Monday, January 30, 2017

Top 15 WORST MOVIES of 2016!

Hello, movie fans! Welcome to our third annual WORST MOVIES OF THE YEAR list, 2016 edition!

Clearly we're late getting this list online, and we apologize, but we wanted to make sure there weren't any other stinkers floating around the cinema as December stragglers are often released in January the following year! All of the movies on this list were seen in the theater with the exception of one and link back to our original reviews (if you're interested in reading them). After much consideration and a whole lot of wasted minutes, here are our picks for the worst movies of 2016!!
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15) "Wiener-Dog" (2/10): Director Todd Solondz is only concerned with shocking and horrifying his audience in "Wiener-Dog," and maybe we're not in his target demographic, but either way, his outlook on life is so negative, so cynical, so unimaginably depressing, it makes for a miserable viewing experience. Even with the cutest dog on the planet as its "star," long tracking shots of bloody diarrhea, talks about dog rape, and its ending are not our cup of tea and make this movie "feel like it's wanting and trying so hard to be insightful and profound, yet it feels completely dishonest and facile." No thanks.
14) "Collateral Beauty" (2.75/10): Oscar winners Helen Mirren and Kate Winslet, and Oscar nominees Will Smith, Edward Norton, Naomie Harris and Keira Knightley couldn't make "Collateral Beauty" any less of a vindictive, bitter, steaming pile of disingenuous, flawed garbage. The trailers for this film were insanely misleading, and not in a good way. "This film is the definition of "click-bait." It's shallow, a terrible waste of precious movie watching minutes, and if Helen Mirren can't make it better? You know you're screwed.
13) "When the Bough Breaks" (2/10): "Fatal Attraction" light, but even more terribly paced, even more awfully acted, and way, way more lazy. "When the Bough Breaks" is a boring, lifeless cliche of an erotic thriller. Morris Chestnut and Regina Hall deserve better than this.
12) "The Bronze" (2/10): We say this time and time again when we review movies: dropping F-bombs does not serve as a joke alone. You can't just run around screaming the F-word and expect it to be hilarious. Add this to an already wholly unlikable, mean-spirited main character and absolutely no humor whatsoever and you've got "The Bronze" in a nutshell. There's no redemption to be had here, apart from one scene, and we could barely muster up a chuckle or two even then. 
11) "The Disappointments Room" (2/10): A movie called "The Disappointments Room" is already seemingly doomed to be a disappointment. This film is a turd if we've ever seen one. There's no organic flow whatsoever. The narrative is messy and trite, the acting is bloody awful, and the filmmaker uses cheap, innocuous jump scares, plenty of false foreshadowing, and red herrings to distract from the fact that there's no real movie of substance here. There are no thrills or chills, so it's best to avoid this one.
10) "Nine Lives" (2/10): There has been a surge of the in defense of "Nine Lives" posts recently, and we truly question the sanity of anyone who would defend such a flagrantly awful film. We really said it best in our original review, so allow us to quote it: "If you're like us and what appears to be the majority of sane moviegoers and critics, you see this steaming pile of cat feces for exactly what it is: a veritable pissing contest between two highly detestable characters, a CGI-infested shitshow, and a collective effort on the part of Hollywood to capitalize on the gullible public at large by making a man trapped in the body of a cat the star of this foolish, idiotic, "brainless, dickless, hopeless" dumpster fire of a movie as they laugh at poor suckers like us for falling for their chicanery. Do anything else. Watch paint dry. Get kicked in the privates. Eat worms. Get a root canal instead. We have no idea what possessed Kevin Spacey to make this film, but we hope he has been released from his hostage takers."
9) "Shut In" (1.5/10): Another entry into the "how did this get made?!" hall of fame. "Shut In" is moronic at best, a miserable slog at worst. It's supposed to be a thriller, but there are no thrills to be had. It's supposed to be a mystery, but the mystery is so far removed from anything going on in the rest of the film, it's like it was pieced together from other, better films. It's lazy, simpleminded, dull, inept, full of jump scares, and the twist? DEAR LORD, THE TWIST. We literally laughed out loud in the theater at how bad it is. Naomi Watts used to be someone...
8) "XOXO" (1.5/10): The only non-theatrical entry to grace our list this year. Netflix has been on top of it when it comes to putting out consistent original content. However, not all of it is good. "XOXO" is one of those "not so good" movies. In fact, it downright sucks. "This is a boring, childish movie with no characters we care about, no engaging situations, and terrible acting to boot." Add in zero substance, a hefty dose of gay panic, and atrocious music, and you've got one hell of a miserable viewing experience.
7) "Mother's Day" (1.5/10): Director Garry Marshall passed away last year. It's sad because he used to be a pretty good director. It's a shame "Mother's Day" will be his last project. This movie is the exact same as Marshall's two previous holiday-related films, "Valentine's Day" and "New Year's Eve." "They all feature an obscene amount of stars (be they A or Z list, relevant or not) with an obscene amount of bad editing (both sound and scene) and obscene amounts of horrendous comedy (involving racist, sexist, ageist, ableist, and weight jokes) and an obscene amount of unnecessary minutes from start to finish." Want to know a secret? We literally copy pasted the review for all three of these films and all of them fit for each individual movie. They are that formulaic, and they are that bad.
6) "Bad Santa 2" (1.25/10): We really like the original "Bad Santa." That movie has the right amount of mean nastiness and sexual innuendo. We're all for "too much" dirt and grime a la "Sausage Party" from earlier in 2016, but the dirt and grime in "Bad Santa 2" is never necessary, never fitting, and most importantly, never makes one solid joke. Every single one of the actors involved in this sequel, guaranteed, did this film for a quick paycheck, and it certainly shows. None of the main three characters wind up being likable in the slightest this time around, and the new characters aren't well written enough to make us care about them. This movie is dreadful.
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Movie Review: "Resident Evil: Retribution" (2012)

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Movie: "Resident Evil: Retribution"
Director: Paul W.S. Anderson
Year: 2012
Rating: R
Running Time: 1 hour, 36 minutes

Alice (Milla Jovovich), now back in the clutches of the Umbrella corporation, must team up with an old enemy to escape Umbrella's super secret underground training facility. 

