Ed's Review Dot Com

Focus Features, Michael De Luca Productions, Trigger Street Productions,

Jamie Dornan, Dakota Johnson, Luke Grimes, Victor Rasuk, Jennifer Ehle, Marcia Gay Harden, Eloise Mumford, Rita Ora

Anastasia Steele (Dakota Johnson) is about to graduate from college. Her roommate, a reporter, makes a big score by getting an interview with Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan), an ultra rich telecommunications magnate who is a young and handsome and filthy rich businessman. But she is feeling under the world, and so she sends Anastasia in her place. Mr. Grey totally overwhelms her in the interview and leaves her feeling pretty helpless, but he is smitten by her and so is she. Christian Grey, though, has had a very difficult life and is certainly not able to maintain a normal relationship. Everything has be under his control and under his terms. Anastasia is really a simple girl looking for a regular guy, but this guy is too amazing to let go, so she debates risking everything to agree with whatever he wants.

I had to catch this film when it came out on DVD. Why? I’m not sure, but I suspect it was simply to see what all the hype was about. It wasn’t a very good film. This guy needs to be euthanized. He has no morals of any kind and is one very selfish bastard. Ana, on the other hand, is such a weak and wimpy woman, that she kind of deserves some of the crap she gets. But really no person could tolerate this kind of relationship. Ok, I know there are people who are into this kind of thing, but the way Ana thinks and feels, there is no way she would even consider putting up with this bastard. The story is really weak, jumping from place to place at breakneck speed, but nothing is really ever resolved. There are scenes with his family, and with her family, but neither have much to do with the story in the least. I really thought this was a waste of time, and truthfully, it took me 3 days to get through this one, as I would get bored and turn it off. I really can’t comment on the books. Perhaps they are stunning literature, but the film was a waste of time. Perhaps that’s why critics tore it up and audiences stayed away. Personally I say, don’t bother with it. If you’re one of the naughty ladies who secretly read this, you’ll be very disappointed in the movie, and if you’re not familiar with the story, it’s not worth it, trust me. Stay away from this one.

EdG – EdsReview Dot Com – A Movie Review Blog

Warner Bros., Village Roadshow Pictures, New Line Cinema,

Dwayne Johnson, Carla Gugino, Alexandra Daddario, Colton Haynes, Art Parkinson, Archie Panjabi, Ioan Gruffudd, Will Yun Lee, Kylie Minogue, Paul Giamatti

Ray (Dwayne Johnson) is a Rescue Chopper pilot, who risks his life to save people who need saving. But he needs to save himself. He has a soon to be ex-wife, Emma (Carla Gugino) and a daughter headed for college, Blake (Alexandra Daddario). The couple had another daughter who died which is what is causing the divide in the family. Meanwhile a CalTech Seismologist, Lawrence (Paul Giamatti) thinks he’s on to a system to predict earthquakes, when a massive earthquake hits along the San Andreas fault, causing major damage from Los Angeles to San Francisco, and everywhere in-between. Blake is in San Francisco, trapped somewhere, and Ray is flying the chopper across the state trying to reach her to save his remaining daughter.

This is a huge, blockbuster disaster film, and epic CGI filled roller-coaster ride of an adventure. It’s very reminiscent of the original Earthquake movie from the original 1974 Earthquake, Charleton Heston film, in “Sensurround” movie. I can still feel the cinder block in the old cineplex rumbling while waiting in a long, long line for that one. This film is certainly bigger and with more fantastic special effects than the old one, but it’s maybe not as impressive. Still, it’s a very well done movie and will certainly rock the box office. But it’s not absolutely perfect. It has a couple different romance stories in it, and lots of great explosions and destruction, and I guess there’s some suspense, but honestly, all the 2015 computer generated effects kind of make me jaded. We’ve seen everything, so it’s not very meaningful anymore. One of my favorite rants is the loss of wonder once the computers took over and allowed anything to be possible. But you have to use the technology to complete, so that’s why I’m giving this one a 4.5. The Rock is The Rock, and you get what he gives you. He’s not an overwhelmingly amazing actor, but he does well enough. Carla Gugino is pretty good, as usual, but even she goes over the top once in a while. I wasn’t really familiar with Alexandra Daddario, but she was really good as the daughter Blake. I didn’t recognize her, but I don’t think I can forget those blue eyes. I wonder if they used CGI on the close-ups. Stunning eyes! All in all, you gotta watch this movie as it’s too big a film to miss, and I have to recommend it. Whether you want to pay for the 3-D big screen experience, or wait for it on DVD or streaming doesn’t matter. Just make sure you get to see it. The summer is starting out pretty big this year, so I think I’ll be spending a lot of days in the theater this summer!

EdG – EdsReview Dot Com – A Movie Review Blog

New in theaters this weekend Friday June 12, 2015

• Jurrasic World
• Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
• Soaked in Bleach
• The Wolfpack
• Set Fire to the Stars
• 11th Hour

Last Weeks top Box Office:

1 – SPY ($29M)
2 – SAN ANDREAS ($26M)
3 – INSIDIOUS CHAPTER 3 ($23M)
4 – ENTOURAGE ($10M)
5 – MAD MAX: FURY ROAD ($8M)

Paramount Pictures, Winkler Films,

Mark Wahlberg, Jessica Lange, John Goodman, Brie Larson

This remake of the 1974 James Caan film stars Mark Walhberg as Jim Bennett, the man with two lives. As a College English Literature professor during the day, and an avid gambler who always seems to go too far and lose it all, he has a hard time keeping the two lives from crashing together. Son of a very wealthy mother (Jessica Lange) Jim borrows the money from her finally as the bad guys are about to come after him very hard since he is in to them for a great deal of money. But Jim starts a friendship with one of his students, Amy (Brie Larson) and together they make some really bad choices and find themselves back in the soup all over again.

Mark Wahlberg worked very, very hard for this film. He lost a TON of weight to play the skinny, down on his luck professor/gambler, and the action sequences, he said, took a lot out of him after losing all that weight. He promises himself he’ll never do that again. But furthermore, he sat through actual English Lit classes so that he would look the part of a professor. But with all that hard work and effort, the movie just doesn’t come together. I’m not sure Mark is the best choice for the role anyway, but it probably isn’t his fault. Actually there’s no real drama, as you don’t get invested in the characters and really don’t care whether he gets beat up or not. Jessica Lange’s role is small, and she’s pretty good at it, but it’s not enough to save the tedious parts of the movie. I guess I would have to blame it on the script. I haven’t seen the original, so I can’t really compare it in any way, but this one never really got going for me. I watched the whole film, but never really got into the story,and at the end, I was glad it was over. No matter whose fault it is, I can’t really recommend this one as I don’t think it’s interesting or captivating enough to recommend.

EdG – EdsReview Dot Com – A Movie Review Blog

Movie Rentals Releasing Tuesday June 9, 2015

• All Relative
• Cas & Dylan
• The DUFF
• Kingsman: The Secret Service
• Red Army
• Serena