John Wick

I was unsure about this one due to Keanu's shoddy track record as of late. The last movie I enjoyed of his was Constantine, nine years ago. However, I was hearing good things and the reviews were extremely positive. I'm also a big fan of the Revenge genre, having Man on Fire and Taken as a few of my faves. In this, Keanu is an ex-assassin who gets out of the game when he falls in love and gets married. A few years into the marriage, his wife, played by Bridget Moynahan, dies of Cancer. One of her last actions is to set up a delivery of a puppy the day after her funeral. Wick of course gets immediately attached to the dog as it's incredibly adorable and is the last gift given to him by the love of his life. Soon after, a few thugs break into Wick's home and beat him up in order to steal his vintage 1969 Mustang. In the process one of the thugs kills the puppy. (This isn't a spoiler as it's shown in the preview) The lead thug is played by Alfie Allen, who must be contractually obligated to play a douche bag in everything. (He's Theon on Game of Thrones) So what does an ex-assassin do after being beaten half to death and watching his wife's final gift be killed? He kicks ass. A lot of it. It turns out that the thug who robs Wick is the son of a top Russian mob boss and Wick's former employer. The action scenes are intense and violent and it's gratifying to see the bad guys get their comeuppance. I also enjoyed Willem Dafoe and Ian McShane in their roles. John Wick doesn't do a whole lot different but it was definitely fun to watch.

8/10 RT 86%

Gone Girl

I was excited to see this after having finished the book a few weeks ago, plus the reviews have been stellar as has word of mouth. Affleck has done great work lately and the director, David Fincher, has an almost flawless track record (Seven, Zodiac, Dragon Tattoo, Fight Club). Movie adaptations from books are often not well done or can be mediocre. This is not the case with Gone Girl. The movie follows the book very closely and is well acted throughout. My favorite character, as was in the book, is Margo, the loving and sarcastic sister to Affleck's character. I wasn't familiar with the actress but she was fantastic. Rosamund Pike plays Amy and she was also well cast. She looked and acted exactly as I had pictured Amy in my mind. Warning, this is a tense, violent, and profane movie and really stretches its R rating. A particular scene with the always great Neil Patrick Harris is tough to watch. This movie is a must see whether you've read the book or not. Non-readers won't see the twist coming and its a good one. I expect a few Oscar noms for this one.

8/10 RT 88%

Fury

As a big WWII fan I was excited to see this one. I also really enjoyed the Director's last film End of Watch. In Fury, Brad Pitt plays a commander of a tank crew who pick up a rookie private after they lose one of their crewmen. Slowly but surely, the private comes into his own and becomes an asset to the crew. The supporting cast of the tank crew are made up of solid actors. Michael Peña (Crash), Jon Bernal (Walking Dead) and Shia Leboeuf who finally shows up in a good movie after some duds and off camera Shenanigans. The action scenes are intense and well shot. You really feel like you're apart of a tank battle. The cast is very likeable and you want them to succeed. I've never seen a WWII movie solely depict a tank crew but I was entertained and on the edge of my seat throughout. 
8/10 RT 80%

The Judge

I saw this with my buddy David and we both really enjoyed it. Robert Downey Jr. and Robert Duvall are on top of their game. It has a very good supporting cast as well. RDJ plays a top Chicago attorney who travels back to his small town home after his mother passes away. While there, his estranged father, a Judge for over 40 years, is accused of murdering an ex-convict and they're forced to work together. The two veteran actors really nail each scene with passion and heart. RDJ even shows quite a bit of Tony Stark cockiness and humor. The movie is a little long but I didn't notice. 
9/10 RT 47%

This Is Where I Leave You

This has a great cast so I had pretty high expectations even though the reviews were pretty low. Tina Fey and Justin Bateman are usually very good and I've loved Adam Driver's work on Girls. The plot is about 4 siblings who come together after their Father passes away. They are all flawed in some way which is what really brings out the laughs. This one is Rated R so there is a lot of crude language and profanity. But there is also a lot of heart and the movie does a great job of balancing the two. I enjoyed every scene of this one and Adam Driver really steals the show as the much younger and immature sibling. Justified fans will enjoy the small but excellent role Timothy Olyphant has. Definitely see this one whether in the theater or at home.

 
9/10 RT 42%
 
http://m.imdb.com/title/tt1371150/

The Equalizer

Denzel is one of my favorite actors and Man on Fire is in my top 5. I was giddy with delight when I first saw the preview for this one as it looked similar to MOF. Denzel stars as an ex-CIA agent who is trying to live as a quiet loner. He doesn't sleep much and thus befriends a young prostitute (The always good Chloe Grace Moretz) who frequents the same all-night diner. When she's roughed up by her Russian pimp, Denzel attempts to buy her freedom. The gangsters predictably decline and the fun begins. The fight scenes were gloriously violent and Denzel shows why he's one of the best there is. I liked this one slightly more than Tombstones due to Denzel's nice guy demeanor when he's not giving bad guys the business. This made the violence more satisfying. If you're a Denzel fan this is a must see. 

9/10 RT 60%

http://m.imdb.com/title/tt0455944/