Movie Review: "The Grand Budapest Hotel" (2014)

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Movie: "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
Director: Wes Anderson
Rating: R
Running Time: 1 hour, 39 minutes

Mr. Moustafa (F. Murray Abraham), the owner of the once great Grand Budapest Hotel, recounts the tale of the hotel's greatest concierge, Gustave H (Ralph Fiennes). Gustave has a penchant for women who are very old, rich, blonde, and insecure. When Madame D (Tilda Swinton), one of his special lady friends, dies, Gustave is to be gifted an invaluable painting called "Boy With Apple" from her will. Madame D's son Dmitri (Adrian Brody) and her three daughters are unhappy with the decision and vow to block Gustave from taking the painting. After an autopsy, they discover Madame D was actually murdered and the family is looking to pin it on Gustave, who must prove his innocence, find her real murderer, and take what is rightfully his.

In true Wes Anderson fashion, this movie is eccentric, vibrant, hilarious, boasts a huge cast of very famous actors, and also brings back many of Anderson's regulars.

The introduction alone shows that audiences are in for a very unique take on this quirky tale. A girl stands in a courtyard in front of a statue of "the author" of  "The Grand Budapest Hotel," which she is reading while serenaded by three men on a bench. From there, it flashes back to the 1980's, where we meet "the author" (Tom Wilkinson) as he remembers his experience writing his book. The movie then flashes back to the 1960's where "the author" (Jude Law) meets and has dinner with Mr. Moustafa as he tells the story of Gustave H., which took place in a flashback to the 1930's. What a unique spin on a flashback sequence! The time-jumps were welcomed here and done so in such a glorious way. It should also be noted that the aspect ratio of the film changes throughout each decade, and by the time we get to the 1930's, it's in the old standard view movies used to look like when your grandparents were growing up. The inclusion of this change was very well thought out by Anderson and we give him props for doing so.

Ralph Fiennes and newcomer Tony Revolori were both spectacular in this film and they worked really well together on screen. Overall, the movie is smart, but not in a pretentious way, and the humor is often a mixed bag between dark comedy, wit, and slapstick, delivered, in large part, by Fiennes himself. The rest of the cast is great, too! It's always nice to see Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton, and JEFF GOLDBLUM. It looks like it would have been a lot of fun to be around during the making of this movie.

Really, bottom line, if you like Wes Anderson, chances are, you'll love this movie. It's just SO him! Everything from the brightly colored outfits and the witty banter, to the outrageous (mis)adventures and his signature camera angles, "The Grand Budapest Hotel"  is a funny visual delight, almost like watching a live-action cartoon.

This will be one we will buy immediately when it comes out on DVD.

My Rating: 8.5/10
BigJ's Rating: 8.5/10
IMDB's Rating: 8.1/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 91%
Do we recommend this movie: Yes!

Movie Review: "Need For Speed" (2014)

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Movie: "Need For Speed"
Director: Scott Waugh
Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 2 hours, 10 minutes

Tobey Marshall (Aaron Paul), a mechanic and car swooper-upper, is struggling to pay the bills to keep his dad's auto shop afloat after his dad passes away. Presented with an opportunity to work on a rare car in the hands of Dino Brewster (Dominic Cooper), a rich professional NASCAR driver and all-around dick from the same town, Tobey reluctantly agrees. One thing leads to another, and during a street race between Tobey, Dino, and Tobey's friend Pete (Harrison Gilbertson), things go south and Toby is framed for manslaughter. 2 years later and after he has served his time, Tobey is released from jail and is out for revenge against Dino. He needs to find a way to make it across the country to California and into the De Leon, a super exclusive winner-take-all race, put on by DJ Monarch (Michael Keaton). 

All I needed to hear was "Yeah, bitch!" ONE TIME. Aaron Paul couldn't even do that for me.

So, movies about cars and car chases are, admittedly, not my thing (especially if they aren't done well). I was fake excited for this film many months ago, and every single time its trailer came on during a movie, BigJ would just roll his eyes at me. Well, that fake excitement morphed into genuine "need to see" this feels. I had my hopes up. I am sort of unsatisfied with how it left me feeling. Nah...that's not even true, I should have known better. BigJ and I had a feeling this movie wouldn't be that good. But, then again, what movie based on a video game is that good? (Yeah, YOUR HEARD ME, I said "Pokemon: The Movie 2000")

Between the strange orangish tint overlayed across the entire movie, the cheesy one-liners from "50 but acting 25" Michael Keaton's character, and the (surprising) lack of "Yeah, bitch!"es, this movie was a bummer. The car chases and explosions were all real and were pretty awesome to watch the first few times, but as the movie dragged on through a 130 minute screen time, it starts to get a little tiresome. It was just one scene after another of implausible, repetitive, well, for lack of a better word, vroom-vrooming. Aside from the main two actors, Aaron Paul and Dominic Cooper, it was almost embarrassing to watch the other members of Paul's group of friends act....like, sometimes it was cringe-worthy to watch how bad their acting skills were. Where did those guys even come from?

