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Tomorrowland (2015) Recipe Card Movie Review

Movie Rating: 3 Joes

Three Joes

Tomorrowland (2015)

Released May 22, 2015 / Sci-fi & Fantasy / PG


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Cook Time
2 hr 10 min

Cook Time
2 hr 10 min

Ingredients
  1. Stars: George Clooney, Hugh Laurie, Brittany Robertson, Raffey Cassidy, Kathryn Hahn,
  2. Tim McGraw, Judy Greer, Keegan Michael Key
  3. Written by: Jeff Jensen, Brad Bird, Damon Lindelof
  4. Directed by: Brad Bird
Instructions
  1. From Disney comes two-time Oscar (R) winner Brad Bird’s riveting, mystery adventure “Tomorrowland,” starring Academy Award (R) winner George Clooney.
  2. Bound by a shared destiny, former boy-genius Frank (Clooney), jaded by disillusionment, and Casey (Britt Robertson), a bright, optimistic teen bursting with scientific curiosity, embark on a danger-filled mission to unearth the secrets of an enigmatic place somewhere in time and space known only as “Tomorrowland.” What they must do there changes the world-and them-forever.
  3. Featuring a screenplay by “Lost” writer and co-creator Damon Lindelof and Brad Bird, from a story by Lindelof & Bird & Jeff Jensen, “Tomorrowland” promises to take audiences on a thrill ride of nonstop adventures through new dimensions that have only been dreamed of.
Notes
  1. “Tomorrowland” is a strange creature. It’s a film I was really looking forward to seeing and one that I should have really enjoyed. But instead, I just walked away feeling ‘meh.’ It’s a good looking film with some really good ideas in it. And it certainly kept my interest throughout.
  2. So where does it sort of go wrong? Well, to be quite frank, it’s a two hour movie that ultimately leads to a preachy conclusion. As I left the film, I sort of felt like a sat through a two hour PSA. Now don’t get me wrong. The movie’s not boring. And the message it conveys is noble. But it does come across a little too simplistic and I feel maybe a little out of place for what’s supposed to be nothing more than a fun little fantasy film. I don’t know about you, but when I go to see a movie like this I would like to forget about the harsh realities that await me on the outside of the movie theater.
  3. Another problem with the movie is that the characters were just not that interesting. I didn’t really care about their plight or find the whole thing that intriguing. From what was sold to us in the trailers, I expected to have a lot more fun than I did. I wanted to see something new and different. Maybe even a world we haven’t seen before on film. I wanted to see “Tomorrowland.” But instead, I just got ‘Averageland.’
  4. And then there’s George Clooney. I generally don’t find him that terribly interesting as an actor. It’s not so much that I dislike the films he’s in. Some are very good. But I find that when he speaks, he just has trouble emoting. Every time I see him in a movie, I never see him playing a character. I just see George Clooney acting. And I think his casting might have hurt this film a bit. A more interesting actor might have made this movie more engaging.
  5. So I would think that a movie with robots and jet packs and futuristic cities and ray guns and portals and spaceships would make for a real kick-ass film. But the whole thing really just felt ‘by the numbers.’ The character’s emotions just seemed forced and a bit lifeless. And I found it was a bad creative decision to open the film with Clooney essentially addressing the audience for the first few minutes. It was a slow, boring, and cheesy way to start the film. I have a feeling that if the movie was reedited and tightened, it would probably play better.
  6. “Tomorrowland” is not the worst film you can see this summer, but it’s certainly not the best one either. Overall, I found it to be just ‘okay.’
Know It All Joe https://www.knowitalljoe.com/

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Poltergeist (2015) Recipe Card Movie Review

Movie Rating: 2 1/2 Joes

Two and a Half Joes

Poltergeist (2015)

