Hopscotch - 7 stars out of 10

Hopscotch - 7 stars out of 10

“Hopscotch” was unexpectedly good.  Walter Matthau’s dry humor is the perfect fit for this off-beat comedy.  I had trouble envisioning this international game of cat-and-mouse as a comedy but the constant situational irony and Matthau’s wit creates humorous moments from start to finish.  A good film requires a good villain, and Ned Beatty fits the bill.  It is easy to dislike Beatty with his constant flow of profane dialogue and unnecessarily rude treatment of Matthau at the beginning of the film, all leading to gleeful enjoyment of every scene inside of the Georgia home.  While the film has a lot of great moments, the plot is rather farfetched and some of the acting falls short of the high standard set by Matthau and Beatty.  I definitely prefer heist films, but this espionage comedy is unlike any story that I’ve seen and I would definitely give it a second watch.

[Pictured: Walter Matthau being himself]

Bears (Disneynature) (2014) - 7 stars out of 10

Bears (Disneynature) (2014) - 7 stars out of 10

“Bears” is an interesting story that reveals the hardships faced by bear cubs in their first year.  It is amazing that this film is not scripted as the mother Sky faces off against aggressive male bears and an intimidating grey wolf.  Set against a beautiful and treacherous Alaskan landscape, these bears must battle to survive the weather and the wild.  Even if the story doesn't do much for you, the cubs are adorable.  This film is superior to scripted films like “Milo and Otis” because, rather than film the animals and make up a story around the footage, “Bears” shows a real journey.  John C. Reilly’s narration is entertaining and will make this a great film for kids, but it can be a bit over the top for adults.  Except for the part where the clam gets stuck on Scout’s claw.  That was hilarious.  The story even has a cute moral at the end.  “Bears” isn't my favorite documentary, but it is a cute story that I will look forward to watching with my children someday.

 [Pictured: Sky with Scout and Amber]

Double Jeopardy (1999) - 9 stars out of 10

Double Jeopardy (1999) - 9 stars out of 10

“Double Jeopardy” is completely unpredictable.  While the legal accuracy is questionable, the concept is awesome.  A few jaw-dropping twists turn this into an amazing revenge flick.  The plot cleverly places the characters into several unique settings such as New Orleans and the state of Washington.  These destinations emphasize the country-wide chase between the characters.  The acting is excellent, particularly Ashley Judd in her finest role.  The combination of her emotions and B.A. disposition will have you rooting for her from the start, even if she does break all sorts of laws and could be seen as a bad guy for most of the film.  She is perfectly contrasted by the tough cop attitude of Tommy Lee Jones.  The tension of the film rises at a steady pace, seemingly reaching its peak in the graveyard but saving even more for the very end.  The critics blasted this film but I find it to be a high-quality thriller with an unpredictable plot and high tension from start to finish.
The answer is: You aren’t going to want to wait to see this mind-blowing plot that will keep you guessing until the very end.
And the question is: How long will you put off seeing “Double Jeopardy”?

[Pictured; Greatest Jeopardy moment ever]

Draft Day - 8 stars out of 10

Draft Day - 8 stars out of 10

“Draft Day” seems like the NFL’s response to “Moneyball.”  Football fans are going to love this behind-the-scenes look at the draft as it explores drafting strategy and front office politics.  It does not have any football action but is riveting as personalities collide over the first overall draft pick.  The story is strong in its inclusion of several different NFL teams, broadcasters, and the theme that teams are selecting a three-dimensional person and not just a name on a sheet of paper.  It feels like the inclusion of a love story and family drama was partially geared toward bringing in a non-football audience, but I can’t see that crowd enjoying the film.  Fortunately for the filmmakers, football has a huge following in this country so the film will appeal to the majority of theatergoers.  While the love story may seem unnecessary at points, I think that it is critical in developing the depth of Sonny Weaver.  His humanity keeps him from being a business-class robot and emphasizes the difficulty of his decisions.  Kevin Costner is incredible in this role, developing chemistry with every other actor as their characters clash in emotional exchanges.  Denis Leary was the perfect selection for the football coach in looks, voice, and attitude.  Frank Langella made more of his role as the owner than most actors could have, Jennifer Garner is cute and spunky as always, and each of the draft nominees cleverly fit a stereotype so that they represented a type of player instead of an actual person.  Chadwick Boseman steals the spotlight again and is on his way to being the next big thing.  I cannot find fault in the storyline, script, or casting.  It is amazing that this type of story can have so many unexpected twists.  The split screen style supports the plot and avoids being overused.  “Draft Day” is simply a great film as it blurs the line between fictional characters and the real NFL to the point that you will question whether this is a movie or a documentary. 

