Movie

True Memoirs of an International Assassin (2016)

true-memoirs-of-an-international-assassin

True Memoirs of an International Assassin (2016)

Director:

Jeff Wadlow

Starring:

Kevin James

Kim Coates

Maurice Compte

Plot:

After a publisher changes a writer’s debut novel about a deadly assassin from fiction to nonfiction, the author finds himself thrust into the world of his lead character, and must take on the role of his character for his own survival.

Review:

I hadn’t heard anything about this movie, at least nothing that I could remember, until it showed up on my Netflix homepage. The blurb and the trailer were enough to get me to watch even though I’m not the biggest Kevin James fan. I was pleasantly surprised and ended up enjoying this.

The plot was silly but not to the point where it was ridiculous and unwatchable. There also wasn’t a ton of the stupid comedy that I associate James with so that made it even better for me.

I did find myself screaming at the screen when he met his publisher for the first time, but that was because it was all too believable and I didn’t want him to be taken advantage of.

By the end of the movie he’d changed but he hadn’t become the super assassin he’d written about, it was a believable change which I liked.

Honestly, I’d watch another movie like this in a heartbeat. It wasn’t amazing but it was fun, a nice fusion of action and comedy leaning more toward action.

4/5

Star Trek Beyond (2016)

star-trek-beyond

Star Trek Beyond (2016)

Director:

Justin Lin

Starring:

Chris Pine

Zacchary Quinto

Karl Urban

Simon Pegg

Plot:

The USS Enterprise crew explores the furthest reaches of uncharted space, where they encounter a new ruthless enemy who puts them and everything the Federation stands for to the test.

Review:

Of the three movies I rented from Red Box during a particularly ambitious visit this was my favorite. That’s not saying too much though since I chose some eh movies.

If you want a Sci-Fi action movie than this has got you covered. There are alien planets, fighting in space, fighting with ships, a massive city in space, a roguish captain, basically everything you need for a space opera. It’s like they had a check list of typical Space Opera tropes and checked all the boxes, which is fine and right now there isn’t much of that out there in movie form.

If you’re looking for a Star Trek movie focused on diplomacy and science, basically The Next Generation, then there’s isn’t nearly as much for you. There’s almost a sort of nod to that at the very beginning as though the writers were saying if they did that it would be boring and not worth watching. Whatever. To each their own.

I like the new Star Trek movies as long as I don’t think about the Star Trek series/episodes that I love. If I go into it thinking Sci-Fi Action I enjoy the movies a lot better, it’s only after when I start to think about it that the movies start to bug me and that’s only because they make me feel like I’m never going to get a movie like what I loved.

3.5/5

X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)

x-men-apocalypse

X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)

Director:

Bryan Singer

Starring:

James McAvoy

Michael Fassbender

Jennifer Lawrence

Plot:

After the re-emergence of the world’s first mutant, world-destroyer Apocalypse, the X-Men must unite to defeat his extinction level plan.

Review:

The X-Men movies have gotten to be about as confusing as the X-Men comics. With the last movie the timeline was changed so I guess the first movies no longer matter, so the fact that Mystic, Lawrence, was going to become bad is no longer true? Maybe? I’m not sure and I don’t know if she is either which makes the ending a bit weird.

It’s probably best to completely forget the movies that don’t have McAvoy and the others in them because who the hell knows where they come into play if at all.

X-Men Apocalypse was fun, though it bounced around a lot and I was never quite sure where we were time wise. Quicksilver, Evan Peters, was again my favorite part even though I’ve seen a gif of his main scene several times at this point.

The ending was pretty massive, destruction on a worldwide scale, so it will be interesting to see what happens in the next movie. However, this franchise barely registers with me now so it’s not something I’m dying to see.

3/5

Ghostbusters (2016)

ghostbusters-2016

Ghostbusters (2016)

Director:

Paul Feig

Starring:

Melissa McCarthy

Kristen Wiig

Kate McKinnon

Leslie Jones

Plot:

Following a ghost invasion of Manhattan, paranormal enthusiasts Erin Gilbert and Abby Yates, nuclear engineer Jillian Holtzmann, and subway worker Patty Tolan band together to stop the otherworldly threat.

Review:

Finally got around to watching this since I wasn’t able to see it in theaters. My husband is a huge fan of the first and had no desire watch and while I do love the first the idea of this was still appealing to me.

The beginning started off with promise but it quickly grew boring for me. McCarthy and Wiig were themselves as Ghostbusters and it honestly wasn’t that funny. McKinnon was either not crazy enough or too crazy, I’m not sure which. Jones was probably the only character that didn’t annoy me at any time during the movie, though I wish she’d pointed out more often just how weird the others were. The less said about Hemsworth’s character the better.

Looking for reviews and opinions on this movie was difficult, especially when talking with friends. People either felt it raped their childhood because no movie could ever compare to the first, or they acted like having an all-female cast was the worst idea ever or that it was just a money grab, or they thought it was amazing because it was an all-female cast. It was difficult to get an opinion on the movie that wasn’t clouded by a whole host of other things.

I wanted to like it because I like the actresses and I like the idea, but I didn’t find it funny, which made me sad. I thought the pacing was off at times and the continuity editing was 90s era WB bad. I really felt like this could have been so much better with just a bit more work.

I liked when it didn’t try and copy the original and could have done without the few call backs there were, though I do think it could have done with a montage in the middle to liven things up like the original.

It would take more time than I care to use to try and figure out what could have fixed the comedy for me, but every now and then I could see something better shine through which just makes me all the more disappointed.

2/5

Ip Man 3 (2015)

Ip Man 3

Ip Man 3 (2015)

Director:

Wilson Yip

Starring:

Donnie Yen

Lynn Hung

Jin Zhang

Mike Tyson

Plot:

When a band of brutal gangsters led by a crooked property developer make a play to take over the city, Master Ip is forced to take a stand.

Review:

It’s been a while since I watched the first Ip Man movies and all I really remember is that I liked them and that Donnie Yen was awesome.

Man I really hope they utilize him correctly in Rogue One. Please don’t screw that up.

Anyway, the last few fight scenes in this movie were great, the first ones were good as well just didn’t quiet do it for me. Maybe because Master Ip is supposed to be getting old but his punches didn’t have that much power, seemingly.

Didn’t like the story in this movie, it was way too emotional. I get that this is supposed to be about a real man’s life, but I could have done without the weepy story line. I don’t like crying when I watch an action movie.

I need to watch the other movies before I give any kind of order of preference, but more than likely this will be my least favorite.

3.5/5