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Review: ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ MINOR Plot Spoilers

Posted on December 22, 2015 by Michael Petrelli — Leave a reply

It’s been a decade since the world has been graced with a Star Wars film and over thirty years since the original cast has been on screen, so to say that Star Wars: The Force Awakens is the most highly anticipated film of the year would be an understatement. Now under the Disney brand, the film begins a new trilogy that will hope to capture the wonder and admiration of the original films while helping to heal the wounds of that the prequels left. Director J.J. Abrams takes the helm of the nostalgic walk thru the galaxy with a cast of old friends and some new ones. Ladies and gentlemen the Force is indeed awakened.

****From this point on I must caution to a few plot points that may be seen as mild spoilers. Proceed with caution*****

Taking place thirty years after the events of Return of the Jedi, the First Order has risen from the ashes of the defeated Empire and are looking to once again take aim at destroying the Republic. Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis) controls the First Order with General Hux (Domhnall Gleeson) controlling the fleet and Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), his powerful apprentice knowledgeable in the ways of the Force, leading the search for a map that can spell the end of the Jedi forever. The Resistance is also looking for this map as well as General Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) sends her best pilot Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) to the planet of Jakku in hopes to find the coveted map. After encountering the First Order and fearing capture, Poe puts the recovered map into BB-8 and sends his far from the fight.

Rey (Daisy Ridley), a young scavenger from the planet, finds BB-8 and agrees to help the droid get back to it’s master. With the help of Finn (John Boyega), a defected First Order Stormtrooper, and Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew), the mission to get the map to the Resistance has begun. Many mysteries surround this group of companions and the fate of the galaxy is in their hands, with the First Order hot on their tails, can the group complete their mission and save the Republic, while securing the future of the Jedi?

Nostalgia aside, Star Wars: The Force Awakens stands on it’s own as a wonderful addition to the Star Wars universe. Director J.J. Abrams captures the magic of the original trilogy and adds a wonderful mix of humor, action and drama to complete his sci-fi masterpiece. Newcomers Daisy Ridley, Oscar Isaac and John Boyega have staked their place as fan favorites in this vast collection of memorable characters and leave you excited for future installments in their stories. Domhnall Gleeson, Andy Serkis and Adam Driver awaken the dark side with intense precision and capitalize on all that was great about the Empire and add their unique personalities to enhance the First Order and it’s villainous ways. The franchise is truly in good hands with this new guard. My one and only grip was with Gwendoline Christie’s Captain Phasma. The character was set up to be a complete badass in this storyline but was underutilized. Let’s hope we see more of this unique character in the future.

It was such a pleasure to see Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Peter Mayhew, Anthony Daniels and Mark Hamill back on screen reprising their iconic roles. No matter if they were on screen for a moment or for the duration of the film, each added to the enjoyment of the film in their unique way and brought back memories of my childhood that I was so happy to revisit. I am so very much looking forward to the next chapter in their stories.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens is the movie event of the year and one not to be missed by Star Wars fans and novice alike.

Stars:

4 out of 5

After Credit Scene?

Trailer

Review: ‘The Revenant’ is DiCaprio’s Journey to Oscar Gold

Posted on December 5, 2015 by Michael Petrelli — Leave a reply

Let’s start off by saying that not everyone is going to be able to handle the sheer intensity of Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s The Revenant, this was made abundantly clear within the first 5 minutes of the film, but for those who can handle it, you’re in for one hell of an amazing journey. Inspired by true events, The Revenant is an epic story of survival and transformation on the American frontier that is as visually stunning as it is brutal in it’s storytelling. Iñárritu has his eyes set on award season again and this film looks poised to take home some of the major categories with ease.

Legendary explorer Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio) is on an expedition in uncharted wilderness of the American frontier when he is attacked and mauled by a bear, leaving him for dead. Knowing that the harsh conditions were hindering the group from successfully transporting Glass back to their fort, expedition leader Andrew Henry (Domhnall Gleeson) convinces team members Jim Bridger (Will Poulter) and John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy) to stay behind along with Glass’s Native American son Hawk (Forrest Goodluck), to protect and care for Glass while the rest of the team goes for help. When Glass is left for dead by the men and forced to witness the murder of his son, Glass refuses to succumb to his injuries and sets off on a 200 mile journey thru the untamed West to get revenge on the man who took his son.

Academy Award®-winning director Alejandro G. Iñárritu brings the 19^th century American Frontier alive with stunning cinematography and lighting and mirroring the harsh conditions Glass and company actually lived through on their journey. This emotionally raw film is brought to life by actor Leonardo DiCaprio who brings Glass to life with painstaking precision. Actor Tom Hardy embodies the immoral nature of life in the frontier and his performance encompasses the true nature of survival of the fittest. Domhnall Gleeson and Will Poulter round out this wonderful cast, each providing the sense that morality can survive even when the world around you seems to prove otherwise.

The Revenant is a brutal film that shines glimmers of hope thru holes of despair on one man’s quest for survival. It’s a film that will leave you thinking about it’s content days after the credits roll, it will test your moral compass, it will shake you in its brutality, but it will leave you satisfied. The Revenant is this years film to beat.

Stars:

4 1/2 out of 5

After Credit Scene?

None

Trailer:

Review: ‘The Big Short’ Delivers Big

Posted on December 3, 2015 by Michael Petrelli — 1 Comment ↓

If you were to ask anyone what the two scariest things that could happen to this country would be, my guess is that they would answer: terrorism and an economic collapse, both of which have become reality in the last 15 years. The latter is the subject of Michael Lewis’ non-fiction book “The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine” which is now a feature film directed by Adam McKay. The film tackles the build-up of the housing and credit bubble during the 2000s and failures of the financial district which lead the market to crash, which serves a gut punch to all the experts who allowed it to happen. In short, The Big Short is a film that should become required viewing for all business students and politicians.

Left to right: Steve Carell plays Mark Baum and Ryan Gosling plays Jared Vennett in The Big Short from Paramount Pictures and Regency Enterprises

In 2005, hedge fund manager Michael Burry (Christian Bale) stumbles upon a major discovery while researching loans bundled into highly rated mortgage bonds. Burry discovered that each and every one of these bonds was loaded with delinquent home loans that he believed would default over the next few years. Knowing that Wall Street bankers and government regulatory agencies has no intentions of acting to fix this certain doom, Burry invents a financial instrument called the credit default swap in order to “short” the booming housing market, much to the dismay of his hedge fund’s owners and investors. A mortgage broker іѕ a professional whо іѕ licensed wіth thе Real Estate Council оf Alberta (RECA). In order tо obtain thіѕ credential, a mortgage broker іѕ required tо meet educational аnd professional conduct requirements, аnd complete background security checks. A mortgage broker ѕhоuld nеvеr bе compared tо уоur local financial institution. Thе purpose аnd function оf еасh іѕ vеrу different. An independent mortgage broker іѕ just that-independent-meaning thеу hаvе nо association wіth аnу оnе lender. Thаt means it’s thеіr job tо offer уоu unbiased advice. At Metropolitan mortgage corporation you will get best broker, For more information look at this site.

After Burry makes his bet at Goldman Sachs, Wall Street banker Jared Vennett (Ryan Gosling) is informed of Burry’s strategy, and decides to uses this knowledge to persuade hedge-fund manager Mark Baum (Steve Carell) that he too should invest millions in credit default swaps. Initially skeptical, Baum and his team (Jeremy Strong, Hamish Linklater and Rafe Spall) undertake their own investigation. Researching the housing market in Florida, they interview homeowners, realtors and mortgage brokers and discover that what Vennett has told them is true and that we are facing the worst economic crisis in decades.

Christian Bale plays Michael Burry in The Big Short from Paramount Pictures and Regency Enterprises

While visiting NY to make their pitch their hedge fund to some of the bigger banks, money managers Jamie Shipley (Finn Wittrock) and Charlie Geller (John Magaro) also stumble upon the housing-market bubble and with the help of ex-banker Ben Rickert (Brad Pitt), use his connections to help them make their own bet against Wall Street. If all of these men are right, they will make billions, while millions of Americans lose their homes, their jobs and their retirement savings; if they’re wrong, they’ll lose everything. The gamble against the U.S. economy is on.

