Film Friday Review - We Are Your Friends

We Are Your Friends

4 1/2 out of 5 Makes-Me-Wanna-Dance Stars

"Any successful artist, they have this moment when they stop being an admirer and find their signature."

Since finishing the novel This Song Will Save Your Life, I've been curious about DJing and remembered seeing a trailer about just that with Zac Efron as the lead role. I mean, music and Zac Efron? I knew I was going to be watching this one at some point.

I really like We Are Your Friends. It may be cliched and predictable at times, but I'm okay with that. I didn't go into watching it thinking that I was going to be getting some amazing film that was going to really make me think. But We Are You Friends did surprise me, and I like it way more than I thought I would.

I think what really has me enjoying this movie is the music; it's amazing how music can unite us. The way that Cole can read a crowd, understand what they want and connect with them through music is awesome. His character develops a lot throughout the movie, and it's great getting to see him move from an amateur DJ to the real deal. It isn't an easy journey for him, but it's a great feeling at the end.

If you want a surprising movie to make you feel good and want to dance your heart out, then this is the perfect one to watch. Cliched it might be, but that isn't stopping me from really liking what I've watched. And even better, I've found a soundtrack of some of the songs used, and while this normally isn't my go-to kind of music, it's definitely worming its way in.

"Are we ever gonna be better than this?"

Trailer Link

Film Friday Review - 10 Cloverfield Lane

10 Cloverfield Lane

4 1/2 out of 5 WTF Stars

"No! Don't open that door! You're going to get us all killed!"

What. The. Fuck. This pretty much sums up my feelings after finished 10 Cloverfield Lane. I was thrown around so much with this movie. I mean, obviously Howard, the guy who kidnapped our protagonist, Michelle, is completely and utterly insane. There is no crazy threat outside, the air isn't poisonous. Or is it? 

Could Howard actually be on to something? There is definitely some strange crap going on outside, is he actually protecting Michelle and Emmett? But whatever threat is outside, could Howard be the more pressing one? There is something not right with this man. And whatever is wrong with him is putting Michelle and Emmett in danger. They are not safe in that bunker. But are they safer outside, or in?

10 Cloverfield Lane really screwed up my head; every time I thought I knew what was going on, that I had everything all figured out, something would happen that would make me doubt my predictions and begin questioning everything all over again. I absolutely loved it. I had no idea what to believe, and it was great. It kept me on my toes, and I could not accept anything as truth (until the ending, of course).

A tense film that doesn't hold back, 10 Cloverfield Lane is well worth the $13 to see it. I can't really say to much without spoiling what is going on, and I can't do that to you guys, or the movie. It's too good to rob you of the truth. I love 10 Cloverfield Lane, and I'm loving even more all these movies that have strong, badass female leads. Take a chance on this one, it's worth it. You'll be kept on the edge of your seat the entire time, I promise you that. Mary Elizabeth Winstead and John Goodman are fantastic in their roles.

"You can't run from them."

Film Friday Review - Hush

Hush

5 out of 5 Heart-Pounding Stars

She can't hear. She can't speak. But she's not going down without a fight.

Maddie is a deaf mute, living a nice seclude life in the woods. Unfortunately, the also means she is isolated. So when a masked man shows up at her doorstep, intent to kill her, Maddie doesn't have anyone to rely on except herself. Get ready for one hell of a night of cat-and-mouse, and fighting for survival.

Hush is crazy intense. It had me guessing at every turn what was going to happen next. Is the killer going to get in the house? Is a neighbor going to show up and help? Is Maddie going to survive? Maddie being a deaf mute is essential to the story, as it places many limitations on her and definitely helps ramp up the tension. She cannot hear the killer, she cannot call out for help, but that doesn't mean she isn't one hell of a smart protagonist. 

I am rooting so freaking hard for Maddie. She is not going to give up, and she is not going to hide or play defense. And that's what I love about movies like this. What makes the killer think he can do whatever the hell he wants with no repercussions? He's certainly met his match with Maddie. She's going to have to push herself beyond her physical and mental limits in order to survive the night, but she is going to fight.

