Spicer’s Weekly Movie Roundup of the Week: Episode 4

Spicer’s Weekly Movie Roundup of the  Week: Episode 4

DVD Rental of the Week: I Am Number Four- Now I know this movie got mixed reviews but if you enjoy action/ science fiction movies that have a youthful cast then you’ll like this movie. It also appeals to women because of the high school love story that takes place in the background.

Netflix Stream of the Week: Fear- One of Mark Wahlberg and Reese Witherspoon’s earlier movies but it definitely is a good time watching these two play teenagers in a tense thriller that still holds up.

Trailer of the week: 50/50-  New Joseph Gordon Levitt and Seth Rogen comedy about cancer. Rogen co-wrote this with the frame of mind that he was going to take something tragic and make it laughable in a way that is heartwarming.  The early buzz on this film is very positive for a movie that doesn’t come out tell September. Check it out on youtube- trailer looks really good.

Movie News:

New Line Cinema, Warner Bros. Pictures and MGM have announced the titles and release dates for filmmaker Peter Jackson's two-film adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's enduringly popular masterpiece "The Hobbit ." The first film, titled The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, will be released on December 14, 2012. The second film, titled The Hobbit: There and Back Again, is slated for release the following year, on December 13, 2013.

Deadline has just announced that Shannon Elizabeth will be returning for Universal's American Reunion, which just started filming down in Atlanta, which means that the entire original cast of the Weitz Brothers' hit R-rated comedy American Pie is complete, as she joins Jason Biggs, Seann William Scott , Alyson Hannigan, Thomas Ian Nicholas, Chris Klein, Eugene Levy, Tara Reid, Eddie Kaye Thomas, Jennifer Coolidge and Mena Suvari.

Orlando Bloom confirmed for The Hobbit films.

New Total Recall movie is set to star: Colin Farrell, Bryan Cranston, Bill Nighy, Kate Beckinsale, Jessica Biel, and John Cho.

 Movie of the Week: Water For Elephants- Reese Witherspoon makes this weeks picks again but this is a good movie to watch on a date night. I really don’t like the Twilight movies but this is by far Robert Pattinson’s best movie I have seen him in. Christopher Waltz steals the movie as the bad guy; you really hate his character by the end of the movie. Overall a really solid movie and a fresh tale that keeps you in the story from start to finish.

The Hangover Two (No-Spoilers)

     Hangover two is a one trick pony. For starters letme just say; I am torn about this movie because it is funny but the storyline is so simular to the first one that the writing comes off lazy. No matter how the audience feels about this movie after watching it; this film is guranteed to make alot of bank over the weekend! Riding on how popular the original was; Part two basically does everything it can to deliver exactly what people liked about the first one with some minor tweeks here and there.

    The plot for this one is: In the follow-up to the record-breaking hit comedy “The Hangover,” Phil (Bradley Cooper), Stu (Ed Helms), Alan (Zach Galifianakis) and Doug (Justin Bartha) travel to exotic Thailand for Stu’s wedding. After the unforgettable bachelor party in Las Vegas, Stu is taking no chances and has opted for a safe, subdued pre-wedding brunch. However, things don’t always go as planned. What happens in Vegas may stay in Vegas, but what happens in Bangkok can’t even be imagined.

   Now with that plot being said months ago; it really does sound like a revamped version of the original and when the trailer came out: it honestly looked just like a updated movie of the original. I then saw the movie and was in disbelief to how much a sequel was so similar to the original. With all that being said the movie still made me laugh and I had a good time watching it. But then after I wondered how they could,ve made a sequel that would be different than the first and here are some of my ideas : get a whole new cast of characters waking up to a hangover, have the original cast,s women waking up with a hangover or actually do something really different and show the guys getting so messed up that they wake up with a hangover instead of showing us the pictures at the ending credits of each movie(the pictures at the end of two are way better than the original). With two trying to show the wolf-pack mature from their last adventure: Stu refusing to have a bachelor party but then one beer turns in to a crazy night in Bangkok! This reminded me of in Jurassic park 3 and how Dr. Allen Grant vowed not to go back to the island of dinosaurs but the producers of the movie decided his plane was going to crash there anywhere; yeah basically thats showbusiness. Once again Zack Galifianakis highlights the movie with his silly one liners and his natural stupidity that has you laughing your ass off. I really dont want to give away anything so I am just going to say overall this movie is beat for beat almost the same as the original but will leave you laughing in your chair, obviously if your a fan of the first one. They could have done some other things like have Bradley Cooper,s character waking up with a tatoo on his face, or have his head shaved but for some reason the writers like keeping everything in tact on his character the morning after. After seeing Bridesmaids and this film; I strongly prefer Bridesmaids of the two hands down but sadly people think that film is made for only women(not true). If your going to see the hangover two I would wait to rent it or see a matinee of it on opening weekend or with alot friends.

