My 2014 movie reviews
Intro: Oh, great a Lego movie this is going to be a shameless toy commercial. Don't take my word for it, look at Bionicle, that toy line came with a story. That story was adapted into novels, video games, and direct-to-video movies. Despite all of that it was discontinued or forgotten. This movie is going to be awful. I can't wait to hear IGN and Rotten Tomatoes reap this movie a new one.
After the movie came out.
Boy, do I feel stupid I mean considering the success of the Lego video games I should have seen this coming. Wait a minute! People despise Power Rangers and Barney for being cheesy, but they would eat this movie up for its cheesiness. What the fudge is going on here!?!
The Lego Movie: This movie is centered on a construction worker name Emmet who living his life. One day he's mistaken as the special and he's torn between two groups who want him. On top of that, he doesn't have the abilities of the special, so Emmet has to do what he can to protect his world.
This movie is a love letter to this toy line! The story doesn't sound special (no pun intended) but how it's told is what makes or breaks that story. Heck, you can argue that the story is a parody of the Matrix because it was told with charm. I'm impressed with how realistic the Legos look it's hard to tell if it is stop motion or CGI. The movie captures the creativity of using Legos and the nostalgia we had for them. It also makes fun of the Lego toy line like using the instructions, the Lego's limited movement and not having a lot of facial expressions. Not only that the movie pokes fun at the business side of Lego world. There is foreshadowing of why things play out the way they did in this movie. The theme of this movie is conformity vs individualism, it deals with the ups and downs of both ideas. The films also deal with creativity and teamwork.
Emmet is a typical construction worker who's happy all the time. His hero's journey shows that he has something to offer.
Waltz style is a tough woman without losing her femineity.
Vitruvius is the mentor figure.
Lord business (the main villain) is a ruthless dictator.
The rest of the characters are comic relief.
One of the many things that bugs me about this movie is that it threw shade at Bionicle. If you know the history of that toy line, you'll understand why this bothers me. Heck, the movie didn't even reference Knex. The jokes in this movie are hit or miss depending on the person. Batman got too much screen time in this movie compared to the other DC characters. Do I really have to explain why this is an issue for me?
Overall, this is one of those movies that will take you by surprise. If Legos have lost its popularity this movie will revive it.
Rating = Worth Seeing
Intro: The marketing team did this movie no favors by having this movie remind us of Spider-Man 3.
The Amazing Spider-Man 2: Peter Parker/Spider-Man has graduated high school and is now living his life. Things get complicated when a bad guy is on the loose, his relationship with Gwen is rocky and someone from his past shows up with some bad news. So, Peter has to sort things out before he can stop this new threat.
This fell short of being underrated. Sadly, people think this movie is as bad as Spider-Man 3 because this movie avoids making most of the same mistakes that movie made. The theme of this movie is abandonment; everyone feels abandoned by someone in some way. Time also plays a role in the movie too. This movie deals with internal conflicts instead of external ones. I like the way this movie opens with Spider-Man and part of the ending because it has payoff for one of the characters. This film has a lighter tone than the previous film.
Peter Parker/Spider-Man is torn in this movie by his personal life as far as his on-again-off-again relationship with Gwen, reconnecting with Harry, and seeking closure about his parents. As for Spider-Man, I like more this time around, his more heroic and sarcastic. I like the way he interacts with the public, he says and do things to make their day. Thank goodness he got a new suit. Does anyone else find it odd that he never mentioned Harry, considering Oscorp is a reminder of him? My gripe with him is that he could have been proactive in helping Harry.
There isn't much to say about Gwen because the movie doesn't do much with her besides complaining about Peter.
Aunt May has the same characterization as before despite having one tender scene with Peter. That's what bugs me about this character, that scene makes her look insecure. Don't get me wrong I understand where she's coming from but she's not seeing things from his point of view.
Harry Osborn is the best character in this movie! The reason why is because it's tragic to see how this character went from point a to point b. My issue with this character is that he parallels with Peter. This would have been meaningful if he had played a bigger role in the story.
