At the Cinema ♥ Oblivion

 
It has been awhile since I've seen a great Tom Cruise movie...

But Oblivion delivers!  It was an intriguing sci-fi movie.

I left the theater still thinking about it... usually a good sign.  It wasn't predictable (at least for me), but super entertaining.  Morgan Freeman was excellent per usual!

Also, Jack's (Tom Cruise) lover Victoria was Andrea Riseborough.  She was uniquely beautiful.  She had a weird chemistry with Jack, which was perfect as the story unfolded.

But of course there was another woman... Julia played by Olga Kurylenko

Did you see Oblivion?  What did you think?

At the Cinema ♥ Oz the Great and Powerful

Disney does it again!  This movie is amazing, it's everything you want it to be!  I would highly recommend you spend the few extra dollars to see it in 3D.  They did great job with the usage of the 3D visuals.  Some of the flower petals appear right out in front of you and are just incredible.  This movie is definitely a different take on the story of Oz, but I was expecting that... I haven't wrote a blog on it yet, but I actually was at the taping of a James Franco interview for Conan (with Warren).  This was an incredible movie--the best movie I've seen in quite a while!

At the Cinema ♥ Side Effects

A side effect.  A peripheral or secondary effect, especially an undesirable secondary effect of a drug or therapy.

For a movie where you think you know exactly where it's going... you really don't have a clue.  But I liked that the end of the movie made sense.  The pieces fit together.  It was not one of those crazy movies where you never get it.  Rooney Mara was actually quite pretty in this film and of course Channing Tatum is always easy on the eyes.  It was an interesting movie... is it worth an evening movie ticket price?  Probably not, but it was still an entertaining end to a Monday night.  Did you see Side Effects?  What did you think?  I'm off to pack for a little trip to North Cali this weekend. :)

At the Cinema ♥ Identity Thief

This movie trailer made me LOL so I wanted to check it out.  It's one of those movies where the trailer is pretty much as funny as the movie, but that's not the worst thing, right?  I mean the trailer was really funny!  Plus, it was a nice story even a little heartwarming.  Check it out if you want a little break and a few good laughs.

At the Cinema ♥ Les Miserables

I finally saw Les Miserables.  This movie is AMAZING.  I loved it.  I knew it was going to be good, but I didn’t know it was going to be great.  I think I must be one of the only people who has never seen the old movie, never seen the musical, etc.  I didn’t even know the storyline, which might have made the movie even better.  I think the actors did an excellent job especially Anne Hathaway and Hugh Jackman.   

I also really loved one of the main songs in the middle of the movie in the rain by newcomer Samantha Barks.  I was a little disturbed by how tiny her waist was in the movie though.  It was just so small I couldn’t believe it.  I think she was one of the actors they cast for her vocal prowess instead of her acting repertoire and she did an awesome job.

At the Cinema ♥ Flight

I wanted to see this movie because it has Denzel Washington in it.  This is a very good start to a movie for me.  I think he is an amazing actor and I generally tend to like the movies Denzel does.

Flight was no exception.  And as a matter of fact, I'm adding it to my MUST SEE list.  This is a list that didn't even exist before... that is how much I think you should see this movie.

It's about an alcoholic pilot who lands a plane.  That was about all I knew when I watched the movie.  And it turned out to be about a lot more.  It gives you a hard look at the life of an addict and what you don't want to do in the arena of drugs and alcohol.  You can't help but root for the pilot for much of the film, but you start to wonder exactly what you should be rooting for.

I highly recommend this movie at the cinema. :)

At the Cinema ♥ The Hobbit Take 2

Well I went to see The Hobbit for the second time today.  It's a little tradition I like to call... let's go the movies on Christmas.  Because, well, I just love the movies.

And I am happy to say that The Hobbit was even better the second time!  I'm not sure why, but the first time all the singing kind of annoyed me, but this time it did not annoy me at all.  I loved it!  (Not the singing, but the movie)

  I also had family with me so I could confirm that some of the action parts were a bit blurry... it something having to do with the 3D technology.  Have you seen The Hobbit yet?  Did you love it?

