Movie Review: In the Heart of the Sea

The first thing I want to say is sorry that I am late getting this review out. We have had a very busy week and sick family to take care of. Though that tale isn't too exciting, the true story that was the inspiration for the classic novel Moby Dick definitely was. That is what today's review is on, the movie "In the Heart of the Sea", which is based on that true story.

The movie starts off following author Herman Melville (played by Ben Whishaw) finding his way to the home of a cranky old drunk sailor, Thomas Nickerson (played by Brendon Gleeson) and his wife (played by Michelle Fairley). Thomas is the last remaining survivor from the old whaling ship called the Essex, and Herman wants to hear the true story of the wreck to gather information for a book he is writing. Thomas doesn't want to talk about it, even when Herman says how much he is paying to hear it, but his wife convinces him in the hopes that he if talks about the secrets he is holding on to, he will feel better about himself. Herman hands over the money to Thomas, who then begins his long tale.

The story begins by introducing us to Owen Chase (played by Chris Hemsworth), who is an experienced whaler looking forward to being Captain on his next voyage as promised by his employers. He has dreams of making life better for his wife Peggy (played by Charlotte Riley) and child that is on the way. As he sits down with his employers, he finds out that the Essex ship he was to command will instead be captained by George Pollard (played by Benjamin Walker), as his family are the investors whose money paid for the ship to be built. George is in the hall listening to Owen get upset over this, but he eventually agrees to go on the trip. Even though George's family has had a long history in the boat building business, this will be his first time commanding a ship, and this inexperience as a captain clashes with Owen's vast experience.

The story plot had a good pace and that is always good, and hard, to find for one based on a true story. Even though it doesn't say "Based on a true story", it was taken from the true story of the Essex ship. It made me want to go and read the books and history about that sea monster of a whale.

The acting was great, and more real than most other true story movies that I've seen. I was really wondering what horrors the actors put themselves through to realistically portray their characters. I give good credits to the make-up department in this as well. They made the actors look like they really were going through tough times out to sea.

Overall, I thought that this movie was a great one to watch, and I'd recommend it for anyone that likes a good adventure movie, and even more to those people who love history and/or true stories. For these reasons I would rate this movie 9/10.

Movie Review: Krampus

So this week’s movie is Krampus, which is a Christmas horror movie. Krampus is based on an old German legend about, who else, Krampus, who goes alongside Santa on Christmas to terrorize the naughty kids. It is a forgotten legend that is making its way back into modern culture. This is the kind of movie for people who prefer the scarier Halloween movies, but with a Christmas twist. But anyways, I hope you enjoy my review on Krampus.

The movie starts with a scene of a store during what appears to be Black Friday, where the store clerks are being trampled and the customers are fighting over the things they want to buy. Near the end of this is a Christmas play in the store, where Max (played by Emjay Anthony) and another kid are fighting on the stage while Sarah (played by Toni Collette) and Tom (played by Adam Scott) try to break up the fight, and Beck (played by Stefania LaVie Owen) records it on her phone. It then goes to Beth in her room talking to her boyfriend Derek (played by Leith Towers) over video chat. After talking for a little, Derek pulls out a drug pipe, saying he knows what he's going to do for Christmas, then Beth gets called downstairs.

We meet Omi (played Krista Stadler) baking cookies and other goodies for the Christmas season as the family fights around her. She speaks in German to Max and asks him if he has finished his letter yet. He asks her if she still believes and she says she does. As he works on his letter, Sarah's sister, Linda (played by Allison Tolman) arrives with her husband, Howard (played by David Koechner), and their 3 kids, Stevie (played by Lolo Owen), Jordan (played by Queenie Samuel), and Howie Jr (played by Maverick Flack). Along with the surprise of their Aunt Dorothy (played by Conchata Ferrell), this would be the most eventful Christmas they will ever have.