This movie is nothing really new. It's the same rehashed story of two people and their never-ending grudge, their subsequent quest for revenge, and to see who has the bigger......well, you know. Add fast and expensive cars, pretty girls, fierce stares, jail time, and a race against the clock to prove your innocence into the mix, and you've got yet another film in a long line of movies that were over-hyped and under-performing, many of which are better than this one. It's not necessarily boring, but it's definitely plagued with flaws and seems to drag on and on a lot of the time.

Let's be real for a second. The writer and director tried to shove way too much story into this movie to compensate for the fact that it's a glorified, 2 hour-long Ford commercial featuring Jesse Pinkman and that one guy from "Mamma Mia!". Enough said.

Aaron Paul, don't disappoint me like this again.

My Rating: 4/10
BigJ's Rating: 4/10
IMDB's Rating: 6.6/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: ~24%
Do we recommend this movie: No.

Movie Review: "300: Rise of an Empire" (2014)

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Movie: "300: Rise of an Empire"
Director: Noam Murro
Rating: R
Running Time: 1 hour, 42 minutes

Themistocles (Sullivan Stapleton) is a legendary Athenian general who is rumored to have loosed the arrow that slayed Darius I (Igal Naor), King of Persia and father to ~*Xerxes~* (Rodrigo Santoro). Artemisia (Eva Green), the leader of the Persian navy, inspires Xerxes to unleash his wrath on all of Greece. He goes on a spiritual quest where he leaves as a normal, grieving son and comes back as a gold-clad God King. Artemisia brings the Persian navy to the coast of Greece while Xerxes sends his army to fight the 300 Spartans at Thermopylae. Themistocles must take what few ships Athens has and stand against the insurmountable Persian fleet. He hopes his stand will inspire all the tribes of Greece to come together as one in the name of freedom and democracy to stand against Xerxes, Artemisia, and the entire navy. 

From the idea that bore "300," the first installment of the historically inaccurate hyper-stylized abs-fest complete with dramatic blood spurts and super slow, unnecessarily dramatic movement genre comes "300: Rise of an Empire," the prequel AND sequel, bearing twice the blood, angst, and unnecessarily dramatic movement!

We think it's safe to say that we went into this movie with literally no expectations whatsoever. In the past, as is common with most sequels and/or prequels, they tend to suck. Well, actually, this movie wasn't half bad! As mentioned above, this film has even more blood than the first movie, if you can believe that. In fact, it's basically "300" on steroids. More blood, more filth, more guts, more gore, more anger, more fire...more everything. It's a freakin' bloodbath, and if you're expecting less, don't. That being said, Themistocles uses his smarts and surroundings to his advantage and overcomes the Persian navy many times during their battles against all odds. It's cool that they tied this into the movie, as it could have easily been just blood and gore. But who knew guts could flow so artistically?

Unlike the first movie, we didn't feel as connected with these characters and their plight as we did in the first one. Sure, this is not a movie where you get super attached to people anyways, but it seemed like lots of the "filler" characters were just there as opposed to having a purpose. Even Themistocles was sort of eh. The best part of the movie is the backstory of Xerxes, where he wanders slightly wrapped like a mummy through the desert until he comes to a hobbit hole and gets dipped into a magic, golden oasis only to return as ~*Xerxes~* the gigantic FABULOUS gold God King. At least this gives us an explanation as to why his character is all glammed-out.

You have to admit, Zack Snyder really found his niche with these "300" movies, and to no one's surprise, it's left open-ended. But hey, why don't you stay away from Superman, since, you know, you already found your thing here?

My Rating: 7/10
BigJ's Rating: 7/10
IMDB's Rating: 7.1/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 42%
Do we recommend this movie: Sure, why not?

Movie Review: "RoboCop" (2014)

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Movie: "RoboCop"
Director: Jose Padilha
Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 1 hour, 57 minutes

In the near future, robots have become a major part of peacekeeping efforts around the world. They are developed by a private security firm, OmniCorp, in war-torn nations to help maintain peace. The CEO of OmniCorp, Raymond Sellars (Michael Keaton), wants to bring his security robots to America, which would mean a great financial gain for his company. A US law called the Dreyfuss Act prevents robots from being used as police. Alex Murphy (Joel Kinnaman) is a good Detroit cop who is suspicious of corruption in his own department. He believes the cops are being paid off by drug lord/gun runner Anton Vallon (Patrick Garrow). A tip from these corrupt cops allows Vallon to have a bomb planted in Murphy’s car. The explosion almost kills Alex and has left him severely disfigured. OmniCorp offers a deal to Murphy’s wife Clara (Abbie Cornish): they will save her husband's life if she allows them to turn most of his body into a machine. OmniCorp turns Alex Murphy into RoboCop, their way around the "robot problem" and the Dreyfuss Act. Murphy struggles to deal with his new body and tries to come to terms with figuring out if he’s actually a man or a machine. He also wonders if he’s really in control of his own actions, all while being haunted by memories of the attempt on his life. With the help of sensationalist news reporter Pat Novak (Samuel L Jackson), OmniCorp plans to use RoboCop as a marketing tool to get the Dreyfuss act repealed no matter what damage they do to Murphy and his family.

