James Patterson – Movie Reviews – H
MOVIE REVIEWS – H’S
Hacksaw Ridge
Pick of the Week
Mel Gibson really knows how to tell a powerful story and Andrew Garfield does a terrific job as Desmond Doss, pacifist war hero. A
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Hail, Caesar!
Those of you who like Hollywood stories and deadpan humor should like this. Everyone else should probably stay away. B (I like deadpan humor)
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Hairspray
Pick of the Week
I absolutely positively loved the first half of this move, found the second half a little repetitive, but it’s still a terrific musical. The young actress they found to pay the lead role is fabulous in her first part.
Halloween
Pick of the Week
As you know, I was a big fan of The Devil’s Rejects and I don’t think anybody does horror as well as Rob Zombie. This is the best of the Halloween movies, especially before it starts becoming a little like the early Halloween movies in the last hour or so. But then again, have we ever been quite so scared?
Hancock
I continue, like most people, to enjoy everything that Will Smith is in. I do, however think that this screenplay—at least the shooting script—wasn’t thought out very well. All of a sudden the back story becomes the main story, and the fun-and-fireworks don’t save the day.
The Hangover
The trailer for this flick is brilliant. The movie, for me, wasn’t quite as good. Very funny scenes—but the dialog could have been sharper—and for the most part the main characters are just having a lost weekend. They’re basically schmucks.
Hannibal Rising
Let me start by saying that I loved “Silence of the Lambs” and “Red Dragon.” Unfortunately, in my opinion anyway, this new one just doesn’t make it. There’s nobody to root for, nobody to root against. Please God—let there not be a “Hannibal: The Middle Years.”
Hardcore Henry
Speaking of blowing everything up—Heeeeeeeere’s Henry! Basically, this is going to the theater and paying $10 to watch a videogame. It was probably a pretty good short movie. C-
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Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay
Pick of the Week
This probably isn’t for anyone under 21—except me. For the most part I found it quite funny and well done. The two stars are pleasantly low-key and quite good actors. At any rate—funny stuff for the right audience.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
This could be the end of our beautiful relationship, but I have to tell you, I found the first half of the new Potter movie disjointed and a big expensive bore. But I liked the second half almost as much as I disliked the first half. So I’m only half a Muggle.
The Hateful Eight
Quentin Tarantino has a formula (something I’ve been accused of) and it mostly works here. Samuel L. Jackson and Jennifer Jason Leigh are particularly good. All of the bad folk certainly get their just desserts. Some might consider that high art. B
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He’s Just Not That Into You
The theater was packed with women—which is a good thing. I’m really happy that women are finally going out to see movies that their husband and boyfriends might not be interested in. Everybody seemed to have a very good time. The movie itself is kind of uneven—half sitcom, half soap opera.
The Heartbreak Kid
Pick of the Week
Ben Stiller is almost always a good bet, and he doesn’t disappoint this time. Personally, I could have used a couple less Farrelly Brothers gross-outs. I know the original is supposed to be a classic, but I actually prefer this version.
Heaven Is for Real
Pick of the Week
Two things I liked a lot about this film: (1) the church members weren’t portrayed as cornball idiots—usually the case with Hollywood movies; (2) the film asked the question—if one can believe in miracles performed thousands of years ago, why not a miracle today?
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Hell or High Water
Pick of the Week
Terrific script, terrific acting, terrific direction. A
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Her
Pick of the Week
A miracle. Sweet, sad, funny, and oh-so-very-human as we humans enter the world of WALL•E.
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The Hero
Pick of the Week
Sam Elliott has been a star for a long time, but he tends to act in movies that don’t get seen by a lot of people. Here, he plays a fading, one-hit-wonder actor and once again, Sam Elliott is a star. A-
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Hidden Figures
Pick of the Week
Here we have Hollywood gilding the lily a little—but a terrific story with stunningly good performances. A-
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Hitchcock
Pick of the Week
Witty, clever, funny, and a must for Hitchcock fans (of which I’m one). The screenwriter for Hitchcock, who also penned Black Swan, just finished the TV pilot for our very own Private. It’s witty, clever, funny, scary, and definitely for all JP fans. Hopefully, it’s for the networks as well.
Hitman: Agent 47
Unwatchable. At least for me. D-
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The Hitman’s Bodyguard
Underrated. It’s not easy to make an off-kilter comic book movie like this work. But this one does. Ryan Reynolds and Sam Jackson are terrific together. B+
Home
I really like a lot of animated movies (The Incredibles, Ratatouille, Up, etc.), but I cant say I was head over heels for this one. Not the greatest characters or story, at least not for this adolescent movie. C
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Horrible Bosses 2
F. Unless G would be considered a lower grade. In fact, given all the acting talent in this film, make that an H. Even if I found out the whole movie was written on the set and shot in just one day—I still give it an H.
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Hostiles
Pick of the Week
I pretty much like anything Christian Bale appears in. I’m also a fan of Rosamund Pike who I saw when she was a young star in a play in London. This is a violent movie, but a powerful one. Some people will feel it’s just a macho daydream – but I think to some extent it defines where macho comes from. People tend to change when they go through war. A-
Hotel Artemis
There’s nothing wrong with this film, but there’s also not quite enough right with it. The big mystery is how they got Jodi Foster and Jeff Goldblum to sign up for the flick. C+
Hotel Mumbai
I liked this thriller a lot but there is a complaint. It’s based on a real tragedy and the art director treats this tragedy like a thriller. I found that a little unsettling even though it works really well. B-
How Do You Know
I expected to like it a lot more than I did. Reese Witherspoon does a nice job, but there’s not much chemistry between her and Owen Wilson or Paul Rudd. I suspect the script was a big part of the problem. Worth seeing, but keep your expectations at a modest level.
Hugo
Pick of the Week
Not everyone will agree, of course, but for me this is Martin Scorsese’s greatest film—his masterpiece, possible the best movie of the year. The book on which it was based was very good, but the movie’s even better, much more coherent.
The Hunger Games
Pick of the Week
I liked the books but I liked the first movie even more. The storytelling is tight, tense, and Jennifer Lawrence is perfect in the role of Katniss. The only quibble I have with the Hunger Games series is this: I’m constantly hearing about “the gatekeepers” of children’s literature. Now here’s a trilogy of novels about kids killing kids—so where are the gatekeepers?
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
Terrific storytelling, but the film got me wondering—where are all these infamous gatekeepers? The first Hunger Games book/movie was all about kids killing other kids in the woods. Catching Fire is basically a spectacle featuring bread and circuses. I know, I know, the heartless fascists are responsible—but does that argument really hold water? As I said, though—a fine story.
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The Hunger Games: Mockingjay–Part 2
Most people aren’t really good at ending things. You know, like, “I really care about you, and this is all my fault, not yours, but I never want to see you again.” And so, we come to the end of The Hunger Games. Like I said, we aren’t good at ending things. B-
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Hunt for the Wilderpeople
Unusual flick about a strange uncle and a stranger 13-year-old nephew who get lost in the Australian bush. Good performances, good dialogue. Could’ve, should’ve been 10-15 minutes shorter. B+
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The Hurt Locker
Pick of the Week
A movie about soldiers who dismantle bombs in Iraq pretty much guarantees suspense, and Hurt Locker delivers that–plus fine acting and nice pacing. Still, I wonder who besides me, some critics, and maybe Stephen King will go to see this flick?
The Hustle
I saw this one because I like Anne Hathaway and my wife Sue would kill me if I aw The Long Shot without her. The Hustle isn’t terrible, but it’s not great. A better bet would be to watch Dirty Rotten Scoundrels again. B-
