James Patterson – Movie Reviews – P
MOVIE REVIEWS – P’S
Pacific Rim
Giant robots versus giant aliens and surprisingly good. Especially the entourage actors.
On DVD: Amazon
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Pan’s Labyrinth
Pick of the Week
This movie will be up for a lot of awards and deservedly so. Somehow Guillermo del Toro manages to combine a very harsh war story with a child’s fantasy world and it works. Still, the movie is brutal at times and isn’t for everybody.
Paranormal Activity 2
I don’t know why I keep doing this to myself—going to every freaking movie that comes out. My problem, not yours. This one bears testimony to the fact that people are desperate for something different that has something to do with their day-to-day lives. As for the movie itself, you will watch surveillance tapes of a house for an hour or more waiting for something to happen, then something happens (not terribly exciting) and there’s absolutely no explanation for why it happened.
Passengers
Big stars. Big budget. Disappointing results. C+
On DVD: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
On Demand: Amazon | iTunes
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Patriots Day
Pick of the Week
It may be a little early to tell this story—but the filmmakers did an excellent job of respectfully treating a very difficult few days for most Americans. A
On DVD: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
On Demand: Amazon | iTunes
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Patti Cake$
My favorite movie so far this year. A very large, very charming white girl from Jersey wants to be a rap star. Funny, sweet, real. A+
Peppermint
I like Jennifer Garner, but this is one to be avoided. The way the script was produced is terrible. The dialogue isn’t very good, and the story is even worse. A lot of the scenes don’t work. It should have been a decent enough movie, but it isn’t. C-
Perfect Stranger
I love Bruce Willis but I wish he’d be a little more careful in terms of the directors he works with. This is one of those dark twisty stories that coulda/shoulda been a lot more satisfying. I’ll still see the next Bruce Willis movie.
The Pink Panther 2
It’s interesting to compare the old films with the new. Obviously the original Pink Panther films were groundbreaking, but Peter Sellers also drew deeper, richer laughs. On the other hand, there are more laughs from Steve Martin. Jack and his friend Christy enjoyed it.
Pitch Perfect 2
Glee for the big screen. I like Anna Kendrick in anything. B
On DVD: Amazon
On Demand: Amazon | iTunes
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Pompeii
Pompeii…was never like this. Hard to imagine, but a poor man’s 300.
On DVD: Amazon
On Demand: Amazon | iTunes
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The Post
It’s always fascinating to see a movie when you’ve gone through the event and it’s personal for you. The acting is terrific. The direction is kind of standard Spielberg. But I always found it powerful when people do the right thing and succeed. A-
Precious
Pick of the Week
My favorite movie so far this year; also one of my favorite books. Unfortunately, I guess, the people who would benefit most from seeing it, probably won’t. Some nasty language will keep some folks away—like my wife, Sue. I am currently pondering whether I should take my 11 year-old, Jack, to see it.
Predator
Several reviews suggested the original Predator was a classic. I felt it was the typical 50’s-style sci-fi flick with a much bigger budget and a much bigger “star.” The latest episode was funny at times. Shane Black is always funny. B-
Premonition
The movie was a whole lot better than I thought it was going to be since the reviews I read were incredibly harsh. I thought the first two thirds were incredibly suspenseful, unfortunately, for me, the ending was a real loser. Still in all, this wasn’t a bad combination of suspense and horror.
Pride and Glory
This is fast-moving with good dialog and acting until the last twenty minutes, which got too over-the-top Hollywood for me. Also, this is another one of those cop stories with dark photography that most people over twenty-five won’t appreciate.
Prisoners
Pick of the Week
You’ll love it, or you’ll hate it. Really long, very dark, frequently depressing, violent at times, and I’m one of the people who actually loved it.
On DVD: Amazon
On Demand: Amazon | iTunes
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Professor Marston and the Wonder Women
Smart, affecting biopic about the Harvard professor who created the comic book character Wonder Woman – and the two wondrous women he loved. B+
Project Almanac
Good dialogue. Nice casting. Way too much shaky camera and “found footage.” B
On DVD: Amazon
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Public Enemies
The cinematography is some of the best I’ve ever seen, and I always enjoy watching Johnny Depp. But there’s something about glorifying a killer and bank robber that made this film feel hollow to me. Also, the shootouts rat-a-tat-tatted on and on.