This movie ain't half bad, except for the fact that a tin can act better than Joel Kinnaman.

If you treat this movie as a separate entity from its predecessor, it's not too shabby, but it's still not the original. There are many glaring differences, but this is not the worst remake of a movie, by far. The special effects are excellent, especially with the ED-209 robots, though they could have been used as a more integral part in this film. Really, the CGI is pretty damn good...at least they poured money into the right parts of this remake.

The best character, in our opinion, is Samuel L. Jackson's Pat Novak, a character whose entire part is a satire on modern-day sensationalist cable news fear-mongerers that are all too common today. He plays this role so well and with such fervor that you almost want to believe what he's saying (also, the problem with cable news stations like this). Gary Oldman's character Dr. Dennett Norton is also well-played, but these wonderful European actors need to start learning how to turn down movie roles (Bill Nighy, since I know you're reading, I'M LOOKING AT YOU...we're still silently judging you for "I, Frankenstein"). It's good to see Michael Keaton return back to the big screen! We hope he stays around a while.

The rest of the movie is fine, but it is lacking the blood, violence, humor, one-liners, and 80's flair that we've all come to love of the original "RoboCop." This remake was clearly only produced as a "safer" version for up and coming adolescents whose parents might have a problem with the level of violence in the first one. That being said, this is still a decent PG-13 action film that is a toned-down version of the far superior initial film. A lot of the actors here are interchangeable and some cannot really act at all, but that doesn't stop it from being an okay time-passer popcorn flick.

Watch this if you have seen the original. Thank us later.

My Rating: 6/10
BigJ's Rating: 6/10
IMDB's Rating: 6.7/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 49%
Do we recommend this movie: Sure, why not?

Movie Review: "Non-Stop" (2014)

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Movie: "Non-Stop" (Click here to buy "Non-Stop" on Blu-Ray/DVD/UltraViolet combo)
Director: Jaume Collet-Serra
Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 1 hour, 46 minutes

Federal Air Marshal Bill Marks (Liam Neeson) is on another routine transatlantic flight. He suddenly gets a text message on his secure phone from an unknown person telling him they will kill one person on his flight every 20 minutes unless $150 million is wired into their account number. He brushes it off as a prank but makes contact with the other Federal Air Marshal on the flight, Jack Hammond. When people start to die, Marks realizes the threat is real, and more trouble arises when it turns out the account the money is supposed to be wired to is in his own name. He is clearly being set up to take the fall, and he must prove his innocence, capture the terrorist, and try and save the plane.

Surprisingly, this movie is pretty awesome! It's actually quite thrilling to watch and keeps the audience guessing until the very end. It is filled with intense situations that keep audiences on their toes. As two members of society who don't like flying, this is just more fodder for our "WHY WE DO NOT FLY" list. The special effects are done really well and this only adds to our overall enjoyment of this movie. There's a lot of close-quarters ass-kicking, which makes it fun to watch unfold on the big screen. If you get the chance, this is definitely a "watch in the theater" type of movie.

Liam Neeson has proven himself to be one badass mofo when it comes to starring in action flicks. This might be my personal favorite. At 6' 4", he's an intimidating force and yet somehow manage to calm people with his soothing, luscious Irish accent. Julianne Moore is always wonderful but this movie makes you question her character. She plays this role really well and is a great "sidekick" to Neeson. It's also nice to see OSCAR AWARD WINNING ACTRESS (and relative queen) Lupita Nyong'o getting more roles, though she's not featured much in this film. I hope to see much more of her in the years to come. Also, it's good to see Michelle Dockery getting more mainstream roles in film since her stint as Lady Mary on "Downton Abbey" is coming to a close sometime in the not too distant future.

Overall, "Non-Stop" has a great cast (with the suave Liam Neeson, of course it is), and awesome action, boasts a good story with gripping thrills, has an interesting message, and still makes us want to fly -5%. I'll drive my ass across the country if I have to.

My Rating: 7.5/10
BigJ's Rating: 7.5/10
IMDB's Rating: 7.4/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 60%
Do we recommend this movie: Yes!

Movie Review: "Winter's Tale" (2014)

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Movie: "Winter's Tale"
Showtime: Akiva Goldsman
Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 1 hour, 57 minutes

Every person who is born is born with one miracle. How they choose to use it is their destiny. Peter Lake (Colin Farrell) is a thief who is on the outs with his former boss Pearly Soames (Russell Crowe). Pearly is more than just Peter's employer: he is a demon who roams the Earth blackening souls and crushing miracles. He is trying to stop Peter from bringing his life's miracle to fruition. Peter, unbeknownst to him, is guided by angels and spirit guides to his destiny. While robbing houses one day, Peter stumbles upon what he thinks is a vacant home and runs into Beverly Penn (Jessica Brown Findlay), dying daughter of newspaper publisher Isaac Penn (William Hurt). Peter and Beverly fall in love at first sight and begin a romance with one another. Pearly has a vision that Peter is destined to use his miracle to save a red-headed girl, and he believes Beverly is that girl. Pearly will stop at nothing to ruin Peter's miracle.