[Pictured: Split screen style with Costner and Boseman]

God's Not Dead - 4 stars out of 10

God's Not Dead - 4 stars out of 10

“God’s Not Dead” lies somewhere between low-budget Christian films and normal films.  This film’s association with “Heaven Is for Real” (based solely on them being released at similar times) gave me a false expectation as far as quality is concerned.  While the acting of Shane Harper and Kevin Sorbo is excellent, many of the other actors were downright bad (particularly the girlfriend and the blogger).  That being said, they did not stand in the way of this film’s powerful message.  “God’s Not Dead” is worth watching solely for the classroom debate scenes and will make you question how much you would risk to stand up for your beliefs.  The film could have survived with a few less characters and side stories, but I am really impressed with the connections that are revealed between all of the characters.  A lot of films wait until the end to reveal the complex web of connections, but these writers divulge the associations throughout the story so that we are constantly surprised.  Low-budget Christian films are typically cheesy and predictable but, in spite of a few cheesy moments, the script kept me guessing and really shocked me several times.  I applaud the writers for their “big picture” approach to this story, even if some of the dialogue and acting was questionable.  This rating reflects the quality of “God’s Not Dead” in comparison to the great films of all time, but a film doesn’t have to get 10 stars for it to be worth seeing.  You won’t want to miss this one.

The Spectacular Now - 3 stars out of 10

The Spectacular Now - 3 stars out of 10

“The Spectacular Now” was anything but spectacular.  This snoozefest has some of the least believable acting and one of the worst scripts ever.  While the ending is poignant and the events leading up to it are important, the first 75 minutes are so bad that the conclusion loses its effectiveness.  This could have been one of the best coming-of-age endings since “Dead Poets Society” but instead, I question what percentage of people actually makes it to the end.  The first issue is the script.  There are moments that seem as if a teenager wrote it.  “I got into college.”  “You got into college?  That’s awesome!”  “Yeah, it’s pretty cool that I got into college.”  Who says that?  I was so confused when this film spoke in generalities.  Wouldn’t these characters find it important to mention which college?  What is the significance of Aimee being accepted into a college in Philadelphia if we have no clue what state they live in?  It could be in the south or it could be in Ohio for all we know.  Or my favorite: “You are the school’s star athlete!”  So… football?  Basketball?  Track?  Why does this character have to be a generic athlete?  What does this film gain by creating awkward dialogue to leave out details like the name of their school?  The second issue is the actors.  The director wanted to create a candid effect through simple dialogue and long tracking shots.  It felt like they were trying to replicate “Before Sunrise” with teenagers, but these actors simply do not have the acting chops of Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy.  Instead, Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley put on bland performances with flirtation so boring that it would not attract anybody.  The shame is that Woodley gives Aimee that "cute factor" and Teller has some amazing moments toward the end, but they are all overshadowed by the blandness that the script forces on them.  My largest issue with this film is the content.  This is basically the story of an alcoholic teenager who corrupts a nice girl in order to find himself, and everything works out in the end.  What message is this sending to moralistic teenage girls?  Why can’t Hollywood tell girls that they should help a jerk to become a better person, or better yet, try to find a nice guy instead of a jerk.  Why do we paint a picture that nice girls should lower their standards to find love?  This issue goes all the way back to “Grease” in the 70’s and our society simply has not learned because of these influences.  The critics loved the idea of this film but I think that they confused the final product for its potential.

[Pictured: Teller and Woodley make a much cuter couple when they aren't talking]

The Emperor's New Groove - 6 stars out of 10

The Emperor's New Groove - 6 stars out of 10

“The Emperor’s New Groove” is an oddity of the Disney canon.  The film is completely entertaining but lacks the storyline and character development of the beloved Disney classics.  This film was a production mess and it shows in the story’s complete lack of direction.  The initial concept of this film (when it was going to be called “Kingdom of the Sun”) was supposed to amount to a musical epic of Lion King proportions; instead, we are left with an unimpressive journey whose jokes are distracting and often used to draw our attention away from the (lack of) plot.  Examples include: Kuzco’s narration that interrupts the flow of the story in order to cross out characters with whiteboard markers, Kuzco (the character) arguing with Kuzco (the narrator), Pacha’s sitcom family, and an old man whose only purpose is to be thrown out of a window.  While the jokes are funny, they are only included because the story is not strong enough to be funny in its own rite.   This is a shame because this cast of voice actors is outstanding.  Patrick Warburton creates one of the funniest animated performances of all time as Kronk.  I will continue to watch this film over and over just for him.  His timing is perfection and, while much of Kronk’s humor is used to give the audience something memorable in lieu of a strong plot, you simply have to love his self-created theme music and interest in cooking.  David Spade’s voice is ideal for the bratty Kuzco and you really can’t go wrong with John Goodman.  I also love that the directors gave nods to a few Hollywood stars of yesteryear with Eartha Kitt as Yzma, Tom Jones as the Theme Song Guy, and John Fiedler (Piglet) in a cameo as the old man.  In the end, this is all overshadowed by the production issues and the new non-musical direction of Disney.  “Tarzan” began the trend with its musical sequences playing in the background instead of being sung by the characters, but this film eliminated the musical sequences completely.  “The Emperor’s New Groove” is full of entertaining moments and slapstick jokes but, with a plot that goes nowhere and a main character that is intentionally dis-likable, it lacks the magic that we have come to expect from Disney animated films.

[Pictured: Kronk, the real reason to watch this film]