Tom Cruise stars in Oblivion, an original and groundbreaking cinematic event from the director of TRON: Legacy and the producer of Rise of the Planet of the Apes. On a spectacular future Earth that has evolved beyond recognition, one man’s confrontation with the past will lead him on a journey of redemption and discovery as he battles to save mankind.

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I expected more from OBLIVION. I mean. It’s a cool movie – - but all the trailer build up didn’t pay off for me on the big screen. Tom Cruise was cool. There was some cool action scenes – the whole slick scenery looked of the film was nice. The beautiful Olga Kurylenko made me smile. (lol) It’s worth the watch but just don’t expect a WOW factor like you do in TRON: LEGACY. Oh – and make sure you pay attention in the movie…don’t get up and leave the theater – - there are some twists and turns that might confuse you if you don’t pay attention. (lol)

I give OBLIVION… 3 out of 5 popcorns!

@ThisFunktional Movie Review: Oblivion

The new 3D stop-motion comedy thriller from animation company LAIKA, reteaming the company with Focus Features after the groundbreaking Academy Award-nominated “Coraline.” “ParaNorman” is, following “Coraline,” the company’s second stop-motion animated feature to be made in 3D. In “ParaNorman,” a small town comes under siege by zombies. Who can it call? Only misunderstood local boy Norman (voiced by Kodi Smit-McPhee), who is able to speak with the dead. In addition to the zombies, he’ll have to take on ghosts, witches and, worst, of all, grown-ups, to save his town from a centuries-old curse. But this young ghoul whisperer may find his paranormal activities pushed to their otherworldly limits.

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THIS MOVIE WAS FREAKING GREAT! I should’ve watched this one in 3D at the theater. “DAMN YOU MIKE!!” If you haven’t seen PARANORMAN yet – do it. Great movie for the entire family. It’s even got ZOMBIES in it (lol) and who doesn’t love zombies. GUYS…there’s even ‘booty’ in it. (lol) Watch and see what I’m talking about. (lol) But on the real…great story, great characters, great meaning – it’s got everything great!!

I give PARANORMAN… 5 out of 5 popcorns!

Review By Jesus Figueroa

Taking the legendary classic story “The Great Gatsby” and adding modern elements to create an entertaining film which keeps close to the timeline of the book. Over two hours of visually stunning 3D scenes that combine to make a fabulous telling of a notable novel.

Nick Carraway, played by Tobey Maguire, narrates the story of Jay Gatsby, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, as Jay chases after his past love Daisy Buchanan, played by Carrey Mulligan. DiCaprio delivers a strong yet confusing performance with emotions being subtle and not quite projected enough for audiences to grasp fully. The graceful Daisy gets a sensual portrayal by Mulligan as she takes advantage of flattering costumes which give her a ravishing figure. Her acting leaves a bit to be desired but she does get some laughs from her dainty performance. Stealing the show is Maguire who grabs hold of the audience with strong narrative vocals that intrigue and keep the movie moving forward in a steady pace which does not let the winded dialogue draw. His acting is charming and captivating with magnificent facial expressions which change the mood of his scenes.

The turbulent 1920s era stylized film sets the scene for scene for the dramatic story of Jay and Daisy which in turn engulf Nick. The lavish parties that Jay host at his enormous mansion are truly larger-than-life due to the what seems like thousands of people enjoying the ruckus of the high-class celebrations. Jay uses Nick to try and rekindle a spark shared with Daisy, who has in the five years Jay has been away, married Tom Buchanan, played by Joel Edgerton. Edgerton does a fine job of playing the womanizing bigot Tom. Although quite the character he seems to not let Tom get so out of hand that the audience loses interest on his character. The story love triangle that Nick gets caught up in intensifies with every passing scene up until the final resolution.

The ending is a fantastic payoff that leaves audiences stunned. It’s powerful and strives to give a social commentary of a non caring world where everyone is disposable.