Released May 22, 2015 / Horror / PG-13


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Cook Time
1 hr 33 min

Cook Time
1 hr 33 min

Ingredients
  1. Stars: Sam Rockwell, Rosemarie DeWitt, Kyle Catlett, Saxon Sharbino, Kennedi Clements,
  2. Jared Harris, Jane Adams, Susan Heyward, Nicholas Braun
  3. Written by: David Lindsay-Abaire
  4. Directed by: Gil Kenan
Instructions
  1. Legendary filmmaker Sam Raimi (“Spider-man”, “Evil Dead”, “The Grudge”) and director Gil Kenan (“Monster House”) contemporize the classic tale about a family whose suburban home is haunted by evil forces.
  2. When the terrifying apparitions escalate their attacks and hold the youngest daughter captive, the family must come together to rescue her before she disappears forever.
Notes
  1. I think the point in remaking a movie should be to improve upon an inferior produced film which has the potential to be made into a better film. Unfortunately, that’s not the reason films are remade today. The main reason would be to capitalize upon a well-known property for financial gain. So making a better film doesn’t always factor into it. I mean, why else would you remake a classic like “Poltergeist?” It not only still holds up great today, but the film itself doesn’t really give much room to improve upon it.
  2. In regards to this new 2015 version, they changed all of the character’s names, but the story structure stays pretty much the same. We have the little girl communicating with poltergeists through the TV, the freaky clown doll, the scary-looking tree outside the window, the entrance and exit to the ghostly portal, and the psychic that comes in late in the film to help exorcise the house.
  3. One of the main problems that I had with this new version was that I found that very little chemistry existed between the actors. I didn’t believe for a moment they were a real tight-knit family. I felt they were actors playing characters. In the 1982 version, you could feel the love between the parents and the kids. When the parents lost their little girl, Carol Anne, you could see the panic in their eyes. You felt their pain. I just didn’t get with this new version. Though capable actors, there just wasn’t a connection between them. The casting was off. And it hurt the film.
  4. Also, I found the whole look of the movie to be a bit drab. For some reason, in horror films today, they suck all of the color out of the picture and keep the whole tone of the film dark. That’s why I find most of today’s horror films to be lifeless – because there is no life in them. The characters and the settings are always dreary. The world that these people inhabit just doesn’t feel real. If some of these films injected a little color into their settings and life into their characters, then maybe we as an audience would form a tighter connection to the story and really care when a character was in danger from a specific threat.
  5. But on a positive note, I thought the film’s special effects looked great. I did like that we got to journey into the world of the poltergeists. That was definitely creepy. Plus we had both Sam Rockwell and Jared Harris in the same movie – so that never hurts. And I did like that they changed up a few of the plot elements so that the film wasn’t a complete clone. And I thought the 3D (I saw it in 3D) worked very well. But ultimately, the movie just wasn’t as much fun as the original.
  6. So in summary, it wasn’t a bad film. It’s just that I didn’t see a point in this remake. And every time a character read some of the same dialogue that appeared in the ’82 version, I just felt like I was watching a stage production based on that original film. It just didn’t feel right. Even when that iconic movie line “They’re here” was finally uttered, it was said in a very non-ominous way. It didn’t nearly have the same weight attached to it as when Heather O’Rourke said in 33 years back.
  7. So my advice is this… if you want to see a good “Poltergeist” film, watch the ’82 version. You’ll have a good time. But if you insist on seeing this one, you’ll probably walk away thinking… ‘Eh, it was okay.’
Know It All Joe https://www.knowitalljoe.com/

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Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) Recipe Card Movie Review

