PRycks List is all about movie reviews by two normal guys. Some will disagree with the reviews and others will agree. If your either or both, please leave comments.
As the summer movies begin to roll out, I too will also roll out of my late winter slumber and begin to review all the new movies. So stay tuned and prepare for awesomeness!
Top 5 Summer Flicks
1. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull 2. The Dark Knight 3. The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian 4. Hancock 5. Wall-E
A movie about anything that has to do with nature or the wild doesn't really spark my interest any way, shape, or form. Hearing and reading things on some movie forums about Into the Wild, did somewhat get me wanting to watch this flick. With Emile Hirsch's performance in Alpha dog, I eventually gave in to watch Into the Wild.
Christopher McCandless (Emile Hirsch) is a top student at Emory University, also an athlete. He just graduated from college and had the world in his hands. Chris had plans to go into law at Harvard and had told his, what seemed to be loving parents this. They were happy and overwhelmed with their boy and were ready to pay for Harvard with him. They also wanted to get Chris a brand new car as a gift. Chis didn't see any reason why because he felt that his current car is fine, and that this materialistic way of living was no life for him.
Once he came to that conclusion he gave all his savings to charity and began his journey to Alaska. Not telling his parents or anyone, he just left for this adventure. He was on the search for happiness and along the way he met many people and made some good friends.
The whole movie is of Chris going across country and eventually getting to his destination of Alaska. He goes from South Dakota, to the Colorado river, then kayaks down the river into Mexico. Chris gets minimum paying jobs along the way to get the supplies he needs to survive. Once in Alaska, we as the audience see how he lived and survived off the land. Ultimately he figure out that one person can not be happy if there is no one else to share it with.
This being a true story, made Into the Wild all the better. It was a rather long and slow, sometimes boring movie. In the end though, the story was great and Chris McCandless was a great character to learn about. Over all a decent movie in my eyes.
Hearing about what Before the Devil Knows Your Dead is about, you instantly become interested. Two brothers plan out the robbery of their own parent's jewelry store, sounds devilish in its self. Both Ethan Hawke and Philip Seymour Hoffman do just that in this flick.
The plan is to rob a jewelry store that the two character's both know, they end up rich and insurance fixes everything for the store's owners. These characters are Andy Hanson (Hoffman) and Hank Hanson. (Hawke) The store is their parents. Both of them are in need of the money really badly.
Hank is a divorced dad forced to pay child support but isn't able too. He lives in a crappy apartment trying to get by, while the ex wife is hounding him for the month's child support money. Because of this he needs to find a way to get the money and actually start living.
Andy is the older brother, pretty much the opposite of his younger sibling. He has a nice paying job, a good looking wife and is a drug user. He is the more rebellious of the two brothers. This whole robbery plan was cooked up by him. As the movie goes on we see more into his life and just how bad he really is.
After the robbery goes down, or attempts to go down, the movie shows the events that happen afterward with the two brothers and their dad. Flashing back and forth from each character and different times showing the events taking place, is a cool way to show the audience just how bad of a situation the characters got themselves into. All of this leads to the father hunting the people that were responsible and for a great ending.
Before the Devil Knows Your Dead is a great movie showing the characters and how the story slowly builds and snowballs out of control. A thriller all the way through and Phillip Seymour Hoffman adds a much needed spin to the movie. Sit back and enjoy this flick if you can.
Phew, say that title three times in a row with out messing up! From here on out I will call it Assassination of Jesse James. Nominated for two Oscars, cinematography and best supporting actor Casey Affleck, this movie is a beast in length and in story. A whole lot of character development and some really cool scene effects.
This epic two hour and forty minute flick is about the events and people that are involved with those events that lead up to the assassination of the great Jesse James. Brad Pitt is always studdly and plays the character of Jesse James. Another great performance by Casey Affleck who plays Robert Ford.
Robert Ford has always wanted to be part of the James Gang, and all through out his life he read the books about the adventures of Jesse James. He knew everything about the guy, almost scary. He finally got the chance too, one evening with a bunch of other guys, the job was to stop a train and rob everyone on it. This would be the James brothers last job before going away forever.
