The Art of the Steal

Ever heard of this one?  That's ok.  No one has!!!  BUT, it is a hidden gem in my book.  It isn't an Oscar worthy film and doesn't have the Oceans series quality but what it does have is one thing, most movies are missing.  Kurt.  Russel!  He is so damn good and way ahead of his time that he gets overlooked in my opinion.  He carriers this film and you pull for him the entire time!  The movie is a bit of a Oceans rip off but has such a great tale of the tape quality that you cant help but watch.  It is about a heist going bad and the bro has to spend some time in the clink.  Well when he gets out he is in the need for another job, and fast but has a few tricks under his sleeve.  The way this movie plays out is really good and keeps you watching from the first second.  It is free on Amazon right now and if you are trolling through, stop on this one, it will not disappoint.  Now get to watching, and check your wallet!

FYI:  All but Russel, Dillon and Stamp, the entire cast is Canadian!  Ooof!

***1/2

War for the Planet of the Apes

Hey, Ape!  Get off that horse!  Oh, wait, is that an ape on a horse?  Pretty sure that is what most people said when seeing the filming of this film.  I mean, c'mon, the circus is in dire straights but this is crazy!  Ok, just kidding this was all CGI, and a damn good job of it!  This movie was absolutely amazing!  I have watched the series of Planet of the Apes religiously since I was a kid and the last three were beyond expectations!  Every second of them are good and they only get better.  Ok, ok, I have read the terrible reviews of how they are boring and slow, but if you want to watch an epic and are interested in a type of movie you should love these.  By the way, if you don't like movies that seem unrealistic and have an epic battle scene, maybe you shouldn't watch Planet of the Apes!!!  The character development was great, the cast was awesome (Woody)!  The story just keeps building and you end up rooting for the apes the entire time!  Success in my book!  the only problem I had was rooting against my own species but for a movie, I am good to go!  Watch this damn thing!  Best of the series so far!

FYI:  This is the 5th film Steve Zahn voiced a character in a movie.  Yes, it was Steve Zahn!

****1/2

Sully

Well, what took you so long?  Seriously, this movie has been out for a while now and you are just now getting to it?!?!  Well, me too, and it was a stretch to even start the damn thing.  I am really glad I did, but first I will preface it with why.  I think that if you are sitting around on a rainy night and you are looking for a chill good story to hear about, this is the one for you.  I myself love true (or supposedly true) stories with a hero and some hard core adversity in the way.  This is it!  First off, Tom Hanks is awesome in jsut abut anything, very few exceptions.  Second, the dude landed a plane in the Hudson as it was crashing and saved the lives of over 200 passengers.  Lastly, what a career!  Really, think about the hours in the air with no incidents and to have a movie made about you is pretty bad ass.  This film has a lot of Flight in it, but enough of a difference to separate Denzelle from Hanks.  Watch this movie as it will keep you interested and on the edge of your seat routing for the good guy the entire time!

FYI:  This is Clint Eastwood's 35th motion picture release as a Director!  Who knew!?

****

Baby Driver

Don't be fooled by the cheese in the title, this movie was unique, action packed, full of outstanding acting and actors, and a bad-ass, over the top, incredible soundtrack!  First off I will start by saying a few things; Kevin Spacey, Jamie Foxx, Jon Hamm, Jon Bernthal, and Flea!  Now think the original Point Break mixed with Heat, and The Heist but much cooler!  Now throw in a stylistic, artistic, sync of film and music to the point where everything flows absolutely perfectly!  Here you have Baby, a young kid getaway driver for a variety of bank robbing crews put together by Spacey.  Baby hates is gig, but is under the thumb of Spacey, who is the mastermind behind the whole show.  Baby has a bit of a ring in his head since he was a kid and in a car accident so he constantly listens to his headphones.  The entire movie is based around his own soundtrack and choreographed to fall perfectly within each song and its beats.  I cant say enough how much I loved this movie!  My kids loved it and even my wife loved it, and she doesn't love anything!  Run to the theater and watch this, and yes, its a theater kind of movie!

FYI:  Jamie Foxx claimed that Jon Hamm was far too handsome to play this part.

*****

Gold

Not to be confused with "Fool's Gold", the other movie with McConaughey where he was much better looking, had a full head of hair, and a better looking babe.  No this is one of the years most underrated and non commercialized movies, if not the most!  I could call it a hidden gem, but I think it crosses the line of actually being hidden.  Ahhh, gold!  You know all about the gold market by now, especially since the market became saturated with "We Buy Gold" kiosks a few years back.  Well this takes place a few years before we all knew about it, and focuses on a down on his luck prospector who teams with a long shot geologist to strike it rich finding a gold mine.  Both who are hungry and have extremely high aspirations head to Indonesia where everything goes wrong, only to fall perfectly in place.  Well there are some twists and turns along the way and the movie turns into Wolf of Wall Street, meets Blood Diamond in a way.  This true story was absolutely incredible!  Maybe because I didn't expect a whole lot going in, but damn, it knocked my socks off.  McConaughey can certainly transform himself which is why he is one of our generations better actors, but the story itself really killed it.  Definitely watch this movie, especially if you have a box of Grandmas old gold hidden in your closet.

FYI:  McConaughey gained 45 lbs for this movie by eating cheeseburgers, beer, and milkshakes!

*****

King Arthur-Legend of the Sword

I bet you didn't know that Arthur was not only a Pugilist, but a master swordsman, an expert pickpocket, oh and by the way, a king.  Yes, this is the same "sword in the stone" story but with a huge stylistic overtone that none other than Guy Richie can bring.  This was true Snatch and Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels of fun!  I held off on watching this for some time due to the terrible reviews I was reading, especially one that said, "Worst movie ever made!"   This movie was truly overwhelming and filmed in such an outstanding way that it was nothing short of awesome!  The Guy Richie type flash scenes and stop action movements along with a really cool and interesting back story made this eye popping and keeps you on the edge of your seat.  The acting was quite good, although there were some cardboard parts, I think maybe the writing had a little to do with that.  Tells the story of young Arthur getting sent from his kingdom and robbed of his birthright to be the next king.  He has to build himself back up through the gutters learning how to fight, steal and battle in order to make him a feared slum lord.  Definitely watch this movie, especially if your a fan of Guy Richie films!

FYI:  Hunnam got up to 1,050 push ups in a single day while physically getting ready for the role.

****