5 Most Anticipated Movies of 2014 (July-August)

Picking up from where I left off from my last list, this week’s post will complete the summer movies I am most looking forward to. While I’ve seen 16 films released in July and August 2013, I only counted 11 that I wish to see this July and August, so it wasn’t hard selecting the top five.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Release Date: July 11

The sequel to the surprisingly great reboot finds the apes, led by Caesar, and a group of human survivors close to war. While I’m sad that James Franco isn’t returning, the film looks like it has done a nice job setting up the desolate world the apes and humans live in now. I’m excited to see how the story plays out.

Hercules

Release Date: July 25

My interest in Greek mythology combined with my respect for Dwayne Johnson makes this movie one I’m eager to see. I don’t know too much about the plot yet, but I’m sure the movie will feature a lot of action and fantasy, and that’s just what I want from a movie about Hercules.

Guardians of the Galaxy

Release Date: August 1

Another Marvel movie is on the way, and this one looks to be the oddest of them all. The trailer shows that a nice setup of a space setting, great looking characters, and a lot of fun is to expected from Guardians of the Galaxy.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Release Date: August 8

The trailer actually didn’t look too bad, and I’m interested to see which tone the film takes. Since a lot of people are against the Transformers franchise, and Michael Bay has produced this film, some are worried this film might follow that franchise’s direction. However, I really enjoyed the Transformers movies, and if this is anything like it, then I’m sure I’ll enjoy it as well.

Let’s Be Cops

Release Date: August 13

The cast alone had me drawn to this film. Jake Johnson and Daman Wayans, Jr., both part of the tv series New Girl, are very funny in the show, and they look to bring that comedy in Let’s Be Cops. The premise promises an action comedy that may be a surprise hit, and I really hope it is.

Other Notable:

The Expendables 3: I liked the first two installments, and the impressive cast returns with new additions to this action-packed franchise.

Neighbors (2014)

The idea of a fraternity going against a married couple instantly won me over, and it wasn’t a tough decision for me to watch Neighbors. The film delivers on many laughs, and it surprisingly was sweet and insightful as well.

Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne star as the married couple, and they convincingly portray a couple who wishes to prove they can still have fun despite their baby. Seth Rogen has consistently made me laugh in most of his films, so I had no doubt that he would again in this movie. He is one of my favorite comedic actors, and I look forward to continue seeing his future roles. However, Rose Byrne, who has made appearances in comedy films like Bridesmaids and Get Him to the Greek, really shines in Neighbors. Her easy chemistry with Rogen helps make the couple believable, and they are hilarious together.

Zac Efron was really funny, too. He was great with showing his character’s obsession to be a part of his fraternity’s Hall of Fame, and his strife with Rogen and Byrne’s characters led to many humorous scenes. I also liked his friendship with Dave Franco’s character, who also provided a number of laughs. Rogen clearly has a keen interest in working with the Francos, and he always brings the best out of the actors.

Behind the raunchy comedy, there are great motifs to be found in this movie. The importance of family is highlighted with the adorable baby, and despite their eagerness to party and have fun, the couple love their baby very much. There is also some focus on what future can be like after college, especially for those who don’t have a plan and enjoy the college life.

I give Neighbors a 9/10.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)

When The Amazing Spider-Man was released, I instantly loved it. Under Marc Webb’s direction, Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone helped lift the movie above Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy. Naturally, I had very high expectations from the sequel, and I really enjoyed it as well.

Andrew Garfield returns as the superhero and continues to demonstrate why he makes a great Spider-Man. He managed to make me laugh with his witty comments, but he also showed off the emotion and struggle Peter Parker faces throughout his life. Emma Stone is back again as well, and their chemistry is phenomenal. They both show that sweet and heartfelt scenes are just as important to a superhero film as the action is. Jamie Foxx plays the villian Electro in the movie, and I liked how he portrayed him. We also see the human side of the villian, Max Dillon, which adds sympathy to the character and provides evidence for his heinous motives. Dane Dehaan and Sally Field also deserve praise for their portrayals of Harry Osborn and Aunt May.

