Texas Chainsaw

Texas Chainsaw is basically your typical slasher movie. A deranged man brutally murders a bunch of innocent people for no apparent reason, picking apart the victims one by one. The only difference with this movie is that the murderer uses a chainsaw. 

The movie begins with clips from the original 1974 movie, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, of when everyone in the Sawyer family is killed except for a baby. The baby was found and adopted by Gavin (David Born) and his wife Arlene (Sue Rock). The story picks up right where the prequel left off when Heather (Alexandra Daddario) finds out that her biological grandmother died and left everything to her. She decides to travel to Texas to claim her inheritance along with a few of her friends and her boyfriend Ryan, portrayed by R&B singer Tremaine Neverson, also known as Trey Songz. Little does she know that the killer from the Texas chainsaw massacre of 1974, Leatherface (Dan Yeager), is still alive and back for revenge. 

Despite the terrifying name and the numerous scenes of blood and gore, the movie was too predictable to actually be scary. The plot and the characters lacked substance, the acting was mediocre, plus it doesn't make sense why Heather is so young in the movie when she was supposed to be a baby 38 years ago. The ending may have been the most unpredictable moment of the movie, but it was too random and confusing to be an exciting kind of unpredictable. From the looks of the clips in the movie, if you really wanted to be satisfied by Texas Chainsaw Massacre you should look no further than the original.

Texas Chainsaw 3D: 1h 32min, Rated R

A Haunted House

When I first saw the previews for A Haunted House, I just knew it would be hilarious. Not only was it a parody of scary movies that I enjoyed, such as Paranormal Activity and The Exorcist, but it stars Marlon Wayans from Scary Movie, Little Man, and White Chicks, one of my favorite movies. Unfortunately, I was terribly wrong. Not only was it all over the place, but its over-the-top, inappropriate, humor made the movie unbearable to watch. 

In the movie, Malcolm (Wayans) and his girlfriend Keisha (Essence Atkins) move into their new home together. After a few days, Keisha notices some strange thinks happening in the house and suspects that there is a ghost that lives inside. At first Malcolm is in denial, but with the help of a few ghostbusters, they  find out that Keisha was right. Soon enough, they figure out that the ghost is actually a demon that is out to get Keisha, and Keisha remembers that a long time ago, she made a deal with the devil for some Louboutins.

While there were a few funny moments, most of the movie revolves around overly sexual and borderline offensive jokes. Some of the movie did not make sense, and there were parts that didn't flow together. I guess there wasn't much to expect from a spoof movie, since most spoofs follow the same blueprint of going to ridiculous lengths to get a cheap laugh.  

A Haunted House: 1h 20min, Rated R

Les Miserables

Typically, a movie based on a musical set during the French revolution wouldn't be something that I would be excited to watch in theaters. But when I went to the movies to watch it with a few friends, I didn't know what it was about, and I figured that since Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway, and Amanda Seyfried were in it that it would be worth watching. And, in fact, it was.

It all started when Jean Valjean (Jackman) stole a loaf of bread. He got 19 years in a French prison, and after he was released, he broke his parole. In order to avoid being arrested by Inspector Javert (Russell Crowe), he decides to create an alias for himself and skip town, and vows that he will become a better person and help whoever is in need. He soon meets Fantine, a poor woman struggling to care for herself and her young daughter, Cosette. The world around him is falling apart, as the town is facing a revolution due to a widespread poverty and starvation, and this story tells his struggle to keep his morals intact and keep himself and his newfound friends alive.

Overall, the movie had a great story to tell, even if it's slightly depressing. It moved too slowly though, and was way longer than it needed to be. But the performances of Jackman, Hathaway, and Seyfried were incredible, and they prove that they are truly versatile actors. Who knew that the Wolverine, Mia from the Princess Diaries, and Karen from Mean Girls knew how to hold a tune? The rest of the supporting actors did incredibly as well, including Russell Crowe and, surprisingly, Sasha Baron Cohen.

Les Miserables: 2h 37 min, Rated PG-13

Silver Linings Playbook

There is a reason why Silver Linings Playbook was nominated for so many Golden Globes this year.  The main cast, Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro and Chris Tucker, all were extremely believable in portraying characters with mental disorders, and the storyline was witty, intriguing, and refreshing. It was definitely one of the best movies I've seen in a while. 

The plot of the movie centers around the undiagnosed bipolar Pat (Cooper), and his search for love, happiness, and his "silver lining." After spending eight months in a mental hospital following a nasty fight, Pat (Bradley Cooper) moves back at home with his parents. His goal is to reconcile with his wife Nikki, who separated from him after the fight and put a restraining order against him. He meets Tiffany (Lawrence), the sister of Nikki's best friend who is dealing with depression after her husband died, and the two bond because of their troubled lives and similar personalities. They decide to help each other out: Tiffany helps Pat to work things out with his wife while Pat agrees to help her with a dance performance. 

This movie is about life, love, happiness, and self discovery. All of the characters are interesting in their own ways, and it is entertaining to watch the struggles of each one unfold right in front of our eyes. Pat and Tiffany teach us all not to judge others based on their life experiences, and Pat shows us that if we work hard for it, we all can eventually find our silver linings.  

Silver Linings Playbook: 2h 2min, Rated R

Skyfall

Skyfall, the 23^rd James Bond movie, celebrates the 50^th anniversary of the James Bond film franchise.  An exciting action thriller, it was the perfect way to satisfy longtime fans of the series while also introducing the agent 007 to the young people in our generation who've heard of James Bond, but never seen him in action. As someone who’s never seen a James Bond movie before, I was thoroughly entertained.

In the beginning of the movie, Bond (Daniel Craig) and Eve (Naomie Harris), both MI6 agents, are working together to stop Patrice (Ola Rapace), who stole a hard drive with a list of undercover agents involved in terrorist organizations. During a fight between Bond and Patrice on top of a train, Eve, in an attempt to shoot Patrice, accidentally shoots Bond instead, who falls into the river. Bond takes his injury as an opportunity to retire and go into hiding, which leads people to believe that he is dead. But after he learns of an attack on the MI6 headquarters, he decides to come out of retirement and rejoin M16 in order to find the thief, prevent the list from being exposed and save the reputations of MI6 and the head of the agency, M (Judi Dench).

Anyone who is into action flicks will find this movie exciting, regardless of whether or not you are familiar with the other James Bond movies. It was captivating, suspenseful, and unpredictable. Though it was about thirty minutes longer than it should have been, it got me excited about the powers of James Bond and inspired me to one day watch some of the other movies in the James Bond collection.

Skyfall: 2h 23min, Rated PG-13