Bite-Size Movie Reviews

Nowadays, many of the movies I see don’t make it onto the blog because I don’t love them enough or consider them of enough account. Besides, movie reviews usually take longer to write. But here and there throughout the past few months, I’ve encountered a movie or TV show that needs to be mentioned. So here they are, in the same bite-size manner.

TV Series: Sherlock (season 1) – 9

Everyone always said I’d enjoy it – everyone was right. I did indeed quite love Benedict Cumberbatch as a modern and witty Sherlock, and Martin Freeman as his delightful side-kick! The mysteries were engaging, there were funny quirks and lines in each episode, and I was entirely obsessed – the three episodes flew by way too fast. I can’t wait to watch the other seasons of this wonderful show. The only drawback I would mention is that each episode contained some reference to homosexuality, which I really didn’t appreciate. Other than that, it was most delightful!

Movie: Avatar – 7

The only reason I decided to review this one was because of the graphics. As far as the story goes, it wasn’t amazing. I didn’t fall in love with the giant blue creatures, nor did I form a huge connection with any of them. I’m glad I watched it, if primarily for the reason that now I can say I did. The graphics were absolutely amazing and that’s what scored this movie a 7 from me.

Movie: Jack Reacher – 8.5

I think I originally stumbled across this movie because it starred Rosamund Pike (who was Jane in the 2005 Pride and Prejudice). Somewhat to my surprise, I greatly enjoyed it! The action sequences were fast, the mystery compelling, and Rosamund (as Helen) was delightful to watch. Such a different role from Jane, but wonderful none-the-less. Finally seeing the famed Tom Cruise was also delightful. Good movie!

Movie: Captain America: the Winter Soldier – 9.5

Yay! Captain America is back on the big screen! I really enjoyed this movie. Pulled me in from the start and I was glued to the screen. Captain America is a delight to watch once again…ah, I do love that guy. Scarlett Johansson was a great heroine – full of impressive crazy stunts and the like. Captain America is such a wonderful soldier and superhero. Love. I can’t wait to watch this one again on DVD!

TV Show: Castle (season 1) – 8.5

After getting hooked on this show in season 5, I knew I wanted to go back and see the original meeting of Beckett and Castle. So as soon as the library got season 1 on reserve for me, I settled in to watch – and was not disappointed. Watching the beginning of Kate & Richard’s relationship after seeing it in maturity in the later seasons was delightful! This is one series I’m eager to watch through. Castle is incorrigible, Beckett is adorable (and a great cop), and the whole show is a favorite of mine.

Movie: The Host – 7.5

I was disappointed. After reading and enjoying the book, I hoped the movie would be something I would enjoy just as much and was thrilled to discover it checked-in at my local library. But sadly, I didn’t. My main problem with it was character development – I know, converting an 800 page book packed with detail in a two hour movie is a gigantic challenge. But after how I fell in love with the book characters, I felt like they were all woefully misrepresented in the movie. I’m not sorry I watched it, but I don’t think I would watch it again.

Movie: White House Down – 9

This movie has been on my to-see list for over a year, and finally getting to see it – well, it did not disappoint! Primarily because really – who could protest watching Channing Tatum for two hours? But better than that, the plot was riveting and full of surprise twists. The chases and suspense were fascinating and I couldn’t stop watching. A great movie!

TV Show: The Bible (season 1) – 8

This was so interesting. What to say? All in all, it wasn’t entirely Biblically accurate, and that bugged me. I think where the Bible says one thing, that’s how it should be portrayed, whether in movie or book. But for people who are grounded in the Bible and know the stories well, I would recommend this as an interesting visualization of the places and people. It also gives interesting perspective on some of the stories.

