#Hit&Run
Rating: 69/100%
1. Man in witness protection must drive his girl to LA. No problems until his former running mates find out.
2. Plot has holes & film is uneven overall, but #Hit&Run has some funny moments.
3. Directed, written by, & starring Dax Shepard. He even finds a role for his #Parenthood wife Joy Bryant (Jasmine).
4. #Hit&Run is flawed, yet a simple kind of fun. An easy watch. It’s currently streaming on #Netflix.
#JackReacher
Rating: 65/100%
1. Sniper kills 5 innocent people in Pittsburgh. Suspect in custody, but why is he asking for Tom Cruise (Jack Reacher)?
2. Feels like a late 90′s thriller. Predictable w 1-liners, long car chases, sexual tension & plot twists.
3. Documentary Director Werner Herzog is a bad guy?
4. #JackReacher is too goofy at times (bar scene, shirtless in hotel), but has its moments. It’s currently on DVD.
#TroubleWithTheCurve
Rating: 48/100%
1. Clint Eastwood is an aging baseball scout who receives help from his independent, lawyer daughter (despite shaky relationship).
2. Red Sox have #1 overall pick, followed by Braves at #2. In what world is this???
3. Dialogue is terrible, but film goes under 50% because of ridiculous ending.
4. #TroubleWithTheCurve is cheesy & predictable. Not worth your time… especially for baseball fans.
#ParaNorman
Rating: 64/100%
1. Norman is an outcast at school, mostly because he can see & communicate w the dead.
2. Could be quite scary for kids & not engaging enough for adults.
3. Fair or not, all Animated films are judged on a #ToyStory scale. #Unfair.
4. #ParaNorman was Nominated for Best Animated Feature & is streaming on #Netflix.
#TheImpossible
Rating: 82/100%
1. Incredible true story: family visiting Thailand in 2004, caught in horrific tsunami. Can they survive?
2. Bring a Kleenex box.
3. Naomi Watts (Maria) earns her Nomination for Best Actress.
4. Some blood & injury scenes may make viewers squeamish, but overall a solid, feel-good movie of survival & family.
#ThisIs40
Rating: 66/100%
1. Sort-of sequel to #KnockedUp humorously explores the suburban married with kids mid-life crisis stage.
2. Smothered with sexual jokes, its the classic Judd Apatow film.
3. At 134 mins, #ThisIs40 is WAY too long & in desperate need of an editor.
4. Achieves some laughs, but would be sharper (& much better) with shorter running time. Not in the upper-echelon of Apatow’s catalogue.
#FatKidRulesTheWorld
Rating: 76/100%
1. Overweight, insecure teen struggles to make friends, until another outcast encourages him out of his comfort zone.
2. Quirky drama littered with fantastically funny “day dream” sequences. Helps film avoid becoming too serious.
3. Characters are fully fleshed out, including strict, single father (Mr. Billings). Sure, Dad is difficult, but film avoids villainizing him.
4. #FatKidRulesTheWorld reminded me (a lot) of 2011′s #Terri (also starring Jacob Wysocki). It’s streaming on #Netflix.
#TheWords
Rating: 51/100%
1. Struggling writer finds an anonymous unpublished work of art.
2. Poses intriguing ethical questions: do you claim this work as your own? Do you tell your loved ones the truth?
3. Film is ruined by decision to include 3 competing stories (1 is absolute waste). This leads to ending, which is an epic failure. Destroys entire experience.
4. #TheWords is def hurt by complexity. Impossible NOT to feel disappointed & cheated by ending, which is worst of the year.
#Hitchcock
Rating: 72/100%
1. Story of how Alfred Hitchcock struggled (emotionally & financially) to film his greatest triumph, “Psycho.”
2. Anthony Hopkins is on his game as Hitchcock, fat suit & all. Despite enormous success, Hitchcock was deeply insecure, paranoid, & difficult.
3. My man Ralph Macchio (#TheKarateKid) makes an appearance!
4. #Hitchcock was not a likable character, but his wife Alma (Helen Mirren) certainly was. Film is better than I expected.
#ThePaperboy
Rating: 37/100%
1. Over-the-top “thriller” set in 1960′s American South. Newspaper reporter returns home to investigate case of man on death row.
2. Similar in dark style & tone to #KillerJoe. Challenging yr for Matthew McConaughey w those, #Bernie & #MagicMike.
3. Nicole Kidman in full-on #ToDieFor mode. Zac Efron doing best Matthew McConaughey impression by rarely wearing a shirt.
4. #ThePaperboy is one of the worst movies I’ve seen this year.
