RED 2 - 7 stars out of 10

RED 2 - 7 stars out of 10

“RED 2” is a fitting sequel in this series.  While it was impossible to live up to the first film, it enhances these already dynamic characters by giving them an even more impossible task to conquer.  With so many stars sharing the screen, you would think that they would fight for the spotlight but they actually complement each other perfectly.  This film franchise is entirely character based and by pitting these characters against each other at points, it allows for several spotlights to shine on the screen at once.  I have to applaud the writers for keeping this film in the family friendly PG-13 category.  The film’s rating is a result of violence but the writers avoid unnecessary language and gore to make sure that it is appropriate for young teens (and so that it can be comfortable for parents to watch it with their kids).  The script is excellent and does a great job of moving the story in a different direction to avoid too much repetition from the first film.  While the movie could never reach the potential of its predecessor without Morgan Freeman, I feel as if the writers craftily used the opening sequence to poke fun at audience members (like myself) who are still upset about Freeman in the first film.  I am sure that I am not the only person who screamed at the screen for “killing off” another of the main characters.  These writers also created an opportunity for Anthony Hopkins to embrace a mastermind role that utilizes the full potential of his acting ability.  He plays his role within a role to perfection, not only fooling the other characters on the screen but also fooling the audience.  Even though this film is all about Bruce Willis, Hopkins steals the show with his seemingly erratic tendencies that turn into a great rouse.  If you haven’t seen “RED,” both of these films need to be on your list.  With Willis, Hopkins, John Malkovich, and Bruce Willis, you just cannot go wrong (well, we will judge that when they make another of these films).

Blackfish - 7 stars out of 10

Blackfish - 7 stars out of 10

“Blackfish” is a controversial documentary with bold accusations again SeaWorld and their captivity of killer whales.  It tells three stories revolving around one of SeaWorld’s killer whales, each with a tragic conclusion.  SeaWorld stands to lose everything with the negative publicity from this documentary and yet, the extreme one-sidedness of the arguments made me question the validity of this information.  I understand that this has a persuasive intention but the opposing side is represented by one person who has two 10-second clips while the rest of the film is an outright attack.  The evidence is convincing and makes it hard to support SeaWorld in any form, but there is no mention of the preservation and rescue attempts made for this endangered species.  The film tells some shocking stories with video footage that will play on your emotions but I think that as responsible adults, it is our job to take it at face value and realize that there is more to the picture than what these documentarians are showing us.  I am certainly not speaking out against this film.  It is documentary filmmaking at its finest, presenting valid arguments in a gripping way.  But I would also encourage you to supplement the information in this documentary with this response from SeaWorld:
http://seaworld.com/en/ourcare/Letter
Obviously this documentary has put a lot at stake for SeaWorld and that is a testament to the effectiveness of this script and the importance of the documentary genre.

Nova: Forensics on Trial - 5 stars out of 10

Nova: Forensics on Trial - 5 stars out of 10

“Forensics on Trial” is an informative documentary from Nova.  While it lacks the suspense contained in some Nova features, it was still very interesting.  The format uses actual cases to prove or disprove the effectiveness of the CSI techniques, particularly by debunking the myth that a fingerprint is foolproof evidence.  The highlight of this documentary is the chronicling how mistakes at the crime scenes led to O.J. Simpson’s not guilty verdict.  “Forensics on Trial” isn’t my favorite from the Nova series but definitely worth a look.

