Category: Movie Reviews

My personal views on Movies I go see.

Movie Reviews

The Legacy Lives On | Review of ‘Creed’

By Cynthia Ayala

Creed starring Michael B. Jordan and Sylvester Stallone
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures & Warner Bros. Pictures

Adonis Creed wants to make a name for himself. Quitting his job, he leaves Hollywood, CA and travels to Philadelphia in the hopes of tracking down Rocky, hoping he will train in. Drawn in by Adonis’ determination and strength the two team up, train, and face off against a champion who has nothing left to lose.

Starring Sylvester Stallone and Michael B. Jordan, Creed is the film that rightfully closes the door on the legacy (if that’s even possible) while it passes on the torch for future generations.
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Movie Reviews

The Force is Strong with This One | Review of ‘Star Wars: The Force Awaken’

By Cynthia Ayala

Star Wars: The Force Awakens starring Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega & Adam Driver Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

It’s been thirty years since the fall of the Empire. Now the Galaxy faces a new threat from the evil Kylo Ren and the First Order. But Skywalker is missing and the allies of the Resistance, led by General Leia Organa, are beginning to flounder. And when a defector Stormtrooper named Finn crash-lands on a desert planet, he meets Rey and her droid that contains a map to find Skywalker. A new hope lies with them, their ability to survive and fight against all the odds and the location of Luke Skywalker, the last of the Jedi Knights.

Probably not a very clever title but one that suits this review, this is, after all, the first Star Wars film since Episode III: Revenge of the Sith that came out way back in 2005. Wow, I suddenly feel old.

Continue reading “The Force is Strong with This One | Review of ‘Star Wars: The Force Awaken’”

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Movie Reviews

An Impressive Sci-Fi Thriller | Review of ‘Time Lapse’

By Cynthia Ayala

Time Lapse starring Danielle Panabaker, Matt O’Leary & George Finn

Three friends discover a mysterious machine that takes pictures 24hrs into the future and conspire to use it for personal gain, until disturbing and dangerous images begin to develop.

    – IMDB

Time Lapse exceeds expectations from a first glance and proves that small budget sci-fi thrillers can be exceedingly impressive.

Based on The Twilight Zone episode ‘A Most Unusual Camera’ this film follows the same premise of three friends finding this unique camera that sees into the future. Much like in the episode, the friends decide to use the device for personal gain, but soon the pictures turn into terrifying images that turn the friends against one another raising the tension of the film non-stop.
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Movie Reviews

A Remarkable Piece of History That Shines | Review of ‘Bridge of Spies’

By Cynthia Ayala

'Bridge of Spies' starring Tom Hanks
‘Bridge of Spies’ starring Tom Hanks

During the Cold War, the Soviet Union captures U.S. pilot Francis Gary Powers after shooting down his U-2 spy plane. Sentenced to 10 years in prison, Powers’ only hope is New York lawyer James Donovan (Tom Hanks), recruited by a CIA operative to negotiate his release. Donovan boards a plane to Berlin, hoping to win the young man’s freedom through a prisoner exchange. If all goes well, the Russians would get Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance), the convicted spy who Donovan defended in court.

— Google

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Movie Reviews

Fast Paced & A Brilliant Conclusion | Review of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2

By Cynthia Ayala

'The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2' starring Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson & Liam Hemsworth
‘The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2’ starring Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson & Liam Hemsworth

Realizing the stakes are no longer just for survival, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) teams up with her closest friends, including Peeta (Josh Hutcherson), Gale (Liam Hemsworth) and Finnick for the ultimate mission. Together, they leave District 13 to liberate the citizens of war-torn Panem and assassinate President Snow, who’s obsessed with destroying Katniss. What lies ahead are mortal traps, dangerous enemies and moral choices that will ultimately determine the future of millions.

— Google

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A Look Back, Movie Reviews

A Look Back at ‘The Brothers Grimm’

By Cynthia Ayala

The Brothers Grimm starring Heath Ledger, Matt Damon and Lena Headey
‘The Brothers Grimm’ starring Heath Ledger, Matt Damon and Lena Headey

Let me begin with an excerpt from the Wikipedia page because it accurately says everything about what this film is about and who stars in it:

“The Brothers Grimm is a 2005 adventure fantasy film directed by Terry Gilliam. The film stars Matt Damon, Heath Ledger, and Lena Headey in an exaggerated and fictitious portrait of the Brothers Grimm as traveling con artists in French-occupied Germany during the early 19th century. However, the brothers eventually encounter a genuine fairy tale curse which requires real courage instead of their usual bogus exorcisms.”

