MOVIE - The Girl in the Spider's Web

R

Wide/Limited release

Viewed Monday 11/19/18 at Carlisle in a recliner...by myself....
IMBd:  6.1/10

RT Critic: 41   Audience:  46
Critic's Consensus:  The Girl in the Spider's Web focuses on the action elements of its source material for a less complex -- and only sporadically effective -- franchise reboot.

Cag:  3/Liked it somewhat

Directed by Fede Alvarez

Columbia Pictures

Based on the book by Steig Larson/David Lagercrantz

Claire Foy

My comments:  There were so many improbabilities and unreasonable happenstances in this movie that it became more than ludicrous.  However, if you didn't think about all of them, it was and enjoyable couple of hours.....  The actress that played Lisbeth Salander did NOT do it for me.  At all.

RT/ IMDb Summary:  Young computer hacker Lisbeth Salander and journalist Mikael Blomkvist find themselves caught in a web of spies, cybercriminals and corrupt government officials.

MOVIE: Fifty Shades Darker

R (1:58)

Wide release 2/10/17

Viewed Sunday, 2/26/17 at Carlisle 8
IMBd: 4.8/10

RT Critic:  9  Audience:  54
Critic's Consensus:  Lacking enough chemistry, heat, or narrative friction to satisfy, the limp Fifty Shades Darker wants to be kinky but only serves as its own form of punishment.

Cag:  3.5/Liked it 

Directed by James Foley

Universal Pictures

Based on the book by E. L. James

Jamie Dornan, Dakota Johnson, Marcia Gay Harden

My comments: I'll watch Jamie Dornan in anything, including this.  I think the movie has a little more substance than the book, but Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan just don't seem to "fit" well enough for me.  Marcia Gay Harden, as always, is wonderful, and putting Kim Basinger in the Mrs. Robinson role is just perfect.  So, all in all, a fairly enjoyable movie to watch, a perfect one to wile away a Sunday evening in the middle of the winter - especially when you get to watch the big screen in a recliner!

RT/ IMDb Summary:  When a wounded Christian Grey tries to entice a cautious Ana Steele back into his life, she demands a new arrangement before she will give him another chance. As the two begin to build trust and find stability, shadowy figures from Christian's past start to circle the couple, determined to destroy their hopes for a future together.

MOVIE - The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2

PG-13 (2:16)

Wide Release 11/20/15

Viewed at ElCon

RT Critic:  70  Audience:  70

Cag:  2/ It was okay, but just barely....more BLEH!

Directed by Francis Lawrence

Lionsgate Films

Based on the book by Suzanne Collins

Jennifer Lawrence, Woody Harrelson, Julianne Moore, Liam Hemsworth

My comments:  Total disappointment.  I hated the last book in this series, and didn't like the movie at all.  I'm still so disappointed in the casting pf Peta - don't like him at all, practically not charisma with Katniss at all.

MOVIE - Paper Towns

PG-13 (1:49)

Wide release 7-24-15

Viewed at Century Gateway on 9/21/15

RT Critic:  55  Audience:   57

Cag:  3.5 / Entertaining and watchable, liked it

Directed by Jake Schreier

20th Century Fox

Based on the book by John Green

My comments:  Perhaps the part of Margo was miscast for me, because I didn't like her (particularly) couldn't figure out why Q was so taken with her, and couldn't even figure out what motivated her.  However, the parts with Quentin and his two best friends were priceless and special.

RT Summary:  Adapted from the bestselling novel by author John Green ("The Fault in Our Stars"), PAPER TOWNS is a coming-of-age story centering on Quentin and his enigmatic neighbor Margo, who loved mysteries so much she became one. After taking him on an all-night adventure through their hometown, Margo suddenly disappears--leaving behind cryptic clues for Quentin to decipher. The search leads Quentin and his quick-witted friends on an exhilarating adventure that is equal parts hilarious and moving.Ultimately, to track down Margo, Quentin must find a deeper understanding of true friendship--and true love. 

MOVIE - Fifty Shades of Grey

R (1:50)

Wide release 2/13/2015

Viewed date at Roadhouse on opening day 2/13/2015

RT Critic: 27   Audience:   53

Cag: 4/Liked it a lot

Directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson

Focus Featires
Contemporary Seattle

Based on the book by E. L. James

Jamie Dornan, Dakota Johnson, Marcia Gay Harden

My comments:  Yes, I went to see it on opening day.  And yes, I liked it.  I was really curious to see how they'd handle all the x-rated scenes from the book - which was a good half of it - in an R-rated movie. In my very own, personal opinion, the movie worked really well.  Sure, there were things from the book that were missing, but the sex scenes were really well done and titillating enough to make me giggle. The book was pretty poorly written, but the movie was quite well done.  Yes, others disagree with me, but it really worked for me and I enjoyed it.  The leads were terrific.  However, other than perhaps Marcia Gay Harden as Christian's mom and definitely Max Martini as Taylor, I didn't like any of the people cast as the supporting actors.  None of them worked for me. So, all in all, the movie was ten times better than the book, but I'm glad I read the book first.

