Oz the Great And Powerful

Visually it's amazing. Eye popping. And the acting/storyline is superb. There are A FEW scenes where you can tell it's a blue screen/CGI but overrall it's amazing.

Definitely not your kids' "The Wizard of Oz." Nothing really "adult" happens but when it's scary it's SCARY. It doesn't totally explain why certain people are...well I can't explain it without giving plot away. But it's very similar to TWOO plot let's just say.

Check this out if you are a fan of the original or even if you aren't. You won't be disappointed, but just don't think it will blow your mind or win a TON of Oscars.

My one complaint: Rachel Weisz and Mila Kunis play sisters yet Rachel never loses her British accent. Sorry minor detail, but still annoying.

Jack the Giant Slayer

 When I saw the preview at the time I was watching "Once Upon A Time" that featured a Jack and the Beanstalk storyline. I thought it looked interesting.

Then I heard JLaw and Nicholas Hoult (star of Jack the Giant Slayer) broke up and I was torn. Support my future bestie JLaw or go see a movie I was interested in. Shhh don't tell JLaw but I saw it today. AND I LOVED IT!

SOME of the graphics are apparent in one or two scenes, but I walked out loving this movie. Towards the middle there's a Janet Jackson "Miss You Much" chair scene moment where you're like "That's the end? NO!" And the movie continues.

Everyone in this film is perfectly cast. The script was good. There wasn't that moment when I wanted to yell at the screen cuz someone did something stupid. I loved at the end how it tied to the present too :)

I think it's safe to say Bryan Singer is back in form! And Christopher McQuarrie (who wrote the Oscar winning script "Usual Suspects") was one of the contributing writers. 

Romance. Action-Adventure. Fantasy. And tiny bit of Comedy. This movie has everything. Fun for kids, but good enough for adults. Nicholas Hoult will be a household name if you don't remember him from "About A Boy."

The Bourne Legacy

Things go wrong for Jeremy Renner (wipes drool) as Aaron Cross who's sent on a training mission for Treadstone and becomes the target.

Like my review of "Warm Bodies" the storyline sounds original but the execution was handled poorly. In this instance it feels like a mash-up of all the other Bourne movies and spy/action movies. I was disappointed because Jeremy is a TWO TIME Oscar nominee. He was in "The Avengers"....how could this movie be bad?

It was confusing. And when it wasn't confusing it was repetitive. One part where he was jumping trees ala "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon." I cannot think of one original thing about this movie. You get 10 points if you name the movie where the person removes a tracking chip from their body...too many to list? MY POINT EXACTLY! And don't get me started on the pack of wolves in the snowy woods. UGH!

I wanted so badly to like this movie, but alas I simply could not.

 

Warm Bodies

 A zombie falls in love with a human and this triggers his heart/blood pumping as well as him being alive. Other zombies witnessing the love begin to get their heart/blood pumping as well effectively curing zombie-ism

That sounds like a great movie right. Original! And very cleverly written ONLY the execution was subpar. How/why he falls for her is crap. And her reaction initially was crap. I don't want to give it away, but this is one of those movies you'll be glad you saw. You probably won't see it again because of those major things, but still glad you viewed it once.

Identity Thief

 

 One of the funniest movies I've seen in a long time from start to finish. If Melissa McCarthy doesn't get an Oscar nod for THIS movie over "Bridesmaids" the voters are insane. She was funny from beginning to end. 

The storyline is simple a man is scammed out of his personal information, and his identity is stolen by a PRO! My only caveat is the subplot of people chasing her. Was a little out there for me and really distracted from the main story. But she and Jason Bateman are gold together.

The thing about Jason Bateman is that he's been around A LONG TIME! Since the 80's first as a TV star, then when he tried and failed as a movie star he waited and came back. And Melissa is just amazing. I remember seeing her in "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle" as a neighbor in the outtakes. I thought she was great; kept rewinding her scene. Now she's paid her dues.

Sometimes when a person goes from obscurity to fame they get involved with bad movies (I'm talking to you Halle Berry). Yet Melissa LOSING the Oscar she's gotten more and more amazing with every role.And her movies are good.

Check this one out. WINNER!

Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters

 

I went into expecting hokie pokie and got a little bit above that. 

Yes it's Hansel & Gretel...as grown Witch Hunters, but the story makes sense. They almost were eaten by a witch so why wouldn't they hunt them?

The effects were cool, but I was rooting for Famke Janssen when I saw her as the main baddie. I love her. The thing I really love about the movie is that it's not the same old thing recycled. 

If you want pure popcorn fluff check this movie out.