With a release date of February 14th, 2014, "Winter's Tale" was heavily marketed as a romance movie. While there are definitely those elements to this film, we feel if promoters would have marketed this as what it really was, a fantastical drama about miracles, demons, and the battle between good vs. evil, it may have done better at the box office. In that same vein, if director Akiva Goldsman would have focused on these elements instead of the romantic aspect of the story, he could have made a better movie altogether.

Beyond this, there are still a lot of problems with this movie. The biggest problem is also the funniest problem. Will Smith as Lucifer????? REALLY??????? We couldn't help but audibly laugh during his parts. Between his really deep voice, his "serious" acting face, his gigantic diamond earrings, and the fact that he has no intimidating factors whatsoever just makes this a terrible miscast...one of the worst, pretty much. Will Smith is too goody-two-shoes and likable in his mannerisms to be seen as the scary Prince of Darkness. Beyond this glaring mistake, most of the acting is fine. I personally find myself liking Colin Farrell the more I see him act. I started out not caring for him, but he has proven himself many times to be a decent enough actor. This movie seems like it's the non-Downton Abbey, American introduction to Jessica Brown Findlay. Many of the actors and actresses from that show have tried to crossover into American mainstream audiences with little or no success, so hopefully, that eventually changes.

Overall, this is one recent movie you can probably skip and not feel bad about it. Other minor things to mention: the CGI is really poor and looks blatantly fake. William Hurt does not get enough screen time. Russell Crowe is a really bitchin' bad guy...Will Smith, since I know you're reading, TAKE NOTE.

My Rating: 4/10
BigJ's Rating: 5/10
IMDB's Rating: 6.2/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 13%
Do we recommend this movie: No.

Movie Review: "Ghostbusters" (1984)

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Movie: "Ghostbusters"
Director: Ivan Reitman
Year:1984
Rating: PG
Running Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes

3 university scientists, Peter Venkman (Bill Murray), Ray Stantz (Dan Akroyd) and Egon Spengler (Harold Ramis), specialize in the study of the paranormal. After encountering a ghost that has been haunting a local library, Egon is able to build a system for capturing and containing ghosts. Just as they make their biggest breakthrough, the University revokes their grant and cuts their funding. Peter gets the idea of becoming freelance paranormal investigators and exterminators. He convinces Ray to mortgage his childhood home in order to raise capital for the business. After leasing an old firehouse and developing all of their specialized equipment, they open for business. Business is shaky at first, and the group only gains one client early on: a concert cellist named Dana Barrat (Sigourney Weaver), who is quite skeptical of their abilities. Despite early troubles, business eventually starts to boom, so much so they must hire a 4th Ghostbuster, Winston Zeddemore (Ernie Hudson). He joins Ray, Peter, and Egon in trapping ghosts all around New York city. 

This post is bittersweet following the passing of Harold Ramis.

BigJ and I watched this when we had the flu because it never fails to make us smile. What else is there to be said about such a classic, quotable film? From its catchy theme song to its hilarious cast and, of course, the Stay Puft marshmallow, "Ghostbusters" is one of those movies we will never stop watching. Every single person in this movie is wonderful in their roles and they all mesh together so well. It has slapstick, it has puns, it has Bill Murray's famous dry line delivery, it has Rick Moranis and his nerdish quirkiness, it has the ever-flawless Sigourney Weaver....really, what's not to love?? Back when this movie was made, it was pretty groundbreaking as far as special effects go. The use of stop-motion animation is great, and everything from the demon dogs to the ghosts are executed very well. There's not much else to say about this fantastic movie that hasn't already been said. It's just as good now as it was when BigJ was a kid. I am a late convert to the Ghostbusters train, but it is a more than welcome and happy ride.

People who don't like this movie are crazy and should have their heads examined.

My Rating: 8.5/10
BigJ's Rating: 10/10
IMDB's Rating: 7.8/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 96%
Do we recommend this movie: ABSOLUTELY YES!!!

