Saturday Movies: The Way Way Back (2013)

Since this studio bought Little Miss Sunshine and Juno I guess I should watch The Way Way Back as well! I thought it would depend on what the directors and writers worked on instead of what the studio brought me. Anyways, thankfully for this movie it lives up to the expectations you might garner from seeing those two movies put on it's movie poster. It's sweet, it's quirky, and by the end it doesn't get too unrealistic but somehow makes you feel better. If there is anything I can appreciate it's that it's an original story that shows characters we care about.

Summary: Duncan is 14 and shy. He also has no real parental unit or even friends to help guide him through the highs and lows of your teen years. His mom is now serious with her boyfriend, Trent, who also has a daughter, and they decide to vacation at the beach for the summer. Trent though seems to be forcing being his father just to appease his mom, and whenever he tries to be someone in his life he just insults him. Duncan feels like a huge burden to his mom as well who seems to only want to sneak off with her boyfriend and his friends. When Duncan discovers a nearby water park he becomes friends with the employees particularly, Owen, who helps his summer get a lot better.

Saturday Movies: Empire State (2013)

My first thoughts aftr watching this movie was why is Emma Roberts name on the movie poster, and why is her face on there? She played a very small part in the movie, and if I was Michael Angarano I would be mad, as he played even a bigger role than Dwayne Johnson did. Anyways, I get it. It's about who's face we recognize most? Well to be honest I didn't think this was a bad action movie though, and I don't even know if it's a typical action movie. Where it fails is bringing out the characters in only an hour and a half. They had a whole true story to work with here, and it gets shambled into a very short, quick story.

Summary: Based on a true story. Chris and Eddie are childhood friends who are struggling to make it. After Chris's father loses his job, and he witnesses the armored car company he works for giving less than they should to one of the widow's of their employees he feels tempted to rob from them. With Detective Ransome beginning to suspect Chris' involvement after an up in the attempted robberies at the company, Eddie and Chris get tangled up in some dangerous crime rings.

Saturday Movies: Escape Plan (2013)

It doesn't seem like there is much to expect from Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger, but last year they made a movie entertaining enough for fans and not fans alike. They actually get some characters that are well written enough to help us forget their popular identities. The movie though is very long for the content though, and somehow in the middle I did feel my interest begin to waver. The movie gets off to a strong enough start to keep you curious about the income though.

Summary: Ray Breslin is so good at figuring out how to break out of prisons that he started a business where prisons pay him to test out their prisons, and see if they are easy to break out of. He is hired to try to break out of a state of the art, and secret facility that even his crew isn't allowed to know about. Once arriving there though he feels he has been tricked and teams up with someone on the inside, Rottmayer, to try to escape. What he will discover is that it may be impossible to leave.

Saturday Movies: Ender's Game (2013)

So to be honest I was expecting a lot more before watching Ender's Game. I was expecting to at least be interested, and honestly throughout I was just really bored. Maybe it was that everyone was too robotic or just that the story didn't entertain? Either way I felt like I wanted to zone out throughout the entire duration of the movie. It's not that the story is bad, or even that the acting is lacking, but it certainly isn't entertaining or compelling.

Summary: Formics are an alien species that have already almost destroyed humans' existence, but not humans have banded together to continue to fight back from their take over. Ender Wiggin almost believes he is no good to join the fight, until he is recruited to battle school where he will learn to fight from a computer. Fighting from a computer though is nothing like the video games he is practicing on though, and when it comes to the real thing Wiggin might not have the capacity to take the destruction with his quiet demeanor.

Saturday Movies: The Master of Disguise (2002)

I'm not exactly sure what made me think it would be a good idea to watch The Master of Disguise. Don't anyone get mad, but I've never found Dana Carvey funny even though I've known a lot of people that do. Any appeal found in this movie at all will have to at least be on a Carvey basis, but the movie does have a lot of child like humor, that kids might fight funny, but for adults there isn't a lot to be interesting.

Summary: Pistachio is a Italian waiter who is just living an average life, until he finds out that he is descended from masters of disguises. This explains his ability to slip into other natures so naturally. After his father is kidnapped by Bowman, who wants to steal the treasures of the world, Pistachio is going to have to live out his family's legacy with the help of his grandfather. His father has been kidnapped so Bowman can utilize his ability to disguise in order to get access to places. Pistachio though is trying to juggle his love life that seems to get a boost not long after the family reveal.

