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• Oblivion (PG-13, 2013)

  - by drcamyo

  I'm a sucker for sleek scifi action movies and based off of the trailers Oblivion reeled me in. But ... read morewas it worth it? For me, it was a mixed bag. Oblivion is one of those movies that never really becomes its own beast. It's a hodgepodge of science fiction tropes, but these cliched plot points still keep the movie interesting. It's very slow in parts, but the visuals are great to look at and they keep your eyes on the screen (which is a good thing). I did enjoy Tom Cruise's performance and I always like seeing Morgan Freeman show up in movies. Overall- It's forgettable and has an overdone story but it's still worth the admission price.

• Iron Man 3 (PG-13, 2013)

  - by nikhilnn95

  It is not very likely that I will remember anything that happened in this movie years from now. Stil... read morel, Iron Man 3 is filled with intense action and wonderful acting on the part of Robert Downey Jr. Iron Man 3 tries to ride on the same formula that made the Avengers so successful by balancing moments of intensity and comedic relief. Iron Man 3 is dark enough to not need to try this balancing act but nevertheless comedy is added when it is not welcome and the result is upsetting. This movie would easily be a 5/10 average action movie, but because of RDJ's phenomenal acting it is a solid Marvel movie.

• Oblivion (PG-13, 2013)

  - by fb535316333

  I think the biggest flaw with Oblivion started with the fact that it's suspense/mystery married to a... read more painfully predictable plot. So for about 2/3 of the movie the audience is waiting for characters to move through all their motions of "development" while squirming in anxiety.
  
  But frankly, I really enjoyed the last few closing acts before the film ended. There were a lot of key moments that really stood out, filling my love for Sci Fi themes. (Discovering he's a clone and dealing with it, Jack not telling the 2nd Victoria the truth, Jack bringing Malcom rather than Julia etc.)
  
  A lot of critics argue a lack of emotion or that characters are forgotten as soon as the "action" rolls in but that may be because all the players seem like characters in a Victorian play and never really "alive" in the first place.
  
  Finally, let's not forget the top notch visuals. The Scifi concept art team behind this movie did a really wonderful job with the overall designs and as an artist myself, I can't help but appreciate it all.
  
  It's definitely no Minority Report and it's rare for a movie to start off horrible and then get better (as opposed to having a strong start and progressively get worse) but if you love Sci Fi I think it's a pretty enjoyable experience that uses it's tropes effectively more so than falling victim to them.

• Oz the Great and Powerful (PG, 2013)

  - by ajaymuthecooldevils

  After delivers a fun superhero movie in 'Spiderman' and a great horror in 'Drag Me To Hell', Sam Rai... read moremi has decreasing in his quality for making a good movie, and this what I believe after I watch 'Oz The Great and Powerful'.. As the whole package movie, 'Oz' delivers a fun and imaginable world to its audiences with stunning effects that IMHO would be a great 3D watch.. James Franco as the Oz himself successfully delivers a quite enjoyable performance as a bad boy turns into a good boy who is a savior.. While the presence of three beautiful lady : Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz, and Michelle Williams makes the movie more enjoyable again to be watched for their beauty.. The story itself is really simple and doesn't that great but as an entertaining movie I must say that 'Oz' has been an enjoyable watch for its audiences..

• Pain & Gain (R, 2013)

  - by fb1526363679

  Pain & Gain has many flaws keeping it from greatness, but considering it was a Michael Bay film ... read moreI must say I left this film pleasantly surprised. Let's review Bay's track record, his last decent film was the first "Transformers" film and then he followed it up with two awful sequels, but with this film he has proven that he is actually capable of telling a story that makes some actual sense. As you can probably tell I haven't always been the biggest Michael Bay supporter, but even if this film is flawed it still is his best film in a very long time and gave me an actual good time at the film. But he does not deserve all the credit, as his cast was also great and has two very nice performances from Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne Johnson. The film has _b_style, a fun story, and very interesting characters as Bay actually makes a story about the bad guys for once. It's true, our trio of protagonists are not good guys at all in this film and actually are based on a real life gang of bodybuilders in Miami back in 1999 who kidnapped, tortured and executed several people. Bay tweaks the story a bit, but he still was able to show us a group of flawed men who believe their crimes are actually helping the community. It has its problems for sure, like how the narration is taken a bit too far and gets annoying at times, how the humor in the film doesn't quite mix at times, and even how Bay still has his usual compulsive need for strange big action, in the end it all actually feels like a real movie and proves that Bay has some actual talent as a director which we knew exists but he rarely shows. I was pulled into the story and the film executes its layers very well, and I can honestly say that this new film is worth a watch and had me happy I spent my money. Hopefully this is the beginning of something very good for this successful and infamous director.
  
