Blog Archives
The Counselor (2013)
The Counselor (2013)
Ridley Scott is a man who knows how to direct a film. I have seen almost all of the movies that he has directed, and I have never been disappointed in his work. Sure, there have been a few movies of his that I did not enjoy as much as the others, but he has always done an outstanding job as a director. I could list off his resume to prove my point, but his work speaks for itself. His movies are always of the highest quality that they can be. If you have seen his movies, then you know what I’m talking about.
Knowing what I know about Ridley Scott’s films, I knew that I would have to see his latest movie, The Counselor. Like most of Scott’s other films, The Counselor has a stellar cast. What do you usually get when you cross a highly gifted director with a bunch of talented actors? The answer is a powerful movie.
The Counselor is about a lawyer (Michael Fassbender) who turns his life upside down when he becomes involved in drug trafficking.
The film was written by Cormac McCarthy and the rest of the noteworthy cast includes Javier Bardem, Penelope Cruz, Cameron Diaz, Brad Pitt, Bruno Ganz, Rosie Perez, Sam Spruell, Velibor Topic, Dean Norris, and John Leguizamo.
I did not know quite what to expect before watching this movie. I knew it was not going to be a happy-go-lucky film because it is about drug trafficking and living on the edge, but it had to be entertaining.
Surprisingly, the film was a little slow, at times. It was also a little hard to follow until things became clearer in the middle of the movie. I think this was because the film started in the middle of a story, rather than telling the story from the beginning. Little by little, you figure out exactly what is going on, but it takes its time getting there while it jumps around. With all of that being said, it took me some time to get into the story.
The scenery in the movie was flashy and beautiful. There was a lot of money floating around in the film and this was made very obvious with all of the expensive sports cars and elegant mansions. It was a great depiction of an extravagant lifestyle gone awry because of a few very bad decisions. In fact, that seemed to be the overall theme of the movie. Bad choices will come back to haunt you. If you live on the edge for too long, eventually you are bound to fall off.
The Counselor had a lot of great and unique characters. They were made great by the exceptional actors portraying them. They were made unique by how they were portrayed. Each of the five main characters looked like they came out of a dark comic book or video game about how drug trafficking can be dangerous. Whether it was the hair, the make-up, or the clothing, they were certainly a bunch of characters.
The movie was in-your-face. It was oozing with sexuality, violence, harsh language, and disturbing images. All of this was done with originality. There were times when the movie was hard to like, but because of how well-made it was, overall, the film was hard not to like. I credit Ridley Scott for taking a hard to enjoy tale and making it likable. The actors were the icing on Scott’s cake, but he chose the flavor and the taste.
I rate this movie a 7.5 on a scale of 1-10.
Buy, rent, or run? Rent.
Teaser Trailer for The Counselor (2013)
The Counselor (2013) (Click on the title for my full review.)
A lawyer gets himself into a lot of trouble after he starts drug trafficking.
This film has an outstanding director: Ridley Scott and an amazing cast: Brad Pitt, Michael Fassbender, Javier Bardem, Cameron Diaz, Penelope Cruz, Dean Norris, John Leguizamo, Goran Visnjic, Bruno Ganz, and Natalie Dormer.
The Counselor has my attention.
The film is set to release on 10/25/13.
World War Z (2013)
World War Z (2013)
Zombies are all around us these days. You’ll find them in the movies, on television, in videogames, books, and maybe even at the grocery store.
World War Z is not your average zombie movie. It’s not all kill, kill and kill just for the shock value. It’s about trying to survive and stopping the deadly outbreak.
Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt) is a family man who works for the United Nations. A zombie outbreak is very rapidly destroying the world and everyone in it. In order to protect his family, Gerry is tasked with the job of traveling around the world trying to figure out where the outbreak originated, in hopes of finding a way to stop it.
The film is directed by Marc Forster and the rest of the notable cast includes Mireille Enos, James Badge Dale, Matthew Fox, David Morse, Fana Mokoena, and Daniella Kertesz.
