Spectre 2015 - 3 stars out of 5 stars

At 2 hours 28 minutes its a bit long and one reason I like Bond films is the villains.In this regard I felt cheated a bit with the small screen time for the great Christoph Waltz as Blofeld,the head of a criminal organization called Spectre.The rest of the cast headed by Ralph Fiennes as M,yes a NEW M,you have to watch the movie to learn why,and Léa Seydoux as Madeleine,your Bond girl are fine.So this is for Bond fans only.Trailer URL follows the picture and a IMDB summary is below.Talk about timing,the oping scene is in Mexico City for the festival of the dead.

A cryptic message from Bond's past sends him on a trail to uncover a sinister organization. While M battles political forces to keep the secret service alive, Bond peels back the layers of deceit to reveal the terrible truth behind SPECTRE.

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3362042649?ref_=ttvi_vi_imdb_1

The Martian 2015 - 4 stars out of 5 stars

Its disingenuous to call this “Cast a way”  ( a film I must revisit before I review it) in space.See the earth is in touch and he is not alone in that slim regard and well its a now film with all the renewed talk on Mars exploration and even a one way trip.Those folks should be required to view this film.That said,if you don’t like space you won’t like this film thus the 1 star off along with being kinda long at 2 hours 24 minutes.
Matt Damion is great as the stranded astronaut Mark Watney and the supporting cast is A list cast all the way headed by Jessica Chastain Chiwetel Ejiofor Kristen Wiig Jeff Daniels Sean Bean Kate Mara to name a few.
By the way director Ridley Scott can still bring it after all these years.So its more than you think and I liked it a lot.Trailer URL follows the picture and a IMDB summary is below.

During a manned mission to Mars, Astronaut Mark Watney is presumed dead after a fierce storm and left behind by his crew. But Watney has survived and finds himself stranded and alone on the hostile planet. With only meager supplies, he must draw upon his ingenuity, wit and spirit to subsist and find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive.

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi113423129?ref_=ttvi_vi_imdb_1

Bridge of Spies 2015 - 4 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

The only reason I took 1/2 star off this masterpiece was its obvious timing to todays Muslem threat  and I dislike the timing.That said,history does repeat and it is often bad.This film relates the communist threat to Islam’s radicle threat BUT is honest enough to show that communism was a danger as well as a phobia.
For me its the best film of the year and not long at 142 minutes.Why Tom Hanks as James B. Donovan and Director  Steven Spielberg were left out of the Oscar nominations is a CRIME after that trash of “The Revenant” that I reviewed yesterday.Go figure !!!!Now I know cold war films are NOT for everyone but the historic reminders of this story are of me,MUST SEE.So the trailer URL follows the picture and a IMDB summary is below.Duck and Cover !!!!!


During the Cold War, an American lawyer is recruited to defend an arrested Soviet spy in court, and then help the CIA facilitate an exchange of the spy for the Soviet captured American U2 spy plane pilot, Francis Gary Powers.

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi859680793?ref_=ttvi_vi_imdb_1

The Revenant 2015 - 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

I usually don’t bother reviewing a film that I didn’t like,but because of the Oscar buzz on this one I will.It might be the biggest disappointment I ever saw,not the worse film but considering all the hype,the biggest letdown.To be fair,I couldn’t watch for 153 minutes,only 40 or so which did include the”Bear”scene.However I couldn’t understand nor care about what I was seeing.I blame the director Alejandro González Iñárritu for this lack of explanation of a coherent storyline.Maybe it gets better BUT who could or would want to wait.To be fair to Leonardo DiCaprio as Hugh Glass,the main character and storyline,he was more a make up doll for FX than acting in that 40 minute time.Nothing about this mess is Oscar worthy BUT watch it win,HA,HA.
Trailer URL follows the picture and a IMDB summary is below.UGH !!!

A frontiersman on a fur trading expedition in the 1820s fights for survival after being mauled by a bear and left for dead by members of his own hunting team.