  The story follows Daniel Lugo (Mark Wahlberg), a con man who is a bodybuilder at a gym who dreams of being something great. He plans to steal the money from a local crook (Tony Shalhaub) by recruiting his steroid abusing friend Adrian Doorbal (Anthony Mackie) and recently released convict Paul Doyle (Dwayne Johnson). This starts a life of crime that these three men never intended.
  
  The plot was written by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely who have taken a new turn with their writing _b_style and give us something dark, funny, and cool. Daniel Lugo is a very flawed human being, he is able to manipulate people into listening to him and he uses this to get what he wants, and this makes him believe he has earned a life of greatness. Paul Doyle is a conflicted man, trying to keep both his faith in God and while also trying to become rich in Lugo's plan, and it has visibly taken a toll on his mind. Adrian Doorbal lives a life of pain as his steroid addiction has made it so he cannot perform sexually and it leaves him feeling like an empty shell. These three men drive a story that is one of the most intriguing and slick experiences of the year, and now sets new standard for Bay who proves that he can actually tell a story. I think what the story's best aspect are the characters themselves, because the way they turn them into actual people instead of characters really fascinated me. These men weren't people reading a script; they were flawed human being with goals, problems, and desires just like everyone else. Bay's usual characters are worthless and unmemorable, but I found with this film myself enjoying the characters and wanting to watch them to the end. This story really emphasizes how crime comes back to bite you, and how some people believe you must take violent action to get what you want in life. This is a story about dangerous men who work out, and it's a crazy thrill ride that actually had me entertained and having a good time.
  
  The cast is what really surprised me with their great performances and has proven once and for all that Dwayne Johnson is a great actor. Mark Wahlberg has always been one of the coolest actors since I first saw him in Boogie Nights, and once again he delivers a memorable and intense performance that kept me invested in his character and really kept the film flowing. Wahlberg has this natural talent for just being great to watch on the big screen, I mean whatever he is doing or saying we are invested and interested in who he is. I am glad he tried something new with this film, and it worked very well. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is a brilliant actor clouded behind a series of terrible films, but luckily this movie reveals his full potential and shows that he can be an effective dramatic actor while also keeping what makes him cool. I have never seen Johnson do a role like this before, where he is actually a very flawed, sympathetic and conflicted human being. He shows issue with every crime he commits and as the film goes on longer we see his darker side taking form and it really affects his mind. He deserves recognition for this great performance and out of his dozen roles these past few months this is by far his best. Anthony Mackie delivers a solid performance, but when he has to be compared to Wahlberg and Johnson he just doesn't live up to the challenge. Maybe it's just because he isn't a well-known actor yet, but when I walked out of this film he was the last person I thought about. Ed Harris gave a very compelling performance and as soon as the film felt like it was going to be boring, his character showed up and made the story even better. Tony Shalhaub gave a dirty and cruel performance in this film and the writers really just wanted us to hate this guy and not make us sympathize with him, which is what I believe the message of the film tells. There are many hilarious performances from Rebel Wilson, Ken Jeong, Rob Corddry, and Brian Stepanek, that all remind us that this film is a dark comedy, a very dark comedy indeed. Overall I enjoyed the ensemble and found that they all contributed to Bay's redemption.
  
