TED 2

Ted 2 is the usual follow up to a decent film, not as good as the original.  The film just took it's self to seriously, a bunch of potheads making fart jokes and getting high are not going to come up with a way to define a talking teddy bears humanity.  If they had just made a funny film without taking it seriously it would have been fine, but it was just to stupid.

Acting

The acting was fine, Mark Wahlberg was fine, nothing worth writing about though.  Seth MacFarlane did Ted's voice just fine.  And of coarse the Scrappy Doo of the film Amanda Seyfried was fine for what she was there for.

Music

Wasn't much to speak of, what there was of the music was fine but nothing worth writing about.

Conclusion

If you watched the first Ted film then you might as well see Ted 2, you'll get some laughs out of it, but it's not going to be anywhere near the best film you'll see this year.

Mississippi Grind

Mississippi Grind is the story of two compulsive gamblers who feed each others addiction by going on a gambling trip.  This is really just a dark depressing film that will leave you feeling sad in the end.

Story
Well I've told you the story and as you can see it's not very compelling, honestly if I had read some of the reviews for this film I probably wouldn't have rented it in the first place.  The writer just seems to drag on and on, and yes most of the film is important to the film but I feel that small parts could have been cut and the film would be slightly better off or it.

Acting
Ryan Reynolds is great as always, he's not as funny as you would expect and I think that hurt the film since it could have used a little more humor to ease the dark depressing mood of the whole film, but this film does prove that he can play a part without having to be funny all the time.

Ben Mendelsohn was believable as the down and out gambling addict, he really showed the pain of the addiction without having to actually say it hurt.  I have to admit this is the first film I've seen him in where he stood out (he was a main character here after all) and even though I had seen him before he wasn't in any major roles so I didn't know I had seen him.  He is certainly a talent that should be used more, and this film should not be held against him.

Music
The music in the film as light, it was mostly played in the scene and it worked well for each scene.  I guess since the music didn't pull me out of the film all I can say it that it was good.

Conclusion
This is the gambling version of Sideways and so if you enjoyed that film then you might enjoy this one.  If on the other hand you're like me and you couldn't even finish Sideways then I'd say skip Mississippi Grind.

Hotel Transylvania 2

Hotel Transylvania 2 is a fun film that really holds up to the original, no small feat as most squeals are almost never as good as the originals.  Having fun with monster is always fun for the kids, and this film does that is all the best ways.

Acting
Well it's all voice acting but the voices really fit the monster.  You can actually see the real monsters talking and acting like they do in this film, and at the same time it's not scary enough for the kids to be scared.  Adam Sandler is great as Dracula, and I love the fact that Mel Brooks is Vlad he's perfect!

Animation
What can I say, it's smooth, it's clean, and just plain looks great.

Conclusion
Hotel Transylvania 2 is a great follow up to the original and is fun for the whole family, if you've got kids or are just a kid at heart give it a shot, I think you'll enjoy it.

Sorry for the short review here, I just never know how to do a full review for animated films.

Prisoners

Prisoners is a "it could really happen" suspense film that starts off slow but by the end you'll be tense and wondering what will happen next.  The tension doesn't take long to build up, and once it starts it doesn't let up!  The writer (Aaron Guzikowski) obviously sat around and tried to to think how would people actually react if their child had been abducted, and I really feel that they came up with some good ideas.

Story

The story is good, it takes twists and turns that are believable, and keeps you guessing as to what is really going on right up until the end.  The story is written well, and is such a way that there isn't much of the wasted dialog that most films suffer from, some of the best parts are things said with a facial expression.

Acting

Speaking of facial expressions Hugh Jackman give a rock solid performance here, he shows pain where he needs to and cold determination when appropriate.  You really start to feel for his character and believe the pain he's in though out this film.  Jake Gyllenhaal is cold and mostly unfeeling for the entirety of the film, and that seems to be what he's best at.  Don't get me wrong that is what's called for in the film for the part he was playing and he does it perfectly, I just feel that it's all Jake can do right.

The rest of the supporting cast is fine, but nothing to really write about.

Conclusion

If you're a new parent I would suggest skipping this film, it will give you nightmares.  But if you like a good suspense film you should really give this under rated film a chance, it will pull you in and have you on the edge of your seat before it's done.