Tuesday, December 1, 2015

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2

                  Get ready for the biggest finale of one of the most successful movie series of all time. This film is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat. Even if you have read the book, you will be wondering what is going to happen next. But there is satisfaction in having read the book! Whatever is to happen, you know exactly how it should happen, and it happens almost the exact same way you envisioned it. So get ready for a pleaser, readers!

T H E   H U N G E R   G A M E S:
M O C K I N G J A Y
P A R T   2

                     The film begins almost immediately. Katniss is with a doctor in District 13 and is getting her neck brace from the first movie removed. It is obvious that quite some time has passed
since the incident with Peeta.
                      "Alright. Now I want you to say, 'My name is Katniss Everdeen,'" commands the doctor.
                      "Mmmyyy..." Katniss wheezes.
                      "Take your time."
                      "Mmmyyy... nnaaamee... iis... Kaattniss... Everrdeen." 
                       Plutarch is there, witnessing Katniss speak for the first time in a while. He tells Katniss that they are going to try something different today with Peeta. They are going to send in somebody he trusts from District 12, but probably someone he won't hurt. But they're getting closer to letting Peeta see Katniss.
                        Guess who goes in? If you guessed Prim, kudos to you. Prim goes in and begins talking to Peeta, but that doesn't end so well. Peeta snaps again and starts yelling at Prim about how Katniss is dangerous. "SHE'LL KILL US ALL! YOU HAVE TO KILL HER PRIM! SHE'S DANGEROUS!"
                         Don't worry, Prim gets out okay, but she's a little shaken. 
                         Katniss then goes to see Coin, and says that Snow has to pay for what he did to Peeta
and to the districts. She wants to go to District 2, where Coin is thinking of shooting "propos" showing that the Mockingjay is alive and well.
                          Coin agrees and Katniss is on her way. 
                          However, Katniss is not to be going into direct battle. The brilliant minds of District 13 including Beetee and Gale suggest that they smoke out the people in the factory at 2 that is being held by the Capitol. But, they leave an opening that can be used to escape by train. Here, the District 13 officers and Katniss will try to convince them to turn over to the Rebellion.
                           Katniss goes to the train tracks and awaits the train. When it arrives, most of the men who come off surrender immediately, and one of the men is beat down. Katniss feels bad for the guy and rushes to him. But of course it's a gimmick, and he holds a pistol to Katniss's throat, asking, "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't shoot."
                           "I can't." 
                           Katniss goes on to explain that she is tired of being a pawn in Snow's game, and that if the man kills her, she is doing both Snow and her a favor. The man stops to think and lowers the gun. Katniss then turns to the rest of the Loyalists and begins to beg them to turn the Rebellion. But one Loyalist gets kinda ticked and pulls a gun, shooting Katniss in the chest.
                            I'm not gonna go on, but obviously Katniss lives. (Sorry for the spoiler alert guys! :P)



T H E   H U N G E R   G A M E S:
M O C K I N G J A Y   
P A R T   2





Ratings:
Family Friendliness- 7.8/10 Arrows: The film is not the most family friendly, but for what blood there is, there's not much. Just don't go taking your 6 year old to see this; that's probably not the best idea, y'know what I mean? Like, there's not any language, and if there is, it's very minimal. The violence is definitely up there, so just make wise decisions.

Story-line- 9.5/10 Mockingjays: Oh my goodness, if you read the book, you will be geeking out in your seat. What you imagined the scenes would look like when reading the book, they most likely appear that way in the movie. It's beyond amazing. For example, the way Finnick dies... oh gosh, it's so sad, yet it happens so quickly, just like in the book. Katniss says "Nightlock. Nightlock. Nightlock," and Finnick is gone with a big bang, quickly forgotten a couple moments later. It really isn't until the end of the movie when you actually have time to think about everything that has happened that you realize how tragic the deaths were.

Re-watch Probability- Very High (aka 12/13 Districts): You'll be wanting to watch this again as soon as you're out of the theater. So you might as well plan on buying it for unlimited playbacks. Trust me... it's that good.

"The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 Katniss" <http://content-img.newsinc.com/jpg/415/29213897/22495131.jpg?t=1433849400>
"The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 trailer" <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vyJr1dmBAo>
                           

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Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Sicario

                  Alright, before I begin my review, I will say right now that this film is gory. It's rated "R" for a pretty good reason. I would suggest your child being 14+ and that they would have seen some pretty bloody movies before with a lotta cussing. I mean, if you're okay with that, we can move on.




