Starving for some high-flying fantasy adventure? Then check out Universal and Legendary Pictures’ Seventh Son. Definitely geared toward the stereotypical crowd that enjoys fantasy movies, this film provides a solid two-hour experience that is filled with action from beginning to the end. Although the trailer gives away much of the story, it is still worth a watch if you want to escape from reality into a world of handsome heroes, beautiful witches, and magic. However, had the film not cast the incomparable Jeff Bridges (Greggory) and Julianne Moore (Malkin), the film most likely would have greatly suffered. There is definitely potential here for future movies, but the writing will have to improve and A-list actors will need to continually be cast in key roles. Despite the areas needing improvement, if the series is to continue, this is a movie that keeps your attention from start to finish, and could have easily been expanded to include more exposition or backstory.

Seventh Son takes you to a magical world that is one part medieval and one part ancient Rome, complete with mystical and mysterious knights, beautiful and cunning witches, handsome and heroic apprentices, and mythological creatures. Having trapped the powerful witch Mother Malkin (Moore) in a deep cavernous prison within a mountain, supernatural knight Greggory (Bridges) believes he has saved the world. Unbeknownst to him, many years later, she has broken free and is developing her powers with the rising of the blood moon. Just as the malevolent Malkin summons her followers, Greggory trains a new apprentice to take the place of the one killed by Malkin. Thomas (Ben Barnes) is a seventh son of a seventh son, meaning he is endowed with abilities to fight evil and is recruited from his home by Greggory. Often in disbelief or with an unwillingness to do what he needs to do, Thomas learns the ways of Greggory in order to defeat Malkin and her hoard of witches and warlocks. Unfortunately for Thomas, he falls in love with a beautiful witch named Alice (Alicia Vikander) and must decide if his allegiance is to Greggory or to his newfound love.

This is one of those movies where there isn’t much to critique. Not that is was a great movie that is sure to wow audiences and become a favorite of many, but because it does not pretend to be anything other than what it is–a cliché fantasy/adventure movie taking place during a mythological middle ages that may or may not have actually existed. Often with these types of movies, they are purposely written to be high concept movies in which, most anyone who enjoys this genre, will find a high degree of entertainment value. There may not be a lot of character development, but there is definitely a sufficient amount; the characters may not be ones you love or love to hate, but they sufficiently play the roles well. There is little backstory to go on, but there is just enough to get the idea behind the narrative. In other words, it is very much par for the course, but still contains the elements necessary for a work of fantasy.

The best parts of the movie were the characters played by Bridges and Moore. Had Universal and Legendary not chosen to select two brilliantly talented performers to play these character roles, then the movie would have most likely not been nearly as enjoyable as it was. Amidst the cliché action and adventure, the writers managed to sneak in some clever and humorous dialog that bring about some laughs and chuckles along the way. Unlike Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, or Chronicles of Narnia, there really isn’t any metaphorical or allegorical value to the film. It pretty much is a very surface-level story that is designed to keep you entertained for a couple of hours.

When choosing to see Jupiter Ascending or Seventh Son yesterday, it wasn’t a terribly difficult choice. I knew both movies would likely be “meh,” so I chose the lesser of the two “meh’s.” I would much rather be entertained by Bridges, Moore, and the rest of this cast more so than seeing Mila Kunis in an over-the-top, mindless, sci-fi adventure that pretends to be on the level of other more classic versions of the same thing.

Pass the Dramamine–please! Follow this haphazard, ludicrous plot of “found footage” in this somewhat suspenseful YA (young adult) movie about time travel. Project Almanac is one of the last films to round out the cinema cemetery (otherwise known as January), and proves to be an excellent anchor for all the other first-of-the-year nationwide releases. From the moment the movie opens with the horrendous found footage concept that does nothing except cheapen the production value of a narrative film until the time the credits role, you will feel the journey is blasé and very much par for the course. Like the movie’s characters time jump, I think the writers must have “jumped” too much while crafting this cinematic schlock because the plot follows no set structure and way too many plot devices are employed yet rarely fully explained. Prepare for an utterly random journey through time that is clearly a bad discount knockoff of a combination of Groundhog Day, Looper, and The Butterfly Effect.