Max Dillion/ Electro is a disposable bad guy who's a nut job. That's the problem with this character, he serves no purpose in the story.
What really bugs me about this movie is that it pulled an Iron Man 2 on us, you'll see what I mean when you watch the movie. This movie wasted Norman Osborn! Continuing the subplot about Peter's parents is pointless because A the opening of the movie showed us what happen to them and B we can guess why they left him behind. The movie also suffers from head-scratching moments, editing, rushed plot points and false advertisement.
In closing, this movie was a letdown because it has so many subplots and how the movie was structured, it doesn't feel like it's telling a story.
Rating = Average
Intro: Godzilla or Kaiju fans are going to kill me.
Godzilla 2014: The movie is about a Navy Bomb expert name Ford Brody reuniting with his family. That didn't last long when he gets caught up with his father trying to seek answers about what happened to them in the past. They get more than what they bargain for when they learn that mankind is in danger so they have to do what they can to protect their home.
This movie wasn't the best way to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Godzilla. Most of the film feels like an overextended teaser trailer. Whenever we get a glance at Godzilla or the monsters the movie cuts away. I know he doesn't get a lot of screen time, but the director could have used his limited screen time in a way where you don't forget you're watching a Godzilla movie. Of course, the human characters are the weakest link in this movie because most of them are not engaging. The movie seems to give more attention to other creatures than Godzilla himself.
The fight between Godzilla and the other creatures is lame! The color palette in this movie makes the film look bland and most of the film is shot at night. How can you have a Godzilla movie without his signature theme? This movie makes me want to give a backhanded compliment to the 98 film. You can say whatever you want about that movie at least that film had some entertainment value. This movie could have been better if the writers were creative with the material they have.
Joe Brody is a tortured character instead of him trying to heal from the past he's fixated on it. This creates tension between him and his son. My gripe with him is that he could have used more screen time.
Ford Brody is just the straight man in this movie. That's a shame because more could have been done with him.
Dr. Serizawa represents Monarch, an organization that studies Godzilla and creatures like him and the military advisor.
I like the opening credits because it reminds me of the other Godzilla movies. The first and last act is the best parts of the movie for me. I'm fond that this movie takes itself seriously because that's a way of paying homage to the film that started it all.
Despite how I feel about this movie it was a welcome return to this franchise in America. I would recommend this if you like these kinds of movies.
Rating = Rental
Intro: Hollywood should take notes from this movie the next time they want to make a video game movie.
Edge of Tomorrow: This movie is centered on a soldier name Maj. Cage who has never seen combat. He finally gets his chance when he is assigned to a suicide mission in a never-ending war against Alien invaders. After dying he discovers he's in a time loop with the help of a fellow soldier they have a chance to end the war once and for all.
This is the best video game movie which isn't saying much considering the competition. The reason why I said that is because the movie gives you the experience of watching someone playing a game without actually playing the game. We see the main character dying, learning from his mistakes and rage quitting. The movie manages to give us the video game experience without it being repetitive. This movie also provides comedy and it doesn't step on the toes of this being an action movie. There isn't much to say about the two main leads because the movie hasn't given them much development.
One of the problems with this movie is how the time loop works? We don't know anything about the mimics. (The aliens they are fighting.) The story could have used more meat. Overall, this is the most entertaining film I've seen this year. I would recommend it to Halo fans because this is the closest Halo movie they are going to get.
Rating = Worth seeing
Intro: There's always that one person who will ruin things for everyone. Dawn of the Plant of the apes: The movie takes place ten years after the events of the first film and the apes have formed a community under Ceaser's rule. The human race on the other hand is falling apart due to a virus that's affecting most of them. The humans run into them because they are looking for a power source in their area. Of course, this creates tension between the two groups to the point where the apes are provoked to attack the humans, so Ceaser has to keep them under control before their actions lead to war.
