Jack Reacher

Jack Reacher

Rated PG-13 and released in Grand Rapids 12/21/12

Reviewed 12/25/12 at Great Escape Cinema in Simpsonville, SC

with Gary, Brandon

plus

nephews Landon, Blake and Garrett

Brother-in-law Stan and Mother-in-law Cheryl

3 1/2 out of 5 Js in QUIET rating system

Every year we like to see a movie with the Underwoods and the Schultz families on Christmas Day. In 2011 we saw We Bought A Zoo and 2010 was War Horse. 

Keeping with family tradition this year, we saw Jack Reacher. Tom Cruise, who plays Jack Reacher, had his best performance in quite some time. To say this movie is thrilling is a stretch, but everyone in our group was engaged by the story. Brandon and my nephews thought it was very exciting and anticipate more to come.

Cheryl thought it was a little violent for PG-13. Most of the violence is implied and not shown out right, so I thought this wasn't as bad as some.

Adapted from the book One Shot by Lee Child, I thought the movie was exciting enough to turn the book series into a movie franchise. Reacher is an ex-military investigator/drifter who appears out of nowhere to lend a hand to defense attorney Helen (Rosamund Pike). Her daunting task is to defend an army sharp shooter who is accused of killing five seemingly random passerby's. Helen's father, played by Richard Jenkins, is on the other side prosecuting the case. It is up to Reacher to sink the DA and the case, but the DA doesn't take a case he can't lose. Entering the scene is a mob group led by a dark shadowy character "The Zec" (Werner Herzog). They weave around in the plot following Reacher and covering the tracks of their criminal activities. Reacher displays his fighting skills by fending off villains and racing around the city putting together clues. The highlighted character, played by Robert Duvall, adds some humor and every scene he is in is a hit. Reacher's ultimate goal of revealing the truth ends in a showdown with the villainous group. The movie did the job entertaining us, but with action movies like this the bar is set a little lower. You have to go into it knowing you are not seeing an Oscar contender. You will leave feeling satisfied and entertained, enough to make it worth the trip.

QUIET Rating system:

Quality: JJJj

Understood story:  JJJ

Interest: JJJj

Entertainment:  JJJJ

Time:  JJJJ

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

RATED PG-13 Released in London 12/14/12

Reviewed 12/15/12 at Obion Marble Arch London with Gary

3 1/2 out of 5 Js in QUIET rating system

Gary and I saw this movie in London

and going to a show there is a big contrast to our usual experience at Celebration Cinema in Grand Rapids.

No butter for popcorn. No refills. What's a person to do! This alone might have knocked it down a notch in the ratings. We saw it on Saturday, one day later than the opening, with not many movie goers and seemingly no buzz or hype. Londoners don't seem to get too excited about the cinema, especially their snacks.

The Hobbit had all the quality and specialness of the previous Lord of the Rings trilogy, although due to the heightened "great expectation" some fans might be left disappointed. Brandon was really disappointed because he had read the book and the movie didn't necessarily follow protocol in which it was based. Then there's the disappointing factor that it's only Part 1 of another trilogy. I agree with Brandon - stretching the book into three movies is a bit much.

The movie is set around the exploits of Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), uncle to Frodo (Elijah Wood), who makes a brief appearance. Bilbo travels back in time with the writing of his memoir that he is planning to share with Frodo about his first adventure with Gandalf the Great (Ian McKellen), who leads the charge. This revelation exposes the history between the elves and the dwarfs and the relationships and conflicts that go back to the beginning of middle earth. Gandalf gathers a council of 14, unbeknowst to Bilbo, to plan a pilgrimage. Gandalf is faced with great resistance and Baggins wants no part of this adventure. He reluctantly gives in and Bilbo Baggins joins the potpourri of dwarfs that set out to claim their homeland from forces guarding it. They face obstacles, encounter enemies, before they are enemies, including one within their own group. Late in the movie Bilbo encounters Gollum for the first time and of course "The Ring" is introduced as Gollum. The ring and Baggins are destined to be intertwined for a long time to come. Baggins is truly endearing and exceptional with hints of humor throughout. Gary and I both really enjoyed it, but both agree that movies of late are just too long. Two hours should be standard, not the exception. The movie is three hours and it takes two hours to get to the heart of the story. And then to realize there will be two more parts! They might lose fans not wanting to wait for the two remaining installments. Just not the same as the buzz that surrounded the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Be prepared.

QUIET Rating system:  JJJj

Quality: JJJj

Understood story:  JJJJ

Interest: JJJ

Entertainment:  JJJj

Time:  JJj

Introduction

Moviegoing is more than a hobby. It's my goal and almost obsession to see every new movie’s release on Friday before the next Friday. I average about 2-4 releases per week. Moviegoing is my pastime. It is effortless and I enjoy it. I was encouraged by my daughter and future son-in-law to start this blog because they know people always ask me about the new releases and I’m happy to share my opinion.

I will post a new review of every movie I see. At a quick glance you can get the thumbs up or thumbs down by how many Js it receives, based on the my rating stystem. This is followed by a couple paragraphs describing the movie.

The first paragraph is my opinion of the movie, but I will try not to spoil anything too much. The second paragraph is a bit more detail, so if you don't want to "know too much" you can stop after the first paragraph.  Some moviegoers like to go in it blindly, while others want to gobble up all the tidbits ahead of time so they can make an educated decision on this one or that one. My answer is just see everything - good or bad. However, I don't watch creepy, satanic or supernatural  movies. Mildly scary or suspenseful is okay. 

I always have a partner or two, who I refer to as Goers, to see the latest and greatest movies. More often than not, the not-so-greatest, but that doesn’t restrain me in the slightest. I see most movies with my husband Gary, as he is game as much as I am.  My family members are a little more discerning in what they want to see. Occasionally Danelle, Aaron, Brandon or my dad Denny join us.  My friends Cindy and Lynne are occasional companions, but they have been usurped a bit by Gary in recent years.

Movie reviews are my new hobby; not my profession. I hope you enjoy reading my posts as much as I like writing them.