Movie Review Monday

It's back folks! Are you as excited as I am? Unlikely LoL

This month has already seen a lot of new movie watching. From Earth to Echo & Dolphin Tale 2 watched by the kids, to The Interview & American Sniper by the husband, and to me seeing The Gambler in theaters and popping in my newest disaster movie, Into the Storm, into the BluRay player.

I'm hoping I can get a review from each of the family members on the movies we have seen this month but we will see how that plays out. You'll just have to keep reading to see if I accomplished that :)

Now onto my reviews!

At the beginning of the month I made plans to see a movie with my mom and sister. We werent sure what we wanted to see but ended up settling on The Gambler. With Mark Wahlberg it couldn't be too bad, right? Eh, I wouldn't say it was a great movie by any means but it wasn't completely terrible either. Mark Wahlberg was great. He really played his character well. He WAS the gambler in the movie. To my husband's disappointment, he did not sing The Gambler at any point in the movie. The storyline became quite predictable throughout the movie but most movies these days seem to go that way. That could be due to the fact that we watch A LOT of movies! Anyway, there were some intense scenes for the action fans, some dramatic seems for anyone who prefers that type of movie, and even a few love scenes for the romantics in the group. If I am not mistaken there was a touch of comedy too. It did have a bit of something for everyone which makes it a decent movie off the bat, at least in my mind. The only real complaint I had with the movie was the length. At an hour and 51 minutes it really dragged on at some points. The movie would have been fine with a good twenty minutes cut out. There were a few useless scenes that lasted a good five minutes that's purpose was clearly to make the movie longer. Don't get me wrong, I hate paying for an hour and a half movie at $8 a person plus all that money you spend on popcorn and soda, but this movie just didn't need these unneccesary scenes. I think the story would have flowed better without them and kept our attention much more than it did. All in all, a good movie. I would likely watch it again willingly, and maybe even buy it when it comes out on BluRay. If you like Mark Wahlberg and these kinds of movies I would suggest waiting for the Redbox release before sinking any real money into it.

Yesterday I watched Into the Storm and A Walk Among the Tombstones. I love disaster movies, they are my favorite. And Liam Neeson is such a badass, I can't help but watching anything with him in it.

Into the Storm wasn't anything like Twister, except it had tornados LoL It was actually a very good movie though. You've got your tornado chasers, your innocent bystanders, and a little redneck comic relief. The movie is rated PG-13 so it's not bloody like an R rated movie would be. I can't even remember if they said any swear words, but I know I did quite often while watching it. It was a very intense movie. You have got to love modern day technology for pulling something off that intense. Twister cannot compare in graphics but it will always be my favorite tornado movie anyway. There was a little Twister reference... my guess is it was intention but I actually missed it. My oldest son pointed it out after the fact and I must have been looking down for a second. I was literally on the edge of my seat for the majority of the movie and my hands were over my mouth for most of the intense scenes. I am so glad I asked for this movie for Christmas without even having watched it once. It will be a definite go-to disaster movie. If you like these kinds of movies, it is a definite recommendation from me. Of course, I almost always recommend seeing a movie for yourself no matter how bad or good the review because everyone is different.

I rented Liam Neeson's A Walk Among the Tombstones from Redbox yesterday without having any idea what it was actually about. I just really like Liam Neeson so I knew I had to see it, regardless. When the previews came on they showed the trailer for Ouija and I was getting nervous wondering if this movie would be a scary one. Turns out it was just a suspenseful thriller, which I like almost as much as disaster movies and Liam Neeson... so win-win! Liam Neeson plays a retired detective gone private investigator hired to find the people that murdered a drug kingpin's wife. It was based on a book and with as good as the movie was, I imagine the book is even better (since they usually are). There isn't much I can say about the movie without giving too much away but the action was intense, the plot wasn't very predictable (a couple parts were), and it is very bloody. It held my attention well and I will be adding this movie to our to-buy list, mostly because Liam Neeson is such a badass. He plays the badass so well that I think I would actually be scared to meet him in real life None the less, how awesome would it be to actually meet him? Or maybe just have him call me with his serious, deep, threatening voice and say something like, "I will find you." LOL I'm nuts, I know. Anyway, great and intense movie. If you like action, suspense, thrillers, and Liam Neeson then this is a definite must! Go rent it, now! :)

Seems yesterday was a day for intense movies. My husband went to see American Sniper yesterday afternoon and while I had hoped he would personally review it for you all, I just don't think he wants to relive it. He has been wanting to see it and yesterday he decided to go by himself. I don't think that was the best idea, but it is what it is. He said he did not expect the movie to feel so real. Even though it is based on true events and he has seen other true war movies, he hasn't seen many (if any) in theater since he has been deployed. He said the theater was as silent as everyone said it would be and at parts he thought he would have to leave because that's how much it bothered him. At one point he said he could even smell the sewage in the streets. The movie really rattled him and he shook the whole way home, stalling out his Jeep twice. When he walked in the door he was pale as a ghost and still shaking. I do not recommend going to the theater to see this movie if you have been deployed to a war zone or suffer even mildly from PTSD. If you do go, do not go alone and do not drive home immediately following. Take your time and gather yourself, talk to your friends outside of the theater or call a buddy. With this kind of movie hitting so close to home for our troops and their families, I would suggest waiting for the movie to be released on DVD/BluRay before watching it. My heart goes out to anyone that has had to endure the trauma associated with the war in the Middle East. Some gave all and their families are in our prayers... and the rest are dealing with those traumatic experiences every time they close their eyes, hear fireworks in the distance, or relive their days in combat when seeing these true stories on the big screen.

So as to not end on such a sad tone, I wanted to touch on the other movies we have seen. Well, the kids anyway. Earth to Echo looked like a good movie. I only caught bits and pieces of it but my kids seemed to like it. Dolphin Tale 2 we rented from RedBox and it was as good as the first one. With a little drama, lots of feel goods, and a good bit of humor as any good real life movie should have. And who doesn't love a feel good animal movie!

Look for more movie reviews next week! I still have a few BluRays with plastic still on them that I hope to watch soon, like The Purge and The Purge Anarchy. Also, look for a review on Away & Back, the Hallmark movie written by an online mommy friend and her husband. They also wrote Hysteria, a movie about the invention of the first vibrator. Don't worry though, the Hallmark movie is kid friendly ;) Go ahead, look her up on IMDB! Jonah Lisa Dyer... how cool that I kinda personally know someone on IMDB! LoL She's a great writer, an awesome mom, and a down to earth woman. When you get a chance, check out Hysteria and check your local listings for Away & Back!