Mike's Movie Tips

3/4 Starring: Elijah Wood, Charlie Hunnam, Claire Forlani, Leo Gregory, Mar Warren, Geoff Bell Rated R for Brutal Violence, Pervasive Language and Some Drug Use I wasn't planning on watching this movie today.  But then a friend of mine started talking about it learned that not only had I not seen it, but owned a copy of it on DVD, well, there was no stopping him.  Kevin would literally not hang up the phone until I pressed play; he even went so far as to say that he would go online to watch his favorite scenes while I watched the movie.  While I can't exactly share his zealous passion for the film, I did enjoy it for what it was. As of this moment, Harvard journalism prodigy Matt Buckner's life has taken a similar turn to that of Job.  His connected roommate has all but forced him to take the fall for cocaine possession.  Now expelled, Matt finds himself in England visiting his sister Shannon (Forlani).  She's married to a handsome Brit named Steve ...

3/4 Starring: Paul Bettany, Jennifer Connelly, Martha West, Jeremy Northam, Benedict Cumberbatch, Toby Jones Rated PG-13 for Some Intense Thematic Material "Creation," a film based on the life of Charles Darwin, is a mess, but it's a good mess.  The film's plot is all over the place with constant flashbacks and dream sequences.  And yet the film is never confusing.  It may be a bit on the dull side at times and it's debatable that there's enough material presented to carry a feature film, but all in all, this is a fascinating yet uneven film. Charles Darwin (Bettany) is in the middle of a personal crisis.  His new theory that life is determined by natural selection and not the hand of God is almost certainly going to produce a shockwave around the world, but he's unsure he is willing to pay the price of possibly sacrificing his immortal soul.  Nor is he willing to alienate his deeply religious wife, Emma (Connelly).  The death of their eldest d...

2.5/4 Starring: Alicia Vikander, Dominic West, Walton Goggins, Daniel Wu, Kristen Scott Thomas, Derek Jacobi Rated PG-13 for Sequences of Violence and Action, and for Some Language When it comes to video game treasure hunters, my vote will always go to the "Uncharted" franchise.  They're some of the most beautifully made, action-packed video games out there, and more than enough reason to get a PlayStation 4 on their own.  But this movie is about Lara Croft, not Nathan Drake.  And while the British beauty has her charms, they aren't enough to elevate this movie above mediocrity. Lara Croft (Vikander) is a wealthy heiress to a fortune probably worth billions.  Unfortunately, she can't access any of it.  Her father Richard (West) has been missing for seven years, and she steadfastly refuses to declare him dead.  Stuck in financial limbo has left her destitute, so she reluctantly signs the forms at the behest of her guardian, Ana Miller (Thomas) and fi...

3/4 Starring: Claire Foy, Joshua Leonard, Jay Pharoah, Amy Irving, Juno Temple Rated R for Disturbing Behavior, Violence, Language, and Sex References Often times it's the most realistic situations that prove to be the scariest.  Sure, we can always count on the Alien, Bughuul, the Demon Nun or a mad slasher to scare the hell out of us on a dark night with a tub of buttery popcorn.  But when you've unwittingly resigned yourself to be institutionalized by a shady corporation and all your cries for freedom are chalked up to your "insanity," that's true terror. Sawyer Valentini (Foy) has just started a new job in a new state.  But although she tells her mother (Irving) that it was for a great opportunity, her real reason for suddenly moving is that she wanted to escape a stalker.  She's still easily rattled and so seeks the help of a counselor.  A (willful) misinterpretation of her mental state leads her to being institutionalized.  As a fellow inmate ...

3/4 Starring: Liv Tyler, Scott Speedman The version being reviewed is unrated.  For the record, the theatrical cut is rated R for Terror/Violence and Language "Why are you doing this to us?" "Because you were home."  What makes "The Strangers" work is that first-time writer/director Bryan Bertino takes his time.  He does not rush things.  He makes sure we get a sense of the two lead characters, then slowly ratches up the tension.  And like any good horror director, he builds.  And builds on top of that.  And so on.  Soon, the tension becomes unbearable.  That is the mark of a good filmmaker. James Hoyt (Speedman) and Kristen McKay (Tyler) are on their way home from a wedding.  Things are pretty tense, as she has just turned down his marriage proposal.  While deciding what to do next, someone comes to their door and asks a bizarre question: "Is Tamara home?"  They say no, and the girl goes away.  James goes out...

