Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)- Short Movie review

  

Plot Summary:

From Marvel, the studio that brought you the global blockbuster franchises of Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and The Avengers, comes a new team-the Guardians of the Galaxy. An action-packed, epic space adventure, Marvel's "Guardians of the Galaxy" expands the Marvel Cinematic Universe into the cosmos, where brash adventurer Peter Quill finds himself the object of an unrelenting bounty hunt after stealing a mysterious orb coveted by Ronan, a powerful villain with ambitions that threaten the entire universe. To evade the ever-persistent Ronan, Quill is forced into an uneasy truce with a quartet of disparate misfits-Rocket, a gun-toting raccoon, Groot, a tree-like humanoid, the deadly and enigmatic Gamora and the revenge-driven Drax the Destroyer. But when Quill discovers the true power of the orb and the menace it poses to the cosmos, he must do his best to rally his ragtag rivals for a last, desperate stand-with the galaxy's fate in the balance. (C) Walt Disney

Movie Specs:

Rating- PG-13

Sex and Nudity- 3/10 (Cris Pratt's gratuitous shirtless scenes)

Language- 4/10 (insults and inappropriate gestures)

Violence- 5/10 (alien warfare!!)

Drugs-0/10 (no drugs)

Length- 2hrs 1 min

Review:

Walt Disney Studios will enjoy well-deserved profits this film rakes in. The movie’s quick and witty script keeps snapping you back into a good mood all through out the film. While the special effects were impressive, it refrained from become another superhero film on steroids. The awesome Last Song Syndrome inducing track was the highlight for me. 

Cris Pratt would surely be a sought after leading man after his stint as “Star Lord”. Batista was surprisingly good in his role (who knew?). What I found lacking was the teamwork and chemistry among the main cast. I guess that could be worked on as they proceed with the franchise.  This first installment definitely set the trilogy down the right path.

Fave Character:

Groot (Who would have guessed a tree could be cute and cuddly)

Least Liked Character:

Ronan (I didn’t hate him, I didn’t love him)

Fave Quote: (NV)

Rocket Raccoon: Quit smiling you idiot, we're supposed to be professionals.

Fave Scene:

Groot dancing

Earth to Echo (2014)- short movie review

Plot Summary:

In Relativity's PG summer family adventure movie, Tuck, Munch and Alex are a trio of inseparable friends whose lives are about to change. Their neighborhood is being destroyed by a highway construction project that is forcing their families to move away. But just two days before they must part ways, the boys begin receiving a strange series of signals on their phones. Convinced something bigger is going on, they team up with another school friend, Emma, and set out to look for the source of their phone signals. What they discover is something beyond their wildest imaginations: a small alien who has become stranded on Earth. In need of their help, the four friends come together to protect the alien and help him find his way home. This journey, full of wonder and adventure, is their story, and their secret. (c) Relativity

Movie Specs:

Rating- PG

Sex and Nudity- 0/10 (none)

Language- 0/10 (nothing notable)

Violence- 1/10 (Kidnapping, flying debris)

Drugs-0/10 (no drugs)

Length- 1hr 29 mins

Review:

Earth to Echo is E.T.’s pubescent sibling. It manages to be awkward yet endearing thanks to the brilliant casting of the leads. Halm, Astro, and Hartwig play best friends who find themselves in an adventure the night before they all go their separate ways. The easy flow of their dialogue and expressive faces made everything so believable. I only mourn their lack of character development in the movie. I’ll watch out for these up and coming actors.

The plot is as flat as they come- boys save alien from bad scientists and help him go home. The CGIs were minimal but good.  Echo is adorable. The alien spaceship assembly was amazing. I have conflicting feelings about the movie’s filming style ala Blair Witch project. On one hand, it is not comfortable to watch (motion sickness prone people, be warned). On the other, it had a hand on creating an organic feel to the story.

All in all, it is a good movie for kids and adolescents. Not so much for adults

Fave Character:

Munch (he delivered most of the laugh out loud moments)

Least Liked Character:

Emma (not sure why she was there)

Fave Quote: (NV)

Munch: My mom said I am a bit of an acquired taste. I think the kids at my new school won't acquire it.

Fave Scene:

First 20 minutes of the film

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