S   I   C   A   R   I   O



                  Emily Blunt plays the role of Kate Macy, an FBI Agent. She is stationed in Arizona, and finds a house that has corpses stored in its walls. This is where it's established that this is gonna be a pretty bloody movie. The body count adds up to 42 dead. These people were killed by a Mexican Cartel that has somehow gotten access into the U.S.
                   There has been increased Cartel activity going on for the past several months, and the U.S. government is looking into it. Matt Graver (Josh Brolin, Everest)is the government military official that is looking into it, and he wants Kate to join him in his war against the Mexican drug lords. Kate is in, because she wants to get at the man who killed those 42 people and stored them into the house walls.
                   But she has no idea what she is getting herself into. She thinks that these military operatives are going to go "by the book" per say, but these guys know the loopholes, and even push the boundaries a little bit. Matt is being led by Alejandro (Benicio del Toro, The Usual Suspects), who also wants to get at a Mexican drug lord. 
                   The team goes back and forth across the US-Mexico border to draw out the big target they want, Fausto Alarcon. They use Manuel Diaz, a smaller drug lord, to draw out Fausto. Eventually, the big idea for Alejandro is that he gets to kill Fausto, because Fausto killed his family. 
                   This is ultimately why the movie is called Sicario, or, Hitman. Alejandro is the Hitman, and he has been for the entire movie. 



Ratings: 

Family Friendliness- 4/10 Houses: This is not the ideal family movie, let's just put it like that. There is plenty of swearing to go around, and a whole ton of blood flying too.
Story-line- 9.5/10 Agents: This was really a phenomenal movie. I absolutely loved it, and it left me on the edge of my seat the entire time. If you like action and mystery with intense action, this film is for you.
Re-watch Probability- High aka 9/10: I can tell you right now, I am eager to see this movie again. It was just so well done, and it left me mind-blown kinda like Christopher Nolan's Inception. I am looking forward to owning it on DVD.


S   I   C   A   R   I   O





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Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Pan

                  It's not every day that you think about the origins of some of your Disney childhood heroes like the Genie or Peter Pan. Today I am not sure if I can answer all of your questions about our favorite flying boy wonder who will never age. 
                  But I will definitely try to answer as much as I can; and know that my knowledge has come straight from the new Disney film just recently released. So here you have the Piece of Cake Official Review on "PAN."


P    A    N


                  The film begins somewhat like Meet the Robinsons. A British mother is running through the night in high heels (I commend any woman who can do that. That has got to hurt, so kudos to you if you can run in heels). And one of the most questionable feats of acrobatics occurs right here. The mother freaking jumps over a ten foot high fence without hardly any effort. I'll come back to this.
                  Twelve years later, World War II is in action. Peter is a young boy in the orphanage that his mother dropped him off at, and we establish that he is very adventurous and dangerously nosy. As the war rages, boys have been disappearing from the orphanage, and they haven't been adopted either.
                  In fact, they're being captured by pirates of the notorious Blackbeard. Peter is one of the boys who gets caught, carried away on the ship "The Jolly Roger," Captain Hook's future ship. He goes to Neverland and is mining for fairy dust, which apparently takes away old age for a person. So practically, you can live forever.
                  Blackbeard is looking for all of the fairy dust he can get his hands on, and Peter finds some on his second day of work. On his first day, he is introduced to James Hook, a Western American sort of dude. 
                  *Note: Captain James Hook is actually supposed to be an Englishman who attended Eton College. But... Disney I guess tried to make their own version of Hook.
                  Peter decides to stay in Neverland to look for his mother, whom he has never met. It is later revealed that his mother was a warrior of the Fairy Kingdom and that his father was a Fairy Prince. I don't want to tell you the entire thing, but to be honest, this film had such potential.

 Ratings:
Family Friendliness: 9/10- Possibly the best film to take your kids to if they've been itching to go to the movies. Or you could wait until the Peanuts Movie. There is some violence and fighting, and some death, but the people burst into dust instead of bleeding out. So I guess that's always a family friendly plus.

