Don Jon (2013) review

Don Jon (2013)

90 min

IMDB & Rotten Tomatoes 81%

Being a big fan of Joseph Gordon-Levitt, I felt it was duty to watch this movie. That and it looked like it had potential. It seemed like it would be a battle of the sexes and their different views on relationships colliding.

Actors: Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Jon "Don Jon" Martello Jr., Scarlett Johansson as Barbara Sugarman, Julianne Moore as Esther, Tony Danza as Jon Martello Sr., Brie Larson as Monica Martello, Glenne Headly as Angela Martello, and many, many more

Director: Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Writer: Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Genre: Drama & Comedy

Movie Release Date: September 27, 2013

DVD Release Date: December 31, 2013

This movie is about Jon Martello, who is nicknamed Don Jon by his friends because of his ability to pick up women. None of these women compares to the bliss that he gets from watching pornography though. After meeting Barbara Sugarman, he tries to build a relationship with her, but the two struggle greatly with their individual ideals. This movie was a difficult watch for me. I’m definitely not a fan of all the random cuts with porn in them. That was just something I wasn’t prepared for.

This movie does have quite a good message to it though. It tackles both women stereotypes and men stereotypes. The longer the movie went on, the more I ended up liking it. The ending is quite lovely, and I really wasn’t expecting it. So it did end up surprising me by the end of the whole thing.

Overall, I was surprised by this movie. I’m not going to lie and say it is a movie that I loved, but I’m not mad that I watched it. If this movie was a book, I would have probably enjoyed it more. This is a movie for those who are a little bit older, because it is quite a smart movie. It isn’t like a cheesy chick flick, comedy relief movie, or an action pack thriller. It is a movie that makes you think. My favorite part/character is probably Jon’s sister. She literally spends like every scene on her phone like she is disconnected from the family, but out of nowhere, she has the most epic line towards the end of the movie. All of the nudity scenes were rather annoying to me. Let me know your favorite and least favorite bits of this movie.

Hope you have a dazzling day!

For these images and more, go HERE!

Kick-Ass 2 (2013) review

Kick-Ass 2 (2013)

103 min

IMDB & Rotten Tomatoes 29%

After having loved the first Kick-Ass, I knew I was going to eventually need to see the second one. The gore, humor, and style of super heroes made the first movie so epic. Needless to say, I was super stoked about a sequel!

Actors: Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Dave Lizewski/Kick-Ass, Chloe Grace Moretz as Mindy Macready/Hit Girl, Christopher Mintz-Plasse as Chris D'Amico/The Motherfucker, Jim Carrey as Colonel Stars and Stripes, John Leguizamo as Javier, Donald Faison as Dr. Gravity, and many, many more

Director: Jeff Wadlow

Writers: Jeff Wadlow for screenplay; Mark Millar and John Romita Jr for comic book

Genre: Superhero, Action, Adventure, & Comedy

Movie Release Date: August 16, 2013

DVD Release Date: December 17, 2013

This movie is the follow up of the first Kick-Ass. It shows the impact that Kick-Ass had on the community and all the new super heroes popping up due to his actions. There is of course still Chris D’Amico, and his plans to take revenge on Kick-Ass.

I have some problems with this movie. The first movie was super awesome, and I really enjoyed it. There was this odd ironic comedy and all the gory bits. To me, those were the parts of the first one that I just loved! I didn’t get as much of that in the second one though.

The fight scenes weren’t enough. There were always so many characters in each fight scene that it was hard to really focus on any one spot. This meant all those gory parts weren’t a focal point like they were in the first one. There was also a lot less action in this movie. I didn’t really care to follow the two characters into high school life, and while parts of it were funny, I would have been okay if those parts hadn’t been in the movie. I get they were trying to give depth to the characters and show their lives in their non-superhero setting, but those moments just didn’t work for me.

A character that bothered me was Colonel Stars and Stripes. Normally, I am a fan of scenery chewing, but I didn’t like Jim Carrey’s version of it with this character. *Spoiler ALERT* His character died, and there were no tears or feelings of sadness from me. I was actually happy to have the character gone.

