THE OPTIMIST - MOVIE REVIEWS

    * First and foremost this is a SPOILER-FREE REVIEW!  However, emotional reactions will be discussed. For the first time ever I will be posting a SPOILER REVIEW next week, simply because this movie has so much to talk about. This review will probably seem vague, because it's hard not to talk about it without spoiling anything. But in the case of this review, fear not and read on! *    I remember a year ago when the first teaser trailer dropped for "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" how excited I was to finally see something about this movie! I also remember thinking "We still have to wait a year for this?!" Well, the wait is finally over! The marketing for the movie was amazing in that every trailer that they dropped gave us more of the tone of the film and really nothing about what the film's plot would be. Even that last trailer with all its action and awesome moments left me saying "Holy crap that looks amazing! But, what the heck is it about?!...

  Ron Howard's "In the Heart of the Sea" opens this weekend, hoping to snag the number one spot in the box office before the behemoth that is "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" opens next weekend. Is it just me, or has everyone else felt that the marketing for "In the Heart of the Sea" has lasted forever? For whatever reason, I feel like I've seen the trailers for this film for like a year now. When I realized it was opening this weekend my initial thought was "Finally!". At any rate, it's here and it's a movie that shouldn't be missed.    Famed author Herman Melville struggled to find success in his writings. When his epic Moby Dick was published, Melville solidified himself as one of the most prolific writers of our time. Director Ron Howard's intense film tells the story that inspired the grand tale. The movie actually follows young Herman Melville (Ben Whishaw) as he seeks out Tom Nickerson (Brendan Gleeson), the last...

     Thanksgiving has come and gone and the Christmas season is in full swing. Christmas time is a great time for movies. Christmas movies in particular are some of the funnest ones around. The stories centered around families, presents, the discovering of the true meaning for the season, all seem to evoke this sense of worldwide joy that is accustom to this time of year. Most Christmas movies tend to cover a wide range of emotions, from sad and depressing like "It's a Wonderful Life", to the hilarity of "Christmas Vacation", "The Christmas Story", and so many more. However, other than some of the classics like "A Christmas Carol", a modern telling of a Christmas horror story hasn't really come into fruition in the mainstream. This weekend, that all changes.    Director Michael Dougherty is all too familiar with spooky hoilday films. His 2007 film "Trick 'r Treat" is a fantastic Halloween flick that is truly entertainin...

     So, this weekend marks the opening of " The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 ", the final installment of the epic series. As a finale, one might expect that all the stops would be pulled in order to give the audience the epic send-off they paid dearly to see. I mean, when you're dealing with a limited franchise based off a book series, the end is obviously inevitable. It's not like the Marvel Cinematic Universe where it seems like they're going to be pumping out comic book films until the end of days. Past franchises have done all they can to stay as true to their source material as possible, while also making an enjoyable, entertaining film for everyone, including the many who haven't read the source material. The Lord of the Rings, the best book-to-film adaptation (in my book, *wink wink*) stayed pretty darn close to the source material while also giving us one of the most epic franchise endings of all time with "The Return of the King". ...

    The holidays are right around the corner, and that means holiday movies! There are a sleigh-full of new holiday films coming our way, and nothing spells out a good time better than popcorn and snacks while watching a warm, holiday flick with friends and family! Unless you're me...any movie outing does it for me, not matter what! The new comedy " Love the Coopers " opens this weekend, kicking off this holiday cinema season. In all honesty, I wasn't ready to watch a Christmas movie. Not just yet. Thanksgiving is still two weeks away and Halloween has barely passed us by. However, "Love the Coopers" is such a warm and different holiday film, making it the perfect holiday movie to get you into the spirit of the season without drenching you in Christmas sappiness.    The film follows four generations of the Cooper family as they come together for their annual Christmas Eve celebration. The drama is found through the series of unexpected visitors and unli...