"Resident Evil: Retribution" is once again written and directed by Paul W.S. Anderson. It stars the returning Milla Jovovich as the now-not-so-super-soldier Alice who, despite losing her superhuman abilities in the previous installment, still manages to do some pretty physics-defying stunts. Like many times before, Alice wakes up, almost naked, and finds herself in the clutches of the Umbrella corporation. She quickly dons a tight leather outfit with tons of needless buckles that she managed to put on in just a few seconds. Now dressed for battle, she must trust an old enemy so she can fight her way through a secret training facility and again escape the clutches of Umbrella, which is now run by The Red Queen from the original film. That's not all that's back in this fifth film in the series as Michelle Rodriguez shows up again despite being killed off in the first film. Dat you, Lettie? This new version of her character Rain is obviously a clone, and there are multiples of her in the film as there are several characters. A few other thought-to-be-deceased characters pop back up as well because why the hell not at this point? Logic and good decisions went out the door halfway through the original "Resident Evil" film. This clone storyline only serves as a way to bring back old characters and to try and close plotholes about Umbrella's endless supply of soldiers, even during a zombie-like apocalypse.

Where the previous Anderson directed "Resident Evil" films (the first one and "Resident Evil: Afterlife") have been methodically paced, even to their detriment, "Resident Evil: Retribution" goes completely in the opposite direction as this film seems like one giant, extended, endless action sequence. Overall, it is really just chaos comprised of a series of fights, shootouts, and car chases from start to finish. There is barely anything here that remotely resembles a plot or a proper narrative, but keep in mind, it *is* the fifth movie in a series that never really needed to be five films long. This movie is comprised of a group of people shooting guns at an endless supply of disposable villains with an endless supply of bullets. There are no real stakes, which has sort of been a running theme of the series for the last two films. Boooooring.

Watching this movie is sort of like watching someone else play a video game at your house, except with a weaker narrative and far less fun. By the time "Resident Evil: Retribution" reaches its conclusion, it only serves to prove how pointless the last two films actually were. It's safe to say we have absolutely no ambition or hope for the "Final Chapter," that is, if it's the final chapter at all.


My Rating: 3/10
BigJ's Rating: 3/10
IMDB's Rating: 5.4/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 31%
Do we recommend this movie: AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE!!!

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Sunday, January 29, 2017

Movie Review: "Patriots Day" (2016)

Movie: "Patriots Day"
Director: Peter Berg
Rating: R
Running Time: 2 hours, 13 minutes
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The story of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing that left three dead and hundreds injured, as well as the subsequent manhunt for the the Russian and Kyrgyzstan-born terrorists that killed two more police officers and wounded many others during the chase. 

"Patriots Day" is directed by Peter Berg, who seems to have really found his niche making true life stories starring Mark Wahlberg. The two have collaborated previously on "Lone Survivor" and "Deepwater Horizon," both of which were much better than we expected. This film tells the story of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing and the subsequent manhunt that followed looking for the suspects. It stars Mark Wahlberg as Tommy Saunders, who is a fictional amalgam of characters created for this story to represent many police officers and law enforcement officials  involved in the actual events. Joining him are John Goodman as Police Commissioner Ed Davis, Kevin Bacon as FBI Special Agent Richard DesLauriers, Michelle Monaghan as nervous telephone wife #837363727 Carol Saunders, Michael Beach as Governor Deval Patrick, and J.K. Simmons as heroic policeman Sergeant Jeffery Pugliese. Having the thankless job of playing the infamous terrorists are Themo Melikidze, who plays the Russian-born Tamerlan Tsarnev, and Alex Wolff, who plays his Kyrgyzstan-born brother Dzhokhar Tsarnev. 

Some may say it's a bit too soon to capitalize on such a tragedy, and frankly, we wouldn't disagree. We had reservations going into "Patriots Day," especially considering the trailers ramped up the Americana and hyper-dramatized the moments after the attacks. That being said, Peter Berg does a decent job in staying respectful of the incident and those involved in it. He introduces the key people who play a vital role in this tragedy, whether they be victims, the terrorists, or the law enforcement officers that helped bring them to justice. Due to time constraints, he only touches on each individual person briefly, just enough to introduce them and give the audience a slight sense of who they are so we know whether or not to love or hate them. The one character that does get the most development is Wahlberg's Tommy Saunders who, as mentioned above, also happens to be the one fictional person in the entire movie.

Regardless of the "too soon" aspect, still, "Patriots Day" is a gripping action film that keeps us engaged in the event unfolding on screen. Most of us remember that day quite clearly, even those of us on the west coast. As someone who stayed up until mid-morning the day the two suspects were being chased across Boston, obsessing over every move in real time, this film still managed to be enthralling, even when knowing every detail of the outcome. It's also very entertaining and exciting, an edge of your seat viewing experience with a solid tribute to the officials tasked with handling the aftermath and those who chased the terrorists down in an effort to bring justice to the people who lost their lives, spirits, and limbs in the bombings. Of course, it also has an overabundance of American symbolism, so much so that  it might prompt Michael Bay to say "you laid in on a bit thick, Berg." That being said, it does invoke a certain sense of national pride and may leave you chanting "USA! USA! USA!" when it is all over. It stays mostly true to the real life events, just in case you forgot them from a couple of years ago.


My Rating: 7.5/10
BigJ's Rating: 7.5/10
IMDB's Rating: ~7.6/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: ~79%
Do we recommend this movie: Yes!

**To review this movie for yourself on one of the best websites on the internet, visit filmfed.com!*
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Saturday, January 28, 2017

Movie Review: "The Founder" (2017)

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Movie: "The Founder"
Director: John Lee Hancock
Rating: PG-13

Running Time: 1 hour, 55 minutes

The story of Ray Kroc and his rise from meager milkshake machine salesman to the head of the massive international fast food giant, McDonald's. 

"The Founder" is directed by John Lee Hancock, who has directed films like "The Blind Side" and "Saving Mr. Banks." It is written by Robert D. Siegel, who is best known for writing "The Wrestler." It tells the story of Ray Kroc, played by Michael Keaton, who at 50-something years old switched from selling milkshake mixers to selling franchises of McDonald's restaurants. He goes into to business with the McDonald brothers, Dick and Mac, played by Nick Offerman and John Caroll Lynch, who invented the fast service format we know today and founded the company McDonald's in Santa Monica, CA. Kroc, however, convinced them to franchise their restaurant under the condition that they could maintain quality control standards and have the final say on any and all changes. As time passes, Kroc grows weary of having to gain approval from these two very cautious businessmen and eventually begins to seize control of the company, forcing the McDonald brothers out of the business they built together and put their name on before having it stolen from them.