There was one character I did really like. That was Mother Russia. The character was just blown out of proportion, and it felt like a proper mockery of the stereotypes you can see with some superheroes. Plus she kicked some serious ass. There is a moment in the movie that she literally takes out like five cop cars, and all by herself. She was as badass as they come.

A small detail within the movie that I rather enjoyed was little boxes on the screen that would say “Later that day”. The boxes and words reminded me of the things that you would see when you read a comic. It is nice to see them paying homage to where the movie came from.

Overall, I wasn’t all that pleased with this movie. There were moments I enjoyed, but the things that made the first movie great weren’t in the second movie enough. The ending also bothered me greatly. I just don’t understand why the Kick-Ass character is talking about how it’s like the end of Kick-Ass yet there is a new and improved Kick-Ass mask sitting in front of him. Just felt a little weird. So even though I loved the first movie, I honestly would have been okay with not seeing the second one. Let me know how you felt about this movie though, do you think there were any redeeming qualities in it or were you like me left wanting more?

Hope you have a kick-ass day!

For these images and more, go HERE!

I, Frankenstein (2014) review

I, Frankenstein (2014)

IMDB & Rotten Tomatoes

After watching the previews just once, I knew this was a movie I was going to want to see. It looked like it had awesome action, and a new interesting storyline I've never heard of. I am a big fan of taking old classics (like Frankenstein) and giving it a new look and feel. Much like The Brothers Grimm and Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters did. 

Actors: Aaron Eckhart as Adam Frankenstein, Bill Nighy as Wessex/Prince Naberius, Yvonne Strahovski as Terra, Miranda Otto as Leonore, Jai Courtney as Gideon, Socratis Otto as Zuriel, and many more

Director: Stuart Beattie

Writers: Stuart Beatti for screen play; Kevin Grevioux and Stuart Beatti for screen story; Kevin Grevioux for Darkstorm Studios graphic novel; and Mary Shelley for characters

Genre: Action, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Horror, Mystery & Suspense

Movie Release Date: January 24, 2014

DVD Release Date: not yet mentioned

This movie reveals the battle between the gargolyes sent by Michael to earth and the demons commanded by Prince Naberius. All the while, Frankenstein’s “monster” tries to find his place within this battle and make sense of his existence and past. From what I do know about the original Frankenstein story, there are certain details that they have changed a bit. I still enjoyed the original feel when compared to some other movies right now.

I think Aaron Eckhart was a great choice for Adam. I love Bill Nighy because he is just so much fun to watch. Miranda Otto is also a fun character in the movie who I think does quite well balancing being posed like a queen but also struggle emotionally with the tough decisions at hand.

The settings for the two main bases for the different groups within the movie were super grand and epic. They were super cool and made me want to join up to see these places! There were, however, some pan shots that look a little poor in the CGI department. The rest of the CGI work I think was nicely done. I quite liked the transformations done on both sides. They were well thought out so that they didn't look silly or super animated. 

There is a need to admit to a few cheesy cinema sins (or cliches). A few times I found myself wondering why a character was doing something. There was one point that a character had a weapon on him, but insisted on breaking glass to get a fire ax. Just seemed a little silly to me. There was also the every-bad-guy-wearing-the-same-outfit cliche, but my favorite was problem the use of walking-away-in-slow-motion-while-fire-is-happening cliche.

Overall, I liked this movie. I actually watched it in Real 3D, and I am glad I did. The 3D wasn't overly done like some movies have been doing as of late. It just added to the cinema experience. It was so beautifully done to make things look more realistic. The fighting scenes are super epic and awesome! Though, the final fight is a little of a let down. I will definitely  be buying this on DVD and watching it again and again. My favorite parts were watching the gargoyles in action! (I watched the cartoon series growing up so it caused a little nostalgia for me...), and my least favorite part was all the jumping through glass. Seemed like a character went through a window every few scenes. Let me know yours!

(You may have noticed that one of the werewolves (or lycans) from Underworld is in this movie; that is the original creator of the I, Frankenstein graphic novel! Kevin Grevioux!)

If you'd like to read the original Frankestein by Mary SHelley here is a LINK.
I couldn't find any links for the original graphic novel, but I did find a prequel series: LINK

These images and more can be found HERE.