I give this film 4 out of 5 popcorns. The Great Gatsby was visually stunning with non intrusive 3D effects. Enjoyable as Tobey Maguire steals the movie from out of Leonardo DiCaprio’s grasp. The music was hit and miss with jazz infused renditions of modern songs.

When a panther is captured in New Orleans, Irina is drawn to the cat — and the zoo curator is drawn to her. Soon, the budding romance is complicated by Irina’s dark family secret: that when sexually aroused, she turns into a predatory jungle cat

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1982 was a great year for movies. I don’t know how many times I watched this one as a kid. CAT PEOPLE stars the super cool Malcolm McDowell and the beautiful Nastassia Kinski. For the 80′s – it’s a simple movie. It’s got blood, thrills, and even sex. BE PREPARED FOR THE SEX THOUGH…crazy animal sex. Literally. (lol) While watching it recently – it was funny to see that the dude who wants Nastassia Kinski – is the dad from HOME ALONE. I don’t know – I thought that was funny. (lol) Oh – and lets not forget about the main song of the film – sung by Davie Bowie himself. OH yeah. 80’s rule! If you decide to watch it – you’ll see why I liked it so much as a kid. (lol)

I give CAT PEOPLE… 3 out of 5 popcorns!

Ben Stiller and Eddie Murphy lead an all-star cast in Tower Heist, a comedy caper about working stiffs who seek revenge on the Wall Street swindler who stiffed them. After the workers at a luxury Central Park condominium discover the penthouse billionaire has stolen their retirement, they plot the ultimate revenge: a heist to reclaim what he took from them. Queens native Josh Kovacs (Stiller) has managed one of the most luxurious and well-secured residences in New York City for more than a decade. Under his watchful eye, nothing goes undetected. In the swankiest unit atop Josh’s building, Wall Street titan Arthur Shaw (Alan Alda) is under house arrest after being caught stealing two billion from his investors. The hardest hit among those he defrauded? The tower staffers whose pensions he was entrusted to manage. With only days before Arthur gets away with the perfect crime, Josh’s crew turns to petty crook Slide (Murphy) to plan the nearly impossible…to steal what they are sure is hidden in Arthur’s guarded condo. Though amateurs, these rookie thieves know the building better than anyone. Turns out they’ve been casing the place for years, they just didn’t know it.

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Not going to lie – when I first saw this trailer I was like, “Nope. Don’t wanna see it. I’m not feeling Eddie Murphy’s role in this one.” Then it came to theater – STILL didn’t see it – came to DVD…STILL didn’t see it – then it came to Netflix…sooooooo I gave it a chance. Final verdict…

I liked it. Great cast. It was like OCEAN’S ELEVEN but without the cool stuff. TOWER HEIST had great comedic performances from everyone. It was good to see Ben Stiller in more of a serious role. (lol) Eddie Murphy – - he ended up being cool. (lol)

I give TOWER HEIST… 3 out of 5 popcorns!

Seeking a fresh start, newly divorced Sarah (Oscar(R)-nominee Elisabeth Shue; Leaving Las Vegas, Piranha 3D) and her daughter Elissa (Oscar(R)-nominee Jennifer Lawrence; X-Men: First Class, Winter’s Bone) find the house of their dreams in a small, upscale, rural town. But when startling and unexplainable events begin to happen, Sarah and Elissa learn the town is in the shadows of a chilling secret. Years earlier, in the house next door, a daughter killed her parents in their beds, and disappeared–leaving only a brother, Ryan (Max Thieriot, My Soul to Take), as the sole survivor. Against Sarah’s wishes, Elissa begins a relationship with the reclusive Ryan- and the closer they get, the deeper they’re all pulled into a mystery more dangerous than they ever imagined.