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3857035801?ref_=ttvi_vi_imdb_1

Rocky IV 1985 - 4 stars out of 5

If you see “Creed” a film reviewed here,you should see this classic for a reference. Rocky is a great story that continued with the character of Apollo Creed”again masterly played by Carl Weathers,dying at the hands Dolph Lundgren as Drago a Russian boxer.The cliches again roll and the actors rock.A must if you liked the first film and crave some backstory to “Creed”.My favorite line is Drago saying to Rocky before their fight,”I must break you”!!!The trailer follows the picture and a IMDB is below.Enjoy,and 91minutes you won’t miss the time.

After iron man Drago, a highly intimidating 6-foot-5, 261-pound Soviet athlete, kills Apollo Creed in an exhibition match, Rocky comes to the heart of Russia for 15 pile-driving boxing rounds of revenge.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwJJkeOTT6Y

Creed 2015 - 3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

Up front lets say Sly IS Rocky and any sequel no matter the story line runs into him like a heavy punch.That said my main complaint is a lack of understanding of Michael B. Jordan’s character of Adonis Johnson,the bastard son of Rockys former late friend and boxing rival Apollo Creed.I needed more backstory.Still when we finally get around to the boxing it does “Rock”.Will there be another follow up,maybe.At 133 minutes it did drag a bit.Trailer URL follows the picture and a IMDB summary is below.Enjoy

The former World Heavyweight Champion Rocky Balboa serves as a trainer and mentor to Adonis Johnson, the son of his late friend and former rival Apollo Creed.

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi4048728089?ref_=ttvi_vi_imdb_6

Brooklyn 2015 - 3 stars out of 5 stars

OK how could I not like a film called Brooklyn.Let me count the way.Muddled immigrant love story.So so acting.Period peace,er ,that wasn’t too bad tho.Really the film wasn’t bad just not that good,rather boring at 111 minutes till the end.Spoiler alert,a trip back to the old county gives the film a nice twist ending that I never saw coming.It does have a older film feeling for nostalgia as well.So you could do both better and MUCH worse.Trailer URL follows the picture and a IMDB summary is below.Enjoy.

An Irish immigrant lands in 1950s Brooklyn, where she quickly falls into a romance with a local. When her past catches up with her, however, she must choose between two countries and the lives that exist within.

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1420866329?ref_=ttvi_vi_imdb_1

The Big Short 2015 - 3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

Having worked on “the street”maybe I expected more or just didn’t “get”it.At 2 hors and ten minutes its not boring because you’er waiting for the payoff. Now the cast is great and yes the film does shed some light on the mortgage issues leading to 2008’s meltdown BUT I guess I wanted RETRIBUTION !!!.So enjoy the
AAA+  - star power and some cameos but as far as a Academy best picture?? So the trailer URL follows the picture and a IMDB is below.By the way Brad Pitt was really a stretch as Ben Rickert but I bought it.

Four denizens in the world of high-finance predict the credit and housing bubble collapse of the mid-2000s, and decide to take on the big banks for their greed and lack of foresight

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1593618969?ref_=ttvi_vi_imdb_1

Mad Max Fury Road - 2015 - 3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

The reason to watch this reboot of the action franchise is the Academy Award buzz mainly for the action photography and makeup.Its like watching cirque du soleil acrobats  on speed playing in the dirt.That is worth the watch + yes its true,they do make Charlize Theron as Imperator Furiosa,the foil for Max,look kinda ugly,kinda.Now as to Tom Hardy as Max Rockatansky (mad max),he’s no Mel Gibson so I’ll leave it at that.Tepid must see for Academy buffs,Max fans,so-so.At 120 minutes you won’t be bored.A trailer URL follows the pix and a IMDB summary below.

A woman rebels against a tyrannical ruler in postapocalyptic Australia in search for her home-land with the help of a group of female prisoners, a psychotic worshipper, and a drifter named Max.

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3047862297?ref_=ttvi_vi_imdb_1