San Andreas

Directed by : Brad Peyton 
Written by : Carlton Cuse 
Starring : Dwayne Johnson, Carla Gugino, Alexandra Daddario 
Release Date : May 27, 2015 

This movie definitely has some eye opening, jaw dropping incredible visuals of destruction, and is easily the best reason to see this movie. The disasters depicted in those scenes should sober anybody up to the danger of earthquakes. Unfortunately, the by-the-numbers story isn't good enough to match that dramatic message. The movie ends up becoming almost unintentionally comical, and can likely be turned into a drinking game. 

Take a shot whenever a situation goes from bad to worse. Take a shot whenever our lead characters barely escapes a close call. Take a shot whenever people are actually being chased by the ground giving in. Take a shot whenever no name actors gets nonchalantly killed. Take a shot whenever Dwayne Johnson is on a different vehicle than he was before. Take a shot whenever you see Alexandra Daddario's breasts gratuitously bounce. 

The movie isn't a complete disaster, but it is as mediocre as it gets. The background stories and relationships that are established in the movie are just barely enough to keep you invested in the lead characters' fate. There are some crowd pleasing moments, but those only work based on how much you actually care for these characters. 

"San Andreas" wants it's audience to take it's subject matter seriously, but unfortunately it just falls short from being a parody of itself. I'll wait for the YouTube cut of all the disaster scenes put together in a giant montage, because that's all that's really needed from this movie. 

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Poltergeist

Directed by : Gil Kenan 
Written by : David Lindsay-Abaire 
Starring : Sam Rockwell, Rosemarie DeWitt, Kyle Catlett, Kennedi Clements, Jane Adams, Jared Harris 
Release Date : May 20, 2015 

It's hard not to compare this movie with the original "Poltergeist" from 1982, and in part it's because this version does not really do anything remarkably new to stand out on it's own. There are more modern special effects and modern technology thrown in here, but those are really not enough to justify this retelling of the story. If anything else, it's only going to make people want to rewatch the Tobe Hooper directed scary movie classic. 

The cast of actors are fine, but the material given to them doesn't really allow them to stand out too much. Sam Rockwell provides some welcome humor, and Jared Harris has an air of gravitas when he is on screen, but the protagonist that we really follow here is Griffin; played by the young Kyle Catlett. Griffin does a lot of unbelievably stupid things in this movie, seemingly just to set up the next scary moment. In fact, there's simply a lot of stupid things that happen in this that are eye-rolling worthy. 

All the issues with this film wouldn't be such a bad thing if it was at least really creepy and scary. Unfortunately, the only people who might remotely be creeped out or scared by this movie are people under the age of 8. It's tough enough being a remake of a loved classic, but the least this movie could do is try not to be such a mediocre piece of work. 

Did this 2015 version of "Poltergeist" need to be made? Definitely not. 

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Tomorrowland

Directed by : Brad Bird 
Written by : Damon Lindelof, Brad Bird, Jeff Jensen 
Starring : Britt Robertson, George Clooney, Raffey Cassidy, Hugh Laurie 
Release Date : May 20, 2015 

As far as Sci-Fi Fantasy Adventures goes, this is one that has a lot of imagination. In fact it requires the audience to have a lot of imagination, because there are fantastical things that happen here that has to be taken at face value without much explanation. The story is quite engaging and mysterious, with a very quick pace that keeps the plot moving. There's a lot of fun creative stuff that is introduced here, and the world building only makes you want to see much more than the movie gets to show. 

The cast is also fantastic. George Clooney and Hugh Laurie are as good as expected, but this movie shines because of it's female leads. Britt Robertson as Casey Newton is awesome here for the energy and enthusiasm that she brings on screen. Casey Newton is the perfect surrogate character to latch on to, as she discovers things about this world at the same time the audience does. Raffey Cassidy as Athena however steals every scene that she is in, which is incredible for an actress at her young age. Raffey is simply amazing here and it was easy to feel attached to what happens to her character. 

If there is something that might make this movie inaccessible for some people, it's that the plot can be rather dense, and confusing if you don't pay attention. There are also a ton of exposition scenes to alleviate that aspect of the movie, but then those feel more tacked on than necessary. The theme of the story also delves into what is essentially a propaganda piece that gets rather preachy by the end of the movie, and that might be a turn off to some. I myself appreciate the lofty ambition that this film tries to achieve, so I was absolutely all in with the message. 

"Tomorrowland" is entertaining for what it brings on screen, and while it's a fun story to see play out, it still gives it's audience something to think about. Definitely a movie worth checking out. 

