american assassin

In Theaters September 2017 #AmericanAssassin AMERICAN ASSASSIN follows the rise of Mitch Rapp (Dylan O'Brien), a CIA black ops recruit under the instruction of Cold War veteran Stan Hurley (Michael Keaton). The pair is then enlisted by CIA Deputy Director Irene Kennedy (Sanaa Lathan) to investigate a wave of apparently random attacks on both military and civilian targets.

I know that the book series that this is adapting from has a lot of fans, but I have to ask, can this story get any more generic? I don't know how deep or complex the Mitch Rapp series of books goes, but how is this movie adaptation suppose to stand out when it comes off as being so derivative to what's already out there? Show me something that makes "American Assassin" stand out. Whether it be some amazingly shot action sequence, or some dramatic moments that defines the strength of the characters. I didn't really get any of that. 

As an action thriller, this fills in all the necessary check points for the genre. From the gritty origin story, the globe trotting settings, the competently made action sequences, or the predictable plot tropes, everything just feels adequately mediocre. Besides a few ridiculous plot decisions that took me out of the story, this movie is technically not horrible. I couldn't call it boring as there were some excitement, and I couldn't call it uninteresting as there were some intriguing things that happen. However, it was all just so bland. 

Dylan O'Brien does fit the role of a serious, no-nonsense, lives by his own rules, action hero, but unfortunately his character doesn't really offer that much more to stand out among other action heroes in other movies. He's a little too two dimensional for my taste. Michael Keaton is a good choice as the serious, no-nonsense, lives by his own rules, mentor of action heroes, but unfortunately his character also doesn't really offer that much more to stand out among other mentors of action heroes in other movies. There were moments Keaton gets to shine "being Michael Keaton," but it only made me wish that his character was instead the main focus of this movie. Yes, there are other supporting casts of characters, but they once again don't really stand out that much. 

Maybe the other books in the series would have made a more compelling movie than the one they adapted here? Maybe this is once again one of those cases where it might have been better if this series of novels were adapted as a TV series instead? Maybe they should have just made a better movie than what "American Assassin" turned out to be? 

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mother!

jennifer lawrence, javier bardem, ed harris and michelle pfeiffer star in mother!, directed by darren aronofsky. see it in theatres 9.15. a couple's relationship is tested when uninvited guests arrive at their home, disrupting their tranquil existence. from filmmaker darren aronofsky (black swan, requiem for a dream), mother!

"Mother!" isn't really a horror film. Although it kinda is in a way. It has a dark and foreboding tone, there are jump scares, as well as some disturbingly violent scenes, which they all admittedly fit the description of it being a horror film. So how about I just say that it definitely isn't a mainstream horror or scary movie? Either way, go into this without any preconception as much as possible, as it is easily the most WTF movie, and an experience unlike anything I've seen in 2017. It goes to some insane places. It's all just madness I tell you. Madness! 

I suppose the easiest non-spoilers description I could give this film is that it's mysterious and suspenseful. Right from the opening first minute, it immediately throws you into a sense of being on guard, and constantly guessing as to what's going to happen next. You're likely going to continue to be on guard, and to continue guessing all the way until the very end. Going through this film is like an endurance test of emotions, that ranges from bewilderment, anxiety, frustration, anger, to shock. 

One of the cinematic tricks that this movie does is that you see everything through Jennifer Lawrence's perspective. You either see what's happening over her shoulder, through her point of view, or from her facial reaction. Let's just say that it's a bit disorienting, and only adds to the sense of confusion as to what's going on. It does make it really easy to empathize with Jennifer Lawrence's character though. I should point out that Lawrence is amazing in her role here, and she brilliantly translates the emotional roller coaster that her character goes through on screen. 

This is one of those cinematic visionary works that is likely going to provoke a very divisive reaction for those who see it. Some might take issue with the themes of the movie, while others are just going to be confused as to what the theme is in the first place. Some might say that it's too opaque, while others might accuse it for being too obvious. Writer-Director Darren Aronofsky has given us an experience that demands to be talked about. Even if you watch this movie at face value as to what is just being shown on screen, you are still going to want to work through what it is you just witnessed. Fantastic work all around! 