This is one of those biopics about a protagonist who is both wildly successful and a pretty big asshole. This is not uncommon in these types of stories as there is more drama in the lives of less agreeable people. It is interesting in that Ray Kroc essentially stole McDonald's restaurant from the McDonald brothers, though much of its success is due to his persistence in pushing the franchise model. It is unfortunately naturally part of the American dream, achieved by stepping on those who get in your way, an honest and disappointing fact of life. Michael Keaton is one of the greatest living actors around and does a fantastic job portraying this character who walks the fence between outgoing, likable, success-driven businessman and ruthless, complete and total jerk. He is a charming guy who seemed to start his business with the best of intentions but lets his desire for success and money overtake whatever prior relationships he may have formed. Offerman and Lynch also are great as the McDonald brothers, whose trusting nature becomes their demise in the end. Their own business is yanked right from under them, and instead of fighting a battle they know they could not win, they settled and let Kroc walk all over them.

This is a movie that will make you want to eat a hamburger after you watch it, but it will also make you never want to step foot in a McDonald's ever again. When you see how ruthless Kroc was in obtaining the company, it's hard to justify supporting it, even though he did provide opportunities for average people to make a decent living back in the day. The acting here is all around excellent and the story is almost entirely compelling, though a little more drama and suspense could have done "The Founder" good because it does feel aslowe slowly paced at times.


My Rating: 7.5/10
BigJ's Rating: 7/10
IMDB's Rating: 7.3/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 81%
Do we recommend this movie: Sure, why not?

**To review this movie for yourself on one of the best websites on the internet, visit filmfed.com!*
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Friday, January 27, 2017

Movie Review: "20th Century Women" (2016)

Movie: "20th Century Women"
Director: Mike Mills
Rating: R
Running Time: 1 hour, 59 minutes
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A woman (Annette Bening) tries to connect to her teenage son (Lucas Jade Zumann) with the help of her tenant (Greta Gerwig) and her son's friend Julie (Elle Fanning) in 1979. 

"20th Century Women" is written and directed by Mike Mills, who is known for the films "Beginners" and "Thumbsucker." This is a slice of life drama/comedy about a 55-year-old woman named Dorothea, played by Annette Bening, her 15-year-old son Jamie, played by Lucas Jade Zumann, and the other two most influential women in his life, Abbie, played by Greta Gerwig, the 30-something art student and photographer renting a room in their house, and Julie, played by Elle Fanning, Jamie's best friend whom he loves, though she doesn't like him in that way. It all takes place in 1979, which was not only a coming-of -age moment for Jamie, but a turning point for the entire country as it was about to enter the consumer-driven, materialistic age of the 80's.

This is a magnificently acted film. Annette Bening puts of an Oscar worthy performance, and we personally think it's a real shame she was not recognized for her efforts here. It is a very understated and nuanced performance as she is a woman who wants to grow and change, but is still a little stuck in her old ways. Dorthea is smart, but also has a lot to learn about the ever-expanding world around her. She invites strangers and minor acquaintances to dinner parties to her house, but doesn't understand why Black Flag is so popular with the youth of 1979. She seems to be settled and fine without a man but she surrounds herself with people just to the point where she'll never truly be lonely. She and her son Jamie have a strained relationship being that he is 15 years old and is a tad rebellious. Because of this, she has asked two other important women in his life to help out, which leads us to another stellar performance given by Greta Gerwig. Her character Abbie is the young, free-spirited feminist photographer renting a room from Dorthea. Though she is still playing slightly to type as a New York educated artist, Gerwig is able to expand beyond that role to give an incredibly heartfelt performance which, again, we're shocked and saddened didn't get recognized at the Oscars this year. Billy Crudup plays William, another tenant in Dorothea's home. He also puts on an excellent performance as a hippie type who likes to work with his hands. Finally, Jamie and Julie, played by Fanning, have an excellent rapport as friends, even though Jamie wants to be more than that and it's causing a strain on their relationship as well. They are both excellent together and apart, and we're continually amazed by how great Elle Fanning is as an actress.

"20th Century Women" is an extremely progressive film that doesn't shy away from discussing any and all. As Abbie and Julie begin to share their lives with Jamie, its characters frequently reference menstruation, sex, what makes a man a man, what makes a woman a woman, loneliness, happiness, clitoral stimulation, feminism, and other such subjects, which we think makes for an extremely unique movie going experience and serves to break down barriers of these once taboo happenings. Mills uses a lot of really interesting camerawork and other artistic techniques to explores these themes and each character's past and future through little montages and segues. Altogether, this is an exceptionally put together movie.

Overall, this is a very engaging film, though it can be a little slow at times due to its lack of a straightforward narrative. Because of this, the film does meander a bit, but if you can get past this, it is a fantastic indie movie with brilliant performances made for a forward-thinking crowd. Mike Mills has truly crafted something special in this semi-autobiographical film.


My Rating: 8.5/10
BigJ's Rating: 8/10
IMDB's Rating: 7.7/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 90%
Do we recommend this movie: Yes!

**To review this movie for yourself on one of the best websites on the internet, visit filmfed.com!*
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Thursday, January 26, 2017

Short Film Review: "Here Lies Joe" (2016)

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Movie: "Here Lies Joe"
Director: Mark Battle
Year: 2016
Rating: ---
Running Time: 23 minutes

"Here Lies Joe" is a short character sketch about a suicidal man named Joe (Dean Temple), who joins a self-help group and bonds with a suicidal girl named Z (Andi Morrow) over their mutual desire to kill themselves. In their bonding over their desire to die, they may actually find a reason to live.

This is a brief yet emotional and poignant short film that shows filmmakers often don't need a long-winded plot bogged down with a hundred places, people, and things to get the point across. This short is all about the need and desire for human interaction and connection. It is directed by Mark Battle, who also wrote the short with Pamela Conway. We were lucky enough to get a chance to see the film and really enjoyed it. We definitely recommend seeking this out this short for its great acting and its honest story. It's a fantastic way to spend 23 minutes and is concise, well made, and rather telling for such a short amount of time.