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Woman In Gold

Directed by : Simon Curtis
Written by : Alexi Kaye Campbell
Starring : Helen Mirren, Ryan Reynolds, Daniel Brühl, Tatiana Maslany,
Release Date : April 1, 2015

There's a lot of movies about World War II and the crimes against humanity that the Nazi have committed, but this  is one I don't see that often. This opened my eyes on the state of Austria, how there's this air of embarrassment of how they were complicit with the Nazi, and how they would really rather just forget about it. This particular true story that the movie is based on proves that Austria should not sweep things under the rug. 

The events involving Maria Altmann and the world famous painting of her Aunt, is told in a generally straightforward manner. It's a little clinical, procedural, and unglamorous, but in this case, that's a good thing. The flashbacks depicting Maria's life in Austria are also well done and unobtrusive enough that they only elevate the material, and not distract from it. 

One of the main highlights to watching this movie is that the whole cast are just amazing. Helen Mirren as Maria Altmann is fantastic as expected from her, Tatiana Maslany as the younger Maria is excellent, and even Ryan Reynolds gets to show a subtle but well acted job as Randol Schoenberg. Fantastic casting job here. 

"Woman In Gold" is an important movie to watch as it documents a side of World War II that most people should see. This is about remembering history, and about keeping a proper legacy for the future. Never forget the past. 

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Mad Max : Fury Road

Directed by : George Miller
Written by : George Miller, Brendan McCarthy, Nick Lathouris,
Starring : Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult, Hugh Keays-Byrne,
Release Date : May 13, 2015 

Some people are calling this movie a visual masterpiece, and I’m inclined to agree with them. This is a high octane action extravaganza, that has beautiful cinematography, and contains some spectacularly choreographed stunt sequences. The many chase sequences here are epic, demand your full attention, and would arguably be the primary reasons to see this film.

Tom Hardy as Mad Max is fantastic, and Nicholas Hoult is great as Nux, but I thought Charlize Theron as Imperator Furiosa was who I thought was the true stand out character here. I suppose it helps that we get to know Furiosa’s story much more than Max in this movie, and Theron gets so much more dialogue than Hardy. All in all, the whole cast here are amazing, although I question the believability of some of the character’s motivations. 

Since this is a movie that seems to revolve around the action beats more, the story is admittedly rather simple. The world building also felt a little flawed, unpolished, and only raises questions on how nonsensical this movie can get. I appreciated the setup with the warlords, the separate territories, and the way of living in this world, but at times it felt like these are just overly hyper kids playing some elaborate game in the desert. But then, maybe that’s the point.

“Mad Max : Fury Road” is great as an intense visual experience, depicting this apocalyptic world that’s gone insanely mad that you wouldn’t want to live there. Definitely worth seeing this for the experience.

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The D Train

Directed and Written by : Andrew Mogel, Jarrad Paul
Starring : Jack Black, James Marsden, Kathryn Hahn, Jeffrey Tambor
Release Date : May 8, 2015

As far as Jack Black comedies goes, I hope Directors Mogel and Paul were going for a dark comedy, because that is what this is. The primary characters in this are mostly embarrassingly despicable liars, and the sense of humor can be quite uncomfortable to laugh at. A wacky zany outrageously fun comedy this is not.

Jack Black as Dan Landsman has a somewhat sympathetic role as the guy who just wants to feel like he matters. The problem is that he creates these downward spiral of lies to try and achieve that goal, that it can get frustrating to see how out of control it gets. Then he gets obsessed with James Marsden’s Oliver Lawless character, and goes way too far to try and connect with him. Way too far.

It’s easy to joke that “The D Train” stands for a “D” grade rating and that it’s overall a train wreck of a movie. Even though the subject matter is dark and uncomfortable to watch, the overall message of the movie can be sympathetic enough to keep it from being a complete and absolute mess. It’s arguably still a waste of time though.

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Maggie

Directed by : Henry Hobson 
Written by : John Scott 3 
Starring : Arnold Schwarzenegger, Abigail Breslin 
Release Date : May 6, 2015

As a movie about people turning into zombies via an infectious virus, this is a rather unusual one. This isn’t a horror movie, and it’s not an action movie either. It’s a straight up melodrama that’s just filled to the brim of introspective emotions and scenes of hopelessness. It’s also a rather grim looking movie that looks awfully drab and dark throughout, it’s like it wants to hit you over the head that it’s very sad and depressing.