The Big Short is nothing short of spectacular. The script by McKay and Charles Randolph keeps a lot of the technical aspects of Lewis‘ book in tact, but helps to assist the average film goers understanding of the subject matter with vignettes that are as much hilarious as they are informative. Director Adam McKay assembles one of the best ensemble casts in decades and each actor brings their very best to this important film. Steve Carell has never been better and turns in a stand out performance. Christian Bale captures the eccentric nature of his character perfectly and Ryan Gosling has perfected the art of ego better than any actor in years.

This is a must see film and an instant contender for awards season.

4 out of 5

After Credit Scene?

Trailer:

Review: ‘The Danish Girl’

Posted on December 3, 2015 by Michael Petrelli — Leave a reply

The Danish Girl is a powerful story of the hardships of living a life for which you do not belong. Director Tom Hooper takes on the story, which is based on the 2000 novel of the same name by David Ebershoff which centers around Lili Elbe, a Danish transgender woman and one of the first identifiable recipients of sex reassignment surgery.

The story takes place in 1920’s Copenhagen, where artist Gerda Wegener (Alicia Vikander) and her husband and fellow artist Einar Wegener (Eddie Redmayne) reside. A normal young couple with aspirations of being successful painters and raising a family, until a secret from Einar’s past is awakened. After Gerda asks Einar to to stand in for a female model, the paintings begin to receive a lot of attention which leads Gerda to continue to paint Einar as a woman. Einar begins to enjoy this new found alter ego and begins to live under the name Lili. Feeling that he is not meant to live his life as a man any longer, he begins to become distant from his loving wife, a move which leads to his quest to have sex reassignment surgery. Will a love that once bloomed within Gerda and Einar find a way to evolve as Einar embarks on this life changing quest?

Eddie Redmayne, once again, turns in an Oscar winning performance as Lili. His transformation and heartbreaking portrayal is a marvelous example of the emotional and painstaking journey that transgenders endured in the early 20th century. Alicia Vikander is outstanding with an emotionally charged performance. Her strong will and loyalty to her husband is what makes this film so beautiful.

The Danish Girl is a highly emotional film that will leave you breathless and emotional drawn, but the journey is well worth it.

Stars:

3 1/2 out of 5

After Credit Scene?

Trailer:

Review: ‘Spectre’

Posted on November 4, 2015 by Michael Petrelli — Leave a reply

Daniel Craig has spent much of the past few months answering questions to his future as the iconic super agent 007, and much of what we’ve heard is a tired actor ready to move on from the franchise, and maybe that’s not a bad idea. Coming off the biggest film in this storied franchise’s history, Skyfall, director Sam Mendes returns with star Craig with Spectre, and action packed thrill ride that feels more like a retread of past Bond films rather than it’s skillfully crafted predecessor.

Bond (Daniel Craig) runs along the rooftops in pursuit of Sciarra in Mexico City in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures/Columbia Pictures/EON Productions’ action adventure SPECTRE.

Spectre begins with Bond (Craig) tracking a group of terrorists lead by an assassin named Marco Sciarra, who are planning to to blow up a stadium full of people during the Day of the Dead celebration in Mexico. The pursuit of Sciarra leads Bond to an ever larger revelation as he comes in possession of a ring with a mysterious octopus symbol on it. On his return to London, Bond is placed on indefinitely leave by M (Ralph Fiennes) after his actions in Mexico. We meet a new player in the Bond universe, C (Andrew Scott), the head of the Joint Intelligence Service, which consists of the recently merged MI5 and MI6. C is intent on disbanding the 00 program and replacing it with “Nine Eyes”, an intelligence co-operation agreement between nine countries set to provide unprecedented surveillance resources to these governments.

Ralph Fiennes in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures/Columbia Pictures/EON Productions’ action adventure SPECTRE.

Bond goes dark and continues to investigate the mysterious organization that he comes to know as Spectre, an organization of powerful people headed by Oberhauser (Christoph Waltz), a man that seems all too familiar to Bond. To infiltrate Spectre, Bond must confront one of his previous foes, Mr White (Jesper Christensen), whose daughter, Madeleine Swann (Léa Seydoux), can help Bond find the answers he’s searching for. The two must travel the globe to follow the clues they hope will lead them to uncover Spectre’s plan, but an assassin and a high-ranking member of Spectre named Mr Hinx (Dave Bautista) is in hot pursuit.

Dave Bautista in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures/Columbia Pictures/EON Productions’ action adventure SPECTRE.

Overall, Spectre is a bit of a mess and it relies on way too many Bond cliches, but it’s still a Bond movie with a lot of enjoyable action sequences. The fun about Bond is, of course, seeing the character in action, but if you’re expecting something more groundbreaking than Skyfall, you’ll be left disappointed.

Stars:

3 out of 5

After Credit Scene?

Trailer:

Bond (Daniel Craig) runs along the rooftops in pursuit of Sciarra in Mexico City in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures/Columbia Pictures/EON Productions’ action adventure SPECTRE.

Review: ‘Back in Time’- A Look Back at 30 Years of ‘Back to the Future’

Posted on October 15, 2015 by Michael Petrelli — Leave a reply

The Back to the Future trilogy is one of the most important film franchises in history and one that is near and dear to my heart. This year not only marks the 30th anniversary of the original film’s release, but it’s also the celebration of the day Marty arrived in the future (October 21st, 2015), a day many fans have been waiting to arrive. To mark the occasion, a new documentary entitled Back in Time, directed by Jason Aron, is arriving and it brings together cast, crew and fans of the films to discuss the trilogies impact on society and it’s legacy within the history of film.

What started as a concept quickly gained steam when the film team decided to use a Kickstarter campaign to get the funds to make this film. Quickly, over 600 backers soon helped make Aron’s dream a reality and the team had their money to make the film. Much of the film focuses on the DeLorean time machine as the crew travels across America finding collectors and discussing the concept of being a Back to the Future collector. Discussions with some of the lucky DeLorean owners quickly turns from a discussion about the car itself, to an understanding of the impact the films have had on the collectors as well as their loved ones. Each story has a uniqueness from each other as the film team has collected super fans who use the cars not only as a way to satifsy a want in their life, but as a way to help raise awareness for the Michael J Fox foundation.

Along with the collectors, the team was able to explore some of the ways that the fandom is taken to another level. A look at Secret Cinemas Back to the Future event, which took place in London in 2014, shows the sheer magnitude of what super fans will go to to recreate the world of their favorite movie. The event included a replica of Hill Valley along with a viewing of the film on the facade of the clock tower. The crew also spoke with people inspired by the proposed technology of Back to the Future II, one company in particular, Hendo Hoverboards, is working to and has created a real life Hoverboard! But the real treat of Back in Time was the interviews with the cast and crew.

Robert Zemeckis, Steven Spielberg and Bob Gale discussed the struggles with getting Back to the Future made. From getting a studio to make the film to recasting the lead well into production, getting Back to the Future made was one tough task. One of the interesting tidbits to come from these talks was from Zemeckis who was adamant about his feelings of future sequels in the franchise. Dan Harmon (creator of “Community”) and Adam F. Goldberg (creator of “The Goldbergs”) discussed the films impact on their careers and the properties they created. Actors Donald Fullilove, James Tolkan, Claudia Wells and Lea Thompson spoke about their experiences making the films as well as their experiences with fan interaction, but it was the interviews with Christopher Lloyd and Michael J. Fox that was really the show stealer. Hearing the two principle actors discuss the film and its production was a real treasure and one that makes Back in Time a must see film.

Back in Time is set to premier October 21, 2015 digitally, on Netlfix and at Los Angeles’ We’re Going Back celebration. The film will then travel across America from November 3 through November 24 with the 88MPH film and music tour. Event attendees will be able to enjoy the feature, a Q&A session, a concert by The Flux Capacitors, the DeLorean Time Machine, and meeting original Back to the Future cast members. Visit Back in Time for more information.

Stars:

3 1/2 out of 5

After Credit Scenes?

There are interviews throughout the credits.