Movie Review: "The Breakfast Club" (1985)

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Movie: "The Breakfast Club"
Director: John Hughes
Year:1985
Rating: R
Running Time: 1 hour, 37 minutes

On a Saturday morning at Shermer High School, five uniquely different teens are stuck spending the day together while serving detention. Andrew (Emilio Esteves) is a jock, Claire (Molly Ringwald) is the popular “princess,” Brian (Anthony Michael Hall) is a nerd, Allison (Ally Sheedy) is the freaky artist-type, and John (Judd Nelson) is a thuggish criminal. With the exception of Andrew and Claire, the rest of the kids in detention wouldn't bother to give each other a second glance in the halls. At first, they seem intent on keeping it that way throughout their detention time. As the day progresses, they all start to talk and find they may have much more in common than they think. John also spends a decent amount of time butting heads with their detention overseer, Mr. Vernon (Paul Gleason), who seems to be a burnt-out teacher just waiting until he's old enough to retire. The group discusses their lives and every day pressures, talking about everything from their parents and their peers to sex and hidden talents, as well as their expectations for their future.

Quite possibly one of the greatest movies about teens growing up, "The Breakfast Club" is smart, funny, sad and poignant. Between the five main characters, audiences get a little taste of what it's like to go back to high school, cliques, drama and all. In typical John Hughes fashion, this movie boasts the fantastic Brat Pack, a fabulous soundtrack, as well as lots of heart and self-discovery. It's probably Judd Nelson's most defining and iconic role in all of film, which might be seen as sad by some, but it's a pretty great role to known for. Another great performance in this movie is given by Paul Gleason, who plays the butt of Judd Nelson's pranks and jokes and is a disillusioned teacher ready for his retirement. He also plays vicious taskmaster so well. Actually, all of the actors in this movie do a really good job of conveying their characters.

The best part of this movie is that it deals with things kids actually go through, not just your typical, phony high school existence. These kids come a long way in a few short hours and are better for it at the end of the day. It shows how people that are very different in personality, upbringing, thought-process, class, and gender and come together when they are thrown into a room and aren't influences by the pressure of the people with whom they normally associate. It might be a stretch, but this movie is a stretch in the right direction. It's nostalgic to watch and deals with issues that never go away and are always ever present. To us, it's a classic.

My Rating: 9/10
BigJ's Rating: 8/10
IMDB's Rating: 8.0/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 91%
Do we recommend this movie: Yes!

Movie Review: "The LEGO Movie" (2014)

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Movie: "The LEGO Movie"
Director: Phil Lord and Christopher Miller
Rating: PG
Running Time: 1 hour, 40 minutes

An ordinary LEGO construction worker named Emmet (Chris Pratt) finds out he is the prophesied 'Special' when he stumbles upon the 'Piece of Resistance.' Now, Emmet and a group of 'Master Builders' must use the 'Piece of Residence' to stop the evil President Business (Will Ferrell) from destroying the world with his secret weapon known as 'The Kragle.'

Now THIS is the kind of movie kids need to see!!

"The LEGO Movie" is one of those animated films which appeal to both kids and their parents or even adults without kids. We grew up playing with Legos, so to see them come alive on the big screen is very nostalgic and groovy for us! It's a really fun and happy adventure movie with an inspiring message. It enforces the need for creativity in young kids, and that people of all ages should challenge the norm with their imaginations. Kids will enjoy the Legos as the toys they love to come to life, and adults will laugh and pick up on the many pop culture references and nuances. The entire plot of the movie is based on the fact that even the plainest Lego character is unique, and even though Emmet, voiced by Chris Pratt, thinks he doesn't have any talent, he really does, it's just different than everyone else's.

One of the best parts of this movie are the voices. Everyone is AWESOME, to borrow a line from the film! Morgan Freeman as the God-type character? Hilarious! Featuring old-school LEGO sets like the 80's style spaceship? Woohoo!! Batman, Gandalf, cowboys, AND Shaq?! HELL YEAH!!! This really is Chris Pratt's year for film, he has been making quite a name for himself lately. The animation here is great and very creative, especially when imagination takes hold. Even though this is basically one gigantic product placement for LEGO, it doesn't matter. All the pieces fit together to make a very fine movie. The script is not only witty but serves up a host of laugh-out-loud moments, too.

So often in new cinema, we serve the children of today sheer and utter crapola that doesn't expand their minds beyond flashiness and fart jokes. It is our belief that kids NEED to see this kind of movie, one that's smart, doesn't dumb them down, and challenges them to be creative all at the same time. It's got enough in it to keep everyone interested and is a delight for the whole family.

My Rating: 9/10
BigJ's Rating: 8/10
IMDB's Rating: 8.4/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 96%
Do we recommend this movie: ABSOLUTELY YES!!!

Movie Review: "Lone Survivor" (2013)

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Movie: "Lone Survivor"
Director: Peter Berg
Rating: R
Running Time: 2 hours, 1 minutes

Based on the true story of a Navy Seal team, Marcus Luttrell (Mark Wahlberg), Michael Murphy (Taylor Kitsch), Danny Dietz (Emile Hirsch), and Matt Axelson (Ben Foster) are tasked with finding and killing a top Al-Qaeda operative named Ahmad Shah (Yousuf Azami) in Afghanistan. After radio communications fail, the men are left to fend for themselves amongst a much larger threat than they originally thought. While trying to regain communications, they are discovered by a group of goat herders; the team is faced with the moral dilemma of letting the goat herders go and hoping they are not Taliban or killing them even though they might be innocents. They let them go after much debate, and make for higher ground in the hope that radio communication will start working again before the Taliban army catches up with them.

