Movie Review: Captain America: Civil War (Spoiler Free)

Last Thursday, we got to see Captain America: Civil War. I have been holding off on posting a review because I wanted to make sure I had considered all of the aspects of the movie and gave it a fair critique. This is that critique.

Have You Watched - Hanna

Before there was The Hunger Games, there was a movie called Hanna, pitting a young woman against an unforgiving world. Hanna is unique in it's storytelling, with few exceptions, tailoring the girl to meet the demands of this seemingly dystopian world.

Hanna, played by Saoirse Ronan, is trained and raised by Erik Heller (Eric Bana), her dad, as an assassin. Her amazing abilities, shown throughout the film, throw into question just what she was made for and if there can be a life outside of everything she's known. The movie sets Hanna off on a mission across Europe, but she quickly learns she's being tracked by some very shady, and powerful people led by Cate Blanchett.

I think Hanna might get a bit of a disservice now that we've all watched Katniss Everdeen prove her worth with a bow and arrow, survival skills, and fire to stay alive. All of these qualities will show up in the character Hanna, but if you allow yourself to believe this 16 year-old girl has to do all of the horrible things she does because she's forced to, I think you'll find a brilliant movie. And I think that's the best part about this movie; Hanna's been raised all alone by her father, in the wilderness, training, getting ready, but when it comes time, she's forced out into the "real world" without her lifeline nearby.

Overall, Hanna is, at the very least, a great cat-and-mouse style movie, and with Cate Blanchett hot on our hero's heels, you know it's going to be a good one.

Movie Review: Vacation (2015)

In 1983, the dream-team of Harold Ramis, John Hughes and Chevy Chase gave us an instant classic: National Lampoon's Vacation; the story of an average American family on a hilarious, calamity-filled cross country road trip to a theme park. The film spawned three sequels and one spin-off (yeah, Christmas Vacation 2: Cousin Eddie's Island Adventure counts). Vacation (2015) is a sequel/reboot of the original franchise following Russ Griswold, the son of Chevy Chase's Clark Griswold, as he recreates the road trip his family undertook in his childhood. The movie has been out for some time and it has been pretty much panned by critics and fans alike. For that reason, I really wanted to hate this movie too. I don't usually do that with movies; I try to go into it with an open mind. But with this one I went in trying to find things that annoyed me. I really wanted to hate it but instead I had a pretty good time with it.

Have You Watched - Haywire

I'm always a sucker for the spy/secret agent style of movies, so when I heard about Haywire, I knew I had to watch it. Think of Haywire like the female version of a James Bond film - yeah, it's that good. Granted, you've probably seen at least half a dozen of these kinds of films before; Jason Bourne, James Bond, etc., etc. But I think Haywire, despite these pillars of the spy genre, does a great job of holding its own.

Haywire is star-studded, with Gina Carano, Channing Tatum, Michael Fassbender, Ewan McGregor, and Antonio Banderas, all thrown together in this fast-paced, action thriller. What first drew me to this movie was Gina as the leading lady; as a MMA fighter, I thought this would either be really good, or really bad. Wrestlers, with a small group of exceptions (The Rock), tend to be, let's say, over-dramatic, but Gina managed to pull off both the action movie star, as well the sexy, undercover agent, and do it well.

I wish I could tell you Haywire is purely original, and in some regards, it is. Regardless of the influences you may see in it, or be able to predict certain things happening based on seeing this style of movie before, I think Haywire does a great job of keeping you on your toes with both the action, and the story line - oh, and not to mention the fantastic casting choices, driving it along. At the end of the day, Haywire would make a fantastic addition to your ever growing collection of spy and action/thriller movies, for everyone else, if you can keep up, you'll be in for a great ride.

Have You Watched - Snowpiercer

Imagine the end of the world happening in a cataclysmic, frozen bang. Now imagine the sole survivors of this new ice age being trapped in a mile long express train. Thus is the scenario of Snowpiercer, a post-apocalyptic movie, which, by the way, is based off a series of French graphic novels bearing the same name, except in French. Did I also mention they're two versions of the film? The original Snowpiercer was released in 2013 - in South Korea. The 2014 version, however, was released here in the states and starred Chris Evans.

Snowpiercer does a lot of things right, including my personal favorite, setting the world stage. Think of this train like the districts in The Hunger Games, all crammed into a couple of boxcars. It's this realistic, gritty approach to the 1% and those who aren't that make Snowpiercer, and its cast, fun to get behind. Without spoiling much, Chris Evans is the reluctant hero stuck with the muck of society, all the way at the end of the train. Here, the passengers work to make ends meet, and they're lucky to even get that. Served up a questionable slab of flubber-like substance for food, the passengers (read prisoners) don't have much to live for, which is the point the upper classes, those up further on the train, want them to believe. But all it takes is the right spark to start a fire, and in this case, that spark revolves around Chris Evan's character.

