Robin's World - Movie Valley: November 2013

Monday, November 25, 2013

November Movie #1: Free Birds (in 3D)

Starring the voices of: Owen Wilson, Woody Harrelson, Amy Poehler, George Takei
Run Time: 1 hours 31 minutes
Directed By: Jimmy Hayward

Free Birds is about turkeys who go back in time to get turkey off the Thanksgiving menu.

If you don't think too much about the plot of this movie, it's actually kind of cute. It's a buddy pic with cute little turkeys. The characters are a bit interesting. There's a sense of urgency and danger. It's a good action flick.

But once you start thinking about the holes, it gets to you and you start grumbling. First, turkeys weren't really part of the first Thanksgiving (well, there's no evidence they ate turkey; it was most likely duck or goose). Second, the travel loop was very Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure. While it worked for Bill and Ted, it certainly doesn't work for this movie. Third, and this is a small point but it bothered me the moment it was said, Jenny was not a popular 1621 name. To name the lead female turkey Jenny, really said "We can't be bothered to name her a historically accurate name. Hey, my daughter's name is Jenny so why don't we just name the girl turkey Jenny? It will make my kid happy." Fourth, the doorknob did nothing. Fifth, the Great Turkey was too much like the Great Pumpkin and again, seemed like they were piggybacking on another movie's workable plot point. Six, how does a turkey order pizza?

And seven... Even as a vegetarian, I had an issue with the "save the turkey" aspect. I have no problem with children being a vegetarian, as long as they came to the conclusion on their own, and didn't get it straight from a movie. I wonder how many children will refuse to eat turkey this Thanksgiving because they don't want to eat Jake or Reggie or Jenny.

This movie is predictable. It has some cute moments (queue anything S.T.E.V.E says) but it is more predictable and unrealistic than anything. I liked it but it bothered me too much to love it. There's also a pretty scary flashback scene that involves Jake trying to escape from a turkey farm. Sometimes cartoons aren't really for kids. And yet this simple plot is definitely geared towards kids.

I liked it but didn't love it. Some of it was well done but some just seemed slapped together (or thought up by someone with little imagination). I will not be buying this movie when it comes out on DVD (and I think that pretty much sums up how I feel about it).

October Movie #3: Escape Plan

Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jim Caviezel, Amy Ryan, Vincent D'Onofrio, 50 Cent
Run Time: 1 hour 55 minutes
Directed By: Mikael Håfström

Escape Plan is about a contractor named Ray Breslin (played by Stallone) who is hired by third parties to verify that a prison is secure. In order to do this, Ray must be an actual prisoner and break out of the prison like a normal prisoner would do. On his next assignment, Ray quickly discovers that he's been set up. He's an actual prisoner. Now he must figure out who set him up, why, and break out of the most secure prison he's ever been in.

I know Stallone and Schwarzenegger have reputations for not being able to act but I have never listened to that. This movie should sway any acting talent critic. They do a wonderful job. I was particularly impressed with the five minute scene where Schwarzenegger speaks German frantically, psychotically. It was actually amazing. (Although I did have to wonder if he does speak German currently or if he lost it over time from lack of use and thus had to re-learn it for this scene.)

I rather enjoyed this movie. I thought the acting was indeed pretty good. The overall premise of the movie was quite interesting. There were a few holes in the plot (mainly the reason behind Ray's incarceration) but I was willing to let those slip because I found the rest of it enjoyable. There were some twists that were fun, even one that I didn't see coming until the end. I found myself wondering how Ray would escape from an inescapable jail, wondering why he was there, and how all the other characters wrapped into the plot. I also absolutely loved Jim Caviezel's warden character. Evil without being over the top. I actually even rooted for the warden in a couple of scenes because he was so phenomenally diabolical and it was fun to watch that.

All in all, a good movie. It moved well. It had an attention captivating plot. I liked the characters. (And I was glad that the Muslim character wasn't in jail for terrorism - and that they allowed him to have a heart) If you like action movies, this is a great one.