This movie title is the spoileriest title in the history of movies.

The first hour of this movie is basically lead-up to the final battle sequence. It introduces you to the characters and explains their mission while cataloging what goes into preparing for such a large-scale operation such as this one. The last half of the movie is so intense: it's basically a one-hour gunfight with twists and turns and falling and lots of blood and bone cracking. It's also very emotionally draining to watch as you become invested in wanting the men to succeed in their mission. For what it's worth, whether this is a lot of fiction mixed into the truth, this is a great movie. It's filled with a lot of interesting camerawork (read: LENS FLARES) and it is well shot and well directed.

Another interesting aspect of this film is the dilemma between finishing the mission at all costs or aborting it for morality's sake. Should the men sacrifice a few possible suspects on behalf of the greater good, even if it means killing old men and children? Or, should they let the possible suspects go and not only risk their own lives but put the lives of others, possibly into the hundreds or thousands at risk? We see this worked out on-screen like someone solving a puzzle in their own head. Another inspiring aspect of the film deals with the village of Pashtun people and how they put their lives and whole village on the line to save Luttrell, even though he was an American soldier they have no ties to. They did this to uphold their Pashtunwali code of honor.

Overall, we recommend this film, regardless of your political affiliation because it's really good!

My Rating: 8/10
BigJ's Rating: 8/10
IMDB's Rating: 7.8/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 75%
Do we recommend this movie: Yes!

Movie Review: "300" (2006)

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Movie: "300"
Director: Zack Snyder
Year: 2006
Rating: R
Running Time: 1 hour, 57 minutes

Sparta is a Greek city of warriors. At birth, all children are examined for weaknesses and deformities, and if any are found, the child is cast away. From childhood, they are trained to be fighters and soldiers, are separated from their mothers, and eventually put through trials that many do not survive. 

Leonidas (Gerard Butler) is king of Sparta. The king of Persia, Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro), has sent a messenger to ask the Spartans to bow to his will and pay tribute to him in order to avoid being destroyed by the Persian army. Leonidas kills the king’s messenger at the mere suggestion that the Spartans would give up without a fight. Due to old traditions, Sparta cannot go to war without the blessing of the Ephors, a circle of elders who hold power over the king. They do not give their blessing as they have been paid off by Persia in order to keep Sparta out of the war. In response, Leonidas takes 300 men as his personal bodyguards to meet the Persians on the battlefield. These 300 men meet up with the other tribes of Greece to stand against a gigantic Persian army that is said to number in the millions. Despite being outnumbered, they are willing to give their last breath to defend Sparta.

Abs, abs, abs.....SO MANY ABS.

Welcome to the first film of many in the "historically inaccurate, hyper-stylized epics" genre.

Watching this movie is like watching a live-action oil painting. Every scene looks like it has been "painted" digitally. The sets are not real, they are all artistic, fake, and over-the-top. Every drop of blood is meticulously put in its specific spot, dripping slowly in a deep shade of red from the swords and heads of many. There is a lot of slow motion in this film that leads to the eventual speeding up of the camera. This seems done on purpose to convey the drawings seen in Frank Miller's graphic novel of the same name.

Having only seen this film once or twice several years ago, it was fun to go back and watch for things you missed the first go around. The gigantic "WUT" for us was the fact that this is Oscar nominated Michael Fassbender's first movie role. Knowing that he is now, arguably, in the upper echelon of actors, it's funny to watch him prance around in a loin cloth at Gerard Butler's side. You don't really need a genius actor to play "shirtless Spartan #7," so the acting here isn't what the movie's about. There's A LOT of yelling, tons of grunting, and a lot of one-liners that were driven into the ground many, many years ago. The story is solid and keeps you interested and engaged. Quite possibly the best part of this movie is Xerxes, who is quite captivating as a villain and is simply ~*fabulous,~* but has unfortunately become the butt of a lot of jokes in years since.

Apparently, this movie was so successful that now we all get to relive this sensation and see "300: Rise of an Empire" as it comes out on the big screen this weekend. I cannot wait to see gold-dipped Xerxes!!!!!!!!!!!

My Rating: 8/10
BigJ's Rating: 9/10
IMDB's Rating: 7.8/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 60%
Do we recommend this movie: ABSOLUTELY YES!!!

Lolo's Lists: Our 2014 Oscars Predictions!

As you know, the Oscars are tomorrow!
BigJ and I have watched the Academy Awards every year for the (almost) 9 years we have been together. We enjoy it, and it's fun to watch the snubs, the speeches, and the snafus! Generally, we watch all the coverage, starting with the Red Carpet specials, and recently, I have taken up live-tweeting the event (you can follow me on Twitter @lololovesfilms).