I really enjoyed Snowpiercer. Sure, it was a little weird; after all, it's a post-apocalyptic movie, so it has to be a little strange. I think if you're into movies like The Hunger Games, or just those kinds of movies where justice is being bought instead of divvied out to all, then this will be right up your alley. Pick it up over the weekend and let me know what you think.

Movie Review: London Has Fallen

Three years ago, director Antoine Fuqua surprised us all by taking a low-expectations action story about terrorists taking the White House and turned it into a successful sleeper hit. Now Gerard Butler has returned as Mike Banning, Secret Service agent and bad-ass bestie of the President. This time, all hell breaks loose in London and Mike has to get the President to safety once again. How does this sequel measure up to the original?

To The Point | Review - What We Do In The Shadows

Hello everyone and welcome another "To the Point". Today, we're checking out What We Do In The Shadows.

What We Do In The Shadows takes some of the older, horror movie tropes, and turns them into a weirdly funny, documentary style comedy. Think of this movie like The Blair Witch Project meets Twilight, mixed with an episode of Modern Family. You have some fantastic and hilarious 4th wall breaking, impressive action and CGI scenes, all wrap up in a New Zealand-esk comedy.

The documentary follows a group of Vampires, who all happen to be flat mates, capturing their day-to-day lives, or I guess I should say night-to-night lives. From washing dishes to the challenge of getting dressed, the audience has a front row, voyeur-esk seat into the lives of these vampires, and it's so tongue-in-cheek that it makes it great.

I can strongly recommend this gem in the rough. It might not be for everybody, but it made me laugh and it's certainly one you won't easily forget .

My score: 7/10

Movie Review: Southbound

Southbound is a horror anthology film that contains five interconnected stories of a group of people traveling a lonely desert road and hiding some pretty dark secrets. Going into this, I didn't know it was an anthology film and if I had, I probably would have passed on it. Anthologies are extremely hit or miss and when they do hit, usually its only on one or two of the stories and then I'm stuck with 4/5 of a movie I don't like. But a co-worker of mine has been dogging me for months to watch this so I did. Here are my thoughts.

Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice Movie Review (No Spoilers)

In 2013, Warner Brothers and DC Entertainment released the reboot of the Superman franchise, Man of Steel. Immediately after, the internet blew up. Some loved it, some hated it. Friendships were strained and families dissolved amid the "Should Superman kill" argument. Okay, maybe it wasn't that bad but you get the point: the film was polarizing.

Now, director Zack Snyder is at it again with the follow-up Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice which sees the Man of Steel at odds with the Dark Knight himself, Batman. At long last, we've finally seen the movie. So is it any good?

That question can only be answered fully by breaking the movie down one element at a time so here goes.

Blast From The Past - Legend

Hello everyone and welcome to another Blast From The Past, where we take a look at some of Hollywood's older films.

Today, we're reviewing Legend (1985), starring Tom Cruise and directed by Ridley Scott.


Legend was, is, groundbreaking in many ways. A fully-fledged fantasy movie, in all regards, with Cruise playing the quintessential hero, dragged into a fight against the ultimate evil: Darkness manifest. I was told this movie took inspiration from The Legend of Zelda, which was the whole reason I wanted to see it, but that inspiration was incredibly vague to me. If anything, it was your traditional princess gets captured by bad guy, good guy has to save her, but needs help from a ragtag group of friends, which in this case, were dwarfs, sprites and pixies.

It's a strange movie, to say the least, but it's also impressive in it's use of costume design, cinematography, and score. I think what's more impressive is that the entire movie takes place over the course of a single day, which is important to keep in mind when you're wondering where this poor girl's parents are.

I must admit, it is hard to stay with the movie. The pacing is slow, and even with the movie being only an hour and a half long, it feels longer. I think if you're really into 80's movies, or just want to see a young Tom Cruise (dressed very similarly to Peter Pan), then this might be one you add to your collection.

My rating: 6.5/10

Blast From The Past - Time Bandits

Hello everyone, Dave here, and welcome to Blast From The Past, where we review movies from "ancient history".

Today, we're checking out: Time Bandits (1981).


Here's the description from IMDB: Young history buff Kevin (Craig Warnock) can scarcely believe it when six dwarfs emerge from his closet one night. Former employees of the Supreme Being (Ralph Richardson), they've purloined a map charting all of the holes in the fabric of time and are using it to steal treasures from different historical eras.

Time Bandits, to me, is a precursor to movies like The Goonies where a ragtag group of people, in this case "dwarfs", seek out adventure and inevitably get more than they bargained for. It's part fantasy, part science fiction, and part comedy, combining time travel with the ultimate battle between good and evil.

