Blog Archives
Emperor (2012)
Emperor (2012)
I have always wondered what Japan would have been like at the end of WWII when the Japanese surrendered. It seems to me there would be a lot of chaos and resentment during the rebuilding process.
Emperor is based on the book “His Majesty’s Salvation” by Shiro Okamoto. When WWII ended and the Japanese had surrendered, General Fellers (Matthew Fox) was given 10 days to weed through the intricate web of power surrounding the Emperor and detain the men responsible for the attack on Pearl Harbor. He was also ordered to figure out whether or not Emperor Hirohito was a war criminal and if he should be hanged. During his investigation, Fellers was also on a personal quest to find his missing Japanese girlfriend, Aya (Eriko Hatsune).
The film was directed by Peter Webber and the rest of the noteworthy cast includes Tommy Lee Jones, Colin Moy, Takataro Kataoka, Masato Ibu, Isao Natsuyagi, and Kaori Momoi.
This is the first movie of its kind that I have seen. The film was not quite the powerful film that it could have been. However, it was put together nicely, well acted, and well directed.
I thought that the film did an excellent job depicting the ruins of Japan. It was eerie seeing the aftermath of entire cities that had been obliterated.
The movie felt like it was actually taking place right after WWII.
I feel that Matthew Fox has recently proved himself as a capable actor. It was the film Alex Cross (2012) that made me take him seriously. He did a good job in Emperor.
It was yet another no-nonsense role for Tommy Lee Jones and he played the part as well as he always does.
The film did a great job of telling a story that I am sure that a lot of people are not familiar with. If you are a fan of WWII movies like I am, then you will probably enjoy this one. It felt a little slow at times because there are a lot of conversations with translators translating back and forth. They go back and for between that and using subtitles and it makes the film seem longer than it really is.
There is not a whole lot of violence or language and the movie was very tastefully made.
I rate this movie a 7.5 on a scale of 1-10.
Buy, rent, or run? Rent.
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.
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 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 