Movie Review - 21 and Over

Did you like The Hangovers, project X, Harold and Kumar, well then you will like this one.  Let's see if we can find some similarities.  This one is set in college.  (Very original setting there, hasn’t been done).  2 guys surprise their best friend from high school, Jeff Chang, for his 21st birthday.  They walk in on Jeff Chang and his dad, who hates the boys. His dad warns them that Jeff has a very important med school interview tomorrow (just like Harold). 

Of course the guys go out and get drunk (all of the above movies).  Jeff Chang passes out and the guys don't remember where he lives.  They then find themselves traveling around campus getting into different funny and awkward situations (The Hangover and Harold and Kumar).  At one point they lose Jeff Chang (The Hangover) and everything keeps escalating to get him back to his house on time (all of the above movies).  These are just a few of the similarities; I'll let you find the rest.

All in all this was a laugh out loud and overall fun movie.  I was laughing hysterically at times, while trying not to throw up at others.  If you are in the mood for this type of movie, you won't be disappointed.  

Bullet to the Head

Ok, I'm going to keep this one short.  A good subtitle for this movie would be Captain Obvious.  If you like everything you see on screen, and the conclusions in the plot that you reached easily on your own, spoken out loud to you, then you will like this movie.  And if you want to guess how almost everyone dies...yep, they were shot in the head.     

Now some of you will go see this movie despite my warning. I mean it does promise a Stallone action movie.  It does have a few funny spots now and then.   Like when they cycle through Stallone's mug shots and they're pictures of him from his younger years.  See if you can pick out the one from Rocky.  Christian Slaytor's (yes he's in this movie) interrogation was entertaining.  It may even lead to a new drinking game...take a shot when someone gets shot in the head.

Skip this one.

Jack Reacher

So I learned in line for this movie that the character Jack Reacher in the books is around 6'5" and 260 lbs, so naturally you would cast Tom Cruise.  Despite the physical description discrepancy he was a really good choice.   

Going into this movie all I knew is that Tom Cruise kicks some ass, and that he did.  Jack Reacher is ex-army and he finds himself investigating a mass murder.  The movie had just the right mix of action and comedy, with a few cheesy dramatic close-ups of Tom Cruise thrown in.  Oh and Tom Cruise is hot in this movie, someone went to the gym.

I saw this movie with Maryellen and Jack (no relation to the main character).  They are not the biggest Tom Cruise fans, but they liked this movie.  It was very enjoyable.  One of my favorite parts was the car chase.  (Really, an action movie had a car chase, unbelievable).  What was different about this chase is it wasn't your James Bond, Bourne Identity perfect chase scene.  When you drive a rear wheeled car in a chase scene it should fishtail.  If you or I got into a car chase this is what it could look like (well maybe not me, I don't often drive that fast).  

A Late Quartet

This movie, beautifully done by Philip Seymour Hoffman, Christopher Walken, Catherine Keener and Daniel Lerner, tells the story of a quartet who is entering its 25th season on tour.  The wonderful cast gives you a behind the scenes look at the music, their craft and their lives.

 I think that this movie touched me a little more than I originally thought it would, because my mom is a musician and she has her own string quartet/trio.  Though her work is mainly for weddings and events and not traveling on tour, I understood the music world the characters lived in. When the first violin case opened I could smell the wood, bow and rosin even though I haven't been by an actual violin in years.  

I kept thinking my mom should see this movie, in fact this came at the most opportune time - right before her birthday.  I know she would point out how some detail in the playing is off, because that is what she does.  I think she will appreciate how they have conversations about how the music should be played, when to use an up bow or the moment of selecting a new violin.  

As TJ says it was a nice picture of how life moves and transcends and how one event effects those who surround you.  TJ wasn't fully satisfied with the movie, because the ending wasn't clearly defined.  It left a little up to your imagination, and in TJs world there was not enough closure for him.  

