Okay I know what your thinking “Hey this came out a month ago!” Well…. you’re right! but that doesn’t change the fact that Captain America: Civil War might be the greatest comic book movie made to date! With the introduction of new characters and the return of a beloved classic character to the mix we were left with a huge grin on our face! We had so much fun recording this Spoiler Alert! Captain America: Civil War episode we couldn’t just leave it in the vault! We hope you have as much fun listening as we did recording this episode! Also remember We want to hear from you with your thoughts on Captain America: Civil War or any movie you want discuss or review “we’re all ears!” You can call the voicemail  #260-573-0015,  or email us at: moviemadnesspodcast@gmail.com. You can also post them to Twitter, Facebook or the Ultimate Movie Geeks community on Google+

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Verdict: ★★★

Independence Day: Resurgence is a movie I’ve been anticipating since the credits first rolled on ID4. I’ve read some of the fan fiction, I’ve bought a couple of the post-movie books, I’ve even bought a picture album of movie screen shots because I loved that flick so much.

So when I saw the trailer for ID:R, I nearly shat a brick. And not just any brick… but the big, clunky, red kind. Yeah, that’s serious! Now, there are some spoilers in this review, not much, but some. So if you haven’t seen it and want to be completely surprised… READ NO FURTHER!

You’ve been warned. Go see it, then come back here and we’ll talk. Aaaaaand… go!

Okay so here we are, I saw it on July 4th weekend because Independence, and typical for Roland Emmerich’s work, there’s a ton of CGI, alien monsters and total city destruction with billions of people dying from a distance. See, the blessing about an Emmerich movie (and its curse, really) is that he really goes big so that the camera has to back off a few miles just so you can see what’s going on. In 2012, you knew very well that billions of people were dying all around the camera, and following that plane through downtown L.A. while subway trains were pooping themselves out of (suddenly) mile-high tunnels and thousands cars on the 405 were dumped unceremoniously into a bottomless abyss. What you didn’t see were the people, children, mothers, fathers, inside those cars and trains and being squashed under toppling buildings.

Same goes for ID:R… an entire hemisphere was sucked up in the air by MegaMaid (she’s gone from suck to blow!) and then dumped back down on itself, so you know very well that billions died. This makes Man Of Steel’s demolition of Metropolis look like a kid stepping on an anthill. Turns out, none of it was really necessary because the main point wasn’t the aliens’ destruction of a hemisphere… it was to drill to the Earth’s mantle to destroy the planet while getting the molten rock for their energy.

While I don’t have a problem with that, what was sacrificed for the CGI of Europe getting tossed like a salad was the story line itself. ID:R had several young characters who were the children of the first movie’s heroes. Capt. Dylan Hiller (Jessie Usher) is a household name because he’s essentially royalty, being Steve and Jasmine Hiller’s son. A fine pilot himself, he’s got a pretty harsh problem with Lt. Jake Morrison (Liam Hemsworth) over a training accident that happened recently but you never really get to see what the problem is save for a tiny video that Jake plays before quickly shutting off. Jake’s fiance, Patricia (Maika Monroe) daughter of ex-President Tom Whitmore knows them both and would totally love it if they were BFFs again but you don’t get to see why she knows them or even what their background is save a single picture of the three of them in Jake’s locker.

Here’s the real problem with the movie… I don’t really care about any of these new people because I don’t know them except that they’re the kids from the first flick all grown up. Each character’s story is basically spoon fed to you with two or three lines and then they’re off to fight something. I would have appreciated another hour of the movie just getting to know them. Maybe a reference to dylan “just shootin’ aliens” or Patricia thinking about her late mother.

But enough about that because everyone from the first flick is on screen as well! Well, sort of. Okay, with the exception of Tom Whitmore (a rather aged and bearded Bill Pullman) and David Levinson (Jeff F—ing Goldblum! Woohooo!) all the old characters we fell in love with from the first one appeared for a few minutes and then disappeared as if being marched across stage for their token bow then marched right back off again.

Forget about any of the background characters who showed up but didn’t do much. Wait, why was Joey King in this movie? She’s a kid with parents who died and is… what is she doing? It doesn’t matter because the CGI in the air is what is important here. She’s crying for some reason, she pops her cute little face up here and there throughout the movie, but the movie seemed to push her out of the way just as fast.

And why was there a French woman romantically teasing David throughout the entire movie? What happened to David’s former flame, Connie? Nothing. Not even a little history. Just… they’re romantic, so be quiet and enjoy the aliens. K? K.

The only thing I hope for is that they tack that extra hour on the DVD. Please God, let them tack that on. I wanted to see more of my heroes here, but everything happened so fast. It was like a guy standing there holding a sign with arrows and hastily sharpied words telling us what every character was about in two lines or less then standing aside for the dogfight scenes.

So, TL;DR, I’ll sum it all up here with the pros and cons.

Pros:
~ The CGI was typical Roland Emmerich… bad ass and sophisticated on another level from Hollywood’s usual fare.
~ Excellent action.
~ Rockin’ dog fights that make Top Gun look like my three year old throwing a paper airplane.
~ The movie never takes itself too seriously and has lots of good humor thrown in.

Cons:
~ I’ve seen better emotional content in an IKEA directions packet.
~ Lots of needless destruction that pushes the story out of the way.
~ You never really get to know anyone, you’re just supposed to assume they’re good at what they do and you’re safe in their capable hands.

(shrugs)

Verdict: ☠ ☠ 1/2

First of all, there are possible spoilers in this review. You’ve been warned! And when I say spoilers, I don’t actually mean I give anything away, but I do lay down parts of the movie that would move my review along. So if you absolutely, positively want to go into this completely shocked and awed, rent it first!

As a fan of various P&P movies (and the book) over the years, I have my own favorite movie version as does everyone else (mine is the one with Colin Firth as Darcy) but when it comes right down to it, P&P&Z may vie for the title. That’s because I’m both a fan of P&P and a fan of all things Zombie. The trick is that this movie was designed around those two niche audiences specifically, two completely different circles of friends who otherwise would have never given each other a first glance in the theater popcorn line. See? Already this movie is bringing people together! World peace is JUST around the corner, folks! I just know it.

Now, I know what everyone is thinking… how do zombies come into play in Jane Austin’s Brittania? P&P&Z, adapted from the novel of the same name was more well-put together than I thought it would be. Elegant, surprisingly NOT gory, and refined, the storyline, while much more compressed than Austin’s original dictionary-sized literary work of art, held much of the same feeling with the societal dances, Mr. Collins’ incredible ego and motormouth, and Mr. Darcy’s absolute disgust with it all. But seamlessly interwoven is the knowledge and constant danger that zombies lurk everywhere and that London and the surrounding area has all but fallen to the apocalypse.

As such, societal young women are trained in the ability to sing, dance, find rich men to marry and provide instant combat prowess and general martial-artistic badassery should the occasion rise whereupon they are onset by the random horde of undead gathering. This gives us a refreshing atmosphere of genuinely strong female leads, as every girl in the Bennett family dresses to the nines for the random country dance and regularly carries concealed throwing knives, long swords about their bust and pistols in their handbags for some extreme combat after the punchbowl is emptied.

And when I say female leads, I do mean that women in this movie dominate the combat scene. With the exception of Mr. Darcy… I’m sorry, Colonel Darcy (played by a very bored looking Sam Riley) who is a professional zombie slayer known throughout the land, the men in this movie don’t really have much to do. Elizabeth Bennett (a rather frail looking Lily James, Rose from Downton Abbey) is beautiful but positively no-nonsense when it comes to her emotions, her sister Jane (played by Bella Heathcote), and knocking the odd zombie into the dirt old school. Kitty, Mary and that silly girl Lydia prove to be much more fun to watch with combat training than Ms. Austin’s original characters. But there’s only so much action you can put in a movie like this and the men sort of just step back and let the women kick wholesale ass. Even the kindhearted Mr. Bingley is a true English dandy as Jane Bennett romances him by saving his ass from undead monsters in some of the most violent ways possible most of the time. I suppose this brings them together because as we all know, Jane fell for Bingley for reasons other than his money, though in P&P&Z, you can’t really tell what it was she liked about him.

That said, the Bennett sisters are truly bad to the bone. For fun, they upset Mrs. Bennett’s nerves by lightly conversing about singing, dancing and finding rich men to marry… all while sparring with each other throughout the house with brutal martial arts, kicks and punches that would make Jason Statham sit up and take notice. Then Mr. Bingley shows up and they all titter to each other, not really noticing the house’s splintering supporting beams they just kicked one another through!

