Movie Review: Atomic Blonde

As soon as I saw the first trailer for Atomic Blonde, I knew I had to see it. Stylized action starring Charlize Theron? It did not take all that much to sell me on it. The question was always whether or not the film would live up to the trailer. That always is the question when I see a good trailer (of which there are precious few that genuinely get me excited). The buzz I heard around it was very much in the positive vein, so I had very little in the way of apprehension as I approached the screening. I had more of a giddiness inside as I sat down in that theater and waited for the feature to begin.

Movie Review: Mad Max - Fury Road

Sometimes movies can be difficult to review. No matter how much you like or dislike it, or how many thoughts you have about it, it can be difficult to form them into a coherent piece. I also feel like, in this case, I am caught between a rock and a hard place. If I come out singing its praises, I do not want to be looked at as another voice in the echo chamber or someone feeding the hype machine. Conversely, if I come out and speak negatively, I do not want to be seen as someone being contrary for the sake of being a contrarian. The problem is that in the case of Mad Max: Fury Road, I do love it and it may be a little difficult to keep the exuberance out of it.

Trailer Alert: Mad Max - Fury Road

Oh man. Oh man. Oh boy. This. Looks. Amazing. Now, one can only hope that it lives up to the promise of this trailer. Still, by the looks of it, Max is back and is going to be a force to be reckoned with. It certainly looks like Warner Brothers is behind it and it will hopefully get the push it seems to deserve and launch a new series of post-apocalyptic action. Seriously. The originals (well, the first two, with some lesser love for the third) are absolute classics that epitomize what a car movie can be. This one certainly looks to live up to the standards.

Critical Capsule: A Million Ways to Die in the West

Well, I saw A Million Ways to Die in the West. I am pretty sure I did not laugh at all. I suspect I will be in the minority, but the movie just did not work for me. It felt like a Family Guy cutaway that keeps going and going for nearly two hours. It is like observational stand-up, only difference is the guy is actually in the setting and pointing things out. The humor is similar to that one guy who thinks he is hilarious for pointing things out and if you don't laugh, he repeats it until you do.