Battleship

No desire, but if I don't have to pay for it, I have 2 hours to kill, and alcohol is readily available to me...Then, what the hell?! Surprise, surprise. It's a comedy. Who knew? The first 20 minutes are hilarious, and because it doesn't take itself too serious, it is easier to swallow when it goes into alien action mode. Peter Berg directed a good movie. He hooks the audience with a very lighthearted, comedic driven plot involving 2 very different brothers. Now, I am about to do something I have not yet done. I began this review the day after seeing Battleship, but only got the first paragraph down before forgetting about for months. In those months, Battleship has easily become one of the most entertaining "garage movies" / "entertaining background noise" films readily viewable on the cable movie channels. I now have seen it more than 5 times, albeit, in bits and pieces and always starting from a different point in the film. I cannot believe how much I enjoy it. It is more fun and funny each time, and before I knew who "Meth Damon" from Breaking Bad was, I enjoyed his character's gecko analogy in this film. By now we all know the gist of this loose interpretation of the Hasbro semi electronic board game of the 1980's. For those of you who haven't seen it, you may not be aware of some of it's high points. High points, not just for this film, but for any film. When the human race is facing an alien invasion that essentially attack our electronically dependent US Navy, while bolstering tech and weapons we cannot fathom, let alone defend, it is looking quite grim. A film depending on a colorful character base, Battleship gives the audience something to root for. The film has no identity issues, and that works for it. It never feels lost, or wandering. As for the high points I speak of, they involve our veterans manning an old diesel war ship that has to be manned by MEN. They run this diesel rig that the alien force cannot take "offline", and the final act is literally goose bump, pridefully chilling. I feel I can promote this film way better because I have seen it so many more times. It is the epitome of a popcorn movie summer blockbuster, but it is definitely worth anyone's time who wants to see great action, great comedy, decent plot, and brilliant climax.

NBM rates Battleship Awesonomenal

Mud

So where to begin? Here we have a movie that really no one has even heard about and yet I was dying to see it. Mainly because it was an indie film and indie films tend to be better than regular films. It didn't hurt that it had a 100 percent on Rotten Tomatoes up until last week. For the first 10 minutes I knew it was going to be good. The story of two young boys who find a boat up in a tree on an abandoned island near their home in Mississippi. Hey immediately begin to wonder how to get out of the tree so they can have it. What they soon realised was someone was living in that boat and this is where the story is very very interesting. Enter Mud, played by Matthew McConaughey. Mud is a very interesting fellow, and from the moment they met him, the boys are not quite sure about him. All the boys know is this is strange man jettisoned out on an island, living in a boat with nothing more than the clothes on his back.  mud immediately asked these boys for help and though Neckbone (great nickname) did not want to help, but Ellis had different thoughts. Mud needs food and Ellis is a kind boy who wants to help. As the story unfolds and we learn more about Mud and all his interesting theologies, all we really care about is Ellis and his life. We become very invested in his story and his convictions. This is a 14 year old boy who has never had anything. He works with his Dad for very little, they live on the river, and nothing seems that interesting until Mud. Mud gives these boys things to do, but they don't know why. When Mud comes clean as to what he is doing there, the story gets very intense. In a film with Sam Shepard, McConaughey, and Reese Witherspoon, these two nubie actors steal the show. A very interesting film that is very well put together, and though at times not much seems to be going on, we are very invested. That is the sign of a great film. The last 15 minutes are some of the most riveting theatre rocking I have done in quite a while. When it was over, it did not turn out how I expected. It was better. This is a very easy movie to watch because there is so much mystery behind the lead characters, we are constantly hanging on for more details, and as those details evolve, we are glad we took the time to watch a movie no one has heard about.

