Movie Review: Need for Speed directed by Scott Waugh

Title: Need for Speed

Director: Scott Waugh

Producer (s): John Gatins, Patrick O'Brien, Mark Sourian, Shane Black

Rating: PG-13

Release Date: March 14, 2014
For more on the move visit the Official Site

My Thoughts:

     I was lucky enough to get tickets to see an advanced screening of Need for Speed back in February—yeah, I saw it kind of early, and I was glad for it too—so I decided to do a bit of a review for it.

     Judging by the trailer it seems almost…I don’t know lackluster. But don’t judge it by how that trailer looks. Need for Speed was something else, something I hadn’t even expected. For starters, I found the movie surprisingly good, it was very entertaining. And for someone who likes car movies then this is it folks—this movie should be on your radar. Despite a seemingly slow beginning where the key players of the movie are introduced and the plot is initially set up, once the whole thing got rolling—literally—well it had me on the edge of my seat. It was surprising. Really, you seriously never knew what was going to happen next, and eventually I found myself rooting for the characters to succeed. There were so many unexpected moments that by the end I was almost wishing for a sequel. Really, it was like watching a Need for Speed game come to life! But Need for Speed wasn't all about cars and races, there was a story to it. There were some very emotional moments in movie, most of them surrounding Tobey Marshall and his friends—Benny, Pete, Joe Peck, & Finn. I can’t reveal anything about certain incidents but it really set up the course for the movie. I liked how the directors and the screenwriters decided to portray Tobey’s determination to succeed. New bonds were formed, while old ones faded away, and there were high-stake races to be had—losses and victories to happen. I do have a bit of a warning: there was one instance of nudity. But all in all, it was a good movie. (Actual rating is 4.5)

Check out the Trailer Below!

And this video about multimillion dollar sports cars.  I think if I had a car that was THAT expensive, I'd cry if someone scratched the paint...I think I really would.

So, are you planning on seeing Need for Speed, or are you going to skip it?

MOVIE, BOOK, OR BOTH? The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Directed by Peter Jackson Review

So there's an occasional thing we like to do on Our Thoughts Precisely. We'll go see a movie and then read the book after to see if there are any differences, if it's more detailed and whatnot. All to see if we like the Movie, the Book, or Both. So it's only fitting that we call it: Movie, Book, or Both?  Now before I get to my thoughts on The Hobbit:  The Desolation of Smaug, take a look at the awesome trailer!

 

Title:The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Director: Peter Jackson

Screenwriter(s): Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, Phillipa Boyens & Guillermo del Toro

Rating: PG-13

Official Site: Click Here

Release Date: December 13, 2013

My Thoughts:

Thanks to 760 AM KFMB,  I attended an Advanced Screening of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. I usually like to indicate if I liked the movie, book, or both. I haven’t read the book, so for now let me just say that The Desolation of Smaug is one of my favorite movies of 2013.

Although, I enjoyed The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. It was fairly slow paced and some of the scenes were drawn-out, so I was unsure of what to expect from The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. Was it slow paced? Absolutely not. The Desolation of Smaug was action packed early on. The battle scenes were epic and  somewhat graphic with disturbing images as indicated in the movies ratings; yet, skillfully depicted.  I don’t usually like to watch movies in 3D, but this was the perfect effect for this movie. I can’t speak for anyone else, but I found myself jumping off the seat during a couple of the unpredictable action sequences. The movie kept me glued to the screen. I was so captivated by the movie that I lost track of time. And just right smack at the height of the action, there’s a turning point—and then the end that left me saying, “Noooooo, you just can’t end the movie like this. A big cliffhanger??? Really???” Oh well, other than leaving me on the edge wanting answers, The Desolation of Smaug is an awesome must see movie.

*On a side note: Although I give all of the crew kudos, I should have known Guillermo del Toro had a hand in the creation of this movie because I loved it just as much as Pacific Rim, in which he was a director/producer/screenwriter.

     

Early Movie Review: Pacific Rim directed by Guillermo del Toro

Title: Pacific Rim
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Producer: Thomas Tull, Jon Jashni, Guillermo del Toro, Mary Parent
Screenplay: Travis Beacham, Guillermo del Toro
Story by: Travis Beacham
Rating: PG-13
Release Date: July 12, 2013
For more info on the movie visit the official site HERE

My thoughts:

        So, last night I saw an advanced screening of Pacific Rim, yeah, awesome giant robots called Jaegers that battle monsters—that also happen to be you know, GIANT—rising out of the sea. Uh-huh, what’s not to like about that? That’s the point, Pacific Rim was my kind of movie. It blended near-apocalyptic elements perfectly with technology only found in science fiction!

          Raleigh Becket, oh gosh, the guy started out as a Jaeger pilot that came off as a little too arrogant for his own good. But certain events changed him, and in the end he had to live with those decisions. Then there was Mako Mori, once I knew her history, I understood where she was coming from. There were other characters, but I won’t go into that. I don’t think I could say much about certain ones without spoiling the entire movie. Although, I will say that one of my favorite characters from the movie was Dr. Newton Geizler, the guy was spontaneous and reckless when it came to his research.