RT Summary:E.L. James' kinky best-seller gets the big screen treatment with this Universal Pictures/Focus Features co-production. The steamy tale details a masochistic relationship between a college student and a businessman, whose desires for extreme intimacy pen from secrets in his past. 

MOVIE - The Giver

PG-13 (1:40)
Wide Release 8/15/14
Viewed at El Con with Sheila 8/17/14
RT Critic: 32   Audience: 68
cag: 4.5/Liked it a whole lot
Directed by Philip Noyce
The Weinstein Company]
from the book by Lois Lowry

Jeff Bridges, Meryl Streep, Brenton Thwaites, Alexander Skarsgard

My thoughts:  If you're the kind of person that gets upset because there are a lot of changes from the book, you're probably going to be a bit disappointed in this movie.  There were definitely changes, but they all worked.  In the previews I couldn't help be sneer a little because it seems that they had added some sort of love interest for Jonas.  Considering the direction they took with the ending, it all worked perfectly.  Good movie.  Excellent, actually.  And I love the different actors that played the different parts.  The only questions I have, the only problem with it as I left the theater, was that the Meryl Streep character also seemed to have all the memories.  My problem was not that she had them, that no reference had been made to this fact.
          When the movie was over, a young couple sitting behind us made the comment that it was a little slow in places.  There was no slowness for me.  Granted, I've read the book seven or eight times at least so it was interesting to see all the wonderful changes and additions.  The story is certainly no supposed to be action-filled.  It is nothing like Hunger Games or Divergent.  The giver is the predecessor to all the current dystopian stories.  And I love and admire it as such.
          I've heard that Lois Lowry is quite satisfied with the end product.  If she is, so am I!

RT Summary:  The haunting story of THE GIVER centers on Jonas (Brenton Thwaites), a young man who lives in a seemingly ideal, if colorless, world of conformity and contentment. Yet as he begins to spend time with The Giver (Jeff Bridges), who is the sole keeper of all the community's memories, Jonas quickly begins to discover the dark and deadly truths of his community's secret past. With this newfound power of knowledge, he realizes that the stakes are higher than imagined - a matter of life and death for himself and those he loves most. At extreme odds, Jonas knows that he must escape their world to protect them all - a challenge that no one has ever succeeded at before. THE GIVER is based on Lois Lowry's beloved young adult novel of the same name, which was the winner the 1994 Newbery Medal and has sold over 10 million copies worldwide. 

MOVIE - Divergent

PG-13 (2:20)

Wide Release 3/21/2014

Viewed Saturday afternoon 3/29/2014 at El Con

RT Critic: 40 Audience: 79

Cag: 3 Equaled expectations and was fun to watch

Directed by Neil Burger

Lionsgate Films/Summit

Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Kate Winslet, Ashley Judd, TonyGoldwyn, Miles Teller

My comments:  Well, I was particularly impressed with the casting of the movie - the two leads did a great job (Shailene Woodley, playing Tris, knocked it out of the park and Theo James is so intense - and gorgeous).  The addition of Miles Teller as Peter was particularly well-cast, as was Tris' father (hello, Mr. President!)  The only ones that didn't do it for me were Christina and Will, those didn't work for me at all.  The storyline followed the book pretty well, but it doesn't really bother me when things are left out....they can't include all the idiosyncrasies and nuances that you get from a book.  It was very entertaining and fun to watch, I was completely absorbed.

Rotten Tomatoes Review:  DIVERGENT is a thrilling action-adventure film set in a world where people are divided into distinct factions based on human virtues. Tris Prior (Shailene Woodley) is warned she is Divergent and will never fit into any one group. When she discovers a conspiracy by a faction leader (Kate Winslet) to destroy all Divergents, Tris must learn to trust in the mysterious Four (Theo James) and together they must find out what makes being Divergent so dangerous before it's too late. Based on thebest-selling book series by Veronica Roth.

MOVIE: Hunger Games: Catching Fire

PG-13 (2:26)

Widely released 11/22/2013 

RT Critic: 89 Audience: 93
cag:  2 / it was okay 

Directed by Francis Lawrence

Lionsgate Films
based on the book by Suzanne Collins

Actors: Jennifer Lawrence, Woody Harrelson, Donald Sutherland, Liam Hemsworth

Rotten Tomatoes:  THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE begins as Katniss Everdeen has returned home safe after winning the 74th Annual Hunger Games along with fellow tribute Peeta Mellark. Winning means that they must turn around and leave their family and close friends, embarking on a "Victor's Tour" of the districts. Along the way Katniss senses that a rebellion is simmering, but the Capitol is still very much in control as President Snow prepares the 75th Annual Hunger Games (The Quarter Quell) - a competition that could change Panem forever.

My comments:  I really liked the Hunger Games book, and enjoyed the movie.  I did not like the story of Catching Fire very much, and that feeling didn't change with the viewing of this movie.  The story paralleled the book quite well, I think,  but it wasn't one of those two-plus hour movies that flew by.  The main characters were very watchable, very likable (Woody Harrelson was really good), the movie was good. Okay.  It dragged in places.  My opinion, only.  I will go see the third movie when it comes out, but I liked the third book even less than the second, so I'm not "dying" to see it....