Trailer:

Review: ‘Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials’

Posted on September 18, 2015 by Michael Petrelli — Leave a reply

Thomas (Dylan O’Brien) and the rest of the Gladers have escaped the maze only to find themselves in for the fight of their lives in Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials, the second film in the Maze Runner trilogy. Director Wes Ball returns to helm this dark and intense sequel which pushes it’s stars, and audience, to the limits as we enter “The Scorch”, the remnants of a major city which has been desolated by it’s climate and is now inhabited by Cranks, a term used to describe those who have been infected by the Flare virus. If you thought the Maze was intense, wait til you experience Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials.

The film picks up where the first film ends, with the Gladers being rescued and taken to a facility run by Mr. Janson (Aidan Gillen), a safe haven, protecting them from WICKED, or so they think. Thomas and the others quickly find out that they are only a cog in a very large wheel as they come to find out there are other survivors from multiple mazes. Curious as to the intentions of their new benefactor, Thomas decides that things are a little too perfect for his liking. Another survivor named Aris (Jacob Lofland) shows Thomas that he may just be right with his assumptions. WICKED’s leader Ava Paige (Patricia Clarkson) is still alive and she has a plan for all the remaining survivors. Thomas gathers the Gladers and they escape their capture into the Scorch.

After facing the harsh conditions of their new environment, the group head off to find the Right Arm, a resistance force hidden in the mountains who are supposed to protect the immune and take them to a safe haven. On the outskirts of the Scorch, Thomas and the group meet Brenda (Rosa Salazar) and Jorge (Giancarlo Esposito), who lead a dangerous band of survivors intent on finding favor with the Right Arm. As WICKED begins to close in on the Gladers, it’s up to Thomas to get them to safety, but will their destination be the safe haven they hope it to be?

James Dashner’s source material is dark and intense and Wes Ball does not shy away from taking this film and it’s core audience out of their comfort zone. The intense nature of the film is doubled by the presence of the Cranks, humans zombified by the Flare virus, who are as horrifying in their movement as they are in their appearance. The returning cast gets to experience a lot more than they did in the Maze as the climate and the sheer vastness of their environment is challenge enough without the added dangers of the chase. Dylan O’Brien continues to impress with his intense, emotional palette. Aidan Gillen is no stranger to toying with the audiences with his confidence and swagger and is a wonderful addition to this cast as the new protagonist. Rosa Salazar and Giancarlo Esposito fit in well with the returning cast who are very familiar with each other by this point in the story.

Overall, Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials is not for the weak at heart and definitely not for a young audience. The intense scenes will surprise an older audience and may help expand this franchise into newer viewership. This film is a lot of fun and a very enjoyable sequel. And now…we wait until 2017 for Maze Runner: The Death Cure.

Stars:

3 1/2 out of 5

After Credit Scene?

Trailer:

Review: ‘Black Mass’ – Depp Shines as the Oscar Season Kicks Off

Posted on September 16, 2015 by Michael Petrelli — Leave a reply

After a series of box office disappointments, Johnny Depp returns with his finest performance of his career in Black Mass, the story of the rise and fall of Whitey Bulger, Boston’s most notorious gangster. Based on the 2001 book Black Mass: The True Story of an Unholy Alliance Between the FBI and the Irish Mob by Dick Lehr and Gerard O’Neill and directed by Scott Cooper (Crazy Heart), this period crime drama is captivating in it’s ruthless storytelling, which grabs you from the very beginning and pulls you closer with each passing scene. Oscar needs to stand up and take notice because Black Mass is the first real contender for this year’s award season.

James “Whitey” Bulger (Johnny Depp) is a recently released convict and the leader of The Winter Hill Gang and one of the most respect men in South Boston. John Connolly (Joel Edgerton) is an FBI agent who’s recently returned to Boston to head a task force to rid the city of the Italian mob. James and John grew up on the streets of South Boston together and Connelly knows the influence of Bulger. Knowing that the best way to infiltrate organized crime is from the inside, Connelly, along with Whitey’s brother, Billy Bulger (Benedict Cumberbatch), a state senator and Boston public figure, strike a deal with Whitey to trade secrets and take down Boston’s Italian Mafia, a deal that would catapult Whitey from small time crime boss to the king of Boston.

Director Scott Cooper, working from a script by Mark Mallouk and Jez Butterworth (Edge of Tomorrow), tells Bulger and Connelly’s story over a series of decades which culminates in Bulger making the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted List. Each act of the story perfectly illustrates the challenges each character involved in this unholy alliance face leading to life altering situations and decisions that no one can turn back from. Cooper is gifted with an amazing cast lead by the memorizing Depp who turns in an Oscar winning performance. Depp, who is barely recognizable as the godfather of the Irish Mob, is relentless in his commitment to the character and his portrayal is both haunting and meticulous in his execution.

Joel Edgerton embodies the invincibility and arrogance of his character with ease and turns in the performance of a lifetime. Benedict Cumberbatch is limited in his screen time, but he makes the most of every scene by portraying the confidence and calmness of an American politician and brother of a notorious gangster. My one wish for this film would have been for a bit more interaction between Depp and Cumberbatch as both actors were ripe for some great scenes. The rest of the cast, which includes Rory Cochrane, Kevin Bacon, Adam Scott, and David Harbour, were outstanding in this supporting roles.

Overall, Black Mass is a fantastic crime drama with plenty of drama and wonderful performances and one that demands to be seen. Don’t miss this film.

Stars:

4 out of 5

After Credit Scene?

None

Trailer:

Review: ‘The Man from U.N.C.L.E’

Posted on August 12, 2015 by Michael Petrelli — Leave a reply

Hollywood’s fascination with remaking old television shows into film continues with our subject for today, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., a slick action spy caper from director Guy Ritchie (Sherlock Holmes). The film serves as an origin story to the original premise of the television show as we witness the birth of the relationship between the characters and their graduation to becoming the United Network Command for Law and Enforcement. Step inside the world of espionage and intrigue as we venture back to a time where the world was on the brink of crisis and the men responsible with protecting their countries didn’t wear capes.

Set against the backdrop of the early 1960s, at the height of the Cold War, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. centers on CIA agent Napoleon Solo (Henry Cavill) and KGB agent Illya Kuryakin (Armie Hammer), two foes forced to put aside their differences, to team up on a joint mission to stop a mysterious international criminal organization, bent on creating nuclear weapons with the goal of world domination. How will they find this mystery organization? Through the daughter of a vanished German scientist, Gaby Teller (Alicia Vikander) whom the two believe might be the key to unlocking the mystery, but they must contend with Victoria Vinciguerra (Elizabeth Debicki), a widowed industrialist who is working with the mystery organization to develop the nuclear technology and stop them from foiling their plan. Can the trio put their differences aside long enough to stop the destruction of the world?

Director Guy Ritchie has incorporated his wonderfully clever, stylish film making with this intriguing cast of characters to create an intelligent spy caper that doesn’t take itself too serious and allows it’s campy nature to weave its way into the tone of the film to create one heck of a fun time. Henry Cavill is outstanding as the debonair thief turned super spy. Cavill’s charm and delivery are perfect for the setting and his presence on screen is reminiscent of an early Bond. Armie Hammer has his ups and down in the this film, but overall he does a fine job creating his character. Alicia Vikander is absolutely stunning in this film. Vikander, who stole the show in this year’s Ex Machina, again steals the show with her beauty and grace. Elizabeth Debicki is devilishly mesmerizing as the villainess of the film. Debicki brings a sense of calm beauty that you are intrigued to find out more about her. For a film driven by male performances, it’s the women who steal the show of this film.

Overall, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. is a truly enjoyable film and one that will keep you entertained all the way thru.

Stars:

3 1/2 out of 5

After Credit Scene?

None

Trailer:

Weight Loss

Posted on August 6, 2015 by Michael Petrelli — Leave a reply

One of the most common questions that exercisers ask is: “how long should I work out?” The answer to this question depends on your goals and current health status. While following minimum guidelines for physical activity can help to maintain health and combat the negative impacts of a sedentary lifestyle, it takes more effort to lose weight and get fit. In addition, an individual’s current level of fitness will also determine how much they should exercise each day. Read more about prostadine.

When people wonder how long they should be exercising they may hope the answer is less versus more. In fact, the recent health and fitness trend is to do shorter workouts for weight loss.1 But this fad might not always be effective for everyone—whether you’re trying to lose weight or improve your level of fitness.

