Movie Reviews

By Lynne Martin

It amazed me just how much this new release resembled an established movie franchise. Fans of action films who watch OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN (2013) starring Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart, and Morgan Freeman will definitely make the connection to Bruce Willis’s DIE HARD franchise. The overwhelming premise of ‘one man—on the inside—fighting against the world’ is hard to miss.

During OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN, the president of the United States is captured by terrorists with more sinister intentions than just occupying the nation’s capitol. Scrambling to regain control of Olympus (Secret Service’s code for the White House), the national security team and the armed forces are rendered useless until they realize that an ex-White House security agent has managed to infiltrate the terrorist’s stronghold.

I admit that I did enjoy the action, but was surprised by the massive body count, the numbers beginning to seriously tally up after only 30 minutes. The stellar cast, which included Morgan Freeman, my favorite movie-president of all time, gelled well together. Too bad they had to borrow so heavily from another franchise, as this much assembled talent could have easily carried just about any script.

Strangely, during the first half of OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN, I kept waiting for either Willis, Stallone, or Schwarzenegger to leap out of the shadows. I assume this is a common complaint when you’ve reworked such a recognizable plotline. All in all, this movie is still enjoyable entertainment, and if you’re able to forgive the similarities, you’ll be treated to two hours of fast-paced action.

Warning: Some of the images in this movie might be disturbing to survivors of 9/11 as many of the visuals are reminiscent of actual historical events. Directed by Antoine Fuqua, Rated R, 119 mins, Action, Thriller, *** 3 stars out of 5.

The Croods highly recommended

Some of the best movies I’ve reviewed as of late have actually been animated/stop motion features. THE CROODS (2013) starring Nicholas Cage, Ryan Reynolds, and Emma Stone is a case-in-point as this picture was an absolute delight from the opening action sequence all the way through to the emotionally charged wrap-up.

Set in pre-historic times, THE CROODS is the story of a Neanderthal family just fighting to survive in the harsh, desert-like caves they’ve come to call home. Struggling to temper the exuberance of their teenage daughter while forced to scavenge the desolate landscape for food, our tight knit cavemen are unprepared for the nomad who wanders into their territory. Already possessing the knowledge of fire and spouting dire warning of things to come, the young man convinces the family to follow him away from their home to escape the cataclysmic events beginning to unfold across the landscape.

Beautifully laid out, the changing scenery had an AVATAR-like appearance with its indescribable forests and wondrous inhabitants. Obviously written and produced by imaginative minds, audiences both young and old will easily relate to THE CROODS and their familiar issues. I highly recommend this movie and must report that I even found myself tearing up at the movie’s conclusion.

My three-year-old male guest was thrilled with the story, and although we chose not to view the release in 3D, we were still fully satisfied with the experience. NOTE: You can expect Belt, a three-toed furry sloth, to be making his reappearance on toy shelves later this spring as he’s already sold out of many Toys R’ Us stores. Directed by Kirk De Micco and Chris Sanders, Rated PG, 98 mins, Animated, Adventure, Comedy. **** 4 stars out of 5.

– Lynne Martin is an avid movie collector and a staunch supporter of sexual education. She currently resides in Alberta, Canada with her husband and their large extended family. For a complete list of her reviews and other works, or to leave a comment, please go to: www.lynnemartinbooks.com.

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