MOVIE - Oz the Great and Powerful

PG (2:07)

Wide release 3/8/13

saw it at ElCon with Sheila on Tuesday 3/12/13

RT Critic: 61  Audience: 69

Cag: The more I got into it, the more it grew on me, 4-Liked it quite a bit

Directed by Sam Raimi

Walt Disney Pictures

Actors:  James Franco, Michelle Williams, Mila Kunis, Rachel Weiss

Rotten Tomato Synopsis:  When Oscar Diggs (James Franco), a small-time circus magician with dubious ethics, is hurled away from dusty Kansas to the vibrant Land of Oz, he thinks he's hit the jackpot-fame and fortune are his for the taking-that is until he meets three witches, Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams), who are not convinced he is the great wizard everyone's been expecting. Reluctantly drawn into the epic problems facing the Land of Oz and its inhabitants, Oscar must find out who is good and who is evil before it is too late. Putting his magical arts to use through illusion, ingenuity-and even a bit of wizardry-Oscar transforms himself not only into the great wizard but into a better man as well. When small-time magician Oscar Diggs (James Franco) pulls one flimflam too many, he finds himself hurled into the fantastical Land of Oz where he must somehow transform himself into the great wizard-and just maybe into a better man as well

My comments:  It started out a little slowly at first, but as I got into the movie and story I really liked the way it paralleled the original and used the same characters and premises, just fleshing them out.  Yay, munchkins! The reality vs. animation worked really well, the makeup was excellent.  Boy those three actresses are gorgeous!  I adore James Franco in anything, and don't agree with the naysayers about his role in this particular movie.  Sure, maybe it could have been cast a bit better, but he pulled it off quite well....at least, good enough for me!

Movie - Jack Reacher

PG-13 (2:10)

Wide release 12/21/12

went on Saturday, Dec. 22nd to the Ellsworth Theater with Brian

RT Critic: 60    Audience: 75

cag: 3.5 (Very entertaining)

based on the series written by Lee Child

Directed by Christopher McQuarrie

Paramount Pictures

Tom Cruise,  Robert Duval

Rotten Tomatoes synopsis:

MOVIE INFO

Six shots. Five dead. One heartland city thrown into a state of terror. But within hours the cops have it solved: a slam-dunk case. Except for one thing. The accused man says: You got the wrong guy. Then he says: Get Reacher for me. And sure enough, ex-military investigator Jack Reacher is coming. He knows this shooter-a trained military sniper who never should have missed a shot. Reacher is certain something is not right-and soon the slam-dunk case explodes. Now Reacher is teamed with a beautiful young defense lawyer, moving closer to the unseen enemy who is pulling the strings. Reacher knows that no two opponents are created equal. This one has come to the heartland from his own kind of hell. And Reacher knows that the only way to take him down is to match his ruthlessness and cunning-and then beat him shot for shot. --

Thoughts:  It was fun to go with Brian, although the theater was FREEZING.  If I didn't KNOW that part of Jack Reacher's appeal is that he's something like six-foot-five I would have been quite pleased with Tom Cruise's depiction of Reacher, but I couldn't get Cruise's under-six-foot stature out of my head.  The antagonist is a ruthless bad guy, an Reacher is not going to let him get away with it.  Very entertaining movie, especially if you're any sort of fan of the Lee Child books.

Movie - Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2

PG-13 (1:55)
Wide release 11-15-12

saw the day before Thanksgiving, 11/21, at El Con with friends from work (Jackie, Jen M, Laraine)

RT Critic:  48   Audience:  77

cag: 4.5/Liked it a whole lot

Director:  Bill Condon

Lionsgate/Summit Entertainment

Kristen Stewart, Rob Pattinson, Taylor Lautner

I was really looking forward to this one, and I wasn't disappointed.  It was really good, a great ending to the saga with a few twists and surprises to boot.  Very enjoyable, will want to watch this one again.

MOVIE - One for the Money

Fun, love Morelli, but Ranger is so not Ranger...
Monday, 2/6/12 at El Con by myself

MOVIE - I Am Number Four

So kept my attention - but of course, the book was better
Released 2-18-11 (DVD 5-24-11)
PG-13 (1:44)
2/22/22 at El Con, alone
RT: 30 cag: 80
Director: D. J. Caruso
from the book by Pitticus Lore
Alex Pettyfer, Timothy Olyphant, Dianna Agron (from Glee)

First of all, I couldn't wait to see Timothy Olyphant play the "dad" figure, Henry. However, it didn't work. I couldn't see the strong, loving bond that I felt so strongly in the book. Alexc Pettyfer is a doll, but wasn't the John I had in my mind. diaan Agron played the Sarah really well, and the bad guys were perfect.

To remind myself of the storyline, I can just read my book review. There's a huge opening for a second installment, but I haven't read anywhere about another. I'll have to do some research.