Reel Quick Movie Reviews: February 4

From comedies to Oscar contenders, there's a genre for everyone in theatres this week. Let my spoiler-free snippet reviews give you an idea of what's playing in theatres now.

 

I, Frankenstein

Mary Shelley would probably roll over in her grave if she saw this movie performing as a sequel her classic novel. The insanely inconsistent script was laugh-out-loud cheesy at some parts, and I got really annoyed that they changed the name of Frankenstein's monster halfway through. But if plot or characters aren't important and you’re only looking for CGI and special effects, lots of demon fighting, scary face masks and watching beautiful buildings getting destroyed in 3D, this flick will be right up your alley!

My Rating: 17/34

Reminded me of: Terminator, Underworld, Fast and Furious 6.

 

August: Osage County

If you think your family is dysfunctional, this may be the movie to convince you otherwise. Probably something you'd expect to see on a Jerry Springer show, there was lots of screaming, monologues and family chaos. There's no question though, that despite the dark mood, Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts do deserve Oscar nods for their bold performances.

My Rating: 20/34

Reminded me of: Big Wedding, Momma Mia (without the singing).

 

Labor Day

This romantic movie didn't have to be as long as it was, but if you can get past the Stockholm-Syndrome-on-steroids plot, it's a cute story. With Jason Reitman directing, I was disappointed that it didn't have the same witty flavour as his other flicks like Juno or Up in the Air. Oh, and as a side note, you shouldn't go to this movie just because you heard Tobey Maguire was in it - I've never seen a smaller cameo in my whole life.

My Rating: 23/34

Reminded me of: Any Nicholas Sparks movie (especially Safe Haven), Prisoners.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.