"The Hobbit" series comes to a satisfying conclusion with "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies." Producer-director-screenwriter Peter Jackson has provided lots of action, special effects, and a storyline faithful to the 1937 J. R. R. Tolkien novel "The Hobbit" to satisfy fans, critics, and the [..]
The Prince (2014)
Bad acting and a predictable plot describes "The Prince," a crime drama from Lionsgate Pictures. A retired crime boss is forced back into action when his daughter is kidnapped by an old rival. Yawns and ho-hums all around. Director Brian A. Miller was apparently asleep [..]
Million Dollar Arm (2014)
"Million Dollar Arm" is the story of a sports agent's attempt to find baseball talent from India's huge pool of cricket players. The film is based on the true story of J. B. Bernstein's discovery of Rinku Singh and Dinesh Patel in an Indian reality show competition, [..]
Planes: Fire & Rescue (2014)
"Planes: Fire & Rescue" is a sequel to last year's "Planes," continuing the story of Dusty Crophopper, a crop duster plane who is now assigned to be a firefighting plane, when he discovers that his gearbox has become damaged. Director-screenwriter Bobs Gannaway, who co-wrote the screenplay with [..]
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part I (2014)
The latest of the "Hunger Games" series is out and the verdict is in: "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part I" is the most exciting yet in the movie franchise based on the novels by Suzanne Collins. The story continues to follow Katniss Everdeen, the hero of [..]
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (2014)
"Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day" is a comedy film which tells the story of an eleven-year-old named Alexander Cooper who gets no sympathy from his family when he is having a day filled with disasters and all kinds of problems. On the [..]
Interstellar (2014)
"Interstellar" is an ambitious three hour science fiction film telling the story of a future on earth when scientists must explore the universe for a new home for the human race, as the planet is becoming unlivable because of pollution. Producer-director Christopher Nolan [..]
Horrible Bosses 2 (2014)
The laughs keep coming in the hilarious comedy "Horrible Bosses 2." In this sequel to 2011's "Horrible Bosses," the three principals, played by Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, and Jason Sudeikis, return to start their own business with mixed results. Screenwriters Sean Anders [..]
Gone Girl (2014)
"Gone Girl" is a riveting murder mystery about a man whose wife disappears on their fifth wedding anniversary. Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike play the leading couple, superbly directed by David Fincher ("Alien 3" 1992) from a marvelous screenplay by Gillian Flynn, who adapted the work from [..]
The Judge (2014)
Fine performances and a plot-driven story characterize the drama film "The Judge." Robert Duvall and Robert Downey Jr. play a father and son who have a dysfunctional history to work out when Downey returns to his home town for his mother's funeral. The plot thickens when [..]