I was very nervous throughout this whole movie; I had no idea what was going to happen next, or where the story was going to go. I admit to yelling at my TV screen, trying to tell Maddie what to do to survive. My nerves feel fried after watching Hush. It was like I was right next to Maddie as she was fighting for her life. Hush is a tense, breathless horror film that is different from any others I've seen, and I am so glad I watched it.

*Hush is on Netflix, and it's only an hour and a half, so if you find yourself with some free time and in the mood for a horror flick, this is definitely the one to go with.

Trailer Link

Film Friday - 10 Cloverfield Lane

10 Cloverfield Lane

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Synopsis:

A young woman wakes up after a terrible accident to find that she's locked in a cellar with a doomsday prepper, who insists that he saved her life and that the world outside is uninhabitable following an apocalyptic catastrophe. Uncertain what to believe, the woman soon determines that she must escape at any cost.

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So, this movie looks creepy. Like, what is going on, is this guy just insane or is there really a threat outside and is the world over? I'm not really sure how to explain this movie (I haven't seen it yet) so the best I can tell you is to watch the 2-minute trailer, and then you'll probably be just as intrigued as I am. 90% critics and 85% views on Rotten Tomatoes are very good percentages. I wasn't planning on paying to see this one, I think I'm going to wait to rent it, but I don't know if I'll be able to wait until the DVD comes out. The trailer has peaked my interest, and I'm very curious to learn what is really going on in this movie.

"Smart, solidly crafted, and palpably tense, 10 Cloverfield Lane makes the most of its confined setting and outstanding cast—and suggests a new frontier for franchise filmmaking."—Rotten Tomatoes Critics Consensus 

Trailer Link

Has anyone seen this yet? What did you think? Is it worth paying to see, or should I wait? I hope it's as good as it seems!

Film Friday Review - Everest

Everest 

4 out of 5 Humbling Stars

"You, my friends, are following in the footsteps of history, something beyond the power of words to describe. Human beings simply aren't built to function at the cruising altitude of a 747. Our bodies will be literally dying. Everest is another beast all together." 

Wow, is this movie something else. The graphics for Mount Everest are simply amazing. They show how overwhelming, scary, and unforgiving Everest is, yet at the same time how beautiful and awe-inspiring it is. And the cast, phenomenal job. I feel like I went on this journey with them, though of course very far in the background; I can feel their joy when the reach the top, and their anxiety and fear when the storm comes. At the end of the movie, it's impossible to look away. Jason Clarke and Jake Gyllenhaal are fantastic in their roles, along with the rest of the cast.

Some of the way they show people dying is truly disturbing, there one second and gone the next. The makers of this film accurately show how Everest can mess with one's mind. No sane person would undo their harness, or feel like they are overheating and start to take off some layers while near the top of the mountain. How some people just lay down and die, their bodies simply too exhausted to keep moving, and how they are left behind, either being overlooked or people simply too focused on themselves to help another, is frightening. The fact that some of these bodies are left on the mountain as markers is even scarier.

"I'm climbing Mount Everest because I can, because to be able to climb that high and see that kind of beauty that nobody ever sees, it'd be a crime not to."

There are some problems I have with this film, starting off with the probability of some of the problems actually happening. Ropes are not fixed in place, oxygen is not left where it is supposed to be, which I can understand, but there is a specific scene when people say they are going to check/do these things. What happened that they didn't? Also, how could they have not known about the storm? My main problem, though, is with the bad choices that some of the characters make. A leader/guide should allows follow the rules and make sure his group gets back as safely as possible. If a group member is behind the group and is still climbing to the summit after the allotted safe time has passed, it is the leader's job to bring him back to camp, no matter how much he may want to make his dream a reality by climbing Everest. And shouldn't there be more attention paid to the climbers as they are traveling between camps? If someone is coughing more than they should be, or if someone is having other health problems, they should not be allowed to continue. Do these things actually happen in real life? Was this a real problem during the 1996 climb, or just added into the movie?

