The Hitman's Bodyguard (2017) --- "WARNING: It's Possible To Write A Film's Script Using Only Cuss Words."

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Plot Summary

The world's top protection agent is called upon to guard the life of his mortal enemy, one of the world's most notorious hit men. The relentless bodyguard and manipulative assassin have been on the opposite end of the bullet for years and are thrown together for a wildly outrageous 24 hours. During their journey from England to the Hague, they encounter high-speed car chases, outlandish boat escapades and a merciless Eastern European dictator who is out for blood. (1) 

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Rated R for strong violence and language throughout.

Hello, Movie Buffs! 

     I just saw The Hitman's Bodyguard (2017) and I was pretty impressed. I like action/comedy films and this film is worth seeing in theaters with a group of people. The Hitman's Bodyguard is a combination of the humor/language from Deadpool and the action from Jack Reacher; kind of like a more vulgar version of Rush Hour. This film received an R rating mostly due to the profound language – an overabundance of the F-bomb (Jackson has made a career on using the F-bomb) – and some action sequences. The chemistry between Ryan Reynolds’ and Samuel L. Jackson’s characters was pretty good and as the film goes on we start to see the personality, and even some reasoning, behind the who the characters are. There are times when the use of vulgar language gets a bit annoying especially when you hear the F-word every 5 seconds but at the same time, it plays a part in explaining the main characters personalities. Also, Salma Hayek's character as a totally violent person was surprising and fun to watch. 

Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (2016) --- "Studies Have Proven That Revealing One's Unique Parentage Can Attract Hit-Men. The End Will Make You Think Twice."

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Plot Summary

Investigator Jack Reacher (Tom Cruise) springs into action after the arrest of Susan Turner (Cobie Smulders), an Army major accused of treason. Suspecting foul play, Jack embarks on a mission to prove that the head of his old unit is innocent. After crossing paths with the law, Reacher must now go on the lam to uncover the truth behind a major government conspiracy that involves the death of U.S. soldiers. (1)

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     I'm a fan of Tom Cruise (The Mummy, A Few Good Men) because he has the style of an old-fashioned film star and is a major driving force at the box office, so it is no doubt that I have enjoyed many of his films time and time again. And unlike many critics, I enjoyed the second installment of the Jack Reacher films, Jack Reacher: Never Go Back; which promises to deliver mystery, action, and comedy that will entertain audiences. Crime stories tend to follow the same kind of pace, slow and ever dragging. And while Never Go Back is a bit slow in the beginning the pace picks up throughout the film, which follows with the idea that our small band is continually on their toes as their pursued by the enemy throughout the country.

Jack Reacher (2012) --- "Assassin Kills 5 People In Order To Cover Up The Assassination Of A Rival. The Reveal Will Shock You."

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Plot Summary

One morning in an ordinary town, five people are shot dead in a seemingly random attack. All evidence points to a single suspect: an ex-military sniper who is quickly brought into custody. The man's interrogation yields one statement: Get Jack Reacher (Tom Cruise). Reacher, an enigmatic ex-Army investigator, believes the authorities have the right man but agrees to help the sniper's defense attorney (Rosamund Pike). However, the more Reacher delves into the case, the less clear-cut it appears. (1) 

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     Jack Reacher (2012) is based on the novels by Lee Child. Now I have not read the book series but from what I have read the film is not accurately based off the book. According to those who have read the books, Tom Cruise (The Mummy) does not fit the role in terms of appearances, who in the books stands at 6’5 and weighs 250 lbs. Obviously, Cruise does not fit this criterion, so fans probably wish that the role was given to someone like Hugh Jackman, Chris Evans or the appearance someone new to film. I honestly do not care in this regard because I have never read the books so I don’t have a deep connection or admiration for the characters like the book fans do. It becomes clear early on that Jack Reacher’s outer appearance is basic in comparison to his intellect and it is interesting to see throughout the film. Also since they decided to go with someone of high movie standing (or of big recognition) like Tom Cruise the production team were given the leniency to make some changes. And in doing so they were able to focus more of character development and occasional brutal violence while focusing less on senseless action and impractical drivel.

