Secret life of Walter Mitty (2013)

Plot Summary:

Ben Stiller directs and stars in THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY, James Thurber's classic story of a day-dreamer who escapes his anonymous life by disappearing into a world of fantasies filled with heroism, romance and action. When his job along with that of his co-worker (Kristen Wiig) are threatened, Walter takes action in the real world embarking on a global journey that turns into an adventure more extraordinary than anything he could have ever imagined. (c) Fox

Movie Specs:

Rating- PG

Sex and Nudity- 0/10 (just a topless stretchy action figure)

Language- 2/10 (nothing notable)

Violence- 2/10 (shark fight scene anyone?)

Drugs-0/10 (no drugs)

Length- 2hrs 5 mins

Review:

Ben Stiller continues to impress me with his surprisingly smart film choices. His latest movie is like that mint candy that refreshes your heart and leaves you with a slightly sweet and light aftertaste. Stiller’s over-the-top ideas were apparent in the imagination sequences and his portrayal of the story’s antagonist. The script and characters were unimaginative and restrained. But then, all these negatives get overshadowed by the excellent cinematography, superb sound track, and great pacing of the film.

I’m at a loss at how to provide a decent review. Just watch it. DO it.

Fave Character:

Walter Mitty (very very likable)

Least Liked Character:

Ted Hendricks (blah)

Fave Quote: (NV)

Sean: Beautiful things do not ask for attention

Fave Scene:

Skateboarding scene

Jack Ryan (2014)- Short Movie Review

Plot Summary:

Based on the character created by bestselling author Tom Clancy, "Jack Ryan" is a global action thriller set in the present day. This original story follow a young Jack (Chris Pine) as he uncovers a financial terrorist plot. The story follows him from 9/11, through his tour of duty in Afghanistan, which scarred him forever, and into his early days in the Financial Intelligence Unit of the modern CIA where he becomes an analyst, under the guardianship of his handler, Harper (Kevin Costner). When Ryan believes he's uncovered a Russian plot to collapse the United States economy, he goes from being an analyst to becoming a spy and must fight to save his own life andthose of countless others, while also trying to protect the thing that's more important to him than anything, his relationship with his fiancée Cathy (Keira Knightley). (c) Paramount

Movie Specs:

Rating- PG-13

Sex and Nudity- 2/10 (one PG scene of Pine and Knightley in bed)

Language- 2/10 (nothing notable)

Violence- 5/10 (Snipers, and one scene of murder by drowning)

Drugs-0/10 (no drugs)

Length- 2hrs 25 mins

Review:

This has been a surprising film for me. After disappointing adaptations of action novels, I fully expected this to bomb. Chris Pine has sealed his action star status in his portrayal of intellectual and brawny CIA agent Jack Ryan. While he has come a long way from chessy romcomedies, there are some overly saccharine scenes that become incongruous with the solemnity of the film and would fit right into the romcom genre he graduated from. Somehow, he pulls it off. The combination of his boyish looks and macho build makes his appeal transcend age and gender. American-accented Keira and Kevin were wasted talents in the film. We know what they are capable of. But the script writing confined and reduced them to forgettable characters. The antagonists are fairly good. Branagh portrayed the dichotomy of a villain well enough to evoke a twinge of sympathy for his plight.

The plot was dragging at first and suddenly picked up pace midway which made the scenes feel rushed. However, the quality of the action scenes in the second half of the movie made the drag forgivable. The script was heavy with Wall Street jargon making around 60% of it incomprehensible to the layman. I found myself explaining the plot to my companions in the cinema. The audience would struggle to grab on to any clue just to understand the context. But then we get dazzled by the break-neck speed of the action scenes that we forget about the technicalities of the terrorist plot. Somehow, this is where it is successful. It gets the viewers to cheer on the hero without understanding what he actually has to do. It succeeded in making the hero so likable that we sympathize with him without comprehending the severity of his problems.

Fave Character:

Jack Ryan (yes one of the few times I loved the actual lead character)

Least Liked Character:

William Harper (what a waste)

Fave Quote: (NV)

Cathy: I’ll have dinner with you when you are able to run out of here. We’ll split the check.

Fave Scene:

Nonso-Pine fight scene

47 Ronin (2013)- A Short Movie Review

Plot Summary:

From ancient Japan's most enduring tale, the epic 3D fantasy-adventure 47 Ronin is born. Keanu Reeves leads the cast as Kai, an outcast who joins Oishi (Hiroyuki Sanada), the leader of 47 outcast samurai. Together they seek vengeance upon the treacherous overlord who killed their master and banished their kind. To restore honor to their homeland, the warriors embark upon a quest that challenges them with a series of trials that would destroy ordinary warriors. 47 Ronin is helmed by visionary director Carl Erik Rinsch (The Gift). Inspired by styles as diverse as Miyazaki and Hokusai, Rinsch will bring to life the stunning landscapes and enormous battles that will display the timeless Ronin story to global audiences in a way that's never been seen before. -- (C) Universal

Movie Specs:

Rating- PG-13

Sex and Nudity- 2/10 (a bare-chested Keanu with some “geisha” leg)

Language- 1/10 (No room for English swearing in a samurai themed movie)

Violence- 7/10 (Decapitation, sword fights, and mass suicide)

Drugs-0/10 (no drugs)

Length- 2hrs 7 mins

Review:

I may have overrated this movie. I love samurai fights, and I had a brief obsession with the original Matrix movie (yes… I once fantasized of flying though the Matrix with a trench coat clad Keanu).

Since I have absolutely no background of the legend this movie was based on, I couldn’t critique on whether or not it did justice to the original plot. The magical element of the movie allowed beautiful special effects but it seemed too fantastical to allow character development of the samurai. Keanu portrays a character that is reminiscent of his Neo aka “The One” role, he even had a “come-over-here” moment in a climactic fight scene. Even if we choose to ignore the fact that the lead character of a samurai film is not Japanese, we can’t help but question the legitimacy of various cultural elements in the movie. The characters are so obvious and so unidimensional they become parodies. Villains are my favorites in films and taint my overall perspective of the movie. Kira. ugh. disappointing. The witch however was so senselessly evil I ended up liking her best just for her ability to pull it all off despite her character's lack of depth.

The best part of this movie is not its stilted Japanese-accented dialogue. Nor is it the revenge honor and forbidden love centered plot (which they unnecessarily stretched into a 2-hour film). The best parts are the fight scenes with sharp swords and agile “ninja” moves. The big budget is apparent in the special effects and cinematography. The sets are also beautifully made and some segments allowed me to concede that 3D movies are not so bad. It succeeds in transporting audiences into 18^th century Japan. 

Although it had a generally sullen vibe,  it is occasionally broken by some moments: The stereotypical fat guy blunders, the lead samurai's name Oishi (Hi, I am samurai Delicious hehe) and the pompous smile of Kira. You spot familiar faces (wohoo! Cary Tagawa!). All in all, it was a decent film that requires little brain activity to understand the scenes. Watch if only for my favorite scene of the wedding crashers.

Fave Character:

Witch (deliciously wicked).

Least Liked Character:

Kira (most useless villain ever. hehe)

Fave Quote: (NV)

Monster Monk??: Mika will never be yours in this lifetime.

Kai: Then I would die praying that I would find her in the next.

Fave Scene:

Wedding Reception/wall breach scene. Can’t find a screen cap so below is the cheesiest scene.