nic-dorsey Reviews

Fruitvale Station (2013)

Michael B. Jordan plays Oscar with enough dedication to win an Oscar.

[9/10 · 10 August 2013]

What You Should Know – There is nothing more tragic than wanting to turn your life around only to have it taken away. Fruitvale Station is the reportedly true story of Oscar Grant III, a 22-year-old who was gunned down at a train station on New Year's Eve.

What Works – Michael B. Jordan plays Oscar with enough dedication to win an Oscar. The film feels more like a documentary and is a reminder of how tragedies like this are still taking place with young black men like Trayvon Martin.

What Doesn't Work – While the movie is less than 90 minutes the pace of it moves pretty slowly and the buildup of waiting for the inevitable ending is both suspenseful and painful to watch. What should be a realistic look at one day at the end of the year feels like an entire year in one day.

What I Thought – Like American Beauty this is the kind of film that reminds audiences that today can be the first day of the rest of your life except on the day that you die. Fruitvale Station is a tragic look at how easily life can end after a series of decisions in one day.

The To Do List (2013)

The To Do List is something You MUST DO this Summer

[25 July 2013]

What You Should Know – Set in the 90's it's believable that Brandy is an eighteen year old virgin. As a straight-A student she's always known what to do except when she gets the chance encounter to have sex with her crush. But she's devised a plan to pop her cherry by engaging in every sexual act possible before her first semester in college. With the support of her best friends and her slutty older sister, Brandy is well on her way from always getting straight-A's to having her first O.

What Works – The 90's soundtrack with all the sexed up songs including "Me So Horney," "O.P.P." and "Let's Talk About Sex." It's also fun to see Brandy check off each item while she's in the act. Her best friend notes there are things on the list that she hasn't even done and that's awesome. There are things on that list that I haven't even heard of and that's sad.

What Doesn't Work – The adorable dweeb looking to lose his/her virginity is a bit overdone, but it's nice that Aubrey Plaza has opted not to wear the signature ponytail and over-sized glasses. While she's the typical straight-A type, she's not insecure in who she is. Having sex is just another thing to cross off her long list of accomplishments.

What I Thought – Worth the Admission In a day and age where slutty teens run rapid it's nice to recall, not too long ago, when they didn't which makes The To Do List something you must do this summer. Keep in mind that while it's cute it's best to wear a condom; this is the kind of movie that is so vulgar you could catch an STD right in the middle of all the laughter.

World War Z (2013)

These Cannibals are Quick!

[8/10 · 21 June 2013]

What You Should Know – These are not the slow-strolling-down-the-street zombies of yester-year. These cannibals are quick! And ready to rip into you faster than you can say World War Z. They can climb skyscrapers, take down helicopters, and even break into secure hospitals if there's an ounce of blood nearby. As expected they spend the first thirty minutes of the movie destroying the most significant cities (i.e. New York, Washington D.C. – any place that has a well-known landmark) and its Brad Pitt's job to bring the epidemic to an end.

What Works – His long beard and even longer mane makes Pitt completely believable as a United Nations investigator. He's not a typical action hero. His mission isn't to save the world- just preserve what's left of humanity.

What Doesn't Work – The wife and kids. Every man needs something to fight for but these people aren't it. Mireille Enosase doesn't have the sexiness and strength necessary to play Pitt's wife. And Sterling Jerins and Abigail Hargrove are two complaining kids that would barely survive middle school let alone the apocalypse. Angelina Jolie and their third-world adopted kids would have endured the zombie epidemic with no problems.

What I Thought – Worth the Admission World War Z is worth the admission. Its action/drama/horror sequence is all the genres mixed into one and makes this summer movie so intense. Is it typical? Yes. A virus breaks out unexpectedly. Lots of people run and scream, some die, others are turned. There are aerial-shots of all the usual tourist attractions and in the end it's the race to find a cure. But still it's a fun and scary journey worth taking a tour to see – at the very least worldwide zombies are more fascinating than the domestic ones you've seen before.