Many people have hardly seen Arnold Schwarzenegger in this kind of role. A reserved but strong willed character that emotes a lot about what a sad predicament he is in that his daughter will eventually turn into a zombie. He’s not spectacular in the role, but at least he wasn’t horrible either. Abigail Breslin as Maggie is good playing the troubled “acting-out” teenager in the beginning, but soon gives in to despair to her very unfortunate condition. The movie gives us choice scenes that contrasts what her regular teenage life could be, amid the fact that she has a terminal fate.

The best thing about this movie is probably the world building aspect of it. Just the way this world handles the zombie infection like a contagious disease, via a controlled process that involves government managed laws and procedures, is rather compelling. The social stigma that comes with having this condition is also quite fascinating, and seem to be metaphors to other social commentaries. The ambition behind “Maggie” does not however hide the fact that this movie can be quite slow, have tons of meandering scenes, and have a rather boring pace. This is easily not a zombie movie for every zombie movie lovers out there.

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True Story

Directed and Written by : Rupert Goold

Starring : James Franco, Jonah Hill, Felicity Jones

Release Date : April 17, 2015

Even though this movie is interesting enough just based on the true actual events, the whole thing feels a little too dry. The opening scene may be very haunting and memorable, but there aren’t many attention getting moments like that for the rest of the film. There’s just an overall lack of excitement in this psychological drama, that it may not be compelling enough to sit through the whole thing.

The characters of Mike Finkel and Chris Longo; played by Jonah Hill and James Franco respectively, are at least as interesting as they are written for this movie. Despite the different backgrounds, there’s an eerie similarity to them, being people who have bent the truth to create a better story. Their odd relationship as writer and prison inmate is the true heart of the story. That’s what people should be focusing on when watching this, and not get too distracted with the “did he do it or not” aspect.

As lackluster as “True Story” can be, Jonah Hill and James Franco are at least really good in this that it may have been enough to save this from being an outright unremarkable movie. This isn’t a bad movie in the train wreck sort of way, and it’s overall story at least warrants some merits. It’s just that you’re probably better off spending the time just reading the story about what happened, than watching this movie adaptation of it.

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Avengers : Age Of Ultron

Directed and Written by: Joss Whedon

Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Jeremy Renner, James Spader

Release Date : April 22, 2015 

There’s a very simple and straightforward story in this movie, involving an artificially intelligent robot named Ultron, that wants to dismantle the Avengers. The plot may actually be too simple for some people and may feel a little unfulfilling, however that’s where the many scenes that focus more on the characters come to play. Those character moments gives this movie the underlying depth it needs that makes the experience complete, and only gives some welcome growth to this franchise.

The characters and the actors playing them do feel like old friends that you get to join in an adventure with, and that in itself makes this automatically enjoyable to watch. James Spader as Ultron is just about perfect to me as well. Of course there will be those who only want to see the super hero action, and this movie delivers in that regards. Each character gets their obligatory hero moments and snappy dialogue, which are always fun. With that said, there is a significant bit of downtime from the action somewhere around the middle of the film, that some might actually find to be a chore to go through.

I don’t know if I would describe “Avengers: Age Of Ultron” as a great movie, the way a lot of people describe the previous film. It is definitely entertaining and expands on it’s world building with new characters and new situations though. I suppose it just may not be ambitious enough for some people to give it credit for being just a solid action adventure super hero team comic book movie. We’re all still in for the next installment either way.
 

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The Age Of Adaline

Directed by : Lee Toland Krieger 

Written by : J. Mills Goodloe, Salvador Paskowitz 

Starring : Blake Lively, Michiel Huisman, Harrison Ford 

Release Date : April 8, 2015 

If there’s one thing this movie really gets right, it’s the tone. There’s a very melancholic feeling mixed in with bouts of nostalgia throughout, that perfectly reflects the sadness of being someone who doesn't grow old, who sees everyone eventually fading away into the past. There is also a sense of wonder and an appreciation to the little things in life that is littered throughout the story, which also perfectly reflects the many advantages one might find for someone who can live beyond their lifetime.

The greatest strength of this movie is Blake Lively as Adaline Bowman. Lively talks and moves about in a subtle but particular way, that it seems like she is trying to channel acting like an old and wise person that is trapped in a much younger person’s body. As good as Blake Lively is in the role, the story itself is rather clumsily told. Despite some really beautiful moments, there are also some unbelievable plot points, uninspired character interactions, and too on-the-nose themes.

I wish I could say that “The Age Of Adaline” is an absolute must-see, because there were some truly wonderful things that the movie was able to convey. It’s just a shame that there were enough flaws in it that hampered what could have genuinely been a really good film. The flaws being mostly about the plot involving Michiel Huisman’s character. Harrison Ford however was pretty good in this, so there’s that reprieve.

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