"That was amazing! Bond is like, my spirit animal!" - Random guy in theater behind  me after screening "Spectre"    I remember the first time I saw a James Bond movie. I was ten and my dad took me to see " GoldenEye ", the first to star Pierce Brosnan . I was elated! The action, the charisma, the gadgets, the spectacular feats this British spy was able to do blew me away. I mean, when Bond busts out of a building in a tank and proceeds to give chase to the bad guys, crushing cars and firing cannon fire, I was grinning from ear to ear. That's what the James Bond franchise is known for: slick, stylized action with more suave and swagger one can handle; iconic villains, beautiful women, and entertaining spy stories that transport us each and every time. The Bond franchise is amazing, majestic, iconic. He's the spy everyone loves and wants to be. There's a reason they've made 24 of these movies and it's because the guy is just ...

FEATURED REVIEWS THIS WEEK:      With the year winding down, fewer big blockbuster movies are hitting the big screen, making room for the potential Oscar noms that show up around this time. This weekend's new release " Burnt " is probably not going to make it in the running, but its lead actor just might, which isn't much of a surprise. Bradley Cooper isn't new to the Oscar world, being nominated for best actor in "American Sniper", "American Hustle", and "Silver Linings Playbook" consecutively. His performance in this film isn't quite up to the caliber of his past performances, but not by much.    Cooper plays Chef Adam Jones. A two-star Michelin Jedi master in the kitchen, Jones had it all. However, as most rock stars do when bogged down by fame and fortune, Jones eventually destroyed his career with drugs and an ego to boot. After paying his self-dealt penance, he cleans up and returns to London, determined to redeem hi...

     The Halloween spirit is upon us and the scary, monster movies are making their way into cinemas. This week's new action/adventure " The Last Witch Hunter " won't fill your scare quota, but it will entertain you nonetheless. Vin Diesel stars and Breck Eisner ( Sahara, The Crazies ) directs this fantasy story about an immortal warrior who polices the activity of the witching world throughout the ages. It's a fairly straight-forward story that will probably win the box office this weekend.    So, Vin Diesel plays Kaulder, a man from the 13th century, who hunts down freaky-looking witches in order to rid the world of their evil. With vengeance in his heart, he wields a ferocious flaming sword as he hewns down his foes. When he and his group have a run-in with the powerful witch queen, Kaulder is cursed with immortality. He uses his new found lifespan to continue hunting down witches throughout the world. Having a foot in both the magical and real wo...

     It's October which means most people will be breaking out their favorite scary movies to watch in anticipation for Halloween. It also means there will be some new spooky flicks to see during the month as well. This week's Crimson Peak and Goosebumps kicks things off with Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension, The Last Witch Hunter (which probably isn't a horror movie, but there are witches in it so it counts), and Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse (yes, that's a real movie coming out) waiting in the shadows. There are a few choices in there that will more than likely wet your whistle this Halloween season, both family-friendly and not. Goosebumps will definitely serve as a welcomed appetizer to a month of scary flicks.    Based on the beloved children's horror books by author R. L. Stine, Goosebumps is a wholesome, spooky, fun film that the entire family will enjoy. The movie follows high school student Zach ( Dylan Minnette ) and his vice prin...

    Leading up the the home release of "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies" EXTENDED EDITION, each extended edition of the epic trilogy played one night only in theaters this month. Last week "An Unexpected Journey" and "The Desolation of Smaug" extended editions graced the silver screen for the first and last time. I didn't make it to those screenings, however I own both and have seen both. They're fantastic. That being said, I made it a point to make it out to the cinema to see the third installment's extended cut, and let me tell you...it's everything I would've hoped for and more! Thank you Peter Jackson! Thank you!    I'm well aware of the negative backlash that the Hobbit trilogy has gotten, so I'm not going to spend anytime on the flaws and triumphs of the trilogy as a whole. I mainly want to get a few thoughts down about this particular cut of the third film. I'm not going to list out all the new stuff ...