American Sniper

American Sniper is the next film from director and amazing actor Clint Eastwood. The film stars Bradley Cooper as the title role the most lethal sniper in US history, Chris Kyle (great last name just saying). The film tells the story of Kyle's trips to Iraq to fight in the war.

This film is kind of a mixed bag when I saw it. I went in excepting see a huge action film with lots of tense moments in the shoes of Cooper. What I got was more of a quiet film which I have to say has its positives and negatives. Eastwood, I can tell really want to honor this man. He doesn't make him out to be some super hero. He really makes him a human which is one of the things that I can safely say I loved about this film. The film takes pages from The Hurt Locker and how you can be addicted to the war. I really liked this theme because it really opens you up to something that people really don't know much about. I have to hand it to Eastwood and Cooper for this because you really end up caring for the man. Cooper's performance is very good. Its very once again quite and lets his face tell a lot. The dude was also really looked the part of solider. So the main thing that this film had going for it was the character of Kyle.

Now, this film does have its problems. I feel people who are looking for the next Lone Survivor really won't find it here. The action is good don't get me wrong, but it is no where near as intense as that film was. The action of the film was really a second thought. I liked this, but I know some people will not like this part. Also the film is a bit on the slower side and not much really happens because it's not really a story driven film. Much more a character film. Also, since this film is a lot like The Hurt Locker, Zero Dark Thirty, and Lone Survivor. It feels like we have already seen a lot of this stuff already. Like the War Addict in the Hurt Locker or the actionfest that is Lone Survivor and I believe those films did both of those things very well.

At the end of the day this film is a very well done character drama. That tells the some of the problems of the war with people coming back home and should be seen by people who do in enjoy a pretty solid war film.

RATING
3 out of 4 Ticket Stubs

Kingsman: The Secret Service

Kingsman: The Secret Service is the next film by gang behind the second best ( in my opinion) X-Men films First Class. The film stars Colin Firth, Sam Jackson, Mark Strong, and Michael Caine. It also stars Mark Hamill in a small role and a new comer in Taron Egerton. The film is about Firth working for a secret spy organization that needs to replace someone and Taron Egerton is his choice.

The star of this film is really the man in the director's chair. Matthew Vaughn, who is easily one of the most under-appreciated directors working in Hollywood today. This man has not made a bad film today. He is easily the master of pace in a scene and the master of tone for a film. He brings his talents to this film. This is his best film to date. He easily mixes the tones of his two most known films. Them being Kick-Ass and First Class and throws a little old school James Bond into the mix and you would have the plot and tone of this film. You have the humor of Kick-Ass, but in a spy film. The film continuing to comment on how stereotypical the film is, but does it with such class and just great style. That you can't help but to laugh. The pace of the film is great. The film is never boring. You will have a great action set piece and then you have a great character building moment in Eggsy (Egerton). Speaking of characters,  the acting in the film is amazing. Seeing Firth doing some great hand to hand fighting and using all sorts of crazy gadgets to defeat his enemies was something I thought the man couldn't do, but I was very wrong. Egerton plays a very likable main character easily showing he has the chops to stand toe to toe with any of the new and up and coming actors. I hope this kid doesn't get put into the action film typecast because I want to see him grow into a great actor. Sam Jackson plays a lot bigger role than I thought he was going to. He plays the main villain of the film and does it very well. Making once again another great character. He is a villain that you can actually understand why he is doing what he is doing, but the man completely evil, but you get it. Vaughn is known for having very over the top violence in his film. Which this film has in spades, but its no where near the gore level that Kick-Ass had. It found a nice middle ground between the two films. So with all that being said, this film is going to be rated R. The film is way too violent and way to crude in its humor. So I can't recommend it to younger kids.

This film is a spy film that is made for the fans of spy films. Much like Cabin in the Woods was made for horror fans. Picking at the problems with it, but still doing them with the class that any great spy film can do. I personally don't have any problems with this film. It is an amazing way to start off 2015. So if you are looking for a film with hyper stylized action and has some great in jokes. Look no further then Kingsman: The Secret Service. I can't believe I am already doing this, but my score for the film is

RATING
4 out of 4 Ticket Stubs (See this film when it comes out I want a sequel now)