Want to find out about a movie before you spend your hard-earned money on it? MovieReviewMaven will tell you the good, the bad, the ugly and the inspiring, so you can decide if it's right for you or your family.
In a Nutshell: Nope. Hated it. The film tries to be a drama, dark comedy, murder thriller, and social
commentary all at the same time, but it’s a messy downer. I felt like I just wasted a part of my
life. Dang it.
Actor/Director George Clooney and the Coen writing brothers
have talent, but it’s not revealed in this movie. Super disappointing.
Uplifting theme:
Hypocrasy
Racism
Things I liked:
The
1950’s tone was well done.
The
talented cast did a great job with the material they were given,
especially Matt Damon, Julianne Moore, and Oscar Isaac.
Things I didn’t like:
The
trailer was extremely deceiving. It
makes the film look like a fun, dark comedy with quirky characters. Well, I guess it was those things, but
without the fun.
It reminded me of another ugly film that had great acting talent in it, but left me wanting to take a shower. In 1989, Tom Hanks starred in the mystery thriller The Burbs.
Tips for
parents:
Lots
of profanity, including F-bombs.
The
film shows a black family being bullied and violently attacked.
There
are slurs against Jews and Episcopalians.
A
child walks in on a couple having sex (no nudity).
In a Nutshell: If
you’re a fan of the Bourne movie franchise, then you will want to see this
movie, regardless of any critic’s review.
I love Jason Bourne and Matt Damon, so I was looking forward to it,
although I wondered what more the writers could possibly say or do to the story
line. The fact that it is “more of the
same” is its strength AND weakness.
So, is this 4th installment the last? Who knows.
If this one makes any money, then you can bet there will be another
one. Who knew Robert Ludlum’s “The Bourne Trilogy”
series would keep going?
Themes:
Personal
rights vs. public safety
Revenge
“Privacy
means freedom.” – Aaron Kalloor (Riz Ahmed)
Cyber
security
Family
Things I liked:
I love
Jason Bourne kicking bad guy butt. Forty-five
year old Matt Damon produced the film. You see a lot of pictures and even clips
of him in his younger days.
Tommy
Lee Jones can always be counted on to do a great job playing a good/bad Sherriff/Director/agent in any film.
Alicia
Vikander is beautiful to watch. She
started out with a bit of a British accent, but then it quickly toned down
to a believable American one. She’s
actually Swedish and a very good singer!
She won the “Rising Star Award” at the 2010 Film Festival in Sweden
and even won the role of a Danish queen in a 2012 movie without knowing
any Danish. Her career is definitely one to
watch.
It was
nice to see Julia Stiles again.
I
wanted to beat the crap out of Vincent Cassel, who plays a brutal, vengeful agent with Jason Bourne in his sights…literally.
The
car chase scene down the famous Las Vegas Strip was pretty doggone
impressive. The most unbelievable
thing about that scene, however, is that it is absolutely impossible to
drive down Las Vegas Boulevard that fast.
I live in Vegas and can tell you that it is ALWAYS crowded and cars
inch slowly along the road bumper to bumper. Ha ha
At one point, cars crash into the Riviera Hotel, which no longer exists. Las Vegas is the Capital of Implosions and just demolished the "Riv" in June. Check out this clip from the real life
implosion.
The film begins with some old clips
from past movies in case you forgot what happened 9 years ago in the last flick.
One thing I love about the Bourne franchise
is that you get to travel all over the world in the movies.
Things I didn’t like:
Does
anyone actually like the “shaky cam” effect? Every time there was a close-up, the
jiggling around would begin. That’s
so annoying.
Sometimes you have to read really fast
to catch written words on computer screens or other documents.
·At some
point, almost every character in the movie says “Understood.”
·The same
flashback gets played over and over.
·The same
tense music and drum beats during almost the entire movie. * Some lines in the trailer weren't in the actual movie.
Interesting lines:
“I remember. I remember everything.” – Jason Bourne
“He’s seen things. He knows things.” - Heather Lee (Alicia Vikander)
“What
if he’s not coming for us. What if
it’s something else?” Heather Lee
“I
know who I am. I remember
everything.” – Jason Bourne
“Remembering everything doesn’t
mean you know everything.” – Nicky Parsons
“Tell me.” - Jason Bourne
“I
volunteered because of a lie.” – Jason Bourne
“No, you volunteered because of who
you are.” – Director Dewey
“We’ve
just been hacked.” – Craig Jeffers (Ato Essandoh)
“How bad?” – Director Robert Dewey
(Tommy Lee Jones)
“Could be worse than Snowden.” –
Craig - By the way, there is a movie
about Snowden that hits theaters on September 9, 2016.
