This Means War

The year of Tom Hardy continues with this fun Spy vs. Spy romantic comedy that pits him against his partner, Chris Pine, to win the girl, Reese Witherspoon. The action is good and the one-upmanship is fun to watch with all not revealed in the trailer. The chemistry between Witherspoon and Chelsea Handler as sisters does not flow from the screen but the gems that come out of Handler are hilarious. This film should be the clear box office winner this weekend and a good palate cleanser if you made the mistake of seeing the Ghost Rider sequel earlier in the day. If a date movie is on your horizon the make it this one.



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Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance in 3D

I seem to be one of the few who loved the first Ghost Rider movie and relished in the fact that the comic I loved as a child made it to the big screen in all its horrific, fiery goodness. Unfortunately, Marvel earns a big fail on this sequel where the best part of the film is the making of featurette commercial part of the AMC Pre-show. The filming style and the 3D do not work together making for a jerky mess on the screen, the pendulum swing between CGI enhanced practical stunts effects and just outright CGI money-shots do not mesh, and with a lackluster script with the most bizarre acting by Nicholas Cage makes for an almost unwatchable film. There are some positives like the Ghost Rider does still look cool but sootier, the filming of the chase scenes sans the 3D, and consistently good acting by Idris Elba no matter the film project. This movie is a pass unless you are a die hard fanboy who needs to be tortured for 95 minutes.



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Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark

While in New York for business requiring an overnight stay I try to take in a Broadway show and yes I do pay the ridiculous full price fees for that night's show. I was hoping to snag a ticket to The Book of Mormon but all shows were sold out through the end of March 2012 so I decided on the only other big show open tonight. The show was spectacular with amazing music by Bono, crazy high flying wire work, and all the technical wizardry you could ask for. During the intermission I spoke with one of the ushers and learned of everything that lead up to the current 2.0 version of the show and was astounded that the show still went forward after all of the set backs and the 65 million plus sunk in to its production. Despite all of the bad press from when it tried to first open and failed preview screenings, the show is a success and is still a work in progress by the producers that is well worth seeing on your next stay in the Big Apple.



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Haywire

There was little lead up to this movie release that I recall but it definitely was on my list to see from the online trailer. The movie does not disappoint and Gina Carano goes above and beyond when going toe to toe with Channing Tatum, Michael Fassbender, Ewan McGregor, Antonio Banderas, Bill Paxton and Michael Douglas. The beauty of this movie is that it is believable and grounded in real fight sequences that are not shaky cam or hyper realized to add to the effect. The story is solid and leaves itself open for a follow up with our new kick-ass heroine. Don't let this one get away or at least check it our when hits online streaming or DVD.



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The Woman In Black

Daniel Radcliffe may be Harry Potter no more but I can not think of a better next film project than starring in a Gothic ghost story from a name synonymous with horror classics, Hammer. Everything is done right from the look and feel of the sets, the impending since of dread from the soundtrack, and the deliberate pacing of the the film. The scares and effects are well done and when our specter shows up she is very terrifying. Ghost stories are still a genre favorite right now and I am glad to see good films are still being made from all recesses of the genre. Be sure to check this out if you are in the mood for a good chill up the spine.



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One for The Money

I like Katherine Hegel like every other heterosexual male in the known universe for the obvious reasons but I also adore the fact she is smart, funny and a good actress. With all that said, what happened here? The movie could not capture my interest and I actually nodded off a few time in the theater. None of the characters pulled me in to the film and I found nothing mildly funny or entertaining about the story. With other films out there worth seeing you definitely want to save this one for background filler while vacuming or doing your laundry at home.



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Big Miracle

Nothing is more heartwarming then seeing a movie about saving animals, unless that is actually going out and doing it yourself, so this movie was a good next see after last year's adorable Dolphin Tale. The hook for me is that I remember this story when it was actually happening and I was just as riveted as everyone else to see if the whales would survive and make it to freedom. The cast is great with popular actors like Drew Barrymore, John Krasinski, Ted Danson, Tim Blake Nelson, Kristen Bell and many more. Of all then things that made the film work, I think the real Sarah Palin footage from the time was the most fun to see. A very inspiring film that is fun for the whole family.



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