5/10 - Overall, Absence of Malice has a compelling story and great acting from Paul Newman (who plays Paul Newman here) and Sally Field, but fails to generate enough interest in the proceedings to keep you hooked. Luckily, the acting is good enough to largely overlook that, but at the end of the day, film must entertain and Absence of Malice, though not a total bore, certainly struggles in that area. Not hard to see why the Academy would recognize the acting, but not much about the film itself (other than the writing).



7/10 - City Slickers is a wickedly funny little 90's comedy that really manages to capture more than just laughs from the audience, but also their emotions. The film also delivers some thrills thanks to those emotions. The acting from Billy Crystal, Jack Palance, Patricia Wettig, Bruno Kirby, and Daniel Stern, is really good and Crystal, in particular, really gives a charming performance here that really brings you onto his side. Overall, City Slickers is a fun and touching film about three men's midlife crisis and the way they deal with it.



6/10 - Man of Steel, the first film in the new DC Cinematic Universe, is certainly a very flawed film, but for me, I think there is enough in the "pro" category to outweigh those negatives. Firstly, I really liked the acting and the casting throughout. Some were unhappy with Amy Adams' Lois Lane, for both the way she was portrayed and for her not looking like Lois Lane, but as a person who is not a huge comic book guy, I did not really care. She's a great actress and it is able to show in this film to a degree. In addition to the acting, the special effects were spectacular and the cinematography was stupendous at times. There were some seriously gorgeous shots in this one and it is one of the few superhero movies where I really noticed that area. However, I will say that it does try to do a lot and struggles from typical origin story pitfalls. The pacing can be extremely bad at times and the dialogue is pretty horrendous at times and middling at best. Overall, Man of Steel is a slightly above average film that succeeds in some areas and fails in others, but overall does a nice job setting up the new Superman story and the new universe.



8/10 - Fury is a film that incredibly brutal and intense at times, but manages to be a stirring and emotional war film throughout due to its focus on brotherhood and the friendships formed during war times. The direction from David Ayer was great here and the war/action sequences were expertly put together. Ayer has a knack for some real great action sequences and Fury is no exception to that. Brad Pitt, Shia Labeouf, Michael Pena, and especially Logan Lerman, were all stellar in their respective roles. The costume design and makeup in the film were also very great as these men look the part and look war battered. However, where Fury is the most successful is in the realism. Incredibly faithful to reality, the film feels authentic, especially when it comes to the blood and gore of war. As a whole, Fury is no Saving Private Ryan, but is definitely the best war film in a while and stands as a very good film in what was a great year for film in 2014.



6/10 - Jurassic World is the definition of a popcorn flick. Placed under any level of scrutiny, its quality as a film deteriorates rapidly. The plot is questionable and it does nothing not already seen in the original Jurassic Park. However, it really, really delivers in the entertainment category. Ultimately, film is supposed to be entertainment and this film entertains. It is a ton of fun for the whole family, provides numerous thrills and a ton of nervous excitement as the situation down in Costa Rica takes a turn for the worse due to the humans being stupid and selfish. The human drama placed into the film is idiotic and never really works on any level, but damn, there are a bunch of really cool dinosaurs that attack and eat people. The special effects are impeccable, Chris Pratt makes a case for being one of the strongest leading men right now with a decent acting performance that was best in the one category that matters, charisma. Jake Johnson was also great and a showstealer at times. The characters were pretty dumb, sure, but I don't know, I kinda dug Jurassic World. I feel dirty and hypocritical, but watching dinosaurs eat people is a ton of fun.



7/10 - At this point, if you walk into a Marvel movie you know what to expect. Ant-Man does not divert from the Marvel script at all and certainly finds a place within the Marvel Cinematic Universe (at least this one is self-aware). Yet, it manages to be wildly entertaining and one of the funniest Marvel movies yet. Paul Rudd turns in a super charismatic performance as Scott Lang aka Ant-Man and Michael Douglas is very good as Hank Pym. As with all Marvel movies, the villain is pretty non-descript. However, the visuals are top-notch and the special effects are very well done throughout. A film that works well as a heist movie as well, Ant-Man pleads for you to care about its characters by playing on emotion and family. Though this fall flats, the film is fun and funny enough to overcome it. This is in large part due to Michael Pena who is hysterical here and honestly steals the show. If anybody needs a larger role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it is obviously his character. Overall, Ant-Man is a well done superhero flick that will entertain people who like the Marvel formula. If you are tired of superhero movies, this one won't restore your hunger.



