Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Saw this a couple weeks ago and forgot to write anything on it. I apologize to anyone who actually follows this thing. Anyways, Captain America: The Winter Soldier.....loved it! I loved everything about it. I thought it was vastly entertaining. And I will might argue that it is better than the first movie.

Steve Rogers is back and fighting with S.H.E.I.L.D. alongside Black Widow (Scarlett Johansen) and Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson). The nice thing about this movie is that the plot doesn't reveal itself until almost more than halfway through the movie. So your kept guessing and put through twists and turns constantly. But not in an annoying way. This is a movie that is 2 & 1/2 hours long but it doesn't feel like it. it moves along really well and it has action throughout. Actually, that is an understatement. It has amazing action through. There were a couple moments where I found myself kind of getting nervous for what is going on, on the screen. Wishing my wife was next to me so I could tap her on her thigh. Which is what I usually do when I get excited about something. She loves it when I do that. ;-)

I don't want to give away to much of the plot because I think it's better to discover as your watching it. I will say that it was not what I was expecting and it is simple enough yet believable enough to allow you to enjoy the movie. The reason that it is called The Winter Soldier is due to Captain Amcerica's best friend from the first movie, Bucky Barnes, all of a sudden showing up as a bad ass assassin (see the 2nd pic down). And he is called, "The Winter Soldier". If you weren't paying attention, he supposedly died in the first movie. I'll leave the "how" and the "why" up to your viewing pleasure.

The movie is great and here are few nods. Robert Redford is great in this movie. He adds such a classic feel to the movie. Scarlett Johansen is just as hot as ever and there is a new character that is introduced, Sam Wilson, AKA the Falcon. He has this flight suit that allows him to have wings and he flies around like a hawk.....err....a falcon. I liked his character and what he can do. Some people like my cousin didn't really enjoy him as much. Oh yeah, and Samuel L Jackson is bad ass as usual.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier is awesome. Absolutely awesome. The action was great. The fight scenes were spectacular. The story was good and it fit nicely into the rest of the Avenger's movies. I loved it and think that it was better that the first movie. Check it out.

Yes indeed.

The Yes Indeed Papers Salute......

 

ANDRE THE GIANT!!!

Andre the Giant is my latest pick for my salute to the un-appreciated actor. Now, granted he was only in a couple movies and TV shows but he killed it every time. Andre was best known for his wrestling career and his battle with Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania 3. However, the reason he makes my list as a salute to the un-appreciated actor is his role in the movie, The Princess Bride. Andre played Fezzick and was soooooo good. He had great comedic timing and brought heart warming sense every time he came on the screen. He was awesome in that movie.

Andre the Giant also makes my list due to the fact the he was a f****** man. Andre stood 7'4 and weighed approx. 500 lbs. Andre once drank  127 beers in one sitting. That's amazing. That's sensational. That's a man right there.

Andre the Giant unfortunately died in 1993 at the age of 46. However, he will always be known as the "8th Wonder of the World". So, here's to the late, great Andre the Giant. From all of us here at The Yes Indeed Papers, (and by all of us I mean just me) Andre.....we salute you. Yes indeed.

Inside Llewyn Davis

I've wanted to see this movie ever since I saw the trailer. This is the latest film from the Coen Brothers. I loved watching this movie. So good in fact, that in my opinion, Inside Llewyn Davis should have been nominated for several Academy Award including Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Original Screenplay and Best Picture.

The movie follows the title character Llewyn Davis in what appears to be a week of his life in the early 1960's Greenwich Village folk scene. You watch as he struggles to make a name for himself, find a place to sleep and maintain the relationships that he has in life. You also struggle yourself as you watch because you keep going back and forth on your feelings towards the character of Llewyn Davis. One minute you like him, and the next minute you don't. One minute you feel bad for him, and the next, you wonder why he is such an ass. Llewyn is constantly trying to make a name for himself but at the same time, he is alienating himself. He is constantly pushing people away while trying to get their help. Its a fantastic movie about struggle.

Oscar Isaac play Llewyn Davis. He is amazing in this role. In my opinion, probably got snubbed for an Oscar nomination. He also does all of his own singing and playing which is impressive. Carey Mulligan plays Jean, his female acquaintance and friend. She was sensational in this role. Also maybe snubbed for Best Supporting Actress or Best Actress. Justin Timberlake plays Jim, Jean's girlfriend and musical partner. Justin does really well in this movie. John Goodman also has a minor role in the film, as he usually does in Coen Brother's movies. Although his role is minor, his performance is really well.