The best method to determine how long you should work out shouldn’t be based on fitness trends. Of course, you can (and should) still include short workouts on rotation in your schedule. But you will also have to do some cardiovascular workouts that are a little bit longer if you want to lose weight and stay healthy.

Weight Loss

According to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), you should exercise for 150–250 minutes per week to lose weight. The organization also suggests that more exercise provides better results.2

If you want to keep the weight off for good, the ACSM prescribes a minimum of 250 minutes of moderate to high-intensity exercise per week. Check these Alpilean reviews.

To meet the ACSM guideline, you could simply exercise for 40 minutes every day. But that workout schedule could get boring, which may cause you to quit your program. In addition, to lose weight effectively you need to exercise at different intensity levels. This requires that you adjust your workout duration to accommodate the various workloads. It’s also helpful to keep track of your daily calorie needs for weight loss. This calculator can provide you with an estimate.

Set Your Calorie Goal and Get a Free Meal Plan

Build Strength

Muscle mass decreases with age, which stresses the importance of regular resistance training. Strength training builds stronger muscles and bones to support the joints and prevent fractures and can even be beneficial for managing arthritis.3

In addition to cultivating a regular strength training regimen, it’s important to make sure that you’re still incorporating enough cardiovascular activity to maintain or improve your current level of aerobic fitness. These are the best legal steroids.

Switching up your workout routines and workout lengths can help stave off boredom and help you stay motivated. But be sure to carve out time for rest and recovery days to avoid injury or burnout.4

A 2016 review and meta-analysis published in Sports Medicine suggests that strength training at least two days a week can effectively build and strengthen muscle.5 Some experts recommend three days or more, however.

Stay Healthy

The American Heart Association (AHA) has physical activity recommendations for basic health maintenance for adults and children in the United States. Here’s a close look at some of the AHA’s advice.6

Adults: Americans aged 18 and older should get at least 150 minutes of heart-pumping moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes of higher-intensity cardiovascular activity (or some combination of both) each week. The AHA also recommends incorporating strength and resistance training at least two days per week.
Children: For kids aged 3–5, the AHA states that this group should be very active throughout the day. Children aged 6-17 are advised to get at least 60 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity cardiovascular exercise per day, with vigorous intensity at least three days per week. Strength-training activities for this age group should be at least three days a week, gradually increasing with frequency and intensity over time.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that only around 22.9% of U.S. adults aged 18–64 meet the minimum guidelines for physical activity each week.

To reap the health benefits of regular exercise, the AHA suggests that adults gradually increase the amount and intensity of exercise to reach a goal of 300 minutes (5 hours) of physical activity per week.

To incorporate more heart-pumping physical activity into your daily life, the AHA recommends first and foremost being less sedentary whenever possible. Even light activity such as getting up and going for a short walk or performing gentle stretching can help offset the risks associated with too much sitting, according to the AHA. In addition, the AHA suggests the following activities:6

Moderate-Intensity Exercise

Ballroom or social dancing
Brisk walking (at least 2.5 miles per hour)
Biking slower than 10 mph
Doubles tennis
Gardening
Water aerobics

Vigorous-Intensity Exercise

Aerobic dancing
Cycling 10 mph or faster
Jumping rope
Hiking (uphill or with a heavy backpack)
Singles tennis
Swimming laps
Rigorous yardwork
Running

While getting enough exercise is crucial for maintaining and improving health, staying hydrated and getting proper nutrition is just as important. For advice on following a healthy, balanced diet, refer to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

How Long Should You Work Out Each Day

How long you should exercise every day depends on the specific workouts you choose and your personal health and fitness goals. If you are healthy enough for vigorous exercise, your workout program should include hard, high-intensity days (20 to 30 minutes), easy days to recover (30 to 45 minutes), and moderate days when you build endurance, improve heart health, and burn fat (45 to 90 minutes). Each of these workout goals requires a different exercise duration. In general, you’ll want to incorporate a mix of the following each week.

Michael’s Review: ‘Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation’

Posted on July 29, 2015 by Michael Petrelli — Leave a reply

Say what you will about Tom Cruise, but the guy can deliver one hell of a performance. Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation proves this fact with its fast pace action and its intriguing storyline which grabs you from second one and never lets go. Director Christopher McQuarrie (Jack Reacher) and Cruise have created a nice rapport over the years as the two seem very comfortable working together and it shows with the finished films. The Mission Impossible franchise was rejuvenated with 2011’s Ghost Protocol, and Rogue Nation continues to show that with great storytelling and exciting set pieces, this franchise has a lot left in the tank.

The Impossible Mission Force is on assignment saving the world once again. We find the team in Belarus where Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) is attempting to stop delivery of chemical weapons to hostile forces. Accompanied on the mission by Benji (Simon Pegg), Ethan finds himself on the outside of a plane rushing down the runway to take off. An expected thrilling start to a franchise which has hung its hat on exciting action set pieces. The thrill rides are just beginning as the team find themselves in the sight lines of a new villainous foe in the form of the mysterious syndicate. Ethan comes face to face with the head of the group, Solomon Lane (Sean Harris) when he is captured and sent for interrogation. Ethan’s capture is Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson), a rogue MI:6 agent who now works for the syndicate, but her alliances are, as we say, complicated, as she helps free Ethan.

But this isn’t the only threat to the IMF. The group is denounced by the CIA chief Alan Hunley (Alec Baldwin) who wants to disband the force for its reckless behavior, blaming the IMF for the attack on the Kremlin one year earlier. Despite William Brandt’s (Jeremy Renner) protests, all IMF operations are shut down, leaving Ethan Hunt the CIA’s most wanted. Ethan must rely on Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames), Brandt and Benji to help him prove that the syndicate is real and reinstate the IMF. Stuck between two powerful foes, Ethan travels the globe and fights side by side with friend and foe. His mission, to stop the syndicate before time runs out. This message will self destruct in 5,4,3,2,1.

In a summer filled with so many hits and misses, it’s nice to see a film like Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation come out and prove that character driven action films can entertain while not being dumbed down for the sake of the summer movie going audience. Christopher McQuarrie does a wonderful job directing this veteran cast who have, for the most part, been working together on this franchise for close to a decade. McQuarrie, who also is responsible for writing the film, balances the need for dialogue driven scenes with action set pieces nicely, allowing for development of each character nicely. Tom Cruise has coveted this franchise for 20 years and it truly is his baby. Cruise is fearless in his passion for this role and it shows with his delivery and how committed he is to making each scene as believable as possible. Simon Pegg benefits from an increase in screen time this time around and makes the most of it. Pegg’s wonderful blend of quirky and dramatic make his performance one to watch.

Jeremy Renner isn’t given much to do action wise in this film, and sadly, his character suffers for it, but it is his dry comedic exchanges with Alec Baldwin that make for some entertaining scenes. Sean Harris’ villainous role is menacing as much in his silence as he is in his characters execution. A cold, callous demeanor make his Solomon Lane the best villain of the franchise so far. Rebecca Ferguson’s heroine is the real scene stealer of the film. Ferguson’s beauty and grace make her presence on screen so must see.

Overall, Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation is the best sequel this summer not named Mad Max: Fury Road. Your mission, if you chose to accept it, run to the theater and see this one in the biggest format you can.

Stars:

4 out of 5

After Credit Scene?

None

Trailer:

Review: ‘Southpaw’

Posted on July 24, 2015 by Michael Petrelli — Leave a reply

Southpaw, definition, noun, a left-handed person, especially a boxer who leads with the right hand or a baseball pitcher.

Why did this review begin with a definition of the title? Two reasons, first, because not everyone knows what the term means. The second reason is the more important one; I wanted to remind the screenwriter Kurt Sutter (“Sons of Anarchy”) what the term means as well. You see a southpaw is a boxer who leads with their right hand and is usually, but not always, left handed. This is a very important point to keep in mind while viewing this movie, because you will not see a single southpaw boxer in the entire film. Not Jake Gyllenhaals’s Billy Hope, not Forest Whitaker’s Titus Wills, not Miguel Gomez’s Miguel Ecobar, not even any of the opponents or training partners. Nope, you will not see a single southpaw in this entire film!

