Review-Dope

Dope is a coming of age story set in a rough area of current day Los Angeles. The movie centered around Malcolm (Shameik Moore), a high school geek that is looking forward to graduating so he can attend Harvard University. Malcolm,along with his friends Jib and Diggy(Tony Revolori and Kiersey Clemons), plays in a band and has a love for 90's hip hop culture. The trouble starts when Malcolm get stuck on the drug side of the neighborhood. Local drug dealer Dom(A$ap Rocky) pressures him to ask a girl named Nakia (Zoë Kravitz) to Dom's birthday party. Malcolm starts to like Nakia and goes to the party to spend time with her. The next mornimng, he finds a surprise of cocaine and a handgun in his book bag. Malcolm and his friends scramble to get rid of these items before they are arrested or killed. Dope is a good movie and has a lot of good things going for it. The soundtrack is really good and so is the acting.  The only that I didn't like about the movie is that they introduct a secondary plot point,  which makes it seem like a totally different movie. Overall, Dope is like if the movie Friday was crossed with a John Hughes film.

Rating: 8.2 out of 10

Review-Spy

Spy is the newest action comedy film from Paul Feig, director of Bridesmaids and The Heat.The movie centers around Susan Cooper(Melissa McCarthy), a CIA analyst that has been the eyes and ears of CIA agent Bradley Fine(Jude Law) for years.Susan has a secret love for Bradley, who is clueless on any of those signs. When the names of CIA operatives are released and their covers are blown, Susan volunteers to go into the field. She goes undercover to locate arms dealers that Bradley was tracking before his "disappearance". Her competition in finding those dealers is fellow CIA agent Rick Ford (Jason Statham), whose cannot wait to tell others about his legendary tales. Spy is one of those rare movies that has a great balance of both action and comedy. The cast is amazing and they play to their strengths, including Statham, which plays up his on screen persona for laughs. It has the same elements that some of the better action comedy movies. The best comparison I have to this movie is Beverly Hills Cop. I would definitely recommend this movie. The movie also stars Rose Byrne.
Rating: 9.0 out of 10 

Review-Pitch Perfect 2

Pitch Perfect 2 is the sequel of one of the surprise hits of 2012. The sequel, just like the original, focused on the world of collegiate a capella singing. The Barden Bellas, headed by Beca, Chloe and Fat Amy (Anna Kendrick, Brittany Snow, Rebel Wilson) has experience success since the last film. When they are in a PR nightmare following an embarrassing performance in front of the President of the United States, they are suspended from competition. The only way they can be reinstated is if they win an international a capella competition. The group is fractured by the event and with different events in their lives (internship, relationship, fear of graduation). Can they come together as a group again to win the international competition? You have to watch to find out. Although it didn't flow as well as first film, I did like the movie. It does a fairly good job incorporating story lines from different characters this time.The director of the movie is Elizabeth Banks,  who produced and started in both movies as the announcer Gail. If you like the first one, you will like the second one. The movie also starts Skylar Astin, Hailee Steinfeld and Adam DeVine.

Rating: 8.6 out of 10

Review-Tomorrowland

Tomorrowland is the newest film from Brad Bird(The Incredibles, Mission Impossible:Ghost Protocol) that brings back elements of 50's and 80's sci-fi family movies. The story centers around a world, called Tomorrowland, that invites Earth's most brightest and creative people to find different ways to make a difference in the world.This world exist between time and space and can only be visited with the help of the invitee's pin. One of the pins was received by Cassie Newton(Britt Robertson), an high school teen that is into science and is a hopeful optimistic. She is forced to work with Frank Walker(George Clooney), a former invitee and inventor, to stop a clock that's counting down to the end of the world. The overall theme of hope and optimism versus cynicism is represented by these two characters and overall throughout the film. The storytelling of the film to start might throw some off but it's the way a 50's sci-fi movie would be told. If you've never seen one of those before, don't worry. It will make sense towards the end of the movie. The action and the feel of the movie matches 80's sci-fi movies like The Last Starfighter and Flight of the Navigator. I like the film and I had fun throughout. It's a fun ride (no pun intended).

Rating: 8.6 out of 10

Review-Avengers:Age of Ultron

Avengers (2012) was one of the most anticipated movies in cinematic history. It went on to be one of the highest grossing of all time. Three years later, Marvel brings The Avengers back in Avengers:Age of Ultron. The movie centers around a peace keeping program Tony Stark(Robert Downey Jr) created that goes awry. When the program Ultron (voiced by James Spader) awakens, it announces its own twisted version for peace on Earth. As it invades every bit of technology to make this a reality, it's up to the Avengers to stop them. This isn't easy when Ultron has the Maximoff twins Pietro and Wanda (Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Elizabeth Olsen) on its side to help divide and defeat the team.The first Avengers film focused on superheroes with different personalities coming together as a team. The  second film focuses on a team being put to the test by those very same personalities and their insecurities.  I liked Avengers: Age of Ultron but it shouldn't be compared to the original. This film is another part of the Marvel Universe and each movie have its own style and feel. I do love the humor but people might not catch some of the jokes on the first time watching it(the reference to the movie Exit Through the Gift Shop was hilarious). I also love that the movie uses Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) better than it did in the first one. I didn't really get the start of the romantic development between Black Widow(Scarlett Johansson) and Bruce Banner(Mark Ruffalo) in the movie but I rolled with it though.  One again, just like most Marvel movies, stay after the credits.

Rating 9.2 out of 10.  

Review-Furious 7

Furious 7 is the latest installment in the Fast and the Furious movie franchise. Each film, of lately, has morphed into its own different type of movie. Furious 7 is unabashedly a revenge flick. The plot is revolves around the death of a character close to Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his "family". The person that is hunting his crew down is Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham), the brother of Owen Shaw(Luke Evans) in Fast 6. Deckard is an ex Ops agent so dangerous that his own government tried to take him down with no such luck. His presence forces Dom and his crew out to find a way to stop his madness. Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) is still having issues remembering her past. Brian(the late Paul Walker) and Mia(Jordana Brewster) contemplate their next steps in their lives.  Tej (Ludacris) and Roman (Tyrese Gibson) join the crew ,which is led by Mr. Nobody(Kurt Russell), to locate Deckard's whereabouts before strikes. The movie is full of action and thrills but it has its issues as well. The villains in the movie are written as one note characters. Each big action scene is like a set up for the next location shoot instead of it setting up plot points. The script is all over the place at times and there is not much plot to tie it together. That been said, if you like action and like the other Fast and the Furious films, you will like this. There is a touching moment in the film that is worth watching. The movie also stars Dwayne  Johnson reprising his role as Hobbs.

Rating:8.0 out of 10

Review-Get Hard

Get Hard is the newest comedy to take a look at stereotypes, race relations and social economic status.  The movie starts Will Ferrell as James King, a millionaire who is oblivious of his surroundings because of his wealth and status. The people that he employs doesn't respect him(explained by an hilarious opening scene) and his fiance Alissa (Alison Brie from Community) may have ulterior motives other than love. James' life is turned upside down when he is arrested and convicted of fraud. Having thirty days of house arrest before he goes to jail, he goes to Darrell Lewis(Kevin Hart) for help to get adjusted to prison life. The catch? Darrell has never been in prison in his life. Darrell runs the car washing service at James' work and is trying to come up with enough money to move his family to a better neighborhood. When James assumes that he's been to prison and offers to pay him for his services, Darrell happily accepts the job. The movie is hilarious and has heart. Ferrell and Hart are great together and give their characters substance to make sure it doesn't become an one note "I'm Black and you're White" comedy. While this movie isn't Trading Places (there are similarities), it works on so many levels that it stands on its own. While there is a lot of gay prison jokes(it's expect for the subject matter), it is mindful not to go overboard on it. I definitely recommend the movie but it's definitely not for kids. The movie also starts Craig T. Nelson.

Rating: 8.9 out of ten.

Gulity pleasure movies that I have seen in 2014

Guilty pleasure movies that I have seen in 2014

Disappointing movies of 2014 (that I have seen)

Disappointing movies of 2014 (that I have seen)

Top Ten movies of 2014 (that I have seen)

 

Top Ten movies of 2014(that I've seen)