Saturday Movies: Last Vegas (2013)

There has been a lot of old men action movies, but there have been some old men comedies missing from the scene! Last Vegas definitely will make most of us think The Hangover, but flash forwarded to when everyone is in their 60's. The thing is this movie really is nothing like The Hangover, so you can scratch that. The comedy definitely is as I expected, but not quite like advertised either. Maybe I would have to be older to have heavier laughs? I thought the general premise, and some of the story lines though were sweet, and sometimes quite romantic. It's original, which I did appreciate.

Summary: Billy is in his sixties, and he has decided to finally marry, and it's to a woman who is half his age, she's only 32. In order to celebrate his union he is inviting his old friends to join him to have a bachelor's weekend in Vegas. He enlists Archie and Sam, but lets them invite Paddy as they haven't been on good terms. Hopefully whatever has been stewing between them can be put aside to celebrate. Once arriving there they meet Diana, who might mix up more between the men as they try to explore their identities as older men who still want to live life.

Saturday Movies: Mulan (1998)

So in 1998 Disney would sort of redefine what it would be to be a lead female in a Disney movie. Most of the popular ones were white, fair skinned, and well very dainty. There is no problem with that, but diversity and power were definitely missing from the idea they presented of females, until Mulan that is came along. While watching Mulan though I saw why it was unappealing to me as a kid though. This movie deals with some pretty adult ideas. It's one of the few that might be more interesting as an adult than a kid, and the talking drago does nothing to entertain!

Summary: This Disney movie is based on a Chinese folk tale. When Mulan's father is called to be in the army to defend against the invading Hans, Mulan knows that he is too weak to fight. He's older and now lame. In order to take his place Mulan sneaks away and pretends to be male to fight for him, even though her father is unaware of this. Her ancestors though are aware of her plan and want to prevent her from fighting, so they send a dragon, Mushu.

Saturday Movies: C.O.G. (2013)

I went into this movie not knowing what it was about nor aware it's based on the short story by David Sedaris. The movie just caught my attention because the cover looked artsy. To be honest there are parts that are good, and parts that are painful. I wasn't thrilled with how women were depicted in the movie, but I appreciated the growth of the character to say the least. Kyle Patrick Alvarez directs this movie, and makes it look just as artsy as the movie poster, but with no really likable characters.

Summary: David never shares what has driven him apart from his mother, but he is so distant from her now he would rather travel to a rural area, and work on an apple farm for below the min wage. He figures he would rather work in a job at least somehow related to his major than go work somewhere else with his Master's degree. David doesn't really fit in with the locals though. The people at the apple factory make fun of his bragging, and the deeply spiritual community doesn't really mesh with his Atheism. While it appears that David wants anything but to fit in though he really does.

Saturday Movies: Drinking Buddies (2013)

Following in the footsteps of watching That Awkward Moment earlier in the evening I felt in the mood for something that wasn't quite the same as that movie, but within the realm of my mood. Drinking Buddies is not quite as light, and by the end you realize the movie isn't very comedic or even romantic. It's more so just a straight up drama. Joe Swanberg gives us a complete little indie film though. There isn't overly fancy shots, very simple music, and real characters. The acting in this is what carries this movie into being before and beyond better than anything else about it.

Summary: Luke and Kate work at a brewery together, and they drink in their off time with one another as well. They both are in other relationships though despite the fact they seem to really click. They goof with each other, and they flirt. They even get serious with each other. A weekend away together with their significant others brings questions to mind about who really belongs with one another. The best matches may be unexpected though.

Saturday Movies: Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011)

I'm not sure what exactly drew me to this movie. I don't enjoy cooking or sushi, but yet I had been wanting to see Jiro Dreams of Sushi. The good feedback from critics in this case seemed to be a huge factor that despite neither of my interest in those things I still wanted to see the movie. Perhaps it's seeing people at a job that they really enjoy, and while it takes hard work and dedication it's possible to achieve something that you want to do in life.

Summary: Jiro Ono is an 85 year old sushi chef. His business lays at the bottom of an office building, the Ginza Tokio Subway Station. The movie chronicles the success that Ono has had so far from achieving one of the highest levels of achievement and feedback in restaurants and also landing a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records. It also shows how Jiro got into the job that he did, and how his passion for it has carried his success. Now that Jiro is 85 though it also shows how he is trying to pass his legacy on to his son, and his relationship in general with his apprentices and his other son who has his own sushi place.