So why name this movie Southpaw? Apparently Kurt Sutter wrote the part specifically for Eminem as a metaphor for Eminem’s custody struggles, and since Eminem is a white rapper that struggled to be accepted and a southpaw has a hard time being accepted as well. Eminem is a lefty so it would make sense even in the context of the film. Now they are going with the idea that the title refers to the fact that a southpaw struggles to become a good boxer and so does Billy hope, the film’s protagonist.

The Basics: Jake Gyllenhaal plays Bill “The Great” Hope, the undisputed light heavyweight boxing champion who has never been defeated in the ring, well except for once, but that didn’t count. He is the prototypical white boxer, a lovable dumb guy who can’t manage to survive without the help of others but is really good at taking a massive beating in the ring and pulling victory from the jaws of defeat at the hands of obviously superior boxers (sound familiar?). Rachel McAdams plays his wife Maureen “Mo” Hope who came up through the foster system with Billy and has been by his side since they were 12 years old. Mo is the decision making intelligent street wise brains of the family. They have a daughter named Leila Hope played by Oona Laurence (Penny Dreadful).

The first act is typical to a fault. Billy wins a hard fought title defense, his wife wants to him stop boxing, his agent Jordan Mains, played by 50 Cent, wants him to sign an HBO deal, and his daughter just wants her Dad around more. A smooth talking ranked boxer Miguel Escobar, played by Miguel Gomez, wants his shot and talks trash at a press conference. Yadda yadda yadda, they have a show down outside of a charity fundraiser and Mo ends up getting shot and killed in scuffle.

Billy loses his mind, puts up a pathetic performance in the ring, spirals into despair and drinking, and winds up losing his daughter to the state protective custody. Down on his luck he goes to the gym run by the only trainer that ever helped a boxer beat him, Forest Whitaker’s Titus “Tick” Wills. They have a hard time trusting each other, a random kids dies, they bond, the movie goes on. If all of this sounds cliché, congratulations, you have seen a boxing movie before. I won’t spoil the rest for you, but it plays out exactly how you expect it to.

Conclusion: Here’s the deal, Southpaw isn’t a bad movie (besides the lack of a southpaw which I find reprehensible). It is just an average boxing movie. If you have seen a few of them, then you have seen every cliché that gets checked off of the list in this movie. It felt very Rocky III the whole time to me. This is all the more shameful because of the solid performances given by the cast. Gyllenhaal plays the punchy stupid white boxer (hello again Rocky) in an actually nuanced and method way. Oona Laurence is absolutely brilliant as she bounces between love and hate of her father. Forest Whitaker is Forest Whitaker. Even 50 Cent turns in a great performance.

These great performances are over shadowed by a badly titled, poorly written, and ultimately color by number boxing film. There are so many missed opportunities, plot holes, and dangling ends that it boggles the mind as to why they didn’t pursue any of those paths that might have made this movie unique in some way.

Boxing Genre Score: 2.75/5 – hits all the right notes, but is playing from a tired piece of music.

Mainstream Audience Score: 3.5/5 – if you haven’t seen the Rocky series or many other boxing movies it’s a good character drama with great performances

After Credit Scene?

None

Trailer:

Michael’s Review: ‘Ant-Man’- Sometimes Tiny Superheroes Have the Biggest Heart

Posted on July 22, 2015 by Michael Petrelli — Leave a reply

A film once destined for greatness was dealt a blown after the departure of director and fan favorite Edgar Wright from the project, but despite the negative reaction to the news, Marvel carried on and hired Peyton Reed (Yes Man) to fulfill the companies vision of their long standing character. Ant-Man, the story of a man who can shrink to the size of an ant and fight crime, a gamble at best for the studio, but one, done right, that could introduce another iconic Avenger into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Marvel’s Ant-Man..Scott Lang/Ant-Man (Paul Rudd)..Photo Credit: Zade Rosenthal..? Marvel 2014

The year is 1989 and Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) is a scientist who, at present, works for S.H.I.E.L.D. Pym has created a technology which allows a person to shrink to the size of an ant, a technology many want to get their hands on. Finding out that S.H.I.E.L.D has tried to replicate this tech, Pym, believing the tech is too dangerous even for those who want to use it for good, vows to hide it and protect it as long as he lives.

Present day finds Pym protégé, Darren Cross (Corey Stoll), alongside Hank’s daughter Hope (Evangeline Lilly), have forced Hank out of his own company. The two have continued the research that Hank had vowed to protect and Cross is close to perfecting a shrinking suit of his own. Knowing he must stop this from happening, Pym decides to take action. This is where Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) comes in. Lang, a convicted criminal and expert burglar, is looking for a second chance in life, a chance that would help him reclaim a place in his daughters life, but prospects aren’t that easy for someone with a record. Ex cellmate Luis (Michael Peña) offers to help get Lang back on his feet with an opportunity to get back into the life he most desperately wants to leave behind.

Marvel’s Ant-Man..L to R: Scott Lang/Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) and Hank Pym/Ant-Man (Michael Douglas)..Photo Credit: Zade Rosenthal..? Marvel 2014

Lang breaks into a house and cracks its safe, but only finds what he believes to be an old motorcycle suit, which he takes home. After trying the suit on, Lang accidentally shrinks himself to the size of an insect. Terrified by the experience, he returns the suit to the house, but is arrested on the way out. Pym, the homeowner, visits Lang in jail and offers him a proposition, a chance to become a hero, a chance to save the Earth, a chance to be the Ant-Man! Just one catch, he has to revert back to his old life and steal Cross’ tech and help destroy it.

Marvel’s Ant-Man..Scott Lang/Ant-Man (Paul Rudd)..Photo Credit: Zade Rosenthal..? Marvel 2014

Director Peyton Reed, working with the script written by original director Edgar Wright along with Joe Cornish, Adam McKay and Paul Rudd, plays it safe and sticks with the script as it was meant to be portrayed and never “dumbs down” the dialogue to make it easier to follow. Everything about Ant-Man that works comes from its heart and simplicity. The film never takes itself too seriously and that’s what ultimately helps make Ant-Man’s first venture to the big screen so much fun. Same to say this is the best origin story Marvel has produced since the original Iron Man, unless we’re counting Guardians of the Galaxy as an origin story and then, well…

Marvel’s Ant-Man..L to R: Darren Cross/Yellowjacket (Corey Stoll) & Scott Lang/Ant-Man (Paul Rudd)..Photo Credit: Film Frame..© Marvel 2015

Paul Rudd is outstanding as the titular hero. Rudd brings so much heart and compassion to this role, which brings a heightened level of believability to the character. Michael Douglas is equally as phenomenal as the elder statesman of the Ant-Man universe. Douglas looks very at home in his first go at a superhero movie and you can tell that the seasoned actor was having a blast bringing this iconic character to life. Evangeline Lilly works equally as well with both Rudd and Douglas, but it is her relationship with the latter that helps add to the heart of the film. My only real issue with the film is the villain, played by Corey Stoll. One of the major complaints with Marvel films is that their villains have been hit or miss, and with this film, the villain is a miss, but not by much. Stoll seems to have the ability to provide a menacing character, so it leads me to believe the studio elected for a more family friendly villains. Sadly the villains doesn’t work as well as it should for my taste. The show stealer however is Michael Pena! That guy is incredible witty and his delivery is spot on.

Overall, Ant-Man is probably not the exact film we would’ve gotten if Edgar Wright had directed it, but it sure is one heck of a film. Take the whole family to see this film, a good time for all! Ant-Man will return!

Stars:

3 1/2 out of 5

After Credit Scene?

2 ( One during the credits and a stinger at the end)

Trailer:

Retro Review: ‘Back to the Future’- We Celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the Films Release!

Posted on July 3, 2015 by Michael Petrelli — Leave a reply

Director Robert Zemeckis probably hoped that his film about a time traveling boy would be a remembered, but I’m reasonably sure he had no idea the impact it would have on the legions of fans for years to come. To say this movie was a success would be an understatement. Since 1985, Back to the Future has gone on to gross more than $381 million dollars worldwide and was the #1 movie of 1985. Back to the Future was voted the 23rd greatest film ever made by readers of Empire Magazine, it has been included in AFI’s Top 10 Science Fiction Films of All Time, it was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”, and most importantly, it is my #1 movie of all time. Let’s look back 30 years into the past and travel Back to the Future.

