Coming Soon: April 2014

I thought I would start off this month with probably the funniest video I've seen in a while. Enjoy a darn good laugh with Banecat:

As usual in the Coming Soon series, lets recap the previous month. March continued the ever-so-slight upward trend of improved movies (or I'm just going to see less "bad movies" this year) with an average score of 7.9, up 4.3% from the average of the past couple years. Here are the movies that came out and how they fared. Let's just say that I wasn't as successful predicting this month as I was in February...(as always you can click the title for the link to my review!)

300: Rise of an Empire: It was ever so slightly disappointing which I guess I should have known would happen. But I was really hoping that magic would strike twice and we would get another near-classic. Eva Green certainly helped with her ferocious lead, but all other characters fell flat and despite its beauty, the action wasn't as awesome or inventive as the first time around. (Rath's Review Score: 7.5/10)

The Grand Budapest Hotel: I had never seen a Wes Anderson film before this one so to say that this was a special and memorable trip to the theaters is an understatement. An absolutely delightful film that is funny, gorgeous, and exquisitely edited to a brief 90 minute run time. It's going to be one of the best films of the year, hands down. (RRS: 9.5/10)

Need for Speed: Unnecessarily harassed by the critics. It was never going to win any Oscars or blow any minds and for some reason that's what most critics went in expecting it to do. I went in with mediocre expectations and was pleasantly surprised by the outcome. Aaron Paul does a strong job leading a film and the cars (ohhhhh those sexy cars) have some spectacular chases and crashes. Nowhere near as bad as "professional" critics may lead you to believe. (RRS: 7.5/10)

Divergent: As the days got closer to this film's release I just could not get myself to pony up the time or money to go see it (probably had to do with the fact that I got a new PS4 game that weekend). It was rather destroyed by the critics but fans seemed to love it. Having read the books I know the love story certainly takes more of a back seat so there is definitely potential here. I'm sure I'll be seeing this one in the near future.

Muppets Most Wanted: A fun and funny, but overly long adventure for the Muppets that really cant recapture the magic of the last film. You'll enjoy your time with it like I did, but as soon as you leave the theater doors you probably wont remember a thing. (RRS: 7/10)

Noah: Pretty impressive all things considered and a movie that despite your thoughts on it, you have to admit it was made well. I couldn't get as into it as I would have liked but that can't change the fact that its scale and message are well done all the same (RRS: 8/10)

Sabotage: I would have liked to see Sabotage (and I might by the week's end) because it seemed like another film that got unfairly attacked. I would be expecting a gory action flick and it seems like thats exactly what you get.

Most Disappointing: Muppets Most Wanted

Biggest Surprise: Noah (I was expecting a train wreck)

Worst Film: None, at least none that I saw

Best Film: The Grand Budapest Hotel

Now let's get to April! Click the titles for their trailers!

Captain America: The Winter Soldier -- April 4



Why It's Worth Seeing: 1) It's more Marvel. 2) The Winter Soldier storyline is regarded as one of the best storylines not just in the Captain America comics, but comics as a whole. 3) Early reviews indicate that it might be Marvel's best movie yet and that's a VERY exciting thought.

What Could Go Wrong: With these films I really applaud Marvel for being able to balance the overall Phase 2 story as well as make a standalone film. I don't think this will be an issue for this sequel but if it is it can really affect it negatively.

Draft Day -- April 11



Why It's Worth Seeing: Ummmmm.....I.....I...don't really have anything for ya. It's a movie about the NFL's draft day. A sports business movie I suppose. About the Cleveland Browns. Just sounds like an odd thing to make a movie about but I do always love Kevin Costner so there's that!

What Could Go Wrong: I'm not entirely sure how they are going to keep it motivating. Especially when its about drafting rookies and the Cleveland Browns; a team that hasn't been relevant in the NFL for decades. With the lack of marketing as well I'm pretty uncompelled to see this one.

Rio 2 -- April 11

Why It's Worth Seeing: I never saw the first film but I know that it takes quite a special movie to stand out in the crowded animation market. The original Rio seemed to accomplish that with a strong cast and the always-great location of Rio de Janeiro. If the sequel can capture the spirit of the first it should do great.

What Could Go Wrong: Animation sequels are one of the hardest things to pull off. Often the magic isn't there and you can tell the creators are trying too hard. Other than a handful of films (Toy Story, Despicable Me, Shrek) it's usually a pretty big departure in quality. Rio 2 certainly isn't immune from this possibility.