Man of Steel (2013)

It's a bird, it's a plane - it's another questionable remade movie

[7/10 · 17 June 2013]

Man of Steel isn't the Superman movie you'd expect and that could be a good or bad thing. Superman use to be a charming, flying hero that saved the world on a regular basis, but today's superheroes are expected to be more human and, as a result, more hopeless (i.e. Batman and Iron Man). But Superman has never been either of those things, so what audiences can expect is a Man of Steel struggling with some serious identity issues.

What Works – Henry Cavill plays Clark Kent/Kal-El/Superman with just the right amount of bravado even if he is lacking the boyish grin. He's a man's man/lady's man – all around "super" man. His muscular physique is enough to keep female fans in their seats while his rugged manliness, and lack of spandex, should keep the guy's satisfied.

What Doesn't Work – The infinite flashbacks seriously slow down the film. Abandoned as a baby, Kal-El makes the long journey across space and lands on earth. That's an appropriate, and necessary, back story, but his struggles as a middle schooler, teenager, bartender, fisherman and explorer are not and at 2 ½ hours, the film felt as long as Kal-El's journey to earth. Russell Crowe as Jor-El (Kal-El's father) also makes these odd Obi-Wan Kenobi flashes throughout the film – giving Clark Kent guidance and direction in the way he should go in the Force Earth.

What I Thought – Superman Returns was so awful that any remake is going to be better, but better doesn't make it the best. While The Dark Knight Rises and Iron Man 3 strolled down the darker street, Man of Steel could have rose above it all. Still, for its Inception sounding-score, Avatar cinematography and all around Superhero special-effects its worth a trip to the theater – at the very least you'll be able to converse with your colleagues about how good/bad it was.

This Is the End (2013)

Actors are best at being themselves

[9/10 · 17 June 2013]

Turns out Hollywood is quite talented – as long as the actors are allowed to play themselves. Jay Baruchel (She's out of My League) has flown into L.A. to visit his good, also Canadian, friend Seth Rogen (Knocked Up). They eat greasy cheeseburgers, get high and rock out to Backstreet Boys. Seth decides they should swing by a party at James Franco's house (Oz the Great and Powerful). During the party the apocalypse happens. What happens for the next 1 ½ hours is the most hilarious moments in each of these actors' careers.

What Works – All the actors are flat out funny and they die in the Hollywood hierarchy as they should with A-listers like James Franco and Jonah Hill making it to the end while Michael Cera and Rihanna aren't so lucky.

What Doesn't Work – There are a lot of cock shots, so it's best to cover the kid's eyes if you aren't interested in exposing them to giant-sized, demon genitals.

What I Thought – This is what summer is all about – hanging out with your friends and partying until the world ends. If This is the End is any indication of how the apocalypse will be – turns out its pretty funny as long as you're a celebrity in Hollywood.

Now You See Me (I) (2013)

Look closely because the closer you look the more you'll ignore this film's foolishness

[6/10 · 4 June 2013]

What You Should Know – Look closely because the closer you look the more you'll ignore this film's foolishness. Like most summer blockbusters it doesn't make perfect sense, but that doesn't stop it from being a fun film to watch especially with that incredible, though unbelievable, ending.

What Works – The misdirection is impressive. The story isn't about the four magicians or the heists they "magically" perform. While that would have made more sense this movie moves in cheap tricks and clever nonsense.

What Doesn't Work – All the unanswered questions. There is a scene where a romance is sparked, but it never ignites and another scene where they argue about where they will go once they perform their final trick, but they don't actually go anywhere. There are a lot of missing parts that leave this puzzle filled with too many holes to see the big picture.

What I Thought – Wait for DVD Now You See Me is what any magic act should be – fascinating to figure out and tricky when revealed. Mark Rafflo stomps around most of the movie so upset at any moment you'd expect him to turn into The Hulk and Jesse Eisenberg plays the same smart and smug "genius" he did in The Social Network. That's not a great mash-up – at least not great enough to see in theaters. Instead of having audiences leave in awe and applause, there is a residue of deceit and dissatisfaction.