2 out of 4 stars.

Pirates of the Carribean: On Stranger Tides( No-Spoilers)

Pirates of the Carribean: On Stranger Tides( No-Spoilers)

   Johnny Depp loves to dress up like a pirate and seriously thats all this film is about! You can tell Depp loves him some money; he repotedly made somewhere north of 55 million to come back for this film. That being said the creators did do much to woo the audience for a 4th time other than take their money and laugh at them. Though there are things that do make this film fun but it mainly comes from Jack Sparrow and not from the storyline.

  Here is the plot: Flamboyant seafarer Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) lands himself in a bit of a bind after being lured onto Blackbeard's (Ian McShane) ship by enigmatic siren Angelica (Penélope Cruz), and forced to seek out the Fountain of Youth. Trapped on the Queen Anne's Revenge with the most nefarious pirate in history, Captain Jack reflects on his past with the elusive Angelica while embarking on his wildest adventure to date. With shambling zombies on deck and gorgeous mermaids beckoning sailors into the icy waters below, this time Jack Sparrow has his work cut out for him.

  First some of the things i did like were of course the always entertaining Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow and the mermaids. The mermaids were a really nice touch that really stood out as the highlight of the film for me. They had fangs and seemed really scary at times. But other than those two things this film really fell flat. The whole quest for the fountain of youth seemed too plain and worn out by now and I really felt there were other ways that they could make this movie more original and fun. It seemed like a storyline disney would use in a national treasure movie. One of my biggest problems with this film was the villain; Ian McShane as blackbeard came across as dry and boring. If your making a fourth film in any series; you really got to up the stakes and give the hero a bigger antogonist that gets viewers the feeling that the hero may actually die and you never feel that in this. The previous films villains were way better and missed throughout this film. Another big setback with this sequel was that it did not have Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley in it. Their characters were a big part of giving the other films more layers that gave audiences more invested into the story.Even alot of the side characters that were in the originals were absent in this movie; some newer characters stepped in but did not fill their shoes well at all. The action in this film was underwhelming at times too; I have no clue how they spent 250 million dollars on producing this film. Rob Marshall who directed Chicago and Nine should stick to musicals because action adventure are not his speal. Overall this movie underwhelmed me and hopefully if they make another they take the right steps to get this ship back on sail.

1 out of 4 stars.

Spicer,s Weekly Movie Roundup of the Week: Episode 3

Spicer,s Weekly Movie Roundup of the  Week: Episode 3

DVD Rental of the Week: Gnomeo and Juliet- Sure it’s a cartoon but this really is a movie the whole family can watch and really have a good time. It has music by Elton John and is really refreshing to here a soundtrack by classics from the same artist throughout a film. This has most of the elements from the original story but some twists that make it kid friendly and refreshing take on a classic.

Netflix Stream of the Week: Harsh Times- Before Christian Bale was winning academy awards; he made movies that equally showed off his acting talents and how convincing he can be in each one of his roles. Basically he goes crazy and is really raw. It is written by the same guy who wrote training day and you can feel the same beat and grit in this one that sometimes mirror training day.

Trailer of the week: Real Steel- After seeing this trailer I got really excited to see Hugh Jackman in a good movie again. After wolverine and Australia I did have my doubts but this film looks really really good. Its about an ex-boxer training a robot how to box other robots in the future; need I say more. Check it out on yahoo movies.

Movie News:

Vin Diesel is joining a movie called The Machine in which he plays the machine.

James Cameron is going to be re-releasing the Titantic on April 6^th 2012 in 3D to commemorate the 100^th year anniversary of the actual sinking.

Will Farrell and Mark Wahlberg are going to reunite for Turkey Bowl.

Harvey Weinstein says Scream 5 is still possible and is sure Wes Craven will be back.

 Movie of the Week: Limitless- Bradley Cooper stars as a down on his luck writer who stumbles upon a drug that lets you utilize your whole brain instead of 20 percent. I have a couple problems with this film: Bradley Cooper always just looks like a dick and they don’t utilize Robert De Niro,s character enough. But other than that the story is really interesting and a fun concept to play around with. Other than the way Cooper looks he actually does a really good job in this movie. His best acting display throughout his whole career by far.

Bridesmaids{No-Spoilers)

   Best female driven movie ever no lie! Kristen Wiig definately shines in this role that really only she could pull off. Letme put into perspective to how confident the studio was about this movie; normally film get a two week press screenings to get the word out on a good film and spread positive buzz. In this particular case they released press screening six weeks advance just so people were talking about it and they should because it is that good.

   Basically here is the premise; Annie's life is a mess. But when she finds out her lifetime best friend is engaged, she simply must serve as Lillian's maid of honor. Though lovelorn and broke, Annie bluffs her way through the expensive and bizarre rituals. With one chance to get it perfect, she'll show Lillian and her bridesmaids just how far you'll go for someone you love.