The best part about the movie Inside Llewyn Davis, is the look at the 60's folk scene in New York and the music that's done in the movie. I want to say that almost all of the music in the film is original which is really cool. The tough part about watching this movie, is that it is just a snip-it of a story and then it just kind of ends. Which a lot of people don't like but I don't really mind. Llewyn Davis is a wonderful film about life, love music and the pursuit of life. Well, all of that with a little bitterness to it. Which is exactly what life is sometimes. Watch this movie. Yes indeed.

American Hustle

American Hustle.......great movie. It wasn't the best movie that I've ever watched, but it was a really good movie. It had drama, suspense, comedy, an original screenplay and probably the best acting from an entire cast that I've ever seen.

Usually a movie will produce some good acting with 1 or 2 good performances. The entire cast of this movie was unbelievably outstanding in this film. Like I said, it wasn't the best movie I've ever seen. The plot was good but it didn't blow me away. It's the somewhat true story (I say somewhat because that's how the movie emphasizes it, "somewhat") about a con man (Christian Bale) and his partner (Amy Adams) working with an FBI agent (Bradley Cooper) on taking down Jersey powerbrokers, corrupt politicians and the mafia. It had some exciting moments but nothing that took my breath away. However, the acting in this movie was phenomenal.

Absolutely A+ performance from everyone involved. Christian Bale's performance as Irving Rosenfeld was perfect. It's hard to explain, but he was just brilliant throughout the entire movie. Amy Adams was my pick for Best Actress. She, along with Bale carried this movie. Bradley Cooper was extremely good as FBI agent Richie Dimaso. He had some scenes that left me saying wow. Jeremy Renner was wonderful as Jersey Mayor Carmine Polito. He was not nominated for an Oscar for this but probably should have been. Finally, Jennifer Lawrence plays Rosalyn Rosenfeld, Irving's wife. She was my pick for Best Supporting Actress. She was intoxicating in this movie. She brought the perfect amount of comic relief and drama to this movie. Absolutely sensational!

So, this wasn't the best movie I've ever seen but the acting was so good that it made for a great film. I didn't think it was going to win Best Picture but I thought for sure one of the actors would win for their performance. Either way, it doesn't change the fact that American Hustle was great movie, with an original story and amazing performances. Definitely watch this movie. Yes indeed.

Dallas Buyer Club

So I watched Dallas Buyers Club recently. I actually watched it before the Oscars, just didn't write anything on it. I should have because Dallas Buyers Club is a really good movie! It's a powerful look at the AIDS epidemic, the people involved and the way it changed them.

Dallas Buyers Club follows the true story of Ron Woodroof (Matthew McConaughey) and how he is diagnosed with the AIDS virus and only given 30 days to live. He starts experimenting in drugs not approved by the FDA in order to cure or prolong his life and ends up living for 6 years. Since these drugs are not legal to buy in the U.S., he establishes a "buyers club" in Dallas TX for those with AIDS to purchase the unapproved drugs. Hence the title, Dallas Buyers Club.

McConaughey is fantastic as Ron Woodroof. Now, granted I didn't know anything about this character before this movie. But McConaughey does such a good job, it's not necessary. You know exactly the type of person he was from McConaughey's performance. He brings electricity to every scene. It's easy to see why he was nominated and won the Oscar for Best Actor.

Now, the best performance of the movie was from Jared Leto. He plays Woodroof's cross dressing, HIV positive business partner Rayon. Leto is practically unrecognizable as Rayon. As the movie progresses, you forget who your watching. That's how good of a job he does. He was a shoe in for Best Supporting Actor.

Dallas Buyer's Club is a fantastic look at how people can change. About how 1 minute your life is one way and then the next minute, your life has done a complete 180. McConaughey and Leto give the performance's of their career in this must see movie. While it didn't move me the way some other movies do, it's definitely worth the watch. Check it out. Yes indeed.

Top 5 Jean-Claude Van Damme Movies

I watched a movie with Van Damme the other day and just decided to do this entry. I used to love Jean-Claude Van Damme movies when I was a kid. So here are what I think are the top 5 Van Damme movies.