 Story-line: 4/10- The plot, I will be honest, was awful. This is probably the lowest score I have ever given in terms of plot ratings, and I am really sorry to be saying that Disney really screwed up this story. They could have done so much more like expanding on the fact that Fairy Dust is what Blackbeard is after. They just sort of passed it by, not even one minute of him rejuvenating himself.

 Re-watch Probability: Very low- a.k.a. 5/10. The movie is not worth seeing in the theaters, see it in Redbox. Please save your money for something better like The Martian. Or take your kids to some ice cream.

 Overall:  6/10- I know, I'm sorry for all of the parents that may have wanted to see a good Disney film to remind them of their childhood, but this film was simply not good. Disney wanted to make a sequel to expand on how Peter and Hook became enemies, but that probably won't happen what with the awful ratings the film has been getting. Sorry again folks. I was really looking forward to a great Peter Pan adventure. But Disney just simply did not deliver.

P    A    N




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Friday, October 16, 2015

The Martian

                  Do you like Matt Damon? But you absolutely hated him in Interstellar? Well get ready for a film where good ol' Matt is on your side again! And this time he is stuck on Mars for over one year, about 500 days on Mars. But hey! It's a pretty fun adventure, full of laughs, suspense, and a whole lotta science.

T H E    M A R T I A N

                  The film starts off with Matt Damon and his crew of the "Ares III" Mission to Mars Expedition observing rocks. I know, very interesting. But the action starts off pretty quickly. There is a storm coming, and it is enormous. 
                  The storm hits them, and the crew slowly makes it to their ship to escape. While working their way to the ship however, Mark Watney (Matt Damon) gets hit by some debris and is blown off,
presumed dead. The crew blasts off and begins their journey home.
                  The news goes viral all over the world that Mark Watney is dead. However, Watney wakes up from the storm, and has survived. I mean, duh. Then there'd be no movie, right? Anyway, Watney has got an enormous needle in his gut, and he walks back to the base of the crew and stitches himself up. And guess what??? 
                   You get to see the whole thing... yea, I know, thrilling. So... probably not the best thing to show your eight or nine year old. Then after he's done with his stitching (more like stapling) he lies back and says, "F**k." Don't gemme wrong, it's pretty funny in the theater, but parental discretion is highly advised as Watney really likes to cuss.
                    Watney gets something to eat and then tallies up his food and begins video logs. He explains that he will only last a couple hundred Mars days, and that he is going to have to ration.
Because even if he could get in contact with Earth, he'd have to wait four years for the next Ares Mission to make it up to him.
                     Therefore, his next plan of action is to grow his own food. And it is pretty amazing what he does. Did I mention he's the Botanist of the Ares Crew? No? Well, now you know, and now you know why he is able to actually survive! He makes his own Martian grown food. Pretty sick.
                     But wait! There's more! Not only does he grow his own food, he makes a plan to drive his Ares Crew rover to the site of the landing of the next Ares Mission, "Ares IV." [Four for those of you who aren't so hot on your Roman Numerals, I've got your back :) ] But first he wants to dig up something that was sent to Mars in 1997. You'll find out later
                     So he digs up a radioactive isotope out of the ground (real smart actually considering his
plan) and then utilizes its power to drive the rover a little farther each and every day by doing some hot-wiring and making a portable charger for the rover.
                     At this point, the NASA team realizes something is up. They see that things about the Ares III Mission Site have changed, such as the rover being moved. They finally figure out that Watney is gonna dig up that 1997 vessel, and they figure out how to communicate with Watney through this relic from the past.
                     Now it's a little early to tell you the entire thing, but hopefully I have peaked your interest a little bit. I mean, Rotten Tomatoes viewers rate it at 92%! It's definitely one to see in theaters, and if you can, see it in 3D. Makes it a whole lot more stressful, but better.