My Rating: 8/10
BigJ's Rating: 7/10
IMDB's Rating: 9.4/10
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Movie Review: "Resident Evil: Afterlife" (2010)

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Movie: "Resident Evil: Afterlife"
Director: Paul W.S. Anderson
Year: 2010
Rating: R
Running Time: 1 hour, 37 minutes

Alice (Milla Jovovich) continues her fight against the Umbrella corporation while also looking for a safe haven from the zombie apocalypse. 

"Resident Evil: Afterlife" is written by Paul W.S. Anderson, who also resumes his position in the directors chair after a two film layoff. Milla Jovovich returns as Alice, the former Umbrella security agent and now genetically enhanced super soldier who is living out her days in the zombie apocalypse.

This movie picks up where the previous one left off, in an underground Umbrella facility in Japan. In an over-the-top opening action sequence, the facility must fend off an attack from Alice and all of the Alice clones that were introduced in "Resident Evil: Extinction." The clones run around performing gravity-defying stunts, using their Jean Grey-like telekinesis to fight off the endless onslaught of soldiers Umbrella has in their arsenal. Towards the end of this comical action sequence, the real Alice pops up and is surprise-injected with the T-virus antidote by Mr. Smith-knockoff Albert Wesker, played terribly by Shawn Roberts, taking away all her previous super powers, which begs the question, why even give her powers if they were only going to take them away? 

Now that Paul W.S. Anderson is back at the helm, we see a return to the slower pacing that was present in the original "Resident Evil." It opens with a balls-to-the-wall action sequence, then slows back down as Alice heads to Alaska searching for a safe haven. Rejoining her there is Claire Redfield, played by Ali Larter, who despite first popping up completely covered in mud and disheveled in appearance, shows up in the very next scene with washed and styled hair, perfectly done makeup, and freshly washed clothes. That's continuity for you. From there, "Resident Evil: Afterlife" features a lot more slow searching and a few more character introductions, though as is true for all of the "Resident Evil" movies, none of these people ever truly really get developed. From there, there are a series of massively contrived plot points to drive our protagonist towards another showdown with the Umbrella corporation.

"Resident Evil: Afterlife" manages to be just as dumb as all of the previous installments while being far less fun. Now, it's even more full of even more terribly CGIed dogs and "Predator"-like zombie tongues lashing out at their victims in a dopey way. At this point, getting through this series is becoming increasingly more difficult than we anticipated, and our enthusiasm for the upcoming "Final Chapter" dwindles with each installment we watch.


My Rating: 3/10
BigJ's Rating: 3/10
IMDB's Rating: 5.9/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 23%
Do we recommend this movie: AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE!!!

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Tuesday, January 24, 2017

Movie Review: "The Bye Bye Man" (2017)

Movie: "The Bye Bye Man"
Director: Stacy Title
Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 1 hour, 36 minutes
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A trio of college kids move into an old house off campus. Strange things begin happening almost immediately, leading them to a nightstand with an odd series of writings about a name that, when read, thought, or spoken, unleashes horror on all who hear it.

"The Bye Bye Man" is directed by Stacy Title and is based on the book "The Bridge to Body Mountain" by Robert Damon Schneck. It stars Douglas Smith, Cressida Bonas, and Lucien Laviscount as roommates Elliot, Sasha, and John. They've recently rented a fully furnished yet fairly dilapidated house off campus. As soon as they move in, weird things start happening. One evening, Elliott notices some writing inside of the nightstand in his room and finds the name "The Bye Bye Man" written inside, which is one of the dumbest damn names for a horror villain ever created. Once read and uttered, this being unleashes torment on all who hear its name.

Yeah...sometimes our job sucks.

This movie is completely stupid in every single solitary way. It is a miserable failure on concept alone. Even if you accept the concept, the narrative is downright terrible and so poorly put together, we found ourselves shaking our heads by the movie's end that this got a theatrical release. It's a god awful film, there's just no way around it. There are a fair share of needless jump scares, but any attempt to create a creepy mood fails miserably. It is loaded with bad CGI, especially when implemented on the Bye Bye Man's hell hound demon dog creature thing he has with him because reasons. And speaking of "reasons," there isn't much of a purpose for anything in this movie relating to the villain. Why does the Bye Bye Man exist at all? Why does he have a dog? Why did the animators travel back in time to produce some "The Mummy Returns"-level CGI implementation on said demon dog? Does the Bye Bye Man drop coins everywhere other than to generate a creepy jingle noise? Is Elliot the only one who hears train noises? None of these questions are answered or even remotely explained in the first place, they are simply there because this film is an incoherent mess of banality. There is no backstory, no real goal of the villain or the protagonists, no nothing.

 The one thing that is apparent is the fact that "The Bye Bye Man" is complete and utter tripe and is full of genre contrivances borrowed from other movies that did them better, even crappy ones like the first "Ouija," which we hated! There are plenty of cliche moments where one of the characters, and keep in mind that this film exists in modern times, goes to the library for research instead of grabbing their cell phone. From there, he tries to use a search engine on the internet, which is just called Search because those Google rights never came through, and types in things you know would get at least a hundred thousand hits, but comes up with nothing. Everything, right down to the origin of the nightstand, every new moment is as terrible as the last. There is also the tried and true meeting an exposition person, played inexplicably by the once great Faye Dunaway, who only serves to tell Elliot about occurrences we've already seen happen on screen within the first five minutes of the film.

 Half of the stuff that is supposed to be scary winds up unintentionally being comical. This is because of the absolutely atrocious acting.We are hard pressed to think of a film in recent memory which contains worse acting than this one. Cressida Bonas gives downright terrible moments of dialogue delivery, and we have nothing against her, but she may want to switch professions because we don't even know if acting lessons can save her. There is even one scene where she looks totally confused as to what to do with her hands while she's talking...on camera...while being film...for a movie....It's not like the other actors are any better either. Erica Tremblay also has some horrendous line delivery, though it is excusable  because she is just a little kid. It's safe to say she did not inherit her brother's acting abilities.

In the end, "The Bye Bye Man" is definitely not worth your money, nor is it worth your time or brain power. Like its main villain, this movie is better off never spoken about, never ever ever. Forget it exists because it truly is one of the worst movies of the year...and remember, it's only January.


My Rating: 1/10
BigJ's Rating: 1.5/10
IMDB's Rating: 3.8/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 22%
Do we recommend this movie: AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE!!!

