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Trailer for Edge of Tomorrow (2014)
Edge of Tomorrow (2014)
Tom Cruise returns for another Sci-Fi action thriller. It will be two Sci-Fi movies in a row for him after Oblivion (2013).
Edge of Tomorrow is about a soldier (Tom Cruise) who gets stuck in a time loop of his last day of battle while at war with aliens.
The film is based on the book All You Need is Kill which was written by Hiroshi Sakurazaka. Christopher McQuarrie, Jez Butterworth, and John-Henry Butterworth wrote the screen play for Edge of Tomorrow. The rest of the noteworthy cast includes Emily Blunt, Jeremy Piven, Bill Paxton, Lara Pulver, Charlotte Riley, and Marianne Jean-Baptiste.
Time travel has always been intriguing to me. Pair that with Cruise in an action movie written by McQuarrie and I’m sold.
The film is set to release on 06/06/14.
McQuarrie also wrote the screen play for Jack Reacher (2012) and directed the film which also starred Cruise. Of course, it was based on the Lee Child book, One Shot.
McQuarrie is also set to direct Mission: Impossible 5 (2015) which of course, also stars Cruise.
McQuarrie also wrote the screen play for Valkyrie (2008) which also stars Cruise.
Happy Birthday to Tom Cruise
Happy Birthday to Tom Cruise! The outstanding actor turns 51 years old today.
Cruise is one of the greatest actors of our time. Some don’t like him because of his views. I try not to judge. His films speak for themselves. The guy can act.
13 Best Tom Cruise Movies (in no particular order):
The Last Samurai (2003)
Collateral (2004)
Valkyrie (2008)
Vanilla Sky (2001)
Days of Thunder (1990)
The Color of Money (1986)
Top Gun (1986)
Minority Report (2002)
Rain Man (1988)
Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
Mission: Impossible (1996), Mission: Impossible III (2006), and Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011)
There are plenty of other Cruise films that could have been on this list, but these are just my favorites.
Oblivion (2013)
Oblivion (2013)
With Tom Cruise in the driver’s seat of this Sci-fi thriller, all that he has to do is do what he does best, act. Forget about his crazy private life. He may have had a lot of drama with his marriages (jumping on Oprah’s couch and whatnot, etc., etc.) and his religious beliefs (Scientology) may seem a bit weird, but lets face the facts. The guy can act and he can act well. He is one of the most solid actors of our time and he still draws a crowd. Tom gets comfortable in his character, hits “Cruise Control” and all of the viewers in the audience are in for a treat. He proves it time and time again that he is highly capable of carrying the majority of a movie on his back. Oblivion is no exception. In fact, the majority of Oblivion is Tom Cruise in one way or another.
After the world has been virtually destroyed by nuclear war and natural disasters, a couple (Tom Cruise and Andrea Riseborough) become part of “the cleanup crew” to help salvage the remaining natural resources that the world has to offer. They are also there to protect their mission and make sure that it runs smoothly. After a while things may not be what they seem.
I am not a huge fan of a lot of Sci-fi movies. Many Sci-fi movies these days are filled with so much special effects that they make the movie seem totally fake. I do not watch movies simply for the special effects. I enjoy Sci-fi movies where the special effects are tastefully done to the point where it doesn’t take away from the movie. The film also has to have an interesting plot, solid characters that can act, and a well written script and story to tie it all together nicely. Oblivion fulfilled all of my requirements of a great Sci-fi movie quite nicely.
Joseph Kosinski does a superb job of writing and directing Oblivion.
The special effects are not overdone. They are beautiful and awesome and some of the greatest that I have seen, but they are not too much.
The film does not have too many characters in it and that is okay. Tom Cruise is great as always, and everybody else is as good as they can be. Andrea Riseborough, Olga Kurylenko, Morgan Freeman, Melissa Leo, and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau all performed to the best of their abilities with what they had to work with.
The plot had many twists and turns which made it very entertaining. The story itself was very original. However, a little bit of the movie was hard to follow and I left the theatre scratching my head. I love movies that really make you think as you put each piece of the story together. I figured out the gist of it, but I felt like it could have been explained a little better. That was one of the only problems that I had with the movie.
