Movie Reviews
The Hangover Part III: Review
May 23, 2013
Indianapolis Showtimes | Trailer
Watching The Hangover was one of the most fun and hilarious movie experiences of my life. A group of guys head out to Las Vegas for a bachelor party and things get way out of hand. They wake up and need to retrace what happened the night before. It was full of shocking humor and bad behavior. The second movie also starts with “The Wolf Pack” attending a wedding and they wind up looking for answers about the wild night they can’t remember. With the third offering director Todd Phillips decided to drop this formulaic pattern and throws them into a silly caper involving John Goodman and the funny, but best-in-small-doses, Mr Chow. I was very much looking forward to Hangover 3, but sadly it was not very good and I only laughed a few times. These characters are so fun to watch and you genuinely feel like they are actually having a good time making the movie. I appreciate the silly humor and crazy situations they get in regardless of how crude it is, but here they miss the mark. The film starts with Mr. Chow and then continues to push the least important character on you for the majority of the film. I want to see The Wolf Pack! And that does not include Justin Bartha, by the way. Bradley, Zach and Ed…they are the characters to focus on at all times. Put them in odd situations, drunk or drugged up and having fun. Then let us enjoy the way they pick up the pieces and try to return to their normal lives. That was the payoff of the first two films…it was an escape! Rather than continue with a successful and enjoyable cookie cutter plot line they chose to try something different, and it’s a disappointment. You will never hear someone say, “OMG, you HAVE to see The Hangover Part III,” Not going to happen. Read the rest of this entry »
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The Great Gatsby: Review
May 10, 2013
Indianapolis Showtimes | Trailer
The Great Gatsby gets a new look. Leonardo DiCaprio, Baz Luhrman, and Jay-Z look to shake up and reshape the classic tale. The setting is New York City in the spring of 1922, a time of loose morals, wild parties and lots of booze. Nick(Tobey Maguire) is a young hopeful writer that lands next door to the mysterious millionaire, Jay Gatsby(Leo). The reclusive Gatsby likes to throw amazing parties and show off his wealth but avoids the very people he is trying to impress. For some reason Gatsby does take an interest in his neighbor and seeks out his friendship. There are strong themes about love, loss, redemption, the world of the super-rich and how nasty they can be. Can you repeat the past? The ever hopeful Gatsby feels he can make that happen. He has been working his entire life to become something so he can reconnect and start over with the woman he loves. All the romance in the film revolves around Daisy and her life. Carey Mulligan plays her with just the right amount of spirit and darkness. You can fall for her and not trust her from scene to scene. Leonardo is impressive as the classy and complicated Gatsby. Is he amazing or just crazy? Read the rest of this entry »
Iron Man 3: Review
May 3, 2013
Indianapolis Showtimes | Trailer
The third time around for most successful film franchises is the point where things start to sputter out and lose quality. Iron Man 3 is the exact opposite of that scenario. With the strongest acting performance from Robert Downey, Jr. in the series, and a story that brings something new to the table, we have a third movie that is as good – or better than its predecessors. There is no attempt to re-do what worked in the past but rather an intentional push forward to the development of the characters. The drama picks up after the events that occurred in The Avengers film . Tony Stark is dealing with panic attacks and an overall lost feeling. What he experienced with his superhero buddies has him on the edge. He’s in a state of confusion about his life and how to move forward as Iron Man. To battle these emotions he hides down in the lab and works with very little sleep. Did Downey use his own experiences of addiction and the consequences that come with that lifestyle to help shape the condition Tony Stark find himself in? Who knows, but you certainly can make the connections between the two. Read the rest of this entry »
The Place Beyond the Pines: Review
May 3, 2013
Indianapolis Showtimes | Trailer
What we have here is something I have never seen before. Movies come and go and very few deliver a unique experience. Ryan Gosling is a traveling motorcycle stunt performer who is visited by a former lover (Eva Mendes)with some interesting news…he has a son. Once accepting this information he attempts to make up for lost time and provide for his girl and child, but there are a few problems with this. First of all he has to quit his motorcycle gig so he can stay in town, therefore he has no money. His lover is also living with a boyfriend that is not happy about the situation. What comes next is a blurry dramatic tale of a man trying to do the right thing while also behaving as a stalker at times. One thing he needs is money, but working as a mechanic is not cutting it, so naturally he falls into a life of crime. Using his bike skills to rob banks becomes the answer to one of his issues. This is where the story takes an interesting twist. Gosling makes a desperate run at a bank on his own after being abandoned by his partner in crime. It does not go as planned so he is now being pursued by a rookie police officer played by Bradley Cooper. Read the rest of this entry »
Oblivion: Review
April 19, 2013
Indianapolis Showtimes | Trailer
Oblivion takes place on a future Earth that Tom Cruise is patrolling while longing for humanity. The world as we know it is decimated and there is a promise of a new home in the stars. Jack Harper (Cruise) is a drone repairmen on Earth to extract vital resources after decades of war. He patrols the skies and his world is pretty routine until he rescues a woman from a downed spacecraft. It may sound cool but the film moves at a snails pace to get to anything interesting. Cruise is not the only one feeling isolated and missing excitement. When the story finally develops we briefly meet a human rebel group lead by Morgan Freeman. For some reason he has on sunglasses from the 80′s and is wearing a cape. The costumes look like they raided the set of Spaceballs. Read the rest of this entry »