Saturday Movies: Frances Ha (2012)

I had been wanting to watch this movie for a really long time. There was just something that screamed Holly about it, and I was right. There is also something very Woody Allen about it as well, but with a little more life. Anyways, Noah Baumbach directs this movie, and brings to life Frances. Frances for some reason is a very easy to relate to woman, and I think whether male or female, if you're in your twenties, about to be, or already been there is something that to like about this movie and that reminds you of that decade of your life.

Summary: Frances wants to be a dancer and is apprenticing at a dance company though she is not really a dancer. She also is living in New York without an apartment as well. She is from California, but has come to New York to make her dancing dreams work out. The one thing that seems to be real about Frances life that is an illusion she has created is her friendship with Sophie. Sophie though has a successful job, and now she is in a serious relationship. Somehow this makes Frances' world feel as if it is falling apart.

Saturday Movies: The Croods (2013)

I don't usually go out of my way to watch animation movies, which is a shame. I saw The Croods available though to watch, and couldn't help but take some time out to watch it especially since it doesn't take much involvement nor time to watch. The Croods was a surprise on just how much I laughed and it entertained me. For girls who have been teens or had a dad like the one in this movie you might be able to relate, and on the plus side the story offers lots of visuals that are just vivid and lively.

Summary: Eep is adventurous and tired of living with her family in the cave in fear. Grug isn't letting up on how protective he is of his family though that also includes his son, Thunk, his wife, Ugga, his youngest child, and his wife's mother. After Eep meets Guy she learns about the fate of the world, but until the cave's crumble do they react to what Guy has foretold. Now with the help of Guy the family travels through tropical terrains to get to a new location and save themselves from what appears to be the end of the world.

Saturday Movies: The Lone Ranger (2013)

The audiences weren't ready for this, or they might have never been. With some advertising that more so focused on Johnny Depp and the Pirate of Caribbean movies instead of the fact this was a different movie all together, it might have just left audience underwhelmed. Perhaps, it was just the fail casting of Armie Hammer who someone seems to have thought could make up for his lack of acting ability with his looks. The movie has some great special effects, and some comedic scenes though, and overall it gets to the entertainment point they were aiming for, but without anything special to set it apart it left it for failure.

Summary: Tonto is still alive in the 1930s, but his life has changed. He's now a prop in a travelling circus show where he stands to show case the scenery of the old West. When a young boy passes through he reminds him of his past, and Tonto begins to tell the boy the story of John Reid, The Lone Ranger, and how his hunt for Butch Cavendish transformed Reid into a man for the law into a man wanting justice.

Saturday Movies: Miss Congeniality (2000)

Miss Congeniality is one of the most popular chick flicks there is, but that shouldn't keep the viewer from watching it. Sandra Bullock has always been popular it seems, but of recent has definitely redefined her career for the future, since she couldn't always do chick flicks. Bullock in this one relates to a lot of women though. She isn't ever insecure, but also seems to be so scared of being classified as a female she runs from it. This makes the underlining themes a lot more real to life than the actual story is.

Summary: Gracie Hart doesn't consider herself a girl, and when referred to one she seems to take offense. She is about to have to go undercover in the most feminine role of her life though as a beauty pageant contestant. At first she doesn't even volunteer herself until fellow agent, Eric, thinks she has potential. Now it's up to former beauty pageant host, Victor, to remake Gracie into a contestant that could make the top 5. Her mission will be to seek out the person who has put a threat on the pageant, and make sure that they can't harm the contestants during the U.S. program.

Saturday Movies: Spring Breakers (2013)

I have to say that while I didn't love this movie, I was surprised by how much better it was than I thought it would be. This is actually a good movie, but lacks a lot of substance needed to make an audience want to see it. Within the thirty minutes there is so much working against the movie, and because of a poor casting person the cast isn't that impressive. I hate to say it, but the girls were really annoying, and I sadly can't say they ever cross the barrier into being likable. Now what makes this movie really good, and a lot more enjoyable is James Franco in one of his stand out performances of 2013. The guy thankfully only waits 35 minutes or so to appear, and the movie instantly takes a positive turn.

Summary: Faith, Candy, Brit, and Cotty all want to go on spring break, and they are tired of missing the fun since they have no money. After three of the girls take drastic action to make spring break happen they find themselves having the time of their lives on spring break. That is until they get arrested, but Alien, a gangster, bails them out, and the girls begin to get involved in his world. Naturally, for him bailing them out they feel inclined to do some criminal work for pay back.

Saturday Movies: Elysium (2013)

Following in the footsteps of District 9, director, Neill Blomkamp, brings another bleak, but struggle to find humanity in Elysium. Some of the same actors appear again, but this time in reverse roles, and Matt Damon stars in one of his stronger roles of late. With the popularity of Dystopian movies of late, it seems that Elysium is hitting at just the right time. Hunger Games would follow later last year, and Oblivion was one released prior that year.