Marty (Michael J. Fox) is your average rebellious teen destined for rock stardom and all the spoils that come with it; there’s just one problem…he’s a McFly and in Hill Valley, that name stands for mediocrity; but things are about to change. Marty lives with his parents George (Crispin Glover) and Lorraine (Lea Thompson) along with his siblings Dave (Marc McClure) and Linda (Wendi Jo Sperber). George is the pushover type never looking for trouble but seemingly finding it. He works for a supervisor named Biff Tannen (Thomas F. Wilson) who is always looking to bully George and seems to have a past with the family. Lorraine, Marty’s mom, is an alcoholic who’s life just hasn’t turned out quite the way she imagined. Marty’s siblings still live at home after graduating high school and just can’t seem to catch a break in life. During an exchange at the dinner table, Lorraine recants the tale of the night her and her husband met, a story which involving George being hit by Lorraine’s fathers car. It was the moment she knew they fell in love and would be together forever.

Marty’s best friend scientist Dr. Emmett Brown (Christopher Lloyd) has created a time machine….out of a DeLorean! How can it time travel you may ask? Well you preset a travel date into the console, a date like, oooooh say November 5th, 1955. Yes! November 5th 1955, the day Doc Brown hit his head on the porcelain sink while hanging a clock in the bathroom, when he came to he had a vision of the Flux Capacitor. The vehicles time displacement is powered by plutonium, but don’t worry, this suckers electrical, it uses the plutonium to create a nuclear reaction to generate the 1.21 gigawatts of electricity to power the Flux Capacitor. But watch out, once this baby hits 88 mph we’re gonna see some serious shit.

So where would a scientist from California get his hands on plutonium? Well from a Libyan terrorist group of course, and they are sure pissed that he stole from them. They show up to collect what is owed to them and they are out for revenge. Marty witnesses the assassination of his old friend which leaves him little choice, jump in the DeLorean and haul ass. But as Marty is speeding away, he hits the magical 88 mph and Marty is shot back in time to Hill Valley 1955.

Of course Marty’s immediate reaction is to explore Hill Valley and search for Doc Brown to help him return to the future but in the process some unexpected events occur. Marty encounters his father George who is again being bullied by Biff. As George fleas the scene, Marty decides to follow him only to find him spying in a tree at an unsuspecting female. George loses his balance and falls out of the tree, but Marty comes to the rescue, pushes George away from the car and inadvertently is hit with the car instead. Marty wakes in his mothers room where she has become smitten with Marty. He realizes that he has mistakenly taken the place of his father in the tale of their impeding love story and subsequently altered the future.

Marty finds Doc and Doc explains that the only available power source capable of generating 1.21 gigawatts of energy is bolt of lightning. Marty knows that lightning stuck the towns clock tower and 10:04 pm on November 14th, 1955. All that Doc and Marty have to do is figure out a way to harness its power. Oh, and convince George to ask Lorraine to the Enchantment Under the Sea dance and re-change the past so Marty can save his future! But of course Biff has something to say about that.

My love for this movie knows no bounds. It was the first movie I latched onto in my younger years and I’ve watched it at least once every month since…yes I’ve seen this movie over 350 times. The film’s story was so original and fresh that it immediately found an audience with young viewers. Michael J. Fox was a star at the time with the popularity of the hit show “Family Ties”, but interestingly enough Fox was the producers second choice for Marty (Eric Stoltz was originally cast); but there was no better choice than Fox as he ultimately proved. Marty McFly has become an iconic character who’s appeal is as beloved today as it was 29 years ago…maybe ever more so. Christopher Lloyd’s portrayal as Doc Brown is equally as iconic as Fox’s performance. The mannerisms, the delivery of the dialogue, the chemistry he created with Fox brought an immediate emotional connection to the movie which resonated thru the following two sequels. The friendship between Marty and Doc is one very few can top. These characters will live on in film history as two of the greatest ever created.

The supporting cast was amazing. Lea Thompson was fantastic in her duel roles as Lorraine Baines and the future Lorraine McFly. Her beauty was unsurpassed and her presence omitted a touch of youthful mischief that added a level of playfulness that was key to the execution of her relationship with Marty. Crispin Glover was equally as phenomenal as George McFly. His mannerisms as a youthful outcast whose dream of becoming a sci-fi writer and sweeping the woman of his dreams off her feet are quirky and awkward but extremely lovable. Glover brings a level of tension to each scene that allows the audience the feeling of concern yet allows for a playful exuberance to shine thru. And who could forget Tom Wilson. The antagonist of the film, Biff Tannen, arguably one of the top villainous performances of the 1980’s and beyond. Wilson is THE perfect bully. From his interactions with George to his confrontations with Marty, Wilson stands with each actor toe to toe and creates memorable scene after memorable scene. From his bruting mannerisms to his off beat comical delivery, Wilson is a gem in every scene.

Back to the Future is a film that changed the way I watched movies at an early age and solidified my love for film. It is a movie that deserves every one of its accolades and will stand the test of time as one of the all time films. This movie takes me to a place emotionally that allows me to relive a small piece of my childhood with each viewing. I owe so much to this film and I have no way to pay it back. I can simply say thank you Marty and Doc for taking me on your journey.

Stars:

5 out of 5 stars

Trailer:

Michael’s Review: ‘Terminator Genisys’- Arnold is Back, but is That a Good Thing?

Posted on June 30, 2015 by Michael Petrelli — Leave a reply

30 years after the iconic role that put Arnold Schwarzenegger on the map, the actor returns to the franchise with Terminator Genisys, the first in a brand new trilogy about an apocalyptic future where machines rules the Earth and humanity fights for survival. Alan Taylor (Thor: The Dark World) takes the helm on what Paramount Pictures hopes will be a resurgence of interest in a stale and uneventful franchise as of late. Can Ah-nold and his new cast members “reset the future”?

The year is 2029, John Connor (Jason Clarke), leader of the human Resistance, continues to wage war against the machines alongside his right hand man Kyle Reese (Jai Courtney), but the battle is coming to an end. Connor commands his forces to attack Skynet at multiple locations, one to strike at the main defense grid in Colorado, and a second, led by Kyle and himself, to destroy Skynet’s last hope weapon, a time machine hidden at a remote storage facility. Connor and Reese arrive, but just after Skynet sends back a T-800 to the year 1984 to kill John’s mother, Sarah Connor (Emilia Clarke).

Foreseeing this outcome, Connor sends Kyle Reese back in time to protect Sara, a young waitress who, at the time of her attack, would be vulnerable and unaware of the coming doom that would alter her life forever. Moments before Kyle disappears, he witnesses one of the Resistance fighters, Alex (Matt Smith), attacking John. Without knowledge of the outcome, and knowing his mission, Reese arrives in the year 1984 to find young Sara, but as he arrives, the machines were waiting for him. After being ambushed by a T-1000 (Byung-Hun Lee), Reese is rescued by Sara, who is not the Sara that he was told of, and her Guardian (Arnold Schwarzenegger), a reprogrammed T-800 who was sent back from the future by an unknown source, to protect Sara when she was young. Reese quickly realizes that the original timeline has been altered, and the mission has become more clear, destroy Skynet before Judgement Day.

The trio has one chance to get this right. The Guardian has built a time machine similar to Skynet’s and Sarah plans to 1997 to prevent Judgment Day, the temporal point for which she believes to be where the final battle is waged, however, Reese, who has been seeing glimpses of memories from a time he does not know, persuades Sarah and the Guardian that they should travel to 2017 instead. But what awaits them when they arrive is nothing like they could ever imagine. As the fate of world rests in their hands, can they arrive in time to stop Skynet from going online?

Alan Taylor does a fine job keeping this confusing story on track. From start to finish, this film does a very good job of walking a fine line between honoring the original film as well as creating its own new identity within this already established world. The script by Laeta Kalogridis and Patrick Lussier works well in explaining the appearance of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s aging T-800 and developing a fresh take on the Sara Conner back story which doesn’t appear forced or convoluted within the context of the universe. Speaking of Sara Conner, Emilia Clarke is fantastic in her first go as the iconic female freedom fighter, originally played by Linda Hamilton. The “Game of Thrones” star is no stranger to taking on high profile roles and she plays Sara with careful precision and intensity that will help her being accepted by long time fans of the original film.