Movie Rating: 4 1/2 Joes

Four and a Half Joes

Mad Max: Fury Road

Released May 15, 2015 / Action & Adventure, Sci-Fi / R


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Cook Time
2 hr

Cook Time
2 hr

Ingredients
  1. Stars: Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Josh Helman,
  2. Nathan Jones, Hugh Keays-Byrne, Zoë Kravitz, Riley Keough, Abbey Lee, Courtney Eaton
  3. Written by: George Miller, Brendan McCarthy, Nick Lathouris
  4. Directed by: George Miller
Instructions
  1. From director George Miller, originator of the post-apocalyptic genre and mastermind behind the legendary “Mad Max” franchise, comes “Mad Max: Fury Road,” a return to the world of the Road Warrior, Max Rockatansky.
  2. Haunted by his turbulent past, Mad Max believes the best way to survive is to wander alone. Nevertheless, he becomes swept up with a group fleeing across the Wasteland in a War Rig driven by an elite Imperator, Furiosa. They are escaping a Citadel tyrannized by the Immortan Joe, from whom something irreplaceable has been taken. Enraged, the Warlord marshals all his gangs and pursues the rebels ruthlessly in the high-octane Road War that follows.
Notes
  1. Thirty years after the last chapter in the Mad Max saga comes the fourth installment in the continuing adventures of the tortured Road Warrior. This film has literally been years in the making. George Miller originally wanted to shoot it in 2001 with Mel Gibson in the titular role. But for various reasons, the film got pushed back by many years. By the time Miller was ready to restart the movie, he had decided to recast the role of Max (with Tom Hardy winning the part).
  2. So is the movie any good? Quite frankly, it’s one of the best action films ever produced. This movie really does put every other action film to shame, from its stunts to its overall look. It’s like a graphic novel come to life.
  3. Although the film is essentially one long chase movie, don’t despair. There is a coherent story, along with the likes of many outlandish and insane looking characters. But the real hook of the movie is the action sequences, which rarely slow down. We do get some opportunities to catch our breath, but not for long. The action gears right back up again.
  4. As for the two main stars of the film, Charlize Theron’s Imperator Furiosa has just about as much screen time as Tom Hardy’s Mad Max. And she manages to stand toe to toe with him and kick about just as much ass. These two made a good team. It was interesting to see the (non-romantic) relationship develop between these tortured souls. She’s trying to return to a past that was ripped from her as a child and he’s trying to escape from a past that still haunts him (the death of his daughter).
  5. I’d like to add that Nicholas Hoult does a great job of humanizing the character of Nux. At first, Nux comes across as just one of the many crazies that appear in this film. But we slowly begin to see a real human being under that bizarre exterior, one that is only trying to find acceptance and his place in this world gone insane.
  6. As an interesting side note, Hugh Keays-Byrne who stars as villain Immortan Joe also had a role in the original film “Mad Max” (1979) as a gang leader known as Toecutter.
  7. So if you’re looking for great drama or romance, this isn’t the movie for you. If you’re looking for some of the greatest high-octane kick ass action sequences put to film, you found that movie. And most impressively, George Miller didn’t rely too heavily on CGI. Most of the action and stunts were performed live on-set. That’s something you rarely see in movies today. But I think it added so much to this film. So I’d say the real stars of the movie are the stunt players.
  8. “Mad Max: Fury Road” just raised the bar for every action movie that follows.
Know It All Joe https://www.knowitalljoe.com/

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A Million Ways to Die in the West (2014) Recipe Card Movie Review

Movie Rating: 1 Joe

One Joe

A Million Ways to Die in the West (2014)