Today, we'd like to share with you our picks and predictions for the 2014 Oscars! Since most people only care about the "biggest" categories, we have showcased them for you below.
Who do you think will win? What was your favorite movie of 2013?
Please let us know in the comments below!
The movies we think will win IN BOLD, the ones we think should win are ITALICIZED.

*BigJ's Picks*
Best Picture
American Hustle
Captain Phillips
Dallas Buyers Club
Gravity
Her
Nebraska
Philomena
12 Years a Slave
The Wolf of Wall Street

Best Actor in a Leading Role
Christian Bale (American Hustle)
Bruce Dern (Nebraska)
Leonardo DiCaprio (The Wolf of Wall Street)
Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave)
Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club)

Best Actress in a Leading Role
Amy Adams (American Hustle)
Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine)
Sandra Bullock (Gravity)
Judi Dench (Philomena)
Meryl Streep (August: Osage County)

Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Barkhad Abdi (Captain Phillips)
Bradley Cooper (American Hustle)
Michael Fassbender (12 Years a Slave)
Jonah Hill (The Wolf of Wall Street)
Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club)

Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Sally Hawkins (Blue Jasmine)
Jennifer Lawrence (American Hustle)
Lupita Nyong'o (12 Years a Slave)
Julia Roberts (August: Osage County)
June Squibb (Nebraska)

Best Animated Feature
The Croods (Chris Sanders, Kirk DeMicco, Kristine Belson)
Despicable Me 2 (Chris Renaud, Pierre Coffin, Chris Meledandri)
Ernest & Celestine (Benjamin Renner, Didier Brunner)
Frozen (Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee, Peter Del Vecho)
The Wind Rises (Hayao Miyazaki, Toshio Suzuki)

Best Cinematography
The Grandmaster (Philippe Le Sourd)
Gravity (Emmanuel Lubezki)
Inside Llewyn Davis (Bruno Delbonnel)
Nebraska (Phedon Papamichael)
Prisoners (Roger A. Deakins)

Best Costume Design
American Hustle (Michael Wilkinson)
The Grandmaster (William Chang Suk Ping)
The Great Gatsby (Catherine Martin)
The Invisible Woman (Michael O'Connor)
12 Years a Slave (Patricia Norris)

Best Director
American Hustle (David O. Russell)
Gravity (Alfonso Cuarón)
Nebraska (Alexander Payne)
12 Years a Slave (Steve McQueen)
The Wolf of Wall Street (Martin Scorsese)

Best Documentary Feature
The Act of Killing (Joshua Oppenheimer, Signe Byrge Sørensen)
Cutie and the Boxer (Zachary Heinzerling, Lydia Dean Pilcher)
Dirty Wars (Richard Rowley, Jeremy Scahill)
The Square (Jehane Noujaim, Karim Amer)
20 Feet from Stardom (Nominees to be determined)

Best Film Editing
American Hustle (Jay Cassidy, Crispin Struthers, Alan Baumgarten)
Captain Phillips (Christopher Rouse)
Dallas Buyers Club (John Mac McMurphy, Martin Pensa)
Gravity (Alfonso Cuarón, Mark Sanger)
12 Years a Slave (Joe Walker)

Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Dallas Buyers Club (Adruitha Lee, Robin Mathews)
Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa (Stephen Prouty)
The Lone Ranger (Joel Harlow, Gloria Pasqua-Casny)

Best Original Score
The Book Thief (John Williams)
Gravity (Steven Price)
Her (William Butler, Owen Pallett)
Philomena (Alexandre Desplat)
Saving Mr. Banks (Thomas Newman)

Best Original Song
"Happy" (Despicable Me 2)
"Let It Go" (Frozen)
"The Moon Song" (Her)
"Ordinary Love" (Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom)

Best Production Design
American Hustle (Judy Becker, Heather Loeffler)
Gravity (Andy Nicholson, Rosie Goodwin, Joanne Woollard)
The Great Gatsby (Catherine Martin, Beverley Dunn)
Her (K.K. Barrett, Gene Serdena)
12 Years a Slave (Adam Stockhausen, Alice Baker)

Best Visual Effects
Gravity (Tim Webber, Chris Lawrence, Dave Shirk, Neil Corbould)
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (Joe Letteri, Eric Saindon, David Clayton, Eric Reynolds)
Iron Man 3 (Christopher Townsend, Guy Williams, Erik Nash, Dan Sudick)
The Lone Ranger (Tim Alexander, Gary Brozenich, Edson Williams, John Frazier)
Star Trek Into Darkness (Roger Guyett, Patrick Tubach, Ben Grossmann, Burt Dalton)

Best Adapted Screenplay
Before Midnight (Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke)
Captain Phillips (Billy Ray)
Philomena (Steve Coogan, Jeff Pope)
12 Years a Slave (John Ridley)
The Wolf of Wall Street (Terence Winter)