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Movie Reviews

Visually Beautiful | Review of ‘Crimson Peak’

By Cynthia Ayala

'Crimson Peak' starring Mia Wasikowska, Jessica Chastain & Tom Hiddleston, Universal Pictures
‘Crimson Peak’ starring Mia Wasikowska, Jessica Chastain & Tom Hiddleston,
Universal Pictures

After marrying the charming and seductive Sir Thomas Sharpe, young Edith finds herself swept away to his remote gothic mansion in the English hills. Also living there is Lady Lucille, Thomas’ alluring sister and protector of her family’s dark secrets. Able to communicate with the dead, Edith tries to decipher the mystery behind the ghostly visions that haunt her new home. As she comes closer to the truth, Edith may learn that true monsters are made of flesh and blood.

– Google

Guillermo del Toro impresses once again with this fantasy film filled with numerous gothic tropes to build the story of romance and mystery set in a Victorian background amidst snow and bloodied clay that bleeds into the ground. Continue reading “Visually Beautiful | Review of ‘Crimson Peak’”

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Movie Reviews

Sophisticated and Bubbly Perfectly Woven Together | Review of ‘Hotel Transylvania 2’

By Cynthia Ayala

Hotel Transylvania 2 starring Adam Sandler, Selena Gomez & Andy Samberg
Hotel Transylvania 2 starring Adam Sandler, Selena Gomez & Andy Samberg

Dracula has opened the doors to Hotel Transylvania to humans and with his daughter Mavis marrying Johnny and giving birth to his half-human grandson, Dennis, Dracula is softening up to the humans. But when Dennis isn’t showing his vampire teeth, Dracula becomes worried. So while Mavis and Johnny are away Drac enlists his friends to help him put the boy through a “monster-in-training” boot camp. But things get batty when Drac’s cantankerous, old school dad Vlad pays an unexpected visit.

An adorable and outstanding film. Released on September 25 of 2015, this film brings back the original cast of the film and brings back the charm of it as well. Continue reading “Sophisticated and Bubbly Perfectly Woven Together | Review of ‘Hotel Transylvania 2’”

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A Look Back, Entertainment & News, Movie Reviews

A Look Back at Stardust

By Cynthia Ayala

Stardust
Stardust

Hello there avid readers. So I have decided to do something completely unprecedented. You know, instead of doing homework and being academically productive, I have decided to take this Columbus Day holiday to be lazy and give myself a day of rest. Because everyone is entitled to a day off every so often right. So this weekend I decided to re-watch Stardust on Netflix. Don’t believe I have a review of it so here we go!

Stardust stars Claire Danes, Michelle Pfeiffer and Charlie Cox as the three main actors of the film. Based on the novel of the same title by Neil Gaiman, the film is a romantic comedy/adventure film about a young man who on his way to capture a fallen star in order to win the hand of the woman he loves. But while this is a romance film, it’s also a film about coming of age, about finding where you belong in the world and where everything fits in. It’s a fun film that received many well deserved reviews. Continue reading “A Look Back at Stardust”

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A Look Back, Entertainment & News, Movie Reviews

A Look Back | My Journey into Vanilla Sky – The Hot Mess of Exposition

Vanilla Sky starring Tom Cruise, Penelope Cruz & Cameron Diaz
Vanilla Sky starring Tom Cruise, Penelope Cruz & Cameron Diaz

Until today, I had never seen Vanilla Sky. I never heard anything good about it and I’m a personal fan of the Spanish original Abre Los Ojos, a movie of which I just wrote a movie about. And then one day, when I got home from work at 1 in the morning, I was able to catch the last hour of the film. Oh god did it make me cringe. From that moment on I was determined to watch the movie in its entirety so that I could write this.

Now, like most people I have gone through a period in my life where I wasn’t a fan of Tom Cruise. I love him now, religious beliefs aside; he’s a good actor. Continue reading “A Look Back | My Journey into Vanilla Sky – The Hot Mess of Exposition”

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