2013's Most Anticipated Roundup!

Where I've been the past 3 months

Folks, it's been a long three months for me and instead of wasting your time and my time, I'm just going to sum up some of the movies I've seen. But I'll be back to normal scheduling this week (I have a lot more time and less stressful days ahead of me).

35. Oz: The Great and Powerful (PG) - Runtime: 130 minutes
Starring: James Franco, Michelle Williams, Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz
Director: Sam Raimi

This was a fun movie. Raimi still has it and he's probably the best guy out there to combine the cheese and camp of old school Hollywood and the more serious and epic tone of modern movies (I thought . The performances were pretty great - Kunis is a stand out and Franco is charming as ever. I wouldn't say this is a must-own movie, but it's a must-see.

Rating: Rent It!

20. Admission (PG-13) - Runtime: 107 minutes

Starring: Tina Fey, Paul Rudd

Director: Paul Weitz

Somewhat of a disappointment, Admission was still entertaining and is on par with other Tina Fey vehicles (Baby Mama, Date Night). I really enjoyed Paul Rudd being charming and Tina Fey doing what she does best with her quick-witted quips and snarky commentary. As far as the story goes, it wasn't as predictable as I thought it would be and provided enough schmaltz to be heartwarming but didn't suffocate you like a Nicholas Sparks movie.

Rating: Rent It!

47. G. I. Joe: Retaliation (PG-13) - Runtime: 110 minutes
Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Channing Tatum, Adrianne Palicki
Director: Jon M. Chu

It's probably a good thing the studio released this in the spring, because this okay-action flick would have gotten slaughtered at the summer box office. While I actually enjoyed myself during the movie, it's largely forgettable and you can bet your ass that it needed more Tatum. They may have filmed only an extra 5 minutes of him, but I guarantee if they do greenlight another sequel, they'll resurrect his character and he'll get top billing beside The Rock. It was a big, dumb action movie and it was probably more dumb than it should have been, but I liked it.

Rating: Rent It!

28. Oblivion (PG-13) - Runtime: 124 minutes

Starring: Tom Cruise, Morgan Freeman, Olga Kurylenko

Director: Joseph Kosinski

This film won't blow you away, but it was highly entertaining bit of science fiction. Tom Cruise is actually good and the story is intriguing enough to pull you along. The movie is fantastically beautiful - it's got a good mix of desolation and nature creeping in on human civilization. The ending seemed a little convoluted and could have been shorter, but minor complaints in an otherwise solid sci-fi flick. If you do enjoy this movie, check out Duncan Jones' Moon, which is by far a better movie than this with similar themes.

Rating: Rent It!