Besides for these concerns, Everest delivers on its goal, which is to tell the story of the actual 1996 disaster, following as closely to the truth as they can. It shows how the mountain is friends with no one, no matter how many times one may have climbed it, no matter how well one thinks he knows it, Everest doesn't care. If you climb Mount Everest, you're risking your life, and there is never a guarantee that you'll get to keep it. Once you start climbing, you belong to the mountain. Humans can never truly best Mother Nature, and this film leads to the question: Can anyone ever really conquer Mount Everest, or are they just surviving it? One thing I know for sure, this is one challenge I'll never face. I completely fine with observing Everest from a distance.

"There is competition between every person and this mountain. The last word always belongs to the mountain."

Film Friday - Deadpool

Deadpool

Okay, I've just been dying to see Deadpool for about forever and somehow screwed up and didn't preorder tickets. And everything for opening weekend was soldout. So, I've now settled for seeing it this coming weekend, am going to avoid spoilers by any means necessary, and preorder tickets ASAP to get the best damn seats available, smack-dab in the middle of the theater. Oh, you'd like a synopsis, an idea of what this movie is about? Well, yes, I shall post one, although it's hard to think about not hearing or seeing anything about this movie yet, because the hype surrounding it is through the roof.

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Synopsis:

Based upon Marvel Comics' most unconventional anti-hero, DEADPOOL tells the origin story of former Special Forces operative turned mercenary Wade Wilson, who after being subjected to a rogue experiment that leaves him with accelerated healing powers, adopts the alter ego Deadpool. Armed with his new abilities and a dark, twisted sense of humor, Deadpool hunts down the man who nearly destroyed his life. (C) Fox

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Trust me when I say this is going to be a freaking hilarious action movie. I can't wait to see it. And for those of you who still need some convincing, just check out this little trailer link, and you can join in the hype with the rest of us. Is it the weekend yet??

"Fast, funny, and gleefully profane, the fourth-wall-busting Deadpool subverts superhero film formula with wildly entertaining—and decidedly non-family-friendly—results." —RottenTomatoes Critics Consensus

Trailer Link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vN6DHB6bJc

And is it just me, or does Ryan Reynolds kinda sound like a superhero—or anti-hero—name? ;)


Update:

I've just seen Deadpool, and it's freaking awesome. The plot is a bit predictable, but the awesome cast, setting, and hilarious scenes make up for the not-so-surprising ending. Ryan Reynolds is the perfect Wade Wilson, and just know going into this movie that it has definitely earned its R-rating.

4 1/2 out of 5 Hysterically-Profane-Violent-Entertaining Stars

And the soundtrack has totally grown on me, especially Shoop by Salt-N-Pepa—so catchy!

Film Friday - The 5th Wave (Movie)

The 5th Wave

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Synopsis:

Desperate 16-year-old Cassie Sullivan tries to save her younger brother and survive in a world devastated by the waves of an alien invasion that has already decimated the population and knocked mankind back to the Stone Age.

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I knew after watching the trailer for The 5th Wave that it probably wouldn't get very good reviews. At this point, it's just another YA book adapted for the big screen, one among many, which is actually starting to get a bit tiring. However, I held out hope for this movie for two reasons, number one being that I liked the book well enough, and the second being that Chloe Grace Moretz is staring in it. She'll forever be HitGirl to me, and I always hope to see some of that badassery in her other films. Now, I should be clear, I have not yet seen this movie. I planned on it, but after seeing the reviews about it, I'm hesitant to waste the $12 to see it. 18% from RottenTomatoes critics was a bit lower than I expected (I thought it would be around 30%). It's actually the viewers percentage, 49, that really had me take pause. I think this is going to be one to wait to rent from the library. I'll save my money for a different movie.

I mean, this consensus does not looking promising at all:

"With unimpressive effects and plot points seemingly pieced together from previous 

dystopian YA sci-fi films, The 5th Wave ends up feeling like more of a limp, derivative 

wriggle." - Rotten Tomatoes Critics Consensus

Has anyone seen The 5th Wave yet? If so, did you like it? Did you read the book before watching the movie, how was the acting? Is it worth seeing? Let me know what you think!

