Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth and Julianne Moore
Directed By: Francis Lawrence
Rated: PG-13
Running Time: 123 minutes
Lionsgate

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

The final piece of a series is no longer a bloated epic detailing the final time we’ll see our heroes, but now cut in half, with the first part generally being the weaker of the two. That makes it easier to scrutiny because of how much of an obvious cash grab it is by the Hollywood executives hoping to squeeze out those last remaining pennies before finding their next franchise to milk. “Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part – 1” isn’t about to break that stereotype, but it comes pretty close.

For a movie that seems to be advertised as an explosive and heart pounding action flick, it’s surprisingly thoughtful. “Mockingjay – Part 1” picks up moments after the events of “Catching Fire”. Katniss (Lawrence) is still nursing some mental scars and having to come to terms with the fact that District 12 no longer exists. It’s nothing but rubble and piles of charred bodies. The visuals of blackened skeletons is enough to paint a horrific picture and further imply the brutal extent the Capitol will go to strengthen it’s iron fist grip over the districts.

Katniss is taking refuge underground in District 13, long believed to have suffered the same fate that has recently befallen District 12. There she meets a military society headed by President Alma Coin (Moore). This is the first introduction of President Alma in the series and while it’s easy to trust the person supplying food and supplies, there’s something ominous about a character who never seems to view Katniss more than a puppet for political manipulation. On the other end, Peeta (Hutcherson) is being used to discredit the defiance that grows in the districts.

Katniss and Peeta are clearly being used as propaganda. While Katniss is used to inspire hope to those fighting, through her fiery eyes of anger and bitter words of revenge, it appears that Peeta is nervously regurgitating lines, but we never see or fully know what purpose the Capital is using him for. “Mockingjay” focuses more on President Alma’s use of Katniss to beat the drums of rebellion in the hopes of getting ubiquitous support for their uprising against the Capital. Luckily this disinformation chess match is interrupted by scenes of retaliation around Panem and a third act covert mission to rescue Peeta.

The theme doesn’t say anything new, but it’s refreshing to see a movie, that’s been coined as “young adult”, use such a mature idea in a very presentable and easy to understand fashion. It’s not difficult to see the positive and ill effects of spin that two warring factions can create. Personally, I was expecting CGI explosions and Jennifer Lawrence whipping her hair all about while firing off multiple arrows like Hawkeye in “The Avengers”, but for what we’re given, it is proficient with it’s message and it simply wets our appetites for an explosive finale come next year.

The big problem with the first part of this oversized first course of Mockingjay is that it feels too much like a prologue to something a lot more monumental. There’s a lot of moving pieces, but a lot of downtime that involves staring, sitting and inconsequential dialogue. The obvious payoff for our two hours of time won’t happen until Part 2, but it’d be nice to have some kind of reward for our investment into the lives of these characters. It doesn’t help that Jennifer Lawrence, who’s shown such a wide range of emotions throughout this series, is a bit limited to angry reactions and fear.

Regardless, if it wasn’t for Lawrence’s commanding presence, this movie wouldn’t have the drive and Katniss wouldn’t radiate bravery. All the regulars are back for this movie, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks and the stupendously talented Philip Seymour Hoffman. Without this cast, this movie would have fizzled out like “Percy Jackson” or “The Mortal Instruments”. It’ll be easier to reflect on “Part 1” once the series completes next year. We’ll know if it’s a good enough primer for the grand ending we’re all expecting. For now though, it’s simply an appetizer to keep us content until the main course arrives.

Starring: Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels
Directed by: Peter and Bobby Farrelly
Rated: PG 13
Running time: 1 hours 50 mins
Universal

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

1994. What a year. For those of you too young to remember, 1994 was the year O.J. Simpson led the police on a slow-speed chase in his Bronco. The princess of Rock (Lisa Marie Presley) married the King of Pop (do I have to name him?). A gallon of gas cost $1.09 while the average price of a movie ticket was just over $4.00. In 1994 you could spend that four bucks on such films as “The Shawshank Redemption,” “Pulp Fiction” and the Oscar-winning “Forrest Gump.” And, on November 14th, you could go see a new comedy called “Dumb and Dumber.” Two decades later, Lloyd and Harry are back.

Every Wednesday for the past twenty years Harry Dunn (Daniels) has visited his catatonic friend Lloyd Christmas (Carrey). This visit Harry breaks the news to his friend that he is in need of a kidney to live. Lloyd reacts to this news, explaining to Harry that he has been pulling his leg for the last twenty years. Harry is impressed with Lloyds deception and soon the two hapless friends are back together on the road, seeking a life-saving organ to keep the two friends together. Of course, hijinx ensue!

Outrageously funny most of the time, “Dumb and Dumber To” is buoyed by the performances of Carrey and Daniels, who appear to have not lost a beat since their last time together. With his chipped tooth and Moe Howard haircut, Carrey still embodies the rubber-limbed idiot Lloyd while Daniels, with his messed up hair and exposed butt-crack stills shines as Harry. When the two learn that Harry has fathered a since-adopted girl the search for a new kidney takes on a family twist.