List O' Movies Watched

2016 Movies
16). Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
15). Suicide Squad
14). Star Trek Beyond
13). Ghostbusters
12). The Legend of Tarzan
11). The Secret Life of Pets
10). Finding Dory
9). Central Intelligence
8). X-Men: Apocalypse
7). Captain America: Civil War
6). Zootopia
5). Deadpool
4). Kung Fu Panda 3
3). Norm of the North
2). Spectre
1). Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens
2015 Movies
45). Peanuts Movie
44). Goosebumps
43). Scouts Guide (to a Zombie Apocalypse)
42). Suffragette
41). Burnt
40). Last Witch Hunter
39). Crimson Peak
38). Bridge of Spies
37). The Martian (3D)
36). The Intern
35). Hotel Transylvania 2
34). Everest
33). Man from U.N.C.L.E
32). Vacation
31). Terminator: Genisys
30). Ant-Man
29). Pixels
28). Minions
27). Jurassic World
26). San Andreas (3D)
25). Spy
24). Inside Out
23). Ex Machina
22). Tomorrowland
21). The Age of Adaline
20). The Avengers: Age of Ultron (3D)
19). Danny Collins
18). Fast and the Furious 7
17). Home
16). Cinderella
15). Focus
14). Kingsmen
13). Paddington
12). Whiplash
11). The Imitation Game
10). American Sniper
9). Selma
8). Birdman
7). Theory of Everything
6). Boyhood
5). Jupiter Ascending (3D)
4). Night at the Museum 3: Secret of the Tomb
3). Taken 3
2).The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (3D)
1). Into the Woods
2014 Movies
20). Big Hero Six (3D)
19). Gone Girl
18). Dracula Untold
17). Boxtrolls (3D)
16). A Walk Among Tombstones
15). Frank
14). Expendables III
13). Guardians of the Galaxy (3D)
12). Chef
11). X-Men: Days of Future Past
10). How to Train Your Dragon 2 (3D)
9). Maleficent
8). A Million Ways to Die in the West
7). Transcendence
6). Captain America: The Winter Soldier
5). Muppets Most Wanted
4). The Grand Budapest Hotel
3). The LEGO Movie
2). Non-Stop
1). Saving Mr. Banks
2013 Movies
52). Philomena
51). Delivery Man
50). Frozen (in 3D)
49). Homefront
48). Hunger Games: Catching Fire
47). Thor: The Dark World (in 3D)
46). Free Birds (in 3D)
45). About Time
44). Escape Plan
43). Gravity (in 3D)
42). Don Jon
41). Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 (in 3D)
40). Riddick
39). Planes
38). Red 2
37). Despicable Me 2 (again)
36). Turbo
35). Despicable Me 2 (in 3D)
34). The Heat
33). Monsters University
32). This is the End
31). Now You See Me
30). What Maisie Knew
29). The Hangover III
28). Star Trek: Into Darkness
27). Fast and the Furious 6
26). Gatsby (in 3D)
25). Iron Man 3 (in 3D)
24). Disconnect
23). Pain & Gain
22). Place Beyond the Pines
21). Side Effects
20). G.I. Joe: Retaliation
19). The Croods
18). Jack the Giant Slayer (in 3D)
17). Oz the Great and Powerful
16). A Good Day to Die Hard
15). Snitch
14). Zero Dark Thirty
13). Life of Pi (3D)
12). Beasts of the Southern Wild
11). Oscar Nominated Animated Short Films
10). Warm Bodies
9). Parker
8). Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters (3D)
7). Django Unchained
6). Amour
5). The Last Stand
4). The Impossible
3). Les Miserables
2). Silver Linings Playbook
1). Lincoln
2012 Movies
42). Wreck it Ralph
41). Skyfall
40). Argo
39). Hotel Transylvania (3D)
38). Looper
37). Taken 2
36). ParaNorman (3D)
35). Ice Age 4: Continental Drift
34). The Expendables 2
33). The Odd Life of Timothy Green
32). Total Recall
31). The Amazing Spider-man
30). Brave(again)
29). Magic Mike
28). Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (3D)
27). Brave
26). Prometheus
25). Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted
24). Snow White and the Huntsman
23). Men in Black III (3D)
22). Battleship
21). Dark Shadows
20). The Pirates! Band of Misfits
19). The Avengers
18). Mirror Mirror
17). The Hunger Games
16). Titanic (3D)
15). Coriolanus
14). The Lorax (3D)
13). The Artist
12). Extremely Close & Incredibly Loud
11). The Help
10). Hugo
9). Journey 2: Mysterious Island (3D)
8). Oscar Nominated Live Action Shorts
7). Oscar Nominated Animated Shorts
6). Safe House
5). A Dangerous Method
4). My Week with Marilyn
3). The Grey
2). The Descendents
1). Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol
2011 Movies
56). Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
55). The Muppets
54). Arthur Christmas (in 3D)
53). Puss in Boots (in 3D)
52). In Time
51). Martha Marcy Mae Marlene
50). Margin Call
49). Real Steel
46). Dolphin Tale
48). 50/50
47). Ides of March
45). Killer Elite
44). Moneyball
43). What's Your Number?
42). Drive
41). Winnie the Pooh
40). Fright Night
39). Crazy, Stupid, Love
38). Captain America: The First Avenger
37). Cowboys and Aliens
36). Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
35). Cars 2 (again)
34). Zookeeper
33). Midnight in Paris
32). Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon (in 3D)
31). Bad Teacher
30). Cars 2
29). Mr. Popper's Penguins
28). Green Lantern
27). X-Men: First Class
26). Kung Fu Panda 2
25). Pirates of the Caribbean 4: On Stranger Tides
24). Bridesmaids
23). Thor
22). Rio
21). Hanna
20). Source Code
19). Fast Five
18). Hop
17). The Adjustment Bureau
16). Limitless
15). Rango
14). Beastly
13). The Housemaid (Ha-nyeo)
12). I Am Number Four
11). True Grit
10). The Kids Are All Right
9). 127 Hours
8). Unknown
7). Oscar Nominated Live-Action Short Films
6). Oscar Nominated Animated Short Films
5). The Fighter
4). The Mechanic
3). The King's Speech
2). The Green Hornet (in 3D)
1). Black Swan

Movie Reviews

Monday, November 25, 2013

November Movie #1: Free Birds (in 3D)

October Movie #3: Escape Plan