Movie: Much Ado About Nothing – 8.5

I went into this one not sure what I was going to think. Here’s the gist of it: (1) It’s set in present day; (2) It’s filmed in black and white; and (3) They use all their lines directly from Shakespeare (though I believe a few of them may have been slightly changed). To my surprise, I quite enjoyed it and was amazed by the dexterity with which the actors pulled the clunky lines into present day smoothness. I loved seeing Castle (from the show of the same name) and Agent Coulson (from Agents of SHIELD) in this too! So cool. While some parts were a little confusing and it took me a little bit to get my bearings, overall I enjoyed it! If you’ve enjoyed this story by Shakespeare or if you’re a sucker for interesting films – this is a must-see.

Movie: Alex Cross – 7

Disappointed. I had hoped for an action movie that I would fully enjoy, as this has recently become a favorite genre of mine. While this one wasn’t bad, I didn’t enjoy it fully. It was a little more disgusting than some films, and that definitely docked my rating. There were some great fight scenes and some brilliance, both from the criminal and the others. But all in all, not one I’ll watch again.

Movie: Oz the Great and Powerful – 7.5

Admittedly, I did like this one more than Alex Cross and I wouldn’t mind allowing my siblings to see it. However, it wasn’t my new favorite. That being said, it was creative and had an interesting story and colorful characters. I neither loved nor hated it.

Movie: Maleficent – 8.5

As I headed into the theater to see this one, I didn’t know what to expect. But I enjoyed it! It was easy to empathize with Maleficent herself. The animation was stunning, where it was used. The whole story was almost predictable (due to being a classic fairy tale) – but then not quite. It was always take some turn or other that was liable to surprise. The dragon was a nice touch, and most impressive. All in all? A good movie that I’ll watch again on DVD.

TV Show: Arrow: Season 1

My rating on a 1-10 scale: 9

Genre: Adventure, superhero (he’s not technically, but he kinda is…)

Series or set: Arrow

Number in series: 1^st

Primary actors: Stephen Amell, Katie Cassidy, David Ramsey, Willa Holland, Emily Bett Rickards

Length: 972 minutes; 23 episodes

Based on: The DC Comic books

Time period: Present

Rating: TV-14

Year it came out: 2011-2012

My overall opinion: So. Y’all. I’ve got a new favorite show to watch. And it’s this one. Wow is it good! I don’t even know where to start! Oliver Queen is absolutely amazing. Most episodes include a little of his present day story (in which he’s killing bad guys in his hometown of Starling City) and a little of his back story (he was stranded on an island for five years). It ties them together in a fascinating way the whole way through. His sister Thea is a neat character. His former girlfriend, Laurel, is also an interesting girl. We meet a variety of other people through the episodes as well, good and bad. John Diggle is Oliver’s body-guard turned friend, a delightful man – he’s awesome. And then there’s Felicity Smoak. She’s my hands-down favorite character. Before I started this show, I had a couple of friends tell me that I was rather similar to her. Then I started the show and understood what they meant. We aren’t carbon copies of each other, by any means (she’s so cool…I couldn’t be quite that cool) – but we talk alike. And we’re both blonde. So she’s really super amazing and I love her. All in all? There are occasionally a few objectionable things in this show, but for the most part, I highly recommend it. I’ve already gotten into Season 2 and it’s also amazing with some unexpected twists and turns. Watch this, then watch that, then tell me what you think! :)

Movie: The Amazing Spiderman

My rating on a 1-10 scale: 8.5

Genre: Superhero, adventure

Series or set: Spiderman

Number in series: 1^st

Primary actors: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone

Length: Two hours

Based on: The comic books, I suppose

Time period: Present

Rating: PG-13

Year it came out: 2012

My overall opinion: First off, if you have any arachnophobia, don’t watch this, and especially not on a big screen. You’d die. There are spiders everywhere. However, provided that you don’t have arachnophobia, I think that if you’ve enjoyed other superhero movies, you’ll probably find this one to be a great movie! The graphics are good, and the whole film is packed with excitement and adventure and even a little mystery. This is an enthralling movie that will keep you on the edge of your seat for the whole thing! I definitely recommend this one for anyone who has previously enjoyed superhero movies – definitely glad I watched it.