For those of you asking if it’s as stupid as the first film, the answer is “yes.” That’s what drives the humor. Things you and I consider simple are like quantum physics to these two boobs. They put the “funny” in “funny movie.” Carrey and Daniels are helped out by a strong supporting cast which includes Rob Riggle (in a duo role), Brady Bluhm and a very good sport in Kathleen Turner. Like many Farrelly brother films the gags come fast and heavy. Some hit, some miss, but the hits outnumber the misses enough to make the film well worth seeing.

Starring: Gael Garcia Bernal, Kim Bodnia and Shohreh Aghdashloo
Directed By: Jon Stewart
Rated: R
Running Time: 103 minutes
Open Road Films

Our Score: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Imagine being taken away from your family and friends, blindfolded and dropped into solitary confinement. Ants crawl in and out of the meager food portions you’re given. The only solace you have is the memories of your family that talk to you in your head and the scribbles on the wall of others before you. This is the reality, Iranian-born journalist Maziar Bahari (Bernal) faces during the fraudulent re-election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2009.

Bahari is in Iran, covering this, much forgotten about, slice of contemporary world history. He walks the streets, interviewing his fellow countrymen and capturing footage of the increasing riots and anger over the corrupt handling of democracy. After filming a murderous retaliation by the military, the Iranian state quickly moves in and detains him. His mom witnesses the secretive extraction and soon, his pregnant wife in London will learn of his plight.

“Rosewater” may be a film that catalogues 118 days of imprisonment and torture, but through it’s rough imagery, it promotes an uplifting message. It’s filmed and written by directorial newcomer Jon Stewart. He trades in his political buffoonery to pay respects to a man he admires and respects. While “Rosewater” could be considered a sort of love letter to Bahari’s sacrifices, it instead channels Bahari’s cause and inspires others who hope to find and document the truth.

Stewart is far from a journalist, instead preferring to be a satirist safe behind a fake news desk, but you can’t doubt his admiration for those who head to the front lines to archive the social and political changes constantly happening around us. When resorting to humor in “Rosewater”, Stewart gives us something light hearted to help boost the morale of viewers enduring Bahari’s predicament.

Bernal is so humbling in his role, he provides a practical warmth to Bahari’s persona, that helps foster the more valiant side of our hero. Kim Bodnia may steal the show here as the man who interrogates Bahari. He’s referred to as the specialist at the prison, but Bahari remember’s him by his scent, Rosewater. The specialist is a man consumed with plucking the fallacious truth from Bahari. He’s constantly flipping back and forth between deceptive banter and angered restraint, and Bodnia handles both of them perfectly.

“Rosewater” offers hope and it’s something we’re in desperate need of, at least if you watch the news. Oppression still exists, and always will, throughout the world. The movie ends by telling us that thousands of journalists and other innocents still sit in prison waiting for that magnificent day where they can bask in the sun that doesn’t shine through unforgiving prison bars. The truth waits to be found and no one can stop the people who spend their life finding it.

Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway and Michael Caine
Directed by: Christopher Nolan
Rated: PG 13
Running time: 2 hours 49 mins
Paramount/Warner Brothers

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

“2001: A Space Odyssey.” “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.” “The Right Stuff.” “The Abyss.” All of these films introduced to their respective audiences a view of our lives on Earth and the possibility of life elsewhere. Christopher Nolan has taken the best parts of these films and turned them into a breathtaking, visual masterpiece called “Interstellar.”

Earth as we know it has changed. Our food supply is slowly dwindling. While farmers like Coop (McConaughey) are still doing well with corn, word has come down that the last Okra crop has been destroyed. A blight has taken over the land and Coop does his best to ensure his family – son Tom (Timothee Chalamet), daughter Murph (Mackenzie Foy) and father-in-law Donald (John Lithgow) – survive. Coop wasn’t always a farmer, but he has adapted. Back in the day he was a test pilot but a tragic crash put him on a tractor. Some nights he awakens with a shout thinking about his accident.

Coop has great dreams for his children, though he wonders how they will ever achieve them. Tom’s aptitude test shows him best fit to be a farmer, though Coop disagrees with this. Coop is also in hot water with Murph’s teachers. Apparently he has let her read an old text book documenting the moon landing. However, because of the dire situation in the world, new text books state that the moon landing was a hoax, perpetrated by Russia and eventually bankrupting that country. Yikes! When a bizarre set of circumstances lead Coop to a hidden NASA compound, he is urged to join them on a journey that, if successful, will save the world.

It is really hard to go into the details of this film without giving too much away. Same with the cast. I can tell you that, besides the three Oscar-winners named above, no less than two others appear in the film. All give great performances, with McConaughey adding his name to my short list of Best Actor nominees for next year. Technically, the film is everything you’d expect from Christopher Nolan, the master filmmaker behind “The Prestige,” “Inception” and the “Dark Knight” trilogy. And more. Though a tad long, the film flows pretty smoothly. The script, by director Nolan and his brother, Jonathan, is tight and concise. The dialogue rings true and the emotions conveyed by the cast is genuine. The mood of the film is helped along by Hans Zimmer’s score, which the composer wrote not after reading the script or viewing the film but only from a one page note Nolan handed him during filming. The visual effects are mind boggling, especially when Nolan revealed that the film has very little CGI effects in it. A remarkable achievement in filmmaking that will have you on the edge of your seat.