Given that I am not much of a Sci-fi fan, I was very pleasantly surprised by how good Oblivion was. It is definitely worth seeing in the theatre and because of the excellent special effects, it will certainly be better on the big screen.
I rate this movie an 8 on a scale of 1-10.
Buy, rent, or run? Buy.
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
13 Awesome Actors, 13 Awful Movies
13 Awesome Actors, 13 Awful Movies
Unfortunately I had the displeasure of viewing these vile movies. I was duped into thinking that each one of these films could do no wrong because of the awesome actors that were in them. Boy was I wrong. Do yourself a favor and stay as far away from these movies as you can get.
Anthony Hopkins: Alexander (2004)
Brad Pitt: Killing Them Softly (2012)
Daniel Day-Lewis: The Boxer (1997)
George Clooney: Syriana (2005)
Jeff Bridges: The Contender (2000)
John Travolta: Battlefield Earth (2000)
Johnny Depp: Before Night Falls (2000)
Kevin Costner: Waterworld (1995)
Kevin Spacey: HurlyBurly (1998)
Morgan Freeman: Dreamcatcher (2003)
Nicolas Cage: The Wicker Man (2006)
Robin Williams: The Night Listener (2006)
Tom Cruise: Interview with the Vampire (1994)
When I look at this list, I can only ask myself one question: What were they thinking?
Jack Reacher (2012)
Jack Reacher (2012)
This was a highly anticipated movie for me to see. I was excited to see it about a year ago when I first heard it was being filmed. This was all mainly because in the last year and a half or so, I read all 17 Jack Reacher novels written by Lee Child. I absolutely loved the books. What a wonderful series! I read through those stories like a fat kid eats a candy bar. I just could not get enough.
Being the Reacher fan that I am, I was very skeptical when I first heard that Tom Cruise was going to play the part of Jack Reacher in the movie. I think that Cruise is one of the best actors of our time. But physically, Tom Cruise is 5’7’’ and 170lbs. while Jack Reacher is 6’5’’ and depending on the book, anywhere from 210-250lbs. In other words, Cruise is 10 inches shorter and 80lbs. lighter than the character that he plays.
An unemployed Lee Child was at the grocery store with his wife and he would help reach groceries that were on the top shelf. His wife joked that he could get a job as a Reacher at the store. That is where Jack Reacher gets his name.
Tom Cruise could not reach the top shelf and therefore he could never get a job as a Reacher. For all we know, he probably can’t reach the middle shelf. This being said, Cruise is going to play the role of Reacher. How is that going to work?
It worked. It was an enormous reach, but Cruise pulled it off. Somehow the camera added 80lbs and 10 inches. He did it. He was Reacher. He was not actually any bigger, but he was a walking, talking, ass-kicking, Jack Reacher.
Jack Reacher was a smart, fun, action adventure that was a worthy screen depiction of a very solid novel called One Shot. One Shot is the 9th novel in the Reacher series. It is not necessary to read the books in order and therefore not necessary to film the movies in order.
I think that the filmmakers could film the Reacher series James Bond style. Get a new actor to play Jack Reacher and a new director every few movies. That gives you 17 and counting quality stories to work from. They should do it. I would watch them all. That would keep the characters fresh and the stories already speak for themselves. My favorite Reacher novel is Persuader. I hope they turn that one into a movie.
It was a treat to see 81-year-old Robert Duvall in the film. He’s still got it.
Lee Child also has a cameo in the movie. Without spoiling the story, just look for a guy who hands something to Tom Cruise. If the other books get turned into movies, it would be cool if Child went all Alfred Hitchcock and had a cameo in every movie.
I wondered why the movie was named Jack Reacher and not One Shot like the novel that it is based off of. My only conclusion is that more people are familiar with Jack Reacher than One Shot and therefore would likely be more interested in seeing the movie. Jack Reacher’s reputation is enough to fill the seats, but the title One Shot is not. With that being said, One Shot is not the best novel in the Reacher series. There are multiple Reacher books that are better than that one. In other words, there should be plenty of awesome Reacher movies to come. At least, I hope so.
I rate this movie an 9 out of 10.
Buy, rent, or run? Buy.
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