James Patterson – Movie Reviews – W
MOVIE REVIEWS – W’S
W.
Josh Brolin is absolutely terrific—he manages not only to look like President Bush but to act and talk like him. The portrait of Bush is more balanced than I would have expected. The problem with the movie is we know where it’s going and pretty much how it gets there.
Waiting for Superman
I can’t imagine anything more important than the subject of this documentary: the state of education in this country. I think the message would have been just as effective in half an hour, but it’s still something that every grandparent, parent, teacher, and other living and breathing American should see. Clearly our education system is a mess and there are some programs that could help tremendously, and right away.
Waitress
Pick of the Week
Is well crafted, quite funny at times, and will resonate with anybody who likes the Women’s Murder Club. I don’t want to mislead anybody, though-this is not a mystery.
A Walk Among the Tombstones
An old-fashioned detective story told with a convoluted, modern-day Hollywood storyline. Liam Neeson, very good as always. B.
A Walk in the Woods
The Odd Couple in the woods. Starts slow, stays slow (which is appropriate since the movie is about two old guys trying to hike the Appalachian Trail). But I enjoyed it. Especially Nick Nolte’s performance. B.
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WALL•E
Pick of the Week
Probably one of the 2 or 3 best movies I’ve ever seen—up until the last 15 minutes or so, which aren’t bad, but get a little bit Hollywood-predictable. This flick does show that it’s possible to combine art and entertainment. God bless writer-director Andrew Stanton.
Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps
I liked the scenes that Michael Douglas or Josh Brolin were in, otherwise I prefer to remember the original.
Warrior
Pick of the Week
Let’s start here. The trailer and ads for Warrior give away a major plot twist. Has Lion’s Gate never heard of spoiler alerts? Next, an admission. Good fight films always choke me up. I’ve no idea why. This is a good fight flick. I got choked up.
Watchmen
I watched—for as long as I possibly could—and here’s what I saw. There was some very good art direction, but also some surprisingly flat scenes. The dialogue is, in my opinion, pretty bad. There’s no one I felt obliged to root for or against—which is probably part of the film’s conceit—but who cares? Time magazine says the graphic novel is one of the past century’s hundred best novels of any kind. Maybe so. But, for me, Watchmen the movie was an overhyped disappointment.
The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep
Waterhorse is one of those children’s movies that adults will enjoy as much as their kids. A lot of attention was given to the script cinematography & animation. Definitely a good one to bring your kids eight and up to see.
The Way, Way Back
Way way better when it’s being funny. This is the best work I’ve seen from Sam Rockwell.
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We’re the Millers
Just your typical all-American family—a drug dealer, a stripper, a runaway, a virgin. Funny at times.
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We Bought a Zoo
Pick of the Week
If the title of this move is scaring you off, don’t let it. We Bought a Zoo is a sweet, charming, relatively realistic film, based on a very real zoo, with terrific performances from everyone involved, but especially Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansson.
The Wedding Ringer
Pick of the Week
A pretty good remake of Wedding Crashers. Kevin Hart is very funny and very likeable. B+
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What Happens in Vegas
This got horrendous reviews and I expected to see Ashton Kutcher punked for an hour-and-a-half. Surprisingly, however, I found the movie pretty dang funny. It definitely held my interest and, if it were up to me—rather than the F it got from real critics—I’d give it a solid B. Guess I’ll never be a real critic.
What Just Happened
Pick of the Week
Barry Levinson was the director on Diner and Wag the Dog and he can be quite funny. This is one of those Hollywood send-ups that is funny about the ridiculousness in Tinseltown. But the fact that the movie got made could be part of the problem.
When the Bough Breaks
I give this one a D. This bough broke one time too many. D.
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Where the Wild Things Are
I talked to a dozen kids about this movie and they said it was okay, but confusing and weird. These are bright kids but they were not illuminated. As for me, I thought it wasn’t as good as the book, which said it all very succinctly. I loved Max Records’s performance as Max.
While We’re Young
I’ve been noticing for years that most folks don’t have much tolerance for other people’s soap operas. I guess I do so I enjoyed the hip, cool WHILE WE’RE YOUNG but also Nick Sparks’s sweet concoction, THE LONGEST RIDE. B.
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Whiplash
Pick of the Week
Reminded me of my days in Catholic school. Minus the drums. A-
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Whiskey Tango Foxtrot
You’ve seen the story before (war journalist in the Middle East) but it’s very well done anyway. B+
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White House Down
Pick of the Week
Hands down the funniest movie of the summer.
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Why Him?
Why this movie? I guess because it has its moments, and Bryan Cranston is an incredible talent. B-
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Widows
The combination of Steve McQueen and Gillian Flynn produces a suspenseful thriller that frequently rises high above the usual. The scenes are delivered with style and effectiveness. The acting is first-rate. My nit-pick would be that the story gets a little by-the-numbers right at the end. A
The Woman in Black
Pick of the Week
Scariest sound effects ever. I saw this with the theater packed with young girls and there were screams at intervals of about sixty seconds. And Daniel Radcliffe, so far, seems to have a pretty strong following. The film in beautifully photographed but I don’t know what it would be like without the over-the-top soundtrack.
Woman in Gold
Really strong story about art stolen by the Nazis. But a bit slow moving. Helen Mirren and Ryan Reynolds both do good work. I like Reynolds more than the critics do. B
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Wonder Woman
Pick of the Week
This is how summer movies ought to be made (until the obligatory final ten-minute battle of the gods). Good story, OK action, cool performances. A.
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The World’s End
I loved, loved, loved Shaun of the Dead. Unfortunately this was no Shaun of the Dead.
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