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NOW…when HOUSE AT THE END OF STREET came out in theaters – quite a few people told me it was wack..but for ME…I liked it…even my wife liked it and that’s saying a lot since she’s not a ‘movie person’ like myself. (lol)

HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET stars two of my favorite gals – Elisabeth Shue and Jennifer Lawrence. They play mom and daughter and do it quite nicely. My eyes enjoyed watching BOTH of them on my TV. (lol) Don’t worry ladies – the movie has some eye candy for ya as well – they give you Max Thieriot, ya know – from MY SOUL TO TAKE and the A&E show BATE’S MOTEL. He plays the secret, damaged dude of the town. The boy has issues. (lol)

HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET definitely has action and thrills – - with some crazy twists. Even I didn’t catch it and I liked that. What you see in the trailer is not exactly how it seems. That’s why my wife liked this one – she thought it was actually believable – that this crazy stuff COULD happen. I think it’s worth the watch.

I give HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET… 3 1/2 out of 5 popcorns!

Eddie Murphy is Jack McCall, a fast-talking literary agent, who can close any deal, any time, any way. He has set his sights on New Age guru Dr. Sinja (Cliff Curtis) for his own selfish purposes. But Dr. Sinja is on to him, and Jack’s life comes unglued after a magical Bodhi tree mysteriously appears in his backyard. With every word Jack speaks, a leaf falls from the tree and he realizes that when the last leaf falls, both he and the tree are toast. Words have never failed Jack McCall, but now he’s got to stop talking and conjure up some outrageous ways to communicate or he’s a goner.

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A THOUSAND WORDS…I had this movie on my DVR for the longest time and I finally decided to watch it. Now, I’m a huge fan of Eddie Murphy…the OLD Eddie Murphy movies though…oh and SHREK. I wasn’t sure how this PG-13 Eddie would be and I gotta say. I liked this one. Cool little story – it’s got comedy AND…you get to see the sexy, HOT Kerry Washington in a sexy, HOT outfit. That right there should make ya wanna see it – - AHHH…if you’re into that kind of stuff. (lol)

All kidding aside – there’s a moral at the end of this comedy.

I give A THOUSAND WORDS… 3 out of 5 popcorns!

A follow-up to the 2009 release of G.I. JOE: RISE OF THE COBRA, which grossed over $300M worldwide, Paramount Pictures, MGM and Skydance Productions, in association with HASBRO and di Bonaventura Pictures, commences production on G.I. JOE: RETALIATION. In this sequel, the G.I. Joes are not only fighting their mortal enemy Cobra; they are forced to contend with threats from within the government that jeopardize their very existence. The film stars D.J. Cotrona, Byung-hun Lee, Ray Park, Adrianne Palicki, Jonathan Pryce, RZA, Ray Stevenson, Channing Tatum with Bruce Willis and Dwayne Johnson. Directed by Jon M. Chu, and produced by Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Brian Goldner, from a screenplay by Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick based on Hasbro’s G.I. Joe(R) characters, the film is scheduled to be released on June 29,2012.

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G.I. JOE: RETALIATION. I just watched the trailer again and I was right – - for ME…the trailer was definitely better than the movie. (lol) Don’t get me wrong – I’m a fan of the cast. Channing Tatum was cool…The Rock a beast…Adrianne Palicki…HOLY CRAP BALLS!! That’s all I’m going to say about her. (lol)

I remember watching and thinking – “so far so good.” THEN…it got cheesy – - the whole meeting of Joe (Bruce Willis) – - guns all hidden in his house and was it just me – - but when I blinked – Bruce Willis was gone…like NOT a whole lot in the movie?! (lol) The Rock going to his old neighborhood?! THEN came the super cheesy stuff – Rza as a ninja master?!!? WTF?!!? That whole story between Storm Shadow and Snake Eyes. WTF?!?! G.I. JOE: RETALIATION  felt rushed and confusing. For me – - it was a total let down.

I give G.I. JOE: RETALIATION… 2 ½ out of 5 popcorns!