The story plot of the movie started a little slow, but not too bad. My mother and I both agree that it reminded us of a mash up between Gremlins and Child's Play, just with a Christmas theme to it. I will say I was disappointed at how little Krampus himself was featured in the movie, and when he was finally on screen, he was more like a version of the Ghost of Christmas Future and Santa, but with goat features. I think they could have done a lot more with him, and I hope that if they do sequels, they will fix this. The credits have a voice actor for Krampus, but I just couldn't find a point other than laughter and other noises where he talked. Not that all of this is bad, but it did make it a little more predictable than I would have liked.

The acting wasn't too bad, but it had a feeling of being conflicting of the movie. It seemed that they started to be funny but then stopped part way through. I am not sure if the script is to blame or the directing, but I don't think it was the actors because to have most of them with the same problem just does not seem likely. It was probably very hard on the actors but I think they did well in spite of it.

Overall I think it was a fun movie to go see and get a little pre-Christmas scare, and if you have kids that are being especially bad maybe take them to see this movie, if they are able to. However, for the reasons above I would rate this move 7.3/10

Movie Review: The Good Dinosaur

So for this week's movie I was able to go watch The Good Dinosaur. In the commercials the movie asks "What if the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs missed?". I had a different idea of what might have happened, but I liked this idea as well. But anyways, I hope you enjoy my review of The Good Dinosaur.

The movie starts with a view of the asteroid belt 65 million years ago, and a few of them banging into each other, sending one off into space. As we watch the asteroid hurl its way towards earth, we take a look at dinosaurs peacefully eating away. As flames start to engulf the rock, we watch it miss the earth, and all the dinosaurs look up to watch it fly past. That means the dinosaurs get to live another day.

We then skip ahead a few million years to see Poppa (voiced by Jeffrey Wright) walking through the forest to his home, where he and Momma (voiced by Frances McDormand) have made a farm to live off of. After working hard on planting their crops, it jumps forward a little bit to a point where the crops are very tall. Poppa is working on harvesting the crops when Momma comes over and says that it's time. They walk to their hut where three eggs are about to hatch, and our hero, Arlo (voiced by Raymond Ochoa), is born along with his sister Libby (voiced by Maleah Nipay-Padilla) and brother Buck (voiced by Marcus Scribner).

The story plot was well done, but it had a few elements that felt familiar to other Disney movies, such as the Lion King. A young animal learning his true worth after a devastating accident that killed his father. I'm not saying that it's bad, it's actually a nice, up to date version of one of my favorite movies, with T-Rex Ranchers thrown into the mix as well.

The voice acting was very good for the most part, but I thought that Raymond Ochoah didn't make Arlo sound very scared in some scenes. However, the rest of it was great voice acting on everyones part. I do have to mention though that Sam Elliott as Butch was a huge highlight to this movie. His voice really made the head T-Rex Rancher that much better.

Overall, the story plot had great continuous scenes, and the voice acting was almost always great, but I would have added a few things in place of others. Even though this probably would never have happened in real life, it was a good movie, and I would rate it 8.7/10.

Movie Review: Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2

So there has been a lot of hype for this movie, and now that the wait is over, I had the opportunity to go and watch it. Of course, in order to properly enjoy sequels like this you have to watch the previous movie/movies. So unless you have seen the other three movies, read the books or are fine with major spoilers, I recommend not reading my review yet. Thanks!

The movie starts right where part one of the two movies left off, where Katniss Everdeen (played by Jennifer Lawrence) is in a neck brace because Peeta (played by Josh Hutcherson) tried to strangle her to death. A nurse from District 13 takes off the neck brace and starts preforming vocal therapy with Katniss. After she is able to talk again, she goes to a viewing room so she can see Peeta in his holding cell while Primrose (played by Willow Shields) goes in and talks to him. Eventually, Peeta tells Prim to kill Katniss and that she is the problem with the world.

Later, Katniss requests to go to District 2 to perform a speech to the refugees. On the way there, she and Gale (played by Liam Hemsworth) begin talking, and then kiss each other. She then witnesses Gale and Beetee (played by Jeffery Right) talk about new weapons they are creating, including one that detonates, then waits for a little bit, then detonates again, killing the first respondents too. They arrive in District 2 where Commander Paylor (played by Patina Miller) mentions that they are having a hard time getting the people out of "The Nut". Gale suggests blowing up the mountains beside it to block the entrances, but Katniss says that the survivors would need a way out.