The story felt a little weak to me, but it's difficult to really feel the movie as it was meant to be felt, being it's more than 30 years old. I was impressed with some of the visual effects, with one battle reminding me of the practical effects used in A New Hope. The acting was spot on, though felt satirical in some areas, which I can only imagine is how it was meant to be. The movie didn't feel or play out like a parody, but certainly dealt some blows to historical figures and danced precariously on the edge of sacrilegious.

But if you come at the movie as humorous and fun, you might not get offended. For me, it was a strange mixture of enjoyment and confusion. I don't think it's on my list of must see movies, unless you're really into the 80's movie genre, but it was/is a good movie.

My rating: 6.5/10

To The Point | Review - The Revenant

Hello everyone and welcome to: To The Point, a movie review format that get's right to it. Today, we're reviewing The Revenant starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy.



The Revenant was one of those movies that I wasn't sure I'd enjoy, simply from watching the trailers. A period piece about the struggles of surviving out in the wilderness, just didn't really appeal to me; but then I watched it.

The movie is long, around 2 1/2 hours, and if I'm honest, there were spots were I could feel my attention weening. But these spots didn't hinder my enjoyment of this movie. It's beautifully filmed, with amazing acting by both Leo and Hardy, and that's what really drives this movie. The struggle to survive, the drive for revenge, and the majesty of nature captured is what earned it it's score.

My rating: 7.5/10

To The Point | Review - Legend (2015)

Hello everyone, Dave here, and welcome to To The Point! Here at The Final Cut, we not only value your opinion and willingness to read our stuff, we value your time. That's why we've created To The Point, a short and sweet review format that gets right to it. Today, we're checking out: Legend, starring Tom Hardy.



Legend is one of those movies that's based on true events, sprinkled with some Hollywood glam. What makes Legend so great is Tom Hardy, playing both Kray twins. Honestly, this movie is a bit long winded, with minor action, a saw-it-coming love story, and a heartbreaking ending. But if you're into this style of movie, that is to say gangster/50's/mob movie, then you might enjoy it more than I.

For me, Tom Hardy saves the movie from being an uninteresting copy of others before it.

My rating: 6/10

Weekend Release: Deadpool

Hello everyone, Dave here, and welcome to Weekend Release! Today, we're reviewing: Deadpool.



The latest in the Marvel movie franchise, Deadpool takes the known formula of action/superhero movies, and turns it on it's head. Starring Ryan Reynolds, Deadpool uses tongue-in-cheek humor, crude language, and action scenes that'll make your head spin, all it the right ways.

This movie is one of those films that makes you feel guilty you watched it. There are heads exploding, bodies being dismembered, and language your mama would cringe at. And yet, the movie is a blast to watch, from beginning to end. The dark humor that Ryan brings to this character is just perfect, from the timing to the jokes themselves, he was made for this role.

Is this a "typical" hero story? Well, yes and no. The story isn't a new one, but the Deadpool character is no hero, in fact he goes out of his way to remind us of this fact. It is an origin story, so take that as you will. If you don't know who Deadpool is or where he came from, then you'll enjoy learning about the character and find similarities to the other superhero movies. I find this movie to be a great example of a comic book adaptation, with the character thinking out loud, speaking to the audience, and getting away with amazing and inappropriate stunts the whole way.

Now here's the big question: do I recommend this movie? My answer is yes, but only to those who are willing to enter the theater with the mindset of, this is a rated "R" movie. So prepare to be shocked, amazed, and grossed out, and when it's all said it done, go to church this coming Sunday.

My rating: 7.5/10

Movie Review: X-Men: Days of Future Past

Hi everyone, Dave here, and welcome to another edition of Movie Reviews!

Today we're talking about "X-Men: Days of Future Past"!

If I could sum up how I felt as the credits rolled, it would be: "uhm...what?" But kind of in a good way. So think of Days as primarily the sequel to First Class, which the main part of the movie does follow. And I'm happy that they continued the story from First Class, with all the same characters, as well as introducing some newer mutants. The confusing part is due to the time travel mechanic. So it is at this point that you should think about, not only the events of X:3 (from the original trilogy), but also the events of The Wolverine (the one where Hugh Jackman is in Japan). Now, I don't know about you, but I find tying to follow two different time lines, at once, hard work!

What I really liked about the movie was that everyone was here, and this is not a spoiler, because think about it - we're essentially starting over with the events of First Class so nothing of the original X trilogy has happened yet, and besides, "everyone" is rather vague. What's more, I was worried that with "everyone" being featured in the movie, it would get way too crowded, and I mean, for a couple seconds here and there it did feel a little crazy, but during those scenes, I think that's how it was meant to feel: crazy. I also really enjoyed how the writing team flushed out these characters (specifically Charles and Eric), and gave them this amazing range of emotions that really made you forget, at times, they're not just like you and me (unless of course you're a mutant 'cause mutants are awesome).