My favorite parts of the movie involved Gandalf and were quite quotable:

Saruman believes it is only great power that can hold evil in check, but that is not what I have found. I found it is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay... small acts of kindness and love. Why Bilbo Baggins? Perhaps it is because I am afraid and he gives me courage! 

But if you do, remember this: true courage is about knowing not when to take a life, but when to spare one. 

At the Cinema ♥ The Hobbit

Nothing like a good movie to take your mind off your own problems, right?  I wanted to see The Hobbit and was having a terrible night so I decided to do it!  And it was still a great movie even considering my awful mood.  So I'm sure it will be even better the second time.

I saw it in 3D and there were a lot of scenes that seemed designed especially for 3D.  That being said, I didn't like the clarity of some of the faster moving sequences in 3D so I would like to see it 2D and see if this fixes the clarity issues that I noticed.  

I didn't think The Hobbit was as good as any of the Lord of the Rings movies, but maybe it's just me.  It still is most definitely worth seeing in the theater to see how the unexpected journey began.  You will get acquainted with new characters and old friends.

At the Cinema ♥ Lincoln

This movie is definitely worth seeing. It's a bit of history and quite educational.  That being said, the first part of the movie is pretty slow and boring. But once you get past the first half, the second half of the movie gets interesting. The movie is all about the 13th amendment and how Lincoln made it happen.  

It was also intriguing to see a glimpse into Lincoln's relationship with his wife Mary.  Mary struggled with the devastating loss of one of her sons Willie.  Lincoln even thought about sending Mary to a mental institution because of her issues dealing with the death of Willie. Sally Fields did an outstanding job playing Mary and had a wonderful moment keeping one of the Republicans Thaddeus Stevens in line.  

Tommy Lee Jones also did an excellent job in the role of Thaddeus Stevens.  Even though we all know what happened, it's fascinating to see how the 13th amendment was passed by the House of Representatives and how Lincoln helped shape American history. 

At the cinema ❤ Brave

This was a cute movie with excellent graphics.  But I need to learn to stop reading reviews before I go to the movies because then I can't help thinking about the review when I'm watching the movie.  Basically, I would say this is a good movie, not a great movie.  I agree with the People magazine reviewer that the storyline could have been better.  (But the People magazine reviewer thought there shouldn't have even been a witch... I mean it's Disney.  What are fairytales made of if not witches?  I just would have liked the story to move me more.)  The graphics were flawless and the scenes absolutely beautiful.  And I wouldn't have minded a bit of a love story... although, I liked that this movie was more focused on the main character getting to determine her own fate.

At the cinema ❤ Mirror Mirror

This was a much more traditional take on the Snow White fairytale (compared with Snow White and the Huntsman). I ended up catching this flick at the cheap theater (yay $4 movies at Valley Theater). It was a cute movie with great costumes and a very comedic take on Snow White. It is completely appropriate for children.


My favorite quote from the wicked queen: "No matter how many times I do it. I still get excited on my wedding day. "

At the cinema ❤ Snow White and the Huntsman

I finally saw it with my lovely friend Julie.  I thought this movie looked amazing (especially Charlize Theron as the evil queen).

And indeed she was fabulous.  The acting, the costumes, everything.  The storyline brought more depth to the evil queen than the traditional snow white story.  You actually got to see how the evil queen came to be.


I also enjoyed some of the beautiful scenery in the movie.  It was definitely nice to see the forests on the big screen.


And Kristen Stewart... Love her?  Hate her?  Love to hate her?  I have friends that do it all. I can definitely see the point that it's somewhat unconvincing to have her be the "fairest in the land."  One of my friends at work suggested Megan Cox would have been a great Snow White.  And while Megan Cox certainly has a gorgeous face, I don't think I could ever be convinced she was innocent and pure.  I like that the storyline makes it clear that Snow White is the fairest in the land for her heart, not her face.  And this is a good message for all of us who can get too focused on outward beauty.