  Alot of people are saying this is the female version of the Hangover but i really dont see it that way; i think it's more relatable to the 40 year old virgin. It has alot of  the same raunchy humor but it also has alot of heart going for it and alot of common themes that people can relate to. Friendship is the core of this film and will pull at your laughter emotional cords and your sensitive cords to get to the true meaning. Judd Apatow the director of the 40 year old virgin and knocked up is the producer of this film and you can really feel his footprint on the film which basically cements the fact that he is really good at his job. Scene stealing the whole movie was Mellisa McCarthy as the lovable Megan; every scene she is in you cant help but wonder what the hell she is going to do next. It is hard to write a review of this film and not mention Chris O' Dowd as the charming officer Rhodes; he really helps carry the likability of a normal joe with mixing in some laughs and also stealing all his scenes in the movie. Overall this film was very enjoyable and am looking forward to seeing this again. This film will probably be the beginning of the female rom-com movies that were once ruled by men. Bravo women: a movie you and your boyfriend will defianately enjoy watching together!

4 out of 4 stars.

Thor (No-Spoilers)

    A star is born! Chris Hemsworth as Thor lit up the screen and really blossomed into a full grown movie star. Without much for leading acting shots; Hemsworth nailed the look and presence of a super-hero character that many know as the god of thunder.
   The plot for this movie is real simple: The powerful but arrogant warrior Thor is cast out of the fantastic realm of Asgard and sent to live amongst humans on Earth, where he soon becomes one of their finest defenders.
  Basically this movie set-ups the realm of where and what Thor is and comes from to set-up his co-starring role in next year,s The Avengers! For me this is where the story makes me wonder what would a Thor movie look like if Avengers wasn't in the backburner? I mean dont get me wrong the makers of these movies have drawn a very intricate plot to rope all these movies together to showcase the one. But I kind of feel the audience gets a little cheated in the one character piece as a whole. But this is the first time this has ever been done on the big screen so the pay-off may just make all this worth it. Aside Hemsworth; the acting in this film is done very well especially Tom Hiddleston who plays Loki; Thor's brother and the primary intagonizer. Kenneth "Shakespeare everthing actor" Brannagh does a great job at story telling of this kind of feature and keeping his actors on tact with the direction of the film. In fact the hiring of Brannagh as director is why Natalie Portman primarily signed on to do this film. Speaking of Portman: it really seems like her casting was wasted and seemed like just another big name thrown into a big movie but thats all part of show business. Overall I thought this movie was enjoyable on a matinee or rental level because like I said before it seemed like they held up because of the Avengers movie. So if your Thor or comic book movie fan i recommend seeing it with alot of people or if your not just wait for next year. I really hope Thor gets a more epic scale film on his own in the future because he really was a fun character to watch and am very glad they cast Chris Hemsworth for the role!

2.5 out of 4 stars.

Spicer,s Weekly Movie Roundup of the Week: Episode 2

Spicer,s Weekly Movie Roundup of the  Week: Episode 2

DVD Rental of the Week: Justin Bieber: Never Say Never- I hate to say it but this film was very entertaining and it is fun for the whole family! Its not just a concert movie but how Bieber first got started and how he was discovered. It really showed off how youtube can really influence what makes a genuine  diamond in the ruff.

Netflix Stream of the Week: The Golden Child- Eddie Murphy is perfect this movie and when I saw that it was on instant stream I could not resist from recommending it. This movie has comedy, action anything that makes a great movie. If you haven’t seen film then grab your controller and put it on now. Even if you have it is definitely refreshing to see Eddie Murphy in actual good movie! Lately he has lacked thereof.

Trailer of the week: Transformers: Dark of the moon—You can check this trailer on yahoo movies. This trailer really gets me excited for summer movies and why not; it has everything you need: action, robots, fine women and a lot of stuff blowing up. There is even a glimpse of a transformer destroying a skyscraper. Cannot believe Michael Bay went there. Check it out!

Movie News:

Al Pacino joins Gotti: Three generations to co-star with John Travolta and Joe Pesci

Will Smith is in negotiations to play the lead in Quentin Tarantino,s next movie Django Unchained is said to be about a spaghetti western style story of a freed American slave who teams with a german bounty hunter played by Christoph Waltz to save his wife from an evil plantation owner.

Tommy Lee Jones and Joseph Gordon Levitt have joined onto the Steven Spielberg Abraham Lincoln movie due out next year starring Daniel Day Lewis.