This movie is an upgraded version of the fifth movie in the original series! I was worried that a new director would screw up this movie thankfully that's not the case. The director gave us beautiful shots and scenes to give the story emotional weight. Speaking of the story it may be predictable but how it is told gives it nuance. For example, the tension between the two groups is not black and white. Plus, the two groups having conflict with each other is a never-ending struggle due to bias, unwilling to compromise and not being able to let go of the past. That's the theme of this movie fear, we see how destructive fear can be when we let it get the best of us. This movie continues to explore the question does intelligence separates humans from animals? The action scenes are outstanding!
Ceaser is a leader and father in this movie. Despite showing compassion for humans, he doesn't want anything to do with them. Due to that, he's not innocent when it comes to how things played out in this movie. You feel bad for him when he gets a reality check. There is a subplot of him fighting for his son's influence.
Dreyus is the leader of the human colony. He's willing to do whatever it takes to protect his people. He parallels well with Ceaser because of that.
Malcolm Is the voice of reason he trying to find common ground with the apes.
Koda is Ceaser's, right-hand man. He's not crazy about the humans on their territory given his history with them. That's what bugs me about this character, I understand why he feels the way he does about humans, but he's not making things better by coming off as antagonistic.
One of the problems with this movie is the human characters, they are the weakest part of the film for me because we don't get much from them beyond the surface. Speaking of humans, I wish Will Rodman was in this movie because he can help smooth things out between the two groups. Really the movie would have a different ending if the two groups had group therapy. There are also some head-scratching moments in the film.
In closing, this is a good follow-up that I would recommend to fans.
Rating = Worth Seeing
Intro: So Triple H can't play Thor but Batista can play Drax OK. Guardians of the Galaxy: This movie is about a space pirate name Peter Quill/Star-Lord getting caught in the crosshairs of bounty hunters who are after him for stealing an Orb. After they all get arrested they form an uneasy truce to get out of prison and sell the Orb. That becomes difficult when they learn what's inside the Orb and that Ronan wants it to destroy plants. So, Peter and the gang have to keep the Orb away from Ronan before it's too late. This is one of those movies that I consider overrated! This movie is heavy on comedy and light on the story. Speaking of the story the way the story is told is convoluted, I mean we have characters going back and forth about what to do with the Orb? I don't like the song that was played in the prison scene because it was out of place for me. Am I the only one who finds it odd that the aliens in this movie can speak English flawlessly? Don't get me started on the climax, the climax in the movie involves dancing. Yes! You heard me dancing. The movie introduces a character like we're suppose to know who he or she is but we barely in the movie. Since we're on the subject of characters I don't buy the dynamic between Peter and the bounty Hunters because all they do is talk about their tragic backstories for the most part. We do get scenes where some of them talk to each other about it, but you don't get the sense that there connecting because of it. Due to that, this ruined the dramatic tension in the movie. Peter Quill/Star-Lord is the voice of reason of the Guardians. What bugs me about him besides how hard he tries to be funny. It's that he doesn't seem affected by what happened to him as a child. Also, what's the point of him being a human character if he's not oblivious about being in space?
Groot is the muscle of the group. The only thing that bugs me about him is all he says is I am Groot.
I don't have much to say about Drax the destroyer, all we know about him is that he wants revenge on Ronan for killing his family. Also, he takes what people say literally, I'm surprised that people find this funny because when I use to do that, I get called retard. I'm sorry but I couldn't feel sorry for him because the movie didn't show us how much his family means to him. If the creators did that, I wouldn't mind so much that he did that stupid thing he did in the movie.
Gamora is just like Drax as far as taking things literally plus she has her own agenda for the orb. Despite that she's the noblest of the pack and her backstory is depressing.
Rocket is the standout character because he's the only one with personality.
Yondu (Peter Quill's mentor) is funny, mean and knows someone close to Peter. What annoys me about him is he has an arrow that he can control by whistling and the director made that seem like a serious thing instead of using it for comedy.
Ronan the accuser (Our main villain.) is a nut job; he wants to cleanse the galaxy by destroying certain plants. I wish we got more of his backstory.