American Hustle (2013) - 7 stars out of 10

American Hustle (2013) - 7 stars out of 10

I have some strong opinions on “American Hustle.”  In my eyes, this film had some extreme highs and some extreme lows.  First, Christian Bale’s acting is off the charts.  This character falls into that arrogant, aggressive, mean-spirited persona that the media has assigned to Bale’s life but the real acting finesse comes out in the tenderness that makes his character regretful and apologetic.  Most great acting performances display a subtle character transformation but Bale does the opposite - he has a hard shell until the end of the film when we get to see who his character is inside (even though we knew it was there all along).  That being said, he won’t win an Oscar for Best Actor but this is a very notable role on his resume.  Another highlight for me is Jeremy Renner as Mayor Carmine Polito.  He is such a likeable family man that you’ll actually agree with him for using political corruption in the best interests of New Jersey.  Although it may seem like a contradiction from comments that you will read later, I believe that the portrayal of the story is fantastic.  It does not hide the fact that many liberties are taken with the characters and events of the story (particularly by replacing the typical “The following is based on a true story” text at the beginning with “Some of this actually happened”), but each liberty enhances the thematic messages and entertainment value of the story.  Just like last year, Jennifer Lawrence lights up the screen with a quirky and lovable performance.  While I don’t think that the Academy will give her two Oscars in a row, her comedy is fantastic as we get to see her turn into a real person with emotions… before rapidly transforming back into a materialistic bimbo.  And who can resist a cameo by Robert DeNiro that perfectly fits him.  Unfortunately, the film isn’t all good.  While Amy Adams delivers a nice performance, she has also filled her “nudity quota” for her acting career, showing every angle of her skin without actually taking her clothes off.  The costumes in the film are amazing (and probably going to win an Oscar), particularly the men and Jennifer Lawrence, but are we really supposed to believe that any woman in the 70’s routinely showed that much skin for everyday occasions?  It actually began to annoy me after awhile.  I also was not a fan of Bradley Cooper.  Whereas his performance in “Silver Linings Playbook” showed a lot of finesse through his extreme mood swings, he was just annoying this time around.  Sure, we are supposed to progressively develop distaste for his character, but his performance just fell flat.  Finally, and the Academy will probably disagree with me on this one, the script is trash as it overuses the f-word from start to finish.  Any poignant scenes that require strong language to really heighten the sense of emotion are cheapened because profanity flows through this film like the Mississippi River.  There was also an awkward disparity between drama and comedy.  I found the scene where Cooper’s boss is recording his testimony to be hilarious but in the scheme of the story, should we really be laughing at this point?  There are a lot of moments when the film is amusing but it probably isn’t the right time.  Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed this film.  The acting is strong and twist at the end is great.  The story is told in a way that is interesting and amusing but for me, the writers went too far and some of the pieces just did not fit the puzzle.

Possession (2002) - 2 stars out of 10

Possession (2002) - 2 stars out of 10

“Possession” was… boring.  I don’t know how a story with so much potential can fall so flat, especially with Gwyneth Paltrow and Aaron Eckhart at the helm.  Netflix labels it as a thriller (which was the first misleading mistake) and, even though the synopsis didn’t seem very thrilling, that was my expectation.  I suppose that there were some thrilling moments like discovering a hidden letter in a doll house and discovering a cave behind a water fall, but let’s consider the maximum level of potential excitement in either of those things.  A lot of the momentum is lost by constantly shifting to uneventful flashbacks and even with Jeremy Northam appearing in the flashbacks (misleading mistake number two), it was still uninteresting.  I guess that some of the twists are interesting (sort-of), but overall this is a boring story with a boring script that will lose your attention after about 10 boring minutes.

Nova: Mystery of a Masterpiece - 8 stars out of 10

Nova: Mystery of a Masterpiece - 8 stars out of 10 

If you are a lover of art (or even have a small appreciation for it), “Mystery of a Masterpiece” is a must.  This documentary takes a suspenseful approach to the mysterious “La Bella Principessa,” a portrait believed to be priceless work by Leonardo DaVinci.  The film represents both sides of the argument, using a crime scene approach to examine the “physical evidence” on the portrait and the historical context to discover the subject’s identity.  It is almost hard to believe that this is true, from the type of animal skin used to the discovery of a fingerprint on the portrait and a mysterious book in Poland that might hold all of the answers.  You will find yourself rooting for this painting to be a DaVinci as the story progresses.  Whether you are a CSI fan, an art junkie, or someone that enjoys suspenseful films, Nova’s “Mystery of a Masterpiece” needs to be at the top of your list.