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marjorie prime

In Select Theaters Beginning August 18, 2017 In the near future, a time of artificial intelligence: 86-year-old Marjorie (veteran actress Lois Smith)-a jumble of disparate, fading memories-has a handsome new companion (Jon Hamm) who looks like her deceased husband and is programmed to feed the story of her life back to her.

While watching this movie, I couldn't help but notice that there's a certain blandness to the look of it. The majority of the movie is set in one family room, and there only seems to be four primary actors. It's very very heavy on just them conversing with each other, with a lot of conversation about existentialism, memories, and mortality. It's almost like I was just watching a stage play put on film. Oh wait, this is a stage play put on film! 

There are many reasons why this story should have just stayed as a stage play, with the main reason being that there isn't anything too visual and dynamic about what happens on screen. Sure there are some edits that wouldn't work as well on a live stage, but it's hardly a reason to make this into a movie. With that said, there are a lot about this movie that I can appreciate anyway, and those are the conversations, plus the thematic structure of the narrative.

This movie does try things. It's ambitious with it's ideas. It goes places in terms of the way it plays with time. It says some thought provoking things that will tickle the philosophical side of your brain. It tries to keep you from falling asleep. Yes, I liked what this movie has to say, but wow can it get quite dry and slow moving. It's still all undeniably interesting, but I would have preferred it to be more interesting than what it presented itself to be. 

I could easily just discount "Marjorie Prime" as a movie that doesn't quite reach it's goals, but I would be lying. It had something to say, and it really did manage to say it well enough. The presentation is what I have the most issue with. Thankfully, the cast in this makes the movie worth checking out. Lois Smith, Geena Davis, Jon Hamm, and Tim Robbins, are all great in this. Fantastic work! I liked the ideas of the movie. I liked the cast of this movie a lot. So I guess I liked this movie after all, despite it's flaws? Sure. 

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the trip to spain

In theaters August 11th Directed by: Michael Winterbottom Starring: Steve Coogan, Rob Brydon After jaunts through northern England and Italy, Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon embark on another deliciously deadpan culinary road trip. This time around, the guys head to Spain to sample the best of the country's gastronomic offerings in between rounds of their hilariously off-the-cuff banter.

If you've seen the previous "The Trip" movies, starring actors / comedians Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon, then you know what to expect from "The Trip To Spain." It's more or less more of the same, with the story still focusing more on their banters, impersonations, and general commentaries about random topics. The fact that it is very similar with the previous entrees shouldn't be an issue if you are already a fan of these films. That is likely what you are watching this movie for after all. I will say that this entree is arguably the best of the three so far though. 

Comedy is subjective and all, so Coogan's and Brydon's sense of humor might not be for everybody. There were some bits that were laugh out loud hilarious, while there were some that were just tongue in cheek funny, and then there were some that just fell flat. Results may vary, but this movie makes all the attempts in the world to make you laugh, so I'll give it credit for it's tenacity. For example, I may like all the Roger Moore impersonations; and that happens quite often, but others may find them tiring; because it happens so often. 

On the other side of things, it's fantastic to see the locations the two travel to, which in this case is Spain. If you've ever wanted to travel to that country, this movie will act as a nice travelogue to give you some ideas on where to go. The other aspect of the premise are the food they get to eat. While there are clips and shots of the cooking and the food themselves, it unfortunately doesn't whet my appetite enough due to the fact they don't really focus on the dishes as much as I wished they would. Why won't they give me those mouth watering close ups?! Steve and Rob make some good jokes on the expense of the food they eat however, so there's that. 

Many movies can be criticized for being repetitive, but it's hard to really fault this for doing that exact thing. There are a few plot turns that attempt to alter the repetition, but the formula still stands. If there is one huge fault that this particular movie has however, is that it arguably runs far longer than it has to. There can after all be too much of a good thing with "The Trip To Spain." 

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i do until i don't

Get Tickets Now: http://tickets.idountilidontmovie.com An ensemble comedy following three couples stuck in the web of a jaded filmmaker looking to prove that marriage should be a seven-year contract with an option to renew. From the acclaimed director of In A World comes I Do...Until I Don't featuring an all-star cast of Lake Bell, Ed Helms, Mary Steenburgen, Paul Reiser, Wyatt Cenac, and Dolly Wells.

The whole premise for this movie is not a bad one. It brings up the question as to whether marriage life for these modern times is even sustainable. It looks into this querie with pessimistic and optimistic point of views, which gives the story it's driving narrative. It's not necessarily unique, nor does it add anything truly new to the topic, but it's not a bad one for this film to tackle. I just wished the film could have actually been up to the task of it's premise. 

Writer / Director / Actress Lake Bell seemed a little misguided in how she wanted to do this movie. With the different sets of characters involved in the story, it seems like it's suppose to be some sort of screwball comedy. Unfortunately it's just not that funny. There are many character moments of eccentricities, quirkiness, and awkwardness that are suppose to provide the humor and charm, but it just doesn't work. If it doesn't come off as obnoxious in some areas, it comes off as just too pretentious. 

What also doesn't help is the plot of having a documentary within the movie, which I think is the major flaw of this film. It's unnecessarily distracting, and only makes things more convoluted than it seems like it had to be. I get that it's suppose to add to the zaniness of it all, but it just didn't work on me. Although if it wasn't for the documentary angle, we wouldn't have gotten the silly joke that revolves around the name "Egon," which I actually found funny. 

Although I am pretty dismissive of "I Do... Until I Don't," I actually did like how the final act played out. It seems everything that I didn't like about it had to lead to what the eventual conclusion of the story was going to be. That may be so, but the good final scenes of the movie only made me think that the rest of the film could have been just as good as those. 

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a taxi driver

In Theaters August 11th In this powerful true story set in 1980, a down-on-his-luck taxi driver from Seoul is hired by a foreign journalist who wants to go to the town of Gwangju for the day. They arrive to find a city under siege by the military government, with the citizens, led by a determined group of college students, rising up to demand freedom.

If you are familiar with the real life event that was the Gwangju Uprising of 1980, then you know what you are getting into when watching this movie. For those of you who are unfamiliar with what happened, you are in for quite the history lesson here. This movie covers a very emotional and powerful event in South Korea's modern history, and I'm glad to say that this adaptation successfully captures that emotion and the significance of what happened. It absolutely resonates well with what is going on in the world today as well, which only adds that little bit of relatability that only bolster the feelings you might have for it. 

History lessons aside, the other main highlight as to why this is a phenomenal movie is the taxi driver himself named Kim, played by Song Kang-ho, who is absolutely incredible in the role. What makes the character work so well is that while he is a fictionalized version of the real taxi driver involved in the historical event, he still acts as the audience surrogate. He is an everyday man, flawed in many ways, and is hardly the ideal hero for this story. Kim's story arc throughout the movie is quite the journey and adventure though, and it'll become very hard not to root for the guy. The supporting cast themselves are also really good, but this is Song Kang-ho's movie through and through. 

As powerful and emotional the premise of the movie is, it's still an adaptation. I say that because it's easy to fault some of the direction in this movie, when it goes down plot turns that verges too much on the typical cliche plot tropes. There are simply some predictable and unbelievable turn of events that threatens to ruin the suspension of disbelief. For a lesser movie, those could ruin the good will you might have for the whole production, but the combination of the strong performances and powerful premise should help you ignore most of the movie's flaws. 

Filled with intrigue, and action sequences, "A Taxi Driver" is like a political adventure thriller that packs an emotional wallop that should stay with you well past the credits. It will likely make you look up with happened at Gwangju on that year, which should only make you appreciate what this movie has accomplished. Excellent film. A must see! 

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it

In Theaters September 8 http://itthemovie.com/ https://www.facebook.com/ITMovie/ https://www.instagram.com/itmovieofficial/ https://twitter.com/ITMovieOfficial New Line Cinema's horror thriller "IT," directed by Andrés Muschietti ("Mama"), is based on the hugely popular Stephen King novel of the same name, which has been terrifying readers for decades.

