THE OPTIMIST - MOVIE REVIEWS

I just want to get it out there that I am a huge fan of Angelina Jolie . I think she's an amazing actress whose line of work is impressive and full of variation. She takes on roles that push the boundaries; portraying women that we come to hate, fall in love with, even lust. She truly is one of the more iconic actresses of our day, and a lot of that has to come from the smart choices she makes in what roles she plays. When it comes to casting a movie, I've found that it's either done poorly (i.e. Topher Grace as Eddie Brock/Venom in " Spider-Man 3 "), it's done well (most movie roles fall into this category), or it's done perfectly, (i.e. Patrick Stewart as Professor X). I think it's fair to say that from the moment we first laid eyes on the very first image of Jolie donning the horns and emitting the malevolence of one of the most iconic fairy tale villains of all time, we were hooked. We all said to ourselves, "Yes! Yes! They got it right!...

   So, like many people did, I attended the cinema this holiday weekend. Needless to say, I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Movies are such a fascinating form of art and entertainment, it's hard not to be moved in one way or another. Whether you leave the theater thinking "Man that movie sucked! Why did I waste my money?!" or with a more positive outlook or runny mascara, then you really can't say that you weren't moved by the experience. The ultimate escape from reality, in my book, is the cinema. It's within this idea that movies have a profound affect on us, in more ways than one, that I wish to take a moment to both relish and vent.     I'd like to thank the comic book movie world for ingraining within my psyche that once a movie ends, once I've finished devouring the cinematic delicacy that I spent an exorbitant amount of money on, (no matter its varying "nutritional value"), that there's bound to be a mere morsel left after th...

    So if you were to ask me right this minute what I thought the best movie of the year so far would be, I would have a tough time answering that. Truth be told, had you asked me a few hours ago it would've been a bit easier to answer than it is now. 2014 has given us an array of movies that have, just like in years past, been strewn through the critic-laden strainer and been separated into categories such as Best Movie of the Year, and Don't-Waste-Your-Money, etc. Mind you, this coming from the guy who practically likes every movie he sees, a few so far have stood out to me as we approach the half way point of the year.    "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" is a prime example of what an awesome comic book movie can be, and I feel it's probably the best film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, next to The Avengers. It was, at least a few hours ago, my solid choice as to what I would consider to be the best movie of the year so far. Then I was transported ba...

    So, any time an Adam Sandler movie comes out, most people think that it's going to be the same old story. The goofy-looking flawed Sandler is either married to or is pursuing a female counterpart significantly more attractive than him. Through bumbling situations and wanna-be heart-warming moment, we get a factory line comedy worthy of maybe a matinee ticket.    Look, I have yet to see a movie starring Adam Sandler that I haven't liked (surprise, surprise). I'm a fan. The guy can act. Some of my favorite movies of his are not necessarily comedies. "Punch-Drunk Love", "Reign Over Me", and "Spanglish" are but a few that I really, thoroughly enjoy. There's something about comedic actors and how well they can play dramatic roles. Sandler's portrayal of Charlie Fineman in "Reign Over Me" is both polarizing and heart-felt. Another good example is Jim Carrey in "The Number 23". Spooky good, but moving on...    ...

  With this weekend's big monster of a blockbuster "Godzilla" thrashing through box office numbers, it's easy to forget that it wasn't the only movie to open this last weekend. Disney's "Million Dollar Arm" opened with a relatively soft opening weekend. It's a bummer though, because though it may not be a summer blockbuster, it's one of the best feel-good movies of the year thus far.    I'm a huge fan of warm, family-fun sports movies. Who isn't, right? Let's face it, I'm sure I'm not the only one who learned everything he needed to know about the game of hockey from "The Mighty Ducks" trilogy; and that all you needed to do was believe and the impossible can happen (thank you "Angels in the Outfield"). There's a level of camaraderie  that comes from these sappy, wholesome movies you and your whole family can experience. My friends forever more will always remember turning over recycle bins...

        I remember on my thirteenth birthday I decided that instead of having a huge party I would much rather usher in my infamous teen years by going to the movies. The year was 1998 and in it we were blessed with such greats as "Saving Private Ryan", "American History X" and "Armageddon". To this day, if I'm flipping through the channels on TV and Michael Bay's asteroid disaster flick is playing, I gotta stop whatever I'm doing and watch. It doesn't even matter if it's in the middle or right at the end, I'll still have a tear in my eye as I grip my remote and exclaim, "Push the button Stamper!" Chills.    However, I spent my birthday with friends and family watching a little film by disaster connoisseur Roland Emmerich called "Godzilla". To this day critics have hailed it as a flop, a cheesy, Jurrassic Park-esque take on the most well-known monster of our day. To avoid further rambling on this title, I...