 Ratings:
Family Friendliness: 8/10 Rovers- The film is pretty friendly, except for the swearing. Overall, it's funny, stressful, and a riveting experience, thanks to Ridley Scott's vision of space.
Story-line: 10/10 Potatoes- This is one of the few times I will ever give a 10 for 10 rating. I have not read "The Martian" book, but I absolutely loved everything about the story in this movie. It was a movie about redemption, survival, and the strength of determination, and the good uses of schooling that we can actually see!!!
Re-watch Probability: Very High (9/10 Spaceships)- You will love this movie so much you will immediately want to watch it again, yet at the same time you won't. You want to watch the riveting experience, but you're afraid to be stressed out again. Still, like I keep saying, it's amazing.
Overall: 9 out of 10 Stars- Two words can sum up everything I have been trying to tell you about this movie:



T  H  E     M  A  R  T  I  A  N





                



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Friday, September 25, 2015

Flashback Review: Big Hero 6

                 
D I S N E Y ' S
B I G   H E R O   6
                 Hello everyone, I haven't posted in awhile, but I decided to do a review on one of the best
movies of 2014. That's right folks, fasten your seatbelts for Big Hero 6! Big Hero 6 is a Disney film about a boy named Hiro Hamada. He is a prodigy in the world of robotics, and uses his skills to win robot fights. This is how Hiro makes a boatload of money. He really has nothing better to do since he already graduated High School. 
                  Did I mention he's only fourteen? That's right, this kid is only fourteen. He graduated High School at thirteen, and doesn't want to go to college. His older brother, Tadashi, goes to a robotics college and has been working on a medical robot for a long time called Baymax.
                 Tadashi convinces Hiro to go to the robotics college by showing him around the college. Hiro is ecstatic and is eager to join after meeting Professor Callaghan, the creator of the material Hiro used to build his fighting bot. But to get in, he has to make an invention that will blow the school board away. So Hiro gets to work on his invention. 
                  Inspired by the material his fighting robot is made out of, Hiro makes a bunch of
microbots that are controlled by the mind. They can form anything your brain can. After months of work, and help from his new friends at the Tech College, Hiro is ready to present his invention to the Board of Directors. He steps up in front of everybody and blows everyone away, ensuring his place in the college. Afterwards, Hiro, Tadashi, and the whole gang go out to celebrate. 
                   Tadashi congratulates Hiro on his admittance. But shortly after, they hear a fire alarm go off. The school that Hiro had just presented in is on fire, and one of the escaping students tells Tadashi and Hiro that Professor Callaghan is still inside the building. Tadashi rushes in to see if he can get to Callaghan, but the building blows up almost immediately after he enters. 
                   A funeral is held, and Hiro is hit really hard. He is in a sort of depression state, not being able to eat or sleep. All he is ever doing is thinking. His Aunt Cass sees he is broken, and doesn't know what to do.
                  Hiro is looking around his room that he shared with his brother. His robot falls apart and hits one of his toes, causing him to say "ow." Baymax is in the room, and comes over to him, trying to treat him. Hiro doesn't want any treatment, and Baymax realizes that his hormonal patterns are fluctuating exponentially. He also sees signs of depression and downloads a database on personal loss.
                  So begins Baymax's quest to treat Hiro. In the process, Hiro finds out who was indirectly responsible for his brother's death, comes to realize the value of life, and becomes the leader of a team of heroes, defending San Fransokyo. Oh yeah, Big Hero 6 is actually a Marvel comic in case you didn't know.
                  I'm sure you've all heard of how good this movie was, and if you haven't seen it yet, I would highly recommend it. The Ratings aren't really necessary. It's a Disney movie for Pete's Sake! So it's bound to be good. Let's just wait for Star Wars, right?

P I E C E   O F   C A K E



  

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Friday, September 4, 2015

Pixels

                  Are you looking for a Redbox film? A movie that isn't too action packed, not too story driven, and with Adam Sandler? Well, you came to the right place, because Pixels is the movie for you! And seriously, don't see this movie until the Redbox. It's not worth the $5 at the cheap theatre. Unless you really want to, then go for it.


P   I   X   E   L   S


        Pixels is the story of Brenner, a video game prodigy in the world of the Arcade Video Games. He realized at the age of 11 or 12 that all of the games in the arcade have a pattern, and he
was able to see it and go off of it. 
                   He puts his skills to the test at the Video Game World Championship convention of 1982, and loses at the game of Donkey Kong to a kid who calls himself "The Fireblaster." Brenner goes to the convention with his friends Ludlow and Cooper, and they cheer him on. 
                   Brenner, 30 years later, is a tech installer. Cooper is the President of the United States of America, and Ludlow is a nerd living with his mom. Cooper isn't taken very seriously as the President, and Brenner is trying to figure out what to do with his life.
                   He gets his chance when a U.S. Military Base is attacked and pixelated. The game that destroys the base is Galaga. Cooper brings Brenner in to see if he can identify the game, and Brenner can't believe his eyes. 
                   He is headed home when Ludlow surprises him in the back of his car, and Ludlow takes
him to Ludlow's mom's house. Ludlow proposes that the space capsule that was sent out in 1982 containing footage of video games reached aliens, and that the aliens are using the video games to try and take over the world.
                   I dunno if I should keep going, but just know that this movie is pretty funny. I mean, c'mon, it's Adam Sandler! So if you want a good laugh, this is a good Redbox for all of you. Just don't see it in theatres, save that money for a film like Pan. 