NBM rates Mud - Phenomenal

Star Trek Into Darkness

Let's put it this way. As if I wasn't already stoked for SW: Episode 7 (Strange opener, I know) with JJ at the helm, now I feel I must seclude my life to living in a bubble so as not to die prematurely before it arrives. Trek to me is an awesome precursor into our future of the "other" Sci Fi series JJ will take over. It gives us a very good peak into what this man can do with an epic scale of space and time proportions. I know to you "Trekkies" I have just blastphemed on high, but I don't care. I am not the one who hired JJ to cross into a galaxy far far away, so I feel I can mention the 2 movies in the same paragraph. Let me also say this. Into Darkness is no Iron Man 3. I actually liked it better. Maybe it's the fact I am not as versed in Trek's theology, or maybe it is because we have had a steady dose of Marvel for years now, but had to wait 4 LONG years on this sequel. Either way, Into Darkness starts off strong and with a run time right at 2 hours, it never really slows down. It is intense, dramatic, nail biting inducing, and quite comedic. I went in knowing I would enjoy it, but not really knowing the premise, or the villain it felt like a brand new thing in my life that has been missing.  It is smart, well thought out, and visually stimulating. 
The film may be one of the best I have seen to combine this smart of a plot, perfectly placed comedic one liners, and action parallel with anything Marvel puts out. Now I know I am comparing this film to other franchises, but I want you all to understand how worthy of your time it is. To me, Trek has always been sub par with everything else I loved. Now, it is turning into a series I can get behind. Spock and Kirk have their great chemistry once again, but Benedict Cumberbatch steals the show as the villain, John Harrison. He aims to turn the star fleet on it's ear, and does a pretty good job at it, but his plans are way bigger and at this point in the film, it gets very fun and interesting. It twists and turns, but it very fluid in it's delivery. As good as the first one? Absolutely. I believe I like this one a little better. It's just so AWESOME. Along with the fantastic leads in the film, stand out performances are delivered by the brilliant Simon Pegg as Scotty, Karl Urban as Bones, and Zoe Saldana as Uhura. I cannot think of any part of this film that I didn't enjoy. JJ even did a good job of not throwing promiscuous 3D shots in the film that would have no bearing on the non 3D viewer. I saw a couple but they were not exaggerated, and they were quick. If you liked the first one, you will like this one. If this looks good to you, go watch it. It is all around outstanding.

NBM rates Star Trek Into Darkness - Phenomenal

Iron Man 3 (Spoiler Free)

Iron Man 3 was easily one of my most anticipated films to see in 2013, and I was lucky enough to see it 2 days before its actual release date. I could not have been more stoked to see where the third installment took us. Seems a bad taste from Iron Man 2 has been lingering for years with the general public, but that was never my stance. No Iron Man film will ever be as good as the origin story all those years ago, but for the second film to be dogged the way it was is just the evolution of how series like this tend to work. The fact that it was so despised opened an enormous window for success for a third film. People were so ready to forget about that film and to love Iron Man once again. It did up the ante coming off such a powerful Tony Stark presence in last year's Avengers, and for me, I was very curious how that film would tie into this film. It does a great job of using a few callbacks, while not relying on them to carry this film. Thor is mentioned. New York is mentioned, and The Avengers are mentioned. Shield only comes up once, and overall it is just done perfectly. Iron Man 3 is the first film to be released under the Marvel banner "Phase 2", which is their genius concept of tying the entire Marvel universe together through a series of films and characters so vast, it will take years. It is a bit risky, but it is paying out in dividends. I, for one, welcome a film company taking a risk like this. For one, it gives us tons of new material we may not have been privy to before. Characters are getting introduced in droves and with such an artistic elegance, it keeps us wanting more. I have titled this review as Spoiler Free, because I read very little about this film as to not spoil anything for myself. That being said, everything I write is common knowledge in my opinion. If you have a TV, none of the details about to be given should spoil anything. 

First off, I am going to start off with a bold statement. Iron Man 3 is way more of a comic book film than any I have seen to date. The reason these films have become so popular is the fact that the realm of possibility seems high in all the most recent comic book genre films. Other than the alien invasion in The Avengers, most of these films deal with humans being mean to other humans. Terrorist organizations, nothing out of the ordinary, blah blah blah. Other than the unlikely tech, the films have basically taken current World problems and inserted them into these films. Iron Man 3 goes a little bit of a different direction. First off, we have a completely different Tony Stark. We pick up with him right after The Avengers war with Loki's army, and the inner torment Stark is dealing with. He has always been the target, but he feels much more vulnerable now, and this plays very well to me. He is just as arrogant and cocky, but not. RDJ is such a good actor, he plays both sides of the spectrum perfectly. One way on the outside, different on the inside. He is a broken man looking for himself, and trying to figure out what to do.