Transcendence -- April 17



Why It's Worth Seeing: Wally Pfister, longtime cinematographer for Christopher Nolan, is the director and the plot looks to be wholly original. Nolan also serves as an Executive Producer and anytime that original material comes from Nolan it's often gold.

What Could Go Wrong: The plot looks awfully muddled from the trailers and it looks like it might delve into the "ridiculous" territory. Fingers crossed that this isn't the case and instead this becomes this year's "Looper" (a good thing).

The Other Woman -- April 25



Why It's Worth Seeing: Other than Kate Upton? You still need a reason? I kid, I kid. But to be honest this looks like a chick flick that might actually be funny. I know that those are few and far between...hell they are practically legend at this point. But I like Leslie Mann and Cameron Diaz, and Kate Upton aint too sore on the eyes either.

What Could Go Wrong: Where to start? Unfunny, stupid plot, overly feministic, clichéd love story, etc, etc, etc. Basically anything that has ever gone wrong with a chick flick before could still go wrong here. I had to include it since it was the biggest release of the last weekend in April.



Brick Mansions -- April 25



Why It's Worth Seeing: Other than it being one of the last films Paul Walker made after his tragic death, it looks pretty darn awesome. The action appears unique and infused with several fighting styles and a healthy dose of parkour. Other than Walker's immense star power right now this could be a gritty action epic.

What Could Go Wrong: The RZA is the villain and I've never thought he was as good at acting as he was at rapping. Not to mention the plot is probably an afterthought.

APRIL OVERVIEW:

Must See (in order): Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Transcendence

On My Radar: Rio 2, Brick Mansions

Predicted Duds: Draft Day, The Other Woman

See you next month for an OBNOXIOUSLY HUGE month of May, including some of my personal most anticipated movies of the year with X-Men Days of Future Past and Godzilla (seriously have you seen those awesome trailers though?!)! As always, be sure to come on over and follow me through Blogger at RATH'S REVIEWS and like me on Facebook HERE! I follow-for-follow 100%. Thanks again! 

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

Coming Soon: February 2014

Hello for the second time this year, everybody! How about that month of January eh? Eh? Yeah...it wasn't that impressive. January's average was 7.5 at the time of writing this which is a surprisingly strong month and puts it 7% above the average score. So let's recap what came out shall we?

BUT BEFORE WE DO...be sure to go check out the Rath Awards for 2013. It's where I give out over 50 awards for Music, TV, Videogames, and of course, Movies.

RATH AWARDS 2013 HERE!

Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones: This wasn't nearly as bad/unnecessary as I thought it would be, but it was also nowhere near the highlight of the series. For me, it was the least scary of the bunch but it packed in a lot of mythology that the series has so desperately been needing to have explained. Not to mention that CRAZY twist ending! (Rath's Review Score: 7/10)



Lone Survivor: This is an update for a film that I had in my December Coming Soon post. Lone Survivor is a powerful film that will make you deeply appreciate what our men and women oversees go through. It's hard to watch, and even harder to accept the outcome but it's a story that needed to be told. That all being said, I highly recommend reading the book first. It's the superior version of this incredible story. (RRS: 8/10)

The Legend of Hercules: I skipped this one (and called it when I predicted it would be a dud last month) because it ended up being terrible. I'm sure it wasn't AS bad as the critics were hammering it, but still not worth your time or money nonetheless. If you want an epic Greek movie, just wait until the new 300.

Her: What a great film this was. Featuring some gorgeous cinematography and superb performances from Phoenix and Johansson, this is one of the best love stories to hit screens in a while...and it's about a man who falls in love with his computer's operating system. Despite a rushed ending and some overused awkwardness (mostly relating to sex), this film is an interesting look at the relationships we host in our life and why we do so. (RRS: 8.5/10)

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit: It starts off very strong to the point where I thought it was going to be special. But slowly over the course of its runtime it turns into an unexciting generic spy film. Not to mention there is next to no action. How do you have a spy movie with no action?! Having watched the balls-to-the-wall, near perfect Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol shortly after this, my mediocre score became even more solidified. (RRS: 6.5/10)

Ride Along: I was rooting for this one but it sounded like it turned out to not be all that great. A hilarious trailer led to quite a few audience disappointments and from the general consensus it sounds like the PG-13 script was the culprit. Oh well...at least we have 22 Jump Street to look forward to later this year!

I, Frankenstein: Ended up being worse than probably previously expected (and I'm two for two for predicting duds last month!) but again, probably not AS bad as critics were hammering it. Much like its trailers, it looked extremely forgettable and about as good as the actual title of the film.

