Quick Movie Review

Self/less (2015, USA) | Rating: 2.5/5
The first time I saw the trailer to this movie, I really wanted to see it in theaters. It looked really interesting and starred two very prominent actors, Ryan Reynolds and Ben Kingsley. It looked very polished and the story sounded entertaining, but...I never got around to seeing it in theaters and thank God that didn't happen. Checking it out from work proved that this was better a waste of time than a waste of money. No, it wasn't a terrible movie. No, it wasn't a complete disappointment. There were interesting and great moments of action, but it was lacking in a lot of places for me to truly enjoy it. Imagine a less cheesy, better budgeted, and updated Face/Off. It's kinda like that. The story was lackluster, but the action was good and it looked good. I don't know. I just really wish there was more.



Trainwreck (2015, USA) | Rating: 3/5
Amy Schumer is someone I know exists, has a show on Comedy Central, and what I've seen of her is quite funny. She delivers adult humor that you normally would only hear from male comedians, but like other women in her field, she makes it more acceptable for female comedians to give such brash, sexual, and gross humor without it feeling forced or unnatural. This movie is probably the most I've experienced from her, because I really don't watch her show and I don't think I've seen her in much else. I'm not oblivious to her humor or anything, so I knew what I was getting myself into when I popped the disc into my PS2. The first movie that came to my head was The Ugly Truth, which has been criticized by one of my favorite reviewers for being contradictory to Katherine Heigl's goal as an actress or whatever. Anyway, I was a little hesitant about this movie, but I did enjoy it quite a bit. I wouldn't recommend it to everyone, but those ladies who are sick of conventional romance movies or cheesy romantic comedies will enjoy it. Sure, it does follow the tropes and guidelines of romantic comedies, but Schumer's humor and chemistry with Bill Hader spices it up.



Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015, USA) | Rating: 3/5
Surprised I'm not doing a full length review for one of the most anticipated movies in 2015? Well, I don't have too much to say about it to meet my "word quota". Much like the Lord of the Rings and Star Trek franchises, I'm simply a casual fan. I don't know all the mythos, lore, and intricate details of the Star Wars history. Although, after watching this latest installment, I feel like I need to watch episodes 4-6 fully at some point. Much like Mad Max: Fury Road, this movie received tons of hype and praise on opening weekend. I took my time getting into this movie. I think I saw it the following week or something. Now for the review portion of this paragraph. Yes, I enjoyed this movie. Yes, I enjoyed it more than the prequels. But no, I wasn't swept away by the hype. I'm probably going to receive some criticism for this, but this movie is fortunate enough to have a huge franchise behind it, otherwise its sequel may be questionable to some. The movie is predictable in a lot of places and I know some reviewers I follow mention that it is a retread of Luke's beginnings as well as repeating other elements from episodes 4-6. I was happy to see some of the iconic characters from the beginnings and making up in quality of the prequels, but I just didn't see anything special about this movie. The characters are great, I love the diversity, and it was a gorgeous looking movie. It's just storywise is...kinda simple. Just so you know, I didn't hate or dislike this movie in the least. It was alright and I am looking forward to seeing what will happen with this new generation trio and revealing the villain(s) more.



Cooties (2015, USA) | Rating: 3.5/5
We need to stop meeting like this, Elijah Wood. I've seen so many straight to DVD (I'm assuming) releases from him. I wonder if this is a career choice or a slump for him. Anyway, this movie was more entertaining and fun compared to the last Wood film I watched. Sure, zombies are everywhere in media, especially since The Walking Dead has blown up on televisions around the world. What makes this any different than the hordes of zombie movies and shows we're bombarded with? Well, this goes more the cooties effect that 90's kids know from their playground years. Circle, circle, dot, dot, now you have your cootie shot. Yeah, this infection only infects children who haven't hit puberty and the results are very comical and delivers some high energy action scenes with these over the top characters that run the school. It's great to see a movie have fun with its content and deliver something a little different while the genre is still hot.



The Hateful Eight (2015, USA) | Rating: 4/5
Ever since I saw this in theaters, I've been going back and forth on whether I wanted to give this a full review or not. Now that it's on DVD, I might give it a full review later. No promises though. Anyway, I know a lot of people who know the story about this movie's script getting leaked were worried that it would never be made and released to the public. First off, stop leaking things, people! Second, I'm very happy that Tarantino went ahead with his eighth movie. If you're used to his style when it comes to dialogue, then you shouldn't have too many complaints about the amount of dialogue and pacing. The movie is like a 3-4 scene play that mainly focuses on character interaction and subtle progression within each participate. That slow burn is what really kept me and perhaps my mother sucked into this post-war, western world with Samuel L. Jackson and company. Once it picks up, it really picks up and it is very bloody. You'll never predict the reveal and twists within this story and I love that. Honestly, I think it deserved a couple more Oscars than it received, but whatever.


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.