A much more enjoyable experience than the first film, this one stands alone as a great action adventure and even sci-fi film. It does a great job of tying together the bad guys from WWII to the political issues of the current day, bringing Captain's past to the present, and tying it all up with a nice little bow. I really enjoyed the scene where they discover a supercomputer containing the preserved consciousness of a long dead scientist. They manage to do a better job of conveying such a technology in a five-minute sequence than Transcendence could do in an entire film. I look forward to Avengers 2 and future films in the series.

3.5 Stars (out of 5)

A grand opus of a Wes Anderson film, this movie is beautiful, off-beat, wonderfully acted, and thoroughly entertaining. The storytelling is often silly, utilizing clever camera moves to pull off hilarious sight-gags, it's chock-full of fantastic one-liners, and there's some screwball slapstick scenarios, but they also take a few moments to throw in some more sentimental beats. The interesting use of miniatures and the switching between aspect ratios were also some of the unique flourishes that help set this film apart from anything else out there.

4 Stars (out of 5)

I kind of liked two of the musical numbers in this one, and I felt like the Muppets themselves were true to their original characters, but the magic was just not there for me. The bad Kermit character Constantine steals the show, but everything else falls flat and feels like a waste of time. Gone are the glory days of the early original Muppet movies, with memorable songs that brought a tear to your eye, and earnest storylines that had you actually care for the characters and root for a happy ending. Now it's just more of the same: simple by-the-numbers story with Muppet characters shoe-horned in. The best moment in this film was the few seconds we see Rainbow Connection from 1979 on a television.

2.5 Stars (out of 5)

Having never seen the show I was actually surprised by how well of a stand alone film this turned out to be. It did a decent job of setting up the characters and relaying the information about where the show left off. I enjoy a good whodunit movie and this was just that. I could tell from the overwhelmingly positive response from the audience in my theater that the film paid enough fan-service to the fan-base as well, and seemed to wrap up the storyline nicely for everyone.

3 Stars (out of 5)

Kevin Hart and Regina Hall are hilarious and really play well off each other in this film. Unfortunately the other two main characters' charisma is nowhere to be found. The editing is choppy throughout the film to a detriment that I could never overlook. The story wasn't bad, but I really couldn't believe anything I was seeing. Between the silliness of two out of the four main characters, and the lack of emotion from the other two, it all felt far too uneven to take seriously.

1.5 Stars (out of 5)

This is a well-paced, perfectly acted, and optimistic bio-pic set during the early days of the AIDS epidemic. Mathew McConaughey does a bang-up job here, which would have been almost inconceivable just a few years ago, when all he was doing was terrible rom-coms with no soul. Jared Leto almost steals the show with his insane method acting style and Jennifer Garner does a good job not acting exactly the same as she normally does in all her films, but scene after scene it was McConaughey that was always the strongest. Alright, alright, alright.

3.5 Stars (out of 5)

Have we truly run completely out of new ideas to the point where every single eighties movie must be rebooted in this decade? This one is not the best, but at least it's somewhat watchable. Severely hindered by its PG-13 rating and lack of fun, this movie still manages to capture a little bit of the creepiness that Verhoeven was known for. Most notably, when the main character sees what original parts of himself are still intact underneath the robo-suit, I did get chills. I also enjoyed the discussion about free will being an illusion throughout the film.

2.0 Stars (out of 5)

A fun kid's movie and a beautiful ode to the best toy ever invented. It manages to balance being entertaining, bringing a positive message to the audience, and including enough inside jokes and homages that a second viewing is required. The message of the film seems to be about not always following the directions and allowing ourselves to be as creative as we want, even if all we can come up with is a double-decker couch.

I only wish the Lego company could take this advice themselves. Every time I look down the Lego aisle at my favorite toy store I see endless kits with franchise tie-ins and stringent building plans. It's becoming increasingly more difficult to find a decent tub of just basic blocks nowadays with Star Wars, Spongebob, and Harry Potter taking up all the shelf-space. It's hard for kids to be creative when building from an already preconceived world.

3.5 Stars (out of 5)

If it wasn't for the talented cast this film would've been unwatchable. It tries so hard to show that men have feelings and can be emotional like women that it overshot turning them into cartoon characters. Mmm, ice cream and whiskey go together, see, cause it's girly and manly, at the same time! And can we please be done with bets or arrangements between friends in movies, like agreeing to all stay single, for no good reason? Why would you be friends with someone who won't let you date someone you really like? Maybe these plots worked in the nineties, but it's time we moved on.

2.0 Stars (out of 5)

Her is a beautiful and romantic science-fiction film that is perfect for the times. Joaquin Phoenix is amazing in it, the story is ever interesting, and the production design is incredible yet subtle. The film takes place in a not-so-distant future but isn't about flashy futuristic technology. The world instead has gone back to basics, adopting a minimalistic approach, integrating future tech into everyday items. It looks like a world designed by designers, rather than engineers. The film's love story is relatable on a human level, but the story of Her goes beyond the simple love story. It also tells the story of how the machines will rise against us. Unlike T2 though, Her's "Judgement Day" is a bit more subtle.

4.0 Stars (out of 5)