The one character I had the most fun watching was Mr. Collins… I mean Parson Collins (played over the top hilariously by Dr. Who’s Matt Smith). Dr. Who had a blast playing the annoyingly talkative Collins who does nothing but jabber on about himself, himself, himself and Lady Catherine de Bourgh (whose lines are uttered through gritted teeth by Lena Headey in full battle mode).

All in all, this was a fun movie to rent. Everyone had a blast playing their parts and making this movie come to life. I wouldn’t have been entirely bothered by dropping a five spot on it at a theater either, but now that Redbox has it, I have no guilt whatsoever. Not like 2013’s Hansel & Gretel, sheezus. I had to drink to bury the fact that I actually spent money on that one!

The summer blockbuster season is in full swing with comic book movies leading the way! We’ve already had the surprisingly successful Deadpool set the bar high this year only to be followed by the critically panned but  very lucrative Batman v Superman lowering it back down!  Now Marvel/Disney is back  to set everything right in the comic book world with Captain America: Civil War. Building on the already amazing Marvel cinematic universe Marvel has once again set the bar for what not just a comic book movie should be but any action movie should be! We invite you to join us in our Mini Review of Captain America: Civil War. And of course, feel free to let us know your review of Captain America: Civil War or any movie review you want to send us call the voicemail  #260-573-0015,  or email us at: moviemadnesspodcast@gmail.com. You can also post them to Twitter, Facebook or the Ultimate Movie Geeks community on Google+

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Every year the movies get bigger and their stars spotlight shines brighter and brighter! But I have to ask you the question? Just cause the movies are bigger does that make the actors better? Why did they get that role? Was it looks? A great agent? Married to the director? or maybe just maybe their good actors! If you’ve ever asked yourself the questions Are They Lucky or Are They Good? grab your earbuds and join in the fun as Jeremy, Craig and Doug try to agree or agree to disagree on some of our favorite actors today! If you like this episode you should check out Are They Lucky or Are They Good? Vol.1  for even more fun! And of course, feel free to let us know your your thoughts & feelings about all the actors and actresses we discussed and let us know what actors you’d like added to the list for our Are the Lucky or Are they good episode Vol.3. Your input helps make the show better!  You can call the voicemail number  260-573-0015,  or email us at: moviemadnesspodcast@gmail.com. You can also post them to Twitter, Facebook or the Ultimate Movie Geeks community on Google+

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Verdict: ★★★ 1/2

First of all, let me say that I have always loved Brendan Gleeson’s work and he just. keeps. getting. better. I love how much humor he can bring to a crotchety old man (see: Mad Eye Moody), or how much sarcasm he can bring to a peaceful small town sheriff (see: Sheriff Hank in Lake Placid). His dark, searching eyes and pursed lips speak volumes!

In The Heart Of The Sea is yet another he can add to his resume of memorable characters that moved me. This is a seafarer’s tale of intense adventure, coming of age among sailors on a working ship, and a big, pissed off whale showing man that he is decidedly NOT in charge. Tom Nickerson (at first, played by Gleeson and in flashbacks played by the new Spiderman‘s Tom Holland) is an old man with a grave secret that he’s not told anyone about for decades… even his wife. And when a persistent novice author named Herman Melville comes calling, asking him to tell his tale so that he can write a new book, Nickerson finds himself facing the dark corner he’s kept hidden all these years.

Flashback to when Nickerson was an adventurous young boy, new to whaling aboard the Essex, out of Nantucket in 1820. He finds himself under the leadership of Cap’n Pollard (Benjamin Walker) and first mate Chase (Chris Hemsworth) as they are the last whaling boat to leave harbor that fateful year, promising to return with 2000 barrels of whale oil.

At first, things look good. Whales seem abundant in the south Atlantic… when suddenly they all disappear and for a full year, the Essex rounds Cape Horn and tries for the Pacific instead. They do find whales nearly halfway across the ocean and come across a particularly disruptive white whale that makes the Essex look like a bucket.