The action in the movie was very exciting to see. Electro’s cool look and powers helped create nice visuals, and the fight sequenes were executed to perfection. I also really liked the film’s soundtrack; it worked well with the fights and added to the movie’s great energy.

There was a lot going on in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, and that is a reason why some didn’t like it very much, but it managed to hold my attention the entire time. There wasn’t a single scene that bored me, and despite the long running time of 2 hours and 22 minutes, I didn’t want it to end.

There were a lot of easter eggs and many hints in the movie that are sure to appear in future installments. I can’t wait for the third film, which is scheduled to be released on June 10, 2016.

I give The Amazing Spider-Man 2 a 10/10.

Arthur (2011)

Due to the many bad reviews this film has received, I wasn’t very excited to see it. However, I was surprised by how much I liked Arthur. It was really funny, but it also managed to be sweet and touching at the same time.

Russell Brand portrays the character of Arthur nicely; it’s easy to see him as a rich, goofy man-child. Helen Mirren was fantastic as his nanny and helped show the love-hate relationship between the two. Greta Gerwig impressed me with her performance as well; she was recently cast as the lead in the upcoming TV show, How I Met Your Dad. I only recently started How I Met Your Mother, but I also look forward to seeing her in the lead role for the spin-off. Jennifer Garner’s character was unpleasant, so she did a good job of making her that way. She did have a certain drunk scene which seemed to be more awkward than funny, though.

The movie isn’t hilarious throughout, but I found multiple instances that made me laugh. The witty dialogue makes the characters likeable. Arthur in particular is a drunk, carefree play millionaire, but Brand makes him affable. His jokes were spot on, and he displayed the character’s emotion skillfully.

The story behind the movie is one that may seem clichéd, but I think it was handled well. The main character must make a choice between love and money, and while Arthur didn’t bring very much new to the table, it still managed to be entertaining.

Not having seen the original, I might check it out after seeing the remake. The original Arthur received much more critical praise, and considering I liked this one, I’m sure I’ll like the original, too.

I give Arthur an 8/10.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

Captain America: The Winter Soldier has been receiving rave reviews recently. My expectations were understandably high after reading all the praise it was getting, and the movie did not fail to deliver.

Chris Evans returns as the hero Captain America, and Scarlett Johansson plays a larger role in this recent addition to the Marvel Universe. Anthony Mackie brings the Falcon to the big screen, and his comedic timing was spot on. The cast was really excellent, and their interactions solidified Marvel’s strength at creating wonderful ensembles that have great chemistry. Samuel L. Jackson and Cobie Smulders reprised their roles as Nick Fury and Maria Hill as well, and Robert Redford did a good job as a member of the World Security Council.

The action is definitely worthy of praise. They were thrilling and executed nicely; the scope of the film was amazing. Marvel has really upped the ante with Phase 2 as every film so far has dealt with massive destruction, which in turn leads to an abundance of awesome battle sequences. The car chase scenes also deserve recognition because they managed to stay interesting, and the camera work looked great.

There are two post-credit scenes to see, and they succeed in making the audiences excited for both Avengers: Age of Ultron and the next Captain America. I also liked the quick mention of Doctor Strange, who may be getting his own movie in a few years.

Overall, The Winter Soldier is amazing blockbuster entertainment, and it improves over its predecessor. Despite minimal boring parts in the beginning, the movie never lets up once it gets interesting, and the action, comedy, and drama complement each other perfectly.

I rate Captain America: The Winter Soldier a 10/10, which matches the ratings I gave Iron Man 3 and Thor: The Dark World.

Up next for Marvel is Guardians of the Galaxy, and the trailer shows off what can be a fun, action-packed worthy addition to the Universe.

Bad Words (2013)

Jason Bateman has consistently shown off his comedic chops in movies such as Hancock, The Switch, and my personal favorite of his, Horrible Bosses. He also deserves recognition for his role as Michael Bluth in the TV series Arrested Development. In addition to staring in Bad Words, Bateman also made his directorial debut. Although it’s exciting when an actor makes the jump to director, Bateman’s film falls short, especially when compared to his other movies.