Trailer Link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmxLybfGNC4

Film Friday Review - Fury

Fury

4 1/2 out of 5 Gut-Wrenching Stars

"Ideals are peaceful, history is violent."

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Synopsis:

April, 1945. As the Allies make their final push in the European Theatre, a battle-hardened army sergeant named Wardaddy (Brad Pitt) commands a Sherman tank and her five-man crew on a deadly mission behind enemy lines. Outnumbered and outgunned, and with a rookie soldier thrust into their platoon, Wardaddy and his men face overwhelming odds in their heroic attempts to strike at the heart of Nazi Germany. (C) Sony

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Holy crap. This movie. This freaking movie. I'm speechless. I don't even know how to accurately describe what I'm feeling after finishing this film, after those last major scenes. They were brutal, vicious, intense, raw, but also overflowing with courage. Fury goes into detail about the ramifications of war, and obliterates its audience with its exceptional, dark story. But it's only dark because it doesn't hold anything back, it doesn't pull its punches and it definitely goes over the line of what you think will happen. It's graphic, but honest, and that's what keeps the audience's eyes glued to the screen, no matter how much we may want to look away. 

I love the cast for this movie and the war nicknames they give each other. Brad Pitt is absolutely amazing in his role as Wardaddy, Logan Lerman accurately shows how quickly war can change a person, and Shia LaBeouf displays how important faith is during the darkest times. Michael Pena and Jon Bernthal also really get into the role of their characters, allowing for an amazing cast to come together and create a legendary story. The background music only enhances the intensity of the film, and those during the end credits really hammer home the finality of what's happened. Getting to follow a tank crew is really quite the journey. However, there are some problems I had with the last battle scene of the movie, simple obstacles that are added in to up the drama and action of the story, which are not that believable. I don't want to get into specifics (spoiler-free zone here) but if you watch the movie you'll know what I'm talking about.

Fury really drives home the ruthlessness and ramifications of war. It makes you understand where PTSD comes from. How do you get past living through something so terrible, assuming you even survive it in the first place? There is no middle ground, no gray area. It's black and white. You and the enemy. Kill or be killed. No inbetween. That's war. And war never ends quietly. 

"Best job I ever had."

Trailer Link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OGvZoIrXpg

Film Friday Review - Sisters

Today's Featured Friday is going to be about the movie Sisters.

Sisters 

4 1/2 out of 5 Hilarious Stars

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Synopsis:

When their parents place the family home on the market, siblings Maura (Amy Poehler) and Kate (Tina Fey) learn that they have one weekend to clean out the junk from their old bedroom. Unhappy with the news, the recently divorced Maura and her hotheaded sister make plans to throw one final bash to recapture their glory days with their former classmates. As the raging party begins to spiral out of control, the gals soon realize that there may not be a house left to sell once the dust settles.

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Amy Poehler and Tina Fey do not disappoint! They make a great team and really deliver in their newest movie together, titled Sisters. The premise isn't anything special, not really, but they turn it around in the best way, easily getting laughs from their viewers while also exploring the relationships between sisters, parents and children, mother and daughter, in a great way. I saw this movie with my sister, so of course we tried to figure out who would be who in the movie, but the main characters of Maura and Kate are very eccentric, so it was a bit hard to decide. Okay, I'm probably Maura, and my sister is Kate, haha. Anywho, I found myself laughing uncontrollably at some parts, and the rest of the theater was laughing right alongside me. The Ellis sisters know how to throw quite the party! 

Sisters is a laugh-your-ass-off movie, and one that you should definitely make time to see. I mean, it's Amy Poehler and Tina Fey, that should be incentive enough!

"Sisters' sharp blend of pathos and vulgarity, along with Tina Fey and Amy Poehler's effervescent chemistry, are more than enough to make up for the handful of laughs this coming-of-age comedy leaves on the table." - Rotten Tomatoes Critics Consensus 

Trailer Link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRnhEjP3R-c