Coming Soon: November

Jordan is back with another preview of the month's upcoming movies.

My, my this year is flying by isn't it? Jordan from RATH'S REVIEWS here to give you another look at what is coming up and what just happened in theaters.

October was a strong month with an average Rath's Review score of 7.3, a 2.3% increase from last year's 7.2. However the month was much stronger than the numbers indicate because in 2012 I only reviewed three October movies and this October I saw six. If you want to check out the data and see which month has been the strongest so far this year, CLICK HERE. So what six movies did I see last month? Check em out:

Gravity: Wow. I mean what else can I say? If you saw this in IMAX 3D you know exactly what I'm talking about and if you didn't then I suggest you stop reading and go now. One of the more unforgettable movie-going experiences you will have in your lifetime. (Rath's Review Score: 10/10 -- Instant Classic)

Runner Runner: I called it as a dud and a dud it was. I didn't see it due to being so blown away by Gravity but I certainly didn't miss much. Unless you count a movie with an interesting premise that can't execute its ideas as something...

Captain Phillips: As I said last month, this one was pretty much a sure fire hit. Tom Hanks was amazing per usual as was director Paul Greengrass. Despite some of the controversy surrounding the real-life events the movie was a thrill from start to finish and October continued strongly onward. (RRS: 9/10)

Machete Kills: Man, what a trip this movie was! Certainly not for the easily offended or faint of heart but it was just loads of ridiculous, over-the-top, obnoxious, gory fun. I enjoyed it more than the score I gave it indicates but the score reflects its unnecessary length, overall quality, and some unnecessary plot points. (RRS: 7/10)

Carrie: A remake of the adaptation of the Stephen King novel that played it way too safe. I enjoyed it enough as someone who never saw the original, but this one does nothing new. I was disappointed that it didn't take more liberties to address the issues of cyber-bullying that our current culture has problems with today. (RRS: 5.5/10)

Escape Plan: Neither a dud nor a hit. I also didn't see this one but it seems like if you went in with the 80's action mentality then you were bound to have a fun time. Sometimes there's nothing wrong with a little mindless action with two elderly gentleman!

12 Years a Slave: Well I wish I could say I saw this one! I live in Denver and it's not playing in a single theater here. I HATE limited releases to no end. As for the movie, it's the clear front runner for the Oscar's right now so I'm sure it will be nothing short of fantastic. But at the same time I feel like it may be overhyped just a bit, similar to the way Lincoln was last year. Great movie, but not the best movie of the year. If it ever gets a wide release I'll update you guys.

Jackass Presents Bad Grandpa: An unexpected treat. Who knew that attaching a story and toning down the gross factor to some Jackass pranks could be so satisfying and heart warming. It had its issues, yes, but Bad Grandpa was a hilarious trip to the theaters that I didn't regret one bit. (RRS: 8/10)

The Counselor: The disappointment of this one still stings. It should have worked on almost every level but it was a mess, and a fairly bad one at that. It's slightly saved by a strong cast and some highlight scenes, but the screenplay by Cormac McCarthy was overly excessive and even pretentious. One of the bigger disappointments of the year for me. (RRS: 4.5/10)

Most Disappointing: The Counselor

Most Surprising: Jackass Presents Bad Grandpa

Worst Movie: The Counselor

Best Movie: Gravity (by a mile)

Now onward to a somewhat odd November. I'm not sure I ever remember there being so many blockbusters in a late month. It's like a second summer!

*Click the movie titles for their trailers!*

Ender's Game -- Nov 1



Why It's Worth Seeing: It's based off one of the better and more thought-provoking sci-fi books ever written. There is an immense amount of potential for a great movie here and with the strong cast and visuals it looks like they could pull it off.

What Could Go Wrong: Personally, as excited as I am for it, I'm still not entirely convinced that they will pull it off. The themes in the book were very mature and I'm not sure if Hollywood is going for that or if they are going for a sci-fi action piece. I think it's bound to disappoint on some level, I just hope it's not with regards to the themes and maturity.

Last Vegas -- Nov 1



Why It's Worth Seeing: Do you see that cast? Kevin Kline, Morgan Freeman, Robert De Niro, and Michael Douglas all playing geriatric males enjoying a buddy's bachelor party in Vegas. What could go wrong? Hopefully a whole lot so that the whole movie can stay as funny as the trailer is. The Hangover Part III came out earlier this year, but this might be the trip that you want to take to Vegas instead.