The acting in this movie I feel was better than the acting in the other three movies, even though this movie and Mockingjay Part 1 were filmed at the same time. It could be the fact that this movie has a lot more emotional scenes than in the other movies, or it could be that this movie was suspenseful with the action scenes, making them a bit more worth watching. But I think it was that the characters they were playing didn't have to hide how they felt about the situation anymore, it was more realistic and therefore easier for the actors to work with.

The story plot was, in my eyes, a mix of Catching Fire and Mockingjay Part 1. However, even with this, it was a very good story plot. It was smart of them to use Katniss with her struggles and need for peace as a symbol of what the country was going through. It was good to walk through it in her eyes. The end was definitely my favourite part because by showing what happened with her, it showed how the rest of the country may have been feeling as well. I would tell more but unless you have read the books (which I have not) it would give too much away. 

I really liked what they did with the CGI graphics as well. I could tell what was CGI and what wasn't, but it was almost lifelike in terms on how they looked.

Overall, the movie definitely exceeded my expectations, in the acting, the story plot and the CGI. It's a great movie altogether, but will not make much sense unless you have read the books or seen the other movies. So for these reasons I would rate this movie 9.2/10.

Movie Review: Woodlawn

The movie this week is actually one that was originally released in October, but my theater only just now received it. It is a sports and religion movie based on the true story of what happened in Woodlawn High School back in 1973.

The movie starts with a not so brief history of the Birmingham, Alabama bombings and the racial "problems" there. The violence leads into the first time, through government mandate, that black students attend Woodlawn High School. We briefly meet Hank (played by Sean Astin) as he prepares to head to this school on the first of many historic days.

We then find us following Tony Nathan (played by Caleb Castelle) running along the road to school, while being followed by his father in a truck. He walks through the school and soon we find him sitting in the gym with a few other fellow black students and a lot of white ones who are on the football team. Coach Tandy Gerelds (played by Nic Bishop) comes in and says to everyone that he knows how angry everyone is about the situation, including him, but to use that to win.

This was a very interesting movie to watch. As I am not a huge sports fan, it is not my first choice to watch a movie about sports. It also makes me a little hesitant to watch a sports movie that is also filled with a strong religion base to it because those are really a hit and miss type of genre. Most times you find misses, but to my viewing pleasure for the most part, this was a hit.

The story plot with the very real struggle of segregation and how the characters used skill and faith to overcome all of this is inspiring. It had a good balance between the sports aspect and religious base until the end. This is where I felt it was preachy and should have left some of it out because it took away from the real feel of the movie. I think the message would have been stronger if the end didn't make the movie feel like a 2 hour convergent advertisement.

I was impressed with the acting in the movie for the most part as well. Caleb Castille and Nic Bishop really gave their characters depth and understanding for the struggles they were going through. I did have a problem with Sean Astin at some points though. I just really had a tough time believing him to be a preacher. I think he came more alive when his character interacted in other ways, like cheering on the football team.

Overall I think the movie is worth seeing, especially if you love true stories and watching the way we humans overcome problems like racism. I would rate this movie 7.6/10 only because of the over preaching at the end and my disappointment in Sean Astin's acting.

Movie Review: The Peanuts Movie

This week I had the choice of going to the new James Bond movie or watching The Peanuts Movie. I decided to go to this movie because I used to watch one of the Christmas specials almost every year, and thought that this would be a great movie to watch from just watching the commercials. So, I hope you enjoy my review of The Peanuts Movie.