Released May 30, 2014 / Comedy, Western / R


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Cook Time
1 hr 56 min

Cook Time
1 hr 56 min

Ingredients
  1. Stars: Seth MacFarlane, Charlize Theron, Amanda Seyfried, Liam Neeson, Giovanni Ribisi,
  2. Neil Patrick Harris, Sarah Silverman
  3. Written by: Seth MacFarlane, Alec Sulkin
  4. Directed by: Seth MacFarlane
Instructions
  1. Seth MacFarlane directs, produces, co-writes and plays the role of the cowardly sheep farmer Albert in A Million Ways to Die in the West.
  2. After Albert backs out of a gunfight, his fickle girlfriend (Amanda Seyfried) leaves him for another man (Neil Patrick Harris). When a mysterious and beautiful woman (Charlize Theron) rides into town, she helps him find his courage and they begin to fall in love. But when her husband (Liam Neeson), a notorious outlaw, arrives seeking revenge, the farmer must put his newfound courage to the test.
Notes
  1. I really wanted to like this movie. I generally like Seth MacFarlane’s humor. I enjoy “Family Guy” and to a bigger extent “American Dad.” I thought “Ted” was very funny and just overall a good film. But I learned over the years to never go into a movie with overly high expectations. You’re only setting yourself up for disappointment. So I’d say I went into this film with very normal expectations. I figured, in terms of jokes, a few hits, a few misses, but that I’d probably enjoy it to some degree. I did not — to any degree. Neither 90, 180 and sure as hell not 360.
  2. There are just so many problems with the film that it’s hard to decide where to begin. Actually, no it’s not. I’ll begin here. The movie’s not funny. Sure, there are some laughs. If you keep throwing jokes at the screen, something will eventually hit. But I expected better than that from MacFarlane. He plays this as someone whose friends have told him he was a funny guy, but then choice to test that compliment out onstage… and died. Funny in person doesn’t always translate to funny onstage (or on screen).
  3. Next up, the movie is just too damn long. If feels the full length of the runtime and then some. I always believed that most comedies work best around 1 hour and 40 minutes. Two hours is just too long. Did you hear that Judd Apatow? And the film’s pacing was terribly off, most likely due to the long runtime.
  4. And sadly, I found some of cameos to be forced and out of place. Most just didn’t play well and seemed shoehorned in. There is one in particular that I’m thinking of, but I don’t want to spoil it here. Also, it was clearly obvious they could only get Liam Neeson for a short period of time since his character awkwardly disappears for most of the film. But if that was intentional, it was a poor scripting choice. And then let me touch upon the film’s blatant overuse of cursing. I have no problem with cursing at all, but MacFarlane is only using it here for the shock value. Unfortunately for him, cursing is no longer shocking. He was clearly going for the cheap laugh. But no one was laughing.
  5. I do believe there was a much better film to be made here. I think the main issue is that Seth MacFarlane didn’t know what kind of movie he was making. I feel as if he threw the kitchen sink at the screen but ultimately broke it in the process. And I do think that a more tightly edited (and shorter) version could’ve possibly helped the film greatly. A lot of people attacked MacFarlane’s screen presence. I don’t think he’s bad onscreen, but he does need to relax more and not ham it up so much. He’s forcing himself to be funny in the film and it shows (badly). And his constant modern day commentary on the Old West just took me out of the film. It made me feel as though I was watching him narrate a documentary on that time period. His character was just too aware. I understand the unique style he was going for, but it didn’t work.
  6. I really do like Seth MacFarlane. And I hope this film serves as nothing more than a thorn in what is otherwise a very good career. I do very much look forward to seeing his future offerings.
  7. And on a side note, why does no one know how to use Sarah Silverman? I loved her show on Comedy Central a few years back. It was original and very funny and really showcased what she’s capable of doing. But in films, no one seems to give her the kind of material to really exhibit her comic abilities and this movie didn’t certainly do that. And I’d like to give special kudos to Charlize Theron for really giving it her all and doing a great job. And to Gilbert Gottfried for his very funny (and too short) portrayal as one of our American Presidents.
Know It All Joe https://www.knowitalljoe.com/

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X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) Recipe Card Movie Review

Movie Rating: 4 1/2 Joes

Four and a Half Joe's

X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)

