The Grey

A group of oil drillers are stranded in a remote part of Alaska after their plane crashes.  If that wasn’t enough trauma, a pack of ferocious wolves are hunting the men down.  It’s a race against the clock for survival.  Liam Neeson leads the group of survivors through the wilderness in the dead of winter. 

You can never go wrong with Liam Neeson in a movie.  He’s a solid actor who can make you believe he can fight humans and wolves.  The movie is captivating from the start and you are likely to jump in your seat when the wolves attack.  The unexpected ending leaves you bewildered and anticipating more.  I give the movie 4 out of 4 stars.

Haywire

The movie Haywire is about a black ops solider, played by Gina Carano, seeking revenge after she is set-up in a mission gone bad.  The story was predictable…she successfully got revenge on those who set her up.  Gina Carano is a mixed-martial arts champion in real life. She is not an actor in real life.  The movie felt like a script was written to showcase her martial arts skills.  Although the fight scenes were good, that’s about the only thing that was.  It was painful to watch her recite her lines one sentence at a time.  Although veteran actor Michael Douglass is in the movie, it’s not enough.  Have you ever wanted a refund after seeing a movie?  If so, save your money and don’t go see Haywire.  You won’t receive a refund.  This movie gets 1 out of 4 stars (she deserves something for being a MMA champion).

Red Tails

Red Tails is based on the true story of the Tuskegee Airmen, an all-black World War II fighter pilot squad.  The movie takes place in 1944 in Italy where the airmen are there to fight Hitler’s army.  It chronicles their struggle to be assigned a real mission like they’re white counterparts.  In spite of the racism and segregated military base, the Tuskegee Airmen were brave heroes that defended their country. They were proud to defend a country, even if they weren’t treated equally in their country.  The aerial fight scenes were fantastic and comparable to Star Wars (George Lucas signature style).  You really felt the danger of aerial combat. 

All of the actors exemplified the characters; however, David Oyelowo, who played Joe “Lightening” Little in the movie, was the stand out actor.  To me his performance was the best and he drew you into his brave and reckless character.  Cuba Gooding Jr. and Terrance Howard were excellent as well.  I wouldn’t expect less from these veteran actors. 

The only thing I didn’t like about the movie was the love story that was interwoven into the fabric of the movie.  I didn’t think it added value to the movie and thought it was a distraction from the overall message of heroism.  This movie did not need a love story to make it great!  ~Sigh~

Overall, I give the movie 4 out of 4 stars and encourage you to go see it if you haven’t already.  If you have seen it let me know your thoughts.

Contraband

Contraband is about a retired drug smuggler, Mark Wahlberg, who must do “one” last job to save his family.  It’s a typical story line but a little different twist on the “necessary” job because it occurs on a boat.  Mark Wahlberg is an average actor that always seems to be upstaged by his supporting actor.  Similar to the movie, The Fighter, where Christian Bale upstaged him and won a Golden Globe and Oscar for best supporting actor, Ben Foster upstages Wahlberg in Contraband.  Foster and Wahlberg are BFF’s in the movie and Foster betrays that friendship.  This is a good movie and I give it 3 stars out of 4.

Sherlock Holmes - A Game of Shadows

Sherlock Holmes and Watson are not the twosome from long ago.  The new Sherlock Holmes and Watson use not only investigation and problem solving skills to solve crimes, they can kick butt too!  Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law are a believable pair as they thwart an assassination attempt.  The special effects for the movie were excellent.  I especially like how the movie slows down to highlight the thought pattern of Sherlock before he strikes into action.  The also use this technique to draw your attention to the key clues that help Sherlock solve the crime, most of which you’re sure to miss if they didn’t point them out. 

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo is based on the trilogy book series Millennium Trilogy.  A disgraced writer, Mikael Blomkvist played by Daniel Craig, is hired to solve a 40-year-old murder mystery by a wealthy man.  The movie also chronicles the life a private investigator, Lisbeth Salander played by Rooney Mara, that is a ward of the state due to a challenging childhood.  Mikael hires Lisbeth to be his assistant investigator to help solve the murder mystery. 

Rooney Mara steals the show as the troubled, tattooed motorcycle riding, kick ass woman!  The movie is dark but shows the power of perseverance and strength of the human spirit.  Mara received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress for her role in this movie.  Well deserved.

 I’m looking forward to the next movie in the trilogy.  I give this movie 4 out 4 stars.  Did you see it yet? Let me know your thoughts.

War Horse

After seeing the movie, We Bought a Zoo, I thought I was done with animal movies for a while UNTIL I saw War Horse!  The movie is based on the novel and play by the same name. Jeremy Irvine plays a boy (Albert) who is separated from his horse during WW I.  The film draws you instantly into the intimate relationship between Albert and his horse, Joey.  They are separated due to the war and the story takes you through their trails and tribulations until they are reunited years later.  Steven Spielberg does a fantastic job directing a cast full of horses, oh yea, people too.  The lead horse was phenomenal and was depicted to be much smarter than many humans!  This movie is a tearjerker and solidifies the reality of the bond between humans and animals.  I give this movie 4 stars.  What are your thoughts about the movie?

We Bought A Zoo

This movie is based on a true story of a widow who bought a defunct zoo to get a fresh start for he and his kids.  Matt Damon and the youth star Patrick Fugit are exceptional!  Patrick plays Matt’s son who has a strained relationship with his dad after the death of his mother.  The animal scenes in the movie are realistic.  I wonder what kind of training was required to work with lions and tigers.  This is a feel good, family movie.  The movie is based on the Dartmoor Zoological Park in England.  My guess is visitation is has increased since the release of the movie.  I give the movie three stars.