Chasing Mavericks

Oh I hope this one is going to be marketed as a kids movie.  It's supposed to be that inspirational movie similar to Dolphin Tale that you get goosebumps at the end if it.  Unfortunately that was lost in cheesiness.  Many times I started laughing, but not funny laughing.  More of that oh how embarrassing for you laughter.  

It's a shame, because it is a good story.  You have a kid who learns how to surf.  He cares for his mother who has struggled through life.  Then you have a boy-father type figure relationship that develops from learning how to ride an insanely large wave.  It's one of those stories that you want to succeed.  Go in with low expectations and enjoy the surfing scenes.  

Overall lessons learned-if u are a daredevil, you might not make it out alive.

ARGO

Here's a short history lesson for you.  In 1979 in response to the US putting a leader into power in Iran who brought death and hardship to its people and then harboring him afterwards, the Iranian people captures the US embassy.  6 Americans were able to escape.  They were turned away by the British and a few other countries, but found refuge at the Canadian ambassador's house.  ARGO follows CIA operative Tony Mendez as he attempts to rescue them under the guise that they are a Canadian movie crew looking for a site.  (If you find this a bit unbelievable, well it actually happened)

Now you are up to speed.  Even if you aren't, the movie does a great job explaining all of this right upfront.  The movie is done so beautifully bringing this historical event to life by taking the audience through every aspect of the event.  This is one of those movies where you are on the edge of your seat, and still feel that way when you leave the theater.   It's already receiving Oscar buzz and rightfully so.

This is one of the must see movies of the year.  There are so many crapy movies out there, and when something like this comes along you wonder, why aren't more movies done like this.  It obviously can be done.  If you are going to spend over a million dollars, put a little effort into it.  Well done Ben Affleck, you put more than a little effort into it.  You have proven yourself as not just a great actor, but an amazing director.

I was lucky enough to get to see a screening of this that Ben Affleck spoke at afterwards.  I don't usually get too excited when I see actors in real life, but I was almost to the point of annoyingly giddy.  (Thank you TJ for putting up with me).  Yes Ben was all you would hope for and more: funny, good looking and tall.  Oh and he is a very talented actor and director, but you already knew that.  He spoke about how he wanted to portray the CIA in this movie as how it is, people's everyday jobs.  His reference of movies with Tom Cruise action scenes making the job look all sexy, isn't how it is every day.  Though Ben can make any job look sexy.  Ben Affleck also took time to talk about how he integrated comedy into the movie among the suspensful true story to help build this emotional roller coaster the audience felt.  The comedy duo of John Goodman and Alan Arkin added just the right laughter at the right moments.  It is a beautifully done movie.  

End of Watch

Now this is a f*%#ing good movie.  You have two f$*@ing bad ass cops who accidentally stumble upon the f*%$ing cartel, which gets them marked as a target.  If that's not f&*%ing bad enough they work in one of the roughest parts of the city.  Not only are you going to fall in love with these two f*%$ers, you are in for one roller coaster ride, and the f-bomb over 300 times.

This move has all of the signs of what I consider a great movie (all cursing aside).  
1. Characters you care about or have an actual opinion about at all.  This goes for lead and supporting characters.  You will love both of the leads and you take the perspective of how they feel about the other characters in their world.  You become part of their family. 
2. A plot, an actual point of the movie that isn't full of holes.  
3. Makes you feel a wide range of emotions.  Now the movie's genre, in this case action, will be the main focus.  But as we also saw wit ARGO you can't just have only action you need to break it up.  With this movie I laughed, cried, hid behind my sweater during violent scenes, and was held in suspense through out the movie.

Jake Gyllenhall and Michael Pena do a f$*%ing great job. You feel the f$*%ing brotherly love and understand how the bond becomes so strong when you have to f&^#ing ride in the car with each other all day.  They would take a f$%#ing bullet for each other.  Go see this f$*#ing movie or you'll f*$#ing regret it.