THE OPTIMIST - MOVIE REVIEWS

       Scarlett Johansson 's " Lucy " is a typical summer action/sci-fi adventure. It follows the story of a woman who, through an unfortunate misunderstanding, becomes involved in a dark drug deal and falls victim to an even more interesting dilemma. When a bag containing a new powerful drug surgically implanted into Lucy's stomach begins to leak, the effects of the drug magnifies, opening her mind up gradually to the fullest mental capacity the human brain can withstand. With her new found open-mindedness, and all the wonderful powers that come with it, she goes after her captors in a serious way.    The movie plays with the scientific myth that humans only use about 10% of their brains. The drug allows the brain to open up the other unused 90%, unlocking god-like powers and understanding. The story is flawed and outside of Lucy, there's really no character development on any level, with anyone. However, with a film like this that primarily focuses...

    A few weeks back there was this movie that opened to a limited amount of theaters prior to making a wide release. I happened across the trailer online one day, watched it and thought "Eh, looks okay." My wife saw the trailer and said "Oooh, Adam Levine is in it!" So we finally had to time to check it out and it wasn't that bad. In fact, it was better than I thought and overall quite enjoyable. I'm talking about the John Carney film " Begin Again ", starring Mark Ruffalo , Keira Knightley and Maroon 5's front man Adam Levine. "Begin Again" is heart-warming, funny, and true to itself. It's a story about love, loss, and inspirational rebirth; uplifting you as it tugs at your heart strings.    The story follows Dan (Ruffalo), a music producer struggling to find new, fresh talent to sign. His partner Saul ( Mos Def ), aware of these struggles, introduces Dan to the life of an unemployed producer after firing him for disrup...

       So the time has finally come when all the world can sit and watch the epic role we all knew Dwayne Johnson was born to play. From the moment he stepped in front of the camera donning the crazy long dreads as the Scorpion King in " The Mummy Returns ", Dwayne Johnson and his insanely muscular body has been at the forefront of casting directors' minds when searching for "large brutes". What's great about him though is, as the years have gone on he has become a much more well-rounded actor; avoiding the trap of typecasting his manly physique would cause him to fall into. Comparing his lack of acting chops as he donned the dreads a second time as Mathayus in " The Scorpion King ", to his roles in such great films as "Pain and Gain", "Snitch", and the Fast and Furious franchise, you can tell he cares about perfecting his craft. The role of Hercules, the Greek Superman, was practically written for Dwayne and his numerous ri...

        " Dawn of the Planet of the Apes " has triumphantly overcome the ever-popular sequel curse. Typically in a franchise the sequel tends to be a bloated attempt at recapturing the magic that made it's predecessor so successful. In 2011 when " Rise of the Planet of the Apes " came out, I remember sitting in the theater after it ended, basking in the awe that poured over me. It was a refreshing interpretation of the popular canon of old. There was a level of emotion that I had not expected and the motion-capture and special effects done on the film blew me away. As the credits began to roll at the end of "Dawn..." I had an equally similar experience, only this time magnified immensely. "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" succeeds on so many levels that it is insane to comprehend. I loved the film, and I am in awe of it.    Set ten years after the events of "Rise...", the film opens in a post-apocalyptic San Francisco where the ...

       The horror genre in film is, in a word, a conundrum. I say this because no other genre can be equal parts predictable as it is entertaining, corny yet original, slow yet intense. In my mind there are two types of scary movies: those that "scare" you and those that "make you jump", or "jumpers". Most slasher films are "jumpers"; predictable story lines, debatable scary antagonists, and 99% of the scares are induced by quick camera pans, loud noises and "spoiler music". You know what's coming before it comes. By the time the end credits roll, you're checking your phone for missed texts or laughing about how stupid the characters are for walking into the obvious death trap they find themselves in. Not much to take from them. "Jumpers" are fun, not scary. Like a roller coaster. You might be a bit freaked out as the coaster begins its ascent and at various moments, but you know there's going to be some hairy t...

   The summer is in full swing at the cinemas. Given that there are a ton of great films to see that are currently playing, the holiday weekend has officially begun today with the release of three new films. One of which, " Earth to Echo ", will bring in much of the family demographic and for most will not disappoint. The story follows three young friends Alex ( Teo Halm ), Tuck ( Brian 'Astro' Bradley ) and Munch ( Reese Hartwig ) on an adventure, after receiving some cryptic messages, to help a stranded alien return home. The film utilizes the ever-famous raw-footage structure similar to " Chronicle ", which makes for a different take on a similar premise.    At its core, the movie is about friendship. As the three best friends cope with the fact that life, and other circumstances, is beginning to pull them apart, the notion of true friendship is truly tested as they embark on one last night out together. The plot isn't original. They find an al...

    Michael Bay 's latest Transformers movie has made itself known to the world after not even a week. Already bringing in more than $100 million, " Transformers: Age of Extinction " is on track to rake in the dough as its predecessors have done. The question is though, does the success in the box office validate it as a good movie? Maybe even the best of its franchise? Or does it validate the roaring success of big blockbuster movies in general?    "Age of Extinction" is the fourth film in Michael Bay's Transformers franchise and at 165 minutes, it's by far the longest. I know that every film isn't perfect, and when discussing Michael Bay and his filmography, for some they find a sour taste forming in their mouths; but he's not all that bad* (granted " Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles " has yet to be released, so this opinion may be pending). The Transformers movies are a ton of fun, and this one is no different in that aspect. H...