3.5/4 Starring: Nick Robinson, Jennifer Garner, Josh Duhamel, Katherine Langford, Alexandra Shipp, Jorge Lendeborg Jr., Logan Miller Rated PG-13 for Thematic Elements, Sexual References, Language and Teen Partying I suppose it would take a gay filmmaker to make this movie.  This film version of the book by Becky Albertalli, is so knowing, so honest, and so real that only a person who has been through it could understand the pain, the confusion and the desperation of a teenager realizing his sexuality.  I kept nodding my head, smiling and grimacing through the events on screen that so closely mirrored my life growing up. Simon (Robinson) is a normal teenager counting down the days until he graduates from high school.  He also has one very big secret: he's gay.  No one knows.  Not his laid-back parents Emily (Garner) and Jack (Duhamel) nor his friends Leah (Langford), Abby (Shipp) or Nick (Lendeborg Jr).  But when an anonymous student confesses that h...

2/4 Starring: Jason Bateman, Rachel McAdams, Billy Magnussen, Sharon Horgan, Lamorne Morris, Kylie Bunberry, Jesse Plemons, Kyle Chandler Rated R for Language, Sexual References and Some Violence I'll admit I was not looking forward to this movie.  I was afraid it would be just another example of what comedy has descended into: a moronic plot punctuated by profanity, potty humor that's unlikely to amuse anyone over the age of thirteen, and endless riffs by clueless stand-up comedians posing as would-be actors.  In other words, I was expecting a repeat of " The House ."  Fortunately, "Game Night," despite its equally lame title, is more ambitious than that.  This comic thriller has an actual plot, and while its elements are never original and rarely gel, the filmmakers can rest assured that "Game Night" won't appear on my Bottom 10 list this year. Super competitive yuppies Max (Bateman) and Annie (McAdams) love to have game nights with t...

1.5/4 Starring: Jada Pinkett Smith, Tommy Davidson, Duane Martin, Michael Ralph, Darrel Heath, Dave Chappelle, Paula Jai Parker Rated R for Sexual Content and Language "Woo" is a tone-deaf romantic comedy made by people without a clue.  Nearly everything that the film tries to do misses the mark, but what's strange is how badly everything misfires.  Some of the gags don't land because they are ineptly handled, but others are so bizarre that they belong in the "what the hell were they thinking?" category.  This is a textbook example of how not to do a romantic comedy. Woo (Smith) is every guy's dream girl: she's sexy, confident and vivacious.  She's also superstitious, so when her friend and spiritualist Celestrial (Girlina) calls with surprising news about her fortune, Woo answers.  Apparently, Woo is going to meet the man of her dreams soon, and he will be a Virgo.  So when Lenny (Chappelle) asks her to take out his friend Tim (Davidson...

2.5/4 Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Joel Edgerton, Matthias Schoenaerts, Jeremy Irons, Charlotte Rampling, Ciaran Hinds, Mary-Louise Parker, Joely Richardson, Thekla Reuten Rated R for Strong Violence, Torture, Sexual Content, Language, and Some Graphic Nudity I suppose to say that, for a spy thriller, I was always left wondering the true motives of the lead character and what her ultimate plan was, would be a compliment.  After all, we go to movies like "Red Sparrow" to guess who is playing who and who is going to make it to the end credits still breathing.  On that level, the film works.  The problem is that I just didn't care. After a career-ending injury, ballerina Dominika Egovora (Lawrence) is approached by her mysterious uncle Vanya (Schoenaerts) with an opportunity: help him nab a traitor or lose her home and access to medical care that her mother Nina (Richardson) requires.  Of course, it's not that simple.  Soon Vanya has all but forced his niec...

2.5/4 Starring: Essie Davis, Noah Wiseman Not Rated (probable R for Terror/Violence) Critics like the late great Roger Ebert and James Berardinelli have a love/hate relationship with the star rating system.  On the one hand, it gives a short, definitive opinion about a movie.  On the other hand, it completely removes any context from said descriptor.  As Berardinelli once pointed it out, not all movies with a 4/4 are alike.  I gave both " Tommy Boy " and " Saving Private Ryan " a 4/4 rating, and have no regrets about either.  But if there are any similarities between the two movies, I missed them.  The former is a hilarious and heartfelt buddy comedy.  The latter is as violent and devastating war movie as I've ever seen.  Hence the frustration. Which brings us to "The Babadook."  As is my rule, I have given it a numerical rating, however, having to do that really frustrates me.  On the one hand, it is a frightening film, dripping...