V/H/S: Viral - Review

Directors: Justin Benson, Gregg Bishop, 3 more credits
Writers: Justin Benson, Gregg Bishop, 6 more credits
Stars: Justin Welborn, Emmy Argo, Emilia Ares Zoryan

Synopsis:
Follows fame-obsessed teens who unwittingly become stars of the next internet sensation.

Review:
I like the first V/H/S movie as the concept was an interesting one. V/H/S 2 upped the ante and was really good. I had high hopes for V/H/S: Viral with names like Gregg Bishop involved, but it ended up being a cheap and bad mess.

Good: I did think that the first two segments had decent enough plots to where they could easily be made as feature length features. Dante the Magician had some fun moments and there were some campy moments where I would want to see as a full length movie. Nacho Vigalondo's segment is the best one with some nice twists and some crazy moments.

Bad: Unfortunately, the entire movie felt rushed and cheap. The wrap around segment fails to make any sense and it isn't entertaining at all along with obnoxious shaky cam. The first segment while it had some fun its too short and had some bad effects. The third segment is terrible with bad blood effects and obnoxious teenagers as the characters making it unbearable.

Overall, it's a bad film which sucks considering I liked the last two films. It feels rushed, not scary, none of the segments stand out, a lot of shaky cam, and it's not fun.

Star Rating:
2 Stars

Dumb and Dumber To Review

Directors: Bobby Farrelly, Peter Farrelly
Writers: Sean Anders (screenplay), Mike Cerrone, 4 more credits
Stars: Jim Carrey, Jeff Daniels, Rob Riggle

Synopsis:
It's been 20 years and Harry Dunn has found something out - he has a daughter! Lloyd Christmas, his equally dim witted friend, takes one look at a picture of her, develops a crush, and insists the two track her down. What ensues when Harry finally agrees is a bizarre encounter with an old lady and more hilarity because of their sheer stupidity.

Review:
It seems that there are a lot of great movies that don't need to have a sequel, yet somehow they are given one. Dumb And Dumber To can be put on the list of bad sequels.

Did the Farrlley Bros merely use this to cash in on the cult classic? Maybe, and I mean, who wouldn't?

Where do I start. There is NO DIRECTION in this movie. There is hardly any substance into the plot. The acting was really bad, and I am gonna call out Jeff Daniels specifically. We all know Jim Carey is a comedic actor.... that's it. We aren't expecting any Oscar worthy performances from him. Now Jeff Daniels is a notable actor who has done almost every genre. He also just won an Emmy for Best Lead Actor In A Drama Series for "The Newsroom". This was a different Harry Dunn in this movie. It was awful.

Lloyd says in the beginning "Comedy is all about timing", and it's ironic because the timing was miscued for 75% of the movie. The movie drags along for quite awhile. It becomes very dull, and there was a 20-25 minute period where nobody in the theater laughed. THAT IS NOT GOOD IF YOU'RE WATCHING A COMEDY.

Were there some funny moment? Yes. Was it nice to see Harry and Lloyd? Of course! But I gotta say that this movie may kill Carey's/ Farrelly Bros career. This movie basically felt like it was made 18-15 years too late. It was very outdated.

Those who grade this higher than a 5 must have missed out on the original... because this was garbage. Very sad and disappointed. Don't waste your time.

Star Rating:
2.5 Stars

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 Review

Director: Francis Lawrence
Writers: Peter Craig (screenplay), Danny Strong (screenplay), 2 more credits
Stars: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth

Synopsis:
With the Games now destroyed and in pieces, Katniss Everdeen, along with Gale, Finnick and Beetee, now end up in the so thought "destroyed" District 13. Under the leadership of Commander Coin and the advice of her friends, Katniss becomes the "Mockingjay" and the symbol of rebellion for the people.

Review:
In Mockingjay Katniss finds herself in district 13, a secret district most people in Panem believe no longer exists. Which is understandable as everyone is hidden underground in a secret bunker. Katniss makes a deal with president coin thanks to the help of Plutarch that ensures the safety of the tributes held in the capitol and a mission to rescue them, in return Katniss is "the Mockingjay" a symbol of rebellion throughout the districts.