  Pain & Gain was a film I expected to be a complete waste of time due to the track record of the record, but by the prayers of millions of movie goers we were actually delivered a "good" Michael Bay film. Of course the film still has some major problems keeping it from being the film it could've been, and that is just due to the problems that Bay has with most of his films and I didn't expect to change here. Michael Bay has been known for his big and expensive action sequences that make all his films feel ridiculous at times, and here he continues that trend with no exception. This film is a biography about a gang of bodybuilders, but when Bay begins to focus on the action he loses the films message and characters in a sea of explosions and chase scenes. It doesn't ruin the film, but I believe if the film could've been much more effective if Bay had stuck to his guns and left out his urge to see things blow up. What also made me feel uncomfortable was the film's very strange sense of humor, as at some points i think we are supposed to be laughing at a man being tortured and executed by having a car go over his head, but I only watched in horror. The film has a lot of violence, which was a positive thing seeing as these men were very violent in real life and I am glad Bay was given permission to show off his love for violence in a positive way. This film may lose a bit of its message in the third act, but nevertheless it stands as possibly Michael Bay's best film since the start of his career with "The Rock." I have always dreamed of a day when this man would use his skills positively and I believe he has done it here, even if it does stumble at moments. If you need a film that will get your heart pumping and make you want to visit you nearest gym, than I recommend you see this charming surprise.

• 42 (PG-13, 2013)

  - by fb100001581602053

  A thoroughly unspectacular insight of a spectacular man.

• Peeples (PG-13, 2013)

  - by bottcorecords1

  A Tyler Perry-produced version of "Meet The Parents"? Sure, why not? Wade (Craig Robinson of "The ... read moreOffice" and "Hot Tub Time Machine") is heading up to the Hamptons to meet his girlfriend's family and to propose marriage. The girlfriend's dad is Judge Virgil Peeples (David Alan Grier), a control freak who feels that Wade is a big loser. Wade must somehow prove to the dad that he's not a loser and is indeed fit for his daughter's hand in marriage, but with the rest of the Peeples family throwing monkey wrenches into the works, it's going to be difficult.
  
  No, I wasn't being flippant when I said this was Tyler Perry's "Meet The Parents". Much like the interaction between Robert DeNiro and Ben Stiller, it's the relationship between David Alan Grier and Craig Robinson that's the focus. The other characters may have a moment or two, but for the most part remain in the background. Of course, what Peeples has over Meet the Parents is that David Alan Grier is actually funny compared to Robert DeNiro. Like Bob Hope or even Chevy Chase, Grier plays his part simultaneously straight and winking at the camera. Grier is so adept at deadpan that some might mistake his performance as overly dramatic and unnecessarily heavy. I can assure you this is not the case. Apart from that particular performance, Peeples is your typical dumb summer comedy. Being dumb isn't necessarily bad for a movie like this, as long as it provides laughs or at the least entertainment. I laughed at times, and for the most part was entertained, and so this film was a success in that aspect.

• Iron Man 3 (PG-13, 2013)

  - by itsjustme2004

  This movie, like the first two, is exactly what escaping into a great movie is all about: great acti... read moreon, solid laughs, and jaw dropping effects throughout!! Fun! Loved it! Love Tony Stark!!

• 42 (PG-13, 2013)

  - by dunmyer

  Worth seeing

• Mud (PG-13, 2013)

  - by mrbungle7821

  If you aren't familiar with writer/director Jeff Nichols, do yourself a favor and get acquainted and... read more fast, because this guy is headed for indie stardom. Nichols' last movie, the somber and unbearably tense thriller Take Shelter was my top film of 2011. Mud, in contrast, is a harder sell, something akin to a modern-day Mark Twain fable about romantic outsiders, fugitives, friendship, and boys coming of age. Matthew McConaughey plays the titular character, a wanted man hiding out on a small island along the Mississippi River. He befriends two teens that help him rebuild a boat so that Mud can escape with his lady and evade a team of dangerous bounty hunters seeking vengeance. Nichols is truly gifted at his ability to craft wholly believable characters regardless of circumstance. There is a great sense of setting here, without nary a judgment to the lower class moorings and difficulties, just as Nichols expertly showcased rural Midwestern life and day-to-day anxieties in Take Shelter. His new film is admittedly slow and takes a while to rev up, but the performances are just so good and richly delivered, from top to bottom, that you're happy to go along with the somewhat loping ride. It's such a pleasure to witness McConaughey fully engaged with a role, pushing him to utilize new and exciting acting muscles. Nichols also doesn't soft-pedal the hardships of his characters. While it's poignant and satisfying how the various plot threads come together for a thrilling conclusion, Mud also has the grace to leave several storylines absent tidy bows. There's real heartbreak, real disappointment, and recognizable people of all walks trying to do good and find their place in this complicated world. If Mud is playing near you, it should shoot to the top of your must-see list.
  
  Nate's Grade: A-