As the newest adaptation of Stephen King's novel of the same name, "It" has a lot to live up to. Not only is the novel a classic, It has to contend with the fact that the original mini-series; that had the great Tim Curry as Pennywise the dancing clown, is really well loved by many, and is known to have scared a lot of kids watching it. Does this 2017 version as directed by Andy Muschietti live up to the great expectations? I would say that yes it does. It most definitely does. If some kids weren't already scared of clowns before, they probably will be after seeing this. 

There's a lot to like about this adaptation. At 135 minutes, this movie moves at an impressive pace. Mixing in character developing moments back to back with the scary moments is done in such an efficient manner, that by the end of the whole thing, I just wanted more of this good stuff. I also appreciated the fact that while there are many really well created creepy and scary set pieces here, I don't think the movie went overboard with the scares. A jump scare here, an ominous moment there, or a little bit of bloody gore, this movie allowed the premise itself to provide the stuff of nightmares. Although there was one particular set piece that was uncomfortably dark and creepy, that it was arguably the most realistic scary scene of the whole thing. 

Bravo to Bill Skarsgard for giving us his own great take of Pennywise. Although some of his monstrous forms can be attributed with the help of CGI, Bill himself was fantastic in the role. The whole young cast itself is phenomenal here! Some times capturing the spirit of youth can be hard to translate on screen, but these talented kids pulled it off greatly. Jaeden Lieberher, Sophia Lillis, Finn Wolfhard, and the rest of the gang really carried this movie. I particular like the fact that just like kids in real life, they constantly keep teasing each other, which also helped add that welcome levity to this horror tale. 

Although there were just enough character development to allow you to have some attachment to these scharacters, I admit that there were a few that were given just a little bit more attention than the others. While the narrative itself was told well, there were some plot holes whose answers were just left to our imagination, and that may annoy some viewers. So besides the fact this may not be a completely perfect movie, "It" is still an absolute blast to watch. Fun and enjoyable entertainment, to go along with the idea of a killer clown that lives in the sewers. Good times! 

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patti cake$

Now Playing Get Tickets Now: https://fandan.co/2wiUXC0 In a coming-of-age story straight out of Jersey, an unlikely rapper finds her voice as a one-of-a-kind hip-hop legend in the making in PATTI CAKE$, the first feature film from acclaimed commercial and music-video director Geremy Jasper.

This is your typical struggling musician underdog tale, kinda like an "8-Mile" movie for large sized white girls from New Jersey. At least, that's the most general description you could give this film. Yes, the narrative is very familiar, and it goes through the motions and story beats that you expect it to go. It even has a competition at the end that needs to be won. There are moments that feel contrived, and there are questionable character motivations as well. All I've just said are reasons why somebody would not like this movie. However, just like the lead underdog character, you need to give this a chance. 

Truth be told, I was apprehensive about watching this, because it didn't seem like my kind of movie. I was wrong. This unsuspectingly became my kind of movie. A movie with a lot of heart, and grand but intimate moments that pulled on my heart strings. There are some big scenes that are either expected and telegraphed, or just come out of nowhere, but they just managed to grab my attention with a sort of personal honesty that absolutely justifies itself; despite some of those cliches and familiar plot tropes. This movie is filled with these big moments, and it's simply fantastic. 

It's a musical! Although it might not seem like one, the sheer amount of music, songs, and rap, that occur in this movie warrants the description of this being a musical. Speaking of which, the songs are good! The rap are good! You can argue cultural appropriation and what not, but I thoroughly enjoyed what I was listening to, and I was immediately compelled to listen to the official soundtrack as soon as the movie was over. Going back to the "8-Mile" comparison, there is even a song that is done in the same vein as Eminem's "Lose Yourself." 

"Patti Cake$" has the vision of Writer-Director Geremy Jasper to pull through with making this movie as good as it is, despite the odds against it. The whole supporting cast is great as well and contributed to the strength of this film. From Bridgett Everett, Siddharth Dhananjay, Mamoudou Athie, and even Cathy Moriarty. Of course, the one element that really carried this whole movie is Danielle Macdonald, who is simply amazing in the role of Patti, and probably the primary reason to see this film. 