Best Original Screenplay
American Hustle (Eric Warren Singer, David O. Russell)
Blue Jasmine (Woody Allen)
Dallas Buyers Club (Craig Borten, Melisa Wallack)
Her (Spike Jonze)
Nebraska (Bob Nelson)

~~~~~~~~~~
*Lolo's Picks*
Best Picture
American Hustle
Captain Phillips
Dallas Buyers Club
Gravity
Her
Nebraska
Philomena
12 Years a Slave
The Wolf of Wall Street

Best Actor in a Leading Role
Christian Bale (American Hustle)
Bruce Dern (Nebraska)
Leonardo DiCaprio (The Wolf of Wall Street)
Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave)
Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club)

Best Actress in a Leading Role
Amy Adams (American Hustle)
Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine)
Sandra Bullock (Gravity)
Judi Dench (Philomena)
Meryl Streep (August: Osage County)

Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Barkhad Abdi (Captain Phillips)
Bradley Cooper (American Hustle)
Michael Fassbender (12 Years a Slave)
Jonah Hill (The Wolf of Wall Street)
Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club)

Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Sally Hawkins (Blue Jasmine)
Jennifer Lawrence (American Hustle)
Lupita Nyong'o (12 Years a Slave)
Julia Roberts (August: Osage County)
June Squibb (Nebraska)

Best Animated Feature
The Croods (Chris Sanders, Kirk DeMicco, Kristine Belson)
Despicable Me 2 (Chris Renaud, Pierre Coffin, Chris Meledandri)
Ernest & Celestine (Benjamin Renner, Didier Brunner)
Frozen (Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee, Peter Del Vecho)
The Wind Rises (Hayao Miyazaki, Toshio Suzuki)

Best Cinematography
The Grandmaster (Philippe Le Sourd)
Gravity (Emmanuel Lubezki)
Inside Llewyn Davis (Bruno Delbonnel)
Nebraska (Phedon Papamichael)
Prisoners (Roger A. Deakins)

Best Costume Design
American Hustle (Michael Wilkinson)
The Grandmaster (William Chang Suk Ping)
The Great Gatsby (Catherine Martin)
The Invisible Woman (Michael O'Connor)
12 Years a Slave (Patricia Norris)

Best Director
American Hustle (David O. Russell)
Gravity (Alfonso Cuarón)
Nebraska (Alexander Payne)
12 Years a Slave (Steve McQueen)
The Wolf of Wall Street (Martin Scorsese)

Best Documentary Feature
The Act of Killing (Joshua Oppenheimer, Signe Byrge Sørensen)
Cutie and the Boxer (Zachary Heinzerling, Lydia Dean Pilcher)
Dirty Wars (Richard Rowley, Jeremy Scahill)
The Square (Jehane Noujaim, Karim Amer)
20 Feet from Stardom (Nominees to be determined)

Best Film Editing
American Hustle (Jay Cassidy, Crispin Struthers, Alan Baumgarten)
Captain Phillips (Christopher Rouse)
Dallas Buyers Club (John Mac McMurphy, Martin Pensa)
Gravity (Alfonso Cuarón, Mark Sanger)
12 Years a Slave (Joe Walker)

Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Dallas Buyers Club (Adruitha Lee, Robin Mathews)
Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa (Stephen Prouty)
The Lone Ranger (Joel Harlow, Gloria Pasqua-Casny)

Best Original Score
The Book Thief (John Williams)
Gravity (Steven Price)
Her (William Butler, Owen Pallett)
Philomena (Alexandre Desplat)
Saving Mr. Banks (Thomas Newman)

Best Original Song
"Happy" (Despicable Me 2)
"Let It Go" (Frozen)
"The Moon Song" (Her)
"Ordinary Love" (Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom)

Best Production Design
American Hustle (Judy Becker, Heather Loeffler)
Gravity (Andy Nicholson, Rosie Goodwin, Joanne Woollard)
The Great Gatsby (Catherine Martin, Beverley Dunn)
Her (K.K. Barrett, Gene Serdena)
12 Years a Slave (Adam Stockhausen, Alice Baker)

Best Visual Effects
Gravity (Tim Webber, Chris Lawrence, Dave Shirk, Neil Corbould)
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (Joe Letteri, Eric Saindon, David Clayton, Eric Reynolds)
Iron Man 3 (Christopher Townsend, Guy Williams, Erik Nash, Dan Sudick)
The Lone Ranger (Tim Alexander, Gary Brozenich, Edson Williams, John Frazier)
Star Trek Into Darkness (Roger Guyett, Patrick Tubach, Ben Grossmann, Burt Dalton)

Best Adapted Screenplay
Before Midnight (Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke)
Captain Phillips (Billy Ray)
Philomena (Steve Coogan, Jeff Pope)
12 Years a Slave (John Ridley)
The Wolf of Wall Street (Terence Winter)

Best Original Screenplay
American Hustle (Eric Warren Singer, David O. Russell)
Blue Jasmine (Woody Allen)
Dallas Buyers Club (Craig Borten, Melisa Wallack)
Her (Spike Jonze)
Nebraska (Bob Nelson)