That Awkward Moment: Since this came out on the last day of January, I don't have an update for you guys at this time. Assuming I still see the movie like I plan to, I will update this accordingly!

Most Disappointing: Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit

Most Surprising: None

Worst Movie: The Legend of Hercules

Best Movie: Her

Now on to February! The month of love! Without a single romantic movie preview because they all looked terrible. Seriously, just go see Her on Valentines Day. I'd be willing to bet it's better than any of the other films that come out. And click the titles for their trailers!

The Lego Movie -- Feb 7



Why It's Worth Seeing: February starts off with MY most anticipated movie of the month. Based on the strong, hilarious previews and excellent cast of voices, there is a very strong chance that this could turn out to be a classic much like Wreck-it Ralph was. As long as there are tons of Lego inside jokes and a strong comedic script, this one could be an immediate treasure.

What Could Go Wrong: Wreck-it Ralph succeeded on so many levels (as do many Disney movies) because they are kid AND adult friendly. They go deep emotionally and there are usually some adult-themed jokes throughout. From the trailers it doesn't seem like this would be an issue for The Lego Movie, but it could happen. And if it's all kiddie and doesn't have a more mature side it could be a huge bummer.

The Monuments Men -- Feb 7



Why It's Worth Seeing: The cast of Clooney, Damon, Goodman, Murray, and Blanchett (among others) is pretty impressive for a February release. Not to mention it tells a story that most of us haven't likely heard before about a group of men trying to save artwork from Nazi destruction in World War II. It's also directed by Clooney who has proven to be rather talented behind the camera in past efforts.

What Could Go Wrong: I'm concerned as to why it was bumped from its December release all the way to February. It could have been because that month was super crowded or it could be hinting at a larger problem. I don't see too much going wrong with the film over its 118 minute runtime but it could just be forgettable.

Robocop -- Feb 12



Why It's Worth Seeing: Probably the most scrutinized film of 2014 so far and it hasn't even released. Ever since its announcement its had hardcore fans in a tizzy with moods ranging from excitement, anger, disgust, etc. I think if it pulls off the human element it so desperately tries to convey in the trailer than we might have something special as long as there is some great action to go with it.

What Could Go Wrong: It got slapped with a PG-13 rating recently and that seemed to be the final nail in the coffin for most fans. I tend to agree. Can you imagine the recent Dredd remake being PG-13? It just flat out wouldn't work. I have a feeling the same can/will be said about this when it releases.

3 Days to Kill -- Feb 21



Why It's Worth Seeing: Costner proved that he can play the spy game, most recently with his strong role in Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit. As long as the movie is smart, this could be the birth of a second Liam Neeson.

What Could Go Wrong: I know almost nothing about the film, no thanks to the trailer. It looks generic as can be and what is with the crappy movie titles this year people?!?

Pompeii -- Feb 21



Why It's Worth Seeing: It could be epic and the story of Pompeii is a tragic one, much like Titanic. If this film can make us care about the characters as much as Titanic did, then, despite knowing the outcome, we could be really invested in it. Given that its only 102 minutes long, it could be a short, awesome trip to the theaters.

What Could Go Wrong: The trailers indicate that it doesn't look to take that road. Again, it looks like it wants to be a 300-wannabe. And is it just me or do the effects look fairly "meh"?

Non-Stop -- Feb 28



Why It's Worth Seeing: We started the month off with my most anticipated and we end it off with my second most anticipated. Something about THIS Liam Neeson action film has got me excited and I think it might end up being truly awesome. Granted Taken 2 was a disaster, but generally his films before it (such as Taken and the 5th best film of 2012, The Grey) have been unique and special. Something in my gut tells me that Non-Stop will be another Liam Neeson hit.

What Could Go Wrong: A lot of movies that are "trapped on a plane" so to speak, get really boring really quickly. If the plot and script aren't there for Neeson to work with, then this one could end up being a snoozer for all of its scenes other than the climax.

FEBRUARY OVERVIEW:

Must See (in order): The Lego Movie, Non-stop

On My Radar: The Monuments Men, Robocop, Pompeii

Predicted Dud: 3 Days to Kill

February looks to be bringing the heat a little more than January! Enjoy your time at the movies and I'll see you guys again in March for what could also be another strong month in theaters! Be sure to come on over and follow me through Blogger at RATH'S REVIEWS and like me on Facebook HERE! I follow-for-follow 100%. Thanks again! 

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