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gook

Coming to theaters August 2017. Pre-Order on iTunes - Eli (Chon) and Daniel (So) are two Korean American brothers that run their late father's shoe store in a predominantly African American community of Los Angeles. These two brothers strike up a unique and unlikely friendship with an 11-year-old African American girl, Kamilla (Baker).

As an alternative point of view of one day during the Los Angeles Riots in 1992, "Gook" is able to bring up themes that are still very much relevant to this day. Being angry at the world. Hating without reason. Racial tensions. A disappointing government. Surviving on your own. Dreaming for something better. Looking for a place to belong. Cultural identity. These are a lot of things that many people can relate with, and writer / director Justin Chon channels all of that into the different characters in this story. 

The decision to team up the characters of a struggling Korean-American shoe salesman, with a young African-American girl that constantly ditches going to school, is a compelling premise. I admit that I also found the relationship between Eli and Kamilla, to be quite endearing and touching as well. We follow one whole day with the two characters and go through a roller coaster of events that is filled with simple moments of going through a car wash, confrontations with the cranky liquor store owner, and tense situations involving racially charged violence. The supporting characters played by David So, Sang Chon, and Curtiss Cook Jr, also significantly adds a lot of different dynamics to the story as well. 

A lot of the movie does focus on the themes of anger, hate, and frustration. There's a lot of yelling going on in this one, and a lot of cursing. Speaking of which, I'd like to specifically single out a sequence involving characters constantly yelling "F*** You" at each other, which I found to be pretty funny. So despite scenes of certain characters getting beat up, or the many intense arguing, there are still those moments of light-hearted levity, and thought-provoking conversational scenes, that help break the very serious tone and mood that this movie has. 

I was originally tempted to compare "Gook" to Kevin Smith's "Clerks." It's in black & white, and it follows some clerks through a series of different situations. However, instead of discussions that diverges into pop culture commentaries, this one segues into more grounded talks about race and about trying to get by in life. 

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what happened to monday

Seven sisters. One identity. What Happened To Monday is now streaming on Netflix. Watch What Happened to Monday: https://www.netflix.com/title/80146805 SUBSCRIBE: http://bit.ly/29qBUt7 About Netflix: Netflix is the world's leading Internet television network with over 100 million members in over 190 countries enjoying more than 125 million hours of TV shows and movies per day, including original series, documentaries and feature films. Members can watch as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, on nearly any Internet-connected screen.

Right from the opening exposition montage, I immediately liked the dystopian sci-fi premise of this movie. Global over-population. Mandatory one child rule. Oppressive regime. Seven identical sisters who are in hiding. Chase sequences. Shots fired. Things go boom. Yes, there are a lot of elements in this film that should feel familiar to most movie goers, but the combination of all of them has produced an entertaining sci-fi thriller anyway. 

Probably the main highlight of this movie is that Noomi Rapace has to play the seven identical sisters, and somehow manage to make them look and act different from each other (hello Tatiana Maslany). I give Rapace a lot of credit on pulling off acting as seven different characters in one movie, and it is for the most part an incredible feat. It's not completely convincing in some regards however, but it's good work nonetheless. Although it's not as demanding, I have to also give kudos to Clara Read for playing the younger version of the sisters. 

The story itself is enjoyable enough to keep you watching until the end of the movie. As a thriller, it keeps a decently good pace to keep the excitement going. As a mystery, it's just enough to keep you guessing, but you'll likely figure the whole thing out before the final act. I would say that while there is a derivative feel to the plot progression, it should still manage to surprise you with some scenes. If there are any real problems with the screenplay, it's the fact that there are some obvious plot conveniences, that threaten to ruin your suspension of disbelief. 

While "What Happened To Monday" has many moments of cleverness, as well as some very thought provoking themes, it unfortunately doesn't feel like it completely meets it's own ambitions. It gets really close, but not quite there. Either way, I had a lot of fun watching this, and that's usually what matters the most. 

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