Movie Watching Part 3

After a slow start to the year, I've somehow managed to find enough time in the last few months to catch the latest movies.

Guardians of the Galaxy

photo from the Guardians of the Galaxy wikipedia page

This movie was really good fun. It's rare for superhero movies to not take themselves so seriously and this is exactly what makes Guardians of the Galaxy stand out. I mean, just having a raccoon and a tree (or, well, tree-like creature) in the cast of accidental and misfit heroes is bound to make things uniquely entertaining. That said, I'm not exactly with most people who are raving that this is the best superhero movie ever and that it is one of their favorite films (it has an 92% approval rating in Rotten Tomatoes). Personally, I think Captain America: The Winter Soldier is better. That said, while Guardians of the Galaxy is not my favorite, it is still really good and an absolute fun movie to watch.

The Giver

photo from The Giver wikipedia page

I didn't know what to expect when I watched this film since I didn't know anyone else who had seen it. It is about a utopian society that looks great and perfect on the outside but as we know, there is always more to it than meets the eye. I like how the deep, dark secrets of this world are slowly revealed as the movie progresses. It's not all that critically acclaimed but it did get me thinking about the validity of concept and ideas of creating such a utopian society. It got me to thinking about where we need to draw the line in terms of what we should and shouldn't do but it also made me realize that this line will be different depending on who you ask. Overall, despite the low critic ratings, I thought it was decent. Of course, for me, it helps that Meryl Streep is in the cast. :)

Into the Storm

photo from the Into the Storm wikipedia page

One of the most unique movie-watching experiences of my life; there were only three of us watching during the last full show! I didn't realized until I saw it that it was about storm chasers who are trying to study tornadoes. Pretty much like an updated version of Twister. As such, it was almost automatic for me to compare the two movies and I will say that I liked Twister a whole lot better. The effects were incredible but I never really warmed to, or connected with, the characters. I guess it was good for me to see it since it was a check-your-brain-at-the-door kind of film and you would just watch it for the "action" and the effects and I needed to see one of the films the night I saw it. However, would I recommend it? Probably not, unless it was on cable TV and you had nothing better to watch at that time.