**To review this movie for yourself on one of the best websites on the internet, visit filmfed.com!*
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Movie Review: "Tower" (2016)

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Movie: "Tower"
Director: Keith Maitland
Year: 2016
Rating: NR
Running Time: 1 hour, 36 minutes

An examination of the 1966 University of Texas mass shooting as told through interviews with those who experienced it first hand. 

"Tower" is a documentary directed by Keith Maitland. It rebuilds the events of the 1966 University of Texas mass shooting through interviews with witnesses and victims who experienced it first hand, as well as through photographs and video footage taken on the fateful day. Keith Maitland takes a unique approach to the genre by creating a reenactment of the event through the use of rotoscoping. Those involved in the movie take live action reenactments, videos, and photos and trace over them with animation. This is a tragic and truly unthinkable event. When told via this recreation, it helps give a visual relationship to what is being said in the interviews beyond merely people talking to a camera. It makes the film feel less like a documentary and more like a Ralph Bakshi animated feature. It helps create an exceedingly palpable emotional feeling that goes beyond just listening to interviews and hearing stories.

These interviews are heartbreaking, whether they come from victims of the gunman or from witnesses and bystanders. We hear stories about how many people saw others in trouble and possibly dying, but were too scared and fearful for their own lives to help. Others braved the danger to help those in need, only to turn around and feel guilt about how they didn't act sooner. "Tower" shows both the inspiration of those willing to help others at the risk of their own lives, as well as the monstrosities man is capable of. We may never understand why a former soldier climbed a clock tower one day and decided to start shooting people at random, but then again, maybe we shouldn't want to understand what drives someone to do such horrific things. Maybe it's better we can't understand it.

"Tower" is a very well made, ultra compelling and engaging documentary that is supremely emotional and devastating to see reenacted. It brought us to tears on multiple occasions when hearing the stories of suffering, bravery, and loss, but also when hearing about people's selflessness during such terror. Despite taking place over 50 years ago, a film like this is still, unfortunately, feels all too relevant as events like this continue to happen in great number today. With the use of rotoscoping, director Keith Maitland has created a unique documentary about an all too familiar subject matter. This is a must see for documentary lovers.


My Rating: 9/10
BigJ's Rating: 9/10
IMDB's Rating: 7.9/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 100%
Do we recommend this movie: ABSOLUTELY YES!!!

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Monday, January 23, 2017

Movie Review: "Resident Evil: Extinction" (2007)

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Movie: "Resident Evil: Extinction"
Director: Russell Mulcahy
Year: 2007
Rating: R
Running Time: 1 hour, 34 minutes

Alice (Milla Jovovich) and the others survive in a post-zombie apocalyptic wasteland while the Umbrella corporation still tries to develop a super soldier using Alice's blood.
"Resident Evil: Extinction" is the third film in the "Resident Evil" series. It is directed by Russell Mulcahy, who is probably best known for directing the 1986 cult classic "Highlander." Once again, Paul W.S. Anderson returns as the writer for this installment. Also returning is Milla Jovovich, reprising her role as the superhuman Alice, as well as Mike Epps and Oded Fehr as L.J. and Carlos. Finally, Ian Glenn returns as the maniacal Dr. Isaacs, who is still busy trying to develop the perfect super soldier with the T-virus.

Despite having the same writer in every installment thus far, we have received three distinctly different films in terms of tone and look. The first film is slow, dark and horror-driven, and it is also quite self serious. The second installment is much more wild and goofy; it's essentially an over the top action film with some comedic elements. This third film has shifted back to the self serious tone, but with a dusty looking overlay and takes place in a post-apocalyptic wasteland with vehicles and settings that look as if they were borrowed directly from the set of "The Road Warrior." In fact, this film hardly has an identity of its own and just seems to borrow a bunch of elements from many other better movies. There are new characters and actors added to this installment, but frankly, we really don't care about them as they aren't developed in any way. They are essentially a group of people who travel around in Mad Max cars just trying to survive this apocalypse. Meanwhile, the Umbrella corporation is still trying to develop this super soldier, as well as an antidote for the virus that spread and wiped out most of humanity, though we can't imagine why since the world is now completely destroyed. You also have to wonder who is maintaining all their equipment if the overwhelming majority of the population are the infected undead...but we may be thinking about this a little too hard.

Whatever silliness that was added in the second installment of this series is now long gone, and what we are left with in "Resident Evil: Extinction" is another run of the mill action flick that doesn't hold our attention long enough for us to car about the new character or even the plight of the old ones. The director and writer keep adding plot details and caveats that have never been discussed or present in the series before in an effort to keep things new and fresh, but we simply question these choices since they were never there in the first place. We get that the series has to evolve but, you know, you *might* want to mention that Alice is telekinetic right after it happens.


My Rating: 4/10
BigJ's Rating: 4/10
IMDB's Rating: 6.3/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 22%
Do we recommend this movie: No.

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Movie Review: "Weiner" (2016)

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Movie: "Weiner"
Director: Josh Kriegman & Elyse Steinberg
Year: 2016
Rating: R
Running Time: 1 hour, 36 minutes

A look into Anthony Weiner's run for mayor of New York City after his public sexting scandal. 

"Weiner" is a documentary directed by Josh Kriegman and Elyse Steinberg. It follows Anthony Weiner and his run for New York City mayor following his resignation from Congress after his sexting scandal hit the world wide web. His controversy captured the attention of the whole country because you the irony of a guy named Anthony Weiner getting in trouble for texting pictures of his weiner to some lady online is just too deep and too perfect to ignore. Despite that, Anthony pressed forward and decided to run for mayor, hoping the good people of NYC would rub off his faux pas and forgive him. All things considered, as far as scandals go, sending a dick pic and some dirty messages to a consenting partner doesn't rank that high on the list of messed up things politicians have done in the grand scheme of things. Of course, it's jacked up to say the least and absolutely abhorrent considering he is married and went behind his wife's back to talk to other women. It's even worse when you realize he often took photos of himself while his infant son was present. This was all, of course, before his latest scandal involving an underage girl came to light.

This is a documentary that started off as one thing and ended up another. At the beginning of filming, there was no way the filmmakers could have never known the things to come for Weiner. This starts out as what seems like a triumphant return for a once-disgraced congressman, thinking he could beat it and overcome his scandal...or at least that's what it was when he signed on to participate in the film. Weiner is shown as a no-nonsense candidate that speaks his mind with a brash attitude as he fights tooth and nail for what he believes in. He actually gained quite a good momentum early on in the race until a new scandal arose and everyone realized he's a big ol' dick. Another thing that really comes through here is the arrogance and self-centered nature of a politician like Weiner who ruined his career on his own with his own vices. It turns out, Weiner didn't learn from his mistakes and continued with his extramarital activities despite being caught with his pants down in the past.