      Oh, the plot of Pacific Rim, it was fast paced despite the length of the movie, and the dialogue was kept in check. Almost from the very beginning the action started as mankind tried to take a stand against the invaders, Kaiju. The technology behind the Jaegers was pretty impressive, and the concept in itself was enough to grab my attention. It wasn’t all just mindless fighting.  There was a story to it that I liked seeing. At times, the movie left me questioning the decisions of a few characters, and the ending…no, on second thought I don’t think I’ll say anything about that.   Because I want to be as vague as possible about this, I’ll just end this review here since I could go on all day. But if you want to know how it ends, well, you’ll have to see Pacific Rim for yourself to find out, because I’m not telling you. {Actual rating 4.5}

I won tickets to an advanced screening.

 

Check out the trailer below

 

Early Movie Review: Now You See Me

Title: Now You See Me

Director: Louis Letterrier

Producer: Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, Bobby Cohen

Written by: Boaz Yakin, Edward Ricourt

Rating: PG-13

Release Date: May 31, 2013

For more information about the movie visit the official site here

My Thoughts:

     My first thoughts about Now You See Me were:  What?  How?  Where the heck did that come from?  Oh, ok, I did not see that coming.  After the end of Now You See Me, I was left reeling from it, and feeling like the movie was one giant illusion meant to trick the audience into believing they’re seeing something they’re not—well, at the very least, that’s how I felt.  It really made me think about the plot as it progressed as new details emerged.  Now You See Me is the kind of movie I’d eventually buy when it comes out on DVD/Blu-Ray, just to see if there were any small details I missed the first time I’d seen it.

      The plot follows “The Four Horsemen,” a team of talented illusionist, who go up against an elite team of FBI agents, in a series of thrilling heists.  Jack Wilder, Henley Reeves, Merritt McKinney, and J. Daniel Atlas start off as separate performers, unable to work with one another.  Through a course of mysterious events, the four end up working as a team.  The Horsemen were really the world’s greatest illusionist in this movie, as time after time, they always managed to stay one step ahead of the agents who were closing in on them. 

     Now You See Me was truly different from the other movies coming out this year.  I mean, come on.  How many times are you going to get a movie about illusionist pulling off heists?  I was so sure it was someone else, but it wasn’t.  I can’t say much more without spoiling the plot, but the secrets, oh the secrets will leave you questioning what you saw throughout the movie.  The greatest trick of Now You See Me was the movie itself, and the hidden details within it.  The only issue I really had with the movie was that there was some inappropriate suggestive content at seemingly random parts of the movie, and instances of crude humor that could have just been left out.  Otherwise, it was a pretty good movie.

 

Thank you to Summit Entertainment for the advanced screening tickets!  Another thank you to Z90.3 for the awesome Now You See Me hat!

 

Check out the trailer below:

Early Movie Review: Fast and Furious 6

Title: Fast and Furious 6

Director: Justin Lin

Producer: Neal H. Moritz, Vin Diesel, Clayton Townsend

Written by: Chris Morgan

Release Date: May 24, 2013

For more information about the movie, visit the official site here.

My Thoughts:

 
    Wow, oh holy action-packed, tank stealing, crap!  Fast and the Furious fans rejoice!  We’ve got another fast-paced installment into the series.  Out of all of the movies in the Fast and the Furious series I have to admit that I liked this one the most.  It had me gasping in shock the entire time, as secrets were uncovered, lies were undone, and the truth finally came to light.  The characters were as awesome as always, and I felt like the plot was more apparent than in the other films.  I was not disappointed by the way it turned out.  If you think that’s all, then you’ve got another thing coming.  Fast and Furious 6 was as funny as it was action-packed, with hilarious moments sneaking up out of nowhere.  In fact, Fast and Furious 6 is one movie that I’d like to go see again. 

     The old Crew from the previous movies—Dominic Toretto, Brian O’Conner, Roman Pearce, Tej Parker, Han Seoul-Oh, and Gisele Yashar—are back at it again.  Having seemingly moved on with their lives, and given up their old lifestyles for a quieter existence, I was looking forward to seeing what jumpstarted the conflict.  After being contacted by a Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) agent, they once again lapse back into their old ways.    This time, the task presented from the beginning of the movie, is one that hits-home pretty hard.  Letty Ortiz, a former member of their Crew, who was thought to be dead, is seemingly working with the antagonists of the film. 

     When I first saw the trailer, I was like how the heck is she still alive?  Let me tell you, the truth behind the whole thing will leave you breathless.  Tough decisions were made, as the Crew goes up against one of their toughest adversaries ever.  Owen Shaw was just nuts, the guy was too smart for his own good, but it made seeing the movie all that much better.  As always there were the cars—although I miss the Nissan Skyline—the street races, the cool stunts, and the heartfelt mission at the core of the movie.  I really felt like Fast and Furious 6 bridged the gap between the other movies in the series, as well as answering many questions that I had after then end of Tokyo Drift.  It shouldn’t be hard to guess that I cannot wait till number 7 comes out.  Although, I don’t recommend sitting in the nose-bleed section of the movie theater.  You need a higher-up seat to fully enjoy the movie.

