Jurassic World - 2015 - 3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

If this is a reboot of the old series of films its not too bad.The cast was OK,no one I was really fond of or even knew, but its the FX that stars as well as a fair story that reminds one of a earlier classic”Westworld”reviewed on this blog.See the issue here is enjoying a fantasy of living with Dinosaurs as modern day zoo pets you can drive through like a safari ride.Ah but thow in some genetic enginering  and a bad government guy,some family issues,well,at least its a story.So a slight recommend.Trailer URL follows the pix and a IMDB summary below.Oh,124 minutes is a good length for this film as well.

During a preview tour, a theme park suffers a major power breakdown that allows its cloned dinosaur exhibits to run amok.

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1176612889?ref_=ttvi_vi_imdb_2

Sharknado 3 - Oh hell No ! - 2015 - 2 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

By now everyone knows about this silly sci-fi channel franchise thats become a cheesy icon of todays TV film wannabes.Both prior installments were reviewed here so heres a brief one on this one.While  Ian Ziering’s portrayal of Fin Shepard is getting better the story just gets dumber.Really ? Mark Cuban  as the President of the United States,REALLY !!! Anyway,some guest spots were good,like the WHOLE Today Show cast getting sharked but most were just silly.Er,the Space Shuttle was back,really? So see it so you can say you did.but I would loook forward to anything meaningful.Trailer URL follows the pix and a IMDB summary is below.

A monstrous tornado unleashes ravenous sharks from Washington, D.C., all the way down to Orlando, Florida.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAmYUt1-5Rg

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes 2014 - 2 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

Well for me remakes are always risky BUT a sequel to a re-make much more so.I never thought I would say I MISS James Franco from Rise of the Planet of the Apes,previously reviewed here, but he was better than anyone in THIS sequel.At 130 minutes the film is tedious and I was not believing any of it.However the FX was wondrous if wasted.Please no more sequels let it die.Trailer URL follows the pix and a IMDB summary is below.

A growing nation of genetically evolved apes led by Caesar is threatened by a band of human survivors of the devastating virus unleashed a decade earlier.

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1849339161?ref_=ttvi_vi_imdb_12

Terminator 3 Rise of the Machines (2003) - 2 1/2 stars out of 3 stars

Only Arnold is “back”in the 3 film of the series and he’s not enough.He’s playing a even MORE confusing part as the “machine” with the addition of  Kristanna Loken as T-X a FEMALE terminator.Even the addition  of Claire Danes as Kate Brewster,love interest for John Conner,here is the real issue as he is played by  Nick Stahl and is not convincing given the earlier films.Oh and do we ever miss Sarah !!!
So see it for the story line but be prepared to be disappointed as I was.Trailer URL follows the pix and a IMDB summary is below.Film is short at 109 minutes also.

A cybernetic warrior from a post-apocalyptic future travels back in time to protect a 19-year old drifter and his future wife from a most advanced robotic assassin and to ensure they both survive a nuclear attack.

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi2056585497?ref_=ttvi_vi_imdb_1

Terminator 2: Judgment Day - 1991 - 4 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

While this films FX is spectacular its hard to match the story of this first one,also reviewed on this blog. Arnold Schwarzenegger     as The Terminator and  Linda Hamilton as Sarah Connor return and expand their characters believably and new to the story are  Edward Furlong as John Connor and  Robert Patrick as T-1000 .Look also for a brief supporting return connection to the first film by Earl Boen as Dr. Silberman.
James Cameron also directs and its visually stunning.So if you liked the first,see this one as well.Its fine as a stand alone as well.At 137 minutes you won’t be bored.Trailer URL follows the pix and a IMDB summary is below.

A cyborg, identical to the one who failed to kill Sarah Connor, must now protect her young son, John Connor, from a more advanced cyborg, made out of liquid metal.