Directed brilliantly, as usual, by one of my all-time favorites Ron Howard, ITHOTS is a finely crafted sea story, one that people who have ever loved Melville’s, or Hawthorne’s, or Stevenson’s books of adventures will really enjoy. Gleeson, as stated, brought his A-game to the production and Tom Holland surprised me with the depth of character he gave as a young, naïve boy who doesn’t want to go through Hell, but finds himself facing it and takes that step with one eye closed.

However, as much as I like Hemsworth, I found him a bit distracting and not in a way my wife does. He kept slipping back and forth as if upon an unswabbed deck between a thick clam-chowder Massachusetts accent, and Thor’s deep, European huntsman articulation. Right when the whale guano hits the fan in several scenes, Hemsworth says something emotional to a fellow crewman with his JFK voice, then suddenly stands up as a leader of men breaking out in his Thor delivery and I fully expected to see Mjölnir the hammer in his hand.

A small thing, yes. But in a movie of this epic nature, it pulled me back out of the story a few times and into real life again for just a moment. That’s the worst, when you’re one of the sailors right there in the action and something is happening… and suddenly you look around and remember you have a lawn to mow later. Crap! Oh wait, the movie. Right! But still, it’s a small thing and the ENTIRE rest of the movie more than covers the balance.

Clear your mind and concentrate! Will Suicide Squad be a hit? Will Doctor Strange be Marvel’s first miss? Can you have a Magnificent Seven without seven magnificent actors? If your vision of the box office future is cloudy you could always pull out your trusty Ouija 2 board or maybe ask Pete’s Dragon for help but might we offer you a much more fun solution! Pop in your earbuds and join us as we stick our necks out and put our reputations “some greater than others!” on the line with our 2016 Prediction Episode pt 3! This brings us a close to our  2016 Predictions episodes, but it doesn’t end the conversation we want to have with you! Our Awesome movie friends! We want to know all your movie predictions for 2016! Send your predictions to  moviemadnesspodcast@gmail.com or call the voice mail # 260-573-0015 or post them to Twitter, Facebook or the Ultimate Movie Geeks community on Google+

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of Batman v Superman, it was the age of Zack Snyder, it was the epoch of belief Batman v Superman could be great, it was the epoch of incredulity that Ben Affleck could be Batman, it was the season of Marvel, it was the season of DC, it was the spring of hope, it was the March of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going a second time, we were all going to get a refund! –in short, the period was so far like 1998 Armageddon’s period, that some of its noisiest Critics insisted on its being received, for good or for terrible, in the superlative degree of comparison only. Join the guys as they decipher  Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and what it could have and should have been! Does B v S set up the DC Cinematic Universe? You’ll have to listen in to find out! And of course, feel free to let us know your your thoughts & feelings about Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. You can call the voicemail number  260-573-0015,  or email us at: moviemadnesspodcast@gmail.com. You can also post them to Twitter, Facebook or the Ultimate Movie Geeks community on Google+

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Are you thinking what we’re thinking? If your a movie lover than yes you are! Its time to dive into our 2016 Prediction Episode pt 2! Join the guys as they don their Carnac the Magnificent turbans and attempt to predict the outcomes of this years upcoming blockbusters. Who will be right? Who will be wrong? Who will offend 53% of America? You’ll have to listen in to find out! Also we’d like you to be part of the the fun by letting us know your predictions for 2016.You can send them to us:  moviemadnesspodcast@gmail.com or call the voice mail # 260-573-0015 or post them to Twitter, Facebook or the Ultimate Movie Geeks community on Google+

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

It is such a great time to be a comic book fan! First Ryan Reynolds knocks it outta the park with Deadpool! Next up we get to see Batman v Superman!! and if that’s not enough Marvel drops a nuclear bomb on our comic book geekdom and releases a new Captain America: Civil War trailer revealing our favorite neighborhood wall crawler Spider-Man! With the movie rights to Spidey belonging to Sony we never thought this day would come and as Stan Lee would say “Excelsior” it has! We Invite you to join us as we geek out about the new Captain America: Civil War trailer! And of course, feel free to let us know your your thoughts & feelings about Spider-Man joining  the Marvel/Disney universe. You can call the voicemail  #260-573-0015,  or email us at: moviemadnesspodcast@gmail.com. You can also post them to Twitter, Facebook or the Ultimate Movie Geeks community on Google+

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS