Weekend Box Office Results: January 29th, 2016 - January 31st, 2016

"Kung Fu Panda 3" karate chops the competition; other new releases flounder

*all numerical information provided by boxofficemojo.com

"Kung Fu Panda 3" claimed victory at the box office this weekend. Basically unmatched in competition, it was able to make a solid $41,000,000 its opening weekend. Multiple Oscar nominee "The Revenant" came in second place by making $12,400,000, bringing its domestic total gross to an impressive $138,171,368 on the heels of Leonardo DiCaprio's best actor Screen Actors Guild award last night. "Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens" and its success knows no bounds. It came in 3rd place, making $10,782,000. Its domestic total gross is about to eclipse $900 million. Newcomer true life drama "The Finest Hours" couldn't escape these two older releases, unfortunately. It came in 4th place by making $10,327,000 in its debut weekend. Finally, the Kevin Hart/Ice Cube comedy "Ride Along 2" rounded out the top 5 in this last weekend of January by bringing in $8.3 million dollars.

		This Week	Domestic Gross
1	Kung Fu Panda 3	$41,000,000	$41,000,000
2	The Revenant	$12,400,000	$138,171,368
3	Star Wars: The Force Awakens	$10,782,000	$895,426,162
4	The Finest Hours	$10,327,000	$10,327,000
5	Ride Along 2	$8,345,520	$70,775,210
6	The Boy	$7,894,000	$21,527,916
7	Dirty Grandpa	$7,575,000	$22,821,010
8	The 5th Wave	$7,000,000	$20,188,149
9	Fifty Shades of Black	$6,186,648	$6,186,648
10	13 Hours	$6,000,000	$42,573,845

**See you at the movies!!**

Movie Review #372: "Kung Fu Panda 3" (2016)

Movie: "Kung Fu Panda 3"
Ticket Price: $9.75
Director: Jonathan Aibel and Jennifer Yuh
Rating: PG
Running Time: 1 hour, 35 minutes

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Master Kai (J.K. Simmons) has spent the last 500 years in the spirit realm stealing the chi of other kung fu masters. Upon stealing the chi of his old friend Master Oogway (Randall Duk Kim), he is able to return to the mortal world. His goal is to steal the chi of the only one who can stop him: the Dragon Warrior, Po (Jack Black). Meanwhile, Po is reunited with his estranged father, Li (Bryan Cranston), who promises to take Po back to the secret panda village to instruct Po on how to master his chi.

Jack Black returns as the voice of Po the panda/Dragon Warrior. Joining him are all the usual, returning favorites: Angelina Jolie as Tigress, Seth Rogen as Mantis, Lucy Liu as Viper, David Cross as Crane, Jackie Chan as Monkey, Dustin Hoffman as Master Shifu, Randall Duk Kim as Master Oogway, and James Hong as Po's father, the fabulous Mr. Ping. New to the voice cast are Bryan Cranston as Po's biological father Li, and J.K. Simmons as the villainous Master Kai. Though we could not place Cranston's voice during the movie, he offers a truly commanding presence on screen in panda form. J.K. Simmons is a wonderful antagonist in this third installment. Little known fact: did you know J.K. Simmons currently voices the yellow M&M on the M&M commercials and has for 20 years? Now you do! All of these voice actors are great here and do a wonderful job in their respective roles, bringing together a stellar cast of characters in this fun family affair.

Needless to say, as the "Kung Fu Panda" series has progressed, it has gotten better with each installment. We have thoroughly enjoyed it more as time goes on, which is not something we can say about most franchises. This series continues to offer up strong sequels to what we thought was a rather average first installment. Po is, as shown in the trailer and teased in "Kung Fu Panda 2," reunited with his biological father, Li. This makes his adopted father Mr. Ping feel uneasy and he begins to think he might be losing his son. This subject matter is the source of both touching and comedic conflict, though this conflict is mostly about Mr. Ping coming to terms with the current situation and having to adjust to Po having Li in his life, too. There are some great action sequences that blend in excellent laughs, much like the old Jackie Chan films. The animation that runs throughout the film is often stylized to be reminiscent of past kung fu movies. Somehow, "Kung Fu Panda 3" seems brighter and more colorful than the other 2 installments, mixing pastels in the spirit realm with flashy colors in reality. Of course, this is a kids movie, so there is a lot of silliness and quite a few jokes about pandas being fat and eating a lot. Unlike other movies that use fatness as the butt of a joke (*cough* Paul Blart *cough*), we don't mind this banter here. As with the previous films, Po is very much like Jack Black himself: a high energy, slightly obnoxious go-getter with a good sense of humor. How much you like Po as a character might have a direct correlation with how much you like or dislike Black, but since we like him, he has always worked for us in these movies.

We really enjoyed "Kung Fu Panda 3." We laughed and smiled quite a bit, and there is even a touching moment towards the end of the movie that made us tear up a little. It drives the emotion home in the last act, which is something we look for at the movies, a good, solid connection. When Po starts to rise to whatever occasion presented, we feel happy and excited to watch his journey. As many good aspects as this movie has, it is not a perfect film. It's very contrived and has a lot of kids movie cliches. In fact, all of these movies have the same trite aspects repeated. In addition, there's a bit of a lull in the middle of the movie, but the strong ending almost negates any slow pacing issues from earlier and it's something we can definitely forgive. In the end, we left the theater with big smiles on our faces and enjoyed what we had just experienced. It seems like the other people in our theater liked the movie, too!

My Rating: 7.5/10
BigJ's Rating: 7.5/10
IMDB's Rating: 8.4/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 79%
Do we recommend this movie: Yes!
~~~~~~~~~~

One year ago, we were watching: "Paddington"

Movie Review: "I Smile Back" (2015)

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Movie: "I Smile Back"
Director: Adam Salky
Year: 2015
Rating: R
Running Time: 1 hour, 25 minutes

A housewife and mother, Laney Brooks (Sarah Silverman), struggles with infidelity,  depression, and substance abuse.

"I Smile Back" is a character sketch about Laney Brooks, played by comedienne Sarah Silverman. Laney is a housewife and is married to an insurance salesman named Bruce, played by Josh Charles, who seems to be a loving and caring husband, though he does spend most his time talking about insurance. Laney has two kids: a daughter named Janey, played by Shayne Coleman, and a son named Eli, played by Skylar Gaertner, who seems may have some anxiety issues, and with a mother like Laney, this is rather understandable. Laney has a lot of problems mostly stemming from some deep seeded "daddy issues." She continually does bad things. She is afraid to love out of the fear that she may one day lose whatever it is she loves. Laney copes with her issues primarily through substance abuse. She pops pills, snorts cocaine, and drinks very heavily. In fact, the only drugs she doesn't take are those which are prescribed to her to help her deal with her psychological and emotional problems. She also regularly cheats on her husband, mostly with the husband of her good friend. Her lover Donny, played by Thomas Sadoski, is also her primary drug supplier. One scene after the next, Laney continues down a path self-destruction and drug abuse.

As you can tell by the above descriptions, this sure is a fun family friendly romp! "I Smile Back" is depressing, and we mean really depressing and rather hard to watch. Their isn't much hope to be found in this film. It almost feels like the screenplay served as an outlet for the writers to work through their own personal issues as a form of therapy. Sarah Silverman puts on a strong performance atypical and out of character from her typical brash, raunchy comedic nature, and we can't help but wonder if she could pull this off again some other time with a better script. This isn't Silverman's first go-around in a dramatic role, but it is certainly one of her most troubled and layered characters. Her performance earned her a Screen Actors Guild award nomination because award shows eat these types of roles right up, and her performance is without a doubt one of the most depressing, painful performances of 2015. Without Silverman's award nominated gloomy, bleak performance, there's not much else here. If we were going to watch movie with a hopeless, helpless protagonist, it probably wouldn't be "I Smile Back." Overall, this is not a fantastic movie, and when stripped of its star role, it's just not enough to distinguish itself from the many other thousands of better dramas out there already in existence. It is a little too cynical without much purpose or powerful emotion. 

My Rating: 5.5/10
BigJ's Rating: 5/10
IMDB's Rating: 6.0/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 53%
Do we recommend this movie: Meh.
~~~~~~~~~~

One year ago, we were watching: "Blackhat"

Movie Review: "When Marnie Was There" (2015)

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Movie: "When Marnie Was There"
Director: Hiromasa Yonebayashi
Year: 2015
Rating: PG
Running Time: 1 hour, 43 minutes

Anna (voiced by Sara Takatsuki) is a foster child being raised in the city. Though her foster mother is loving, Anna is extremely unhappy. When her asthma acts up, Anna is sent to the country to live with her foster mother's sister for the summer. There, she meets a young girl named Marnie (voiced by Kasumi Arimura), who isn't quite what she seems to be, but will forever change Anna's life. 

Studio Ghibli is famous for offering up many wonderful animated films with family friendly but often more mature themes. Their latest film, the Oscar nominated animated feature "When Marnie Was There," is no different. Director Hiromasa Yonebayashi adapts British writer Joan G. Robinson's book of the same name to the big screen. Sara Takatsuki voices Anna, a young girl who has faced a lot of tragedy despite being only 12 years old. Her parents died at a young age, and she has lived with her foster parents for many years. Upon discovering her foster mother receives a stipend from the government for caring for her, Anna becomes depressed starts to question her own worth as a person. After suffering an asthma attack at school, she is sent to spend then summer with her foster mom's sister in the clean air of the countryside. Of course, upon arrival, she is no happier there than at home, until one day, she meets Marnie, voiced by Kasumi Arimura. This is where the fantastical element comes into play in this story as we aren't exactly sure where Marnie comes from since she just randomly appeared one day. Her home sometimes appears deserted, and at other times, it appears to host lavish parties with numerous fancy guests. Marnie has been the only one able to make Anna feel like herself. Their friendship is tested as Marnie appears and reappears, sometimes without notice, as Anna tries to uncover what is real and what might be in her mind.

"When Marnie Was There" is a story about a young girl coping with loss. There are some mysterious elements sprinkled in with lessons about self discovery, friendship, love, and family. The animation is beautiful as always, and we have come to expect no less from Studio Ghibli. They truly are making some of the most visually appealing animated movies out there right now. While this is film does try to grip the audience with such a somber, emotional tale, sadly, the emotions don't always hit their intended marks, especially for BigJ. There were a couple of times when I actually got teary-eyed towards the end of the film, I'm not gonna lie. The mystery of who and what Marnie is is somewhat intriguing, but it's definitely not as mystical and magical as some of Studio Ghibli's other offerings. With its more grown-up, melodramatic theme of coping with loss, much like last year's "The Tale of Princess Kaguya," it may be a little much for younger viewers to comprehend, but older kids and adults should be able to understand the subtle nuance and be able to deal with the methodical pace. Even though this film is well made, we still prefer the more fun films from Studio Ghibli "My Neighbor Totoro" or "Spirited Away."

My Rating: 7.5/10
BigJ's Rating: 7/10
IMDB's Rating: 7.8/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 89%
Do we recommend this movie: Sure, why not?
~~~~~~~~~~

One year ago, we were watching: "Taken 3"

Movie Review #371: "Room" (2015)

Movie: "Room"
Ticket Price: $7.25
Director: Lenny Abrahamson
Rating: R
Running Time: 1 hour, 58 minutes

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Joy (Brie Larson) was kidnapped at age 17 and has been held prisoner for the past 7 years in a small single room shed. While imprisoned, she gave birth to a son named Jack (Jacob Tremblay), who has never known life outside his small, windowless room. When Joy and Jack are finally rescued from their prison, they must face the terrifying reality of life in the outside world, a world Jack never even knew existed. 

"Room" is one of those movies that is brilliantly performed, excellently written, and fabulously directed, but at times is excruciatingly painful and emotional to watch. The very subject matter of this film can and probably will take a huge emotional toll on the audience simply by sitting through it. Hell, I know I cried my eyes out and was on the edge of some sort of panic attack right in the middle of viewing it, which is something that doesn't often happen to me. It's so visceral, so raw, the things we see happening on screen feel like they have happened to us. Both Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay put on award worthy performances as Joy, also known as Ma, and Jack, as they carry first act of the film entirely on their own. Jack's entire world since his birth has only existed in a small roughly 10 by 10 shed. It has no windows and only a single skylight, which is the only view Jack has ever had of the outside world. Joy has told him stories his entire life, making him believe that there is nothing beyond their little room, just outer space. Jack has never known or understood that they are being held prisoner. Joy has told him their captor used magic to bring them their food and other necessities, which is so extremely powerful in its own right. The stories she told Jack were not to lie to him, but to make the situation a little more bearable, the exact same thing any mother would do for their child.

A situation like this is hard for anyone to imagine. A movie like this is heart-wrenching to watch unfold, though it makes it a little less unbearable when the performances are as captivating as are they are in "Room." As showcased in the trailer, eventually Ma devises a plan to get Jack outside the shed and tells him run for help as soon as he gets the chance to do so. He succeeds, and they do eventually escape their imprisonment, but their torment is not over just because they are no longer being held as prisoners. Jack knows almost nothing of the outside world and has never been away from or spoken to anyone other than his mother for the 5 years he has been alive. Considering the nature of their situation, the media has a particular interest in Joy and Jack's story, but it's something she would rather not relive on a constant basis. Unfortunately, Joy may have to endure constant and persistent harassment in exchange for life outside her prison. Joy must also deal with the changes her family has gone through since she was abducted as her parent's Nancy and Robert, played by Joan Allen and William H. Macy, have changed as individuals and as a couple. Robert has been constantly struggling with coming terms the horrific sexual, mental, physical, and psychological experiences his daughter had to go through at the hands of her captor, experiences which, happily for Joy, resulted in Jack, the one thing that kept her going during her capture.

"Room" is a film everyone should see because of its raw realness and its ability to make you say "wow" over and over. It's not, however, the type of movie you can or will watch over and over, unless you want to feel depressed and need a good "crying movie." Brie Larson is a shoe-in for best actress and she deserves the trophy for her magnificent, layered performance. Jacob Tremblay is a marvel at only 9 years old. We think he got snubbed at the Oscars because his talent at such a young age is undeniable. The story is both distressing, heartbreaking, and uplifting all at once. It will put your own life and troubles in perspective. Lenny Abrahamson has directed a fine piece of cinema in "Room."

My Rating: 9/10
BigJ's Rating: 8.5/10
IMDB's Rating: 8.3/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 96%
Do we recommend this movie: ABSOLUTELY YES!!!

Movie Review #370: "The 5th Wave" (2016)

Movie: "The 5th Wave"
Ticket Price: $9.75
Director: J Blakeson
Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 1 hour, 52 minutes

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A spaceship begins hovering around the United States. The invading aliens start to systematically wipe out the human race one "wave" at a time via earthquake, disease, flood, etc. The few remaining survivors, including Cassie (Chloe Grace Moretz), must find a way to survive and fight back. The only problem is, the invaders look just like us. 

Dummmmmmb, da-dumb-dumb........
Dummmmmmb, da-dumb-dumb-DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUMB!!!

"The 5th Wave" is the latest in a loooooooong series of seemingly never ending science fiction/dystopic future/end of the world/young adult book-to-movie adaptations. This one revolves around an alien invasion and the systematic termination of the human race. Of course, for some random reason, kids are always the ones who can somehow stop the impending doom??? This movie starts out a little bit interesting, but falls apart quickly before it really even gets a chance to begin. First off, the pacing is atrocious. Within the first 20 minutes, we found ourselves antsy, bored, and agitated, something that doesn't happen very often when we watch movies in the theater. There are so many scenes, one after the next, that just drag on and on and on with no end in sight. On top of this, since the beginning of the movie deals with these "waves" taking place, literally and figuratively, earthquakes are happening, floods are happening, the entire first portion of the movie is a CGI-fest but the effects all look absolutely terrible. If Alex Garland can make a robot in "Ex Machina" look completely real with a $15 million budget, you damn well better believe we expect water to look like water in a movie with a $38 million dollar budget.

The vast majority of the characters here are poorly developed, too. Since this film is based on a book, we don't know if they were just poorly written from their source material, or if the screenplay writer butchered the characters in development. The film primarily focuses on Chloe Grace Moretz's character named Cassie, who spends most of her post-invasion time roaming the Ohio countryside trying to stay alive so she can find the military base where her brother Sam, played by Zackary Arthur, has been taken. The rest of her time is spent creating a relationship with a random guy named Evan, played by Alex Roe, who "stumbled upon" Cassie after she is found incapacitated by injury. Cassie's focus is split between ~*really wanting to find her brother*~ and sleeping with some random she just met in the forest. Great lesson to teach the youths, movie! Of course, secrets are revealed, yada yada blah blah blah, which are hardly secrets at all considering how blatant and obvious this film really is at its core. Meanwhile, at that military base where Sam has been taken, we are introduced to another entire cast of characters who really have no development whatsoever, but for some reason, the filmmakers want us to care about them. Even if the characters were developed, none of these characters are memorable in the slightest on top of being performed poorly. The acting is sub-par across the board, even from actors who have been good elsewhere (Maika Monroe and Tony Revolori, we know you're better than this), but for some reason, Hollywood wants us to believe people like Chloe Grace Moretz and Alex Roe are the next Bogie and Bacall. Yeah freakin' right. When acting is this poor from everyone involved in a project, we have let the blame fall on director J Blakeson, who is obviously not seasoned enough to know the difference between good and bad acting.

Beyond the aforementioned bad acting, poorly constructed characters, and snail-slow pace, we are also given a plethora of plot holes and inconsistencies throughout "The 5th Wave" that are nothing more than bad storytelling. We're not sure if these plot holes exist in the book, but they certainly exist in the movie. Plot hole after plot hole is introduced one after the other, and sometimes within the same scene, the movie contradicts itself. Without even Googling if this is a trilogy book series, we know "The 5th Wave" is meant to start another inevitable trilogy-turned-quadrility, but it is not a film that cannot stand on its own. Too much is left hanging in the air without explanation, from little things like how Maika Monroe's character Ringer alludes to 'being able to take care of herself,' which beckons an eventual backstory, to the cliffhanger ending about saving the rest of humanity. It is painfully obvious that Sony was hoping to build another franchise out of "The 5th Wave" because of these loose ends and unexplained elements, but ultimately, we are left with more questions than answers. What we witnessed in this first installment didn't leave us the least bit excited to find out what would or could be next for these characters. We've seen multiple instances over the past year (*cough* Terminator Genisys *cough*) where it was clear studios thought they could get to make multiple movies out of a fan favorite series, only this time, they flopped (and badly, we might add) to the point where we're simply left with a floundering jumping off point of a one-off standalone film riddled with endless holes and unanswered questions. Since this movie came in 6th at the box office its opening weekend, making around $10 million, we highly doubt we'll be seeing a sequel in for "The 5th Wave" in the future, so skip this one at all costs.

My Rating: 4/10
BigJ's Rating: 4/10
IMDB's Rating: 5.7/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 18%
Do we recommend this movie: No.

Movie Review #369: "The Boy" (2016)

Movie: "The Boy"
Director: William Brent Bell
Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 1 hour, 38 minutes

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Trying to leave her past behind her, Greta (Lauren Cohan) takes a surprisingly high paying job as a nanny in England. Upon arriving from the United States, she finds out the boy she is meant to watch is actually a life-sized porcelain doll. Greta thinks the doll's parents, the Heelshire's, are a little crazy, but she soon learns there may be more to the doll than she realizes, and breaking the rules could have dire consequences.

So far, 2016 has not been a great year for new movies. "Norm of the North" and "Dirty Grandpa" are already 100% locks as two of the worst films of the year, and "The Forest" is on the border by being a sub-mediocre, scareless cliche-fest. William Brent Bell's "The Boy" is the second PG-13 horror release of January 2016. Needless to say, we were a little worried going into "The Boy" as both January horror movies and PG-13 horror movies are notoriously bad. We are pleased to say, however, we rather enjoyed this film.

Like most horror films, "The Boy" is set in a creepy, isolated mansion way out in the country. In this case, the Heelshire residence is in a remote section of England with no nearby neighbors, no cell service, and no wi-fi. This leaves the protagonist Greta, played by "The Walking Dead" veteran Lauren Cohan, mostly cut off from the outside world with the exception of a landline telephone and the occasional visit from the local grocer named Malcolm, played by Rupert Evans. This setting is perfectly creepy and offers some tense mood throughout the film. Knowing this movie revolved around a disturbing looking, eerie, possibly possessed doll, we hoped this wasn't going to be another "Annabelle," which looked menacing but turned out to be really awful. Luckily, "The Boy" has a unique and original take on the whole creepy doll situation. Though this film does have some jump scares, it doesn't feel the need to rely on them or overuse them. Mostly, it relies on atmosphere, tension, and selling the feeling of isolation and uncertainty as Greta slowly starts to think she might be going crazy. The longer she is with Brahms, the more she thinks he might actually be alive...or is he?

It does have a very old-school horror feel to it packed with a more modern twist. We often felt unnerved by what was going on and really liked the mystery of it all. The general story line might be a little bit overused and full of certain horror cliches, but its execution is slightly different, and this will be divisive to some viewers. Lauren Cohan does great as she carries the majority of the movie on her own. She also has a fabulous American accent, which is something we can notice and appreciate once she drops the awful southern accent Maggie from "The Walking Dead" has. Jim Norton and Diana Hardcastle, who play Mr. And Mrs. Heelshire, though only briefly in the film, offer up the right amount of British posh with just a hefty dose of mystery and a slight sprinkling of creepy. Rupert Evans is also good, too, as he starts to think Greta is a little loopy, but slowly comes around to see what she sees about Brahms. Though it can be a little slow at times, "The Boy" winds up being a well written, solidly executed January horror film, even though there are quite a few cliches. We went in expecting a flop-fest and came out of it as shocked as ever. Who knew it was possible to make a halfway decent January horror flick?

My Rating: 7/10
BigJ's Rating: 7/10
IMDB's Rating: 6.8/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 26%
Do we recommend this movie: Sure, why not?

Netflix Instant Queue Movie Review: "Winter on Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom" (2015)

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Movie: "Winter on Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom"
Director: Evgeny Afineevsky
Year: 2015
Rating: UR
Running Time: 1 hour, 42 minutes

A look at the Euromaiden protest that began peacefully in support of European Union integration, but quickly escalated into a full-fledged violent revolution against President Viktor Yanukovych.

Director Evgeny Afineevsky offers an up close and personal look on the recent uprising in Ukraine against President Viktor Yanukovich in this stark and stunning Oscar nominated documentary "Winter on Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom." Much like "The Square," with a plot revolving around the uprising in Egypt in 2011, Netflix seems to have a penchant for documentaries where revolutions are formed out of civil unrest and government oppression. In Ukraine, it all started as a simple peaceful protest in support of Ukraine's addition into the European Union. When Viktor Yanukovych, who was president at the time, refused to join the Union, tensions began to run high. The citizens of Ukraine had seen enough, and it quickly escalated from there. What happened next was unthinkable: after just a few short days, the government turned its riot police on the peaceful crowd, beating them with "iron rods instead of plastic ones" and arresting them simply because they didn't agree with Yanukovych. This action of force had the opposite effect of what they expected.  More and more people of all ages joined in the protest, not necessarily because they wanted in the European Union, but because they saw their government using force to silence the voice of the people. Thousands became tens of thousands as the citizens of Ukraine united together to stand up against this clear act of government oppression. Eventually, what was once a peaceful demonstration escalated into a full on revolution. As displayed in "Winter on Fire," the film doesn't shy away from the harsh brutality used against the Ukrainian people. Almost immediately, the Berkut, the special forces police in Ukraine, began to beat and push its citizens to the breaking point, armed with guns, riot gear, and armored vehicles. With stick, bricks, and homemade shields, the people of Ukraine banded together in the harshness and cold of winter to stand up against the riot police as best they could to ensure their voices were heard.

This is a really powerful movie. Living in America far from this conflict, we often only hear the basic outline of a shell of a story and don't always hear about the real struggles going on in other countries. We knew of an ongoing conflict in Ukraine, but never quite understood the details until now. "Winter on Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom," like all documentaries, showcases one side of an issue in an attempt to bring it to light. Usually, it is easy to admit there is another side of the story left undisclosed, but what exactly is that other side of this true story? The side of the corrupt government that tried to silence its people and destined them to be slaughtered in both mind and body? The side of the Berkut, who were technically following orders, but savagely beat, kidnapped, and murdered their fellow countrymen and countrywomen? The side of abuse of power and lethal use of force? Unarmed protesters were continually beaten. Men and women were curled up in the fetal position on the ground while riot police stood around and clubbed and kicked them repeatedly. We watch as a person gets shot and then see another person who was simply trying to help the wounded person get shot, too. There are some truly difficult acts captured on camera throughout this ordeal and there is absolutely no justification for them. It's hard to imagine stuff like this still happens in 2016, though now in such a prevalent technological age, it is a lot harder to hide injustices since there are cameras everywhere. This documentary is both enlightening and effective. As two people who watched the uprising from the safety of their home on news from afar, we can honestly say we had no idea the lengths both sides went to to prove their point. This is the kind of documentary we love: powerful, revealing, emotional, and engaging. 

My Rating: 9/10
BigJ's Rating: 9/10
IMDB's Rating: 8.5/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 95%
Do we recommend this movie: ABSOLUTELY YES!!!
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One year ago, we were watching: 

Movie Review: "Kung Fu Panda 2" (2011)

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Movie: "Kung Fu Panda 2"
Director: Jennifer Yuh
Year: 2011
Rating: PG
Running Time: 1 hour, 31 minutes

After being banished from his homeland, a peacock named Shen (Gary Oldman) returns with a new weapon to take revenge. Now, Po (Jack Black) and the Furious Five must stop him. However, Shen has a deadly link to Po's past, one Po must uncover to truly understand where he came from. 

For all of our readers who caught our review of the original "Kung Fu Panda," you know we weren't overly fond of it (we don't think it's bad, it's just not all that great). Now, this doesn't happen very often, but "Kung Fu Panda 2" is one of those rare cases where the sequel is far more enjoyable than the original. Jack Black returns to voice main character Po, and even though he is now a full-fledged kung fu master, he is, in many ways, still the same old Po. He has a penchant for bumbling things up a bit, but is still his fat lovable self. Now, he is also an awesome kung fu fighter who can kick some serious butt. Also returning and lending their voices for this sequel are Angelina Jolie, Seth Rogen, Jackie Chan, Lucy Liu, and David Cross as The Furious Five, as well as Dustin Hoffman as Master Shifu, though Hoffman's role is much less substantial than that of the first movie. These eclectic voices bring together lots of characters who have now all accepted Po as he is and proudly fight beside him as part of a greater team. New to the cast as the villainous peacock Shen is Gary Oldman, the perfect choice for this character. Shen wants to exact revenge and reclaim his throne after being banished by his parents after he tried to kill all the pandas in China. As the profacy foretold, only one would stand in his way. Gary Oldman is great as Shen, and his voice is always perfect for a villain, be it in a live action movie or an animated one.

"Kung Fu Panda 2" is much more exciting and action-packed than its predecessor. We feel like the original simply built characters and sacrificed excitement in many places, but this sequel sure makes up for it. It also packs a much more powerful emotional punch towards the middle to end of the film. Of course, it being an animated movie for kids, it yet still remains humorous with tons of lighthearted fun. The story is much better, too, as the intriguing new bad guy lends way to some serious entertainment. As Shen uses technology to develop cannons to help him defeat kung fu masters who stand in his way this allows for an old world versus new world dynamic. The old school kung fu warriors must find a way to defeat what appears to be unbeatable in the face of great adversity. We also get more insight into Po's past and find out where he came from, which is both heartwarming and furthers the series along a nice, neat path. The story of how a goose like Mr. Ping, voiced by James Hong, became the father of a panda is really quite a touching, even when laced with noodle jokes. In the end, "Kung Fu Panda 2" is quite a large step up from the original installment, at least for us, anyway. It actually makes us a lot more interested in seeing where the third film will take us when it is released on January 29, 2016.

My Rating: 7.5/10
BigJ's Rating: 7.5/10
IMDB's Rating: 7.3/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 81%
Do we recommend this movie: Sure, why not?
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One year ago, we were watching: "The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death"

Weekend Box Office Results: January 22nd, 2016 - January 24th, 2016

"The Revenant" finally sees #1 glory; atrocious "Dirty Grandpa" somehow makes top 5

*all numerical information provided by boxofficemojo.com

"The Revenant" has finally seen victory after it dethroned "Ride Along 2" from the #1 spot after only one week. It pulled in $16,000,000 during a slow weekend, numbers probably hindered by the east coast blizzard and a lack of good content. "Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens" came in second place this weekend, making $14,257,000 in a move back into second place. Its domestic total now sits at almost $880 million and climbing. In third was "Ride Along 2," which made $12,960,000 in its second weekend out. The abomination known as "Dirty Grandpa" somehow defied all taste by coming in at #4. It made $11,525,000 as we hang our heads in shaming knowing $19.50 of our dollars went towards something that bad. Finally, "The Boy," the second of January's PG-13 horror movies, rounded out the top 5 by making $11,260,000 in its debut weekend.

		This Week	Domestic Gross
1	The Revenant	$16,000,000	$119,192,522
2	Star Wars: The Force Awakens	$14,275,000	$879,289,346
3	Ride Along 2	$12,960,000	$59,110,040
4	Dirty Grandpa	$11,525,000	$11,525,000
5	The Boy	$11,260,000	$11,260,000
6	The 5th Wave	$10,700,000	$10,700,00
7	13 Hours	$9,750,000	$33,483,429
8	Daddy's Home	$5,270,000	$138,780,265
9	Norm of the North	$4,100,000	$14,296,203
10	The Big Short	$3,500,000	$56,713,841

**See you at the movies!!**

Movie Review #368: "Dirty Grandpa" (2016)

Movie: "Dirty Grandpa"
Ticket Price: $9.75
Director: Dan Mazer
Rating: R
Running Time: 1 hour, 42 minutes

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After the death of his wife, Dick Kelly (Robert DeNiro) tricks his straight-laced, soon to be married grandson Jason (Zac Efron) into to driving him to Florida for spring break.

The impossible has been achieved.

The movie we were sure would have a long, unbroken run as the worst of 2016 has been dethroned, the record decimated in one day. 24 hours is all it took for the reign of "Norm of the North" and its horrible animation to come tumbling down at the hands of none other than the steaming pile of excrement known as "Dirty Grandpa." We are humiliated and ashamed to say we sat through this movie in its entirety, and it took everything we could, every ounce of strength in our bodies not to walk out at least a dozen times. This sentiment doesn't hold true for the rest of the crowd in the theater with us as at least three out of the six other people in the same screening straight up walked out of the theater less than halfway through this atrocity. We sat in shock and horror watching this movie and didn't hear one single, solitary, miserable laugh. There wasn't so much as a giggle or a chuckle from a single person in the theater, including ourselves. BigJ and I expected to laugh at least a little bit, but this shockingly unfunny cesspool of depravity had no humor to be seen, none. In an hour and 42 minutes, we had nothing even close to resembling a snicker, opting reflexively to hang our heads in utter shame, our jaws dropped in shock, flabbergasted by what we were witnessing transpire on the gigantic silver screen in font of us.

Robert De Niro's character, Dick Kelly, is abhorrent, and this is putting it nicely. Seriously, Max Cady from "Cape Fear" is a more likable character than Dick Kelly. What the hell possessed Robert De Niro to take this role? We're seriously asking, because we honestly have no idea. Could he need the money that bad? And what's worse, if this is the case, could he not automatically tell this film would be a complete and total flop with the potential to sign the death certificate on his drowning mess of a shambled ruin of an otherwise illustrious career? It is certainly the lowest of the low, bottom of the barrel, shoddiest, most miserable move of his professional existence. It's almost as if he didn't even read the script and simply agreed to it and was then contractually obligated to uphold his end of the contract. It's as if De Niro didn't even read the scene in which his grandson Jason, played by Zac Efron, walks in on him masturbating and keeps going until he is finished without a second thought. It's almost like De Niro didn't understand just how many times he had to stick his thumb up his grandson's butt within a 102 minute screenplay. We understand why Zac Efon takes roles like this because he thinks he is the next up and coming comedy actor even though he's astoundingly unfunny. Efron, since leaving "High School Musical" and the Disney channel behind, has been going through a downward spiral in both his career and his life, culminating in this flaming turd of a movie after we didn't think it could get any worse from him. He should thank his lucky stars each second of the day that he is considered 'Hollywood attractive,' because without his good looks, he would be mopping vomit off a McDonald's bathroom floor. Efron has the charisma and comedic timing of a tree stump. Together, he and De Niro sink both of their careers to a new low in a movie devoid of chemistry, wit, and smart comedy, but full of cliches, cringes, and eye-rolls. We are embarrassed for every actor attached to this film.

Let us tell you, our disgust has absolutely nothing to do with watching a legendary actor like Robert De Niro degrade himself for the enjoyment of assholes everywhere. We like raunchy sex comedies as much as the next people, but there's a difference between most raunchy sex comedies and "Dirty Grandpa," and that is what it considers humor. Is this is what comedy has come to today? Is implied pedophilia what people find funny? Are constant and gross rape jokes, overly offensive gay jokes, and allusions to and photographs of bestiality what some want to laugh at in 2016? Is an old man sticking his phallus in his sleeping grandson's face or jamming his thumb up his grandson's rear end really comical? Director Dan Mazer should never be able to make movies again and should be promptly be banned from Hollywood after this uncomfortable and obscene violation of cinema. John Phillips' script should have never seen the light of day and he should never be allowed to write again; even though this was his first screenplay, it should be his last, and knowing Phillips is writing the screenplay for "Bad Santa 2" makes us think twice about going to see it even though we liked the original. How does a movie like this make it through so many stages of development and nobody, not one person, thought twice to say, "you know what? Maybe we shouldn't have a child try to grab Zac Efron's penis while his dad is oblivious to it from afar in a simulated pedophilia joke." We are beyond offended and upset at "Dirty Grandpa," not only because of its absolutely tasteless jokes that only a sociopath would find funny, but because of its very existence.

My Rating: 0/10
BigJ's Rating: 0/10
IMDB's Rating: 5.8/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 6%
Do we recommend this movie: AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE!!!

Movie Review #367: "Norm of the North" (2016)

Movie: "Norm of the North"
Ticket Price: $9.75
Director: Trevor Wall
Rating: PG
Running Time: 1 hours, 26 minutes

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When Greene development company decides to build condos in the Artic, Norm (Rob Schneider), a polar bear with a unique ability to speak to humans and understand their language, travels to New York to make sure this doesn't happen. 

Watching the teeth pulling scene in "Bug" on repeat.
Having a root canal while being forced to listen to Nickleback.
Having our eyes forced/wired opened a la that scene in "A Clockwork Orange."
Being chained to a bed "Misery" style.

All of the above sound like better ways to spend an afternoon than to spend it watching "Norm of the North."

What can we really say about a movie like this? This is a picture that was originally intended for a straight-to-DVD release. It should have stayed that way because it most certainly shows within the first minute the movie gets started. We have never seen a theatrically released film look as shockingly crude as "Norm of the North." The animation quality looks like something you'd park your kids in front of on a Saturday morning, something you'd find and play on the foreign version of PBS just to get your kids out of your hair for a couple of minutes so you can have some downtime. We aren't sure what studio executive screened this film and thought, "Wow! This is a movie that deserves a theatrical release!" because there's no way in hell it should have been green-lit for the silver screen. Really, we think the studio just saw a gap in the January schedule and thought, "hey, there are no other kids movies out right now, so if we shove this abomination of a film in here, at least someone somewhere will see it." If by someone somewhere you mean literally zero people in a medium-sized theater in one of the top 10 major metropolitan cities in America. Rob Schneider should be so proud of this accomplishment.

Listen up, studio heads. We're about to get real since we know you're reading: THIS IS NOT THE WAY TO MAKE A MOVIE. Seriously, stay woke. "Norm of the North" is so poorly written, so abysmally animated, and miserably performed it makes silly animated films like "Minions" or "Home" look like "The Godfather" in comparison. The movie is content to sling poop, pee, and fart jokes around like they are going out of style. Lemmings pee in fish tanks, birds poop on people's glasses, and there is even an elongated fart scene that lasts just under one painful minute. Norm and his Lemmings dance around the screen for no reason other than to fill time due to the film's clear lack of content. Moreover, some of the jokes in this movie are just downright offensive. We as human adults aren't just offended at the jokes, though, we are offended at the lack of respect the makers of this movie have for today's kids. To think that putting on a flashy outfit means Norm has just "come out"? Complete and utter drivel and every single level imaginable. Oh, and kids will just love the Phish joke! Joke after dreadful joke slogs by this movie's incomprehensible 1 hour, 30 minute run time to the point where we wanted to leave the theater 10 minutes into it. "Norm of the North" then randomly beings to offer up a shoehorned in pro-nature, anti-urban sprawl message with a level of subtlety usually reserved for religious propaganda movies like "Left Behind" or "Kirk Cameron Saves Christmas." As very pro-nature, 'help save the environment' kinds of people, even we thought it was browbeating.

We have seen a lot, and we mean a lot of bad movies. We have even complained about wanting to leave the movie theater early because some films were just that bad. "Norm of the North" has pushed us to our breaking point. We feel slightly broken inside for having sat through this film. After all was said and done, we're not even sure it was worth the review, because in exchange, we not only have we given $19.50 to support this abomination, not only have we wasted an hour and a half of our lives that we'll never get back, but we have also given small pieces of our soul away by watching this movie in the theater. Martin Scorsese should be embarrassed that he was name-dropped here and should sue for defamation of character, and as much as we love the band Walk the Moon, they should be ashamed of themselves for having their smash hit "Shut Up and Dance" inserted into an oozing cesspool of a movie like this. "Norm of the North" is the first guaranteed lock of the new year for our worst of the worst list, and at the moment, we're hard pressed to think of a film that could potentially be worse than this obscene violation of kids and adults alike. This picture is downright dull, super stupid, lazy and detestable, and not just to parents, but to the three year old kids who will have their intelligence insulted and permanent brain damage from watching this at such a young age.

My Rating: 1/10
BigJ's Rating: 1/10
IMDB's Rating: 2.3/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 0%
Do we recommend this movie: AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE!!!

Movie Review #366: "Moonwalkers" (2016)

Movie: "Moonwalkers"
Ticket Price: $9.75
Director: Antoine Bardou-Jacquet
Rating: R
Running Time: 1 hours, 47 minutes

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In 1969, a special forces officer named Kidman (Ron Perlman), who is suffering from PTSD, is sent to England by the CIA to contact film director Stanley Kubrick and convince him to shoot a fake moon landing as a plan B just in case the Apollo 11 mission fails. When he is conned by a struggling music manager named Johnny (Rupert Grint) and his actor friend Leon (Robert Sheehan), Kidman must now find a way to pull off the biggest hoax in history without the help of the famed director before he fails his mission and must face the consequences. 

We love us some Ron Perlman.

"Moonwalkers" is a film loosely inspired by the popular conspiracy theory of how Stanley Kubrick faked the Apollo 11 moon landing. We personally don't put much (legitimate) stock in this theory, but it sure makes for a fun subject matter. Not for everyone, apparently.

This is a theory that will get you punched in the face by astronaut Buzz Aldrin. 

"Moonwalkers" manages to use said conspiracy theory without being totally disrespectful to those involved. Of course, being about Apollo 11, the film takes place in 1969, primarily in England. The opening sequence lets you know you are in for quite farcical, over-the-top experience. The opening credits run over an animated sequence that looks like "Fritz the Cat" meets the "Yellow Submarine" in a pure 60's acid trip and we absolutely loved it! Ron Perlman plays a special forces agent suffering from PTSD. The bad guy/hard ass role is sort of a typecast for Perlman, but he plays it so freaking well, we don't mind it a damn bit. Perlman offers up a commanding performance, as he always does. Unlike his Harry Potter counterparts Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson, Rupert Grint doesn't get quite as many opportunities as they do. Here, Grint plays a shady but likable music manager named Johnny, who is a little bit of a loser and doesn't have a perfect, glamorous life like he thought he would as a band manager. Grint offers up a solid performance in his own right as he cons Kidman, convincing him that his perpetually stoned actor roommate named Leon, played by Robert Sheehan, is the great Stanley Kubrick. When Kidman discovers he has been conned, Johnny is faced with a choice: pull off the movie with Leon, or be killed.

This is a quirky, offbeat dark comedy, the kind of indie movie we love. It has a surprising amount of graphic violence, violence on a Tarantino type level. Some examples of this include heads exploding in gunfights, blood and brains being showered everywhere, bodies standing headless for several seconds, etc. Much of the humor in "Moonwalkers" is handled through bizarre imagery that is often so off-the-wall random, you can't help but giggle at least a little. There is also an overall satirical nature to the whole situation and the fact that the aforementioned violence is so excessive, it makes it all the more darkly humorous. Being in the 60's, there is a ton of drug use, which allows for some creative visuals during one character's unintentional acid trip. There is a steady stream of constant nudity throughout the entire second act of the film, mainly to put some of the more straight-laced characters in uncomfortable, awkward situations for mostly comedic purposes. Going into "Moonwalkers," we knew almost nothing about it other than who starred in it, but we left the theater having had a good, fun time with its cheeky humor, its penchant for blood, and of course, Ron Perlman!

My Rating: 7.5/10
BigJ's Rating: 7.5/10
IMDB's Rating: 6.2/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 36%
Do we recommend this movie: Yes!

Movie Review #365: "Ride Along 2" (2016)

Movie: "Ride Along 2"
Director: Tim Story
Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 1 hours, 41 minutes

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Detective James Payton (Ice Cube) and probationary patrol officer Ben Barber (Kevin Hart) team up once again and head to Florida to apprehend a hacker who may have a connection to a local drug dealer. Upon their arrival, they find a much bigger case waiting for them.

The original "Ride Along" is one of the few films we missed seeing in the theater in 2014. The film made lots of money and helped cement Kevin Hart's place as a heavy hitter at the box office. Hart and Ice Cube team up once again in this buddy cop sequel. This time around, Ben Barber, played by Hart, is now an official police officer on a probationary period. As a cop, his aspirations are now to become a full-on detective like his future brother-in-law James, played by Ice Cube. As a favor to his sister Angela, played by Tika Sumpter, who is trying to prepare for her wedding, James allows Ben to come to Miami, Florida with him to pick up a hacker named A.J., played by Ken Jeong, for questioning. This will not only allow James to get Ben out of his sister's hair, but it will also show everyone on the force that Ben doesn't really have what it takes to be a detective. Once the dynamic duo arrives in Miami, all hell breaks loose as car chases, foot chases, stakeouts, and party crashings happen and go awry.

These buddy comedies are extremely reliant on the chemistry between the two lead characters. For us, Kevin Hart and Ice Cube have great chemistry, even though both of the "Ride Along" movies are just good. Ice Cube is the more hard-nosed, ill tempered tough guy, which is pretty much the persona of Ice Cube himself, and Kevin Hart is the more loud obnoxious screw-up, which is Hart's typical type cast. You are going to find a lot of the cliché cop comedy tropes in this film, including the combative captain, the corrupt politician, the wealthy and connected villain, the new hot female cop to compliment one of the protagonists, zany and over-the-top action and explosions, a major setback, and of course, some sort of a resolution. Obviously, as people going to see "Ride Along 2," we aren't really watching or paying attention for complexities, especially with it being a sequel. A well thought out plot? Not on our minds. Sure, it would be a bonus if complexities or engaging plot existed here, but what we look for in a comedy is to laugh and have a good time, and we had a decent amount of fun watching one of our favorite rappers sling blows with a comedian whose sole purpose seems to be to degrade himself and his stature by stepping into ceiling fans and pointing out his race for the joke of it all. In fact, this movie is a bit of a mess all around.

In the end, we did laugh way more than we groaned, which is more than we can say for most comedies. It is more entertaining than not, and we wound up enjoying this sequel slightly more than we did its predecessor. It took us a while to warm up to Kevin Hart when we first started watching his films, but in recent years, we have, dare we say, grown to appreciate most of his comedic efforts.

My Rating: 6/10
BigJ's Rating: 6/10
IMDB's Rating: 5.8/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 14%
Do we recommend this movie: Sure, why not?

Top 20 BEST Movies of 2015!

Welcome to our list of the BEST MOVIES of 2015!!!

Here you have it, folks! We have finally decided our 20 favorites, the 20 best movies of 2015! Obviously, we cannot count the movies that we did not see, no matter how good or critically acclaimed they are. These are our picks, and as always, we welcome discussion, debate and disagreement, just do so respectfully, please! Each film is linked with our original review. Please enjoy! :)

20) "Avengers: Age of Ultron" (9/10): We know we will catch a little bit of flack for this, but damn it, "Avengers: Age of Ultron" is a good movie! Sure, it might not be as awesome as the original "Avengers" flick and it be a bit of a mess in its execution, but we still liked its mix of fun, exciting, and dark tones. There a lot of characters here, but the way the Marvel Universe is headed, it seems as though they are only going to get more rich and full with heroes and villains. We loved watching this movie in the theater, and with Marvel's signature (and winning!) combination of comedy and action, we had a good time with this one.

19) "Dope" (8.75/10): Poignant, funny, and different, "Dope" stands out in our minds as being one of the most unexpected and unexpectedly amazing movies of the year as far as content. Witty dialogue, a kickass soundtrack, and some incredible performances by newcomers Shameik Moore, Tony Revolori, and Kiersey Clemons, "the way it melds the old 1990's style, music and habits with modern technology, a new sound and a fresh perspective, makes this a must see!"

18) "The Hateful Eight" (8.75/10): Though "The Hateful Eight" is not Quentin Tarantino's best film, saying this basically means nothing since all of his films are amazing. This one is really great, and even with a few minor gripes from us, it was still one of our favorite movies from 2015. Brimming with violence and juxtaposed with beautiful cinematography and one of the best scores of the year, this film is not for the faint of heart, but sure is a good freakin' time to watch!

17) "Paddington" (9/10): If you would have asked us when 2015 started if we thought "Paddington" would be in our top 20 favorite films of the year based solely on its trailer, we would have laughed in your face. Don't judge a movie by its trailer, folks, because this film about a talking bear is simply a delight! BigJ and I loved this one and left the theater with our faces hurting from all the smiling we did. The story is adorable, the acting is surprisingly great, and it is a movie kids will love for the cute little bear and adults will enjoy for the nostalgia factor. Give this flick a chance, please!

16) "Amy" (9/10): We rarely get to see documentaries in the theater because they just don't come to our area that often. As a huge fan of Amy Winehouse, I knew we needed to make the longish drive to an out of the way theater so I could see this film. Man, we were not disappointed. "Amy" is the brilliant documentary showcasing the life of a singer who was lost too soon. Winehouse, in her own words via clips and home videos, talks about her life, her music, her loves, and of course, her lyrical genius. "She had her demons, yes, but this does not diminish the incredible voice she had, and the soul she put into her records while she was on this planet. It does not lessen the gift she gave those of us willing to hear it." A superbly made documentary, one we will be rooting for at the Oscars this year.

15) "Kingsman: The Secret Service" (9/10): Completely kick ass, full of over-the-top violence, and brimming with profanity, "Kingsman: The Secret Service" was one of our most anticipated films of 2015, and it did not disappoint us one bit! The ending alone is worth checking out, but the entire movie is quite marvelous to say the least. Colin Firth shocked us by stepping brilliantly into a dominant action role, and as always, Samuel. L. Jackson impressed us as the film's resident baddie. Ballsy, cheeky, fantastic.

14) "Steve Jobs" (9/10): Even though this movie notoriously flopped at the box offices in 2015, "Steve Jobs" is a crisply, sharply written, dialogue heavy drama about the man who made Apple, well, Apple. Michael Fassbender truly transformed into Jobs himself, Kate Winslet was excellent as his assistant, and with Aaron Sorkin's dramatic flair and Danny Boyle's engrossing direction, needless to say, we were impressed.

13) "99 Homes" (9/10): The trailers for "99 Homes" made it look overly dramatic and supremely cheap. With low expectations, we came out of the theater heartbroken and blown away by what we had just watched. Andrew Garfield and Michael Shannon, two actors we were not overly fond of, put on spectacular performances in a depressingly bleak look at how two men turned a profit from the housing market collapse in 2007-2008. A very underrated and under-seen film, please, check this one out ASAP.

12) "The Big Short" (9/10): This film has been getting tons of backlash lately and quite frankly, we don't get it. Considerably dramatic and sharply written, "The Big Short" will leave you speechless about what really happened during the 2007 economic collapse. Mixing dark humor with real life drama, a documentary-esque filming style, and a breaking of the "fourth wall" (and subsequently all the rules), Adam McKay has directed a fantastic picture full of excellent performances by Christian Bale and Steve Carell that serves as "a timely warning and a stark reminder all at once."

11) "Straight Outta Compton" (9/10): As middle class white kids from the suburbs of San Diego, we were naturally big fans of N.W.A (they said ironically). "Straight Outta Compton" breezed by its longish run time so much so that we wanted more when we left the theater. With brilliantly executed performances, an enthralling true story, and a kick ass soundtrack, it goes beyond the music, also dealing "with pertinent political issues just as prevalent today as they were when N.W.A. was at its peak." Not just for fans of the rap group.

Click the link below to see our TOP 10 FAVORITE MOVIES OF 2015!!!