Mad Max: Fury Road

First Hit:  One very, very long chase movie consisting of unrealistic and poorly choreographed scenes that were generally bad enough to have the audience laugh.

Yes the fun things about the original Mad Max films were the bizarre chase scenes. However, what made it watchable and interesting was the story line outside of the vehicle chases. Here there is little story and even less of anything of interest.

Max (played by Tom Hardy) says so little that virtually no emotion comes from him except when he hallucinates his daughter in front of his eyes. Then there is Charlize Theron as Imperator Furiosa, a driver for Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne) the emperor, sort of speak, of his group of people. I cannot go into the story because it is simply one long huge chase scene and the hero’s survive - what else would I say?

Theron is OK but I’m puzzled as to why she would take this role – it just lacks the depth I’m use to seeing from her. Hardy was OK as well and I don’t know why he made this film except maybe for the money. George Miller and Brendan McCarthy wrote a meaningless script filled with staged chase choreography. Miller directed this film with this vision: How many crashes can I get on film (one - beginning to end), how bizarre can I make the vehicles (electric guitar and player as a hood ornament) and how can I bury any semblance of a story (just have people chase each other).

Overall:  Not much of a film and less of a story.

Hot Pursuit

First Hit:  Mediocre story, partially slapstick, occasionally good out-loud laughs, but in the end it just wasn’t enough.

The set-up is that Officer Connor (Reese Witherspoon) grew up admiring her police officer father. She always wanted to be a cop. But with an embarrassing incident early in her career, she finds herself down in the evidence room. She gets a call to assist moving a drug informer and his wife to Dallas to testify against the head of a drug cartel.

The wife Daniella Riva (Sofia Vergara), is an opposite type person from Conner, her protector. The rest of the film is about putting them in instances where their differences are expounded. From the type of underwear to how they talk, their body styles, height and age.

The quips by the news organizations about their age and height were funny as was some of the dialogue on the bus they found themselves riding. However, the same bus scene had a shooting sequence when they were driving the bus that I found awkward and poorly designed.

This was the way of the whole film, poorly crafted scenes mixed with funny scenes (like her Cooper changing clothes in the sporting goods store).

Witherspoon was, at times, amazingly engaged and funny, like her very fast talking after being covered by cocaine powder. At other times it didn’t work and the scripting and acting felt tried. Vergara was really funny when she was talking about her shoes and what she can and cannot do. But I also found her restricted by the storyline. David Feeney and John Quaintance wrote an uneven script, which the director Anne Fletcher failed to remedy.

Overall:  Although amusing at times, the outtakes at the end showed how fun and funny this film could have been.

Far From The Madding Crowd

First Hit:  Strong acting on all fronts and with luscious photography this was a good film but its length took away from it being better.

This long famous Thomas Hardy novel has Carey Mulligan as Bathsheba Everdene;  a woman whose parents died while she was young.

She works on her Aunt’s farm, tills the soil and rides horses like a man; meaning in Victoria England women rode side saddle whereas Bathsheba rides straddling the horse. She is very strong, self assured, independent and wants to stay that way. Gabriel Oak (Matthias Schoenaerts), the sheep herder neighbor, is fully smitten by Bathsheba and after a few friendly visits, asks her for her and in marriage. She is shocked and says "no", explaining she doesn’t want to be married. She ends up inheriting a large home and land. After arriving she takes charge and immediately begins to make the land profitable.

Her wealthy neighbor William Boldwood (Michael Sheen) takes a liking to Bathsheba and also asks for her hand in marriage because he wants to take care of her (“provide safe harbor”). She turns him down as well. Then she becomes smitten by handsome and reckless soldier (Tom Sturridge) who touches her in more ways than one. She agrees to be married and soon regrets the decision. He fritters away her farm on gambling and eventually confides he loves another. This leaves Bathsheba to make some difficult decisions.

The movie is lusciously filmed and many details are exquisitely shared. The cast was well chosen, however the script is a little long winded in the way this story was shared.

Mulligan is very good. She definitely has grown as an actress and reverentially delivers this character role. Her semi-smile is her strong suit as it says so much. Schoenaerts is perfect as the noble, strong, silent, friend and suitor. Sheen is fantastic as the once spurned noble neighbor that sees and wants to have Bathsheba in his life. Sturridge is great as the charming, sexy soldier that has his way with Bathsheba. Jessica Barden is wonderful as Bathsheba’s assistant. Juno Temple as Fanny Robbin is great in the small and pivotal role as Sturridge’s true love. David Nicholls wrote an extended yet colorful screenplay. Thomas Vinterberg directed this well, just a little long.

Overall:  This was a film to just watch and luxuriate in its tone and tenure.

The Water Diviner

First Hit:  Although it lagged at times, it was a well meaning story and was thoughtful in the characterizations of specific individuals .

Connor (Russell Crowe) is an Australian farmer who learned water divining from his father. He looks and listens to what the land is telling him. He does this alone while his wife is at home. We soon learn that his three boys went off to war together.

The war was in Turkey and the specific battle Connor believes his boys died in, was Gallipoli. He decides he must go to Turkey and bring his boys' bodies back to Australia for a proper burial. However the English, who appear to running the cleanup effort tell him he cannot go into the area where the bodies were hastily buried.

He steals his way into the area and with the assistance of the Turkish Major Hasan (Yilmaz Erdogan) is allowed to look for his boy’s bodies. His divining experience allows him to see where his boys died. The army digs up the bones of two of his boys. It the search for the third son that leads him on an amazing journey of longing, love and forgiveness.

There are scenes that are extraneous and obvious for additional and not-required emotional engagement.

Crowe is strong as Conner. Ergogan is wonderful as the Turkish major who understands Connor’s drive to find his boys. Olga Kurylenko is dynamite as Ayshe, a Turkish woman whose husband was killed in the same war and has a young son who takes a liking to Connor. Andrew Knight and Andrew Anastasios wrote a good script and I think it could have been cut a little and tightened up. Crowe directed this film and for the most part it was good.

Overall:  There are wonderful scenes with Kurylenko and Crowe and with Crowe and Ergogan.

Monkey Kingdom

First Hit:  A truly delightful amazing film.

Disney does and continues to produce the most amazing nature documentaries ever made. Here the Disney team moves the ball further down the field with “Monkey Kingdom”.

Just as in a novel, the Disney team takes their painstakingly shot footage and pieces together a story that is emotionally compelling, fun and interesting. The main character is Maya, a female that is at the bottom of this group’s hierarchical based society. When she gives birth to a young boy Kip, things change because of her perseverance and dedication to protecting and feeding her boy.

The scenes of Sri Lanka’s jungle were amazing as well.

Tina Fey narrated this film perfectly. Her inflections and curiosity were infectious. Mark Linfield and Alistair Fothergill did an amazing job of directing this effort.

Overall:  It may be a “G” rated film, and for me the “G” means great.