Lucy (2014, USA) | Rating: 3/5
Before the movie was officially out in the theaters, there was already a bit of controversy over this movie. Whether it was villainizing minorities like movies of the past or promoting false information about brain activity, I chose to ignore these so-called controversies. Of course, they weren't completely gone from my mind, but I'm not using it to judge the content of this movie. Aside from comic book movies and a select few action flicks, most action movies are simple forms of entertainment that doesn't require a lot of brain power to understand. This movie is exactly that. Even though it contains sci-fi elements to it, I can't really criticize it too harshly as it was a fun trip with great entertainment value. The content and motivation is very straightforward and the story mostly depends on action more than character development or drawn out scientific explanations, so don't expect that out of this movie. Although I enjoyed this fun little trip, I did find the motion capture CGI and attempts to parallel the animal kingdom to the action to be distracting and ineffective. If you want to check it out, I recommend a discount theater or rental.
Her (2013, USA) | Rating: 4.5/5
It's merely a coincidence that I watched more than one movie starring Scarlett Johansson, but I was curious what all the hype was over that it received awards. A very deserving award though. This movie won "Best Original Screenplay" and I have to say I never would've thought of such a concept before and I've never seen anything like this movie either. The way the camera and soundtrack effortlessly worked together to keep the story flowing was spot on and the story, albeit long, was engaging. I really felt for the main character and his social struggles. I didn't think his love was bizarre in the least either. I sympathized with him a lot and could even picture this sort of reality happening in the future as technology grows and evolves. Despite the length of the movie, I recommend it. It's a nice break from what Hollywood deems acceptable to share nationwide.
Pacific Rim (2013, USA) | Rating: 3/5
I'll be honest, I had no interest whatsoever to see this movie and I only watched it as a request. [In case you didn't know that I do fulfill review requests despite my interest level.] There was a lot hype about this movie, even before it hit the theaters. My general assessment from friends and media is that this movie was for the kaiju (Japanese monster) lovers and those who enjoy big robots like Neon Genesis Evanegelion. I can definitely see the influence while watching this movie. Unfortunately, I do not fit either of these categories. Nonetheless, I did find this movie entertaining and it kept my interest surprisingly. The movie mainly focused on the characters rather than the monsters they were fighting, which is probably the best direction to go, and most of the interactions between the characters and action sequences seriously gave my Eva flashbacks...in a shockingly good way. I wasn't too hyped when the move was over, but I can confidently recommend this to the audience it was intended for.
Guardians of the Galaxy (2014, USA) | Rating: 4.5/5
So many superhero movies lately, but I'm totally not complaining, especially when it's in Marvels hands. Similar to The Avengers, this was a very fun ride with great character development, exciting action scenes, and well planned out pacing. The make-up and visuals looked amazing and Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel surprised me with their partnership as I was a little concerned how that was going to work. As much praise as the Marvel movies have been receiving, I would like to point a little flaw from movie to movie, including this one, which is that their villains aren't that memorable. Of course, the main characters keep you engaged and create a bond with their viewers during their journey, but none of their opponents seem to pose as much of a threat as the movie make them out to be verbally. I just want everyone to think about that. Nonetheless, I highly recommend this movie. It's an exhilarating ride with great characters and amusing nostalgic references.
The World's End (2013, USA) | Rating: 3.5/5
Another movie about the end of the world, but with a different approach. This came out the same year as This is the End and what they have similar, aside from the obvious, is that they took an interesting route on the world's ultimate demise. This movie focuses on a smaller scale of a small town full of memories for our main characters and retraces their steps back of their college days, more specifically of making a pub crawl to The World's End. Like Shaun of the Dead, it has some very funny moments and the character interactions are great as usual. Also, the conclusion was unexpected and humorous
If there's something you want me to review (or want a more in depth review of the movies above or previous ones), check out this post on how you can submit requests.
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