The movie gets to the point very quickly, developing the characters along the way. Even though there are multiple supporting characters, the film is a one man show. Brad Pitt carries the entire film and does an outstanding job in the process.
The special effects are not too overdone and that is a welcomed surprise. The zombies look as scary and real as they can look.
The film had some similarities to Contagion (2011) which is not a bad thing, by any means. The movie is not a horror movie, but rather a thriller that will keep on the edge of your seat throughout.
Although the movie does gets bloody and gory at times, it never gets too vulgar or over the top. There is very little swearing and nothing about it crossed any lines. In my opinion, the PG-13 rating is very fitting which is not always the case for some movies.
World War Z is an almost family-friendly zombie-apocalypse experience that is immensely entertaining.
I rate this movie an 8.5 out of 10.
Buy, rent, or run? Buy.
Inglourious Basterds (2009)
Inglourious Basterds (2009)
Inglourious Basterds is a World War II film of epic proportions. I think the title of the movie is enough to turn some people off from wanting to see it. That is unfortunate because those people don’t know what they are missing. The film is absolutely incredible. At the time that I saw it, I did not think that Quentin Tarantino was capable of making such a perfect movie. He writes, directs, and has an uncredited part in the film.
“Once upon a time in Nazi-occupied France…”
A group of Jewish American soldiers known as The Basterds, along with a famous German actress and, a Jewish girl seeking revenge, all find themselves in a plot to try to kill high ranking Nazi leaders.
Inglourious Basterds is one of my favorite films of all time. It is definitely in my top 5 and maybe even in my top 3. I wish I had seen it in the theatre. I was a little bit skeptical of the movie when it first came out, and therefore I ended up waiting to watch it on DVD. Big mistake! If they brought it back to the theatre tomorrow, I would see it in a heartbeat.
The film has everything. Love, hate, blood, guts, war, beautiful landscapes, spies, traitors, loss, tragedy, revenge, hope, tension, an excellent story, a huge cast of amazing characters, a great director, a perfect script, and just enough humor to bring everything together.
Inglourious Basterds is probably Brad Pitt’s best movie. It is definitely his best character, but it is a toss-up between this movie and Fight Club (1999), although in recent years he has chosen his roles very wisely.
Quentin Tarantino managed to not only get a perfect cast, but somehow he got the best possible performances out of most of them. It is amazing how incredibly awesome everyone in the movie is. This is Tarantino’s best movie. He may come close, but I don’t think that he will ever top this film.
Christoph Waltz broke into American movies with his part in this film. Up until Inglourious Basterds, he was basically just a well-known foreign actor, mostly in Germany. His performance in the movie was nothing less than perfect and nobody could have done a better job. He did receive the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor which he wholeheartedly deserved. As I mentioned in my Django Unchained (2012) review, he received the same award in back-to-back Tarantino directed films. Those are both 2 characters that have really stuck in my mind. He got the role of a lifetime twice.
Like Waltz, Melanie Laurent came out of nowhere and was just astonishing. I can’t think of an actress off the top of my head that in recent years has done a better job than she did in this film. The only actress that could maybe come close is Diane Kruger also for her role in this film.
Eli Roth gave the best performance of his acting career.
The not very well-known Daniel Bruhl made his mark in this film and let his presence be known.
Til Schweiger has been acting for a while, but his breakout performance was definitely in this film. Any reference to him will be a reference to this movie.
This was Mike Myers best movie since Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002).
Michael Fassbender was an up-and-comer before he made this movie and now he is a household name.
Samuel L. Jackson plays the part of the narrator and you also hear the voice of Harvey Keitel.
The movie also includes Gedeon Burkhard, B.J. Novak, Omar Doom, August Diehl, Denis Menochet, Sylvester Groth, Martin Wuttke, Julie Dreyfus, Richard Sammel, Alexander Fehling, Rod Taylor, Samm Levine, Christian Berkel, and Lea Seydoux.
