THE LEGO MOVIE

Cole's Rating: ★★★

Director: Phil Lord, Christopher Miller
Year: 2014
Cast: Will Arnett, Elizabeth Banks, Alison Brie
Genre: Animation/Adventure/Comedy
MPAA Rating: PG

It's obvious that a group of intelligent individuals sat down and came up with the idea for The Lego Movie. That shows in the screenplay. It's also obvious that moviegoers were very receptive to their style of filmmaking. That shows in the notably high Rotten Tomatoes score of 96%. And when you throw in cutting edge animation and notable voiceovers, the end result is a kids' movie that deserves a spot on the DVD shelf.

With that being said, it’s important to recognize the fact that I wasn’t blown out of my seat by this movie. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a good flick, but through my eyes, it wasn’t as great as it was cracked up to be. I suppose that I was predisposed to it’s alleged excellence, and in turn, I was let down at it’s, for lack of a better term, mediocracy.

We’re thrown into the life of Emmet, a guy who strives to be “normal” and no different than “average” because, as it’s taken, the society revolves around this expectation of people. When he’s mistaken for the “most extraordinary person in the world”, he sets out on the adventure of his life to “save the world” with a multitude of friends including the funniest character in the whole movie, Batman.

As it sounds, The Lego Movie is creative. It stretches boundaries of animation that make us think, and along the way, it incorporates some genuinely funny moments that make it a memorable (enough) moviegoing experience. It really isn’t a hilariously comedic film, to my dismay, but it delivers time after time and it, overall, is worthy of your family’s viewing. Something to consider too, is that even if you don’t love it, the kids will. It’s charisma is simply too much to shy away from at a young age.

-Written by Cole Pollyea

THE TOP 10 MOVIES OF 2013

The Top 10 Films of 2013

by Cole Pollyea

1. THE GREAT GATSBY

- Though it wasn't critically admired, I, as a film and classical tale enthusiast, was moved by this film on every level. With great performances, a unique soundtrack, astounding visuals, and an epic story that can't be dismissed, The Great Gatsby is, conclusively, the best film of the year.






2. AMERICAN HUSTLE

- American Hustle is a movie's movie. It's detailed, gritty, and incredibly well made. David O. Russell concocted yet another masterful piece of art that fuses groundbreaking performances with a juicy, mature story. 







3. DALLAS BUYERS CLUB

- Dallas Buyers Club is so many things. It's Matthew McConaughey's best performance of all time, Jared Leto's best performance of all time; it's one of the most hard-hitting, emotionally effective movies of the year, and it's, overall, a movie that I will revisit time and time again.

4. BLUE JASMINE

- Blue Jasmine is a mature, engaging, well made film that is about as real-life as anything this Oscar season. Cate Blanchett delivers a strong, noteworthy performance of the dynamic, well-created Jasmine. A powerful, thought provoking film, is what I'd call this movie.





5. HER

- As creative, wise, and innovative as they come, Her gets a strong recommendation from me because of its undeniable intelligence and absorbing moviegoing experience. Spike Jonze hits it out of the park.





6. NEBRASKA

- Alexander Payne paints a portrait of small-time, unnoticed life in Nebraska, and couldn't have done it any more sensitively. He has an admirable awareness of every character that encompasses screen time in this movie, and the payoff is enormous. Nebraska may not win any Academy Awards (may), but it sure is a solid candidate.



7. THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY

- Beautifully expressed and totally honest, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is included on my list because of the vision and intent in the eye of director and main actor, Ben Stiller. Look out for an artistic cameo by Sean Penn.









8. MAN OF STEEL


- Man of Steel is an epic must-see. It's an accurate, engrossing moviegoing experience that re-creates the tale of Superman with a modern touch. My only complaint is how it turns into a Michael Bay picture in the second half of its running time. Nonetheless, the performances and screenplay (for the first half) are enough to call this an instant classic.





9. GRAVITY 

- Gravity is a well acted, well shot thriller that is a solid, justifiable ninety minutes of movie watching. In terms of it's impact, I wouldn't say it's as epic or revolutionary as something like Open Water. It's main flaw lies in the script, which is why I found myself rather irritated with what I invested my empathy into. However, it moves quite a bit in the considerably short time it runs for.




10. PRISONERS

- Prisoners is a well filmed, sharp, frightening look at a kidnapping case that shook worlds. It begs comparison to Zodiac because of its eerily similar style and feel, and I couldn't help but notice that it just doesn't live up to that. Nonetheless, Prisoners ensures an absorbing, scary experience, and it packs in a lot of clever irony in the screenplay.