We were absolutely enthralled by "Weiner," and we mean all of it. This is such an amazingly compelling documentary and unintentionally but extremely entertaining on top of it. Despite this being called "Weiner," the person who actually speaks the most in this documentary is Huma Abedin, Weiner's wife and aide to Hillary Clinton, though she mostly speaks non-verbally as she says it all in her facial expressions. Every minute she is on screen, you can see the struggle in her eyes as she tries her best and regularly fails to hide her constant disappointment in her little prick of a husband. She carries the look of a woman struggling to hold together a relationship that she knows deep down is doomed, one that people see as a farce. She is a politically powerful and influential woman who probably feels she has been made a fool of by her husband and his johnson time and time again. This is definitely a documentary that is worth peeping at some point.

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Sunday, January 22, 2017

Movie Review: "Resident Evil: Apocalypse" (2004)

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Movie: "Resident Evil: Apocalypse"
Director: Alexander Witt
Year: 2004
Rating: R
Running Time: 1 hour, 34 minutes

As the T-virus escapes The Hive and spreads throughout Raccoon city, Alice (Milla Jovovich) and a few other survivors must fight their way through zombie hordes to rescue a young girl and escape the city before the Umbrella corporation nukes the whole place to cover up their mistake. 

"Resident Evil: Apocalypse" is the second film in the "Resident Evil" series. It is directed by Alexander Witt, who takes over the directorial duties from Paul W.S. Anderson, though Anderson does return to write the script. This film picks up a little before the ending of the original movie. It offers a perspective of the spread of the virus from Raccoon city rather than inside The Hive like we saw in "Resident Evil." Milla Jovovich returns to the series, reprising her role as all-around badass security agent Alice, who has since received some unknown enhancements while she was in the clutches of the Umbrella corporation. Joining her is Sienna Guillory, who plays Jill Valentine, a familiar character for those who have played the video game. Jill suits up for combat in the zombie apocalypse by sporting her best form-fitting strapless top, a miniskirt, and black leather boots because nothing says "combat" like a miniskirt and a strapless top. A few other characters come along for the ride as well, like abandoned Umbrella security agents Carlos and Nicholai, played by Oded Fehr and Zack Ward, as well as the comic relief character L.J., played by Mike Epps, who does deliver a couple of solid laughs throughout the film.

While the first movie had a slightly more methodical pace, "Resident Evil: Apocalypse" goes full-on balls to the wall, over the top action. There is no question that this series is done being taken seriously and is now looking for any and all excuses to display the most ridiculous, video game-esque action sequences the filmmakers can pull off with a relatively modest budget. This film also has the addition of Nemesis, a secretly developed monster soldier that is super gross looking but oh so cool. This character is both outrageous and somewhat fun as it is involved in a bunch of crazy showdowns. For as fun as it seems on the surface, there are definitely a ton of problems with the film, however. The characters, once again, aren't great, and Alexander Witt goes overboard with the unnecessary slow motion. Once again, people do doing stupid things because the plot needs them to in order to move the story forward, but we wound up enjoying the pure stupidity of this sequel over the slightly more serious approach taken in the original. Still, this is not our favorite video game adaptation, but it does boast a mildly entertaining viewing experience.


My Rating: 5/10
BigJ's Rating: 5/10
IMDB's Rating: 6.2/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 21%
Do we recommend this movie: Meh.

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Movie Review: "Split" (2017)

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Movie: "Split"
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 1 hour, 57 minutes

Three girls are abducted by a man with multiple personalities and unimaginable power. Now, they must figure out a way to survive.

"Split" is written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, who is known for films like "The Sixth Sense," "Unbreakable," and "Signs." It stars James McAvoy as man with Dissociative identity disorder who abducts three teenage girls, played by Anya Taylor-Joy, Haley Lu Richardson, and Jessica Sula. Joining them is Betty Buckley, who plays Dr. Karen Fletcher, a psychologist who has been working with McAvoy's character and is primarily there as a means of exposition to explain his condition and the abilities that stem forth from it.

Over the past few years, people have started to lose faith in M. Night Shyamalan. He had a string of terrible movies and even started to become a punchline at one point. In 2015, however, Shyamalan started to turn that opinion back around by returning to what got him noticed in the first place with the small-scale horror thriller "The Visit." Now, he returns to that formula yet again and delivers another solid offering in "Split." This winds up being a great, slow-burning psychological fantasy thriller with some stellar acting if you can get over the initial slowness at first. James McAvoy is brilliant as Kevin and his many other personalities. He really shows his versatility as an actor here. His ability to create numerous different characters within the same body by changing his speech, mannerisms, habits, and even his body chemistry is exactly what an actor dreams of being able to do. He's excellent in this picture and the movie is worth watching for McAvoy alone, though his is not the only good performance. Anya Taylor-Joy also does a fine job as Casey, the principal focus of the three abductees. She is able to deliver a strong emotional performance as someone in a perilous situation who already has faced a lot tragedy in her life. She is seemingly seasoned in how to prepare herself for such a terrible circumstance, though we do wish Shyamalan had kept the tight shots of her face to a minimum because they seriously happen every 5-10 minutes or so. Sula and Richardson, the other girls who are abducted, don't get a whole lot to work within their more limited roles, but for the times they are on screen, they create an effective show of panic and determination to get out of their situation.

"Split" is very engaging at times. We found ourselves enthralled for a good portion of its runtime, though there were points towards the middle of it when we wondered if there was something bigger at play. By movie's end, it all comes together and explains why Kevin is able to do what he does, but go into the film knowing as little as you can. If you get the "twist" spoiled for you, punch whoever told you what happened. This prospect leaves us extremely excited for M Night. Shyamalan's future, and maybe, just maybe, the old and new may converge at some point.


My Rating: 7/10
BigJ's Rating: 7/10
IMDB's Rating: ~7.7/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: ~76%
Do we recommend this movie: Sure, why not?