What Could Go Wrong: The usual with comedies...all the funny parts could be in the trailers, it could have an idiotic story, poor script, etc. My main concern is that the focus on old-person jokes will be worn far too thin by the time the credits roll.

Thor: The Dark World -- Nov 8



Why It's Worth Seeing: Because it's more Marvel, duh. The previous Thor was a somewhat weak entry in Phase 1 that was made much stronger after the release of The Avengers and we saw just how critical Thor's world was to the story. The Dark World looks to be epic on almost every level and as someone who was slightly disappointed by the first, I couldn't be more excited for this one. Also, I chose a poster here rather than a still because whoever is doing the Thor posters deserves an immediate and hefty raise. They are gorgeous.

What Could Go Wrong: The problem with the Marvel movies now is creating a character centric story while also moving the background Avenger's plotlines forward. It's an extremely tricky combination, one that we saw Iron Man 3 do very gracefully earlier this year. The quality of the movie will depend on how well it stands alone AND how well it ties into everything else.

Delivery Man -- Nov 22



Why It's Worth Seeing: We skip over a week mainly because I'm not all that interested in The Best Man Holiday or The Book Thief and arrive at the Vince Vaughn comedy, Delivery Man. Apparently he is the father to an absurd amount of children due to some medical mix-up. With Vince Vaughn, there is always the potential for a movie to be funny.

What Could Go Wrong: For starters, Vince Vaughn hasn't been funny in a while. The Internship which reteamed him with Owen Wilson was about as average as average gets and I may have laughed one or two times throughout. Also, the tone of the trailer seems to indicate it will have a serious feel to it, but then there are also the Vince Vaughn funnies...to me that sounds like a pretty lackluster combo.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire -- Nov 22



Why It's Worth Seeing: I couldn't find anything but production stills for this one, so I chose to show a poster as well because the marketing for Catching Fire has been phenomenal. I just finished re-reading the second book and I couldn't be more excited for this one...I'm part of the crowd that thinks that all of the books are phenomenal, not just the first one. From the trailer, it seems like they have nailed the overall theme of the book and the addition of Phillip Seymour Hoffman is a great one. The first movie was a very well done adaptation and I think this one has the potential to be even better.

What Could Go Wrong: If they focus too much on the love story/triangle then it will dive into Twilight territory. The Hunger Games series overall is about so much more than that love triangle and the first movie did a good job at finding an appropriate balance. If this one can't balance that properly then it could spell trouble.

Frozen -- Nov 27



Why It's Worth Seeing: It's from the team that made Wreck-It Ralph last year which went on to become one of my favorite animated movies ever. Despite Pixar being somewhat weak lately, it's clear that there is still some magic at Disney's animation studios and Frozen has the potential to be another hit.

What Could Go Wrong: Other than Wreck-It Ralph, Disney has been in a bit of an animation slump lately. Does Frozen have an interesting enough premise to become a hit? For me, the trailers indicate no.

Oldboy -- Nov 27



Why It's Worth Seeing: The original Korean Oldboy has become a cult classic. I haven't seen it but I had the plot described to me and my jaw dropped. It's messed up...big time. But if you can get past that it's an interesting journey. This remake features a strong cast and looks to be super R-rated.

What Could Go Wrong: With the strong director and cast, I'm not sure that a whole lot could go wrong, it just may not be everyone's cup of tea. Also with a plot this complex, they need to make sure that the audience knows what's going on and isn't in the dark.

NOVEMBER OVERVIEW:

Must See (in order): Thor: The Dark World, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

On My Radar: Ender's Game, Last Vegas, Frozen, Oldboy

Predicted Duds: Delivery Man

Thanks, James for the opportunity to do another guest post and thank you for reading everybody! See you next month! Be sure to follow me through Blogger at RATH'S REVIEWS. I follow back 100%! Also Like the Facebook page HERE! Enjoy the November blockbuster season!



Thanks Jordan for another great post. Please be sure to follow his blog, I can't recommend it more for movie fans.

If you want to contact us or have any questions please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.