Category: Reviews

Cast:
Clint Eastwood
Christopher Carley
Bee Vang
Ahney Her
Rated: R

Clint Eastwood stars and directs in this picture, and he does both very well.

In the film, Eastwood plays Walt. Having just lost his wife, Walt now lives alone and unfortunately has a poor relationship with his kids. His quiet life takes a turn, though, when a young man is caught snooping around his 1972 Gran Torino. The boy, Thao (Vang) begins doing chores for Walt to earn his respect and eventually Walt begins a friendship with Thao and his family.

The situation turns bad, though, because of Thao’s extended family, many of whom are involved in gang violence.

Continue reading “REVIEW: ‘Gran Torino’”

Cast:
Keanu Reeves
Jennifer Connelly
Kathy Bates
Jaden Smith
Rating: PG-13

All this made me want to do was watch the original.

“The Day the Earth Stood Still,” a remake of the 1951 picture of the same name, tells the story of an alien named Klatu (Reeves) who comes down to our planet and is immediately met with a cautious military.

After escaping from the government, though, Klatu meets a woman named Helen and informs her that he has plans to save Earth’s species, except humanity.

Continue reading “REVIEW: ‘The Day the Earth Stood Still’”

Cast:
Hugh Jackman
Ray Barrett
Nicole Kidman
Bryan Brown
Tony Barry
Rating: PG-13

Being in the outback for two hours and forty five minutes is a little too long for me.

Named after its setting, “Australia” tells the story of Sarah (Kidman), a woman looking to settle a cattle ranch in a rural area of the country. To do so, she gets the help of Drover (Jackman), a cowboy who assists Sarah in building up her business.

Conflict arises in the outback, though, as World War II is getting started and a romance starts blooming between the two main characters as well.

Continue reading “REVIEW: ‘Australia’”

Cast:
Haley Bennett
Jake Weber
Chace Crawford
Shannon Marie Woodward

This is the worst movie I’ve seen since I started reviewing by far.

The film follows the titular character, played by Haley Bennet, whose own mother tried to kill her because when she turns 18, she could become evil. The movie picks up with her at age 17 with Molly moving to a town right next to an insane asylum where her mother is at… for some reason.

The film follows both Molly’s experiences as a high school student and her searching for answers into the mystery of why people think she will become evil when she turns 18.

Continue reading “REVIEW: ‘The Haunting of Molly Hartley’”

Cast:
Rob Brown
Dennis Quaid
Darrin Dewitt Henson
Omar Benson Miller
Nelsan Ellis
Charles S. Dutton

As a major college football fan, I was hoping for a little more to this picture.

“The Express” tells the story of Ernie Davis (Rob Brown), a star running back for Syracuse University who went on to be the first African American to win the Heisman Trophy.

The film follows his youth, recruitment and eventual exploits on the gridiron, in which he also has to deal with racism in some parts of the country.

Continue reading “REVIEW: ‘The Express’”

Righteous Kill
Cast:
Al Pacino
Robert De Niro
50 Cent

Two of Hollywood’s best star in a movie that’s unfortunately quite mediocre.

Both Pacino and De Niro play New York City Police Detectives who’ve gained plenty of experience in their jobs.

A new case comes up that challenges the officers, though, in a serial killer who’s murdering other criminals in the Big Apple. After some research, the two conclude that the suspect must be a cop, and the result is some friction with the force.

Continue reading “REVIEW: Righteous Kill”

Cast:
Jason Statham
Joan Allen
Ian McShane
Tyrese Gibson
Natalie Martinez

Cars that shoot other cars. How could you go wrong?

“Death Race” is mainly centered on the character Jensen Ames, a blue collar factory worker trying to support his family in a depression after getting famous as a NASCAR racer. He is framed for murdering his wife, though, and sent to a prison to compete in Death Race.

The event is a wild tournament where prisoners are sanctioned to use weaponized cars in a race. If the prisoners win enough times, they get to go free. Jensen is hesitant at first but decides to take the opportunity to get out.

Continue reading “REVIEW: Death Race”