Released May 23, 2014 / Action & Adventure, Sci-fi, Fantasy / PG-13


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Cook Time
2 hr 11 min

Cook Time
2 hr 11 min

Ingredients
  1. Stars: Hugh Jackman, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Patrick Stewart,
  2. Ian McKellen, Peter Dinklage, Nicholas Hoult, Halle Berry, Ellen Page, Shawn Ashmore, Evan Peters
  3. Written by: Simon Kinberg
  4. Directed by: Bryan Singer
Instructions
  1. In the future, mutants and mankind have all but been driven to extinction by powerful sentient robots known as sentinels.
  2. As a last resort, Wolverine’s consciousness is sent back in time to the early 1970’s, placed into the body of his younger self in order to stop this apocalyptic chain of events from occurring.
  3. To do this, he’ll need the help of some of his mutant friends (Professor X, Beast, etc.), but he finds that their younger versions are far from the people he remembers.
Notes
  1. If you’ve never seen an X-Men movie before and you want to check one out, “X-Men: Days of Future Past” isn’t the one to go and see. And yet, I loved this film a lot. It was extremely enjoyable and entertaining. Then what gives, you ask? Why shouldn’t I go see this one? And the answer is this… it’s very continuity heavy. You might like what you’re seeing, but you won’t really understand a lot of what’s going on unless you’ve viewed the previous entries in the series. It would be a damn shame if you couldn’t enjoy the film for everything it has to offer.
  2. There is a lot to service in this movie – two different casts and time frames, an intricate storyline, pulling a somewhat fractured franchise into a cohesive whole, and fixing some past mistakes while pulling off a reboot of sorts. Whew! Tall order. And guess what? Singer pulls it off in grand fashion. Most of the characters get serviced reasonably well. Although Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine is in the film, this is not a Wolverine movie. He serves as the link to both past and future casts and helps drive the story along. But overall, it’s essentially an ensemble piece. And what an ensemble it is. But Singer also made sure to capitalize on Jennifer Lawrence’s stardom by giving her a more prominent role in this one. Her character serves as the key to the mutants (and humanities) future.
  3. But the welcomed surprise for me was Evan Peters’ Quicksilver. He stole the show in every one of his scenes. The one real drawback of this film was that he wasn’t in more of it. There is a kitchen scene involving his character that will be talked about for years to come. Easily the best scene in the movie.
  4. The film’s production design and effects are excellent and the movie does a great job at capturing the feel of the 1970’s. If anything, I wish we got to play around a bit more in that era and just really have fun with it, but there was just too much to do. And there are a few surprise cameos in the film, for which I am not going to spoil here.
  5. Without a doubt, this film is going to be one of the biggest blockbusters of the summer. And with this being the seventh film in this series, amazingly, it will most likely breathe new life into this franchise. Usually movies will degrade with every sequel until the eventual reboot. This film series actually took its reboot (X-Men: First Class) and un-rebooted it with a reverse karate move, thereby returning it back into its original form. And by combining both cast of characters, it created a larger (and more cohesive) X-Men universe, and a more interesting one at that.
Know It All Joe https://www.knowitalljoe.com/

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Neighbors (2014) Recipe Card Movie Review

 Movie Rating: 1 1/2 Joes

One and a Half Joe's

Neighbors (2014)

