT including me but it is very good if you like the cartoons and the movies in the 90s.  The special effects are much better and they have the director Jonathan Liebesman (Battle  Los Angeles, Wraith of the Titans) which was action-packed.  Megan Fox had much more to do as April O’Neal and she does her well what she had to work with.  The evil Shredder is more like a Transformer because he is more advanced.  The turtles are like the cartoon.  In short it is a Saturday morning live-action cartoon which is great!!!

SIN CITY 2: A DAME TO KILL FOR

CRIME/THRILLER

PLOT:  The sequel to Sin City.

It took nine years for the next installment of the stylized ultra sexy and violent film.  Marv (Mickey Rourke) who was in the first one is still raising hell.  The film like the first one is about low-lifes who want revenge or sex.  The stand outs are Eva Green (300: Rise of an Empire) as a green-eyed femme fatale and Joseph Gordon-Levitt (The Dark Night Rises) as a gambler ready to take on a powerful man.  It is very good if you like this kind of  movie.  I don’t know why it didn’t make money in the US but thank goodness for overseas.  Will there be a Sin City 3?  I hope so but this time about Old Town.

INTO THE STORM

ACTION/THRILLER

PLOT:  In one day the town of Silverton is attacked by many tornadoes and how the people survive.

                The star of the show is the special effects of the tornadoes!!  The people are stock characters and it starts slowly but when the disaster hits the movie becomes very interesting.  Thrill seekers, storm chaser and ordinary people film the horror and trying to live through it.  It could easily be Twister 2.  Worth a look only for what a tornadoes can do to a city or town.

THE NOVEMBER MAN

ACTION/THRILLER

PLOT:  An ex-CIA operative gets back in for personal reasons and has to deal with an assassin he trained.

                Pierce Brosnan gets back in the CIA to save a lover in this movie. He is more of malicious, rouge James Bond!!!  He is very brutal in his ways of getting information but he does have a soft spot!!  It didn’t do well in the United States.  I hope it does well overseas and even better on video.  It is worth a look.  People ask why the movie is titled The November Man.  They explain in the trailer but I also read it means that the month is cold like the agent.