Hanna (2011) --- "Find Out How Selective Breeding Can Cause You Miss Someone's Heart On The Shooting Range."

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Plot Summary

Raised by her father (Eric Bana) in the Finnish wilderness, teenage Hanna (Saoirse Ronan) has trained all her life to be the perfect assassin. Her father sends her on a mission, and she stealthily makes her way across Europe while evading agents sent after her by a ruthless operative named Marissa (Cate Blanchett), who once worked with Hanna's father. As she draws closer to her target, Hanna faces startling revelations about her existence and begins to question her humanity. (1) 

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     Hanna (2011) is an unexpected and entertaining action thriller but it is not “balls to the wall” action film that one might expect. Hanna is a one of a kind action film that comes around once every blue moon, one that shows value to its character and delivers great action sequences. The pace of the film is great, at times it may seem slow but this only allows for the audience to properly get to know the characters, most notably Hanna (Saoirse Ronan – Brooklyn) as she explores the world around her for the first time. The acting is solid throughout. Saoirse Ronan excels as Hanna by portraying both a hardened and vulnerable character. Her perspective of the world is unique as she struggles to understand human interaction, the foreign experience of having fun, and the inner workings of the electrical gadgets we take for granted. This was not an easy role to fill as it was physically and emotionally demanding but Ronan nails it. Tom Hollander (Pride and Prejudice), Cate Blanchett (Curious Case of Benjamin Button) and Eric Bana (Troy) all turn out good performances that serve a purpose to the film, however, Bana’s character is easily forgotten.

The Giver (2014) --- "This Dystopian Society Is Filmed In Black And White. Find Out Why?"

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Plot Summary

Jonas (Brenton Thwaites) lives in a seemingly idyllic world of conformity and contentment. When he begins to spend time with The Giver (Jeff Bridges), an old man who is the sole keeper of the community's memories, Jonas discovers the dangerous truths of his community's secret past. Armed with the power of knowledge, Jonas realizes that he must escape from their world to protect himself and those he loves -- a challenge no one has ever completed successfully. (1)

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     Books allow the reader to unfold the full potential of their imagination without the limitations of a budget holding them back. Most book-to-film adaptions are not always accurate for many reasons – budget, script, etc. I have heard that while The Giver (2014) is different from Lois Lowry’s book of the same name, it still remains faithful to many elements and is still an entertaining movie. Of course, The Giver is not the most exciting story because of it is another story about what a utopia future could look like if everything was controlled but that doesn’t mean that it is a movie flop. The producers did incredible work of delivering a fairly accurate representation of what a sterile and totalitarian society would look like. The general population follows a set of rules without question or disobedience and the governing leader ensures that his or her's presences is respected and understood. As a result, the people appear content but lack motivation and passion. This brings me to my next point, the message of the film.

Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 (2015) --- "Can A Fourth Film Be Better Than The Third? It's A Close Race."

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Plot Summary

Katniss Everdeen becomes the symbol of the rebellion after she shoots a force field into the arena of the Quater Quell. She now lives with the rebels in District 13 after President Snow destroyed the other districts except for District 2. She agrees to become the Mockingjay but her main focus is to save Peeta after he was captured by the Capitol in the Quater Quell and is being "hijacked". (1)

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     It appears that a lot of viewers were disappointed with Mockingjay Part 1 because it had less action and more emotion, and resulted in the third book to be drawn out as a more financial gain for the studio. However, I enjoyed how Part 1 focused on the inner workings of Katniss’ mind and watching how she came to the conclusion of assassinating President Snow herself to be well rewarding. This also allowed for Part 2 to be packed and more focused on the action of the book. If we combine both movies one 4hr or 5hr movie and split it into a 2hr movie then you will find that the end result is far below satisfactory and lacking a great deal of detail.

Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 (2014) --- "The Climax Of A Rebellion Can Sometimes Be Anti-Climatic."