"I second this review!"—Andrea M.



Thank you to Universal Pictures for the Advanced Screening Passes!

Check out the trailer for Fast and Furious 6 below:

Early Movie Review: Epic

Title: Epic

Director: Chris Wedge

Producer: Lori Forte, Jerry Davis

Writers: Tom J. Astle, Matt Ember
Release Date: May 24, 2013

For more information about the movie, visit the official site here.

My Thoughts:

     Epic was a cute, family friendly movie, with a few good points to it. Going into it, I knew that it wasn’t really my kind of movie, but I do have to admit that I liked it better than I thought I would. Epic, to be honest was more of a middle-grade level movie, with hints of action, and a dash of romance. Although the pacing was a little slow, and I found myself wishing that some of the void had been filled with something else besides talking. As for the plot itself, it was interesting enough. Epic presented the idea of there being a world alongside ours, hidden in plain sight, but so tiny that it wasn’t very noticeable, as well as the prospect of this world moving faster than ours. Basically, this other world was one that protected the forest from destruction. While not the most original scenario ever, there was the twist with the Leafmen, who are the warriors who fight to protect the forest. It was more of a movie about the balance between good and evil, as one side strives to destroy the other and seize complete control. The fights were interesting enough, but I would have liked a little more background information. The characters were ok, especially Mary Katherine, or as she likes to be called, M.K.. She is a teenage struggling to live with her father after the untimely death of her mother. It leads to her being swept up amidst the struggle between good and evil. Professor Bomba, M.K.’s father, was silly at best, but I liked how much he grew during the movie. There were a few light and humorous moments thrown into the mix, and the ending was satisfying enough. If you're looking for a lighthearted, animated film, then Epic would be the movie for you.

I was invited as a guest to an Advanced Screening of Epic.

Check out the trailer below:

Movie Review: Advanced Screening of Oblivion

Picture from OblivionMovie.com

 

Title: Oblivion by Joseph Kosinski
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Producer's: Joseph Kosinski, Peter Chernin, Ryan Kavanaugh, Dylan Clark, Barry Levine
Screenplay: Joseph Kosinski, William Monahan, Karl Gajdusek, Michael Arndt
Music: M83
Release Date: April 19, 2013
Age Range: PG-13
Content: Sci-Fi action, brief strong language, and some sensuality/nudity
For more information about the movie, visit the official site Here

Our Thoughts:

     Let me start out by saying that Oblivion was awesome!  Last night we went to an early screening of Oblivion, and I have to say that I really like this movie.  Before it actually started, fun facts about the movie rolled across the screen.  Like how Tom Cruise did all of his stunts, and that he has a motorcycle and pilot license.  As well as the fact that they filmed part of the movie at the Empire State Building.  How cool that must have been for the people visiting at the time of filming.  Also before the movie we found out that it was filmed with a brand new camera that was basically right off the production line, “the Sony CineAlta f65 Camera.”  How cool is that?  Oblivion is also the first time that Tom Cruise and Morgan Freeman have worked together in a movie, and I have to say neither of their performance’s disappointed. 

     The world building was evident throughout the movie, and the shots were visually stunning to watch.  The plot follows Jack Harper, a Drone mechanic, as he lives his life flying around a desolated earth fixing broken Drones.  Soon, trouble arises, as his world begins to fall apart piece-by-piece.  Honestly, I was a little confused at first, but as the movie got further and further in, I began to understand the intricately woven mystery surrounding what really happened to earth.  It wasn’t until Jack realized it that I fully understood what was happening.  Oblivion is an action-packed post-apocalyptic joy ride, perfectly formatted for the IMAX screen.    

     And of course after the movie we got to see a live Q&A broadcasted from the New York premier of Oblivion.  The Q&A was priceless.  Some of Tom Cruise’s answers were hilarious, but I do have to agree with him.  The Bubble Ships were awesome, and it was interesting to know that some of the best car designers worked on the design for it.  The Q&A also revealed that very little of the movie was actually green screened.  The beautiful shots of the clouds were actual takes collected by positioning a camera above a volcano in Hawaii.  M83 did a wonderful job on the score for Oblivion, and it added the perfect touch to the film. 

      To say that this was only the second film directed by Kosinski, his creativity and world building were amazing.  I was so pleased with Oblivion, and I can only hope that Joseph Kosinski has a prequel or sequel in the works.  I am curious to see how the world got to the state that it was in.  I can only hope that the visuals of Kosinski’s future movies are just as captivating. This one is a must see.

Thank you to Universal Pictures for the Advanced Screening Passes!
Review written by Andrea & Breana M.

I absolutely loved it.  I would recommend it to everyone.

 

Other fun acts from the screen & off the screen:

Joseph Kosinski’s directorial movie debut was Tron: Legacy
Oblivion is the 37^th film Tom Cruise has acted in.
Oblivion is based off an unreleased Graphic novel by Joseph Kosinski & Arvid Nelson

Check out the trailer below: