WE BOUGHT A ZOO

WE BOUGHT A ZOO 

WE BOUGHT A ZOO: B

The first half hour or so, I thought this film was nothing more than a Hallmark,generic, feel good family film with cheap, cliched writing, predictable dialog and forced emotion. 

Yet the film progressed as it went on and won me over with honest scenes, supported by strong a strong story that allowed for a genuine and sincere payoff. 

The performance of Matt Damon was the film's strongest point. It wasn't a role that just anyone could have pulled off. He did very well with it.

Movies today don't always earn their endings. This film did. When Damon's character climbed over the tree at the end and saw the huge crowd of people, I felt the intense rush of relief and joy right along with him.

The scene with Damon's character explaining to his children how he and their mother met at first seemed silly and ridiculous. Yet it pleasantly surprised me with its unique cleverness.

I also enjoyed the scene where Damon's character reveals to his son that he is going to use his picture for advertising. "I'm your fan" was a real connection between father and son.

Lastly, I loved the scene where he fired the accountant.

And one more random thought.

I don't like snakes. I never have. Yet the scene where the son kicked the snake really bothered me If there were a venomous one around that could potentially hurt me or someone I love, I'd kill it. Yet, I don't like to see people hurting them without just cause. If the snake didn't do anything to you, then don't do anything to it. I'm surprised by my own emotion to this, seeing how I've never been a big fan of snakes.

DEATH AT A FUNERAL

DEATH AT A FUNERAL 

DEATH AT A FUNERAL: D 

I guess I don't get or appreciate British humor apparently. I laughed exactly three times, and none were more than a chuckle at this "Insanely Funny", "Comedy to die for." 

I found it crude and raunchy. Perverted and cheap. I expected more out of Frank Oz than this. WHAT ABOUT BOB?, DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS...he's obviously capable of a lot better than this.

SHARK LAKE

SHARK LAKE 

SHARK LAKE

Late 80's/Early 90's Star? Check! 
Nonsensical, badly written script? CHECK!!!!
Moments in the script that contradict prior scenes? CHECK!!!
Horrific Acting?? CHECK!
Special Effects that are worse than Lawnmower Man? Check
Music that doesn't fit the scene? Check!
Directing choices that make no sense? Check!
Transition scenes worse than a 7th grade play? Check!!

When it comes to B films, this one takes the cake!

ROBIN HOOD

ROBIN HOOD

ROBIN HOOD: B- 

Not near as good as the other Robin Hood movie of the same year, ROBIN HOOD: PRINCE OF THIEVES, this was still a decent film. 

Whereas Kevin Costner's Robin Hood was more of a heroic figure, that genuinely cared about those he fought for and protected, Patrick Bergin's Robin Hood here was more of an anti-hero. 

Costner's Robin Hood empathized with his merry men and stole from the rich and gave to the poor as a means of sincerity, whereas Bergin's Robin Hood did it more as a means to an end to simply defy those who stood in his way.

Bergin's Robin Hood was more of a arrogant, cocky and full of himself show off. He was fun,yet the lack of the altruistic nature that Costner's Robin Hood displayed made it difficult to believe in him and get behind him.

Uma Thurman gave a solid performance, yet her character seemed underutilized. The relationship between Maid Marian and Robin Hood seemed one out of lust, rather than love. Whereas Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio's Maid Marian fell in love with a man whose heart bled for those he loved, Thurman's seemed simply to lust for a bad boy's rebellious nature against an unjust law, and nothing more.

Jurgen Prochnow and Jeroen Krabbe were not near as villainous as Alan Rickman. I usually love Krabbe, and I enjoyed him here, but his role never seemed more than that of a friend and a minor dispute.

Again, this film was decent. Simply in comparison to the other 1991 Robin Hood film, it pales in comparison. The acting isn't a good, the writing isn't as good, the fight scenes aren't as good. Hell even the music isn't as good.

Surprised that I didn't even know this existed until recently. Saw a preview for it on an old film I was watching, and I said to myself, "Hey, it's the creepy guy from SLEEPING WITH THE ENEMY!"

Then I decided to watch it.

THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN

THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN 

THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN: C- 

Watching it with Nicole Smith, Joel Straube andAshley Bunting, we actually didn't finish it. It quit on us with about 8-10 minutes left and we never could get it to work again on the Amazon Firestick. So perhaps the last 10 minutes or so would change my overall grade. Not sure.

It was a well directed movie and I can't complain about how it was written. I simply didn't like the story and none of the characters interested me. I look for redeeming qualities in people and I had a hard time finding them in the characters. I felt bad for Rachel, and I liked her more than I did the other characters of the film, but I still didn't care much for her either.

I also felt the movie tried to come off as far more clever than it was. To me a well done movie is when it gives you everything you need to know, and you still have difficultly figuring things out. Then upon revelation you slap yourself in the head and say, "I should have seen that" even though you didn't. This film instead gives you nothing and then feels clever that you might not have guessed. I did guess though. I had a feeling that the film wasn't wanting to be obvious and that only left one direction the film could have went. I'll admit I made two guesses as to who did it. I actually thought as bizarre and f'd up as the film wanted to come off as, that my first guess would be correct. It wasn't. My second guess however was.

Not my type of film, or perhaps maybe I do like films like these sometimes with characters that I can invest in. At the end of the movie I did find some satisfaction with someone getting what they deserved.

So in a rare case I'll say that overall, the acting, the directing, the cinematography, and even the score fit the film well. Even the story, although a bit misdirected in trying to hard to be suspenseful and clever was quite decent.

I simply didn't care for it, the overall message it was sending or the characters involved. Felt like a horror film where I can't have fun with it, because I find myself disliking the victims even more than I do the killer. Not quite the case here, but close.

MISS PEREGRINE'S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN

MISS PEREGRINE'S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN

MISS PEREGRINE'S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN = B- 

I enjoyed this film of fantasy and imagination, although I feel it could have been a lot better. It had all of the visuals and spectacles that you would expect from a Tim Burton film, yet it lacked the heart and soul that make some of his other films special. 

The mystical and mystique of the film, with the vibrant and colorful characters the child in me appreciated. Had I been seven years old watching this film for the first time, I think I may have been a bit more forgiving of what the film lacked in substance. On a story level I felt I never got to know the characters as intimately or as deeply as I would have liked to have. It felt like nothing more than an acquaintanceship. I would have liked for more development. When I watched BIG FISH or EDWARD SCISSORHANDS for example I felt rooted to the characters. As if I knew them. I was wanting that here, but I didn't receive that.

The film's strength was in it's characters, which is what also painfully points out the film's weaknesses. The character's were more about what they could do, than who they were. Samuel L Jackson's character, while threatening and scary, felt more like an average every day run of the mill villain than he did an arch nemesis. I wanted a Shredder Vs Splinter show down. Not just this week's bad guy, with the weird name, no one will remember by the next episode.

Which leads me to another weakness of the film. It felt like it was going to go down a rather dark road for a while. A strong PG-13 tone, similar to the cartoon version of Tales From the Crypt or some of the darker episodes of Are you Afraid of the Dark. Then suddenly the film transitions into something G friendly.

As for performances, they were great. I haven't seen much with Terence Stamp other than SUPERMAN II and that weird transvestite movie he was in a long time ago. I think he still looks like that famous painting of Jesus, even without the beard. I could have used more of him in the film and was sad that his part was so menial.

And does Rupert Everett age in reverse? I swear he looks younger in this 2016 film than he did 20 years ago. Could have used more of him in the film too.

This certainly isn't Burton's best work, but it's far from his worst too. I wouldn't be adding this to your collection of great works, but it is definitely worth a viewing.

If I had to sum it up in a few short words, I'll say this....

It feels like an uncompleted project that was turned in so that it wouldn't be docked points for being late.

DEEP WATER HORIZON

DEEP WATER HORIZON

DEEP WATER HORIZON = C+

Straight up, straight forward story about the B.P. Oil tragedy in Louisiana years ago. Film was not over-dramatized with subplots to enrich the story and/or add more character development. The story was about what happened, who it happened to and how it effected them. Praise goes towards keeping the focus where it belonged. 

A little too much time spent on special effects/CGI for the explosions though. I would have preferred more elongated single shots on an explosion, one that showed detail in slower motion than the 1,000 frames per second we had thrown at us. Not sure why so many directors in the modern age choose to use this effect. It makes me dizzy and nauseous. I'm not a fan.

Mark Wahlberg was decent, Kurt Russell as always stole the show and John Malkovich, the conniving s.o.b. that he is, was once again able to create a character that you just loathe. Hollywood is a world of beg, borrow and steal and the scene with him getting in the lifeboat to save his own behind was reminiscent of when Bruce Ismay gets in the life boat in TITANIC.

I appreciated most the small, but well put together tribute to the real individuals who lost their lives in the tragedy.

And I didn't realize how big of a man Trace Adkins was.