The plot, although sci-fi, was poorly written and not too believable. The cinematography was the only plus. The acting of three good actors: Brad Pitt, Tommy Lee Jones and Donald Sutherland was wasted. Sutherland's not even the right fit for his role...an 80-year-old astronaut? He suffers a heart attack on the trip (Dah!). Give me a break! Fifty-year old Pitt's consumed with constant daydreaming and his 30-year-old "daddy issues". Fire the screenwriter and casting director, please! It only got worse from there. It's a waste of time to review this further; just pass on this one.
I will say that part of me questions the length of "It: Chapter 2" and whether or not some things should have been cut, as I was beginning to notice the time and really, REALLY observe things about the characters like, ‘Why is he always wearing that jacket?’, ‘Are there no police around while all of this going down?, ‘Can Bill Hader’s dialogue not be expanded?’, but then again if something had been taken away it might have not helped with the background story or development of the characters. "It" definitely is a long film but I still enjoyed it anyway. I also agree that Bill Skarsgard as Pennywise the Clown is amazing in both films. He definitely has created one of the scariest characters in modern film. Needless to say, Pennywise is the stuff of nightmares and that makes it a great film. I definitely loved Stephen King’s book better over the adaptations that have been done but the movies that have been recently released shine when compared to the television version in my opinion.
If you've been a fan of the Fallen series (“Olympus Has Fallen”, “London Has Fallen”) then you may as well bite the bullet and see the latest in the genre, “Angel Has Fallen.” Predictable? Yes! Unrealistic? Yes! Full of action and shoot’em up scenes? Yes and I loved every bit of it! This is a great, fun way to spend almost two hours at the movie. It is by no means award season material but Gerard Butler is great in his role and there is a fun time to be had when we are introduced to his dad, portrayed by Nick Nolte.
The storyline is actually pretty good and keeps your interest for most of the film. There are a few times where I thought things could have been omitted or shortened but the action is great and you can’t help but want to see what happens next.
The cast is solid and everyone does a great job. While you will know early on the direction the film is going to go, it is still a blast.
I loved the book and was hoping that the movie version wouldn't let me down and I'm glad to say it did not. The film, ‘The Art of Racing in the Rain’, does do justice to the book. While it's not a the perfect ‘copy’, the producers and director did a great job of capturing the soul and spirit of Garth Stein's best-selling novel.
The novel is definitely one of the most unique that I've read in recent times. It's the story of a dog, Enzo, and the relationship with his owner, Denny Swift, told by the point of view of the dog. Initially I wasn't sure when reading it that it was going to work but the more I read, the more I was l drawn in and I eventually realized that this story was something special. It's an amazing story and I'm so glad I read it. It's now one of my favorites. Thus, the reason for my apprehension of how the movie was going to be.
In the role of Denny Swift, Milo Ventimaglia, star of the critically acclaimed series ‘This Is Us’, is perfectly cast. His demeanor, emotions and reactions are exactly what I pictured for the character in the novel. You can feel his love of Enzo in the film, which is most critical. If that hadn't worked then the movie wouldn't have either. This isn't to say that the movie doesn't have its faults. I personally felt that it was just a little too long and that the drama between Denny and his wife’s family wasn't fully fleshed out. However, this didn't prevent me from enjoying this film. It's a beautiful story and I'm glad that we have both the novel and a film version to enjoy.
One film I need to comment on, and one I really did not expect to review, much less watch, is ‘Poms’ with Diane Keaton. When I think of Diane Keaton I think of two things: one being her famous role in Woody Allen’s film ‘Annie Hall’; and the second is her apparent love of making feel-good, formulaic comedies, at least for the past several years. It seems that her ambition is to no longer play in more serious, Academy Award-recognition type roles, which of course is her prerogative.
I didn't expect to think much of her latest film ‘Poms’ as I just knew it was going to be a cheesy, corny movie and there are some moments in the film that do exhibit those characteristics. However, the movie does actually have several things going for it. The story is pretty original, which is about a woman who receives life-changing news from her doctor. She then decides to make a significant change and sell all her stuff and move to an adult/retirement community in a completely different state. What makes this story unique from others is that Diane Keaton’s character decides that she's going to fulfill her previous missed opportunity when she was younger of performing as a cheerleader in a competition. Needless to say, her auditioning other ladies in the adult/retirement community is the other plus for the film, as those scenes are pretty funny. Another positive is that the characters all work well together and you get a sense of camaraderie among them.
It's a good story with a positive message and the friendships that you see develop throughout the course of the film make it a nice watch. If you want a comedy to lighten up your mood, you could definitely do worse.
If you're looking for an inspiring, thought provoking and emotional film with strong acting, I highly recommend “The Best of Enemies.” The film is based on the true story of Ann Atwater (portrayed by Taraji P. Henson), an outspoken civil rights activist, and C.P. Ellis (portrayed by Sam Rockwell), a local Ku Klux Klan leader, who both agree (with much hesitation) to co-chair a community group that is battling over the desegregation of schools in Durham, North Carolina in 1971. While I feel that the film does have some moments of ‘overacting’ to get its message across, it doesn't take away from the fact that the film has an important message nonetheless and one that needs to be heard. The performances by the entire cast are solid but the scene-stealers are definitely Henson and Rockwell, who are both stellar in their performances. It's a tough film to watch at times but one that looks back on a piece of history that can't be forgotten. If you watch the film, be sure to watch the extras on the blu-ray or dvd in order to see interviews with the real Atwater and Ellis.
