It looks to be another slow weekend in January as only two movies of note are getting wide releases.
Taken 3- I feel like this franchise didn’t need to exist. The first one had a some great lines, good action scenes and Liam Neeson was great in it. Then came the sequel which was a mistake and then some. I didn’t need to see essentially the same movie done only slightly different. It wasn’t worth my time. This third installment does look a lot better than the second one. They did alter the story enough to not feel completely like the original. More about someone setting him up as a murderer and Bryan Mills having to not only protect his daughter, but also find a way to clear his name. If that means he has to take on a bunch of corrupted law enforcement agents to do that and cause some havoc, so be it. I can you already that the critics are going to trash this movie because it doesn’t replicate Dante’s Divine Comedy
I don’t think every movie needs to attempt to scale Mount Olympus to live among the movie gods. (What is Zeus’s favorite movie? Black Swan….too soon?) Some movies can just be fun and there isn’t a thing wrong with that. The movie looks pretty fun for a January film, With IMDB rating of 7.7 and over 2,000 ratings it looks like it will be decent…not good…but okay. (Though that high rating is likely caused by excessive fandom of the franchise mixed with legitimate feelings that the movie isn’t complete garbage.) If you want a conclusion to a trilogy (please let it be the last one guys) that gets you out of the cold and snow. Taken 3 may be your pick. I won’t say it is good, but couldn’t be worse than the second one right?
Selma- This movie premiered in December 2014, but is getting a wider release in January. It has been met with plenty of high praise. Since I was young (about 10) I’ve looked at Martin Luther King jr. as a hero of mine. A person I wanted to be like. Someone who fought for equality through peaceful means. This movie tells the story of what he went through at Selma and the period of time in this country. I will likely being reviewing this movie IMDB Rating- 6.9 and for a rare change of heart it is certified fresh with a rating of 100 on Rotten Tomatoes. That 100 may be a bit exaggerated, but I’m confident that the movie will wind up with high marks.
The Movie Guy and Friends 