Winter Season Quick Reviews

Been on a bit of a hiatus (It was birthday/Super Bowl season) but did manage to watch a few flicks over the past months. Here are a few quick reviews.

Ride Along

Kevin Hart does what Kevin Hart does. But eventually even that gets stale in this generic buddy cop movie. Most of the laughs seem forced and even the action is too over the top to be entertaining. Wait for it on Redbox. And if you don’t see it at all, you aren’t missing anything special. FINAL GRADE: C-

August: Osage County

A film that defines family dysfunction. Based on the stage play of the same name, August features an all-star cast that all manages to shine in their roles. Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts are both Oscar worthy as malevolent mother and daughter and though the overall tone and ending may be a bit dreary for some, there should still be enough dark laughs and plot twisting drama to keep you entertained all the way through.  FINAL GRADE: A-

 

That Awkward Moment

A film that takes an awkward, albeit fairly accurate, look into the love lives of the typical young adult male. Zac Efron (High School Musical), Michael B. Jordan (Fruitvale Station), and Miles Teller (21 and Over) have decent chemistry on screen and create some good laughs. The female leads are all charming enough. Where the film finds fault is in its final act, when it delves into seemingly every romantic comedy cliché imaginable. Still, as far as date movies you might be forced to sit through or might force a guy to sit through go, you could do worse than this one. FINAL GRADE: B-

The Lego Movie

There is no doubt a nostalgic feeling anyone who played with legos will get while watching this film. Nostalgia can only take you so far though. The film has some clever, tongue and cheek gags that’ll make you laugh, but if you’re looking for Dreamworks or Pixar caliber classic comedy, look elsewhere. The voice cast is decent and you could probably make a game out of the cameos, but the story, as heartwarming as it is, seems a bit scatter brained at times. The biggest achievement of the movie is without a doubt its animation, which makes an entire world, including water, smoke, and fiery explosions out of legos. FINAL GRADE: B   

Reviews of Monuments Men and Robocop coming soon…