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Starring: Ryan Potter, Scott Adsit, Jamie Chung, Damon Wayans, Jr., Génesis Rodríguez, T.J. Miller,
Daniel Henney, Maya Rudolph
Directed by: Don Hall, Chris Williams
Distributed by Walt Disney Studios
MPAA Rating: PG
Running time: 108 minutes

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

For those that do not know “Big Hero 6” is inspired by the Marvel Comics superhero team of the same name, which was released back in 1998. In fact, “Big Hero 6” is the first Disney animated film to feature Marvel Comics characters. They aren’t well-known characters like “The Avengers” but still Marvel characters nonetheless. I have to admit, I was expecting a little more from this film. I enjoyed it overall but I didn’t walk away screaming “WOW!!” like I did with recent past Disney animated films like “Tangled”, “Wreck-It Ralph” and “Frozen”. I absolutely loved those films but I only liked “Big Hero 6”.

Official Premise: “Big Hero 6” is an action-packed comedy-adventure about the special bond that develops between Baymax (Scott Adsit), a plus-sized inflatable robot, and prodigy Hiro Hamada (Ryan Potter). When a devastating event befalls the city of San Fransokyo and catapults Hiro into the midst of danger, he turns to Baymax and his close friends adrenaline junkie Go Go Tomago (Jamie Chung), neatnik Wasabi (Damon Wayans Jr.), chemistry whiz Honey Lemon (Genesis Rodriguez) and fanboy Fred (T.J. Miller). Determined to uncover the mystery, Hiro transforms his friends into a band of high-tech heroes called “Big Hero 6.”

Let’s start off with the fact that I love Baymax. I love him. He is literally the main star of this film. He steals the show. Other than him, I really wasn’t in love with any of the other characters at all. It all felt a little generic to me. Luckily, the film had a lot of heart to it and it ended up winning me off in the third act. There was some quite intense moments in the film as well that I questioned “is this really a kids film?”. I have a two year old daughter and she has seen “Tangled”, “Wreck-It Ralph” and “Frozen” numerous times each and I will NOT be showing her this film for many years. There are also some parts that are downright creepy with the Kabuki-faced villain.

I loved the fictionalized created city, San Fransokyo. It is very bright and quite beautiful especially during the flying scenes. The animation is great and no complaints there at all. Viewing the film in 3D, there are some great epic scale shots for the effect but I wasn’t very blown away with it anyway. There are no in your face gags either. If you want to see it in 3D though, check it out in theaters since Disney doesn’t release 3D Blu-rays anymore. The score is epic by Henry Jackson but nothing too memorable. I don’t really see myself listening to the score after seeing the film unlike “Tangled”, “Wreck-It Ralph” and “Frozen”, which are all on my phone still today.

The voice cast is good but not filled with an all-star cast. Hiro is voiced by Ryan Potter, who is only known for the TV series “Supah Ninjas”. His older brother Tadashi is voiced by Daniel Henney (“X-Men Origins: Wolverine“). The inflatable nurse robot turned superhero, Baymax, is voiced by Scott Adsit, known best for “30 Rock”. Tadashi’s college friends are voiced by T.J. Miller (“Transformers: Age of Exinction”) , Jamie Chung (“Sucker Punch”), Genesis Rodriguez (“Identity Thief“) and Damon Wayans Jr. (“Let’s Be Cops”). Fun fact, co-director Chris Williams, voiced the fan-favorite character Oaken from last year’s “Frozen”.

While “Big Hero 6” is not one of my favorite films of the year, it is still a fun time to be had. Like I said it has a lot of heart and even might be able to get a few tears out of you if you are feeling emotional. The visual effects are great. Baymax is easily one of the coolest and most lovable characters. I liked it but I do not see it being very memorable. In my house, we must watch  “Tangled”, “Wreck-It Ralph” and “Frozen” each at least one a month at the least, I do not see many repeat viewings of this film. Be sure to get to the theater early to catch the short film “Feast”, which is nothing short of outstanding and easily outshines the film it precedes.

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Starring: Eddie Redmayne, Felicity Jones, David Thewlis, Harry Lloyd
Directed By: James Marsh
Running Time: 123 Minutes
Focus Features

Our Score: 4.5 out of 5 stars

To many people, Stephen Hawking has been so long physically associated with his wheel-chaired silhouette and computerized voice, that just seeing him as a young British student will come as the first of many revelations in The Theory of Everything. James Marsh’s film is remarkable insofar as it not only illuminates the very human story of the iconic astrophysicist, but also explores the unconventional relationship between young Hawking and first wife, Jane (Felicity Jones). It’s a fascinating story that’s additionally buoyed by an outstanding performance from Eddie Redmayne as Hawking.

At 21, Stephen Hawking was just beginning to unlock his theories regarding the universe, when he was given the devastating diagnosis of Motor Neuron Disease. The result of the disease would be Hawking’s total loss of his motor skills. He faced the nightmarish reality where his brilliant mind would no longer have a voice. Fortunately at this time, Stephen had begun a relationship with equally brilliant Jane Wilde. Wilde resolutely would not allow Hawking to give into his despair. That we’re still speaking of Hawking in the present tense, this film postulates, is as much down to Jane’s rejection of his two year prognosis as Hawking’s. Crucially, she pushed for the life-saving tracheotomy when doctors advised against it.

As Jane, Jones gives a magnetic performance. She imbues Wilde (later Hawking) with a steely resilience to the obstacles they face while displaying amazing vulnerability and chemistry with Redmayne. Particularly in moments where Stephen is struggling most.

Finally though, Redmayne, who always delivers solid supporting performances, is at last front and center. Physically, he runs the gamut from the first inklings of the disease—subtly playing moments of confusion—to the truly advanced stages where Redmayne must rely solely on harsh facial contortions and the vitality in his eyes. Beyond the uncanny physical resemblance, Redmayne also navigates a vast emotional journey from ambitious student, through the depression of his diagnosis and finally maturing into husband and father. If the film tends to give short-shrift to the scientific accolades Hawking received in his lifetime, it makes it up in spades by examining Hawking’s extraordinary personal relationships with sensitivity and respect.

Starring: Michael Keaton, Emma Stone, Edward Norton and Naomi Watts
Directed By: Alejandro González Iñárritu
Rated: R
Running Time: 119 minutes
Fox Searchlight Pictures

Our Score: 4.5 out of 5 stars

I feel like thousands of future theses will be written about “Birdman”. It’s a movie that definitely necessitates multiple viewings because of how much is stuffed into its nearly two hour run time. Besides being a contemplative piece of filmmaking, it’s a true joy to watch something so self-conscious and fully aware of what it’s doing. “Birdman” is not the latest box office juggernaut, but more like a powerful awards force.

Could there have been a better choice than Michael Keaton? He plays Riggan, an aged actor living off the memories of being the lead in the powerful superhero franchise, Birdman. He’s nearing the end of his life and reaching the last remains dollars of his checking account. The only thing he can do to recoup his financial, mental and acting losses, is directing, writing and starring in a play adaptation of “What We Talk About When We Talk About Love”. Keaton puts on the acting performance of his life by portraying Riggan, the man who hopes to put on the acting performance of his life. Do I even have to mention Keaton was the original movie Batman? Seriously, how meta can you get?

I’m barely clawing at the surface and that’s just by pointing out the most obvious symbol in this movie that’s full of literary devices. Working with Riggan on his comeback performance is one of the best method actors in the land, Mike (Norton). Mike is a philosophical mess who confuses his on-stage performances with his own personality. He’s able to dish out some harsh truths, but when it comes to his own personal life, he finds more relief and comfort in the people he portrays. Leading to a lot of moments where he’d much rather face an audience than face the music.

Along for the ride as well is Sam (Stone), Riggan’s daughter, a recovering addict that has a gloomy look at life and covers her emotional wounds with teenage sarcasm and put downs. She’s kind of like a personal assistant to Riggan although she spends most of her time reflecting and being mopey. Starring in the production itself is Lesley (Watts), who’s constantly saying the wrong thing and half the time on the verge of crying. She’s aspiring towards Broadway infamy. Laura (Andrea Riseborough) is Riggan’s girlfriend who’s not utilized as well as she should be considering she’s a psychotically clingy.

Then there’s Keaton…again…the voice inside Riggan’s head. It’s his Birdman persona constantly reminding him that he’s wasting his time, and needs to strap on the leather suit again and take flight. He gives Riggan an added layer of mystery and throws in some more commentary to the happenings around him and gives the audience a little jab about why we, the movie goer, are even in the theater watching this movie to begin with.

Everyone is outstanding in this. Even Zach Galifianakis gets to stretch out his acting legs. Keaton has been in a lot of movies, but it’s hard to think of one where he’s this amazing. His scenes with Edward Norton are some of the best in the movie and while I personally hold Norton in high regard in terms of acting, Keaton blows him out of the water. I’m hoping Keaton has more performances like this left in his tank.

The direction by Iñárritu is imaginative and genius. The entire movie is put together as one long tracking shot, giving it an on-stage production feel. Obviously there are some clever editing tricks to make this long shot effect real, but when you have characters talking at great lengths as the cameras spins around the room and follow them down the narrow halls of the theatre, it’s quite astounding to experience. Iñárritu employs a jazzy bass and drum soundtrack to match the tension of our characters and by the end starts mixing in some classical tones when it’s time to get a little more abstract.

“Birdman” is a movie that indie and Oscar voters are sure to remember come award season. It’s definitely not a movie for everyone as many, including the gentleman in front of me, were yawning or rotating their neck to prevent stiffness. Some of its more grand ideas may be lost and some of the rapid fire dialogue might not come across as witty without your full and undivided attention. So please, experience “Birdman” undistracted and bask in one of the cleverest movies of the year.

Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo, Riz Ahmed and Bill Paxton
Directed By: Dan Gilroy
Rated: R
Running Time: 117 minutes
Open Road Films

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

Lou Bloom (Gyllenhaal) is a mad man, but not in the traditional sense. He’s recognizable at every pawn shop and scrap metal recycling yard in Los Angeles. They know the items aren’t his and they know that he most likely stole it. But he’s astute, blunt, sharp, a quick learner and talks his way out of any circumstance. He has a tongue the devil wishes he could tell lies with, and someone with his intelligence and drive could easily be the next criminal racketeer or late night serial killer. Instead he’s found an outlet that satisfies both appetites.

Bloom quickly becomes enticed by the world of nightcrawlers. These are supposed journalists, more like human garbage, which creep along the city streets, waiting for the police scanners to squawk out the latest offering of death and suffering because “if it bleeds it leads”. Bloom seems to relish in the fact that you can get as close to a victim choking on their own blood as long as you’re holding a camera and he becomes even more enamored knowing that news stations shell out big bucks for this kind of footage.

“Nightcrawler” in one hand is a sick, yet painfully funny evaluation of our news industry, while in the other hand it kneads a subtle critique of how the latest headline is being manufactured and manipulated by a corporatocracy. “Nightcrawler” is well-made on nearly every, but the real centerpiece is Gyllenhaal. He thrills as Lou and puts on an Oscar worthy performance that will hopefully garnish the acting attention he deserves. Everyone else in the movie is spot on as they have to bounce their own talents off the dominant performance by Gyllenhaal.

Bloom is such a complicated work to play. You keep waiting in fear because of how much of a sociopath he is, but on the other hand, he’s eerily charming. He could teach a course on pleasant banters, but he uses his false, engaging personality to get what he wants. That’s where a lot of the dark jokes come from and it’ll elicit a nervous or guilty laugh out of you. But you’ll go back to waiting with baited breath because you know he’s just one move away from filming the story to becoming the story.

People who get in his path or finally catch on to his sadistic ways don’t last long. Nina (Russo) is the news director who buys his increasingly violent footage, never actually questioning how he got it because his videos are her job security. Rick (Ahmed) is an unfortunate, homeless schmuck, who gets pulled in with an “internship”. Lou fills Rick’s head with the golden dream of a future career and money. Lou plays Rick and Nina like puppets knowing that he has what they want. If and when you do finally catch on to game, he has an exit strategy to dispose of you, but he’s at least courteous enough to threaten you beforehand. Lou is a mastermind that uses corporate jargon and fallacious business promises that we as a society have come to accept, “If you want to win the lottery, you have to make the money to buy a ticket.”

“Nightcrawler” is sadistic, cruel, exhilarating, and I loved every minute of it. “Nightcrawler” has echoes of a horror and glimpses of a bleak comedy, but overall it’s a thought provoking thriller with a lot of messages, but not too many to overcrowd its overall theme. t simply asks how far have we gone to attain the American dream? “Nightcrawler” is like any award winning news piece, you simply can’t look away.

Starring: Keanu Reeves, Michael Nyquist and Alfie Allen
Directed By: David Leitch and Chad Stahleski
Rated: R
Running Time: 101 minutes
Summit Entertainment

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

An east coast kingpin by the name of Viggo (Nyquist) is furious. He’s just learned that the owner of a body shop struck his only son in the face. He’s called the owner to fume. He inquires about why the lowly proprietor would even think about laying a hand on his son. The man quickly retorts, “Your son stole John Wick’s car and killed his dog.” Viggo’s face quickly turns from anger to one of ominous regret and he quietly says, “Oh…”

John Wick (Reeves) is an unstoppable, former assassin, whose reputation is known throughout every little nook and cranny of the criminal underworld. Thing is though, he retired from his position as a contract killer, to settle into a normal life. Sadly that’s just not his destiny. His wife has recently passed, but before she died, she left Wick a memento of their love, an adorable puppy. The somber Wick quickly takes a liking to the pup that licks at his face and jumps with joy at the very sight of him. Wick also has another love in his life, his muscle car. He’s a complex man with simple pleasures. Before attempting normalcy with the love of his life, he was known as the guy you hire to kill the Boogeyman. So you can see why Viggo is less than thrilled that his numbskull son would even think about laying a hand on Wick, much less kill the last thing he had to remember his wife.

“John Wick” is slick, cool and fun as hell. It’s such a crowd pleaser, you would have suspected that a shoot-em up that’s so self-aware about its own gimmick would have been released against more tame summer action movies like the “Expendables 3”. The plot is alert to the fact that Wick is a larger than life character whose life and exploits exceed the length of the movie. That’s why were given so many verbal and visual cues that he’s a relentless machine that doesn’t stop until all the necessary blood has been spilt.

Leitch and Stahleski have spent their whole life performing stunt work and that really helps add to the craft of filming some of the more intimate hand-to-hand combat scenes. Writer Kolstad would appear to be an avid comic book/video game fan since his script relies so heavily on very little plot and first person shooter invincibility for Wick. I mean, he does get injured, but no real human being could shrug off a gaping wound and continue to tumble around like an acrobat. If there’s any marks against Kolstad in his fairly young career, it’s that he has an inability to find a correct time to wrap things up and allowed couple of lulls in what was a brute force adrenaline fueled movie.

There’s so much blood and violence, that the Reeves affable qualities make the more gruesome scenes light hearted in its own regard. Wick isn’t really a hero, but any time some Russian thugs senselessly kill a puppy, you’re going to have a lot of audience members eagerly awaiting revenge. What makes Wick pleasant is that he also doesn’t appear to take any kind of joy from killing, but views it as a way to rectify a universal wrong. Instead of shooting carelessly into a crowd, he waits for a clear shot, as to not harm any innocents. He also doesn’t want to kill anyone he doesn’t have to. If you’re looking for a sick, but pleasurable viewing experience, “John Wick” is your best bet.

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Starring: Olivia Cooke and Ana Coto
Directed by: Stiles White
Rated: PG 13
Running time: 1 hour 29 mins
Universal

Our Score: 2 out of 5 stars

“Ouija” should really be pronounced “gee-why?” For a movie based on a board game you can’t expect too much. However, I did expect a little more than what I received.

A very simple story. Teen-age kids play with a spirit board and awaken the spirits of beings trapped within a house. Not much else to know. From the start this film suffers from the constraints of dealing with characters sitting around a table playing a board game. That in itself does not make for thrilling cinema. And being that this is in the age of cell-phones and cameras on computers, the audience must also suffer the overused contrivance of having to watch video footage from those devices in order to uncover clues as to how the spirits were summoned as well as how to defeat them.

The film’s weight is solely carried by the main character of Laine Morris, played by Olivia Cooke. Her performance is the most believable in the entire film. She seemed to be the only person, as far as the younger cast is concerned, to put their all into the story. I’ve not seen her in anything else, and while she was portraying a teen-ager she seemed to be wise beyond her years. I thought she was much better than the material she was given to work with. There was nothing in this film that I hadn’t seen before. The older-style Victorian home with a dark past, the evil spirits appearing in reflections, and even the appearance of the spirits themselves. It’s as if all movies of this sort have the same character design; the pale face with dark eyes and a mouth that opens far too wide when they release a ghastly scream.

It also takes way too long for anything to happen. And the piecing together of the Ouija board being the source of the disturbance was keyed in upon much too easily. It felt unnecessary that when one of the characters is killed, the kill is always done in a way that it could be viewed as a suicide. For anyone who knows story structure, you can see the scares and deaths coming long before they happen. The set-up is too obvious, so the pay-off is easy to predict.

Following the normal genre trope of writing out the parents in the story, I was truly disappointed in this gimmick. Laine’s father, listed on IMDB simply as Mr. Morris, was played by Matthew Settle, an actor I’ve always liked since his work in “Band of Brothers.” The film also features a small cameo by Robyn Lively from “Teen Witch.” I would have liked to see these two utilized a lot more.

Moving into the third act we are introduced to a previous inhabitant of the house in which the spirit board was found, wonderfully portrayed by Lin Shaye. While she is always great, at this point it’s too little too late. I do think the filmmakers did a passable job at coming up with a story to base around a board game. That being said, it’s definitely not worth seeing in theatres and will not be a horror film that will stand the test of time. It could have been much better. But, then again, it could have been much worse.

Starring: Bill Murray, Melissa McCarthy and Jaeden Lieberher
Directed by: Theodore Melfi
Rated: R
Running time: 1 hour 42 mins
The Weinstein Company

Our Score: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Vincent (Murray) lives alone with his cat. He spends his days at the track, his nights at the bar and the occasional afternoon with his pregnant Russian girlfriend (Naomi Watts) who, despite her condition, continues to entertain as an exotic dancer. Things change when Maggie (McCarthy) and her young son, Oliver (Lieberher) move in next door. Their first meeting doesn’t go well, causing young Oliver to quip “it’s going to be a long life.”

Full of strong performances, “St Vincent” is a film with many a cliché’d character that manages to avoid every cliché’ you’d expect. Yes, Vincent is a curmudgeon and set in his ways while McCarthy is the single mom trying her best to make things work. Throw in Watts as the “dancer” with a heart of gold and you could have had a film that would make you roll your eyes constantly. But somehow writer/director Melfi manages to pull everything together almost seamlessly.

Murray gives an Oscar-worthy performance here, rivaling his work in “Lost in Translation.” I should point out that I put Murray on the short list for supporting actor earlier this year for “Monuments Men” so, in Murray’s own words from Caddyshack, “I’ve got that going for me!” McCarthy is also strong in a rare dramatic role while supporting work by Chris O’Dowd, Terrence Howard and Ann Dowd stands out as well. And I must give a shout out to young Lieberher who, at the age of 11, manages to hold his own against the unpredictable Murray in his feature film debut.

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Starring: Billy Crudup, Anton Yelchin and Felicity Huffman
Directed by: William H. Macy
Rated: R
Running time: 1 hour 45 mins
Samuel Goldwyn Company

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

Sam (Crudup) is a hot shot advertising exec who has just landed a major deal. He excitedly calls his son, Josh (Miles Heizer) and invites him to come celebrate with him. Tragically, Josh never shows up. His son gone, Sam crawls into a bottle. He stumbles across an assortment of original songs that Josh had written and, in an attempt to understand the son he lost, Sam begins to learn each one. After playing one of the songs at an open mic night he attracts the attention of Quentin (Yelchin) a young musician intrigued by the song. They form a band but soon discover that music, like life, is unpredictable.

Skillfully directed by William H. Macy, “Rudderless” is one of those small independent films that it’s a privilege to discover. The cast, led by Crudup, does a fine job of conveying the ups and downs of life and how people deal with them. Yelchin is equally good, giving a layered and nuanced performance that is miles away from the earnest Ensign Chekov he plays in the “Star Trek” films.

Supporting work by Laurence Fishburne, Selena Gomez and director Macy keep the film moving and the original songs are both well written and memorable. The script, which Macy worked on with writers Casey Twenter and Jeff Robison, hits all the right notes and packs an emotional wallop you never see coming. Director Macy keeps the story moving and never allows the emotions to become forced, hitting a home run with his feature film directorial debut.

“Rudderless” is currently available now on Digital HD and VOD.

Starring: Brad Pitt, Michael Pena and Shia LaBeouf
Directed by: David Ayer
Rated: R
Running time: 2 hours 14 mins
Columbia

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

“Do what you’re told and don’t get close to anyone.”

With these words Staff Sergeant Don Collier (Pitt) welcomes Private First Class Norman Ellison (Logan Lerman) to his tank crew. Doing battle in Germany, Collier has just lost his assistant gunner and young Norman, a clerk typist by training, has been assigned to replace him. His first job? Get in the tank and clean up what’s left of the man he’s replacing. They’re not joking when they say “war is hell.”

Part “Das Boat” with a bit of “Platoon” tossed in for good measure, “Fury” follows the crew of the title tank as it slowly rumbles across the German countryside. Quarters are close and, despite Collier’s instructions, it’s almost impossible for the men to not get close. “Gordo” Garcia (Pena) drives the tank while “Bible” Swan (a subdued and outstanding LaBeouf) takes aim. “Coon-Ass” Travis loads and fires while “Wardaddy” Collier oversees everything. Despite their obvious differences, this mechanized family is closer than most.

Ayer, the writer/director of films like “End of Watch” and “Sabotage,” has crafted a look at the brotherhood between men without too much sentimentality. The feelings are there, under the surface. No dramatic breakdowns or tearful remembrances are necessary to convey the bond between Fury’s crew. Pitt, whose SSG Collier could be a close relation to “Inglorious Basterd’s” Lieutenant Aldo Raine, has aged into a fine character actor and he does an excellent job here. Lerman, title star of the “Percy Jackson” film series, literally grows before our eyes, from wide-eyed innocent to battle hardened soldier. The war is seen, and presented through both Lerman and Pitt’s eyes and the audience is asked to make up their own mind. “Ideals are peaceful,” Collier explains. “History is violent.” Sometimes you can’t have one without the other.

Starring: Rosemarie DeWitt, Jennifer Garner, Judy Greer, Ansel Elgort and Kaitlyn Dever
Directed By: Jason Reitman
Rated: R
Running Time: 119 minutes
Paramount Pictures

Our Score: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Before the lights are dimmed and the movie begins, nearly every single person was looking at a smartphone, whether it is their own or simply sharing with the person next to them. They sat still with their fingers plugging away at a text or simply transfixed by a viral video. Some played mindless games while others, like me, were checking Twitter. It wasn’t always like this. I remember entering a movie theater and having to have a interpersonal conversation while easy movie trivia flashed on the screen. Things are different now, our lives, communication and feelings are all affected by technology and “Men, Women & Children” gives us a blunt look at its influence.

First we meet Don (Adam Sandler) who’s sexually dissatisfied in his marriage and resorts to Internet pornography to service his needs. His wife Helen (DeWitt) is also unhappy, but has yet to find a way to service her needs. Their son is also setting himself up for a life of porn addiction and a fervent discipline for touching himself. The other kids at school are slightly saner. There’s Hannah (Olivia Crocicchia), who gloats about her sexual conquests, and aspires to be a model. Her mom, Joan (Greer), supports these dreams and aspirations in the creepiest way possible, helping her daughter set up an online website to upload risqué photos.

The craziest parent, believe it or not, is the one who stalks her own daughters every cyber movement and reads through page after page of online chat. Patricia (Garner) believes the Internet is a vast, scary, and dangerous place for her daughter, Brandy (Dever), needless to say, is a social outcast at school because her life is under a miscroscope. Oddly enough, she draws the attention of Tim (Elgort). He’s lost meaning in life, recently quitting the football team and finding comfort in his online gaming friends on the massive multiplayer game, Guild Wars. His mom abandoned him and his dad, and as much as he’d like to still talk with her, she blocks on him on social media to prevent his prying eyes from seeing her fabulous new life without them. He doesn’t get much in the way of comfort from his Guild Wars pals who respond to his maternal predicament with “is she DTF?” (I’ll let you look that chat speak up for yourself if you don’t know what it means)

It may seem like a lot to handle (I know trying to explain it was), but Reitman weaves it all smoothly. He manages to give us a contemporary, albeit crude, look at a dysfunctional nuclear family, the overbearing parent, the single parent balancing their own personal despair and their child’s misery, eating disorders, and how these have changed as we’ve evolved from face-to-face talking to texting. It’s not a red flag of danger on where we’re headed, but more of a reminder that we can still be cruel, insensitive and clueless no matter what the means of communication are.

Instead of fixing their marriage and finding that old spark (or Hell, even divorce), Helen turns to online adultery and Don finds an escort through a website. It’s not a condemnation of these websites; married people aren’t the only ones who use these kinds of websites. It’s pointing out how the means to cheat have been filtered through a different way. The old form of peer pressure for students now comes through online help forums and websites pressuring young girls into a particular body image or thought process. Even the classic teen romance bubbles through talking on Tumblr, but the traditional means of affection remain intact. Technology has yet to replace human contact…yet.

“Men, Women & Children” has a bizarre ensemble cast, but I may only be saying that because this is Adam Sandler’s second dramatic role in a career spanning way too many fart jokes. Elgort shows off his range by become a sullen woeful soul, a complete opposite of his charismatic and witty character in “The Fault in Our Stars”. Dever, who I haven’t seen in anything else to my knowledge, is really good here along with Garner who seems borderline psychotic. I would have loved to see more interactions between those two. There’s simply not enough time to go too far into their lives, but I had an feel that this kind of movie could easily be transcribed into television format in today’s golden age of TV dramas.

“Men, Women & Children” is an Instagram snapshot into our digital lives, which runs the risk of being dated within a matter of years. Its social observations are long lasting though. It’s definitely a conversation starter about a topic that needs to be talked about before we fall into the archetypes we seen in this movie. Something tells me it won’t though. As soon as the first line of credits began rolling upwards, people immediately whipped out their smartphones.

There’s simply not enough time to go too far into their lives, but I have a feeling that this kind of movie could easily be transcribed into television format in today’s golden age of TV dramas.

Starring: Luke Evans, Sarah Gadon and Dominic Cooper
Directed By: Gary Shore
Rated: PG-13
Running Time: 92 minutes
Universal Pictures

Our Score: 1.5 out of 5 stars

The latest movie surrounding Dracula (or Vlad the Impaler) is a story nobody asked for. The combination of historical, fictional and contemporary folly has created “Dracula Untold”. In the same vein of this summer’s “Maleficent”, albeit a lot more bloody and silly, we have yet another look at a villain turned anti-hero. In many other circumstances, the concept of retelling a story most people know is manageable, but Dracula just doesn’t seem like a fruitful tree to pick from.

“Dracula Untold” steals so many pages out of so many other movies; you could probably fill a book with the stolen pages. There are some slightly original differences from Bram Stoker’s creature. Instead of being the original vampire, Vlad (Evans) has to bargain with a different, original vampire, known as Caligula (yes, that Caligula). Vlad travels to the dark, bone covered cave where Caligula lurks to make a pact with him. Vlad will become a vampire by drinking Caligula’s dark red blood and he does so to protect his kingdom, his wife and his son from Sultan Mehmed (Cooper).

As the movie says, Dracula is given the power of a hundred men along with some other powers that don’t make a lot of sense. He’s able to command vampire bats at will and he himself is able to turn into a flurry of bats while gliding rapidly through the woods. Without breaking a sweat, he takes out an entire army of invaders mere moments after acquiring his newfound skills. With powers like this, the ultimate boss battle at the end with the mortal Mehmed feels entirely way too anti-climactic.

One of history’s greatest monster/butchers has been defanged as he’s reduced to crying, spouting righteous teachings to his son and comforting his wife, all the while yelling at his village that he’s become a vampire to protect them from the true evils of the world. Maybe in 500 years someone will have Pol Pot as the sympathetic anti-hero who just wants to live life and love. Of course if you’re not knowledgeable on Romanian history, you might not care, and that’s completely fine.

The movie is far from shy at hinting and saying that Vlad is a terrible person. He still finds time to impale people and there’s even a scene where he admits to feeling nothing as he scorched entire village and murdered thousands of innocents (it’s OK, he had his reason). The charming presence of Evans can’t save this movie’s main character because he’s flawed from the beginning. Turning the most iconic Universal monster into a man of courage and nobility with an inadequate historical backdrop is one of the worst uses of Dracula in recent memory. He would have been more entertaining as the creature of the night that falls into his old, sadistic ways with his new powers instead of becoming a fanged nobleman or blood drinking seeker of justice.

All that aside, it’s still not a very well made movie. The action sequences, while shot imaginatively, have no bite. The visuals are automatically forgettable and the budget seems to have cut some corners in the CGI department and the storytelling sector. If this does well, it’ll most likely spawn a sequel or two, and just like the “Twilight” franchise, let’s hope Blade shows up at some point to put an abrupt end to this monstrosity.

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