**To review this movie for yourself on one of the best websites on the internet, visit filmfed.com!*
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Saturday, January 21, 2017

Movie Review: "Resident Evil" (2002)

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Movie: "Resident Evil"
Director: Paul W.S. Anderson
Year: 2002
Rating: R
Running Time: 1 hour, 40 minutes

In "The Hive," an underground research facility of the Umbrella corporation, a virus that is being developed gets released into the facility. The computer system known as the 'Red Queen' implements safety measures and locks the building down. When a private security team is sent in to assess the situation and rescue any survivors, they are met with unexpected challenges.

"Resident Evil" is written and directed by Paul W.S. Anderson. It is based on the horror video game series of the same name. It stars Milla Jovovich as Alice, a top security agent for the Umbrella corporation. She and her partner were tasked with guarding the entrance to 'The Hive,' the company's super secret underground research laboratory. When a deadly virus the company was developing in The Hive is accidentally released, it causes the facility's super-computer known as 'The Red Queen' to go into emergency lock down, killing everyone inside. An Umbrella tactical security team is tasked with going into the building to shut down The Red Queen and to locate any survivors. Alice is the first survivor who lives just outside The Hive. Joining Jovovich are Colin Salmon, Michelle Rodriguez, Martin Crewes, Eric Mabius, Pasquale Aleardi, and James Purefoy, who make up members of the security team and others they encounter along the way.

"Resident Evil" does make an attempt to recreate the atmosphere of the video game in some ways. The team moves slowly through this massive compound with the occasional jump scare before turning into a full-on zombie outbreak action flick. There isn't a whole lot of character development, unfortunately. The characters include people like generic soldier guy 43 in a mercenary outfit who you know will die from the moment he shows up on screen. In addition, Michelle Rodriguez plays her standard tough girl with a chip on her shoulder, the character she always plays in every movie for all of time, Milla Jovovich is essentially a female version of Jason Bourne, who has all these secret fighting skills, but has recently lost her memory and needs to piece it all back together. It's full of tropes and outdated CGI, which we can forgive to some extent, but if you're going to build an entire film series on characters with not a lot of backstory, don't expect the audience to get too terribly invested.

The first act and a half of the movie is fairly slowly paced with the exception of a couple of cool scenes here and there. There is a lot of exposition that goes on, explaining to the audience everything it needs to know about the Umbrella corporation, its motivations, and the T-virus itself. It does start to pick up a bit towards the finale as the zombies become a factor in the story, but by that time, the characters start to make inexplicably stupid decisions for the rest of the movie in an effort to make the plot more exciting.

Despite a couple of decent action sequences, the first "Resident Evil" is a rather basic film with a pretty rock start that doesn't get the audience fully gripped in the story until it's already too late.


My Rating: 4/10
BigJ's Rating: 4/10
IMDB's Rating: 6.7/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 34%
Do we recommend this movie: No.

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Movie Review: "xXx: Return of Xander Cage" (2017)

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Movie: "xXx: Return of Xander Cage"
Director: D.J. Caruso
Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 1 hour, 47 minutes

When Pandora's Box, a top-secret device that can drop satellites out of the sky with the push of a button, is stolen, the NSA locates the once thought to be dead Xander Cage (Vin Diesel) to help retrieve it.

Does Xander Cage live his life a quarter mile at a time? Asking for a friend.

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Friday, January 20, 2017

Movie Review: "Sleepless" (2017)

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Movie: "Sleepless"
Director: Baran bo Odar
Rating: R
Running Time: 1 hour, 35 minutes

Vincent Downs (Jamie Foxx), a seemingly dirty cop, has his son kidnapped by a casino owner who wants him to return the 25 kilos of cocaine he and his partner stole earlier that morning. 

"Sleepless" is directed by Baran bo Odar and is based on the French language film "Nuit Blanche," aka "Sleepless Night." As the film begins, Vincent Downs, played by Jamie Foxx, and his partner Sean Cass, played by T.I., steal 25 kilos of cocaine, which unbeknownst to them belongs to 'Luxus' casino owner Stanley Rubino, played by Dermot Mulroney, who is supplying for a psychopathic drug dealer named Rob Novak, played by Scoot McNairy. In retaliation, Rubino kidnaps Vincent's 16-year-old son Thomas, played by Octavius J. Johnson. He demands Vincent return his drugs or his son will be killed.

"Sleepless" could easily be alternately titled "Expected Action Movie #542." This is the typical kind of mindless action thriller we see every January, the ones that seem like they are trying to be clever and fresh, but fail at every possible twist and turn. There is never a point in this movie when we don't see what's coming from a mile away. The plot points from beginning to end are so obvious. We know who is dirty and who is clean long before it is ever actually revealed within the context of the story. We can predict down to the second when characters on the brink of death will be miraculously saved. Are we fortune tellers? Nope, this film is just *that* generic and tired. It is full of contrived moments where characters do stupid things for no reason other than to be a catalyst for cool looking action sequences or are done in a way to try and extend the plot by just a few precious extra seconds. We see a generic main villain sporting a gas mask shooting gas canisters around a parking garage while the good guys run through the smoke with no masks on and no effect from the gas. It's moments like this that leave us to wonder what the hell is in these canisters, and simultaneously, why the hell are the bad guys wearing gas masks if the smoke does nothing other than add ambiance!? These instances, along with many others, rip us right out of the movie and destroys our suspension of disbelief. As a character, Vincent Downs is also regularly a victim of his own stupidity. Did we mention he gets into several fights, runs several places, and gets into numerous other dalliances all while having gotten stabbed quite badly at the beginning of the movie? That cut is either the best-placed cut for optimum movement but simultaneously tons of bleeding since he only winces and groans occasionally, or it never really crossed director Baran bo Odar's mind to, you know, leave it out of the film entirely since it doesn't seem to make a huge difference either way.

We like Jamie Foxx as an actor. He's not worked on a lot of fantastic things in his career in the last few years other than "Django Unchained," but "Sleepless" is not the proper vessel for him. We know Foxx is capable of being a fantastic actor, hell, he won an Oscar for his role as Ray Charles in "Ray," but such an uninteresting, drab, cookie-cutter action film like this doesn't do him any favors. Michelle Monaghan plays Jennifer Bryant, the internal affairs officer chasing down Foxx's Downs. She has had a stumble in her career and is trying to get back on track. Bryant has a hunch Downs is dirty, but needs concrete proof, so she follows him around, even getting into a physical altercation with him at one point. She is the only character Downs can defeat easily because every other time he gets into a fight, he swiftly gets his ass handed to him. David Harbour is the only character we really enjoyed, but we see the writing on the wall for his character within 2 minutes of his being introduced.