@ThisFunktional Movie Review: ‘G.I. Joe: Retaliation’

Ray Pelletier just wants to spend a pleasant and relaxing weekend ice fishing with his family. Alas, Ray’s plans are ruined by the unwanted presence of the obnoxious big city father and son duo of Steve Cote and Stevie Jr. However, the two squabbling families are forced to set aside their differences and work together after a vicious monster awakens from the cold waters of the remote frozen lake area they are staying at

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Hmmmmm…what do I say about this movie they call HYPOTHERMIA. Well, lets just say that Jennyfly of JennyflyBlog.com picked this one for us to watch. (lol) Michael Rooker stars in this one – ya know…from THE WALKING DEAD – I’m guessing that’s why she picked it. (lol) – Well…NO ZOMBIES IN THIS ONE. (lol)

Yeah people…this one’s pretty blahh. Actually…from the start to the middle of the movie – - it’s not THAT bad. We see that there’s some weird stuff going on under the ice – - some people get attacked – - there’s blood…THEN…the ending happens. We the viewers…finally see the creature. HOLY CRAP BALLS.

Whyyyyy?!?!?  

They should’ve left it a mystery. (lol)

I give HYPOTHERMIA… 2 out of 5 popcorns!

Daniel Craig is back as Ian Fleming’s James Bond 007 in Skyfall, the 23rd adventure in the longest-running film franchise of all time. In Skyfall, Bond’s loyalty to M is tested as her past comes back to haunt her. As MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost.

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SKYFALL…wait…before I got into the review…let me start off by saying… “I bet it’s really cool being Daniel Craig.” (lol)

Ok – now that I got that out of the way – lets talk about SKYFALL…the latest 007 flick. I liked it. I liked it a lot. This movie had some serious action. Now – I’m still a Roger Moore 007 fan…but Daniel Craig. He’s a beast. If you haven’t seen this one – it’s worth the watch. Oh…and Javier Bardem as a villain…HOLY CRAP BALLS. He was intense. Scary and creepy but cool all wrapped in one. (lol)

Oh – and for those of you who have seen it – - was it just me – - or did they not really show off the Bond ‘girl’ that much? Ahhhh I don’t know. (lol)

I give SKYFALL… 4 ½ out of 5 popcorns!

RISE OF THE GUARDIANS is an epic & magical adventure that tells the story of Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, the Sandman, and Jack Frost – legendary characters with previously unknown extraordinary abilities. When an evil spirit known as Pitch lays down the gauntlet to take over the world, the immortal Guardians must join forces to protect the hopes, beliefs and imagination of children everywhere.

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RISE OF THE GUARDIANS…is a MUST SEE movie people. If you haven’t made the time to watch it yet – - what are you waiting for?! It’s a GREAT movie. Defiantly one of favorites. While watching it – - I was kicking myself in the a$$ for not watching it in the theater – in 3D!! Visually on my TV was great – I could only imagine on the big screen.

RISE OF THE GUARDIANS has a great story with great characters…and these great characters were led by great ‘voice power.’ Chris Pine as Jack Frost, Alec Baldwin as North (Santa), Hugh Jackman as Bunny (Easter Bunny), Isla Fisher as Tooth (The Tooth Fairy), and Jude Law as Pitch (Evil dude). The movie’s got hella action, magic, laughs, and…you just might get teary eyed. (I did)

Soooo…gather everyone together – make some popcorn – and watch the movie!!

I give RISE OF THE GUARDIANS… 5 out of 5 popcorns

Guillermo del Toro presents Mama, a supernatural thriller that tells the haunting tale of two little girls who disappeared into the woods the day that their parents were killed. When they are rescued years later and begin a new life, they find that someone or something still wants to come tuck them in at night.

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I watched MAMA the other night and I gotta say…despite what MOST people told me…I really liked it. I got my hands on the Blu-Ray+DVD+Digital Copy+UltraViolet copy – don’t bother asking me for the ‘inside code’ – I already gave that away to my co-host Jennyfly of JennyflyBlog.com (lol)

So lets talk about the movie – I do find it funny that Jessica Chastian’s name is right above the title of the film. (lol) Oscar’s baby. (lol) Ya know…ZERO DARK THIRTY. But to be honest – I found her the hottest in LAWLESS…either way…she’s dope.