Movie of the Week: Hall Pass- I watched this movie the other night and could not stop laughing. It is from the Farrely brothers ; the guys who brought us theres something about mary and dumb and dumber. It is rated R and you can really tell that it is. This movie has all the hilariously awkward scenes that made us squint in all their previous films and at times even more awkward! Women will like this film too; because its not just about the guys but about what the women would do with a hall pass too!

Fast Five Review(No Spoilers)

   Fast Five is a complete knockout! This movie is not only the best fast and furious film but definately looking like one of the best action films released this year! If you are a fan of pure testosterone and heist films you,ll love this movie! I can definately recommend this movie to males and females; it keeps all both sexes on the edge. My girlfriend wanted to see this movie again right after we got out of the theater.
   So lets begin with the plot: Since Brian O'Conner and Mia Toretto broke Dom Toretto out of custody, they've blown across many borders to elude authorities. Now backed into a corner in Rio de Janeiro, they must pull one last job in order to gain their freedom. As they assemble their elite team of top racers, the unlikely allies know their only shot of getting out for good means confronting the corrupt businessman who wants them dead. But he's not the only one on their tail. Hard-nosed federal agent Luke Hobbs never misses his target. When he is assigned to track down Dom and Brian, he and his strike team launch an all-out assault to capture them. But as his men tear through Brazil, Hobbs learns he can't separate the good guys from the bad. Now, he must rely on his instincts to corner his prey... before someone else runs them down first.
  The action is insanely directed by Justin Lin and well crafted to for a grand scale. Lin directed Tokyo Drift, Fast and Furious and now Fast Five and it really feels like his direction is getting alot better. Bringing in Dwayne Johnson is a huge upgrade in antongonist for Diesel and Walker! You can really feel his presence in this film that carries throughout the whole film. Every generation has its action heros and rarely do they collide on film. Imagine if Stallone and Schwarzenegger went at in their hayday? Flash forward to 2011 and we get to see Vin Diesel VS. The Rock; now thats entertainment! Their fight sequence took a week to shoot alone! Aside that; this film is heist film with really fast cars and really suceeds on any level. I cannot tell you how much fun this film was and cannot wait to see it again! If you do choose to see this movie please wait a little bit after the credits; there is a huge easter egg scene that sets up the next film in the series! Justin Lin had previously said that beginning with Fast and Furious that these films would be their own trilogy! That being said; I cannot wait for the conclusion!!!

4 out of 4 stars!!!

Spicer,s Weekly Movie Roundup of the Week: Episode 1

Spicer,s Weekly Movie Roundup of the  Week: Episode 1

DVD Rental of the Week: Country Strong- although this movie has a few flaws; it does entertain audiences that appreciate good country music. Garret Hedlund gives a standout performance that not only makes you wonder if he sang all the songs in the film(yes he did) ; but when his album will be hitting stores!

Netflix Stream of the Week: Salt: Just became available to stream and believe me you don’t want to miss one of Angelina Jolie’s best action films to date. The action in this film is very fun to watch and shows off how women can kick ass in film and take names! Not to mention Tom Cruise was suppose to have this role but turned it down to do Knight and Day!

Trailer of the week: Rise of the Apes- When I first heard of this prequel starring James Franco; I kinda rolled my eyes at the idea. But after watching this trailer…I hate to admit it but I am coming around to it and can definitely see myself watching this film! Trailer is available on yahoo movies!

Movie News:

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Fast Five director Justin Lin are attached to do yet another Terminator movie!

The next American Pie movie titled “American Reunion” will be released next year on April 6^th.

The Hurt Locker star Jeremy Renner will be stepping in for Matt Damon to star in the Bourne Legacy.

84^th Academy Awards will air on February 26, 2012.

 Movie of the Week: Insidious(mini spoiler free review)- Watched this movie just the other night and let me tell you don’t watch this film alone right before you go to bed! This film comes from the guys who brought us the original Saw; but this time they had to basically get rid of all the gore and R rating. That’s right these guys pulled off a PG-13 movie that scares you without anyone losing any limbs. Now I guess this film was made for only 1.5 million dollars and you cannot even tell. This budget compared to Scream 4’s 40 million budget is easily laughable. Up to date this film is the best investment- turnaround on a film of the year! The film stars Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne who play parents of three young children but when something happens to one of them; the family starts to experience strange occurrences that comes from nothing of this world. The tension is almost basically there the whole time and the pay-off at the end is worth it all. Insidious mixes previous films of genre like the omen, poltergeist, the haunting and even paranormal activity all into one film. The only complaint I had was Leigh Whannell’s (specs) acting but you have to give the guy a break considering it was him who wrote the film. Other than that horror/science fiction buffs I definitely recommend seeing Insidious! (3.5 out of 4 stars)

Preview of Spicer,s upcoming blogs:

Monday May 9th- Review of Fast Five

Tuesday May 10th- Spicer,s weekly movie roundup of the week episode 2

Friday May 13th- Review of Thor