Bad Words wasn’t really a bad film, but I definitely think it’s only a one-time watch. The jokes aren’t as funny as they should have been, and the black comedy didn’t work well. Bateman’s character isn’t very relatable, and his motives, which are revealed towards the end, don’t really excuse his actions.

The movie, while missing a lot of comedy, actually worked better when it was sentimental and deep. Rohan Chand plays a young contestant in the spelling bee who talks about being made fun of in school and how he has no friends other than his binder. It’s a bit upsetting to hear him discuss his life, but it adds more development to the character. His growing friendship with Bateman’s character is much like the relation of Robert Downey Jr.’s and Ty Simpkins in Iron Man 3, although it works to a lesser extent. Still, I enjoyed seeing their interactions and the wild night out they had together.

Bad Words shows Bateman’s promise as a director, but the movie was a letdown in terms of the black comedy and an unlikable character. The running time comes in at a short 88 minutes, so it doesn’t take up too much time. It may be worth a watch if one has nothing else to see, but it’s not a must-see movie.

I give Bad Words a 6/10.

After Earth (2013)

After Earth seemed to have all the right ingredients for a typical Will Smith movie. It’s science fiction, a supposed summer blockbuster, and of course, it has Will Smith, my favorite actor. It’s rare for me to be disappointed by one his films, but this unfortunately is not a good movie.

One reason I didn’t like it that much was because Will wasn’t even the main character. Jaden Smith takes over here, and while he showed promise in The Karate Kid, he takes a step back in his career with After Earth. The father-son combo worked better in The Pursuit of Happyness, with Will leading the film and Jaden taking the backseat. The other way around just doesn’t work. Will has a bigger scene presence, even here when he isn’t leading the film, so it would make sense to have him be the main character.

Another thing that went wrong was the misuse of the actors themselves. Gone is the wise-cracking, charismatic actor we are used to seeing from Smith, and he is replaced by a stern, almost emotionless man. He deserves props for selling the role well enough, but I prefer the goofy, comical Will Smith over this one. Jaden, in his limited acting career, has played a gentle, innocent kid in The Karate Kid, but he is so bland here. I know the point of the movie was to show the struggling father-son relationship, but as a real life father and son, the Smiths are better off having a loving relation with chemistry than a troubled one.

I suppose the script itself deserves to be scrutinized because the dialogue wasn’t very convincing either. The special effects didn’t look too great, and there were even some awkward camera shots that looked like they were taken from an actual forest rather than filmed on set or fixed with CGI.

I had low expectations for this movie, and they unfortunately were met. It will be easy to forget about After Earth, and I think everyone involved with the film should do just that and try to move on. Will Smith has signed on to a number of interesting projects, so I’m eagerly anticipating his return to his normal form.

I give After Earth a 3/10.

Beetlejuice (1988)

I watched Beetlejuice about a thousand times when I was younger, but I haven’t seen it in about eight years. I decided to give it another go to see if I still love it as much as I did back then. The answer is yes…and no.

First, I’ll talk about the positives, and there are many. Michael Keaton as the titular character was easily the best part of the movie. The second he got on screen I knew he would steal the movie with his hilarious performance. Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis were good as well, and they did a nice job of making the viewer understand everything they went through. Winona Ryder was also very convincing as a Goth.

The movie is so weird and eerie, and it definitely is a Tim Burton film. The special effects, purposely done to look goofy and silly, helped add to the film’s comedic tone while still looking creepy.

One scene in particular that I liked was the dinner scene where Baldwin and Davis’s characters attempt to frighten a family from their house. I liked the Day-O song in the background, and the cast members who danced along to it were really funny.

I really only have one negative with Beetlejuice, but it unfortunately is a big one. Keaton is given such minimal time in the movie. In fact, according to IMDb, he’s only in the movie for 17.5 minutes out of the 92 minute run time. Considering he was the funniest character, I feel like he deserved more time in the movie.

Recent rumors have shown that Keaton and Burton are interested in doing a sequel. I’m down for a sequel as long as it focuses more on Keaton’s character, and it has to be interesting of course. The last time both Keaton and Burton did a sequel was back in 1992 with the release of Batman Returns, and I loved that film. If Keaton can bring the same eccentric performance in the sequel that he gave in this one, I have no worries.

 I give Beetlejuice an 8/10.

Double Review: Odd Thomas (2013) and Fright Night (2011)

This week I am reviewing two horror comedies starring Anton Yelchin. Horror comedy is probably the only type of horror that I would watch, and while one was great, I couldn’t help but feel disappointed by the other.

Odd Thomas is a movie I hadn’t even heard of until the day I watched it. I stumbled upon it while watching different trailers, and its premise instantly had me interested. The main character, appropriately named Odd Thomas, can see ghosts and ghoulish creatures. There were welcome twists and turns. The ending was also surprising and sentimental, perfectly rounding out the movie.

Addison Timlin in particular was fantastic as the leading lady. After a short, but excellent, appearance in Stand Up Guys, I’m glad she was able to show off more of her talent here. She was charming and her chemistry with Yelchin bought the characters to life.

The special effects were good, there was some action, and it was creepy when it needed to be. I might check out the book it is based on, but since the movie really wasn’t released in theaters, we unfortunately might not be seeing the sequel getting translated to the big screen.

As for Fright Night, I already wasn’t expecting much from the movie, and it still managed to be worse than I thought. The cast managed well enough, especially Colin Farrell and David Tennant, and even the story was appealing. However, it just didn’t play out well. It was light on the comedy and while sometimes spooky, it was never too scary. It was also forgettable; I’m having trouble remembering the ending even though I watched it a week ago.

I found myself losing interest in the movie throughout most of it. The plot about having a vampire as the main character’s neighbor sounds cool, but it wasn’t executed well. A couple of attention-grabbing scenes here or there weren’t enough to make the film watchable.

Yelchin might not be the most popular leading man, but he managed pretty good with these films. He showed off more of his comedic side in Odd Thomas, which I liked. He wasn’t bad in Fright Night, but the movie could have been better.

I give Odd Thomas a 9/10 and Fright Night a 4/10.

Moneyball (2011)

I wouldn’t call myself a baseball fan. Never having seen a game, I have played video games, but that’s about it. It’s not hard to see why I may have been wary about Moneyball, but it was unexpectedly a wonderful movie.

Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill gave outstanding performances and managed to make this sports drama seem more like a comedy. I feel like I mention Jonah Hill a lot in my posts, praising him for his work in This Is The End and The Wolf of Wall Street, while anticipating the release of 22 Jump Street. He’s shown great range as an actor, and I liked seeing him branch out of his usual raunchy comedy and give more of a funny but subtle performance. There’s no denying that Pitt is the star, though. He made his character easily relatable, and he made me laugh a lot as well.

I really enjoyed the humor in the movie, and it balanced the drama perfectly. However, it is a sports drama and a nice one at that. Very smart and poignant, the movie is centered on a general manager who decides to use statistics to build and manage his team. The director did a nice job of making the audience understand everything that was going on, whether they are a baseball fan or not.

The rest of the cast was also good. The baseball players were depicted nicely; Chris Pratt’s character was the most prominent of the players, and he was great. Philip Seymour Hoffman, may he rest in peace, made me dislike his character, which seemed to be the objective, so he deserves a shout out as well.

There isn’t much I disliked about Moneyball. I was interested the entire time, and while I don’t want to admit it, I almost cried at the end. I have yet to be brought to tears while watching a film, but any movie that brings me close deserves recognition. I’m not planning on starting to watch baseball anytime soon, nor will I go looking for other baseball-related films, but Moneyball did a decent job of making me at least appreciate the game.

I give Moneyball a 10/10.