Released May 9, 2014 / Comedy / R


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Cook Time
1 hr 36 min

Cook Time
1 hr 36 min

Ingredients
  1. Stars: Seth Rogen, Rose Byrne, Zac Efron, Dave Franco, Carla Gallo, Ike Barinholtz
  2. Written by: Andrew J. Cohen, Brendan O’Brien
  3. Directed by: Nicholas Stoller
Instructions
  1. Seth Rogen (This Is the End, 50/50), Zac Efron (The Lucky One, That Awkward Moment) and Rose Byrne (Bridesmaids, Insidious series) join forces with director Nicholas Stoller (Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Get Him to the Greek) for Neighbors, a comedy about a young couple suffering from arrested development who are forced to live next to a fraternity house after the birth of their newborn baby.
  2. By all appearances, new parents Mac (Rogen) and Kelly Radner (Byrne) are living the American Dream, one complete with an adorable little girl and a beautiful new starter home in the suburbs. Still, the early-thirtysomethings want to believe that they have a modicum of coolness left within them. This next phase of life is proving to be a challenge, as the reformed (sometime?) partyers struggle with the realities of entering an inevitable new stage: unapologetic adulthood.
  3. When Mac and Kelly discover that their new next-door neighbors are none other than dozens of Delta Psi Beta fraternity brothers—led by charismatic president Teddy Sanders (Efron)—they try to play along and make the best of an awkward situation. But when the frat’s parties grow increasingly more epic, both sides of the property line begin to fend for their turf. As the neighbors’ relentless sabotage and one-upmanship threaten to either get the college kids kicked off the block or make the newlyweds lose what’s left of their sanity, thus begins an epic Greek war for the ages.
Notes
  1. This film reminded me of another film called “Neighbors.” Only that one starred John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd and had an entirely different plot. But the one thing both films have in common is that I greatly wanted to like both of them but just couldn’t. With all of the talent involved, they just were not good movies.
  2. I like Seth Rogen. I enjoy most of his films. I even liked “The Green Hornet.” That film took a lot more crap than it should have. But his latest film is just not good. I will admit that I did laugh at a few parts. Even in a bad movie, Rogen is going to make you laugh at some point. It’s inevitable. But while watching this film, I just couldn’t help to think that there was a much better movie in there waiting to be made. It’s as if they filmed the first draft. And you never want to film the first draft.
  3. The bottom line — the script needed work, there was far too much bad improvisation, scenes dragged on for far too long, motivations were severely lacking, not enough high-jinx (strangely enough) for a film like this, and everything just seemed a little too forced. I was bored. And I shouldn’t have been. I mean how can you be bored with such a set-up (Suburban couple with new born goes to war with frat house that moves next door). This should have been a classic. But it wasn’t. I just can’t help think that they didn’t try hard enough. Laziness ensued!
  4. I have no idea how this film is making so much money and garnered such good reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. Either we have greatly lowered are expectations of what’s considered a good comedy or today’s movie reviewers are in a sad state of affairs. I miss Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert. The End!
Know It All Joe https://www.knowitalljoe.com/

 Citation * The Instructions are from the Official Site for the film.

Brain Dead Bob’s The Amazing Spider-man 2 Review

PosterHello gang,

I thought I’d do something a little different with “The Amazing Spider-man 2” review and turn it over a contributing writer who likes to go by the name of ‘Brain Dead Bob.’ Or if you’re a really good friend, he allows you to just call him ‘Brain Dead’ or ‘BDB’ for short. When I asked him why he chose the pseudonym‘Brain Dead Bob’ all he gave me in return was ‘what’s a pseudonym?’ I felt it was best to stop asking him questions at that point.

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Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) Recipe Card Movie Review

