Monsters University

For as long as he can remember, Mike Wazowski has dreamed of being the top scarer - a monster who creeps into children's rooms at night in order to elicit screams from them to power the monster world. He's worked hard since day one to fulfill his dream. He finally gets the chance of a lifetime by being accepted into Monsters University, the top scaring school for monsters. As he settles in to his new classes, he meets a big, blue, furry monster named Sulley. Sulley arrives at Monsters University hoping to live up to his family's name in the scarer business. The two college freshmen butt heads at first, as Sulley fits in with the 'cool' monsters, and Mike fits in with the misfits. As the year passes, they each have their problems: Sulley feels he doesn't have to study due to his family name and natural scariness, and Mike is told by the dean that he doesn't belong in the School of Scarers because he's not scary enough. As a result they are thrown out of the school until they see a shot at redemption - The Scare Games. To compete in the Games they must join a fraternity and build up a team that can take on the other fraternities in the Games. Unfortunately the only fraternity that will take them in is the Oozma Kappa, a fraternity of misfit monsters who seem less likely than Mike Wazowski to succeed in their goal of being a scarer. In a desperate attempt to help them out, Mike makes a wager with the dean: if they win the Games, they can be let back into Monsters University. If they lose, their whole team will be thrown out of the school. Mike, Sulley, and the rest of Oozma Kappa must work together if they have any chance of winning the Games and making it back into the school.

I loved Monster's, Inc. as a kid, it was (and still is today) one of my favorite Pixar movies. When I first heard that a sequel was being made I was surprised; I felt that the ending of Monster's, Inc. was a great ending and didn't need a sequel. After I heard that it was going to be a prequel, and not an actual sequel, I felt a bit better; I thought it would be interesting to see Mike Wazowski and James P. "Sulley" Sullivan as college students. I was right, the end result was fantastic. It was a joy to enter the world of monsters again. Monsters University is just as wonderful as Monster's, Inc. was about 12 years ago (hard to believe it's been that long). Go see it if and when you have the chance.

RED 2

Retired C.I.A. agent Frank Moses and his spy friends are back in the sequel to the 2010 smash hit RED. Frank, his girlfriend Sarah, and Marvin are blacklisted again when a document surfaces naming them as co-conspirators in a Cold War-era mission called Nightshade that involved a nuclear scientist, a nuke, and a plan to destroy the Soviet Union; and so they must go on the run from an onslaught of contract killers after them. In order to clear their names they must figure out why the information about Nightshade is being brought up after so many years, and who exactly was the one that leaked the information. Along the way they run into several old friends, including MI6 operative Victoria, a dangerous contract killer named Han Cho Bai, and a former flame of Frank's named Katja. Friendships are strained as all the players involved have ulterior motives regarding Nightshade. However, they all put aside their differences when they realize that the world is at risk from a nuclear explosion and possible war breaking out.

I absolutely loved the first RED, I thought it was a great blend of action and comedy. RED 2 is no different. The story does get a little confusing when most of the characters start switching sides more often than I could keep track, but it is still hilarious. I do wish Morgan Freeman could have returned in the second one, I loved his character in RED. Byung-hun Lee, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Anthony Hopkins were great additions to the cast, especially Hopkins and Lee, they had me laughing out loud quite a bit with some of the best lines. I still thought the first one had a better story and a few more laughs, but RED 2 was a great installment in the series. I'm actually hoping there is a RED 3. I've heard rumors that a third installment has been put in the works to be released by next year, so we'll see if this happens. For fans of the first RED, go see RED 2. You won't regret it.

The Great Gatsby

Based on the book by the same name, a young man named Nick Carraway's life is changed forever when he takes a job as a bond salesman and rents a house next to a large mansion owned by the mysterious reclusive man named Jay Gatsby. As Carraway gets to know his dashing, mysterious neighbor he finds out that Gatsby knew his cousin Daisy Buchanan and her husband Tom, and that Gatsby and Daisy had been romantically involved several years prior. When Gatsby realizes that Nick is Daisy's cousin he tries to get Nick to secretly invite both him and Daisy to have tea at his house. Nick reluctantly agrees, and in doing so he sets off a series of events that will challenge the bond between both friends and family.

I'll be honest, I have never read the book, so I didn't really know what I was getting myself into. I kind of had an idea on what to expect from listening to other people who had read the story talk about it. I was hoping that watching the movie would spark an interest in finally picking up the book and reading it for myself. Unfortunately, I ended up being extremely bored and almost walked out of the theater when I saw it. To be fair, it is visually stunning, filled with vibrant sets and dazzling imagery; the story however, is slow and plods along for longer than I felt it needed to be. I did enjoy the performances, particularly from Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire. I also liked the messages of how money is a fleeting thing and only lasts for a little while but love lasts forever. Besides the story, my only other complaint was the ending. I felt the ending was a little to, for lack of a better description, happy for me. From what I've heard of the story, it's a depressing cautionary tale about how one can try to fill their life with money and possessions but in the end will feel empty inside, and I didn't feel the movie portrayed that as well as it could have. So far I have heard nothing but great reviews, so maybe I need to read the book and then sit down and watch the movie again. For now though, I have to say I was disappointed in the result.

World War Z

It's kind of humbling when you realize that you are the last line of defense against a formidable disease spreading quickly across the planet, effectively turning anyone infected into the undead. Former U.N. special agent Gerry Lane has plenty of experience in dealing with natural disasters, but nothing could have prepared him for a zombie apocalypse of sorts. In order to figure out the disease's origins, he reluctantly leaves his wife and daughters in the care of some old friends from the U.S. government, and begins a trek across the globe and dive headfirst into the unknown in search of the disease's origins hoping to ultimately find a cure.

I don't know how my friends got me to see World War Z, I tend to stay away from any type of zombie apocalypse/horror film. For as long as I can remember I'm the kind of guy that gets freaked out pretty easily. That being said, (and I'm completely surprised I'm saying this) I really enjoyed World War Z. It ended up being more an action/adventure movie rather than horror. The story reminded me of 2007's I am Legend. WWZ was an action-packed, exciting adventure that kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. My only complaint was the ending seemed a little far-fetched to me. I have never read the book, so I can't compare on how close the movie follows the source material, but the movie itself is fantastic. For those of you who like zombie movies, you will most likely enjoy this one.

Pacific Rim

The year is 2020, and humanity has been in a battle for survival against constant attacks by gigantic beasts called Kaiju - the Japanese word for "monster". It seems a portal has opened up from the depths of the Atlantic Ocean into another realm where the Kaiju live. Humanity is on the brink of extinction until the Jaeger program is born. In the Jaeger program, large robots are built to fight back against the Kaiju. These Jaegers, as they're called, are piloted by two humans who are linked telepathically by something called the Drift. Once the two pilots' minds are linked in the Drift, they can control the Jaeger as one entity and use it to engage the Kaiju. The Jaeger program proves effective...for a few years. Eventually the Kaiju become faster, stronger, and ultimately smarter. As a result the Jaeger program is put on the back burner and an attempt to build giant walls strong enough to withstand attacks is made. One former Jaeger pilot named Marshal Stacker Pentacost still believes in the Jaeger program, so he makes one last ditch effort to save the Jaeger program by calling on the top Jaeger pilots and rebuilding four former Jaeger robots who had formerly been retired. One of the pilots Stacker calls upon is a man named Raleigh Beckett. At the beginning of the Jaeger program, Beckett and his brother Yancey proved to be two of the best pilots on the planet by defeating scores of Kaiju before Yancey is killed while battling a Kaiju. As a result, Beckett resolves never to step back into a Jaeger. At least, that's what he tells himself when Stacker comes knocking on his doorstep. It isn't until Stacker makes a strong case that Beckett agrees to step back into a Jaeger, and this time he is joined by a young, inexperienced pilot named Mako Mori. Together, with the help of several other pilots manning the other three Jaegers, Beckett and Mako dive headfirst into battle with the Kaiju to end the conflict once and for all.

When I first saw the ads for Pacific Rim, I thought it looked really stupid. I was honestly wondering why it wasn't called Godzilla: The Next Generation, or something similar, because it looked exactly like yet another Godzilla monster movie. In that regards, it met my expectations; it's pretty much a stereotypical humanity vs. monsters flick. It is however, tons better than most monster movies I've seen in recent years. Most seem to be only about how much destruction can one (or more) monster(s) make when attacking cities. Pacific Rim is thankfully more intelligent and more entertaining than most monster movies. It has its plot holes and other issues, but for the most part it is a lot of fun. I am also curious as to what Hollywood has against New York City, Los Angeles, and San Diego. It always seems to be those three cities that get destroyed, whether it's by a Godzilla-type of monster, alien invasion, or attacked by an evil villain. All in all, it turned out to be a decent monster movie that audiences will have a lot of fun watching.

The Lone Ranger

One would think that as a lawman (not to mention one from Texas) a person would be ok with the thought of handling guns and capturing criminals out in the Wild West. Then again, John Reid is not an ordinary lawman. He battles criminals and brings justice with words in a courthouse instead of bullets. He would rather be in the courtroom serving justice to criminals to the full extent of the law than out in the dangers of the Wild West. John's brother Dan, on the other hand, is the one who is a gun-toting, rough and tumble bounty hunter of sorts. Dan and his posse of Texas Rangers are bringing in a notorious cannibalistic evildoer named Butch Cavendish to be hanged in another town, but Cavendish escapes from the train transporting him to his execution. As a result Dan deputizes John and brings him along to recapture Cavendish and bring him to justice once and for all. Before their posse can accomplish this task they are ambushed by Cavendish's gang and left for dead. A lone Indian named Tonto stumbles upon the dead bodies and loots then buries them. While doing so, Tonto notices that a white stallion keeps going over to John Reid's grave and realizes that it is a spirit horse and it wants to bring John back from the grave. When John comes back to life and realizes what happens, he teams up with Tonto to go after Butch Cavendish and make him pay for his crimes once and for all.

If you're wondering if this film adaptation stays true to the spirit of the old TV series, it does...for the last 10-15 minutes of the film. Otherwise instead of giving tribute to The Lone Ranger it completely undermines the canon of the legend of The Lone Ranger and turns him into a vigilante initially going for vengeance instead of strictly being an instrument of justice. The trailers make it seem like a fun movie that parents and older kids would love, but this is not the case. The Lone Ranger is a very dark, violent film that is not suitable for kids. It has it's issues such as the vigilante angle as previously mentioned, and the bad guy is not just a man with an evil scheme, but he's also a cannibal. The camera (through a reflection) catches him stabbing, cutting open and eating the heart out of a dead man. On top of the dark content the movie itself doesn't seem to know whether it wants to be a lighthearted action comedy, or a dark and gritty western; and the story is confusing with a few plot holes. It's received some high praise from several people, but to be honest I cannot see why this is the case. I cannot recommend anyone go see The Lone Ranger, especially if you're looking to remember the show.

After Earth

Set in the not too distant future, Earth's atmosphere has become too dangerous for humanity to remain on the planet. In a desperate attempt to save the population from extinction, they settle on a distant planet whose atmosphere is similar to Earth's, enabling them to live safely on the planet and hopefully thrive. Unfortunately they are soon face with another threat: a race of violent beasts called Ursa that attacked their settlements. Humanity lived in fear of the Ursa until one man named Cypher Raige was able to rid himself of any and all fear and single handedly kill any Ursa that threatened his people. A few years later, Cypher's son named Kitai tries to follow in his father's footsteps by enrolling in a military academy and becoming a general like his father. Kitai fails in his pursuit of a military career, so to help his son get over the pain of failure Cypher allows Kitai to accompany him on a mission to another planet. En route to their destination the ship gets caught in an asteroid field and is severely damaged as a result, forcing them to take refuge on a quarantined planet. The ship breaks apart during their landing, and all but Cypher and his son die in the crash. Cypher's leg is broken during the crash, so Cypher sends his son on a rescue mission to retrieve a distress beacon in the tail end of the ship over 100 kilometers away.

After Earth has an interesting concept, and I was looking forward to seeing it when I first heard about it. Part of what made me interested is Will Smith is one of my all time favorite actors. Unfortunately, I was ultimately bored with the whole movie. Not even Will Smith could help that fact for me. After Earth has been advertised as a science fiction/action flick, but there wasn't enough action sequences to keep me interested. As far as the acting goes, Will Smith's son Jaden is honestly not that great of an actor. I did like him in his first movie role in The Pursuit of Happyness, but ever since his acting has declined dramatically. Even Will Smith was bad in this one. I've never seen such robotic, almost emotionless acting from him. His character was supposed to be a tough, ready to fight type of character but he came off as just bland and not entertaining. This was one of those movies I had high hopes for but was extremely disappointed in. For me it wasn't even worth waiting to see it at the dollar theater.

Despicable Me 2

The dastardly villain-turned-good-guy Gru is back in the sequel to the lovable family flick Despicable Me. This time around he is trying to get accustomed to the idea of fatherhood with his three daughters (Margo, Edith, and Agnes) who we met in the first film. With the help of his "army" of yellow Minions, he takes care of his daughters the best way that he knows how. As he's trying to take care of his girls, he also tries to avoid a nosy neighbor attempting to be his matchmaker. One would think someone would look at this situation and say he's got enough on his plate already, but a secret organization called the Anti-Villain League is trying to recruit him to help them catch an unknown criminal who has stolen a dangerous serum that turns innocent creatures into devilish purple monsters (similar to Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde). Gru resists at first, but at the urging of his daughters he agrees to assist in catching the criminal. Gru must infiltrate a local shopping mall with his new partner named Lucy Wilde from the AVL if he has any hope of finding the missing serum and catching the criminal responsible.

Back in 2010, Despicable Me arrived in theaters and won the hearts of kids and adults alike with its kid-friendly humor and its fantastic messages about the importance of a father figure in kids' lives. Now, three years later, this lovable sequel is just as humorous and filled with as many positive messages as its predecessor. The voice talents of Steve Carell as Gru, Kristen Wiig as Lucy, and Miranda Cosgrove, Dana Gaier, and Elsie Fisher as Margo, Edith, and Agnes, respectively are all wonderfully top notch. Just like in the first Despicable Me, the Minions are the ones that steal the show here. Their Three Stooges style of humor is hilarious throughout the entire film. Parents and kids alike will greatly enjoy this one as much as the original. I personally liked the original better, but I still absolutely loved it.