Summary: It's the year 2154, and the wealthy inhabitants of earth now reside in a spaceship above earth away from the violence and illness that now runs rampant on earth. As kids, Max and Frey dreamed of being able to live there one day, but to live there you have to have the ability to prove membership with a symbol on your arm. Years later Max's life has turned out quite differently, but when he finds himself dying he is desperate to get to the spaceship so that he use one of their machines to heal himself. A man, Spider, is willing to help him get there if he takes on a mission to help bring the two worlds together.

Saturday Movies: We're the Millers (2013)

At first I'll say that I didn't think We're the Millers would be funny. I thought it might be the typical comedy coming out these days that just can't be hilarious outside a few chuckles. This movie did surprise me with how much it had me laughing though, and I think that is because it avoids the sappiness that could easily come with the territory. Also, the stars of the movie work well together, and while Jason Sudeikis is a good lead, Jennifer Aniston also shows she can do more than just the chick flick movies she fell into.

Summary: David Clark is a veteran pot dealer. He's been doing it since college, and why look for a new a job when that one is going well? David though has to help out his friend, Kenny, who is attacked while trying to help a runaway, Casey, from a group of guys. While helping him out he is robbed, and loses the money he owed to his boss who is a drug lord. Now his drug lord, Brad, wants him to travel to Mexico to bring back pot for him as punishment for what happened. David is going to need to a disguise to get in and out of the country though without looking obvious, so he hires a fake family to help him out. Including Kenny, Casey, and stripper wanting to get out of the business, Rose.

Saturday Movies: 2 Guns (2013)

Denzel Washington and Mark Walberg starring in a movie together was enough to peek my interest to want to check this out. Washington seems like such a serious actor, and Walberg varies by the movie. The combo make for a good movie, and while this movie may lack in some areas, over all it provides a strong idea, and a lot of good action. You also have cameos popping up every which way to keep you interested, and twist that will at least make you laugh sometimes. This is also a lot better than directors, Baltasar Kormakur's other work Contraband as he seems to have eliminated the television show shots.

Summary: Bobby, a DEA agent, and Stig, a naval officer, are both working the same cast without knowing the other is apart of a greater system they are working for, and they both think each other are criminals. They need to rob a bank after a messed up drug cartel to convict a mob boss. The bank they rob provides way more money than the mob boss was to have stowed in the bank though causing them to wonder who they have stolen from. The person they have stolen from is on their trail to get his money back, and he wasn't the mob boss they were targeting.

Saturday Movies: Blackfish (2013)

If you ever want to go to SeaWorld with a sounder mind, then this documentary will crush that. Whether you're an animal lover, or not this movie does have something for everyone to feel outraged about. They aren't only mistreating Orcas as shown in this movie but also their trainers. I was unaware of what had happened after the whole ordeal when they had the death of a trainer there, but it shows a really ugly side to the business. The documentary is highly interesting though, and well paced. There is plenty of enough solid facts as well that provide a case as for why these animals can't thrive for what they made to thrive as in their current circumstances.

Summary: In 2010 a SeaWorld trainer was killed by an Orca, Tilikum. With confusing reports at first on what happened, it instigated an investigation that led to SeaWorld being sued. Now it's left to ponder what have might brought on the attack? It turns out that Tilikum has been in the industry dating back to the 80's, and this isn't the only attack he's known for. By studying how Orcas act in their pods, and the way they are mistreated in captivity, we see that how it's led to the stifling of an animal who can't thrive in a habit oppressive to it's nature.

Saturday Movies: Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967)

It's 1967 and the Civil Rights Movement has just recently happened, so imagine a movie that is about a couple of different races deciding they were going to step forward to their families about their relationship. That alone makes for some interesting happenings in the movie. Stanely Kramer though was a director who seemed to have this very odd portrayal of the story. While the story and plot are very modern and beyond the time, his way of directing was very dated and 60's, and takes away a lot from the atmosphere of the story.

Summary: Joey is bring home her fiance, John, to meet her family. They've only been dating for a little over a week, but Joey is convinced he is the one. John is a little more hesitant though as he is much more aware of just how rare their romance is. Matt and Christina are Joey's parents, and they've always considered themselves a huge supporter of African Americans having civil rights, and their ideology is liberal. John though is going to put their ideas into practice though, and for the parents it may be harder to accept than their ideas led them to think.