Now we have the villains. We all know the villain is The Mandarin, but what we don't know is what His end game is. Sir Ben Kingsley is AWESOME. Absolutely nothing but mad applause for his portrayal of the middle eastern psychopath. Like all of these recent films, there usually is another villain that comes into play later in the film. I'm sure you will see who this other villain will be pretty early on, but since I do not remember very much trailer footage of him or his character, I will leave that to you to enjoy. He did very well, but The Mandarin is one of the best "Villains" I have ever seen. I was in a state of awe at the direction they took that baddie, and I LOVED it. Brilliant, but I will bet some will not be as enthusiastic as I am. I mentioned the "comic book" feel to it. Comics are great because they are reality (Real people) mixed with fantasy (Tech, powers, paranormal etc) and this film combines them perfectly. I will admit, I was a little on the fence about said "fantasy", but in the end, it played well, because it is a COMIC BOOK.

These movies always introduce new tech, which I love. Another great fantasy aspect to these films. The big one here is the Mark 42 concept armor. It uses nano technology to basically be self sufficient (Unmanned if you will). It can trace Tony's whereabouts through a series of triggers. It is very badass, and also adds a ton of humor to the overall dark subject matter. We also get the War Machine (Cheadle inside) freshly painted and rebranded as The Iron Patriot. Very cool suit, but not much character substance there. Rhodes (Cheadle) has always been an afterthought in these films. Never grabbing at the spotlight, but it works well. A little extra eye candy and a lot of humor. 

Lastly we have the action, and CG aspects to this film. This franchise has always been second to none when it comes to GREAT action sequences, and they always use the top CG firm which has delivered a flawless product 3 times in a row now. What action lacked in number 2, made up 10 fold in this installment. The big question is always, Was there enough action? Oh ya. Tons of it, and not all in the Iron Man suit. Tony is wide open at times and has to MacGyver his way out bad situations. Some scenes had so much going on, it seems like it could muddy the visual waters pretty easily, but that is not the case. It is aesthetically pleasing 100% of the time. It is by far the darkest film in the trilogy, and still not quite as good as the original, but this film is tons of fun, and if I had the time, I would see it again.

  

**Now a little story about my experience with the end credits and how it almost ruined my night. I have been reading for weeks that there was a scene at the end of the credits and even the guest character was revealed. I did not read who that character was going to be as I like to be surprised. While sitting through what seemed to be the longest credits of ALL time, all 9 of the other audience members left as it was 1 am and an employee screening. They did not feel like sticking around. To me, what's another 7 minutes at 1 in the morning? With what had to be about 2 minutes to pay dirt, the projectionist (not Mitchell) SHUT IT DOWN. I was appalled. Luckily this digital age we live in, this grave error was not so quickly amended. He fired it back up, which started the movie at the beginning and then proceeded to hit fast forward. I watched 2 hours and 15 minutes again over a 2 minute span. Pretty funny. Was it worth it? YES. Even my Brother, who doesn't care for Easter eggs the way I do, Laughed out loud at the one 30 second scene which has absolutely no bearing on the film itself, or the Phase 2 Marvel plan at all. It is merely one last comical scene for you all to enjoy.

NBM rates Iron Man 3 - Phenomenal

The Last Stand

Arnold is back, and to me, he is back in a big way. He returns to leading man glory in a film that represents everything that made him famous in the first place. An 80's actioner with cheese ball one liners and a plot that doesn't take too many brain cells to keep up. I had 2 beers during and I never lost focus on the end goal of the film. I really have to thank Sly Stallone on this one. If he hadn't brought back a dead genre with The Expendables 1 and 2, then films like may never have seen the light of day again. When an international Drug lord breaks out of maximum security transfer, all hell breaks loose. The thug is in a very nice Corvette, speeding cross country in a hurry to get back to Mexico and away from the United States law enforcement. When he feels he is home free, the last thing he would expect would be resistance from a 60+ year old, small town sheriff. What he got was one bad ass firefight. Luckily for Ray (Arnold), one of his residents happens to be the curator of a local military museum. Lewis (Knoxville) has accumulated such an array of fire power, and has one of the funniest business plans I have ever heard. He is easily the most obvious comic relief in the film, however, Luis Guzman and Arnold himself add many lighthearted one liners that you will probably take for granted. The Last Stand is a great return to form in more than one way. All in all, this film is definitely worth the price of admission, and it holds the best kill scene I can remember in quite some time. Hint, it involves Arnold on a roof top. Honestly, I don't imagine you will be shocked by where this film takes you. A very pleasurable nowhere. 

NBM rates The Last Stand - Awesome

A Good Day to Die Hard

Of the 5 Die Hard films, this one is easily my least favorite. Will I buy it on DVD? Yes. I have a series to complete. However, as much as everyone hated the 4th installment, at least it was smart. This one has very little going for it. It does have John McClane though, and that is always good enough for me. This is the Epitome of a popcorn movie. Thin plot, not to hard to follow, and it is a film solely based on the action. Action does not fill the gaps between extremely smart nuances and plot points, but instead it serves as the fruit of the entire film. What the film does well, it actually does great...and that makes sense. For example, Bruce Willis is getting older, and that comes into quite a few punch lines. Brilliant. The car chase scene through the streets of Russia, though very unbelievable, is awesome and the fact it took over 30 days to film it, makes me love it even more. Why was a NY city cop in Russia? To find his son who is on trial for murder. Ok, makes sense. The plot unfolds from here in just a few minutes and then we get to see McClane and son kick ass on an international level like McClane's do. This way, that way, then like a flash in the pan, it's all wrapped up in a nice neat little package. As far as the whole film goes, it is rather enjoyable. With that said, if it had been any other film, say, a film not directed related to such a prominent franchise, I may have respected it more. It did fall a little flat for me being the return of John McClane and all, but still worth a watch and worth buying to complete the series. Any other movie wouldn't get as graceful a rating, but John McClane alone boosts this film right to the middle of the road.

NBM rates A Good Day to Die Hard - Awesome

Gangster Squad

I was beyond excited to be finally getting a gangster noir picture. I cannot remember ever enjoying one at the theatre. September 2012 could not get here fast enough and then some jackass shoots up a theatre in Colorado, which was awful, delaying the release of this film by 4 months to allow the film's makers to do re-shoots and to cut a scene involving a historical event from the 1940's involving guns in a theatre. Doesn't make sense to me, but we can't always make everyone happy. It focuses on Mickey Cohen's (Sean Penn) rise to the top of the LA crime scene in 1949, and the cops commissioned in taking him down. All you need to do is have a look at the cast and you should be well aware this will be great. Headlined by a very smash mouth John O'Mara (Josh Brolin) and then on his right hip is the very soft spoken, doesn't even believe in his job anymore, Jerry Wooters (Ryan Gosling). These two guys are fire and ice. Then much like the fantastic film, "The Untouchables", they put together a group of guys that aren't afraid to die for badge and honor. Only difference is, The Gangster Squad is a completely off the books operation. No Honors and no badges. This film has everything that makes any film great. Action, Sex, History, Guns, Explosions, and of course, Ryan Gosling. It is fun, because of the execution, and what few comedy aspects you can have in such a highly dramatic film. This squad was not perfect right off the blocks. Not even close. Trial by fire is more like it. They got some traction and Mickey Cohen started getting angry. He started putting some pieces together, and end the end it was a battle of wills. Which side would give up first? Good vs Evil, and I cannot wait to watch it again. Some may argue this is not a true gangster movie. I agree. It is a cop drama that focuses on the good and less on the evil. Still immensely enjoyable, and at times, very gritty. If you are squeamish at the site of blood, you may want to skip the opening scene. I, on the other hand, saw it as a breath of fresh air in an industry scared to take risks in today's society. Top notch performances from everyone on screen, and the only disappointment I have is the lack of Nick Nolte. I understand why he could not be more present, but he is so awesome. 

NBM rates Gangster Squad - Phenomenal

2012 Film Rankings

So here is a list of every film released in 2012 that I was able to watch. If there is no link, that is because I have not got around to writing about it. Now that it is 2013, Nothing may be added to this list, though I'm sure Django Unchained would crack the top 10.

#43) Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter
John Carter
Man on a Ledge
Contaband
Underworld Awakening
This Means War
2016 : Obama's America
The Grey
Battleship 
Savages
The Cabin in the Woods
Prometheus
The Muppets
Safe House 
The Vow
Friends With Kids
Brave
The 5 Year Engagement
Goon
Red Dawn
Snow White and the Huntsman
The Raid: Redemption
The Campaign
Wreck it Ralph
God Bless America

Haywire
Men in Black 3
Premium Rush
Chronicle
Total Recall
Lawless
Act of Valor 
21 Jump Street
10) The Amazing Spider-Man
9)  The Expendables 2
8) Jack Reacher
7) The Hunger Games
6) Argo
5) Moonrise Kingdom
4) The Avengers
3) The Dark Knight Rises
2)  Skyfall
1) Looper