James Patterson – Movie Reviews – D

MOVIE REVIEWS – D’S


Daddy’s Home

Pick of the Week

As Hollywood’s bad boys have kids of their own—everything changes—and they start making movies with both humor (broad) and compassion. A-

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Daddy’s Little Girls

Pick of the Week

I like Tyler Perry’s movies very much. They’re always a little clunky, but there’s a powerful idea driving every one of them.

On DVD: Amazon
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Posters: Amazon


Dan in Real Life

Pick of the Week

This movie is a good test as to whether or not you’re an [censored]. It’s a generally kindhearted mostly funny film, and if you can’t find something to like about it, well then, you’re likely an [censored]. Steve Carell is officially forgiven for Evan Almighty.

On DVD: Amazon
On Demand: iTunes
Posters: Amazon


A Dangerous Method

Freud talks a lot. Jung talks a lot. Keira Knightley slips out beautifully and convincingly. If you’re not into psychoanalysis this one probably isn’t for you.

On DVD: Amazon
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Posters: Amazon


Danny Collins

I will watch anything with Al Pacino in it. He and Annette Bening have terrific chemistry here. It’s also nice to see a more restrained Bobby Cannavale. B

On DVD: Amazon
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The Dark Knight

For me, this is the best movie ever made from a comic book series or graphic novel. Except it’s about half an hour too long.

The script is terrific (for two hours). Heath Ledger is great–which is sad. But why make it two hours and forty minutes long?

Maybe the studio guys wanted to make sure that the family restaurant crowd, folks who want more bang for their buck, were satiated. Or maybe it’s just that some writers have diarrhea of the pen.

Like me, and this review.

On DVD: Amazon
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The Dark Knight Rises

We’re all caught between the greedy mob at the top and the greedy mob at the bottom. What to do, what to do? How ’bout whiling away three hours with the mostly satisfying conclusion of the latest Batman reboot. It’s not my place to get into the tragedy in Colorado except to offer my prayers.

On DVD: Amazon
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Posters: Amazon


Dark Shadows

Not nearly as funny as the trailer—in fact, the trailer would almost qualify as false advertising. It’s handsomely art directed and the photography is terrific but I just expected it to be a lot funnier.

On DVD: Amazon
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Posters: Amazon


The Dark Tower

Now maybe Stephen King knows how I felt when I saw the third Alex Cross movie. My condolences. Ironically, I wanted Idris Elba to play Alex Cross. C

On DVD: Amazon
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Date Night

Date Night is (like Bounty Hunter) a real mixed blessing. The comedy parts with Steve Carell and Tina Fey are funny and sometimes endearing. The crime story isn’t particularly funny and it isn’t suspenseful at all. The problem, I guess, is it’s hard to get writers and directors who can do comedy and crime at the same time.

On DVD: Amazon
On Demand: Amazon | iTunes
Posters: Amazon


Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Pick of the Week

What I admire the most about this film is that, this late in the franchise, somebody dug deep and created the best of the group. The story is good, but the costuming and special effects are amazing.

On DVD: Amazon
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The Day the Earth Stood Still

It’s hard to root against saving the Earth and the human race, but this preachy film makes you wonder if the universe might be better off with out us. Or, at the very least, without Hollywood.

On DVD: Amazon
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Posters: Amazon


Daybreakers

Starts out as a really, really promising sci-fi flick but the visual interest is lost in the second half of the story and the flick can’t decide whether it should be an entertainment or something a hair more serious (it should have stuck to being an entertainment).

On DVD: Amazon
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Dead Man Down

It’s sort of part art film, part African American exploitation film, and I don’t think either part works very well.

On DVD: Amazon
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Deadpool

Lively, funny, bloody. Politically incorrect at all times. Seems to me that the Marvel franchise has become America’s very self-referential, all-family sitcom. B-

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Deadpool 2

I liked DP1. DP2, not so much. Maybe because the lampooning of comic book movies didn’t seem as fresh or original this time. Or maybe because the gratuitous violence overwhelmed the humor. At any rate, at the end of the movie (Spoiler alert! Spoiler alert!) I kept thinking, “please let Deadpool really be dead, please let Deadpool really be dead!” C+


Dear White People

Smart writer-director lashing out forward, backward, sideways, up, and down. Can’t say that I blame him. Not sure it will do any good. B

On DVD: Amazon
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Death at a Funeral

This is very, very funny in places. But I didn’t care enough about any of the characters for it to be a really satisfying movie for me.