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Plot Summary

As the war of Panem escalates to the destruction of other districts, Katniss Everdeen, the reluctant leader of the rebellion, must bring together an army against President Snow, while all she holds dear hangs in the balance. (1)

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     It appears that I am in a minority here because I really liked Mockingjay Part 1. Now before you rip this review to shreds, at least hear me out. I do acknowledge that when compared to the previous two films, Mockingjay Part 1 doesn't feel like a complete film; it is basically a build-up film that doesn't have a proper ending. On one hand, I agree that splitting the last book into two films was a purely greed-driven decision by the studio. This resulted in the film being largely deprived of the action and adventure scenes that so many fans loved in the first two films.

Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013) --- "Catching Fire Can Be Dangerous."

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Plot Summary

Twelve months after her Hunger Games victory, Katniss Everdeen finds herself under President Snow's watchful eye and must prove that she and Peeta's double win was truly due to their undying love for each other. But Snow's plans have only just begun, and when the 75th annual Games begins, Katniss's life will change forever. (1)

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     Compared to the first film, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is profoundly darker both in the book and the movie. The main characters are even more pessimistic than ever and their need for survival is much more imperative. Now if you thought that the first installment had few laughs then in this film the comedy is fewer and farther in between. Some of the comedy is either very subtle or a little dark when first seen.  Even the brightly-lit scenes of adoring crowds and smiling hosts seemed somewhat forced and depressing. Of course there is some enjoyable witty banter between the multitude of characters, however, you could not help notice the feeling of doom and gloom that surrounded the film from start to end. Now, this is not meant to be a bad thing because this movie is not supposed to be a relatively happy one.

The Hunger Games (2012) --- "One Girl Fights To Be The Sole Survivor In A Starving Game."

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Plot Summary

In a dystopian future, the United States is now called Panem with a defined Capitol for the rich and privileged, and the rest of the states have been split into 12 Districts – each one serving a specific purpose to Panem. Each year two young representatives from each district are selected by lottery to participate in The Hunger Games. Part entertainment, ritual retribution for a past rebellion, the televised games are broadcast throughout Panem. The 24 participants are forced to eliminate their competitors while the citizens of Panem are required to watch. When 16-year-old Katniss' young sister, Prim, is selected as District 12's female representative, Katniss volunteers to take her place. She and her male counterpart, Peeta, are pitted against bigger, stronger representatives, some of whom have trained for this their whole lives.

- Written by Suzanne Collins
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     I am a huge fan of the book series ‘The Hunger Games’ by Suzanne Collins, it is one of the few book series that I cherish because out of all the books I have read this series was one I shared with my mother; we both read them. Before receiving the book series I had no idea what the Hunger Games was about or that they were even planning to make a book to movie adaption. After reading the books I was both excited and a little worried.

The Dark Tower (2017) --- "Dark Towers May Contain An Evil Matthew McConaughey And A Gunslinger Idris Elba."

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Plot Summary

Roland Deschain (Idris Elba), the last Gunslinger, is locked in an eternal battle with Walter O'Dim (Matthew McConaughey), also known as the Man in Black. The Gunslinger must prevent the Man in Black from toppling the Dark Tower, the key that holds the universe together. With the fate of worlds at stake, two men collide in the ultimate battle between good and evil. 

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     The Dark Tower (2017) is inspired by, not adapted from, the Stephen King novels of the same name. Now, I have not read any of Stephan King’s novels, so I saw this movie completely new and ready to learn why so many people love the book franchise. From what I read up on the producers, director, and writers took a sweeping epic series that could have been stretched over several films and multiple genres, taking audiences on a ride that cannot be so easily forgotten. However, I don’t believe that the film suffers entirely because the main idea of the plot and the characters were the same. Also, the ending of the film gives room for this to be a one and done kind of film or we could delve back into the world of The Gunslinger, especially since there are other worlds out there that are protected by the Dark Tower.

The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies (2014) --- "The Dragon Was The Least Of They're Worries, Now Five Armies Must Battle It Out."