Was the movie good? Absolutely - I personally thought it almost on the same level as "First Class". With everything they had to juggle in this movie, I thought they did a great job. Were some parts confusing and hard to watch? Yeah, there was that, but in the grand scheme of things, you gotta expect that with the way CGI and action scenes are going these days. Did this movie solve every "problem" with the original trilogy? Well, I suppose that's an opinionated question and therefore deserves your opinionated answer; for Dusty and myself the answer was "no". But I'm not sure we expected it to solve everything we personally found "wrong" or "missing" in the original trilogy; after all - we didn't direct it.

At the end of the day, if you're on the fence about seeing it - I'd highly recommend watching it, especially if you enjoyed "First Class".

Movie Review: Godzilla

Happy Saturday morning movie lovers. Last night, we took in the new Godzilla movie starring Bryan Cranston, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ken Watanbe and Elizabeth Olsen. That's right, the massive and massively famous monster is back; but is this reboot a return to his glory days or does it still have the stench of Roland Emmerich and Matthew Broderick?

Movie Review: Neighbors

Happy Tuesday night everyone. We're here with a review of the new Seth Rogen and Zac Efron comedy Neighbors. The story follows a new set of parents who discover their new neighbors are members of a fraternity and enjoy loud, late night parties. Hi-jinks ensue when the couple calls the cops on the frat and begins a not-so-friendly game of one-upmanship. Now as someone who has had bouts with terrible neighbors recently, this movie was of particular interest to me and while watching it allowed me to vicariously fulfill my desires of getting back at my own next door terror, the question remains whether it was a good movie.

Movie Review: The Amazing Spider-Man 2

Good morning everyone! Dusty here with my review of Sony's latest entry in their superhero franchise: The Amazing Spider-Man 2. After a controversial reboot in 2012, the folks behind the new Spider-Man franchise have been hard at work to bring us the next installment and the studio's marketing department has been working overtime to make sure we all know it. Trailer after trailer built up the excitement but also left some of us worried, thinking maybe there is a bit too much going on to pack into a two and a half hour film. Having been pretty underwhelmed by the first one, I was cautious to get too excited about this one but now 

I've seen it and I'm here to give you my two cents.

Movie Review: Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Captain America: The First Avenger may have been the weakest of Marvel's so-called Phase 1 slate of films, but The Avengers has come and gone and left us all wanting more of Captain Steve Rogers. This weekend, we finally get it with Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Marvel has been building up to this next entry since last November's Thor sequel but does the movie itself live up to the hype? The Final Cut Movie Blog is here to answer that very question.

Movie Review: Robocop

Remakes, reboots and sequels are the name of the game these days and any child of the 80's or 90's probably saw this one coming. Upstanding cop Alex Murphy, played here by Joel Kinnaman, is targeted by a group of criminals and ends up horribly injured. The only thing that can save him is a procedure that would replace most of his body and mind with machinery and turn him into an unstoppable crime fighting force. But once we're past the eye rolling about this being a remake, is Robocop a decent film?

The Good

For its time, the 1987 original Robocop was awesome. Even today, it holds up nicely. That being said, modern visual effects work wonders for this story. The action is ramped up as well as the detail we get to see in Murphy's new body.

The family aspect of this remake was much stronger than in the original. We get to see much more how these events effect Alex's wife, played excellently by Abbie Cornish, and their son. This was hinted at in the original and then mostly from Alex's point of view, but I felt like it was given much greater service in the remake.

Of course, as always, the great Gary Oldman gave the film's best performance as the reluctant doctor doing his Frankenstein-like work on Alex Murphy.  The quality of his performance should come to no one's surprise.

The Bad

The best part about the original was Peter Weller. His performance captured the humanity of Alex Murphy as well as the coldness of Robocop. Unfortunately I can't say the same about Joel Kinnaman. His Robocop was just fine, but as Alex Murphy, he still felt cold and distant, making that transformation not nearly as significant.

I also felt the villain role, played by Michael Keaton, was boring. We've all seen Keaton at his best when he loves a character and gives it his best and watching this film, it was obvious his heart wasn't in it. Originally, House star Hugh Laurie was signed on for the role and personally, I would have loved to have seen him in it instead.

The Verdict

With heightened action, a deeper story and of course Gary Oldman, Robocop serves as a successful reboot of an aging franchise but does so in spite of a one note lead actor and a not-at-all compelling antagonist. What did you think of the new Robocop?