If you have not seen Inglourious Basterds then after you finish reading this review, stop what you are doing, drop everything and go out and buy it immediately. It is that good. I am not kidding. Go now!
I rate this movie a 10 on a scale of 1-10.
Buy, rent, or run? BUY!
Trailer for World War Z (2013)
World War Z (2013) (click on the title for my full review)
A Brad Pitt zombie movie to the extreme. This movie looks like it will be loaded with insanely spectacular special effects. The question that I have is: is it all a little too much? Just look at the poster. Could that ever happen even if there was a zombie outbreak that threatened mankind as we know it?
I’m sure that I will see it. Pitt in a zombie movie in an interesting concept in itself. But, I’m thinking it’s all going to be way over the top. Not that zombies aren’t over the top already…
Other cast includes: Matthew Fox, Mireille Enos, David Morse, James Badge Dale, Michiel Huisman, David Andrews, and Daniel Newman.
It is directed by Marc Forster.
World War Z is set to release on 6/21/13.
Top 13 Disappointing Current Redbox Movies
Top 13 Disappointing Current Redbox Movies
There are many terrible movies out there. I have avoided renting movies at the Redbox just because they looked bad. You know which ones that I’m talking about. The ones that rip off movies that are actually popular by giving them similar titles and making the cover art look remarkably alike, but are actually knock offs that nobody should have to suffer through. That being said, there are probably worse movies at the Redbox than what are on my list. My list however, is a compilation of movies that actually looked like they could be good in one way or another. Something about these movies made me go to the theatre and watch them, or go to the Redbox and rent them. I made this list to save you time and money. Don’t get duped like I did. They might have a good cast. They might look funny. They might look scary. They might look intense and full of good action. They might look like they have a nice touching story. They are none of those things (well, sometimes except for the cast). They are poor excuses for movies. Stay far away from these awful creations.
With my list I have included the cover art to the movies, so that you know exactly what to avoid. I have not posted any trailers, because you don’t even want to waste your time with those. They will trick you. I have also listed my ratings of each movie. My ratings are on a scale of 1-10. My full review will be available for some of the movies. If the title is highlighted, then you can click on it for my full review.
I do not claim to have seen all of the movies that are currently available to rent at the Redbox, but I have seen 76 of them. Of those 76 movies, my Top 13 Disappointing Current Redbox Movies are:
1. V/H/S (2012) My rating: 1
4. Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (2012)
6. The Man with the Iron Fists (2012) My rating: 3
7. Silent Hill: Revelation (2012) My rating: 3
8. Deadfall (2012) My rating: 4
10. The Liability (2012) My rating: 4.5
11. Lay the Favorite (2012) My rating: 4.5
12. The Cold Light of Day (2012) My rating: 4.5
13. That’s My Boy (2012) My rating: 5
Now that you know what movies to avoid, Check out my other Redbox related material. Click on the links below:
Current Redbox Movie Reviews September 2013
Current Redbox Movie Reviews August 2013
Current Redbox Movie Reviews July 2013
Top 13 Current Redbox Movies Vol. 2
Top 13 Current Redbox Movies Vol. 3
Top 13 Current Redbox Movies Vol. 4
Are you a fan of Netflix? Click on the following links below for Netflix related material:
Netflix Watch Instantly Movie Reviews September 2013
20 Best Drama Movies Based on Real Life Available on Netflix Watch Instantly
20 Best Classics Movies Available on Netflix Watch Instantly
13 Best Mind-bending Movies Available on Netflix Watch Instantly
13 Best Comedy Movies Available on Netflix Watch Instantly
13 Best Romantic Comedy Movies Available on Netflix Watch Instantly
13 Best War/Military Movies Available on Netflix Watch Instantly
13 Best Gritty Action/Thriller Movies Available on Netflix Watch Instantly
Happy Movie Watching!
Top 13 Current Redbox Movies Vol. 2
Top 13 Current Redbox Movies Vol. 2
If you are thinking about renting a movie from the Redbox, you might want to read this list to help you decide exactly which movie to rent.