7/10 - As expected, The Drop is a crime drama. It never really reinvents the wheel at any time, but it does follow the best elements of the genre and executes them very well. In addition, it is a fantastic starring turn for Tom Hardy and the late James Gandolfini. If anybody still had doubts about Hardy, this film (as well as his entire filmography) should be solid evidence that he is one of the best actors working today. He is the perfect guy for this role and he knocks it out of the park. Noted author Dennis Lehane's script is very well done and the dialogue works throughout. The film is also well directed and well paced, never becoming boring. You are constantly invested in the goings ons and though there are a good number of moving parts, it never gets hard to follow or feels cluttered. For a first time screenwriter, that is pretty good and shows that Lehane's talents as an author (namely Gone Baby Gone, Mystic River, and Shutter Island), can translate to the big screen not just in adaptations, but also in his penning the script. Overall, The Drop is a good crime drama that soars thanks in large to its acting and good writing.



8/10 - After not enjoying the first Terminator, it took me a while to get around to the second installment in the franchise, but I am very glad that I finally watched it. A brilliant action film that is perfectly directed by James Cameron, Terminator 2: Judgment Day is well ahead of its time in terms of special effects and is overall just a very well done and very entertaining spectacle. Arnold Schwarzenegger is great here as the Terminator and Linda Hamilton is very strong as Sarah Connor. The child actor who plays John Connor is pretty spotty and the film itself can be a little campy at times, but it never fails to entertain. Beautifully filmed action sequences combine with good drama here to make a very good film that is also very well written and quite funny at times. Terminator 2: Judgment Day is what big budget action movies should look and feel like.



7/10 - After the largely negative reviews, I figured I would wait to catch Chappie until it came out on DVD and I am bummed to have waited so long. I have no idea why the critics hated it so much. No, it is not as good as District 9, but it is still a good action science fiction movie from a guy, Neill Blomkamp, who seems to be quite adept at making socially conscious action movies. But heck, don't listen to me, I liked Elysium too. To me, Blomkamp is a very good director who is very ambitious in his films. They do not match his ambitions more often than not, but the end result is also quite positive. The themes here are similar to the rest of his films and Johannesburg will certainly continue to be viewed negatively worldwide due to its portrayal here, but all the same, it is a very fun and well made film. The cast as a whole is good and quite believable in all of their roles. I know Die Antwoord got a lot of criticism for their performances, but I truly believed them and they did not stick out at all. The development of Chappie was great and he is certainly one of the best characters in a film in recent times, in my humble opinion. The film really delivers in the heady sci-fi elements viewers come to expect from the genre (as well as a ton of Biblical elements, such as "genisis" and referring to the guy who created Chappie as his "maker", plus some characters being obviously religious). The action is well done and the film can be quite adorable (thanks to Chappie) and funny throughout. It is also oddly touching, as it always amazes me how much I can be made to care about a robot. Overall, Chappie does have flaws, namely in the way of plotholes or points where it feels like the story just skipped ahead a bit. It also manages to cram a lot into a short time period, which is a unique criticism, but one I feel is justified. All the same, Blomkamp's films always are very sleek and stylish and the way the robots are designed is super cool (just as the aliens in District 9's design was great). As a whole, Chappie was unfairly torn apart for some of its flaws, while many ignored the many positives it delivered. Not as good as District 9, but Blomkamp certainly took a step back in that direction here, as it is better than Elysium. Definitely looking forward to his Alien film (hopefully set in Joburg, because why not).



8/10 - I do not watch a ton of animated films, but Inside Out wound up being an exception and I am really, really glad it was. Brilliantly animated and voiced, Inside Out entertains in spades with fantastic comedic writing throughout. However, the true area of success for this one is in the way it explores emotion and the way we think and operate. A thought provoking film, Inside Out is easily one of the best films of 2015 for the way it really almost caters to the adult audience and provide a ton of interesting commentary on how we function. Magnificently written and a great representation of bringing a complex concept to life, Inside Out should easily find a home alongside the other phenomenal releases from Pixar.