END OF WATCH - no end in sight

End Of Watch was a solid LA cop film. The handheld shots may bother some but overall, really well done. 

If anyone caught Harsh Times a few years back and liked it—like I did—chances are you will enjoy this current effort by director David Ayer. The cast is well chosen. Michael Peña and Jake Gyllenhaal make a believable cop duo and bring numerous unexpected comic moments to the fore. My theater was in stitches for most of the show. 

We are taken on a journey of horrors throughout LA. The cops are just doing their rounds but these rounds are rife with terrible incidents that would make many cops quiver. It seems real enough and conjures to mind what it might be like for newbie cops in the field. It makes one question the value and risk of doing such a job. What is the reward for risking your life everyday from the hydra of narcotic centered crime? These guys seem to relish in their pursuits with relative abandon. Maybe they believe they will live forever. Whatever the case may be—these cops ensure that the law is enforced with dignity as eloquently spoken by fiat in the first few minutes of the film.

The cinematography will rivet your senses, the brotherhood will warm your heart and the humor will endear you. I think you will like this film. 

Recommended Viewing: Harsh Times - We Own The Night - Tango And Cash

              Bob Scale: The Critic: 7.5   -   The Fan: 8.4

             MetaCritic: 70

 Rotten Tomatoes: 85

                    IMDB: 8.1

PARANORMAN - the new goth

Lovers of Coraline will enjoy this second stop motion attempt, ParaNorman, by the same producers. Its creepy cute with some clever homages thrown in for good measure. 

To be honest, I didn't really care all that much for Coraline, but I know the vast majority of critics raved about it as well as its many fans. I guess it just didn't strike a chord with me. ParaNorman was slightly more enjoyable but only slightly so. These two movies feel like a reinvention of Tim Burton's goth style, only the characters and sets are far more grotesque and ugly in many cases. I have no good reason for not liking these movies, I just don't care for the pacing, vibe and various other attributes of them. 

As I have mentioned before, I am a huge fan of stop motion. I have seen the first uses of this interesting art form since the late 19th century to King Kong to Ray Harryhausen all the way to Nick Park's Wallace and Gromit masterpieces. The stop motion revealed to us in these two films is no doubt as incredible as the films that led to the current technology. 

You most likely will enjoy ParaNorman as will your kids, if you have them. It might as well be an animated version of the 6th Sense, so if you liked that, give this a shot. The final sequence is breathtaking.

Recommended Viewing: The Curse Of The Were Rabbit - Jason And The Argonauts - Vincent

              Bob Scale: The Critic: 7.5   -   The Fan: 7.0

             MetaCritic: 73

 Rotten Tomatoes: 87

                    IMDB: 7.6