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Plot Summary

As Smaug breathes fire and destruction onto Laketown, another sort of dragon-danger threatens Thorin Oakenshield - the gold madness that seized his Grandsire Thror. The people of Laketown flee to the ruins of Dale, in the shadow of the Lonely Mountain, only to be greeted by an army of Elves led by Thranduil, marching there too. Asking Thorin for their own fair share of the gold, Men and Elves are answered by Dwarvish defiance. However, there are things far more important than gold. With an army at their doorstep, everyone must put aside their feuds and stand together for one more battle, a battle of the five armies; the Dwarves of Erebor and the Iron Hills, The Elves of the Woodland Realm, The Humans of Laketown, and The Eagles lead by Radagast and Beorn.

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     I would first like to point out that if you watched The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies in theaters or on the television and you don’t think that the battle scenes were as epic as they could have been, well then I have to inform you that version you saw was the Director’s Cut. When director Peter Jackson submitted the final version of the film be rated the first time the film came back with a Rated-R, and this was mostly due to the battle scenes. Because of this Peter Jackson had to severely cut back on the battle scenes by a good 30 minutes; rather bloody, feature dismemberment and decapitations, and all this is accompanied life-like sounds. Now the Extended Edition has received a Rated-R rating, of course, this rating is debatable but that is dependent upon the person watching the film. Overall, the Extended Edition has, without question, been mostly extended by violence.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013) --- "Dragons Are Very Hard To Kill, Especially When There Is Only One Weapon Left."

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Plot Summary

After successfully crossing over (and under) the Misty Mountains, Thorin and Company must seek aid from a powerful stranger before taking on the dangers of Mirkwood Forest, without their Wizard. If they reach the human settlement of Lake-town it will be time for the hobbit Bilbo Baggins to fulfill his contract with the dwarves. The party must complete the journey to Lonely Mountain and burglar Baggins must seek out the Secret Door that will give them access to the hoard of the dragon Smaug. And, where has Gandalf got off to? And what is his secret business to the south?

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    This review is to introduce to viewers the idea and the thinking behind the Hobbit films, so viewers can have more of an appreciation for the films.

     First, the difference between Lord of the Ring (LOTR) and the Hobbit is the with LOTR there were three long detailed books, one for each film. Because of this, in LOTR, almost everything required for the script writing was already there and could be interpreted into three individual scripts for three different films. In contrast, the Hobbit was initially written as a children’s book, this explains why everything goes by at a very fast past. However, when Jackson was writing the script for what was initially only going to be one film, he didn’t have very much to work with. Now there are a lot of scenes in the book but they are too summarized for a comprehensive film, and this is why Peter Jackson decided to make three films instead of one. Of course, some viewers disagree, but if you consider how fast he book goes by and you try to incorporate that into a movie then you would miss out on some key characters and scenes. So Jackson had to expand the sequences by the using information he brought in from Tolkien's other related texts.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) --- "What's Smaller Than A Dwarf And Has Big Feet?"

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Plot Summary

Bilbo Baggins is swept into a quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor from the fearsome dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior, Thorin Oakenshield. Their journey will take them into the Wild; through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins and Orcs, deadly Wargs and Giant Spiders, Shapeshifters and Sorcerers. Although their goal lies to the East and the wastelands of the Lonely Mountain first they must escape the goblin tunnels, where Bilbo meets the creature that will change his life forever ... Gollum. Here, alone with Gollum, on the shores of an underground lake, the unassuming Bilbo Baggins not only discovers depths of guile and courage that surprise even him, he also gains possession of Gollum's "precious" ring that holds unexpected and useful qualities ... A simple, gold ring that is tied to the fate of all Middle-earth in ways Bilbo cannot begin to know.  

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     Now there is a difference between the movie and the book, however, that is generally the case with all book to movie adaptations. There are things that you read about in a book but you can’t necessarily portray in a movie and vice versa. The book is very complex and sometimes hard to keep up with but it has a very different depth to it, while the movie offers you images to places and characters that not even your imagination is able to conjure up.