Quick Movie Reviews

The Apparition (2012)/Rating: 1/5

Starring: Ashley Green, Tom Felton, Sebastian Stan

You'll find nothing frightening or particularly new about The Apparition. It offers no real scares or depth at all. The storyline seemed very rushed with the trailer actually providing more of a story than the film did. The premise that 'once you believe, you die" wasn't quite what it was made out to be. Watch this one if you want to see Ashley Greene and Tom Felton chew on some scenery.

The Possession (2012)/Rating: 2/5

Starring: Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Kyra Sedgwick, Natasha Calis

As with The Apparition, I didn't feel as if the Possession delivered any real scares. The story is based upon the supposed true tale of a dybbuk box, but deviates entirely from that. Clyde and his wife have divorced leaving their two children hanging in the balance between them. The youngest, Em, is having the hardest time of it. Of course, she's the one drawn to the box and possessed. Needless to say, this felt more like an allegory on the horrors of divorce than a real horror film. Jeffrey Dean Morgan is the typical tough, but loving father figure he made famous in Supernatural.

Flight (2012)/Rating: 2/5

Starring: Denzel Washington, Don Cheadle, John Goodman

I really wasn't too fond of this one at all. It's about an airline pilot who manages to crash land a plane that's malfunctioning. He also happens to be very drunk and high on cocaine at the time. I was rather repulsed by needless nudity and profanity. Another thing I disliked was how the storyline seemed to glorify Denzel's character's drunken escapades. I didn't feel like the movie was as much about overcoming addictions to find redemption as it was the main character being allowed to descend further into addiction. 

Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013)/Rating: 3/5

Starring: Jeremy Renner, Gemma Arterton, Peter Stormare

Go into this movie expecting to see a foul mouthed, strong brother and sister duo battling witches because that's exactly what you'll get. There's enough action to keep you going while the makeup and costumes are quite interesting. I'm always interested in the detail that's put into weapons in these types of movies. Keep an eye out for the character Edward. He's not cgi like most trolls would be in movies these days. Instead, he's an actor in an animatronic suit. Gemma Arterton is more than just a pretty face. She's capable in action scenes to stand up beside Jeremy Renner (more famous as the Avengers' Hawkeye). 

Hotel Transylvania (2012)/Rating: 2/5

Starring: Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Selena Gomez

As an animated flick about an overprotective vampire father running a resort for monsters was bound to be a hit around the Halloween season. There are some cute moments with Mavis (Dracula's daughter) being a pouty little bat or the werewolf's multitude of puppies being terrors. Overall, there were quite a few jokes that would have gone over the heads of children. The real draw here is seeing what Genndy Tartakovsky could do with  cgi. If you're wondering where you know that name, it's because he likely created some of your favorite cartoon shows such as Powerpuff Girls, Dexter's Laboratory, Samurai Jack as well as the Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy.