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Thursday, April 30, 2015

Far From The Madding Crowd

In quiet rural Victorian England, a strong-willed & independent Bathsheba Everdene (Carey Mulligan) focuses more on overcoming being a woman in a man's world than considering the marriage proposals from her three suitors, a shepherd, a wealthy middle-aged bachelor, and a soldier. Although the the storyline is slow-moving, fine acting, costumes, beautiful backdrops, and dramatic twists keeps it engaging. If you are a romantic who likes period pieces, you may enjoy this wonderful film where a woman struggles between her mind & heart and the men are mesmerized by her beauty & spirit.

Alien gives it 3 "mistress of the house" stars out of 4.  

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Paul Blart Mall Cop 2

This is not a sneak preview. This film has already released.

It's "Die Hard" for 10 year olds when Kevin James takes his mall cop routine on the road to Las Vegas. While attending a security officers trade show, Paul Blart and his daughter stumble upon an art heist at their hotel. If you like the antics of Kevin James or are looking for a family safe comedy, you might want to try this sequel. It's TV safe humor but contrived and predictable. 

Alien gives it 2 "always bet on Blart" stars out of 4.

Monday, April 27, 2015

Avengers: Age of Ultron (3D)

Marvel's Avenger team (Downey Jr, Hemsworth, Johansson, Evans, Ruffalo, & Renner) is back for more fun and games. The same familiar faces with their same sense of humor and skill sets have reassembled to battle a new villain threatening their extinction and then some. See your favorite super hero characters both on and off the clock. It's a wonderful blend of the old and the new weaved into another action packed super hero thriller. Then toss in a secret family life and a budding romance into the mix. The Stan Lee cameo has become a Marvel staple gag and a mid-credits clip serves a reminder of an up-coming villain hinted at once before. The Disney magic machine has a tremendous storyboard collection to choose from. Marvel fans can enjoy their favorite scenes ripped from the comic pages. Alien liked the new mutant twins (Elizabeth Olsen & Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and the nemesis Ultron voiced magnificently by James Spader.

Alien gives it 4 "artificial intelligence and infinity stone" stars out of 4.

Thursday, April 23, 2015

Ex Machina

This is not a sneak preview. This film has already released.

It's a modern day Frankenstein tale that's part cat and mouse game. A brilliant but arrogant creator (Oscar Isaac) of a female artificial intelligent being (Alicia Vikander) selects one of his programming employees (Domhnall Gleeson) to test his revolutionary experiment. This intriguing sci-fi story is slow moving but thought provoking as one tries to figure out the true motives involved. The remote location of this very cool research facility is absolutely breath taking. 

Alien gives it 3 "Turing Test" stars out of 4.

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Spy

It's "James Bond" meets "The Heat" when a office bound CIA analyst & unsung hero (Melissa McCarthy) gets her first field assignment going undercover for an illegal arms deal. Jude Law & Jason Statham play fellow operatives in this hilarious spy spoof with Rose Byrne as the villain. It is everything you love about a good old espionage thriller but with a comedic twist to it. McCarthy generates her usual goofiness and Law & Statham play along showing their funny side. Stay seated for more wackiness at the beginning, through, & end of the credits. 

Alien gives it 3 "Amber Valentine" stars out of 4.

Monday, April 20, 2015

The Water Diviner

An Australian farmer (Russell Crowe) with a knack for finding water underground sets off for for Turkey to find his three missing sons lost at the Battle of Gallipoli. He is a stranger in a strange land not understanding the language nor the culture as he must navigate around bureaucratic red tape, domestic quarrels, and on-going national disputes. It is an emotional story about the casualties of war with a little romance on the side. Crowe does a good job on his directorial debut.

Alien gives it 3 "Arabian Nights" stars out of 4.

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

The Age of Adaline

In 1933, cosmic forces of the universe and a automobile accident ceases the aging process for Adaline Bowman (Blake Lively). Soon she learns she must hide her secret when too many questions are being asked. The predictable but enjoyable plot poses the question: Is living your life under the radar not allowing yourself to get close to anyone really living? Lively seems perfect to carry off the many different looks through the decades. Alien just wishes there were additional storylines detailing more her past exploits. Also, no real romantic spark seems to be generated between the two leads. Harrison Ford, Ellen Burstyn, and Kathy Baker are supporting cast name draws.

Alien gives it 3 "a stitch in time" stars out of 4.

Monday, April 13, 2015

Monkey Kingdom

The cameras of Disney Nature take us to an ancient lost city in the Sri Lankan forest which is now ruled by a troop of macaque monkeys. This is a fascinating story about the macaque social structure and the struggle for survival. We follow the adventures of Maya, born to the lower class, but uses her survival skills to lead the troop through the urban jungle. Disney always shines at humanizing these creature features, but narrator Tina Fey must have improvised her unique comedic sense of humor into this wonderful story & script. This is a very cute, funny, entertaining, and educational family film. Clips at the end show some of what filmmakers had to endure in order to obtain their remarkable footage.

Alien gives it 3 ½ "more fun than a barrel of monkeys" stars out of 4.

Wednesday, April 08, 2015

Unfriended

It's "Paranormal Activities" meets "Bully" meets "Saw" meets "Pretty Little Liars" when cyber friends get threatened online on the anniversary of their friend's suicide. Alien's expectations were low going in but this is possibly the worst film I have ever screened. The whole film (if you can even call it that) looks like it plays on a computer screen rather than the big screen. It's more text windows than human faces. This low budget production apparently didn't spend any money on writing because there is no plausible explanation to whether this was a supernatural being or a cyber hacker behind this revenge scheme with unexplainable deaths. The experience was excruciatingly boring and a waste of time. Fortunately, it is only 80 minutes long. It's about the consequences of stupid teenagers getting drunk, making bad choices, and lying to each other. Of course, these teens are all home alone watching each other online as they are being picked off one at a time.

Alien gives it 0 "peer pressure" stars out of 4.

Monday, April 06, 2015

Woman in Gold

This is not a sneak preview. This film has already released.

This true story about art restitution and the painting "Woman in Gold", the Mona Lisa of Austria, becomes personal when Maria Altmann (Helen Mirren) hires Randol Schoenberg (Ryan Reynolds) to help her reclaim some of the family's possessions stolen by the Nazis and questionably held in an Austrian state gallery. Mirren gives another stunning performance. She plays a feisty Jewish survivor scarred by the German occupation. Reynolds is her perfect partner as the young lawyer with a common ancestry and a never-say-quit determination. If you like underdog stories, you might want to check out this wonderful film. The movie is told in part through flashbacks with the where-are-they-now summaries at the end.

Alien gives it 3 "seeking peace & justice" stars out of 4.

Thursday, April 02, 2015

The Longest Ride

When a Professional Bull Rider trying to make a comeback has a chance meeting with a Wake Forest Sigma Theta Nu sorority sister/art major, the "Nicholas Sparks" begin to fly. These soon-to-be star-crossed lovers, Luke & Sophia, rescue 91-year-old Ira (Alan Alda) from a car accident and then all of their lives become intertwined. Two separate storylines are told in parallel detailing the challenges of enduring love in this tear jerker. It's classic Nicholas Sparks incurable romantic chick flick material, right down to the anticipated romance/water scenes. A successful PBR ride only requires the person to stay on for 8 seconds so come see what the longest ride is. 

Alien gives it 3 ½ "the toughest sport on dirt" stars out of 4.

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