BrettBGowen

This film is an absolute masterpiece. Being about the same age as Mason, I found that this film and his story reflects my entire generation. It has its dull moments and its exciting moments throughout this story, but that is what life is; it's subtle at times and game-changing at other times. And if you had to pick one film that showcases life, it's "Boyhood." No matter what age you are, you can't help but seeing aspects of your own life in the lives of this family. These actors put TWELVE years of their lives into the portrayal of these original characters. And if that isn't the performance of a lifetime, I don't know what is. Patricia Arquette deserves the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her performance as Olivia, Mason's mother; her acting has a perfect combination of subtlety, realism, and emotional depth. It was so difficult to put my feelings about this film into words, because it is just that remarkable and revolutionary. Richard Linklater has the right to call this film his "Mona Lisa."

Bill Murray, Melissa McCarthy, and Jaeden Lieberher all killed it in this movie, comedically and dramatically. I found it very refreshing to see Melissa McCarthy portraying a more realistic human being rather than the caricatured person that her "type" seems to land her in Hollywood. Lieberher delivers his lines and his acting smartly at a young age. And this may be one of Bill Murray's best roles to date. Naomi Watts' character was unlike anything she's ever done before, and it resulted in something a little bit awkward, but completely harmless. The plot may have fallen flat at certain points, and the script was used as a tool a few times for unnecessary sentimentality and conflict, but overall, the story and the message has resonance and tugs on your heart strings.

I just recently watched this movie without any pre-made judgements or expectations, because I did not know what kind of reviews/ratings it had gotten. And I was pleasantly surprised. I felt somewhat neutral towards the first movie of this reboot of the "Apes" franchise, but I did enjoy it. And this second movie blew the first one out of the water. At first, I thought the focus on mainly the apes was kind of stupid, but as the film progressed, I became attached to these computer-generated beings on screen. The acting of the human characters, as well as the acting of the people used to make the CGI apes was superb and realistic. For real, Andy Serkis could win an Oscar for his performance as Caesar. I was full invested in Caesar and Koba's stories. If a film can make me care that much about computer-generated monkeys, it's done its job well. The action kept moving along and kept me lured in. You fully understand each character, human and ape, and their motivations for their actions. Although I thoroughly enjoy action films, this is not the type of movie that I would purchase after seeing for the fist time. But if this is your type of film, buy it on Blu-Ray. The CGI is absolutely stunning.

When I first watched the trailer for this movie, I was actually really excited for a fresh take on a musical that was sort of becoming stale for me. Then the clips of the songs started to be released and I was extremely disappointed in the overproduced pop sound of all of the music. With all of the autotune, Rose Byrne sounded more like the robotic smart house singing rather a human being. That being said, after watching the whole movie... I actually really enjoyed it. It may not be an amazing film, or have the best music, or the best singing and acting, but I was entertained and emotionally invested in the characters for the most part. At first, I really disliked Jamie Foxx's character, William Stacks, throughout most of the film, but I began to like him more in the film's third act. Quvenzhane Wallis is adorable. Although Cameron Diaz's acting performance as Miss Hannigan was far from good, I did find myself giggling during some of her scenes. Overall, it's a movie to watch with your friends and family when you just feel like putting something on. It's completely harmless, and has good intentions, and the changes/additions they made to the music were not as cringe-worthy as I had initially thought they would be. If there's nothing to watch and it's on TV, it's a good choice. But I wouldn't buy it on DVD/Blu-Ray, unless it was in the "$5 or less" bin.