Ratings:
Family Friendliness: 8 out of 10 Pixels- Suprisingly, this movie is pretty appropriate. Given that it's rated PG-13, there isn't a lot of cursing, but there is a lot of movie and game references that you will definitely laugh at... that is, if you get them.
Rewatch Probability: Mild- (5 out of 10 Arcades) This isn't the best film you'll see, but it isn't the worst. It's just not one of those movies that you're gonna want to watch a whole ton. It may be a good Friday night film like every year, but a good Friday movie is something like Star Trek: Into Darkness.
Story-line: 7 out of 10 Centipedes- The story is one that is easy to follow, but also one that is pretty ridiculous. The fact that the aliens took the footage of video games as an act of war is pretty  lame. Oh well.
Overall: 7 out of 10 Stars- (8+5+7=20, 20/30= .6777, so I rounded up) Again, not the best of films, but one that is for a night where you just wanna laugh.











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Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Flashback Movie Review: Miracle

                Hiya everybody, before we get started, I would like to thank a friend of mine for pointing me to this movie. She had been nagging me for quite awhile to watch this film, and I never really got around to it. But recently, she bought the movie for me, and I watched it. I did promise a movie review on PoC, so here it is.



M   I   R   A   C   L   E



                  Herb Brooks is the man who has been chosen to coach the USA 1980 Olympic Hockey Team. Russia has won the past five Hockey Championships in the Olympics, and the USA wants to
take the gold this time. 
                    Herb chooses a team of 26 from among the best in the United States. He then starts to pick and choose which of those 26 will make his 20-man team for the Olympic Games. Herb drills the team hard, including giving them one of the most famous hockey drills known today as "Herbies," or "Suicides."
                    After one of their first game, a tie with Oslo, Herb makes the team run "Herbies" long after the ice rink is supposed to be shut down. They run Herbies hours upon hours, and as the team continues, they become sick. 
                    They are all exhausted, and one individual pukes. The others can't take it any longer. Herb is about to make them do the Herbies again when Mike Eurizone, one of the players, states his name. Herb asks him, "Who do you play for?"
                    "I play for the United States of America." 
                    "That will be all gentleman," Herb says. He got his message through that the name on the front of the jersey is a whole lot more important than the name on the back. 
                    Herb's goal throughout the entire film is to make the players into much more than a team;
he wants them to become a family. He wants them to all be able to work together in such a way that in order to beat them, their entire team would have to be severed, which was impossible.
                    And Herb accomplishes this, by being the bad guy; forcing the team to skate together, pass together, and shoot together. They all become a tight "squad" as some people may call it, and they all come to love each other as family.
                    So watch as this 1980 World Renowned team rises to the challenge of the Soviet Union in one of the most crucial times in our nation's history; the Cold War. Watch them come together in an unbreakable bond as they face the Russian's unbeatable hockey team, and come back at the last second with Al Michael's most famous line in all of sports history,
                    "Do you believe in miracles?! YES!!!" 


M   I   R   A   C   L   E



Ratings:
Story: 10 out of 10 Hockey Pucks- This is truly a motivational and moving story about the importance of teamwork, even in the toughest of situations.
Rewatch Probability: High (9/10)- You will watch this film over and over again, surprised each time at how the United States beat the Soviets at their own game.
Family Friendliness: 8 out of 10 Hockey Sticks- There is some rude humor, and there is some fighting that takes place, but nothing that your 9 year old probably can't handle. But I'll let you be the judge of that.
Overall: 9 out of 10 Stars- 10+9+8=27, 27/30= .9 An inspiring and extremely well done film, dedicated to the greatest moment ever recorded and witnessed in sports history. 

"Disney Movie Miracle Trailer" <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZBb_8WQKUA>
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