A film that is well aware of its own clichés, aware of its sappiness, and aware of its sadness, yet still manages to take an upbeat approach. The comedy is honest and the drama is well acted leaving a fairly balanced feel, even if it is a little heavy-handed at times. I liked the inclusion of a little history with Amsterdam and the Anne Frank Museum, something I imagine John Green had in the novel to educate us while still being entertaining.

3.5 Stars (out of 5)

My favorite film for 2014 so far, this movie packs a punch! It's clever, fast-paced, well executed and even funny at times. I haven't been much of a fan of Tom Cruise as of late, just kind of burnt out on him, but he handles this material well. Emily Blunt does a great job and even Bill Paxton shines. The story is great and the action scenes actually had me on the edge of my seat, rather than numbing my brain with an overload of CG imagery. As the film goes on the characters get a little farther along each time, much like playing a video game and getting better as you go. It's a fun style that never really gets old because of the great directing. Much like the film this one is being compared to, Groundhog Day, it could've gotten old fast, but the filmmakers make just the right adjustments right before you get tired of something to make it fun again. Will watch again. And again.

4.5 Stars (out of 5)

You got to hand it to Seth MacFarlane for the quality of his work. The score is amazing, the location breathtaking with intricate sets, period-piece costumes, and believable props, make-up and production design. But, and this is a big but, this movie is not a good movie. The script probably could've used a few more revisions, a few more connections between the sub-plots and main plot, and a few more reasons to make us care at all about any of the characters. He did a pretty good job with Ted, even eliciting a tear from me when Ted miraculously comes back to life at the end. That magic is missing here. Maybe he should stay behind the camera from now on. Not sure if we are ready for, or if he is ready, to be the star of a film and in the flesh.

2 Stars (out of 5)

This was the best documentary on the subject of obesity in America I've seen. Seeing how school cafeterias look more like a mall food court with brand name fast food joints littering the wall, and not just high school or middle school, but even elementary school now, is just incredible. How can a healthy lunch even compete with that? As the film went on I heard gasps from the people around me. We see young children being told they must have surgery to survive, being told to eat better or die, but then they switch from one food they're told is bad to another that's just as bad but says "Light" on the package and it's all a little unnerving. We've had to re-name adult onset diabetes because it's not just for adults anymore. In the end the film asks you to try a couple of weeks without refined sugar in your diet, and I couldn't agree more.

3.5 Stars (out of 5)

Still an entertaining entry to the series, and a clever way to combine the two casts while also spinning everything off into a new and separate timeline, yet I found myself bored and ultimately disappointed much of the time. After the first scene in the future hellscape and other time we see what's happening there is dull and mostly shot against a greenscreen, leaving all the fun to the 1970's sequences. And while there are some fun scenes, most notably one with Quicksilver, the plot itself is thin and once again too heavily reliant on Hugh Jackman's Wolverine. What I liked about First Class is that it had a fresh feel to it, but with this one it's once again more of the same. Either way, a good film, with an interesting set-up for future installments.

3 Stars (out of 5)

Gareth Edwards was the perfect fit for this franchise. I adore his film "Monsters" and his ability to make a believable story from a cheesy concept. This film rights all the wrongs that left a bad taste in my mouth by Roland Emmerich and his 1998 Godzilla film (by name only). The slow build-up in this movie before really showing Godzilla was much like the older original Japanese versions, saving the big city battle for the end. The adversary monsters were terrifying and their appearance early in the film not only caught me off guard but also kept me on the edge of my seat. I do hope Edwards takes the helm on any sequels, if they are to make them, which I'm guessing they will. I'll be first in line.

3.5 Stars (out of 5)

The film has a strong start, but meanders and loses steam as it goes. The biggest laughs are all in the trailer, and I realize that's how most comedies are, but unfortunately there's just not any other funny moments that aren't in the trailer at all. I love Seth Rogen and Zac Efron, and they both do a fine job in this film, but the movie is just not up to task when it comes to being as funny as it thinks it is. It's relying too heavily on set-up visuals and situational humor, but the real talent of the actors is in dialogue delivery, but there's not enough clever words to go around.

2.5 Stars (out of 5)

While I still think it was crazy to reboot the series so soon after the original trilogy, I do like Garfield in this role. His chemistry with Emma Stone makes this worth watching, but not much else. It's nice to see a wise-cracking Spiderman. It's cool to see him using his "spidey-senses" to help save innocent people. But I am tired of watching even yet more evil villains' back-stories. I am tired of watching Peter Parker struggle with whether he wants to be a superhero or not. The espionage sub-plot with his parents is completely useless. Seeing the ghost of Dennis Leary show up randomly was odd. This whole film is a disjointed mess. I'm hoping someone edits together all the Garfield/Stone scenes along with the one Times Square action scene in the middle. That would make a quite enjoyable 45 minute Spiderman film that I wouldn't mind watching again.

2.5 Stars (out of 5)

Oculus is a clever horror film, which is kind of hard to believe considering it's about a killer mirror. The film does a fantastic job of building suspense, telling two parallel storylines that converge in the end of a brother and sister trying to prove to the world that the mirror on the wall is responsible for the murders, suicides, and insane behavior of several generations that have owned it. It's a crazy plot but done in such an earnest way that by the end I am actually rooting for the protagonists to make it through unscathed, something I'm not used to feeling from a scary movie.

3 Stars (out of 5)

A modern re-telling of Frankenstein, cautionary tale of technology run amok, and a showcase of future technology all rolled into a suspense drama... That they manage to miss the mark on nearly every beat. This film falls flat, runs long, and confuses more than it astounds, which is unfortunate because I'm interested in the futurist ideas it tries to convey. Perhaps if Depp had shown some sort of humanity in his character we would have had something to compare his digital counterpart to, but unfortunately it's hard to tell them apart due to him, as far as I can tell, phoning it in the whole time.

2 Stars (out of 5)