Movie: Thor: the Dark World

My rating on a 1-10 scale: 9

Genre: Superhero, adventure

Series or set: Thor

Number in series: 2^nd  

Primary actors: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston

Length: Two hours

Based on: The comic books, perhaps?

Time period: Present, fantasy

Rating: PG-13

Year it came out: 2013

My overall opinion: I enjoyed it so much! Do take into account that I’ve only seen the first Thor movie once and that was almost two years ago. I do intend to watch it again someday – I just haven’t gotten around to it yet. All in good time. However, despite comparing this one to a movie I haven’t seen for two years, I think this one was better – the graphics etc were amazing, the story kept me watching, it was just plain a good movie. Really good. Now, here we go on a few things I made notes to write about…because that’s how I do some movie reviews.

BE WARNED – THERE WILL BE SPOILERS. I HAVE WARNED YOU.

Darcy that girl: Apparently acted by Kat Dennings. She was awesome. She was just random and sometimes so annoying and such a pain and still so cute and fun and awesome and best of all – funny! Yeah, I really liked her. A lot. She was one of my favorite parts of this movie.

Mother: Oh, she was so sweet. Thor and Loki’s mom? Yup, her. I barely remember her from the first movie, but she was so lovely and elegant and such an amazing fighter. Her (I told you there would be spoilers…you’d better stop reading if you don’t want them) but her death was so sad…definitely the most touching and sad part of the movie. How her sons acted towards her made me sad. But she seemed like a beautiful woman inside and out. And did I mention I loved her fighting skills? I did.

Clothes: I really enjoyed seeing the clothes on a few of the characters in this film. Most notably, Thor and Loki’s mother had some lovely blue dresses that I am quite in love with. Then too, Jane had some pretty flowy dresses – and let’s face it, I’m really in love with Thor’s red cape. Because if I could have a cape/cloak like that? My life would be complete. Well, not quite, but seriously, it’s really cool.

Thor in general: What to say? I can’t write a review without mentioning him. He was a good hero, a little stupid at times, but hey – he’s Thor, what do you expect? ;) My favorite thing about him this time through was his voice. So deep, so rough, so Thor. I loved it. A lot. Listening to it for two hours? Wasn’t hard at all. And he’s not bad to watch for two hours either. I’m pretty sure they threw in one scene towards the beginning just to make the teenage girls swoon, and honestly, he’s a little too ripped for my personal preference. But I legitly don’t have any problem watching him on screen on a couple of hours. Oh he’s got problems for sure. But all in all, he’s super awesome. I think.

Loki’s humor: I mean, I could just do Loki in general, but since I’m still to decide if I feel sorry for him at all or not, I don’t know what to say. He’s very interesting. But. I do know? I love his humor. A lot. It gets me every time, even when it’s rather horrible. I mean, some of what he says is so offensive and making-fun, and yet, it’s still hilarious. And I still laugh. Even without meaning to. It’s just so cool. So yeah, I love his humor. And I really loved when he was Captain America for a little bit. That was…yeah. Funny. Poor Thor. I laughed.

Clown elves: For those of you who may not know, I can’t stand clowns. At all. I hate them. A lot. Like, a huge lot. So the elves who had faces that were almost like clowns were really freaky, especially the eyes. It wasn’t as bad as Dark Knight, but we all know from Lord of the Rings that that’s not what elves look like, silly. Not even bad elves. So yeah, I didn’t like the clown elves at all. But I suppose they weren’t bad as far as villains go.

Endings: For those of you who went to see it, did you see BOTH endings? Because guess what – not only does Marvel add ONE ending during the credits, they added two, same as in Avengers. Thankfully, some people clued us into that and we stayed all the way through the second extra ending. Make sure you do, especially if you like happy endings, because that one is and it made me happy. Very happy. Extra endings are cool.