Jennifer Lawrence embodies Katniss flawlessly once again on screen and gives a stunning performance as the female hero of the movie shooting down two capitol jets with her enhanced bows created by Beetee. Jennifer wowed the audience when she sung during the film, the song is also featured as the first credits song but sung by Lorde. Who knew Jennifer could sing?

Once again Elizabeth Banks' portrayal of Effie Trinket gives the film the light and laughs it needs, Mockingjay is dark, the darkest of the three books, which is quite hard to fathom when you know that ultimately the books/movies are centered around teenagers fighting, wars, death and poverty.

Haymitch is sadly absent throughout most of the movie, but the few scenes he is in he steals with his jokes on being sober and about his relationship with his best friend Katniss.

Josh's performance as Peeta steals the movie for me, Peeta is now in the possession of the capitol and he's secretly being conditioned to say and do what Snow wants him to. Watching Josh as Peeta is absolutely heart-breaking as you see him slowly come to realise what has happened to his home, his family and to Katniss. Peeta's final scene in this movie is gut wrenching and sure to bring the audience to tears.

Fans of the books will be pleased to know that the team behind the making of the movie have done an amazing job at converting the story from sheet to screen in a way that enhances the story more than expected and that warrants the need for a part two, is it November 2015 yet?.

A moment of respect is featured at the beginning of the credits that pay tribute to the late Phillip Seymour Hoffman who passed away last year whilst filming Mockingjay P2. 

Star Rating:
4 Stars

Jessabelle Review

Director: Kevin Greutert
Writer: Robert Ben Garant
Stars: Sarah Snook, Mark Webber, Joelle Carter

Synopsis:
After losing her fiance in a car accident, grief-stricken Jessie (Sarah Snook) retreats to her father's rundown Louisiana mansion, where she finds a gift from her long-dead mother, and a spirit intent on killing her. She finds the tape and it revealed that Jessabelle will be killed.

Review:
I will say that Jessabelle tried to scare but was unsuccessful.. Other than a few jumps from sudden sounds and camera switches.. there is nothing that the movie really has to offer. The plot is interesting.. there is also a whole explanation about everything towards the end tying up loose ends.. The climax is a bit laughable and has been made just for the sake of it.. Supposed "ghost" that needed help turning on you?? Yeah anyway, the acting by the lead is decent. Obviously, in a horror flick there are no real opportunities for sublime acting but she was convincing. Nobody else has a significant part to play in the plot. I wouldn't call her eye candy but out tastes may differ. The cinematography is decent and the BGM fails to thrill. Overall, watchable.

Star Rating:
2.5 Stars

Big Hero 6 Review

Directors: Don Hall, Chris Williams
Writers: Don Hall (story), Jordan Roberts (story)
Stars: Ryan Potter, Scott Adsit, Jamie Chung

Synopsis:
Set in a fictional futuristic hybrid metropolis called San Fransokyo (a portmanteau of San Francisco and Tokyo), a young robotics prodigy named Hiro Hamada and his robot Baymax uncover a criminal plot and pull together a team of inexperienced crime-fighters, including Wasabi, Honey Lemon, Go Go Tomago, and Fred to solve the mystery surrounding the crimes caused by the masked supervillain, Yokai.

Review:
Judging animated films is significantly more difficult for me than other films because there is this inherent sense that animated films are made for children, as opposed to for adults. And that in reviewing animated films, standards should be different. Now while I do think that it does make sense for animated films to follow different criteria, I also think that at its core all films should have the same standards for quality based on some fundamental aspects of storytelling.

Don't worry! This movie definitely lives up to the standard Frozen set last year. Marvel and Disney do a great job at creating a movie that's both heartwarming and action packed. This movie reminds me of all the great Marvel movies, all the great Disney movies, and How to Train a Your Dragon all combined into one. With the heart of Frozen (not the Frozen one), this movie tells the tale of 2 brothers...sound familiar? The characters were charming, funny, and lovable all at the same time, especially Baymax. The animation in this movie was just gorgeous especially the underwater scene. Congrats to the whole Disney and Marvel team on a great follow up to your masterpiece! Oh and make sure you wait after the credits for an extra scene. I mean it is a Marvel movie too right? 

Star Rating: 4 Stars