NEBRASKA

Cole's Rating: ★★★ ½

Jesse's Rating: ★★★ ½

Director: Alexander Payne

Year: 2013

Cast: Bruce Dern, Will Forte, June Squibb

Genre: Adventure/Drama

MPAA Rating: R     

       Director Alexander Payne and writer Bob Nelson perched themselves on a stool and painted a beautiful portrait of small-scale, unnoticed life in their sensitive examination of old age called Nebraska. With what seems to be an infinite amount of insight and commendable artistic edge, it takes its premise and runs with it. Nebraska is a very, very well made film that will undoubtedly break the hearts of many moviegoers who come across this unique, heartfelt motion picture.

        Will Forte is David, who is, from scene one, burdened with the disorientation of his father, Woody, played by Bruce Dern. This relationship is, as we discover, not very deep, developed, or personal, and David feels obligated to do something about it. So, he humors his presumably silly, unaware father by taking him on a road trip to Lincoln, Nebraska to cash in what Woody believes to be a million dollar cash prize.

        The most mesmerizing attribute of this film is the obvious awareness and understanding that the filmmakers have for the characters that demand our attention and care. The screenplay that articulates everyone in the movie flawlessly defines the people that we grow to know and even understand. And what's more, it leaves us craving more of these people that up and leave when the movie ends; we yearn to hear the rest of their story, even if that's not completely necessary.

        But what really makes this movie shine is Bruce Dern and his considerable acting prowess. He's been in the industry since 1960 and, it seems like, after a lifetime of acting he's found his true role; he plays Woody honestly and wholeheartedly, and I couldn't help but savor every scene that he commanded. His overwhelming charisma and ability to become such a precious character is what earned him his Academy Award nomination.

        And it's those two factors that make this such an incredible movie. It's not a flawless road movie, as it's got its noticeable lags in storytelling. What it is, however, is a moving character study that, in nearly every respect of a movie driven by its characters, fails to let us down. Nebraska is a masterful movie that justifies not one, but multiple viewings.

-Written by Cole Pollyea

ROBOCOP

Cole's Rating: ★★★
Jesse's Rating: ★★★

Director: José Padilha 

Year: 2014

Cast: Joel Kinnaman, Gary Oldman, Micheal Keaton, Samuel L. Jackson

Genre: Action/Crime/Sci-Fi

MPAA Rating: PG-13

         The only possible way that you can enjoy Robocop (2014) is if you take everything for granted—and I mean everything. Assume it's possible for a company called Omnicorp to implant a "chip" in someone's head to simulate emotional control. Assume it's possible to just create a robot that is more efficient than the latest technology with no effort whatsoever. And also, assume it's possible for this to be legal. If not, you're not going to get much out of this viewing other than dissatisfaction. But if you turn off the realistic thought processes in your brain, Robocop is going to be one heck of a ride.

        The director of this reboot, José Padilha, shoots this flick at a fast, steady pace, refusing to slow down to elaborate or explain certain plot elements, and, as a result, winds up with a movie that is relatively hard to believe, but still the antithesis of boring. There’s a level of confidence that the screen emits as the movie progresses, and you can tell that the director had a lot of fun making it. From scene one, there’s a detectable sense of vision, and it makes this movie a real payoff. It begins, brilliantly, with the corrupt Samuel L. Jackson character speaking to the American public about the political battle over allowing the robots to rule the streets and serve as cops so that real humans don’t lose their lives. The flip side of this is that the robots have no human empathy and are illegitimate sources of reliability when it comes to dealing with a human life, he explains. As the movie progresses, a disfigured police officer becomes a candidate for a solution called “Robocop”, that comes with its own problems.

        This movie has a lot of veteran actors in it that treat it like serious material; I dug it. There's no Academy Awards that are going to be given here, but that doesn't mean that the actors don't give good performances, because they do. With just a few exceptions, it's true fun to watch this cast bring the story of Robocop to life.

And when it comes to describing the quality of the action scenes, forget about it. All I can say is this: I’ve never seen my uncle fist pump out of excitement before, and when the most intense battle sequence in the film hit the screen, his eyes widen, fist flew in the air, and voice escalated to “this movie’s awesome!”. The futuristic society is brought to life all too well; the effects blend with the fast-paced direction and character involvements. It wouldn't be a sin to call this movie a popcorn flick for the ages.

I feel that, as a critic, it’s my job to credibly persuade my readers whether or not to see a movie, and, with Robocop, I feel that it got a bad rep that it didn't deserve. So, I’ll end on this note: ignore it’s lack of believability. Embrace it’s well intended actors/actresses even though there is a handful of cringe-worthy moments. Love Robocop for the unabashed, high-quality level of entertainment and consider it a craft. I mean, after all, audiences ate up Transformers!

-Written by Cole Pollyea