Ed's Review Dot Com

Warner Bros., Iron Horse Entertainment (II),

Adam Rodriguez, Gabriel Iglesias, Amber Heard, Jada Pinkett Smith, Kevin Nash, Elizabeth Banks, Michael Strahan, Channing Tatum, Donald Glover, Matt Bomer, Joe Manganiello, Andie MacDowell

Mike (Channing Tatum) has broken ties to the strip club where he worked and started his furniture business and is following his dream of the first movie in this sequel. But the business is failing and he has only one employee and he’s not able to pay for health care for him, and his having trouble paying him at all. So when he gets a call telling him that Dallas is gone, he heads off to pay his respects when he finds out that the old gang, minus Dallas are headed up north for the convention and competition. Mike has the itch to get back in the game, but once again as a short timer only in if for the bucks, and the kicks. So this road picture is the road trip to the convention and the hi-jinks of the gang of misfits on the way.

Of the first Magic Mike, I said “It is not a very good film”. Well if that was said of the first one, this sequel without McConnaughy is 10 times worse. This could definitely win an award, but that would be the award for the “Most Pointless Movie Ever Made”. It was truly awful and really did have no point at all. I think this was a blatant rip-off for the gals in love with Tatum and their desire to watch him running around without his shirt, as there is nothing else worth seeing here. It certainly misses McConnaghy’s Dallas character. Without him, the movie just seems to flounder. There is no plot going on here, and it’s about a bad as if it were a parody version on Magic Mike that just isn’t funny and doesn’t seem to be in on the joke. I really disliked this film, and I think the box office staying power of this movie lasted about 8 hours. There was a good reason why nobody saw this that wasn’t trying to do a “girls night out” to a theater that serves alcohol. In the words of Mad TV’s “Men on Film”……..”Hated It.”

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G4 Productions, Nutmeg Film Productions, Wonderland Sound and Vision,

Alan Cox, Mark Kassen, Elijah Moreland, Emma Fitzpatrick, Alice Eve, Daniel Spink, John Cullum, Chris Evans, Scott Evans

Nick Vaughan (Chris Evans) is a musician, hanging out in the station in Manhattan debating on whether to go to a party where his ex-girlfriend will be there, but with some other guy. Brooke Dalton (Alice Eve) shows up running to catch the last train to Boston but she’s seconds late and misses the train. Her purse has been stolen and so she has no money, just a train ticket to Boston, and their are no trains until tomorrow. Nick tries to help, but Brooke is unwilling to pay any attention to him until it appears that she’s not in a safe part of the city, she has no money, and nowhere to go until morning. So the two form a pair, trying to get Brooke on her way home, but neither is sure whether or not to trust the other.

This is an interesting Romantic-Comedy set in the heart of Manhattan at night. The chemistry between these two is pretty good, and they get in several pretty difficult scrapes. Bit by bit, piece by piece we get to see what’s really going on in the lives of this unusual pair, and why both are hiding from what they really want. As they work it out, we get a dose of voyeurism watching them work through their issues. In the end when the sun comes up, they both head out to face their demons but with a much greater understanding of what they really want. The setting is very interesting. The story itself is well crafted. The performances are pretty good. All in all, it’s not a bad little film, and is certainly out of the usual mold for rom-coms. I enjoyed the film, even though I wasn’t blown away by it, nor was I extremely excited about the experience. But it was an interesting distraction for a while, and well worth watching.

EdG – EdsReview Dot Com – A Movie Review Blog

Indian Paintbrush,

Thomas Mann, RJ Cyler, Olivia Cooke, Nick Offerman, Molly Shannon, Connie Britton, Jon Bernthal, Katherine Hughes

Greg (Thomas Mann) is an awkward high school student who does his best to stay invisible so as not to stand out. But when one of his classmates, Rachel (Olivia Cooke) is diagnosed with Leukemia, Greg’s Mother (Connie Britton) insists that he suck it up and spend time with her. So Greg with his friend Earl (RJ Cyler) in tow sets out to befriend Rachel much to her chagrin. But as time passes, Greg becomes less invisible, finds out a lot about himself, and finds he has helped Rachel while growing up a little himself.

This film is reminiscent of “The Fault in our Stars” in a way as it’s a story of growing up and facing loss and tragedy without losing yourself, but it is a very well done story. I think this will appeal to teens and is probably not a bad movie for that age group. It’s rated PG-13 and has some adult situations, but I truly don’t think it’s something that today’s teen aren’t already very familiar with. Only those with a strong dislike of adult themes like those who require their teens only attend G films (I know you’re out there) will think it’s too raunchy for the kids. The story is very touching and quite moving. The acting is good. Olivia Cooke I came to know as the sick girl from Bates Motel, and it seems like she gets the sick girl roles, but she’s a very good actress and quite good at extracting the emotion out of the scenes. She is excellent as the dying girl. Thomas Mann is pretty good as the geeky “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” type character and throws his heart into the role. RY Cyler is also good at his role as the voice of reason when Greg is going off the tracks. There are several back stories going on and many, many interesting characters played by such as Nick Offerman, Molly Shannon, Connie Britton, etc, who add a lot to the film beside the three leads. All in all it’s a nice little film and well worth watching. It’s one of those surprises that don’t come around all that often. Check it out.

EdG – EdsReview Dot Com – A Movie Review Blog

Legendary Pictures,

Tom Hiddleston, Jessica Chastain, Mia Wasikowska, Charlie Hunnam

Edith Cushing (Mia Wasikowska) is an aspiring writer who lives with her single father. When she meets Baronet Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston), and his sister Lucille (Jessica Chastain), who are visiting her father to sell an idea for a machine to mine clay to make bricks, Edith is quickly swept off her feet. But when a family tragedy occurs suddenly, Edith quickly marries Thomas and heads off to Europe to her new home. But as soon as she arrives to this creepy falling down wreck of a house which is surely haunted, she quickly learns that not only does the house harbor dark and sinister secrets, but her husband and his sister also have some things they are hiding in this very creepy Gothic horror story.

This is a very, very well done horror film. I cannot say enough good things about it. The sets are stunningly horrible, and the idea of the house being a major character is absolutely true in this case. Mia is excellent as Edith Cushing, and does a wonderful job of playing the wannabe writer and innocent young bride who has to fight to survive when it all goes awry very quickly. The story is extremely well written, as if this is a old classic Gothic novel, but actually Del Toro wrote the screenplay and it’s a brand new story. I have heard that someone is currently busy writing the novel, but as a brand new story, it does, as I said, have the feel of a classic tale, with modern style blood and gore. The gory parts are not the main focus of the film, though, as it’s a classical horror tale where what you don’t see is as horrible as what you do see. Though not absolutely perfect (I thought the ghosts were silly), it’s one of the best horror films I’ve seen in a long time, and I highly recommend this for horror fans everywhere!

EdG – EdsReview Dot Com – A Movie Review Blog

Movie Rentals Releasing Tuesday November 3, 2015

• Before We Go
• Best of Enemies
• Digging for Fire
• The End of the Tour
• Inside Out [Click here for Ed’s Review]
• Roar
• She’s Funny That Way
• Tiger House
• Vacation [Click Here for Ed’s Review]