So, there you have it – what I thought of Thor 2. Have you seen it? What’d you think? Comment and tell me! :) And just a word to the wise, long comments are my favorites. :)

 

Movie: The Dark Knight Rises

My rating on a 1-10 scale: 8.5 high

Genre: Superhero, adventure

Series or set: Batman series

Number in series: 3^rd

Primary actors: Christian Bale, Anne Hathaway, Tom Hardy, Morgan Freeman

Length: Two and a half or so hours

Based on: The comic books, I think?

Time period: Present. Or maybe future. But basically present.

Rating: PG-13

Year it came out: 2012

My overall opinion: So. I’ve seen the first two Batman movies (Batman Begins and Dark Knight), the latter twice. I didn’t love them. Didn’t hate them. But yeah. Not a huge fan. However, I knew I needed to see this one and am so glad I did! I feel like I’ve seen a lot of not-so-positive reviews for this third Batman movie. I don’t agree with those reviews. This one was hands-down my favorite. Action scenes were amazing and gripping. Mystery was intense.

And then. There was Anne Hathaway. As a general rule, she’s not one of my favorite people. Not that she’s bad. But I haven’t been a big fan of any movie in which she starred. Until now. Let me just say…Cat Woman is amazing. Aka Anne Hathaway. She’s my new favorite superhero. If Cat Woman is a superhero. And here we take a short break…Captain America is my favorite superhero. Then Thor…and I think he ties with Iron Man. And THEN Batman. But if Cat Woman can count as a superhero, she pushes them all down a notch and takes first place. Now, back on topic. Cat Woman was amazing. She was a strong and fierce woman. And while I can’t fully emulate her way of doing things or her fashion, she was pretty awesome. And I think she deserves her own movie…does she have one yet?

So. Because Cat Woman was in this one, it was amazing. Batman…well, he was kinda old and not with it as much as in the earlier films. Understandable, perhaps. I don’t know. But this movie was good and I liked it a lot and it’s definitely one I want to watch again someday. Do take note: it’s got one scene in particular that’s worth skipping. Otherwise, it’s not too bad, but as always – research this one before you watch it.

Movie: X-Men: The Last Stand

My rating on a 1-10 scale: 8

Genre: Superhero, adventure, fantasy

Series or set: X-Men

Number in series: I think it’s a conclusion. Except it’s not. But it is too. … It’s complicated.

Primary actors: Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen, Halle Berry, James Marsden

Length: An hour and 3/4

Based on: the Marvel comics.

Time period: Future / present.

Rating: PG-13

Year it came out: 2006

My overall opinion: Enjoyable! I loved seeing Ian McKellen as something other than Gandalf – though he does totally amazingly wonderfully completely ace that particular row. But. He was really cool as Magneto. Even if he was a bad guy. As to everyone else…Hugh Jackman was amazing yet again. And this movie was pretty good if you like sci-fi/action types! I do. And I thoroughly enjoyed this one.

 

Movie: X-Men: First Class

My rating on a 1-10 scale: 8

Genre: Superhero, adventure, fantasy

Series or set: X-Men

Number in series:  Well, this one goes way back to the beginning…I know that…

Primary actors: James McAvoy, Jennifer Lawrence, January Jones

Length: A little over two hours

Based on: the Marvel comics.

Time period: 1960s…ish…I think…

Rating: PG-13

Year it came out: 2011

My overall opinion: Well, here’s the problem of the day – I watched this on TV. Which for me? Is weird because I never watch movies on TV. Because I was watching with a lot of people, I was also slightly distracted. So. I know I watched this movie and enjoyed it. However, I couldn’t give you much of a storyline…just didn’t pick up on that. However. Having given that disclaimer, I’ll admit that I thought it good! Note that it is PG-13...check imdb.com for reasons why. Again, the visual effects were stunning, the action was constant and riveting, and it was an enjoyable film. And also. I'm super excited for X-Men: Days of Future Past. :D May 2014!