Here is another edition of my top 13 current Redbox movies, back by popular demand.
Click on this link to read Current Redbox Movie Reviews September 2013
Click on this link to read Current Redbox Movie Reviews August 2013
Click on this link to read Current Redbox Movie Reviews July 2013
Click on this link to read Vol. 1 from 2/10/13.
Click on this link to read Vol. 3 from 4/21/13.
Click on this link to read Vol. 4 from 5/9/13.
I have updated the list based on all the movies that are currently available to rent at the Redbox as of 3/14/13. They will change some of the titles weekly, but the list should still be pretty accurate for a while and hopefully be able to help you find a good movie to rent. I have included the DVD covers and previews. If a movie doesn’t have a cover or preview above it, simply click on the title for my full review of the movie along with the poster artwork and preview.
I do not claim to have seen all of the movies that are currently available at the Redbox, but I have seen 67 of them. Of those 67 movies, here is the list of my top 13 Current Redbox movies:
1. What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (1993) My Rating: 10
3. Ted (2012)
4. The Dark Knight Rises (2012) My Rating: 9
5. The Raid: Redemption (2011)
8. Looper (2012) My Rating: 8.5
9. Titanic (1997) My Rating: 8.5
11. Flight (2012)
12. Sinister (2012)
13. Moneyball (2011) My Rating: 8
You really can’t go wrong with any movie on this list. Next time you’re going to the Redbox, I recommend consulting this list. They are in my opinion, the best current Redbox movies.
Now that you have seen my recommended Redbox movies, check out my list of movies to stay away from. Click on the link below:
Top 13 Disappointing Current Redbox Movies
Are you a fan of Netflix? Click on the following links below for Netflix related material:
Netflix Watch Instantly Movie Reviews September 2013
20 Best Drama Movies Based on Real Life Available on Netflix Watch Instantly
20 Best Classics Movies Available on Netflix Watch Instantly
13 Best Mind-bending Movies Available on Netflix Watch Instantly
13 Best Comedy Movies Available on Netflix Watch Instantly
13 Best Romantic Comedy Movies Available on Netflix Watch Instantly
13 Best War/Military Movies Available on Netflix Watch Instantly
13 Best Gritty Action/Thriller Movies Available on Netflix Watch Instantly
Trailer for Not Another Celebrity Movie (2013)
Not Another Celebrity Movie (2013)
A whole movie made up of impersonators of real actors. They made a movie about people pretending to be famous actors. It’s worth watching the trailer to see the celebrity look-alikes. The trailer is funny and tacky at the same time. It’s Scary Movie (2000) meets Not Another Teen Movie (2001).
I think it’s funny how they list the cast at the end of the preview as:
NOT Charlie Sheen
NOT George Clooney
NOT Brad Pitt
NOT Donald Trump
NOT Angelina Jolie
NOT Tom Cruise
NOT Robert De Niro
NOT Lady Gaga
NOT Johnny Depp
NOT Justin Bieber
NOT Mark Zuckerberg
NOT Kanye West
NOT Kim Kardashian
NOT Usher
NOT Paris Hilton
NOT Zach Galifianakis
NOT Ashton Kutcher
NOT 007
NOT Oprah
The movie will probably not be any good. What do you think?
Top 13 Current Redbox Movies
Top 13 Current Redbox Movies
Having trouble deciding which movie to rent at the Redbox? This list just might help you make a good decision on what to rent. Hopefully it will save you from wasting your money renting a bad movie.
Along with my list, I have given my rating and a “Quickie” review.
Quickie review = A film review in 13 words or less. If a title does not have a quickie review then you may click on it for my full review.
I cannot say that I have seen all of the movies that are currently available at the Redbox, but I have seen 62 of them. Of those 62 titles, here are my top 13 favorite movies that are currently available at the Redbox:
Rank Title 13movies Rating
1. What’s Eating Gilbert Grape? (1993) 10
Quickie: Johnny Depp excellent! Young Leonardo DiCaprio maybe even better. Fun, touching, drama. Great!