Project Almanac is about boy-genius David (Jonny Weston) and his small group of friends who accidentally discover the blueprints to a science project left in hiding by David’s long-deceased father. In addition to the blueprints, there are parts to begin the project, and the group of friends complete the design and take it for a spin through time. Unbeknownst to everyone, with each jump, the present is changed. Many changes are for the better, but darker and more negative consequences of altering the past begin to impact the health and wellness of many others in the present. When the group tries to fix the past to repair the future, they just keep getting in deeper and deeper until they are overwhelmed and lost in both mind and body. David and his friends must discover how to repair the present before lives are completely destroyed by the ripple effects of jumping from time to time.

Let me begin by stating that I am very much biased towards found-footage movies that should be told through traditional cinematography. I find them to be cheap, vomit inducing, sloppy films that only show why so many people are more interested in the next episode of The Walking Dead or American Horror Story than attending the cinema each week. Found-Footage is a gimmick that works for very few films. Exceptions that benefit from the found-footage concept are The Blair Witch Project and Paranormal Activity (and related films). It does not work for traditionally scripted films that benefit from a coherent plot structure. Instead, what happens is these types of films are so busy making the movie look like it was shot by an amateur that they forget to spend time on the writing and direction of the narrative. Moreover, how is it possible that all the cameras used by the group of friends all capture excellent audio and the conversations transition seamlessly from scene to scene???

Found-footage cinematography aside, the plot is poorly thought-out and even more lazily executed. There are more questions raised than answers provided to move the plot along. For starters, how believable is it that these high school students–even if they are the absolute top of their class and maybe even state–know the very intricacies of the complex field electrical engineering that typically takes many years in undergrad and graduate school to master? Essentially, the story is unbelievable from the very beginning. Yes, this is a work of fantasy/science-fiction, but the thing about science-fiction is that it is encumbered upon science enough to be believable within the world of fantasy around it. Secondly, in order to best understand the story, you almost need to have a pen and paper handy to draw a map of the different times and events in order to follow the characters throughout the narrative. Movies should never just expect the audience to just accept something just for the sake of accepting it in order to advance the story along. Science-fiction movies require explanations along the way to keep the story coherent.

If you want to completely check out for an hour and forty-five minutes, or have nothing else to do this weekend, then check out Project Almanac. But if you miss it in theaters, this looks like one that will be in the RedBox at Walgreens or On-Demand on your satellite or cable provider before you know it. At least Einstein’s Theory of Relativity gets hurriedly cited in an attempt to somehow ground the film in reality. Get ready to become lost in a dizzying plot that wanders through time as you wonder why you are still in your seat.

Another glorified Lifetime movie comes to a theatre near you, but this time with A-list actors, including the beautiful J-Lo and Broadway princess Kristin Chenoweth. The ridiculously plotted stalker/suspense movie The Boy Next Door will likely get a startle or scream out of you occasionally; but in the end, you will wonder why this wasn’t released on TV. And that’s when it hits you. Had it been on TV, then you wouldn’t get the steamy intimate scene between J-Lo and Ryan Guzman and wouldn’t get the violence during the third act. So, maybe it works better in a theatre than on TV, after all. Clearly, the draw to this movie isn’t the overly cliche plot or technical elements, but is likely Jennifer Lopez and Ryan Guzman; however, just to try to get more people into the seats, Universal throws in Chenoweth and Hunger Games Ian Nelson.

When a handsome, charming 19 year-old named Noah (Guzman) moves in next door, newly separated high-school teacher Claire Peterson (Lopez) encourages his friendship and engages in a little bit of harmless–or so she thinks–flirtation. Although Noah spends much of the time hanging out with Claire’s son Kevin (Nelson), the teen’s attraction to her is palpable. One night, Claire gives in to temptation and lets Noah seduce her–but when she tries to end the relationship, he turns violent and publicly displays his obsession with her. After Noah enrolls himself into Claire’s literature class at the local high school, because he has yet to graduate, the school administration begins to notice her strange behavior. Following confessing to her best friend and vice-principal Vickie (Chenoweth) about what is going on between her and Noah, Claire discovers more than she thought she would in this suspense-driven movie. 

