Black Sea

TAKE 1: One Man’s Opinion

…because film is largely subjective

by Frederick William Springer III

Black Sea

Release Date:  23 January 2015                                                            Runtime:  115 Minutes              

Review Date:  22 January 2015                                                             Rating:  3 (of 6)

     The premise sounded intriguing:  A sunken WWII Nazi submarine filled with gold attracts a recovery mission wherein the crew of profiteers realize that their take will be larger if there are less people to share it with.

     Unfortunately, the story itself wasn't too exciting.  Bland even.  And none of the characters are too compelling.  Writer Dennis Kelly leaves me unimpressed.

     But should you decide to see it yourself, be prepared to listen closely as there are so many different accents going on here that it often can be difficult understanding their English.

Horrible Bosses 2

TAKE 1: One Man’s Opinion

…because film is largely subjective

by Frederick William Springer III

Horrible Bosses 2

Release Date:  26 November 2014                                                      Runtime:  108 Minutes              

Review Date:  13 January 2015                                                           Rating:  5 (of 6)

     If you're looking for an off the wall comedy, Horrible Bosses 2 may satisfy your appetite.  Though it feels like Charlie Day's Dale is only the slightest evolution of his Charlie Kelly in It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Jason Bateman's Nick a close facsimile of Michael Bluth in Arrested Development, the story and characters are fun nonetheless.

     (However, I am worried about Jennifer Aniston as her appearance here looks as though something has gone very wrong, whether it be some botched cosmetic work or a bad makeup artist.  I hope it isn't permanent.)

Gone Girl

TAKE 1: One Man’s Opinion

…because film is largely subjective

by Frederick William Springer III

Gone Girl

Release Date:  3 October 2014                                                           Runtime:  149 Minutes              

Review Date:  13 January 2015                                                          Rating:  5 (of 6)

     While I (partially) suspected the truth of the matter, Gone Girl had enough going on to keep you on your toes.  Though I would have personally liked a tidier ending, the story was well written (adapted by Gillian Flynn from her own novel bearing the same name)--the film seamlessly integrating several different perspectives, including those of the suspect, law enforcement and the victim--and well executed by the actors under David Fincher's direction.  All the performances were top-notch, but Rosamund Pike as Amy was especially well done.

Hunger Games: Mocking Jay-Part 1

TAKE 1: One Man’s Opinion

…because film is largely subjective

by Frederick William Springer III

Hunger Games:  Mocking Jay-Part 1

Release Date:  21 November 2014                                                      Runtime:  123 Minutes              

Review Date:  18 December 2014                                                       Rating:  5 (of 6)

      I'm not usually a fan of the corporate greed that leads a company to milk the last novel of a series by making 2 films based on it while every other previous entry is condensed into 1.  It was a complete failure, in my opinion, when done with the Harry Potter series, Part 1 of the Deathly Hallows two and a half hours of completely unnecessary exposition, the important elements capable of being more concise and included in Part 2 for one WHOLE movie. So it was a pleasant discovery to find that Hunger Games: Mockingjay-Part 1 was worthy of its own standalone picture.

     They kept with the same director from the last chapter and, though they hired a new batch of writers for the screenplay, the original author Suzanne Collins did the initial adaptation.  Much to her involvement I'm sure, Mockingjay seems to reasonably follow what happened in the novel.  And while I still would rather watch one supersized movie in one sitting than 2 viewings a year apart, I walked away more than satisfied with the final product.

 

Guardians of the Galaxy

TAKE 1: One Man’s Opinion

…because film is largely subjective

by Frederick William Springer III

 

Guardians of the Galaxy

Release Date:  1 August 2014                                                               Runtime:  121 Minutes              

Review Date:  16 December 2014                                                         Rating:  3 (of 6)

      While those that can't get enough of superhero films may bask in Guardians of the Galaxy, it failed to capture my interest.  Not that it was bad, per say, just didn't interest me in the least.  Which is too bad, because I've loved raccoons since I was a kid...

     On a side note, while I think Zoe Saldana is decent enough looking--she made an attractive Uhura--the green make-up job for Gamora made her pretty unappealing (despite the fact, it's worth noting, that green is my favorite color).  I don't know if it's meant for the whole "beauty is in the inside" sentiment or to convey that not all kick-ass warrior women have something going on in the looks department, but I thought it was a shame.  They could have gone more the route they did for Karen Gillian and her minor character of Nebula who was looking quite hot for an alien.  Just saying.

The Giver

TAKE 1: One Man’s Opinion

…because film is largely subjective

by Frederick William Springer III

The Giver

Release Date:  15 August 2014                                                          Runtime:  97 Minutes              

Review Date:  9 November 2014                                                       Rating:  5 (of 6)

     It's probably been 20 years since I read the book upon which the film is based, so I can't say with any certainty how closely The Giver is to the source material--there seemed to be some differences to my recollection--but as a movie it was solid.  As was the acting.

     (There even was an unexpected cameo, leaving me thinking, "Is that Taylor Swift?".  It was.)

 

As Above, So Below

TAKE 1: One Man’s Opinion

…because film is largely subjective

by Frederick William Springer III

As Above, So Below

Release Date:  29 August 2014                                                           Runtime:  93 Minutes              
Review Date:  9 November 2014                                                        Rating:  2 (of 6)

      A creepy movie set in the Parisian catacombs.  I was ready for a good horror flick, something I hadn't seen in sometime.  Unfortunately, when it comes to As Above, So Below, time keeps passing me by.

     What the trailer* both cleverly and deceptively hid was that this movie is all handheld (or headband held, 6 pin cameras in place in addition to a singular handheld).  That choice was a very poor one as the story was different and might have been somewhat entertaining if you could actually see it unfolding.  It doesn't work as a device either because, though this is supposed to be being recorded for a documentary, we know the lost cameras will never be recovered so how is it that we're viewing the footage from them? 

     Because of the God awful shaking, I'd be bestowing my first ever 1.  But I'll give the story a 3 and average it out to a more generous 2.  Either way, still not worth your time.

     *I went back and rewatched the trailer to be sure.  The clips are only seconds long and they chose the most steady, inserted freeze frames and added time lapses not in the movie to give the appearance of a regularly shot film with no mention at all that this was a "documentary" or any other indication that the viewer is in for shaky content from start to finish.  Shame on you Universal Pictures and Legendary Pictures!