Jason Clarke takes on the role of John Connor, now on the characters fifth actor in 30 years. Clarke, a rugged, strong actor, fits well within the role of the leader of the Resistance and plays the character much how I envisioned him in the brief glimpse we see of him at the beginning of T2: Judgement Day. Seeing Arnold Schwarzenegger as the T-800 again, to me, will never get old. I love the character and the way that the aging actor plays him with such wonderfully subtle detail. Schwarzenegger delivers yet again. Jai Courtney does an admirable job as Kyle Reese, a character originally played by Michael Biehn. Courtney has a tendency to play the character a tad too wooden at times, but he recovers and delivers a sufficient performance.

Overall, Terminator Genisys is a fun walk down memory lane with a lot of new twists. With a variety if options for this franchise now, it will be interesting to see how they continue this story. Terminator Genisys is a far better film than the last two installments in the series, but just missed being included within the greatness of the original film and T2.

Stars:

3 out of 5

After Credit Scene?

Extra scene in the middle of the credits, no stinger after the credits

Trailer:

Michael’s Review: ‘Jurassic World’- The Park is Open!

Posted on June 14, 2015 by Michael Petrelli — Leave a reply

It’s been 22 years since the events on Isla Nublar. A lots happened since then in the world of cinema, but there is a special place in our hearts for the dinosaurs of Jurassic Park and that is why this weekends opening of the newest installment in the dino franchise, Jurassic World, is so highly anticipated. Can Colin Trevorrow’s vision live up to the hype? Let’s simply forget the events of the dull and forgetful sequels and revel in the fact that the park is open!

Millions of people flock to this Dino-Disney theme park every year on the island where it all started. The park John Hammond envisioned has to come fruition thanks to Simon Masrani (Irrfan Khan), CEO of the Masrani Corporation and the owner of Jurassic World, who believed in Hammond’s vision enough to make it a reality. Masrani wants a park where the animals are just as happy as those paying admission, Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard), the park’s operations manager, believes in profits and making bigger and better attractions, which leads to the creation of a new genetically modified dinosaur, the Indominus rex, which is said to be the biggest attraction the park has ever seen.

Brothers Zach (Nick Robinson) and Gray Mitchell (Ty Simpkins) have arrived at the park to visit their aunt Claire. Gray, an avid dinosaur enthusiast, is excited to finally see the park, but brother Zach is only along for the ride. The two trek off into the park with Claire’s assistant to explore while Aunt Claire checks on her newest attraction. After some concerns about the newest dinosaurs development, Masrani requests the assistance of Owen Grady (Chris Pratt), a Velociraptor expert and trainer known to have a positive influence over the creatures. Vic Hoskins (Vincent D’Onofrio), the head of InGen security, is on hand to witness Owen’s work and believes this trainiing should be used to turn the Velociraptors into weapons to be sold to the government, an idea Owen strongly opposes.

A mishap allows the Indominus to escape captivity and sets off a park wide Dino hunt. With Gray and Zach lost in the park, Claire enlists the help of Owen to rescue the boys and take down the Indominus before the park is destroyed and lives are lost. With the help of an unimaginable allies, will Owen reach the boys and stop the blood thirsty killer before it’s too late?

Director Colin Trevorrow (Safety Not Guaranteed) does a phenomenal job of creating his vision of the park within the framework of the original world created by Steven Spielberg. The film, a direct sequel to the original film, is not only a visually stunning film, but the strong script from Rick Jaffra and Amanda Silver (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes) leaves a lot of the playful elements that worked so well from the original while allowing for the dramatic performances of the actors to work without an overabundance of corny lines and cringe worthy performances. Chris Pratt continues to impress as his career shift to leading man continues. Pratt is becoming more and more comfortable in action roles and his performance in Jurassic World is sometimes a bit stiff but overall quite enjoyable. Bryce Dallas Howard is wonderful. A character which can fall into so many cliche’s, Howard avoids many of them and provides a performance worthy of being included alongside Laura Dern’s Dr. Ellie Sattler from the first film. Neither Ty Simpkins or Nick Robinson were overly impressive, but neither were annoying either which is a plus considering their roles.

Overall, Jurassic World is one hell of a fun ride. A film that doesn’t quite reach the exceptional level of the first film, but far exceeds the sequels. Bryce Dallas Howard’s Claire states, “no one’s impressed by a dinosaur anymore”, well, this movie does impress and I can’t wait to head back to the park one more time.

Stars:

3 1/2 out of 5

After Credit Scene?

None

Trailer:

Michael’s Review: ‘Entourage’

Posted on June 4, 2015 by Michael Petrelli — Leave a reply

The Entourage boys are back with their first feature film with series creator Doug Ellin serving as director and it’s just what you would expect from the testosterone driven hit HBO show…women, cars, cameos, and Ari Fricking Gold. Eight seasons just weren’t enough to tell the tale of Vinny Chase and his boys as they conquer Hollywood and all the women in Los Angeles.

The film picks up six months after the show ended where we find Johnny “Drama” Chase (Kevin Dillon), Eric “E” Murphy (Kevin Connolly), and “Turtle” (Jerry Ferrara) riding a motorboat to a yacht party where their newly divorced friend, movie star Vincent Chase (Adrian Grenier) is partying it up with the locals in Ibiza. Reunited and it feels so good for this brat pack-esque crew who now look to the next chapter in Vince’s career. Hearing that his former agent, Ari Gold (Jeremy Piven) has returned from retirement and is now a studio exec, Vince reaches out to Ari, who offers Vince a new project, a project that Vince says he will only do if he can direct. And this is where the story begins.

The project is called Hyde, which is a futuristic take on “Jekyll and Hyde”. Starring and directing in the film, Vince recruits E to be his producer and Drama to be his co-star, but things go south when the blooming budget and rumors of a disastrous rough cut of the film reach Ari, who is desperate for this film to be a success. Vince reaches out to Ari to convince him to fund the project with more money so he can fully complete his vision. Reluctant, Ari reaches out to Larsen McCredle (Billy Bob Thornton), an oil tycoon and studio financier who refuses to give any more money unless his son, Travis (Haley Joel Osment) accompanies Ari back to Hollywood and sees a version off the film. Determined to see this project to completion, Ari and Vince try to convince Travis to fund the extra money, but complication arise when Travis and Vince can’t meet eye to eye on the film. With time running out and a studio hungry for a hit, can Ari, Vince and the boys find their way to the finish line?

Director Doug Ellin elects for the “if it’s not broke, don’t fix it approach” with his characters and creates a film that feels more like an over bloated, cameo filled episode of the television show. This approach isn’t detrimental to the film’s success, but limits the characters evolution past what we already know of them. As for the actors, they get to slip into a familiar shoe and do exactly what they did for eight years. Adrian Grenier, Kevin Dillon, Jerry Ferrara and Kevin Connolly all provide exactly what the audience wants and they do it fairly well, but there’s an empty feeling seeing these great characters not find anything new to do except drive around and talk about sex. Jeremy Piven is epic as always as the fast talking Ari Gold. Piven steals every scene he’s in and is the real star of this film as he was of the tv show.

Overall, Entourage is for fans of the show and very few others. It is a fun trip down memory lane for many of us who invested close to a decade in these characters, but in the end, the film did little to expand the characters any further and left me wanting more from the plot. Is the movie as enjoyable as the show? Sure, but not as creative. Let’s hope if the boys get another go around that they give us a little more substance than this.

Stars:

2 1/2 out of 5

After Credit Scene?

Scene during the credits

Trailer:

Michael’s Review: ‘San Andreas’

Posted on May 27, 2015 by Michael Petrelli — Leave a reply

Actor Dwayne Johnson returns to the big screen with the newest disaster flick San Andreas, a film that will no doubt continue Johnson’s string of high budget, low payoff films that have plagued his career since he broke into Hollywood over a decade ago. Director by Brad Peyton (Journey 2: The Mysterious Island) helms this “by the book” action fluff film that will wow the visual effects fan out there, but will leave audiences wishing that a natural disaster would wipe this film from existence.