Nebula is Ronan's ally and Gomora's sister. The only thing we know about her is she resents her father for what he did to her. The writers could have saved her for the sequel because she doesn't serve much of a purpose in this movie.
The only things I like about this movie it has amusing moments, how the movie uses most of the songs and the CGI look good. Overall, I don't consider this the best MCU movie, I would recommend this if you like space operas.
Rating = Rental
Intro: If this movie doesn’t make geek culture look cool, I don’t
know what well.
Big Hero 6: This movie is centered on a brilliant boy name Hiro who uses
his brain to do something constructive with the help of his older brother. That
was short-lived when something tragic happened and he learns that someone has
stolen his invention. So, he has to figure out who did it and why with the help
of his brother’s invention.
This is one of those movies that isn’t bad, but it didn’t
live up to the praise. What hurt this movie is the writing, the movie starts
being about one thing then it turns into something else. Because of that, we don’t
know what this movie is about. The big reveal in the movie would have worked if
it wasn’t lazy. The characters are fine, but the movie didn't use them well, I mean
they don’t add much to the story. Also, this group doesn’t have a straight man to
balance them out. For a movie that’s suppose to be a superhero movie, it doesn’t
feel like one. The villain is nothing to brag about, with that said he does parallel with Hiro. I wish the movie explores his pain because it's different for him or her.
Hiro is a bright boy who doesn't know what to do with his talent or how to deal with his pain.
Go Go is a confident and tough girl who keeps to herself and can be impatient.
Wasabi is the cautious one of the group.
Honey Lemon is outgoing and cheerful.
Fred is laidback and learns something about him that will
take you by surprise.
Baymax has joined the list of marketable characters. He's the comic relief character because of his ignorance of how to interact with people and the movie jokes about him being a balloon. Despite being a robot nurse, he's not bound by his programming he knows where to draw the line.
I like that this movie deals with the grieving process what's the point of Disney showing characters die in their movies and not the aftermath? Despite how I feel about the reveal in this movie it does play with my expectations. I'm fond of this movie's world because it combines western and Eastern cultures together. The movie shows how appealing science and robotics can be. The animation is excellent!
All in all, this is an OK movie. This could have been better with rewriters. I would recommend this if you like movies about a boy and a robot going on an adventure.
Rating = Rental

Intro: Is this a movie or a documentary?
Interstellar: The movie takes place sometime in the future where Earth is becoming uninhabitable. The people on earth can't grow crops, the air is unbreathable, and the weather is out of control. One day a farmer name Joseph Cooper discovers that NASA is still around, and they have a plan to save the earth's population that involves finding another plant for them to live on, NASA found three and they need Joseph to be their pilot so they can investigate them. That becomes complicated when time becomes a factor in finding a suitable plant, so the explorers have to figure out what to do before everyone on Earth dies.
I wish I can say this is the best Sci-fi movie of this year, however some things keeping it from reaching that height, I'll get into that later. I appreciate that the people on Earth are working together to try and save the planet instead of it being a dog-eat-dog world because I'm getting tired of seeing that. Plus, this makes you feel bad for them because they have to give up their ambitions to make the Earth stable. That's the theme of this movie instinct vs emotion the movie deals with different aspects of that theme. This movie also has twists and turns that took me by surprise and that help build suspense. There are references to 2001 A Space Odyssey in this movie and the visual effects look great. The way this movie handles time reminds me of DBZ as far as how gravity affects time.
One of the many problems I have with this movie is the pacing it feels slow and this movie being three hours long doesn't help either. I'm annoyed with what happened to one of the explorers, do I really have to explain why? This movie demands a lot of your attention, and there are no moments for us to unwind. I wish I knew how other people feel about the conditions of Earth besides Joseph because that could add more conflict in the movie. Speaking of Joseph, his son Tom got the shaft as far as giving the movie emotional weight. There are head-scratching moments toward the end of the movie. How space and time work can be confusing at times.
Overall, this is a good movie that could have been better if the director gave this movie entertainment value as well as being informative. If you like space exploration, then this is for you.
Rating = Worth Seeing