THE OPTIMIST - MOVIE REVIEWS

  Another day another horror film. This weekend marks the opening of the creepy found-footage horror flick " As Above So Below ". The movie follows a team of explorers in Paris. They venture down into the extremely creepy catacombs beneath the city and discover there's a dark secret waiting for them. The "found-footage" style of film-making has definitely become a staple within the horror genre. When done right, it can be truly effective. When not done right, it can cause some serious headaches. Though this film has some sweet scary-movie-moments, be sure to bring your Tylenol.    Okay, so let's just get this part out of the way. First, the "found-footage" was done pretty poorly. We see the events of the film portrayed through a series of head-lamp cameras and one shoulder mount camera. The camera man made sure that the group, as well as the audience, was well aware of the head-lamp cameras that he so conveniently installed for this trip. The

        Film, like any other form of artistic expression, is always evolving. The art of storytelling through film is a medium that captivates many of us. Being able to connect emotionally to a character portrayed on the big screen as they go through whatever crazy or mundane events their particular story has to offer is one of the most visceral experience we can have. The evolution of film is fascinating and captivating. Nowadays, the area of special effects via motion-capture computer animation is probably on the top of the list. Richard Linklater 's " Boyhood " has expanded the art of storytelling via film in a way that is as equally captivating as the realistic special effects we see in most blockbusters, yet does so without any computer animation or actor-driven, motion-captured characters.    "Boyhood" is simply the life story of a boy named Mason from age 5 to 18. No, it's not a documentary. It's a thoughtful, poignant approach to the everyday

       2014 has had its fair share of tear-jerking movies. Each year there seems to be a steady balance of films that fall into a wide emotional scale. " If I Stay " is one of those films that will stick with you. The movie follows young, musically-gifted Mia Hall, played by the up-and-coming brilliant actress Chloe Grace Moretz . Mia's life changes almost instantly when her and her family get into a car crash, leaving her in a coma. During an out-of-body experience, Mia has to decide whether or not she wants to wake up and live a life far different than the one she had prior to the crash. It's an emotional roller coaster. So, just brace yourself for that.    People will say this movie is about a lot of things. If I had to pin point the greatest theme of the film in one word, it would have to be perspective. Mia comes from a quirky family, not unlike most you would find in your own neighborhood. Some of the best scenes of the film are when the family is inter

   " The Giver ", an adaptation of the award winning book by the same title, is an interesting film. The story is simple yet extremely complex and intense all at the same time. It's about a Utopian society that has no recollection of fear, pain, suffering; the basic emotional aspects that define humanity. Everyone and everything has its purpose. It's a very 'robotic' society. Children are assigned families, given bikes at a young age (the main mode of transportation in the community), and when they are of age they are assigned a function that they will endure for the rest of their lives. Unlike the chaotic world we all live in, this community is peaceful, yet bland. The story focuses on the function assignment given to the protagonist of the film Jonas ( Brenton Thwaites ). When his friends are given 'normal' lifelong assignments, Jonas is chosen to be a Receiver of Memory, a position given only to a select few. Within a society that focuses on liv

      This week marks the release of yet another Hollywood summer buddy cop film with writer/director  Luke Greenfield 's " Let's Be Cops ". Comedy is a tough market and the buddy-cop shtick has been overdone. Just months prior to this film we had the outrageously hilarious " 22 Jump Street ". Though it doesn't lack in laughs, "Let's Be Cops" falls short to it's comedic predecessor. The film follows a fairly common plot thread in that two down-and-out roommates Ryan ( Jake Johnson ) and Justin ( Damon Wayans, Jr. ), realizing their lives aren't going the way they wanted, decide something has got to change. When they decide to dress up as cops for a costume party, they soon realize after taking to the streets and being mistaken as actual police officers, that they have unlocked a gold mine of potentially rockin' good times...not matter how illegal their escapades really are.    The movie was funny. Was it as funny as "2

   This weekend marks the opening for a handful of new films. More than likely the newly released  Michael Bay -produced " Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles " will dominate the box office (unless " Guardians of the Galaxy " has anything to say about it). Its fellow new releases, I don't feel, have a chance. The only one that would probably come close is the disaster flick " Into the Storm ", which is unfortunate because it was pretty good. But that's the way the movie industry cookie crumbles sometimes.    "Into the Storm" follows a group of storm chasers, a couple of crazy thrill-seekers, and a ton of townspeople in the midst of the largest storm ever recorded...not based on a true story. It mixes the straight-forward linear filming of every other movie along with "footage" shot by the characters as they document the craziness they find themselves in. There's two areas where this movie really shines. The first being the int

      After months and months of waiting, " Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles " has finally arrived. As a source of skepticism, anxiety, disappointment, coupled with excitement and anticipation, this film has officially arrived and there's no turning back. All of the emotion, the backlash, as well as support (yes, I acknowledge those of you who didn't want Michael Bay 's head on a spike), that fans have expressed all during the build-up of this movie just goes to show how much these characters and the world they live in are loved and cherished. Hats off to Jonathan Liebesman and his valiant cast and crew for taking on such a beloved endeavor. Looking back now at what made me fall in love with the Ninja Turtles as a kid, it's hard not to lose yourself in those emotions when a new idea or version is presented. I think anyone who has ever loved the Turtles, or any franchise for that matter, can and will have some hesitation, but overall can benefit from having an

     The Marvel Cinematic Universe has become a monster franchise that continues to grow exponentially with each and every film it releases. It's an unstoppable force that has no intention of slowing its ascension into cinematic history. What they've done thus far in establishing key characters, each with their own franchise mind you; all dove-tailing into the most immersive and collaborative cinematic experiences that has ever occurred, is nothing short of absolute brilliance. Marvel's post-Avengers films, or the "Phase 2" films within this universe, has done a fabulous job at keeping the train moving. In fact, of the Phase 2 films, " Captain America: The Winter Soldier " has been hailed as not only as great as " The Avengers " but probably one of the best, if not the best film of 2014. Well, watch out Cap, because Marvel has hit it out of the park once again in a very big way with the truly epic " Guardians of the Galaxy ".