Movie Rating: 4 1/2 Joes

Four and a Half Joe's

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

Released April 4, 2014 / Action & Adventure, Science Fiction / PG-13


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Cook Time
2 hr 16 min

Cook Time
2 hr 16 min

Ingredients
  1. Stars: Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Robert Redford. Samuel L. Jackson,
  2. Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Cobie Smulders
  3. Written by: Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely
  4. Directed by: Anthony Russo & Joe Russo
Instructions
  1. After the cataclysmic events in New York with The Avengers, Marvel’s “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” finds Steve Rogers, aka Captain America, living quietly in Washington, D.C. and trying to adjust to the modern world. But when a S.H.I.E.L.D. colleague comes under attack, Steve becomes embroiled in a web of intrigue and threatens to put the world at risk.
  2. Joining forces with Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow, Captain America struggles to expose the ever-widening conspiracy while fighting off assailants sent to silence him at every turn. When the full scope of the villainous plot is revealed, Captain America and the Black Widow enlist the help of a new ally, the Falcon. However, they soon find themselves up against an unexpected and formidable enemy – the Winter Soldier.
Notes
  1. Let’s get right down to the nitty-gritty. Is “Captain America: The Winter Soldier any good?” A resounding yes! It’s excellent. I really enjoyed the first film a lot, but this one definitely took it to a different level. The action and effects in the film is some of the best you’ll see from any modern motion picture. But none of that action sacrifices any of the character’s stories or emotional arcs in any way.
  2. You see a real friendship evolved between Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff (aka The Black Widow). These are two soldiers with serious trust issues who have been thrust together in battle, but slowly come to respect and resolve those issues as the film plays on. The character of Sam Wilson (aka The Falcon) is a great addition to the cast and a refreshing screen presence. This is a guy who would lay down his life for his new friend and I’d certainly like to see more of him in upcoming films. Sam Jackson gave his best performance yet as Nick Fury. He really seems to have found the character. And, of course, Robert Redford is… Robert Redford. Not much more needs to be said about that.
  3. “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” might be considered a superhero movie, but it doesn’t really play like one. I’m not the first to say this, but it really does play out like a political thriller, only with a lot of kick ass action interspersed throughout. This movie had no problem digging in and getting messy. It wasn’t afraid to shake things up and keep them shook up by film’s end.
  4. This may not be my favorite of all the Marvel films (the first “Iron Man” and “The Avengers” take those spots), but it is without a doubt the best made of those films. And it certainly has the best pacing of all of them. Once the film gets going (which it does almost immediately), it almost never stops. But it does take enough time outs to allow you to breathe and get to know these characters better. I look forward to seeing these relationships grow in the upcoming “Avengers” film and the next “Captain America.”
Know It All Joe https://www.knowitalljoe.com/

Citation * The Instructions are from the Official Site for the film.

Bad Words (2014) Recipe Card Movie Review

Movie Rating: 4 Joes

Four Joe's

Bad Words (2014)

Released March 14, 2014 /
Comedy /
R


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Cook Time
1 hr 29 min

Cook Time
1 hr 29 min

Ingredients
  1. Stars: Jason Bateman, Kathryn Hahn, Rohan Chand, Allison Janney, Philip Baker Hall
  2. Written By: Andrew Dodge
  3. Directed By: Jason Bateman
Instructions
  1. Jason Bateman makes his feature directorial debut with the subversive comedy Bad Words. Mr. Bateman stars as Guy Trilby, a 40-year-old who finds a loophole in the rules of The Golden Quill national spelling bee and decides to cause trouble by hijacking the competition.
  2. Contest officials, outraged parents, and overly ambitious 8th graders are no match for Guy, as he ruthlessly crushes their dreams of victory and fame. As a reporter (Kathryn Hahn of We’re the Millers) attempts to discover his true motivation, Guy finds himself forging an unlikely alliance with a competitor: awkward 10-year-old Chaitanya (Rohan Chand of Homeland), who is completely unfazed by Guy’s take-no-prisoners approach to life.
Notes
  1. “Bad Words” is not a bad movie. It’s actually very enjoyable. Even though many of the big laughs were presented to us in the trailers, there were still plenty of hilarious moments left for us to experience. The previews tend to highlight the main protagonist as a rude, foulmouthed jerk, but the film actually digs much deeper into his psyche and reveals to us the driving force propelling his ludicrous mission.
  2. Jason Bateman and Kathryn Hahn make a great comedic team. Their sexual, non-traditional relationship is one of the highlights to this film. And Hahn is no second fiddle here. She has a real meaty role and manages to pull off some big laughs. Rohan Chand’s character serves as a fantastic sidekick to Bateman’s Guy Trilby. The kid’s got enough charm and enthusiasm to disarm even the worsts of grinches.
  3. It doesn’t take long for Chaitanya to lower Guy’s defenses. Guy then helps Chaitanya to live out many of the fantasies he most likely wasn’t able to experience himself as a child, such as seeing a hooker’s breasts and getting drunk in a bar. Hey, it’s R rated for a reason. This just adds to the whole father/son theme which runs throughout much of the film.
  4. Is “Bad Words” funny? Yes, it’s very funny. And it’s not as cruel and mean-spirited as the trailers would make it out to be, but that’s a good thing. The film does have heart. At its core, it’s all about trust and relationships – and a lot of bad behavior. As for Bateman’s feature film directorial debut, I don’t really have any bad words to offer up.
Know It All Joe https://www.knowitalljoe.com/

Citation * The Instructions are from the Official Site for the film.

Muppets Most Wanted (2014) Recipe Card Movie Review

Movie Rating: 1 Joe
One Joe

Muppets Most Wanted (2014)

Released March 21, 2014 /
Comedy, Adventure, Kids & Family /
PG


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Cook Time
1 hr 52 min

Cook Time
1 hr 52 min

Ingredients
  1. Stars: Ricky Gervais, Tina Fey, Ty Burrell, Ray Liotta, Kermit the Frog, Fozzie Bear,
  2. Miss Piggy, Gonzo.
  3. Written by: James Bobin & Nicholas Stoller
  4. Directed by: James Bobin
Instructions
  1. Disney’s “Muppets Most Wanted” takes the entire Muppets gang on a global tour, selling out grand theaters in some of Europe’s most exciting destinations, including Berlin, Madrid, Dublin and London.
  2. But mayhem follows the Muppets overseas, as they find themselves unwittingly entangled in an international crime caper headed by Constantine-the World’s Number One Criminal and a dead ringer for Kermit the Frog-and his dastardly sidekick Dominic, aka Number Two.
Notes
  1. The Muppets Most Wanted? I’d say after watching this overlong film they should rename it “The Muppets Least Wanted.” And even they know it. Lyrics from their opening song – “We’re doing a sequel. That’s what we do in Hollywood. And everybody knows that the sequel’s never quite as good.” Hmph!
  2. Let’s get right to it. What a boring, dreadful Muppet film. And believe it or not, I’m being kind. I am not a Muppet hater. I grew up with the Muppets. I watched the Muppet Show every week as a kid. And as a matter of fact, “The Muppet Show” was the first show I ever recorded on VHS tape. I watched that one episode at least ten times. I love the Muppets. But I hated this film.
  3. Some feel the Muppets died when its creator, Jim Henson, passed away. I tend to agree to a certain extent. Once the creative force behind an entertainment property moves on, it never seems said property is ever the same. Jim Henson was the Muppets. And even though I am happy to see it continue, this film really helped to dull that feeling.
  4. So exactly what’s wrong with it? It’s slow, repetitive, the songs are bland and forgettable, and that fun Muppet spirit just happens to be missing. And it’s criminally dumbed down to appeal to young children only. The way I look at it, the Muppets were created for all ages to enjoy. So when parents brought their kids to see these films, they could enjoy the film just as much. But I don’t believe the creators of this film understood that notion. And in this particular case, I don’t even think young kids will like this film. I sat next to a small child who was clearly bored throughout.
  5. To name a few other issues, the script was clunky, the acting was overly hammy (even for a Muppet film), and the cinematography was shamelessly simplistic. To top it all off, Ricky Gervais’ last name in the film is, get this, Badguy! Can you guess what role he played? Even for a children’s film, that’s hitting the nail on the head just a little too hard. And finally, our lovable cast of characters were greatly underused in this film. More Fozzy! More Miss Piggy! More Gonzo! I didn’t come to a Muppet movie to watch Ricky Gervais or an evil Kermit the Frog clone for most of it.
  6. I felt that the previous film in this series really got the tone and feel right. It was a nice reintroduction to the Muppet family. But this installment just didn’t feel like a Muppet Movie. The tone and feel of the film was greatly off and it was predictable from beginning to end. My suggestion to everyone is to go back and watch the very first Muppet Movie. It is superior in every way to this film and it never gets old. And I guarantee it will keep your children’s attention.
Know It All Joe https://www.knowitalljoe.com/

Citation * The Instructions are from the Official Site for the film.