Ray Gaines (Dwayne Johnson) is a Los Angeles Fire Department rescue-helicopter pilot who is credited with over 600 rescues in his career. Gaines, a family oriented man who recently separated from his wife Emma (Carla Gugino), counts his daughter Blake (Alexandra Daddario) as his biggest accomplishment and will do anything to protect her. Having previously lost their other daughter to a freak accident, Ray and Emma are left to continue separate lives, one that includes Emma’s new boyfriend David (Ioan Gruffudd), a wealthy architect whom Emma and Blake intend to move in with. Ray’s plans for spending a final weekend with Blake before she begins university in the San Francisco area are dashed when a major earthquake hits Nevada and his squad is mobilizes to respond while Daniel offers to fly Blake up north on his private jet.

Revelations are uncovered that the Nevada quake is only the beginning as Lawrence Hayes (Paul Giamatti), a seismology professor at CalTech, has reason to believe the seismic activity is headed towards California. Before Hayes can get word out to the public, the first of many big tremors hits downtown Los Angeles, where Emma is lunching in a high rise restaurant as the building begins to crumble around her. Ray, sensing danger, swoops in and rescues her from the roof in his chopper. Blake, now caught in the earthquakes path, reaches out to her father for help. Realizing what they must do, Ray and Emma race up the coast to save their only daughter before it’s too late. But their treacherous journey north is only the beginning, and when they think the worst may be over…it’s just getting started.

Director Brad Peyton, along with cinematographer Steve Yedlin and VFX supervisor Colin Strause, have created a thrilling spectacle with intense visual effects and non stop action that will have audience members holding on to their seat, but the dialogue and execution of the human aspects leave this film lacking the heart it needs to succeed. Dwayne Johnson does a worthy job holding the film together, but the wrestler turned actor is given very few opportunities to show off why he is the most popular action star in Hollywood these days. Alexandra Daddario is a strong presence during her screen time in the film. Her character teeters on the edge of cliche as the damsel in distress, but she does her best to separate herself from the norm and create a character with strong undertones. Veteran actor Paul Giamatti does his best to work with a weak script and even weaker science but ultimately turns in a stale performance with very little substance. Actress Carla Gugino does little to add to the dramatic aspects of the film and turns in a rather forgetful performance.

Overall, San Andreas is not as bad as recent disaster films such as 2012, but falls victim to too many cliches and weak story telling to be counted as good. Should you see the film? Fans of Dwayne Johnson will be entertained, fans of disaster films and visual effects will be entertained, slightly, but not many others. In a summer filled with hit or miss films, San Andreas is a slight miss.

Stars:

2 1/2 out of 5

After Credit Scene?

Trailer:

Michael’s Review: ‘Tomorrowland’

Posted on May 26, 2015 by Michael Petrelli — Leave a reply

“Inspiring people makes the world a better place”, a quote from a young Frank Walker in Brad Bird’s Tomorrowland which opens this weekend in theaters. A film that would like to do just that, inspire young people to dream big and achieve greatness to help better our world and save the future, a noble goal and a powerful message for this generation. Inspired by the Disney theme park on the same name, this film sets it’s sights to become the next great Disney family adventure, but can it win over audiences this summer?

Frank Walker (George Clooney) opens the movie by saying, “The future can be scary” for which optimist and science enthusiast Casey Newton (Britt Robertson) responds, “When I was a kid the future was different.” Two varying perspectives from two very different generations who will need to work together to save the planet. We flashback to 1964, a young Frank Walker (Thomas Robinson) attends the New York World’s Fair where he meets David Nix (Hugh Laurie), a judge for new innovations in science at the fair who is unimpressed with Walker’s attempt to create a jetpack. A young girl named Athena (Raffey Cassidy). who is attending the fair with Nix, sees something in Walker and gives him a pin which results in Walker being transported into a futuristic cityscape known as Tomorrowland.

Years in the future we find Casey Newton (Britt Robertson), sneaking into a former NASA launch site in Cape Canaveral to stop the site from being destroyed. Her father, Eddie (Tim McGraw), is an NASA engineer who was employed at the site so the destruction vastly effects the Newton family. She returns home where Athena finds the young girl and hides a pin in her helmet for her to find. After being arrested for attempting another sabotage mission on the NASA site, Casey discovers the pin among her personal items. Casey discovers that upon contact, the pin instantly transports her to Tomorrowland. She briefly explores Tomorrowland, before a timer on the pin expires and returns Casey to her world. Desperate to return, Casey begins to search for another way back.

Casey hits the road to find answers, but soon finds her life threatened by robots sent to protect Tomorrowland from any more visitors. With the help of Athena, Casey finds Frank, who informs her that the world is coming to an end. Understanding that they must stop this from happening, the two begin their journey back to the place that neither can live without. With hope on their side, even the tinniest of actions could change the future.

Tomorrowland is a movie with an important message about saving the Earth from our mistakes and director Brad Bird’s ambitious film delivers its point with dialogue and visuals pointing to our demise, but will any of its core audience listen? One of Bird’s mistakes in his delivery is the pacing of the film. In areas the pacing works and the film moves well enough, but there are gaps where young audiences could find themselves “zoning” out which, I fear, will cause the overall message of the film to be lost. Actress Britt Robertson is wonderful as the young science enthusiast. Robertson delivers on her desire to make her character unique and does well to stray her character away from cliche’s that plague way to many of these characters. George Clooney and Hugh Laurie are servicable but not overly amazing in this film. Clooney given more to work with with his character than Laurie, who had the makings of a great antagonist, but fizzled on the development. Raffey Cassidy is charming as the young Athena. Cassidy Her characters interaction with her co-stars is wonderful and the young actress delivers.

Overall, Tomorrowland is an enjoyable film which will hopefully inspire it’s audience to go out and make the world a better place. As young Walker said, “If I saw people flying with a jetpack over me. I’d believe anything is possible.”

Stars:

3 out of 5

After Credit Scene?

At the very end of the credits there is a Tomorrowland pin that disappears with the “Tomorrowland flash” after a hand grabs it. Aside from this, there is no stinger after the credits

Trailer:

Michael’s Review: ‘Echoes of War’

Posted on May 17, 2015 by Michael Petrelli — Leave a reply

Director Kane Senes’ western Echoes of War resurrects some very familiar themes as we witness the homecoming of a man who has faced the brutalities of war and now finds himself struggling of adjust to life after battle. James Badge Dale, Ethan Embry and William Forsythe lead the cast in this morally conflicted period piece which yearns to reminds us how wonderful the western genre is, but ultimately finds itself lost on the frontier.

Wade (James Badge Dale) returns home to Texas after the end of the Civil War to his brother in law Seamus’ (Ethan Embry) farm to help mend his family after the passing of his sister. Seamus tends to his farm with his daughter Abigail (Maika Monroe) and his son Samuel (Owen Teague), both of whom idolize Wade and convince the weary farmer to allow their uncle to stay. Wade begins to settle in and Seamus puts him right to work assisting in the daily chores. During a run to check the traps for food, Wade and Samuel come across Dillard McCluskey (Ryan O’Nan), son of Randolph McCluskey (William Forsythe), neighbor to Seamus and cattle owner who has fallen on hard times stealing their catch. Feeling that he must takes it upon himself to put a stop to the McCluskey’s stealing his families food, Wade confronts the elder McCluskey, which sparks a battle between the families. With tensions running high, will anyone be left standing when the dust settles?

Co-writers John Chriss and Kane Senes have provided a screenplay filled with way too many western cliche’s and not enough original content. Senes, in his feature film directorial debut, has an understanding of how the story should play out, but the sluggish pace of the film causes this film to spiral out of control. The acting in the film is also very hit or miss. James Badge Dale is very one dimensional in his role as the war veteran. The role seemed ripe for some intense scenes but never captured the true nature of a man returning from war. William Forsythe‘s role is also lost in interpretation. Acting as the antagonist in the film, you neither understand, nor do you care, why the events of his past have lead to the man he is now. The relationship between Ethan Embry‘s Seamus and Randolph really needed to be flushed out more in the telling. Maika Monroe, coming off the critically acclaimed film It Follows, is never truly given the opportunity to show off the acting skills in this film as her character plays out most of the film with the same somber delivery.

Overall, Echoes of War is a film that struggles to resonate any true enjoyment for its viewers. A story that is not all that bad, but is destined to ride off into the sunset and out of our memories.

Stars:

2 out of 5

After Credit Scene?

Trailer:

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