The movie starts by going through each of the houses of the kids from the comics, ending with Charlie Brown's House. Sally Brown (voiced by Mariel Sheets) answers the ringing phone and finds out that, due to the snow, there was no school that day. All the other kids are gathered up in front of Charlie Brown's house where they call him to come out and play, but meanwhile, Charlie Brown (voiced by Noah Schnapp) is just getting his winter stuff on. After getting outside and noticing that everyone else has left already, he grabs his kite and decides to try and fly it since the kite-eating tree is in hibernation. Down at the frozen lake, everyone else is playing hockey or figure skating when Charlie Brown starts to fly his kite, then the string gets caught around his feet. He stops in front of Linus (voiced by Alex Garfin), but quickly gets pulled away by his kite, running over Lucy (voiced by Hadley Belle Miller) and getting the kite stuck in the kite-eating tree.

After they all get back up, they notice a moving truck pulling up to the house across the street from Charlie Brown. Everyone starts thinking about what the new kid would be like, but Charlie Brown just hopes that they have never heard of him. Then, the snowball that he was standing on rolled out from under his feet, causing Charlie Brown to knock over the entire fence.

The movie actually surprised me by staying true to the original story created by Charles M. Shultz, and the characters we have come to know and love. I really liked how they brought in hints of our holiday favorites, without actually bringing them in, making this movie its own story. I think the best part of the movie were the words that were said about why Charlie Brown is a really beloved character around the world.

I wasn't sure how the CGI animation would work with our favorite characters, but again I was surprised. It was nice to have a third dimensional aspect to them, and it actually helped bring them to life on the big screen. I also like the occasional touch of original artwork in the movie.

The voice acting was great, and the people who voiced the characters made them feel almost real. It almost made me feel like the characters had real emotions, more than just what they had in the movie.

Overall, I think that, honestly, this is the best family film of the year, even with all the other ones I have reviewed. It's great for those who know the original comic strip, and for those who might have just been introduced to the Peanuts franchise. It's also a great movie to watch if you have only watched the This really is a great movie for everyone to enjoy, and for these reasons I would rate this movie 9.6/10.

Movie Review: The Last Witch Hunter

So this Saturday is Halloween, and I'm excited. Not just for the costumes and candy, but for more movie reviews. This week's movie is The Last Witch Hunter, but I also had the choice of the new Paranormal Activity. I might be doing Paranormal Activity: Ghost Dimension for my next review if there are no others within my age ratings. But anyways, I hope you enjoy my review of The Last Witch Hunter.

The movie starts 800 years ago where a group of witch hunters led by Kaulder (played by Vin Diesel) called the Ax and Cross are heading to a giant tree to kill the Witch Queen (played by Julie Engelbrecht). After a motivating speech, the team goes towards the tree with their weapons drawn. The Ax and Cross find the Witch Queen in the tree, who quickly kills about half the men with her magic, and traps the other half, again with magic. Kaulder escapes by falling down a hole, and finding the Witch Queen in the spot she escaped to. The two then have a fight to the death, with Kaulder wielding a flaming sword. When Kaulder stabs the Queen with his flaming sword, she curses him with eternal life as she, and everything else, burns around him.

800 years later, in the present, we find Kaulder sitting in a plane, with a really bad storm in the flight path. He blows on the window to reveal a marking which symbolizes that there is magic nearby. He gets up and goes to the back of the plane to find a young witch with runes. The runes control the weather when together, and the witch had just tossed them into her bag. Kaulder then has to separate the runes to end the storm, which he does.

The story plot was very intriguing, but seemed more like a pilot to a new TV show than a major motion picture. Could be because they're starting a new franchise with Vin Diesel. But other than that, I really liked the multiple plot twists. The movie might have been predictable, if it weren't for these twists.

The acting was very good, but Vin Diesel was more comfortable to watch in Furious 7 than this movie. It might take him a sequel or two to have the same feeling of authenticity as his other franchise, but still really good. The support actors really did make the movie even more enjoyable and helped bring it to life. I really enjoyed Rose Leslie in her portrayal of Chloe, the witch who works with Kaulder later on in the movie, and Michael Caine, who played the 36th Dolan.

Overall, the movie was good if you wanted a TV show pilot, but a little lacking when it comes to a blockbuster movie. Good acting and plot with twists are the reasons I would rate this movie 7.6/10.