“He is
involved in this somehow. I can
feel it.” – Director Dewey
“You
don’t know the truth about what they did to you.” – Nicky
“You
have no idea who you’re dealing with.” – Director Dewey
“I’m
trying to find another way.” – Jason Bourne
“And how’s that working out for
you?” – Director Dewey
Tips for
parents:
LOTS
of shooting, killing, crashes, riots, and bloody hand-to-hand combat. This is a very violent movie.
In a Nutshell: Why are audiences and critics raving about The Martian
? Because it’s fresh,
suspenseful, inspiring, scientifically credible, and surprisingly funny. In fact, the Academy Awards placed it in a category of comedy. I loved this movie.
Director Ridley Scott takes us on a journey to
the vast reaches of outer space and into the smallest corners of the human
heart.
Based on the 2011 novel by Andy Weir, the movie includes stunning
vistas, filmed on one of the largest sound stages in the world in Hungary. Some of the scenes of Mars were also filmed in Wadi
Rum in Jordan. See it in 3D if you can.
The talented cast includes Matt Damon,
Jessica Chastain, Jeff Daniels, Michael Pena, Kate Mara, Sean Bean, Kristen
Wiig, Aksel Hennie, and Chiwetel Ejiofor.
Uplifting Theme:
·The film really focuses on optimism and hope,
while astronaut/botanist Mark Watney is stranded on Mars. Sure, Mark has his dark moments, but he
quickly decides in the beginning “I’m not going to die” and that determination is what
propels him to withstand the most difficult of situations on a hostile planet.
·Human ingenuity is truly inspiring. I know this is fiction, but still…
·“You just begin.
You solve one problem and then another.” – Mark
Things I liked:
·NASA actually collaborated with the makers of
The Martian
, lending an authoritative air to the film, making it almost feel
like a documentary. If you want to
learn more about the ARES space project and Ridley Scott’s prologue series, go
to www.areslive.com
·Fun Disco music is one of the running gags
throughout the movie. At one point, Mark
is so sick of listening to Disco music that he says “No, I’m not going to turn
the beat around. I won’t do it.” The movie soundtrack will probably be pretty
popular. What music would YOU take if
you were going to leave Earth on a long mission?
·Jeff Daniels brings back his arrogant, bossy
character from The Newsroom: Season 1
to play the Director of NASA.
·I like it when directors give the audience a
reason to keep watching during the credits at the end of a movie.
·After many months of movies about superheroes who
try to save the world, this refreshing flick is about the world trying to save
one man.
·The movie entertains your brain, as well as your
heart, which beats fast during the last 20 minutes as you try to remember to
breathe. - Each time a new character is introduced in the movie, the audience sees a label on the screen, indicating the person’s name and position, almost as if these are real people.
Things I didn’t like:
·I know Saturday Night Live comedienne Kristin Wiig has done several serious
films, but it’s just still hard to take her seriously in a dramatic role.
·If you got dizzy watching Gravity
, there will be
a few moments in this movie where you’ll have to close your eyes.
·Two F-bombs and some other profanity surprised me. I thought PG-13 movies were only allowed to
have 1 F-bomb, but somehow this movie gets away with two, plus a few other “F”
moments that are mouthed silently. In
fact, Mark is told by NASA to clean up his language since everyone on Earth can
read what he’s saying on his transmissions.
As a result, his language gets worse and makes the audience laugh.
Funny lines:
·“Luckily, I’m a botanist. Mars will come to fear my Botany powers.” –
Mark
·“I am the greatest botanist on this planet.” –
Mark
·“I guess I colonized Mars. In your face Neil Armstrong.” – Mark
·“So, yeah.
I blew myself up.” – Mark
·“I’m going to have to science the “bleep” out of
this.” – Mark
·“I’m going to dip this potato in Vicodin and
there’s nobody who can stop me.” – Mark
·“I get to fly along like Iron Man.” - Mark
Things you learn in
this movie about surviving on Mars:
·Duct tape can fix everything.
·You can use your own doodee to fertilize a
garden.
- Fire = bad. Plutonium = good.
·Science!
Tips for Parents:
·Parents will like how educational the movie is. Mark, the “space pirate” shows us how to
problem-solve with impressive resourcefulness.
·Some bloody moments.
·Audiences see the entire back side of Matt Damon
after he gets out of a shower. He’s the
only human on an entire planet, so why use a towel?
Can't get enough of Mars? Check these out:
If you love seeing Matt Damon in an astronaut suit, be sure to check out this mind-boggling movie:
.
. 
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to play the Director of NASA.
, there will be
a few moments in this movie where you’ll have to close your eyes.