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3635216921?ref_=ttvi_vi_imdb_1

Captain America - The Winter Soldier - 2014 - 3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

Growing up I was a DC comics fan not Mavel ,however my grandson has me watching some of these newer flicks and while I have yet to see the first one,this second installment of the “Captain America”series isn’t have bad.Sure its heavy on FX and not so much on plot or character development,I’ll give that a pass because I missed the first one.Two box office “A” list actors made it watchable as well. Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury and  Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow are those actors and I was plseantly surprised by a major role from retired legend  Robert Redford as Alexander Pierce.Sadly major role and lead  Chris Evans as Steve Rogers / Captain America  is not in this class although he is a hard worker.Now the plot is rather out there but so were comics,no?Flying aircraft carriers?So if the kids want a comic/action flick you can do far worse.Trailer URL follows the pix and a IMDB summary is below.

As Steve Rogers struggles to embrace his role in the modern world, he teams up with another super soldier, the black widow, to battle a new threat from old history: an assassin known as the Winter Soldier.

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2263001113?ref_=ttvi_vi_imdb_14

Taras Bulba 2009 - 3 stars out of 5

In Russian and 129 minutes long,its a lot to ask to sit through.But,if you can handle subtitles and enjoy history with a little irony to history repeating itself on some levels,then watch and learn.Its NOT a complete remake of the 62 version with Yrl Brenner and Tony Curtis,reviewed on this blog,but much more of a storyline.So I leave it to you.If you can handle the language and some graphic violence,see it.Trailer URL follows the picture and a IMDB summary is below.

Set in the 16th century, this is a story about Ukraine's Cossack warriors and their campaign to defend their lands from the advancing Polish armies.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsj9z8_Ovmg

Stalingrad 1993 - 3 stars out of 5 stars

This is a German film but I saw it dubbed.So its not for everyone nor is the subject but its a interesting from the now full of guilt German point of view.Its hard to describe but for the war buff its worth the prospective even for the language issue.It is well made.The trailer URL follows the picture and a IMDB summary is below.

 A depiction of the brutal battle of Stalingrad, the Third Reich's 'high water mark', as seen through the eyes of German officer Hans von Witzland and his battalion.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ulq0dg-Yx0o

Interstellar - 2014 1/2 star out of 5 stars

169 minutes of your life.LOST forever.Spirtualistic mombo jumbo rip off of 2001 space odyssey.Only the acting and FX BEARLY kept your sanity because CRUELY that kept you watching for some reason that never comes.MISS IT !!! Trailer URL follows the picture and a IMDB summary is below.

 In the near future, Earth has been devastated by drought and famine, causing a scarcity in food and extreme changes in climate. When humanity is facing extinction, a mysterious rip in the space-time continuum is discovered, giving mankind the opportunity to widen its lifespan. A group of explorers must travel beyond our solar system in search of a planet that can sustain life. The crew of the Endurance are required to think bigger and go further than any human in history as they embark on an interstellar voyage into the unknown. Coop, the pilot of the Endurance, must decide between seeing his children again and the future of the human race. Written by Warren D'Souza

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2658773017?ref_=ttvi_vi_imdb_10

Non-Stop 2014 - 3 stars out of 5 stars

 Liam Neeson  plays Bill Marks plays a air marshall with issues.Of course,its the new type casting of senior citizen but highly capable action hero that Neeson plays these days.Thats why its standard fair.However I was disappointed because I expected more from Michelle Dockery,of Downton Abbey fame and Julianne Moore was a screen presanse as well as Lupita Nyong'o and a good enough supporting cast.So it was not a waste of time,but I expected much more.So it’s worth the view.Trailer URL follows the picture and a IMDB summary is below.

An air marshal springs into action during a transatlantic flight after receiving a series of text messages that put his fellow passengers at risk unless the airline transfers $150 million into an off-shore account.