Guillermo Del Toro presents the film – so if you’re a fan of him, PAN’S LABRINTH and HELL BOY…you should already get this movie. MAMA definitely has the Guillermo ‘feel.’ The cast in the film – I thought was on point. Jessica Chastain as the rocker girlfriend is cool – Boyfriend/Uncle to these  two little girl’s played by Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jaime Lannister in Game of Thrones) – he does great.

…AND…lets not forget about these two adorable little girl’s – - – my little TARZAN kids!! These two were just awesome…especially the littlest one named Lilly….with all her little growls and eating on the floor with the family pet. HILARIOUS.

Now lets about the special effects – I liked them. MAMA was believable and she didn’t play! (lol) I’d suggest turning off all the lights when you watch this. (lol)

My little Blu-Ray+DVD+Digital Copy+UltraViolet copy contains some cool stuff. Deleted scenes, Original Short with Introduction by Guillermo del Toro, The Birth of Mama and more. Make sure you read the back if you decide to buy it…the Blu-ray contains an exclusive.

I give MAMA… 4 out of 5 popcorns. Even though a lot of people told me…“Mike, you’re going to like…but the ending totally sucks.” I didn’t agree. I thought the ending did the movie justice. I was happy and that’s why I say MAMA is worth adding to your movie collection.

You see it? What did you think?

MAMA is in stores now!

Review By Jesus Figueroa

A magnificent terrifyingly fun thrill ride with Eli Roth presents “Aftershock” directed by Nicolás López that starts calm and casual but quickly intensifying into a gory thriller. Although the beginning is a comical party sequence where everyone is having a good time it does drag a bit having the story flip the mood almost right in the middle of the film.

Gringo, played by Eli Roth, spends time in Chile with his two buddies Ariel, played by Ariel Levy, and Pollo, played by Nicolás Martínez. While there they come across three tourist; Russian model Irina, played by Natasha Yarovenko, party girl Kylie, played by Lorenza Izzo, and her sister Monica, playe by Andrea Osvárt, who are traveling through Chile. After a great time in the costal city of Valparaíso the group of friends go to a club where while dancing an earthquake hits and sends the happy partiers into turmoil.

Roth and López co-wrote a magnificent story that engages the audience in the beauty of Chile before twisting the world around with the catastrophic earthquake. Roth does well in portraying an out-of-touch single father struggling in the dating world. He brings not only a confusion to his character but also a charisma that keeps audiences rooting for him. Martínez makes audiences dislike his character but want to be part of his group. Pollo is self centered and arrogant but can get anyone into anywhere in Chile. Yarovenko is hot through out the movie and captivates audiences with an authentic feel of terror and chaos. She’s a strong character but not over powering to the storyline.

The story continues through this fantastically destroyed Chile as the streets are filled with crumbled buildings, shattered people and criminals escaped from prison. Through all the unexpected twist and turns of the film the ending comes as a shock. The payoff is grand and leaves audiences in awe.

I give this film 4 out of 5 popcorns. The beginning drags as characters are introduced and become quite annoying, but the pace quickly picks up as the horror of the story becomes apparent. The acting was fantastic from everyone and they played off each other well. It kind of feels like “The Hangover” but with a horror aspect. The ending is definitely worth sticking through out the movie for. The film is not only a mixture of two genres, comedy and horror, but sets everything up and knocks it down at the end.

Eli Roth Presents “Aftershock” out in theaters and On Demand May 10.

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Los Angeles Press Junket: Aftershock

On this podcast Jesus Figueroa of iWatchMike.com and ThisFunktional.com sits down to chat with Producer /Co-Writer / Actor Eli Roth, Director / Co-Writer / Executive Producer Nicolás López, Actress Lorenza Izzo and Actress Natasha Yarovenko.

They talk about the inspiration behind the film, AFTERSHOCK – the earthquake in Chile, surviving the earthquake, digital vs. practical effects, expected reactions from Chile and more.

LISTEN HERE

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