1) Bloodsport  -  Van Damme enters a full contact tournament and kicks ass. Hell yes.

2) Street Fighter  -  Based off the Capcom video game, Van Damme plays Col. Guile and saves the world against General Bison. Great sarcastic lines from Van Damme and a fun performance from Raul Julia make this a corny, yet fun movie.

3) Sudden Death  -  Van Damme attempts to save the Vice President who is being held hostage by Powers Boothe. And this is all going on during a Pittsburgh Penguins playoff  hockey game. Van Damme kills a bad guy by stabbing him in the throat with a chicken bone. Awesome.

4) Timecop  -  Van Damme plays a cop who travels through time catching criminals. Good action, crappy special effects and more sarcasm from Van Damme.

5) Kickboxer  -  Van Damme attempts to avenge his brother's death when he is paralyzed by a vicious Thai kickboxer. And the final fight, you have your hands wrapped in burlap, dipped in wax and covered in glass. Bad ass!


Honorable Mentions:         The Quest  -  The Expendables 2  -  Double Impact  -  Universal Soldier



And there it is.  My top 5 Jean-Claude Van Damme movies. Just for fun Yes indeed.

Kick-Ass 2

I was really excited to see this movie. The first movie was awesome. The violence, the language and the amazing performance from Chloe Grace-Moretz. So needless to say I was more excited to see the sequel.

Kick-Ass 2 picks up almost right where the first movie left off. "Kick Ass" (Aaron Johnson) is getting trained by "Hit Girl" (Chloe Grace-Moretz) and are protecting the city from scum. All while the new super villain, "The MotherF*****", is out to extract revenge for "Kick Ass" killing his father. The plot is simple so it makes for easy watching. The extra fun thing about this movie is the fact that "Kick Ass" has to join other super heroes due to the fact that "Hit Girl" made a promise to her guardian. She promised that she wouldn't be "Hit Girl" anymore. She struggles with herself and has a constant battle between being a super hero, trying not to be a super hero and discovering new things about being a 15 year old girl. She still kills it in this movie. The stuff that comes out of her mouth is filthy but awesome. She is so good in this movie. So like I said, that leaves "Kick Ass" joining up with other super heroes and they all protect the city. Enter Jim Carrey. Carrey plays "Colonel Stars & Stripes". He is a bad ass who hates crime and those who break the law. His on screen time is short but awesome.

The whole movie is fun and entertaining. Right up to the end when you have approx. 50 super heroes in a rumble with approx. 50 super villains. Awesome, awesome, awesome. Make sure you watch the first movie before you watch this movie. You don't necessarily have to, but it makes for a better movie. actually, now that I think about it, sometimes when you watch a sequel first, it makes the first movie really neat cause you get to how everything came together. You can do either with this movie. So I would definitely recommend this movie. The first Kick-Ass is better than this one but the sequel is still awesome. So check it out. It kicks ass! (see what I did there?) Yes indeed.

Pacific Rim

 

Ok....so when people saw the preview for this movie, all they saw was giant robots vs. big monsters. And they're not wrong, but giant robots vs. big monsters on an HD screen? Hell yeah!

This movie is fun. Just plain old fun. Big action and some really fun moments make for a good time. I said it in my last entry and I'll say it again for this movie. It's entertaining. Let yourself go and enjoy some blockbuster action. Guillermo Del Toro makes fun movies. He's the same guy that did Hellboy 1 & 2. I'm a fan of Guillermo Del Toro movies. He has original stories and original characters. And I'm also a fan of Charlie Hunnam (Sons of Anarchy) and Idris Elba (Prometheus). They are a great caliber of actors and they give this film the drama factor that it needed. Without it, the movie would be extremely cheesy. There is a great speech from Idris Elba that might give you goose bumps.

I will admit that this movie that took me by surprise. I didn't think much of it when I saw the preview. But after I gave it a chance? I really enjoyed it! It's a good time. Check it out. But make sure you have an HD TV or a the graphics will go wasted o you. Blu-Ray also help. Pacific Rim!!! Yes indeed.

Fast & Furious 6

So I have a feeling that there are a majority of people that just see cheesy action flick written all over this movie. And the fact that this is the 6th movie in the franchise so they are just beating a dead horse. And they're right. However, that doesn't mean that this movie is not a great time.