A few weeks after the job some of the guys who helped Jesse begin to be round up by police. While this was happening Jesse got wind of someone possibly turning him in for the reward. Jesse goes around to all the member's houses and tries to figure out whats happening, killing some along the way.
Eventually the police get to Robert and Charley Ford and strike a deal to get Jesse. For a few weeks the brothers befriend Jesse and actually live in his house with his family, planning on robbing a bank. Jesse in the mean time is seeming to go crazy whilst the Ford boys are scared that any minute Jesse will find out their true meaning. Eventually Jesse does find out and leads to what the title of the movie says, his assassination.
Assassination of Jesse James is a very long movie, so prepare yourself for that. To me it didn't seem bad because I knew Jesse was going to die, I wanted to see what leads up to it and how it actually happens. When it does happen it is quiet sad, the tone of the movie and music shift and provide for a great ending. All through out the movie Hugh Ross' voice would come in as a narrator while the scene goes to a blur and a violin begins to play. (Watch the beginning of the trailer to see.) This was really cool and really eerie at the same time. If you expect action packed mayhem, this movie isn't for you. If you want an engaging deep story, then by all means pick this movie up.
With a cast that includes Joaquin Phoenix, Eva Mendes, Mark Wahlberg and Robert Duvall, We Own the Night is a sure fire movie that will entertain to the fullest. A drama and some little action make this movie a decent flick. Oh and Eva Mendes, can't forget about her.
Bobby Green (Joaquin Phoenix) is a manager at a club in New York city. Being a club manager there comes the dark side of business with the drugs and everything else of that nature. Bobby is living it up like we all would and has a girlfriend by the name of Amada Juarez. (Eva Mendes)
Bobby has an older brother and a dad in the police force. His brother, Captain Joe Grusinsky (Wahlberg) and his father Deputy Chief Bert Grusinsky. (Robert Duvall) Joe and Bert are beginning a department of the force to counter act the drug business that is going on through out New York and want to use their little sibling as a way to start it. At first Bobby was reluctant and wanted no part of this. For one his good life would end and second he be sort of a snitch.
Eventually the drug cartels that run the streets get information about everyone on the NYPD's drug operation and begin picking them off. This leads to an attempted murder of Bobby's brother Joe. Through his connections in the underground, Bobby finds out who put the hit on his brother and on his dad. With this Bobby switches to the good side, becomes a cop and when this movie really begins to get moving.
Besides the slow beginning, We Own the Night was a good revenge and loyalty movie. All the actors involved did a great job and did I mention Eva Mendes? Also this whole movie is set in the 80's so the music is great. An over all decent movie that all should watch.
With a trailer that shows a shark swimming and someone in the back ground making a weird groaning sound, one should know that Strange Wilderness is a ridiculous over the top comedy. With all the usual guys from Adam Sandler's flicks and the addition of Jonah Hill and Justin Long, this movie is a poor man's Apatow wannabe movie. None the less, it does provide for some laughing.
Steve Zahn plays Peter Gaulke, a son of a late great animal show star. Since the passing of his father Peter has taken over the show named, "Strange Wilderness." Ever since Peter has taken the helm the show has become a laughing stock and being aired at 3 a.m. in the morning. Because of this the broadcasting company is bringing in a real nature show that doesn't suck. Now the Strange Wilderness crew has two weeks to do something to keep the show alive.
A friend of Peter's tells him he has a map that will bring them to the cave of Big Foot. With this news Peter and the gang packs up a motor home and hits the road. A wacky pot head adventure ensues.
Along the way down to find and record Big Foot, which is down in Mexico somewhere, the group encounters a gang banger, cash problems and having their motor home stripped to nothing by Mexican authorities. As this adventure goes on theres a whole lot of adult humor flying, as well as curse words going off every other second. All of which makes this movie some what worth it.
Over all this movie is a waste of the price of a movie ticket. I honestly cant believe that someone in Hollywood would green light a movie like this. Someone actually sat down and wrote a scene about people puking into the mouth of a jumping shark. If your wondering, "What the heck?" I was also thinking that in the theater. This movie brings nothing, if anything, takes away. (Nine bucks.) Strange Wilderness will only appeal to the wonderful youth of today's world and no one else.