Okay, so what if this is a movie that is more conducive for at-home viewing than at a movie theatre? That doesn’t mean that there aren’t elements to be enjoyed in the movie. If you want to see J-Lo naked, it has it. If you want to see Ryan Guzman naked, it has that too. If you like seeing Kristin Chenoweth in a movie, it has that as well; however, I am still convinced that she is definitely better on stage than on screen. And, if you like the cute-innocent-nerdyness of Ian Nelson, you will also be satisfied there. Moreover, if you enjoy a high concept obsession/suspense Lifetime-esque movie that you can essentially turn your brain off for, then you will likely enjoy this movie that is an appropriate 1.5hrs of runtime.

If you know anything about January release dates (and by those, I do not mean ones that were technically released in select cities around Christmas), then you will understand what I mean by it doesn’t get any more January than this. Still, the movie has suspenseful entertainment value. Don’t bother trying to work out all the plot devices or work through the narrative logically, because you will find yourself very disappointed. This is the kind of movie that is there for pure entertainment value–nothing more, nothing less. So, unlike most critics who are approaching this movie from a scholarly or pretentious perspective, I feel it does its job of providing 1.5hrs of escape into a world of pretty people in scandalous situations.

This movie represents Clint Eastwood’s finest work. From start to finish, this film will command your attention and emotions on this journey that appears to show the various tolls war has upon the human mind and body in a realistic and authentic manner that neither glorifies nor undermines the travesties of seemingly endless battles for justice and freedom. Specifically, the movie will take you on a journey into the many tours of duty in Iraq through the vessel of Navy SEAL Chris Kyle. I am not usually not a fan of war movies; however, this movie, like Zero Dark Thirty, is one that truly shows that excellent storytelling, beyond the gun fire and deaths, is possible in a well directed, written, and produced war film. American Sniper will take you from your seat and place you on the battlefields in Iraq and into our hero’s home.

Prior to becoming a legend amongst Navy SEALS, Chris Kyle (Bradley Cooper) is a stereotypical Texas cowboy who focused way more on his career than his girlfriend. Going from a self-centered cowboy to a self-sacrificing soldier, in the US Armed Forces, Kyle is inspired because of the bombings of US Embassies in the 1990s. Older than the average soldier, Kyle faces transforming his mind and body to serve his country. After his superiors witness the extreme precise skill and talent Kyle has for sniping, he is assigned to an elite squadron in the SEALs. While training, he meets his soon-to-be wife Taya (Sienna Miller) and falls madly in love. Following his marriage, he is deployed to Iraq. Returning home between duties, the atrocities of war begin to reek havoc on his relationship with his wife and two kids. Eventually, he reaches the point that he realizes that he wants to come home physically and more importantly mentally. Through helping other soldiers that are having physiological and psychological struggles, he is able to help himself. He shows himself to be both a hero on the battlefield and at home.

Two of the elements that stands out for me the most, in this film, are the structure and pacing. Although, it is over two hours, it will have your attention in such way that you will be oblivious to the above-average runtime of the film. Like a well-written screenplay should, this movie grabs your attention within the first five minutes. Ordinarily, a writer or director can get into trouble when working with flashbacks and parallel subplots. But, this movie handles both the main and subplots very well, and artfully weaves them in and out of each other. Dialog is one element that can easily suffer in a war movie, but the dialog is compelling and visceral. The audience truly gets to know Kyle as a soldier, a husband, friend, and father. Unlike other war movies or movies featuring characters suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), this is one of the first to truly show it in a realistic way. Not all soldiers who suffer from PTSD are completely socially or mentally debilitated, I imagine most deal with it in more subtle, but no less harmful, ways.

The movie was very well cast, and each of the principle and supporting actors bring their respective character archetypes to life for the audience. But, as convincing and authentic the performances were, none of the actors faced challenging characters to portray. The performances by Cooper and Miller were excellent, but on par with what is expected of accomplished actors; although, there are moments when the emotions fly and exceptional performances are witnessed throughout the narrative. To his credit, this is one of the best performances by Cooper, and it is of no surprise that he is nominated for Best Actor at the Oscars.

American Sniper is truly a classically written, directed, and produced film that is worthy of the Oscar nominations it has received. It is a dynamic cinema experience that most will likely enjoy. Unlike other war movies, this one chooses not to highlight the battles themselves nor the strategies and deaths, but it takes you through the life of an American hero.