Despite "Sleepless" having a few fun action sequences, they aren't enough to save it from its contrived narrative, its dumb dialogue, and its not so great acting.


My Rating: 3/10
BigJ's Rating: 3/10
IMDB's Rating: 5.5/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 15%
Do we recommend this movie: AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE!!!

**To review this movie for yourself on one of the best websites on the internet, visit filmfed.com!*
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Movie Review: "The Fits" (2016)

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Movie: "The Fits"
Director: Anna Rose Holmer
Year: 2016
Rating: NR
Running Time: 1 hour, 12 minutes

 A young girl joins a dance drill team at the local youth center. A short time later, members of this troupe suddenly start suffering from random fits and convulsions. 

"The Fits" is directed by Anna Rose Holmer, who also wrote the film along with Saela Davis and Lisa Kjerulff. It stars Royalty Hightower as Toni, a young tomboy who joins her local youth center's dance drill team called The Lionesses. A short time later, the team is plagued by a string of unexplained physical fits.

The thing about this movie is that the summary in the above synopsis also happens to be the entire plot. There isn't much dialogue to add to this story, and as for the fits themselves, they begin in an unexplained fashion and they stay unexplained throughout the remainder of the film. It's mostly up to the viewer to determine what they believe is causing these bouts of convulsion. The acting is also left intentionally stoic and there isn't much of an emotional reaction from the protagonist when seeing her fellow dancers fall into seizure. Because of this, the audience is left to project whatever emotions they want onto Toni. The movie is left so ambiguous and so open for interpretation, it really depends on the story you personally imprint upon the film, which will ultimately determine how much you enjoy it. Is it a coming-of-age story about a girl desperately trying to fit in? It could be, but it could also just as easily be about numerous other things as well, like a Nocebo effect . Given how this story is written, a weird infectious disease or even aliens could all be equally valid interpretations of this material. It's super debatable, left up to the audience to decide what they want to see and interpret.

"The Fits" is methodically paced, but at least it is quite short, 1 hour and 12 minutes to be exact. Even then, the material seems better suited to an even shorter film format. It could have even been cut down to a 20 minute short and would have been just as effective. In the end, though this film is extremely technically proficient, the narrative relies too heavily on the fill in the blank aspects for us to get super invested in the material. We do hope to see more movies by Anna Rose Holmer in the future as it's clear she has an excellent vision for directing.


My Rating: 6/10
BigJ's Rating: 5/10
IMDB's Rating: 6.9/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 97%
Do we recommend this movie: Sure, why not?
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Thursday, January 19, 2017

Movie Review: "Silence" (2016)

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Movie: "Silence"
Director: Martin Scorsese
Rating: R
Running Time: 2 hours, 41 minutes

Two Jesuit priests, Father Rodrigues (Andrew Garfield) and Father Garupe (Adam Driver), go to Japan, where Christianity is outlawed, to search for and continue the work of their mentor Father Ferreira (Liam Neeson), who is rumored to have abandoned his faith.

"Silence" is directed by Martin Scorsese, who also wrote the film along with Jay Cocks. This film is based on the novel by Shûsaku Endô. It stars Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver as Jesuit priests Father Rodrigues and Father Garupe, the last two priests to embark upon a dangerous mission to Japan to spread the word of Christ. These men are also tasked with locating their missing mentor, Father Ferreira, played by Liam Neeson, who is rumored to have apostatized, or renounced his faith publicly, a rumor neither of them are willing to believe.

The first thing we must say about "Silence" is that it is a stunningly beautiful film. The cinematography is absolutely gorgeous, some are even breathtaking. Of course, being a Scorsese film, one can only expect such alluring shots from a seasoned veteran like him. Beyond the visuals, Andrew Garfield puts on a brilliant, Oscar-worthy performance as the Jesuit priest with a crisis of faith. He is a man who sees the suffering of Japanese Christians and wants to end that suffering, but may have to renounce his own faith to do so. He battles internally the hows and whys God lets them suffer so greatly. As this movie takes place in 17th century Japan, Christianity was outlawed at that time, and those who believed were forced to apostatize or face a torturous execution in a varied manner of ways, including being drowned, being burned alive, or being hung upside-down and bled dry. Adam Driver is also very good in this film, offering a deeply emotional performance as well. Driver lost 50 lbs. for what is a much smaller supporting role, and though his accent may be a bit iffy, his performance is solid. Speaking of accents, we doubt there was a huge focus on them given that Liam Neeson doesn't even attempt to sound like anything but an Irishman despite his character being from Portugal. The supporting cast, featuring Tadanobu Asano, Issei Ogata, Yôsuke Kubozuka, Shin'ya Tsukamoto, and Ciarán Hinds, is excellent as well.

Despite a truly tremendous display of acting and amazing visuals, and even with what may seem to make a compelling story, "Silence" failed to truly grip us the way we hoped it would. It is an extremely slow paced film full of dense, hard-hitting subject matter, and not just for those who are religious and/or for those who have lost their faith. It doesn't do itself any favors by adding an almost three hours run time on top of its molasses-slow speed. Don't get us wrong, we have loved Scorsese's other, long/er films from throughout his body of work, and we don't have short attention spans whatsoever. In fact, if done well, the longer the film, the better (because we never want it to end). This movie, however, is full of elongated spans of nothingness, and though that may be intentional as per its namesake, it doesn't always make for compelling cinema. We remember being excited when seeing the trailer, which had such a raw intensity to it, but the actual film only occasionally enters into exciting territory. It is sometimes difficult to watch because of the torturous nature of what's going on on screen, and we're not even talking about the literal torture that takes place. While those moments do invoke an emotional response, these instances are few and far between.

Frankly, "Silence" is just a little too unceasing a little too often to quite live up Scorsese's past offerings. Don't get us wrong, this is a good and technically proficient movie. Marty is clearly impassioned by this subject matter, but overall, it is not a great film for us despite its tremendous cinematography, directing, and acting.


My Rating: 7/10
BigJ's Rating: 6.5/10
IMDB's Rating: ~7.7/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 84%
Do we recommend this movie: Sure, why not?

**To review this movie for yourself on one of the best websites on the internet, visit filmfed.com!*
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