THE OPTIMIST - MOVIE REVIEWS

     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 ...