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1005889561?ref_=ttvi_vi_imdb_6

Love Me Tender 1956 - 3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

OK its in B&W and made in 1956 so it tame by todays standards and the music and gyrations are not of THAT time.Those are the negatives.However NOW the positives,GREAT cast all around,and hey trekee’s you’ll recognize William Campbell who played  a few guest spots in Star Trek.Elvis and a realistic soap opera type story.Its only 89 minutes so you do have the time.Trailer follows the picture and a IMDB summary below.

Elvis plays Clint Reno, one of the Reno brothers who stayed home while his brother went to fight in the Civil War for the Confederate army. When his brother Vance comes back from the war, he finds that his old girlfriend Cathy has married Clint. The family has to struggle to reach stability with this issue. Vance is involved in a train robbery, while a Confederate soldier, of Federal Government money. There is a conflict of interest, when Vance tries to return the money, against the wishes of some of his fellow Confederates.

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi2400126745?ref_=ttvi_vi_imdb_1

Draft Day 2014 - 3 stars out of 5 stars

Released in 2014 and running 110 minutes,this film shows that sometimes
“stepping in it“pays off.Really?Well luck is a matter of fact when all things are equal especially in sports.Worth a view for die hard football fans and if your not,well think Forrest Gump just a little in the sense that it can’t be happening.Trailer URL follows the picture and a IMDB summary is below.

At the NFL Draft, general manager Sonny Weaver has the opportunity to rebuild his team when he trades for the number one pick. He must decide what he's willing to sacrifice on a life-changing day for a few hundred young men with NFL dreams.

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1416472601?ref_=ttvi_vi_imdb_1

Aeon Flux 2005 - 3 stars out of 5 stars

Back in the 80’s a saw some cartoons on MTV same name,very sexy and violent futuristic stuff that I couldn’t let the kids watch,and by extension,little could I. How I missed this 2005 movie based on those cartoon,well,saw it now.Its still very violent and somewhat sexy,BUT a very muddled storyline.Still I’m pleased to have seen it once now.If you hadn’t seen bits and peaces of the cartoon,like me,perhaps you might wish to pass on this.Weird but hey,Charlize Theron.However at only 93 minutes,its not a lot of time.Trailer URL follows the picture and a IMDB summary is below.One last comment,perhaps it should be remade with better writing.

400 years in the future, set in the year 2415, Aeon Flux is a mysterious assassin. Four centuries after a virus nearly annihilated the human race, leaving only five million survivors in a utopian city called Bregna. Aeon is struggling to destroy the Goodchild regime led by its namesake, Trevor Goodchild, the ruler of Bregna and a descendant of the man who found a cure for the deadly virus. As instructed by the Handler, Aeon is assigned to assassinate Goodchild, but there are deeper secrets to be discovered, and conspiracies to be foiled. Written by Anthony Pereyra {hypersonic91@yahoo.com}

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi783614233?ref_=ttvi_vi_imdb_1

Unbroken 2014 - 4 stars out of 5 stars

While this movie MAY be a little too brutal in the POW scenes,its still as good as anything released this  past year and it mystifies how it was pasted up in all the major oscar nominations.So all i’ll say is to see it once and judge for yourself.It was worth the view for me.A bit long at 137 minutes.IMDB summary below and a trailer URL follows the picture.

After a near-fatal plane crash in WWII, Olympian Louis Zamperini spends a harrowing 47 days in a raft with two fellow crewmen before he's caught by the Japanese navy and sent to a prisoner-of-war camp.

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1002549017?ref_=ttvi_vi_imdb_1

Ride Along 2014 - 3 stars out of 5 stars

Released last year and running 99 minutes,ICE Cube and Kevin Hart are the only reasons to see this film.I understand there will be a sequel,why??I guess you’ll just have to see and judge for yourself.You COULD do a lot worse.Trailer URL follows the picture and a IMDB summary is below.

Security guard Ben must prove himself to his girlfriend's brother, top cop James. He rides along James on a 24-hour patrol of Atlanta.

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi113747993?ref_=ttvi_vi_imdb_1

Lucy 2014 - 4 stars out of 5 stars

While this 2014 release that is very short at 89 minutes,is billed as a action flick,the appearance of  Morgan Freeman as Professor Norman  and a really great performance by  Scarlett Johansson as Lucy,elevates it into sci-fi thought provoking issues as well. While I wasn’t that thrilled with the ending,I do heartily recommend this film.Trailer URL follows the picture and a IMDB summary is below.

It was supposed to be a simple job. All Lucy had to do was deliver a mysterious briefcase to Mr. Jang. But immediately Lucy is caught up in a nightmarish deal where she is captured and turned into a drug mule for a new and powerful synthetic drug. When the bag she is carrying inside of her stomach leaks, Lucy's body undergoes unimaginable changes that unlocks her mind's full potential 100%. With her new-found powers, Lucy turns into a merciless warrior intent on getting back at her captors. She receives invaluable help from Professor Norman, the leading authority on the human mind, and French police captain Pierre Del Rio. Written by LeiaSolo

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2092674329?ref_=ttvi_vi_imdb_8

Sons of Liberty - TV miniseries HC 2015 - 2 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

The History Channel comes under a lot of fire for fitting history into its point of view.Thats fine I guess but bear that in mind as its kinda different that what you and I learned back in the day.That said,its entertaining to a point and I guess better than nothing.So have the little ones watch it for a view of the past,nothing more.Trailer URL follows the picture and a IMDB summary below.

The story of a group of very different men fighting in the American Colonies for freedom, and how they will shape the future for the United States of America. Based on true stories.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckyyUHfnxmU

12 Monkeys - TV series 2014 - 3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

One of the worst sci-fi movies I ever saw was the namesake of this new sci-fi channel series.
Not so with this series.Only the name is the same and then not so much.12 vs twelve.However this show is really a combination of a couple of different views of the future and time travel.I have very high hopes.Trailer URL follows yje picture and a IMDB summary is below.
PS,
I saw elements of “the terminator”and “7 days”as well “The time travelers wife”,all reviewed on this blog,in this film.

Follows the journey of a time traveler from the post-apocalyptic future who appears in present day on a mission to locate and eradicate the source of a deadly plague that will eventually decimate the human race.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZNcVYqnCFw

About Last Night 2014 - 2 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

This 2014 remake of a 1986 film I’ve yet to see,runs 100 minutes and disappointed me.The cast was great headed by Kevin Hart was good enough BUT I had a lot of trouble following the audio on the dialogue so I guess I missed a lot of the more subtile humor.So worth one view just barely. Trailer URL follows the picture and a IMDB summary below.

 Follow two couples as they journey from the bar to the bedroom and are eventually put to the test in the real world.

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2471274777?ref_=ttvi_vi_imdb_1

Twelve Monkeys (1995) - 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

There is a new TV series based on this 1995 film that runs a long 129 minutes,thats why I viewed it.Big mistake.Great cast and very poor story.The series we shall get to at a later date perhaps but THAT is FAR superior than this confusing movies story so I’ll leave it at that. Trailer URL follows the picture and a IMDB summary is below.

An unknown and lethal virus has wiped out five billion people in 1996. Only 1% of the population has survived by the year 2035, and is forced to live underground. A convict (James Cole) reluctantly volunteers to be sent back in time to 1996 to gather information about the origin of the epidemic (who he's told was spread by a mysterious "Army of the Twelve Monkeys") and locate the virus before it mutates so that scientists can study it. Unfortunately Cole is mistakenly sent to 1990, six years earlier than expected, and is arrested and locked up in a mental institution, where he meets Dr. Kathryn Railly, a psychiatrist, and Jeffrey Goines, the insane son of a famous scientist and virus expert. Written by Giancarlo Cairella <vertigo@imdb.com>

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15s4Y9ffW_o