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Based on the non-fictional novel of the same name by Nathaniel Philbrick, In the Heart of the Sea is a semi-biographical movie that, ...

Based on the non-fictional novel of the same name by Nathaniel Philbrick, In the Heart of the Sea is a semi-biographical movie that, in theory, has all the makings of an epic action-adventure. Narratively, the movie is a layered account of the Essex Tragedy - an 1820 whaling expedition that went horribly wrong. 30 years later it served as the inspiration for Herman Melville's Moby-Dick, a loosely based account of that tragedy that told of a devastating encounter with an enraged sperm whale.

Even though young Melville's (Ben Whishaw) interview with the truculent Nickerson (Brendan Gleeson) bookends the movie, let it first be known that these scenes are in fact fiction, for there is no way that the real-life Melville could have access to Nickerson's memoir, since the book 'Moby Dick' was published in 1851. The setting is 1820 Nantucket, Massachusetts, where whale oil is a booming business (this was almost a century before crude oil was discovered). Famed whaling ship - the Essex – is commissioned to bring back 2000 barrels of whale oil, with the assurance that first mate Owen Chase (Chris Hemsworth) will be promoted to skipper on his next voyage. But even before they set sail, tensions rise between Chase and Captain George Pollard (Benjamin Walker), whose only qualification is his privileged family name. Between ego bashing and bad navigational decisions, disaster strikes when the Essex encounters a mammoth sperm whale with what appears to be a bad case of premediated ferocity. What happens next is history but the aftermath of the attack leads to an unthinkable and horrific revelation that even Melville left out in Moby-Dick.

Acting wise, the movie was pretty good. Chris Hemsworth was the obvious standout, he was able to show off his acting talents quite a few times throughout the movie, but still it was nothing amazing. The supporting cast was also mostly pretty strong, Benjamin Walker and our friendly neighbourhood Tom Holland were good, not great, just good strong performances. Ron Howard did a pretty good job directing the movie, most of the time he nailed the tone of the movie. The dramatic action scenes were filmed and directed in a very frantic and chaotic manner that upped the stakes during those intense moments. Especially in the latter portions of the movie he does represent the sad tones and emotion pretty well and handles some very confronting scenes in a way that isn't too disturbing but also isn't sugar-coated.

This real life Moby Dick is directed with enough assurance and visual flair by the professional and proficient Ron Howard that throughout its two hour run time there's enough to warrant a cinema screen viewing but you can't help escape the feeling that in the end we were never hooked the way we should be to this almost unbelievably huge adventure.

I must be becoming more of a softy as I grow older because these children's movies never used to affect me this much. I swear every...

I must be becoming more of a softy as I grow older because these children's movies never used to affect me this much. I swear every time I watch a Pixar film I end up choking up during one of the sadder scenes. Then again, I guess I should give Pixar props for continuing to make such great movies that appeal to people of all ages, especially the adults. Let's be honest, how are children supposed to get some of the references in these movies? I love that Pixar is continuing this tradition with The Good Dinosaur.

The Good Dinosaur begins sixty-five million years in the past, with the asteroid that destroyed the dinosaurs just narrowly missing the Earth. The story picks up millions of years later, with an Apatosaurus family building a farm out on the frontier. Arlo (Raymond Ochoa) is the youngest and smallest of his three siblings, and though he's eager to prove his worth, he struggles to keep up with the rest of his family. Then, shortly after his first encounter with tragedy, Arlo falls into a river and washes up somewhere far away from his home. He goes on a long journey heading back, and finds an unlikely companion in a feral Neanderthal boy.

The story is pretty straightforward and some of the humour seems to be aimed more for kids, but it's still funny for adults in places. It is visually stunning, with cartoony animals mixed with realistic backgrounds and reflective waters, and the music is effective when needed to be. Our protagonist Arlo is both likable and relatable, which is always a good thing, and Spot has his moments in short bursts. Spot also has a backstory and he explains it in a heartbreaking way in a beach. As for the other characters, Arlo's father will be reminiscent to a certain Disney character, but that's not a bad thing, and the others seem to be not as important to the story, but have some development time in there.

I conclude by saying that overall, it is a fantastic movie. If you watch this movie, go in with an open mind. Sit back, relax, enjoy your cinema snacks and drinks. Go in and *think* about the movie, its message and its complexity. Even if you find the plot predictable, a predictable ending does *not* mean the movie is not good. There are some familiar elements from other Disney movies, but The Good Dinosaur uses these elements in its own way. It is its own story. Understand and respect that, and you will enjoy the movie :)

Whether intentional or not, this movie is a very sad portrait of human behavior, and the seductions of power. Picking up from the...

Whether intentional or not, this movie is a very sad portrait of human behavior, and the seductions of power.

Picking up from the events where the previous film ended, the film follows District 13's march toward the Capitol, with Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence), at the forefront standing as the symbol of the rebellion headed by revolutionary President Alma Coin (Julianne Moore). The fire has already gathered blaze, even at the first overly-stretched twenty minutes or so allocated to wait for the smoldering heat to scream its vengeance. At the center of it is Katniss, ready to dive into the claws of danger and terror awaiting in the Capitol.

Start to finish however I don't think I moved once. I genuinely think this is almost the best of the four, beaten only perhaps by the first for obvious reasons. My concerns is Mockingjay - Part 2 I feel kind of lacks story and narrative without Part 1. So therefore, I felt like the movie dragged on for nearly 45 minutes, I admit that I let out a yawn halfway through. And, not to spoil anything about the last act, but the ending dragged on too. Next thing I don't like is after Prim's death Katniss should complete breakdown but she all remains emotionless and seems barely moved by her sister's death. And the last thing is I never like Peeta because he is quite possibly the most pathetic and worthless character that shows up in the entire movies.

Jennifer Lawrence is absolutely outstanding in this movie and by all means deserves to be well recognized for her performance. Sutherland, Moore, Harrelson are good supporting actors.

Splitting MockingJay into two halves may have made for a better book adaption, but in reality, the studios got greedy like the always do. Mockingjay part 2 is one long unfulfilled goodbye that would have worked better as one whole movie.