So embrace the cheese, embrace the moments that make you say, "c'mon! There is no way that could happen!" So if you let go of that and just enjoy an action movie with fun 1 liners and big dudes beating the hell out of each other, then you will enjoy yourself. Now, I will admit, I was totally against the 4th installment in the series. And then when Fast Five came out, I was like.......seriously? But I forced myself to watch them and you know what? They're not half bad? They are fun. There is some serious action involved and I have a good time watching it. Fast & Furious 6 is not a movie about fast cars and street racing. Neither is Fast Five for that matter. It's more of a team of thieves trying to rob the rich or in this movie, trying to earn their freedom. Vin Diesel and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson have cemented themselves as huge action stars. And they definitely deliver. Not to mention, there is a great fight scene between ex MMA fighter Gina Carano and Michelle Rodiguez.  

Just watch this movie. And #'s 4 and 5. Just forget about seeing anything that will earn Oscar nominations and you'll remember why you watch movies. Because they are entertaining. Fast & Furious 6 does just that. Entertain you. I, personally am excited for # 7. Yes indeed.

Elysium

Loved it! Elysium is another original movie that kicks ass. And oh yeah, it another movie in which Matt Damon kicks ass. He rocked the shit in this one!



Elysium stars Matt Damon as a regular guy trying to making in the regular world. Except the regular world is in the year 2154 and the regular world has gone to shit. The wealthy and important live on Elysium. A man made space station that has it's own atmosphere and the ability and technology to cure disease. There is no poverty, no waste and no poor. Damon's character gets exposed to a deadly radiation by a work accident and has 5 days in order to get himself to Elysium to save himself. Along the way, he has to battle the Jodie Foster, the secretary of Elysium who is hell bent on maintaining the pristine order of things on Elysium by any means necessary. She enlists the help of a mercenary played by Sharlto Copley (District 9, The A-Team). Damon gets a little help from black market dealers and gets a fusion which offers network connections and super human strength.



This movie is highly entertaining. I was enthralled through every minute. It was captivating and had a great story. I didn't hear too much about it in theaters which is surprising because I thought it would have had much more of  buzz. The same guy who wrote and directed the Oscar nominated movie, District 9, wrote and directed this movie. Elysium is one hell of a ride with some awesome special effects and an original story. And like I said Matt Damon rocked the shit in this one.

Watch this movie. Yes indeed.

10 Years

This was a cool little movie. I didn't really know what to expect in all honesty. While I was watching it, I was kind of hating everything about it. It reminded me of high school but in a way that I wouldn't want to remember. In fact, my memories of high school didn't even register with this movie. But as you continue to watch, you get a sense of what would happen if you attended your own 10 year high school reunion.

This movie was a good watch for a few different reasons. It really does have a great cast. Channing Tatum, Rosario Dawson, Chris Pratt, Audrey Plaza, Oscar Isaac, Justin Long, Ari Graynor & Kate Mara among  several others. There is a captivating factor about this movie. About 30 or 40 minutes in, the character development really grabs you. My favorite thing about this movie is Oscar Isaac's character. He is the person that is now a famous musician and has some really great scenes with Kate Mara. Especially an original song that he sings at a bar. I got some goose bumps to be honest.

10 Years is good movie. It's not a great movie, but it's entertaining. Watch it if your looking for an original movie with some neat scenes. Yes indeed.

Gravity

This movie was awesome! Everything about it was visually stunning. The opening sequence, right to the end credits. The entire movie had me on the edge of my seat.

It's a quick movie, approximately 90 minutes or so. So about 15 minutes in.....it starts. Pieces of a satellite orbiting the earth and crashes into the space shuttle that Sandra Bullock & George Clooney are working on. From there, it's over an hour of Sandra Bullock hurling through space, trying not to die, and attempting to battle zero gravity in order to get back to earth. She challenges the impossible and it is thoroughly entertaining.

The really cool thing about this movie is that before the movie starts, there is an opening segment that states some facts about space. For instance, the fact that there is no sound. So that fact is carried out throughout the entire movie. Any crash, any bang, any knock, any hit is completely silent. So there are some terrifying moments that are made extra intense because there is no sound. Freaking awesome.

Gravity is nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture this year and it is well deserving. This is a good movie. Check it out and try to keep yourself on the ground. Yes indeed.