2. The Machinist (2004) 10
3. Ted (2012) 9
4. The Dark Knight Rises (2012) 9
Quickie: A grand final chapter in the Christopher Nolan directed Batman Trilogy. Epic film.
5. The Raid: Redemption (2011) 9
6. Looper (2012) 8.5
Quickie: Joseph Gordon-Levitt + = Bruce Willis in a time travel thriller puzzle.
7. Titanic (1997) 8.5
Quickie: Who hasn’t seen this? Ship sink. Dreadful historical event. Well made recreation. Iceberg.
8. Frankenweenie (2012) 8.5
9. Flight (2012) 8
10. Moneyball (2011) 8
Quickie: Brad Pitt spectacular performance! Jonah Hill proves acting capable. Interesting, solid baseball story.
11. Men in Black 3 (2012) 8
Quickie: As good as 1. Josh Brolin as Tommy Lee Jones. Will Smith reloaded.
12. Total Recall (2012) 8
Quickie: Colin Farell in updated Schwarzenegger role. More fun than original. Kate Beckinsale badass!
13. Lawless (2012) 8
Quickie: Shia LaBeouf gets big. Tom Hardy tough. Jessica Chastain shows, proves herself. Bootleggers.
Those are in my opinion the best movies that are currently at the Redbox.
If you would like to read Top 13 Current Redbox Movies Vol. 2, click on this link. from 3/14/13
Click on this link for Vol. 3. from 4/21/13
Click on this link for Vol. 4. from 5/9/13
Now that you have seen my recommended Redbox movies, check out my list of movies to stay away from. Click on the link below:
Top 13 Disappointing Current Redbox Movies
Here is how the rest of the movies currently at the Redbox that I have seen rate:
21 Jump Street (2012) 8
Quickie: Hilarious Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill buddy cop comedy. One of funniest movies 2012.
The Grey (2011) 8
Quickie: Liam Neeson fighting wolves bare-handed after a plane crash in Alaska. Period.
Dark Shadows (2012) 8
Quickie: Johnny Depp as a vampire in a comedy. Rarely does he disappoint.
The Dictator (2012) 8
Quickie: Sacha Baron Cohen’s funniest movie ever. All levels of humor and raunch. Absurdity.
War of the Worlds (2005) 8
Quickie: Tom Cruise fighting aliens to try to save the world. Steven Spielberg directs.
.
The Bourne Identity (2002) 7.5
Quickie: Matt Damon gets amnesia. He gets chased not knowing why. He fights back.
Seven Psychopaths (2012) 7.5
Quickie: Sam Rockwell steals the show. Witty, dark comedy. Clever characters. Great dialogue!
Trouble with the Curve (2012) 7.5
Quickie: Amy Adams helps aging father Clint Eastwood try to keep baseball scout job.
The Bourne Legacy (2012) 7
Quickie: Jeremy Renner replaces Matt Damon in the series and is more qualified.
Safe House (2012) 7
Quickie: Ryan Reynolds tries to take fugitive Denzel Washington down. Good action. Good twists.
Paranorman (2012) 7
Quickie: PG Suggested. Delightful animated story about a kid who sees the dead. Amusing.
The Watch (2012) 7
Quickie: Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, Jonah Hill, hysterical buddy comedy about aliens at Costco.
A Christmas Carol (2009) 7
Quickie: Amazing animation retelling of a classic story and voiced by Jim Carrey.
Alex Cross (2012) 7
Quickie: Tyler Perry plays a game of cat and mouse with Matthew Fox.
Arthur Christmas (2011) 7
Quickie: Family friendly animated Christmas movie. Fun to watch around the holidays. Unique.
Seeking Justice (2011) 7
Quickie: Nicolas Cage wife assaulted. Guy Pierce help. Rift after favor not returned. Solid.
Brake (2012) 7
Quickie: Stephen Dorff kidnapped for information about the president. Won’t give up. Tense. Exciting.
Dredd (2012) 6.5
The Words (2012) 6.5
Quickie: Bradley Cooper plagiarizes a story and it comes back to haunt him.
The Campaign (2012) 6.5
Quickie: Will Farrell runs against Zach Galifianakis. Dirty politics and humor ensue.
The Expendables 2 (2012) 6.5
Quickie: Sylvester Stallone brings action hero friends back together for round 2 of battle.
Premium Rush (2012) 6.5
Quickie: Joseph Gordon-Levitt freestyle fast and furious bicycle messenger hide and seek
Wanderlust (2012) 6.5
Quickie: Jennifer Aniston, Paul Rudd turn into tree hugging hippies. Funny moments. Tacky moments.
The Raven (2012) 6.5
Quickie: John Cusack as Edgar Allan Poe investigating crimes that he wrote. Good enough.
The Ghost and the Darkness (1996) 6.5
Quickie: Michael Douglas and Val Kilmer try to slay lions while lions slay others.
Why Stop Now (2012) 6.5
Quickie: Jesse Eisenberg tries to drug free mother and get into music school. Laughs.
People like us (2012) 6.5
Quickie: Dysfunctional drama. Lost siblings try to find each other after father’s death.
Red Lights (2012) 6.5
Quickie: Robert De Niro has mind powers. Cillian Murphy Disagrees. Their minds tango.
American Reunion (2012) 6.5
Quickie: One sequel too many. Funny parts. Same old story. Slight variation. Decent enough.
A Thousand Words (2012) 6.5
Quickie: Eddie Murphy shares life with tree. He speaks, leaves fall. Comical and stupid.
Being Flynn (2012) 6.5
Quickie: Robert De Niro, Paul Dano bad father son relationship. They both write.
Spider-Man (2002) 6.5
Quickie: Tobey McGuire and Kirsten Dunst are unpleasant. Spiderman is okay. Other cast helps.
The Avengers (2012) 6.5
Quickie: Cool Special effects technology. Robert Downey Jr. carries the movie on his back.
The Expendables (2010) 6
Quickie: Too many action heroes take away from plot. Fun to watch though.
Officer Down (2013) 6
Quickie: Stephen Dorff tries to repair his life after being a dirty cop. Mediocre.
The Three Stooges (2012) 6
Quickie: Great impressions of original stooges. Especially Curly. Humorous at times.
Get the Gringo (2012) 6
Quickie: Mel Gibson goes to Mexican prison. Trying getting out is the fun part.
Savages (2012) 6
Quickie: Benicio Del Toro and John Travolta make movie better.
The Liability (2012) 5.5
Quickie: Tim Roth is fun as a hit man. Film dwindles halfway through.
That’s My Boy (2012) 5
Quickie: Bad movie that gets better towards the end.
All about Steve (2009) 5
Quickie: Sandra Bullock is funny at times.
Tropic Thunder (2008) 4.5
Quickie: Robert Downey Jr. is a riot as a black guy.
Jeff, Who Lives at Home (2011) 4
Quickie: The title says it all and that’s about it.
In Bruges (2008) 2
Quickie: The only thing worse are the 2 movies below this one.
Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (2012) 2
Are you a fan of Netflix? Click on the following links below for Netflix related material:
Netflix Watch Instantly Movie Reviews September 2013
20 Best Drama Movies Based on Real Life Available on Netflix Watch Instantly
20 Best Classics Movies Available on Netflix Watch Instantly
13 Best Mind-bending Movies Available on Netflix Watch Instantly
13 Best Comedy Movies Available on Netflix Watch Instantly
13 Best Romantic Comedy Movies Available on Netflix Watch Instantly
13 Best War/Military Movies Available on Netflix Watch Instantly
13 Best Gritty Action/Thriller Movies Available on Netflix Watch Instantly
brockingmovies 