"Sherlock Holmes"

    Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's characters, Sherlock Holmes, the brilliant detective, and his friend and sidekick, Dr. Watson make a return to the big screen with, of course, a complex murder mystery for them to solve. Lord Blackwood was convicted and hung for murder, but now it seems he's risen from the grave. It's now up to Sherlock and Watson to figure it out before time runs out.

    Directed by Guy Ritchie, this movies stars; Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Rachel McAdams and Mark Strong. I love Robert Downey Jr.'s version of Sherlock Holmes, his sarcastic, idiotic, and stupidly smart antics are just simply amazing. The chemistry between R.D.J and Jude Law is very believable and there humor together is hilarious. Alright so as far as bad guys in movies go, Mark Strong is definitely in my top 5 list. His eerily, evil voice combined with his sadistic character was flat out creepy. Also you can't deny that Rachel McAdams did a great job portraying Irene Adler and the chemistry between R.D.J. and her was pretty amazing!

    This film has garnered a lot of praise for R.D.J's performance as Sherlock Holmes, however there have been some negative reviews. These reviews mainly have to do with Guy Ritchie's directorial direction with the film, but there are some reviews that had a lot of complaining about how many action scenes their were and how it ruined the artistic genius of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's classic Sherlock. I disagree, I believe this film brought a unique and fresh perspective to the ever changing story of Sherlock Holmes and I applaud their genius to bring this film to life. 

  I would give this film and 8 out 10 stars! If you haven't seen this movie yet, what are you waiting for? Follow me on twitter(https://twitter.com/JacobHoffman86) and subscribe to my blog!! Leave a comment down below and tell me what you think!!

Peace,
Jake

   

"Shutter Island"

    U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels is sent to investigate the disappearance of a murderess, who escaped from a hospital for the criminally insane. As he begins the investigation he finds there is something very wrong with not just the patients but also the staff. He begins to realize that this mystery is much larger than anyone thought, and it could be his undoing.

     Directed by Martin Scorsese, this film stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Emily Mortimer, Mark Ruffalo, Michelle Williams, and Ben Kingsley.  This is an amazing cast with an amazing director, making it one of my favorite psychological thrillers ever. Any movie that has Leonardo DiCaprio in it and it was directed by Martin Scorsese, you know its going to be amazing (they made four movies together, each one amazing)!

    These kind of movies always fascinate me because they keep me guessing till the end. It's like, "Is this in the characters head or is it really happening?" I seriously had no idea what was going to happen and when they finally revealed it towards the end my mouth literally dropped in surprise. I was just sitting there and thinking "How could I not have known that?" I love when a movie gives you that twist at the end, that you didn't see coming. It makes me happy!

    Let me just say that Ben Kingsley is, without a doubt, one of the best actors I have ever seen. Let's not forget Leonardo DiCaprio (as the Academy Awards seem to), as his lead role is what makes me really love this movie. Mark Ruffalo shows us his acting chops, and its makes me wonder why they didn't get him to do the Hulk movies earlier instead of Eric Bana and Edward Norton (which I think we can all agree, weren't good choices for that specific role).

One of my favorite lines from this movie is,
Teddy Daniels: "You know, this place makes me wonder."
Chuck Aule: "Yeah, what's that, boss?"
Teddy Daniels: "Which would be worse - to live as a monster, or to die as a good man?"

I would give this movie a 9 out 10 stars! It is rated R so watch at your own discretion! If you like this blog you should go check out http://www.bpdreview.com/ - and also check out http://amberinblunderland.blogspot.com/

Peace,
Jake

"Daredevil"

     Matt Murdock, is a blind lawyer who was born and raised in New York City's Hell's Kitchen, but he is also the superhero known as Daredevil. When he was a child, toxic waste was accidentally spilled on him, which not only caused him to go blind but it also enhanced his other senses to a superhuman level. When The Kingpin hires Bullseye to kill the girl he likes, Elektra, and her father, Daredevil must do all he can to not only save them, but also to save himself.

    Directed by Mark Steven Johnson, this film stars Ben Affleck as Daredevil, Jennifer Garner as Elektra, Colin Ferrel as Bullseye, and Michael Clarke Duncan as The Kingpin. This movie has to be one of the worst comic book to silver screen translations ever. Come on Colin Ferrell as Bullseye.... It's just really lame.

     The one thing I blame for it being such a bad movie is this, the script was terrible. It's not the actors fault that they were given cliche and cringe worthy lines. The actors/actresses in this film aren't inherently bad actors/actresses, it's just that  they were in a bad movie with a bad script. Thank God, Marvel has gotten their act together on their movies.  Another thing that didn't really make any sense with the film was the soundtrack. I know we all like a little Evanescence, but come on, two songs from them in one movie soundtrack!

    Alright let's get this straight.... Bullseye is not from Ireland, he does not have an Irish accent and he does not look like a 90's vampire reject. If you are going to change a character that much, don't even call the character the same name. Michael Clarke Duncan was a pretty good choice for The Kingpin. Now I don't think that Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner were necessarily bad choices for their roles but again bad lines kind of clouded their acting skills.

 A lot of people are saying that because of this film, Ben Affleck is going to be a terrible batman. I don't think this is true at all. As I've been saying a lot in this post, it all comes down to the script and screenplay of the film. I'm reserving my judgement on the Superman vs. Batman film until I see it. Right now I'm very hopeful that this will be one of the best DC superhero movies yet!! (fingers crossed)

So overall, I would give this film a 4.5 out of 10. Make sure you follow me on twitter https://twitter.com/JacobHoffman86!!

Peace,
Jake

"The Skin Map" by Stephen R. Lawhead

      Kit Livingstone's life gets turned upside down when his great grandfather, who disappeared when Kit's grandfather was young, finds him in a deserted alley. He then begins to explain that ley lines, latent energy lines or portals spread through out the world, connect to different realities and different time periods. This story follows the adventure of Kit and his journey to find the elusive skin map, which is said to contain the location to the greatest treasure the world has ever known.

       Stephen R. Lawhead is an acclaimed writer of mythological history and imaginative fiction. He lives in England, which is where he gets a lot of his inspiration for his books. His books include twists on popular mythic history such as the King Raven Trilogy, which brings a fresh perspective to the tale of Robin Hood, and The Pendragon Cycle which is an amazing series about Merlin and King Arthur.

       The term "ley lines" originates with Alfred Watkins, who was an amateur archaeologist back in the 1920's. There are lanes in England dotted with stones or landmarks, that were supposedly used for navigation purposes back in ancient times. He then coined the term "ley", partly because of the places in which the lines ran through all had the syllable of ley. The ancient surveyors who made these "ley lines" were given the name "dodmen"(click on "dodmen" to find out more about them.). These lines can still be found in England but a lot of them are overgrown and are hard to find.

       This book will have your head spinning for those of you who get confused with time travel and different realities. It's a wild ride which takes you from modern day London, all the way to ancient Egypt and beyond. As soon as I picked this book up, I was hard pressed to put down again. There are four books so far in this series with the fifth book coming out next year sometime. I have yet to read the fourth one yet but I am so excited to.

 If you are like me and you love an interesting and thrilling tale, you will love this book! I would give this book a 9 out of 10! Leave a comment down below and follow me on Twitter too see what I'm reading, watching and doing!


Peace,
Jake