Linger (Wolves of Mercy Falls #2) by Maggie Stiefvater review

Linger (Wolves of Mercy Falls #2)

Maggie Stiefvater

Linger is a fantasy, werewolf, teen fiction, drama, and love story which was released May 1, 2011. It is the second of a trilogy called Wolves of Mercy Falls. This book picks up the story of Sam and Grace from the previous book while also following Isabel and a brand new character named Cole. All four continue to learn about the wolfs and events happening with each. 

The characters begin to change within the series, and not like bad change. It is more like they develop and grow, but in a believable way. It was rather odd going from only reading Sam and Grace's point of view to all four of their perspectives. I was surprised by Isabel in the first book and I continue to be surprised by her. She is slowly working her way towards being a major player in this game which I'm excited for. I did find myself absolutely hating Cole; he did bring a new side to the storyline and added depth to the plot. He was just a big jerk though, so he is a character you love to hate. Even better, this series Grace's parents manage to make you hate them even more which I really didn't think would be possible!

Normally, I find with any book series that each book has a similar overall tone while reading. Like the Harry Potter series, the whole thing was about love and friendship, and the power the two had. The first book of the Wolves of Mercy Falls was around curiosity and acceptance, but the second one feels darker. There was so many difficult things happening to the characters, and it felt like at any point at least one of the characters was in the midst of breaking down. This change in tone was nice though, because it makes the plot feel so much deeper. I also appreciated the use of science with the wolves. It seems often when there is mythology or mythical creatures in a series, everyone just accepts things for what they are. There is no real reasoning behind them that is a proper explanation. This series seems to be doing a better job answering the questions with solid reasoning.

Overall, I am really loving this series. It is just enough drama and love story and mythology that it is perfectly rounded. It is different than most other mythology series I've read, and it does a different take on werewolves. While I wasn't completely pulled into the first book, the second one has definitely gotten my attention. I would suggest this series to teens and adults, but probably not the elderly. If you are a stickler for old school mythology, this series will probably bother you. Another nifty feature in this book is that the font is all in green! which in certain lighting makes for a hard read. So read in a well lit area!

If you'd like to read this book or the series, you can buy it or them here:

Linger from Amazon

Shiver Trilogy from Amazon

Linger from Barnes and Noble

Shiver Trilogy from Barnes and Noble

 More information about the series can be found HERE

(This is also where the images shown came from)

Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters (2013) review

Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters (2013)

IMDB & Rotten Tomatoes 40%

106 minutes of run time

This is a series that I keep meaning to read, but haven’t gotten around to doing so. I enjoy mythology so of course, I’ve been keeping up with Percy Jackson.

Actors: Logan Lerman as Percy Jackson, Alexandra Daddario as Annabeth, Brandon T. Jackson as Grover, Nathan Fillion as Hermes, Jake Abel as Luke, Anthony Head as Chiron, Mary Birdsong as Gray Sister #1, Yvette Nicole Brown as Gray Sister #2, Missi Pyle as Gray Sister #3, Douglas Smith as Tyson, Paloma Kwiatkowski as Thalia, Leven Rambin as Clarisse, and Stanley Tucci as Mr. D, and many more

Director: Thor Freudenthal

Writer: Marc Guggenheim

Genre: Drama, Action & Adventure, Science Fiction & Fantasy

Movie Release Date: August 7, 2013

DVD Release Date: December 17, 2013

This movie picks up the story of Percy Jackson as he journeys to fulfill his destiny. The journey specifically revolves around the Golden Fleece. I did, however, find the plot to be extra predictable.  I haven’t read the book series so I’m not sure if the actual storyline is super predictable or if the movie just doesn’t do the book enough justice.

At first, I was excited for this movie. It wasn't as good as the first one was though. It ran kind of oddly, and didn’t feel smooth at all. There is also a weird collage feel to the whole movie. They were trying to give you background on characters and introducing new characters, plus there was till the quest for the Golden Fleece.All these elements just made for a muddied kind of plot.

Overall, I am not thrilled about this movie, but I think it was a decent waste of time. With each Percy movie that I watch, I just want to read the books that much more. It almost feels like they were hoping for the whole Harry Potter level of craze, but it is just not happening for them. I would only suggest this movie to those who like mythology type stuff and don’t really have anything else to do.

Hope you have a poised day! 

LINK for these and more photos