On DVD: Amazon
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Posters: Amazon


Death Race

You shouldn’t be surprised that I’m a little nuts and a little sick. If they can get Joan Allen into this movie. They can get me into the theater. Good of its kind.

On DVD: Amazon
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Posters: Amazon


The Debt

Very good acting and a powerful story but slow, slow, slow pacing.

On DVD: Amazon
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Posters: Amazon


Defiance

Pick of the Week

You probably only know Daniel Craig in the James Bond movies, but he’s even better in Defiance, and best of all in a small British movie called Layer Cake. This is a dramatic well-told story that deserved a better fate at the box office.

On DVD: Amazon
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Posters: Amazon


Deliver Us from Evil

We’ve heard this story before—but the film had very good direction and performances.

On DVD: Amazon
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Delivery Man

Not enough funny, too much schmaltzy.

On DVD: Amazon
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Der Baader Meinhof Complex

First Woodstock, now Baader Meinhoff—ah, the late 60’s and 70’s! Scary folks, those German ideologues.


The Descendants

Some very nice moments, but overall Sue and I were disappointed. Most of us have enough turmoil and sadness in our lives without getting an extra dollop on Friday night at the Cineplex.

On DVD: Amazon
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Despicable Me

To make things simple and easy—this is a fun flick for kids and their parents. What’s maybe a little more interesting is how Hollywood is now making heroes out of bad guys while they demonize just about everybody else—from the police to the military, and even dads. My 12-year-old asked why dads seem to be such idiots in every cartoon series on TV. From personal experience, Jack of course knows that all dads are not idiots. At any rate, a cute movie, but the direction of our entertainment continues to fascinate me.

On DVD: Amazon
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Despicable Me 2

Pick of the Week

Just about the funniest movie of the summer, and irrefutable evidence that, if we could eliminate most of the live action directors, actors, and studio execs from movies, the world would be a funnier place. It would be a world with no Lone Rangers, no White House Downs, no R.I.P.Ds.; a world where Lindsay Lohan would find true love; a world where Adam Sandler would be an animated character under the close supervision of talented writers.

On DVD: Amazon
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Diary of a Wimpy Kid

The book was much better—funnier and more generous in spirit. My son Jack felt they made Greg to be too much of a jerk. “Why?” he asked. “Because they’re Hollywood screenwriters,” I told him.

On DVD: Amazon
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Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul

I like Jeff Kinney’s books, but this movie can’t touch Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life. Not even close. I’m biased of course. C

On Demand: Amazon | iTunes
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The Dictator

Funnyman Sacha Baron Cohen goes a weenie, weenie bit Hollywood. The movie isn’t as good, or as funny, as the trailer.

On DVD: Amazon
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Did You Hear About the Morgans?

I like Hugh Grant. I like Sarah Jessica Parker. I like romantic comedies. I didn’t particularly like Hugh Grant and Sarah Jessica Parker in this romantic comedy. Could have been fun, fell flat.

On DVD: Amazon
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Dinner for Schmucks

The French original was edgier and nastier. This dinner has a softer view of life. It’s funny, but it’s also very weird—maybe because it strains a little too hard to be different.

On DVD: Amazon
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Dirty Grandpa

How dare they do this to Robert De Niro. How dare they! C-

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District 9

Wow—GREAT MARKETING! Plus, the story is unique and different, which will usually get the critics on your side. Plus, there’s a message: it’s just wrong to trample all over the rights of those who are different than you, even if they’re aliens. Unfortunately, the tramplers in the real world don’t really care, and the rest of us already have that message. Anyway, I was a little bored and occasionally grossed out, but I liked that somebody tried something new.

On DVD: Amazon
Posters: Amazon


Disturbia

Pick of the Week

Has a good script, good actors and good direction. It’s one of the more enjoyable movies I’ve watched in a while, although it is unnecessarily goofy at times. There are a lot of those scenes where you’re screaming at the hero/heroine “Don’t go into that house!”

On DVD: Amazon
Posters: Amazon


Divergent

Not as much fun as Hunger Games (at least for me) but a whole lot better than the lame trailer promised. Shailene Woodley is a pretty talented actress, but she’s not an action heroine.

On DVD: Amazon
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The Divergent Series: Allegiant

Sorry to say this just wasn’t very good. I feel sorry for Veronica Roth. Weak script and weak direction (and the real tragedy here is the cast is excellent). C-

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Django Unchained

The companion piece to Inglourious Basterds. Same strengths—for me at least—and same weaknesses. Great set pieces. But Tarantino doesn’t go as deep as he might, just gets angry and kills everybody in sight.

On DVD: Amazon
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Doctor Strange

Kudos to Marvel for trying new things. Guardians of the Galaxy was comedic—and now Doctor Strange has a spiritual side. It also has Benedict Cumberbatch, Tilda Swinton, and some “borrowed” visual panache from Inception. B+

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Don Jon

This feels like a story that comes out of the insight that you would expect a 17-year-old to have when they realize there’s a difference between love and lust. So if that seems powerful to you than this is movie for you. Interesting side note—when I bought my ticket, the woman at the counter said that a lot of people had complained that movie was too gross.

On DVD: Amazon
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Posters: Amazon


Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark

Mostly intelligent and definitely very scary—but I’m puzzled about whom the audience is supposed to be. Too scary for sane families. Too much of a family flick for most young horror buffs.

On DVD: Amazon
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Posters: Amazon


Don’t Breathe

Pick of the Week

Top-notch horror. Puts you on the edge of your seat, but doesn’t make you uncomfortable and fearful that you’re really going to throw up or have a heart attack. A-

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Don’t Think Twice

If you’re interested in the lives and tribulations of comedians—this one’s for you. B

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Dope

Nice cast—a little bit too all over the lot for me. B-

On DVD: Amazon
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The Double

This flick isn’t irredeemably bad, but I really don’t understand how a movie like this gets made. Who was supposed to see it—other than me—and why? The director came out of the screenwriting corps and it shows.

On DVD: Amazon
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The Double Hour

Subtitles. This is a very engaging, twisty story, but it uses one trick that’s absolutely verboten in the thriller business. Still, it’s worth seeing, if you can find it.

Posters: Amazon


Draft Day

Kevin Costner in a movie about sports is always a pretty good idea—and that’s what Draft Day is—pretty good.

On DVD: Amazon
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Drag Me to Hell

This is a B movie with an A movie budget. It looks good, it’s well directed, but ultimately this is a story that could have been on The Twilight Zone.

On DVD: Amazon
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Dreamgirls

A lot of people loved the play and the movie but, unfortunately, I wasn’t one of them. The problem here, for me, is I just don’t care for the music. If you think about it, the idea of taking the original very black rhythm & blues sound and making it “white” shouldn’t produce particularly terrific songs. Ironically, it did just that for Motown-but not, in my opinion, for Dream Girls.

On DVD: Amazon
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Drillbit Taylor

The kid dialog and performances are funny and good. Owen Wilson, not so good.

On DVD: Amazon
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Drive

Pick of the Week

Very well directed and acted. (I think Ryan Gosling is the best there is.) Sometimes very brutal, art-house thriller. Heroes in art-house movies are usually stoic. This one seems to be a stand for realism.

On DVD: Amazon
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Drive Angry

Somewhere along the way, graphic novels and comic books got into the wrong hands. This kind of messed up movie is closer to what graphic novels used to be: incredibly socially incorrect.

On DVD: Amazon
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Posters: Amazon


The Drop

Pick of the Week

Slow moving, mildly depressing, action-deficient crime story—that I liked very much. Warning: there are no car chases or exploding buildings.

On DVD: Amazon
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The Duchess

What a set of eyes on that Keira Knightley. Nice costumes and manor houses, too. The story should have been more emotional on screen.

On DVD: Amazon
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Due Date

This reminded me of a Farrelly Bros. (There’s Something About Mary, etc.) production, except that the lighting is much better. The characters are kind of unlikeable, but when it’s funny, it’s very funny (if you like gross-funny).

On DVD: Amazon
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Posters: Amazon


The Duff

Solid high school comedy with a good cast. I felt it needed a funnier script and sharper direction. B-

On DVD: Amazon
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Dunkirk

The battle scenes are strong; the rescue story is strong; but I didn’t really care about any of the characters. B

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Duplicity

Nice writing, very good acting—especially Clive Owen—but I found the story became slightly tedious as it wore on. There were too many scenes that didn’t go anywhere—at least for my taste.

On DVD: Amazon
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Posters: Amazon