Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)

This ape reboot continues to entertain and dazzle with high end CGI effects. The plot wasn’t all that dynamic, but execution was pretty solid.

Rating: C+

Easy Money II: Hard To Kill (Snabba Cash II) (2012)

More coherent than the first film, but just as depressing. Mostly sad endings for every character on screen. Curious to see who makes it out of the third film alive.

Rating: C

Spanglish (2004)

I like James L. Brooks' characters. This film is full of great ones, and it's fun to watch them interact. This is Sandler's second great dramatic role, although I prefered him in Punch Drunk Love. Tea Leoni is fantastic as his dysfunctional wife. Paz Cruz is  devastatingly beautiful. Sandler's daughter is perfectly cast. The story may not be perfect, but the rest of the film makes up for it.

Rating: B-

Pain And Gain (2013)

A real mess of a production. Seems like there was an interesting story buried underneath Michael Bay’s flash and bang style.

Rating: D-

Flags Of Our Fathers (2006)

Not very good. Overuse of flashbacks and too much time spent on the less exciting aspects of the characters' lives made for a slow, boring war movie. I went in expecting something completely different. I really didn't want to watch an entire movie about a stupid flag.

Rating: D+

Big River Man (2009)

A very strange documentary about an Ultramarathon swimmer from Slovenia who has previously swum the Mississippi and the Yangzi rivers. In this film, he takes on the Amazon. The editing is a bit psychedelic at times, but you have to give the filmmakers credit for creating something that's hard to turn away from.

It's baffling how an old, fat, drunkard is able to do such amazing feats—which is precisely why you should see this movie.

Rating: C+

Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

A bit silly and loosely put together, but entertaining enough to warrant a single viewing.

Rating: C

Spy (2015)

Laughed a lot the first half. Laughed less in the second. Felt that the film unraveled a bit at the end, but I enjoyed it enough overall to give this a…

Rating: C+

Flickering Lights (Blinkende Lygter) (2000)

I really liked the premise of the film—some crooks who skip town after ripping off the wrong guys hide out in a cottage in the woods where they each make up their minds to retire.

Unfortunately, the characters aren't very likable or fleshed out. Sure, there are some flashbacks, but they didn't work within the context of the story. For once I think a Hollywood remake might improve upon the original.

Rating: D+

The Kings Of Summer (2013)

A quirky telling of three boys in the woods. Always a joy to have real life couple Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally playing the parents.

Rating: C+

Baby Mama (2008)

One of those comedies you enjoy for it's parts, and not the whole. Steve Martin really makes the film. He should be rewarded with 5 minutes of uninterrupted eye contact.

Rating: C

V For Vendetta (2005)

I had very high expectations going into this one. A lot of good things said about this film. Cool and unique. Yes. Compelling and suspenseful. No. Not enough action. I wish the story was more fleshed out. Performances were great, the film wasn't.

Rating: C

Million Dollar Arm (2014)

Sometimes you just want a predictable, feel-good Disney movie. Million Dollar Arm is that movie.

Rating: B-

Catch Me If You Can (2002)

Spielberg, Hanks, and DiCaprio. Hard to go wrong. Based on an amazing true life story, this movie was pure fun to watch. Leonardo is solid as usual, Hanks is very subdued, but perfect in his role. It's a fun piece of escapism.

Rating: B-

Leap Year (2010)

It's really hard to look past the formulaic dreck that excretes from the screen for the first 30 minutes. Bouncy romantic music you've heard a million times, the "funny" best friend, the rube of a boyfriend we all know will get the boot in the end, and the manic leading lady that is just waiting to be put in her place by the rough around the edges yokel.

The one saving grace of the film? Ireland. It's gorgeous. I had to stop myself from booking a flight after the credits rolled. Also, the previously mentioned yokel did a good job. Overall though I was hoping for something more original and witty.

Rating: C-

Philomena (2013)

Better than I thought it would be. I prefer Steve Coogan when he’s in non-comedic roles. Judi Dench is brilliant as usual as the old lady. Best picture nominee? No. But I satisfying British film based on a true story.

Rating: C+

War (2007)

Action movies tend to get in trouble when they script a plot bigger than they can chew. Here, it was obvious the writers churned out a Face/Off-rip/off, and then proceeded to write a bunch of extra fluff in order to differentiate their film from the latter. The result was a flimsy plot that still smacked of Face/Off, but at least spared us the megalomaniacal antics of a certain Scientologist. Had it not been for the butt-kicking, the film would have been a total loss.

Rating: C-

The Core (2003)

Not bad. I don't know enough math and physics to discredit the plot. They certainly put enough effort into sounding credible.

Rating: C

Maleficent (2014)

A fun twist on the classic fairytale that appeals to a wide audience.

Rating: C+

Frances Ha (2012)

Black & white, arty, meandering, plot-less. Occasional witty dialogue helped, but not much.

Rating: D+

This Film Has Not Yet Been Rated (2006)

A valuable and worthwhile effort in bringing to light the corrupt and wildly inaccurate process that is the movie rating business. They basically act as a front for the movie studios, working to prevent indie films with questionable content from ever making it to the theaters.

It's fun watching the high-and-mighty squirm when their secret doors are suddenly thrown wide open. Rent this documentary for its informative look into the movie rating industry, as well as its entertainment value.

Rating: C+

Epic (2013)

Pretty good as far as animated kid’s movies go. An updated Fern Gully of sorts, with a decent amount of action and creativity. But honestly, if it wasn’t for Aziz Ansari as the slug, I would have rated this much lower.

Rating: C

21 Up (1977)

A lot happens between age 14 and 21—sadly, we don't get to see any of it. But we do get to revisit all of our subjects for more Q&A. Catching up is easy, thanks to frequent flash backs. It's not the most amazing film work, but there's no doubt you'll be checking out 28 Up in the near future.

Rating: C

Napolean Dynomite (2004)

A true indie success story. Low budget production with quirky characters and goofy dialogue. It's a funny movie, which I found even funnier with my background in small Idaho/Utah town culture.

Rating: B-