Movie: X-Men Origins: Wolverine

My rating on a 1-10 scale: 8.5

Genre: Superhero, fantasy, adventure

Series or set: X-Men

Number in series: Unknown – I can’t figure out the order for all of these X-Men movies.

Primary actors: Hugh Jackman (!!!!), Liev Schreiber, Danny Huston

Length: Two hours

Based on: Marvel comic books, I think.

Time period: Mostly present.

Rating: PG-13

Year it came out: 2009

My overall opinion: This was my very first introduction and going into it, I had absolutely no idea what X-Men was/were/are or what this movie was about. However, having seen this, I was eager to continue watching X-Men movies, and have continued steadily. :) Any Hugh Jackman fans out there? Yeah, thought there might a few. Well, you’ve gotta see this one! It’s amazing. There’s a little violence in a few places, and especially one of the opening scenes was…not nice. I didn’t like it. But for the most part, this was an enjoyable movie, especially the last half hour or so. And Wolverine has a really cool superpower. I've been flexing my fists for days...no blades yet. So it goes. Anyway. Great graphics, fast-paced storyline…kept me riveted.

Movie: Avengers

My rating on a 1-10 scale: 9 (high)

Genre: Superhero, adventure

Series or set: Well, it fits right in with Captain America and Thor and Iron Man and probably Incredible Hulk…am I forgetting anyone? But I don’t think it’s REALLY a series.

Primary actors: Chris Hemsworth, Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Gwyneth Paltrow

Length: 2 ½ hours

Time period: Present

Year it came out: 2012

My overall opinion: This. Was a good movie. And I’m so glad I finally got to see it! It was lovely to see Captain America again, and Thor was certainly an entertaining character here as well. Iron Man was amazing, but I didn’t really like Incredible Hulk…something about him…oh well. This movie was packed with mystery and intrigue and dare-devil adventures and stunts and action-packed moments and all manner of exciting things. Enjoyed it plentily, and will most certainly watch it again, given opportunity!

Movie: Man of Steel

My rating on a 1-10 scale: 9

Genre: Superhero, adventure

Series or set: Are there gonna be more superhero Superman movies, y’all?

Primary actors: Amy Adams, Russell Crowe, Henry Cavill

Length: Two hours and a bit

Based on: The old comics and movies, I suppose!

Time period: Fantasy, present

Year it came out: 2013

My overall opinion: So I got to see this movie in IMAX back in July, and while IMAX didn’t become my new favorite thing…okay, I didn’t really notice anything different. I don’t go to movies often enough to notice. But. This movie was pretty awesome. The scenes filmed in the other world were amazing, and so were the ones from here on Earth. The action scenes were pretty amazing and basically really awesome. The CG was stunning. This movie is a cinematographic work of art – ummm, does that sentence make any sense? You get the idea. :) It was good and I look forward to seeing it on DVD at some point!

Movie: Iron Man 3

My rating on a 1-10 scale: 9

Genre: Superhero, adventure

Series or set: Iron Man

Number in series: 3^rd (to be watched after Avengers)

Primary actors: Robert Downey Jr, Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle

Length: 2 ½ hours

Time period: Present

Year it came out: 2013 (my first 2013 movie to see!)

My overall opinion: My first superhero movie to see in theater! And boy was it something. Besides the fact that I went with awesome friends, the movie certainly didn’t disappoint! Some of it was a little freaky (orange eyes are always freaky…except on some animals…) so I definitely wouldn’t recommend it for younger kids – these superhero movies aren’t for kids. But that being said! I intend to see this once it’s on DVD! Some people are saying that some places weren’t quite smooth…they may be right. I don’t notice that unless it’s a glaring error. Personally? I thought it had a good story, great CGI, quick-moving plot, a handsome hero and adorable girl-friend for him, breath-taking stunts, any number of scenes that are so wide-sweeping as to be best seen in theater…all in all, it was a stunner.