Movie Review: 'Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales' No Walking The Plank For This One

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Last Updated: Sunday, 28 May 2017 14:49

Written by Lupe R Haas

Watching PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES was the most unpleasant movie experience of my life. Luckily Disney learned from that hot mess of a movie, and DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES returns to the fun that made the original a hit. With a simple plot, a formidable new leading lady, a worthy villain played by the always effective Javier Bardem and a toned-down Jack Sparrow, PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES is worthy of returning to the high seas.

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Movie Review: Alien: Covenant

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Last Updated: Monday, 08 May 2017 12:49

Written by Lupe R Haas

The good news is that ALIEN: COVENANT makes sense and Ridley Scott may have redeemed himself from the mess that was PROMETHEUS. However, the plot lines are all too familiar to ALIEN fans, but perhaps that’s what we wanted all along.

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'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2' Movie Review: A Sci-Fi Dramedy

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Last Updated: Monday, 24 April 2017 12:16

Written by Lupe R Haas

What’s the likelihood that James Gunn could capture lightning in a bottle twice? As with most sequels, expectations should be low especially for a follow-up to a beloved movie like GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY. That’s the best way to go into GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL.2. GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL.2 doesn’t capture the magic of the original movie, but you have a good time watching the band of misfits on another adventure.

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'Your Name' Movie Review Japanese Anime Mixes Genres

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Last Updated: Friday, 07 April 2017 00:33

Written by Lupe R Haas

Japanese import YOUR NAME opens in theaters this weekend, and fans of Japanese anime won’t be disappointed. Director Makota Shinkai (VVOICES OF A DISTANT STAR, 5 CENTIMETERS PER SECOND) delivers a visually-stunning animated film with a story that crosses multiple genres.

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'Kong: Skull Island' Is An Old School Monster Movie

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Last Updated: Wednesday, 15 March 2017 09:29

Written by Lupe R Haas

Remember the cheesy Sinbad the Sailor adventure films in which he encountered monsters? That's what KONG: SKULL ISLAND reminds me of minus the cheese. KONG: SKULL ISLAND is a throwback to those classic adventure films featuring hideous creatures from the unknown. However, the action in KONG is far superior, brutal and director Jordan Vogt-Roberts clearly was influenced by APOCALYPSE NOW.

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'Passengers' Movie Is A Screwed Up Love Story

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Last Updated: Wednesday, 28 December 2016 11:33

Written by Lupe R Haas

PASSENGERS is not your ordinary boy meets girl love story. The trailer for the sci-fi flick is very misleading. It sells you on a Titanic-type love story set against a disaster action flick. On the contrary, Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence have great chemistry, but their romance is far from romantic. Here’s why you should go in with an open mind to a film that’s off-kilter and quite screwed up.

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3 Totally Depressing Holiday Films

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Last Updated: Monday, 26 December 2016 15:46

Written by Lupe R Haas

The holidays are meant to be happy and merry, but not if you see these three totally depressing movies. Current movie releases A MONSTER CALLS, MANCHESTER BY THE SEA and COLLATERAL BEAUTY all deal with death of a parent or child.  That definitely doesn’t scream holiday spirit.

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'Sing' Movie Family Review: 3 Generations Opinions

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Last Updated: Thursday, 22 December 2016 12:05

Written by Lupe R Haas

From the studio that gave us DESPICABLE ME, THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS and of course the MINIONS comes another animated flick SING. I dragged three generations of my family to the Los Angeles screening, and here are their thoughts on the film.

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'Rogue One: A Star Wars Story' Review: The Darkest Movie of the Franchise

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Last Updated: Tuesday, 13 December 2016 09:51

Written by Lupe R Haas

EMPIRE STRIKES BACK was the darkest and grittiest of the STAR WARS film that is until ROGUE ONE:  A STAR WARS STORY.  Unlike other STAR WARS films, there are no cutesy-elements like R2-D2, the Ewoks or BB-8, and the light-hearted moments are kept to a minimum. While the film fits into the George Lucas universe with familiar elements, this is a far more serious film. Director Gareth Edwards has made this film his own.

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Universal Studios' Halloween Horror Nights Review

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Last Updated: Wednesday, 21 September 2016 10:44

Written by Lupe Rodriguez Haas

This year Halloween Horror Nights was quite a different experience for me as I screamed a lot more than usual. That may be attributed to the fact that I was on crutches with a sprained ankle so the vulernability factor might have played into that. Nonetheless two new mazes were clear winners this year at Universal Studios Hollywood's annual fright fest.

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'Sausage Party' Review: Rude, Crude, Offensive and Hilarious

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Last Updated: Friday, 12 August 2016 16:07

Written by Lupe R Haas

The term “food porn” takes on a whole new meaning after watching SAUSAGE PARTY.  Overtly sexual, foul-mouthed and downright raunchy, Seth Rogen and company go where food has never gone before in a hilarious movie that will shock your senses.

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'Pete's Dragon' Review: It'll Bring The Kid Out of You

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Last Updated: Friday, 12 August 2016 12:00

Written by Lupe R Haas

Disney’s PETE’S DRAGON will melt the hearts of children and adults alike, and if it doesn’t - you’re a cold-hearted troll.  The live-action movie, starring Bryce Dallas Howard, Robert Redford, Karl Urban, Wes Bentley and scene stealer Oakes Fegley as Pete, was so enjoyable it ended too soon.

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5 Reasons We Loved 'The Infiltrator'

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Last Updated: Wednesday, 20 July 2016 07:46

Written by Lupe R Haas

THE INFILTRATOR is another entry into the crime drama genre in which a government agent infiltrates the underworld, but THE INFILTRATOR is a fresh take on the subject and that may be due to a woman’s touch. Here are five reasons why THE INFILTRATOR is a must-see.

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'Ghostbusters' Review: Gender Has Nothing To Do With It

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Last Updated: Wednesday, 13 July 2016 23:25

Written by Lupe Haas

Frankly it’s disconcerting reading GHOSTBUSTERS reviews especially from women writers who can’t get away from basing their thoughts on the women as a whole rather than their merits as actors and the film’s worthiness. For this review, GHOSTBUSTERS is just another summer tentpole that will be judged like any other movie.

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Hail, Caesar! Blu-ray/DVD Movie Review

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Last Updated: Tuesday, 07 June 2016 14:25

Written by Lupe R Haas

Coming to Digital HD on May 24, 2016, and Blu-ray ™, DVD and On Demand on June 7, 2016, HAIL, CAESAR! is the creation of four-time Oscar ® winning filmmakers Joel and Ethan
Coen (No Country for Old Men, Fargo). The comic whodunit pulls back the curtain to reveal the backstage humor and drama of the movie industry, and includes exclusive bonus features that take viewers behind the scenes of the film’s most inventive escapades. However, the extras on the Coen Brothers’ HAIL, CAESAR! Blu-ray/DVD prove to be much more interesting than the actual movie.

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Ranking the X-Men Movies: Where Is 'X-Men: Apocalypse' in Best to Worst List?

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Last Updated: Sunday, 29 May 2016 15:47

Written by Lupe R Haas

The seventh film in the X-Men series hits theaters with X-MEN: APOCALYPSE directed by Bryan Singer. How does it rank among the other X-Men films in the series?  

Critics seemed to hate X-MEN: APOCALYPSE,  but audiences gave it "A-" according to CinemaScore.  For the purpose of this “Best to Least Favorite X-Men Movies List, we’re excluding X-MEN: WOLVERINE since the stand alone movie doesn’t include the usual cast of characters like Magneto, Professor X, Storm, Beast, Mystique, etc.

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The Jungle Book: A Game Changer

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Last Updated: Saturday, 23 April 2016 16:01

Written by Lupe R Haas

Rarely does a 3D film make an impression apart from Avatar, but Disney’s new live action, THE JUNGLE BOOK far exceeds any expectations one could have imagined for a reboot of the classic Rudyard Kipling’s story. Director Jon Favreau (Iron Man, Chef) didn’t seem like a likely candidate to helm the effects-heavy CGI film, but he’s done a fantastic job bringing the jungle and CGI animals to life, and the viewers into that world.  Not only are the visuals outstanding, but the voice cast is perfect as is the actor playing Mowgli.

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Ranking Melissa McCarthy’s Comedies

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Last Updated: Saturday, 09 April 2016 15:44

Written by Lupe R Haas

Melissa McCarthy is the new boss when it comes to comedy, and while her new film THE BOSS isn’t her best, we still enjoy watching her work her magic on the big screen. CineMovie ranks Melissa McCarthy’s best comedies. Where does THE BOSS rank among her previous films?

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'My Big Fat Wedding Greek 2' Movie Review: Fat Chance You’ll Like It

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Last Updated: Sunday, 03 April 2016 22:07

Written by Lupe R Haas

The chance that a sequel 14 years later could be any good is slim, but MY BIG FAT WEDDING GREEK 2 is a fun-filled two hours.  It’s not without its problems, but the laughs keep the wrongs at bay for a jolly good time.  

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'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' Spoiler-Free Movie Review

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Last Updated: Sunday, 27 December 2015 13:37

Written by Lupe Rodriguez Haas

The best way to review STAR WARS: EPISODE VII without spoilers is to compare STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS with the original trilogy.  

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