THE OPTIMIST - MOVIE REVIEWS

      David Ayer 's World War II epic " Fury " is one of the more powerful war films you'll see to date. This can be attributed to the fine casting, the scope of its cinematography, and it's overall story. I love a good war movie just like the next person. "Saving Private Ryan", "Platoon", "We Were Soldiers", all of these films both portray realistic wartime events with an emotional story driven by grounded characters. They're usual grand in scope and encompass a wide range of emotion. Few war movies though can transcend the entertainment value in order to obtain a higher level of emotional connection. 2009's Academy Award Winning film "The Hurt Locker" did just that, expanding the epic scope of modern-day warfare from the battlefield into the mind of the soldier. "Fury" does the same thing but from the perspective of another time in history. It's truly moving to watch.    "Fury" takes pl...

       This Friday marks the opening weekend for the new action flick " John Wick ", and if you're a fan of action movies, this one is not to be missed. Keanu Reeves makes his glorious return to high-action form and does so with so much awesomness! I mean, Keanu Reeves hasn't been this bad-ass since donning the shades and trench coat in " The Matrix " films! I internally jumped for joy all throughout this movie, hoping desperately not to fly out of my seat in excitement, ruining the experience for the poor soul who sat behind me. I waited until the credits began to roll before releasing my bubbling joy. This movie, in a word, is just plain fun.    Reeves plays John Wick, an ex-hitman who leaves the life of an assassin in search for normalcy. He finds what he is looking for through his loving wife. His peace is short lived however when his wife passes away. She leaves John a parting gift, an adorable puppy named Daisy, as he strives to spend his days...

   There's a reason why the name  Robert Downey, Jr.  is considered a household name. The guy can act his face off. There is so much talent that oozes from that man's body that it's just a special experience to be able to sit and watch. His latest film " The Judge " only solidified in my mind the notion that was already there, that being: RDJ can do no wrong. I'll go as far as throwing the gavel down now and say that for his performance in this film, Robert Downey, Jr. should be nominated for an Oscar. No joke.    Downey, Jr. plays big city lawyer Hank Palmer. He's cunning, cutthroat, and well versed in being successful at his job. Estranged from his family, he returns to his childhood hometown where his father Joseph Palmer ( Robert Duvall ), the town's judge, is suspected of murder. Hank sets out to discover the truth behind the allegations against his father as well as struggle to reconnect with his family. This movie is as much about the relat...

  Hollywood has this tendency to revamp, reboot, deform, and sometimes mutilate various genres, character lore; sacrificing originality in order to gain the easy buck. This time of year, with Halloween approaching, our minds often turn to horror, monsters and all things that go bump in the night, when it comes to choosing something to watch. Television is populated with classic horror movies and scary shows, playing on our fears for our own entertainment...and we love it. The classic monster stories of old have been told over and over again, through various revisions and changes to their original lore. Some of those work out, some don't. This year's " I, Frankenstein " was a fresh take on a stale story. It was riveting, and the overall vision, however different from the original, was fun and exciting. The " Twilight " Saga however is not a refreshing take, but is a disgrace to the vampire lore in its entirety. Sorry fans, The Optimist draws the line with...

   Disney's " Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No-Good, Very Bad Day " is quite simply a delight. I remember reading the book as a child, as I'm sure many people have, and it was one of my favorites. The film does an excellent job at capturing the essence of the story, the moral that everyone is going to have bad day, but it's those bad days that make you cherish the good ones. Leave it to Disney to deliver a family film full of comedy, heart, and a touching message.    Seeming to always come up on the short end of life's stick, young Alexander ( Ed Oxenbould ) can't seem to squeeze out a good day if his life depended on it. On this particular day, he wakes with gum in his hair followed by one calamity after another. Finding no solace from the other members of his family, Alexander resorts to the idea that everyone else's lives are perfect and that he is destined to live one horrible day after the next. Soon, his father, mother, brother a...

       In 2013 we were introduced to real-life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren on a cinematic level with the horror masterpiece (yup, I threw that gauntlet down) " The Conjuring ". Directed by James Wan (who solidified his name as one of the best in the annals of horror filmmakers, even after " Saw "), "The Conjuring" harnessed everything that makes a good horror movie, and then amped it up a notch. Personally, it's one of the scariest movies I've seen to date. Within the story of "The Conjuring", we were introduced to one of the Warren's earlier cases...one dealing with a specific doll. That doll's name is Annabelle. Though only in the film for a short period, we are quickly introduced to the epic-creepiness of that doll. It had such a profound affect that its freakishness was enough to garner its own film. Hence this month's release of the highly anticipated prequel to "The Conjuring", the ter...

        David Fincher 's " Gone Girl " is a crazy movie. Based on the novel by the same title, the story is about a lot of things. It illustrates how manipulative and powerful the media is. It deals with loss and the struggles of maintaining relationships, as well as many other themes, all combining into one crazy narrative that, by the end, will leave you shaking your head in awe as to what transpired before your eyes. It's a riveting tale that will stay with you after you leave the theater.    The story follows a couple, Nick and Amy Dunne, (played by Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike respectively). After moving from their New York home to Nick's home town in Missouri due to vocational hardships, Nick and Amy's relationship goes through some difficult times. On their 5th wedding anniversary, Nick reports to the police that his wife has gone missing. Soon, pressure mounts from the police investigation as well as the swarming media and before he knows ...

       Denzel Washington is the gift that keeps on giving. Teaming up again with " Training Day " director Antoine Fuqua , Washington delivers another entertaining performance in the action-packed thriller " The Equalizer ". Robert McCall (Washington) has done everything in his power to put his past behind him, while attempting to live a life that is quiet, calm and all-around normal. The problem is, he has this overwhelming need to be, well...helpful, in times of need. Robert meets a young woman, Teri ( Chole Grace Moretz ), who happens to be under the control of a violent, fairly cliche Russian gangster Slavi ( David Meunier ). Being the boy scout that he is, Robert finds that he can't stand idle in the presence of injustice, and figures he should "help".    The story has a very over-the-top, knight-in-shining-armor feel to it. Robert is a simple, regimented man. He doesn't sleep; his nights are spent reading in a 24 hour diner drinking ...