RonenRecommends | All posts published by author 'Ronen Divon'

Ronen's Rating System:

*****	A must watch
****	Worth seeing
***	If you must watch a movie and there is nothing else out there
**	Don’t bother
*	It’s so bad its almost good... not... These are films I walked out on, or just fell asleep
(K: stars)	Rating by my children. As they are easy to please, would typically be higher than mine...

Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015) ***

Posted on 10/17/2015 6:09 PM By Ronen Divon

Is the fifth installment in the Mission: Impossible series special or otherwise groundbreaking? Absolutely not. Is it enjoyable and delivers what one can expect from this genre? Absolutely yes. Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation is the fifth installment in the action-spy-thriller franchise. It was co-written and directed by Christopher McQuarrie, with story credits going to McQuarrie and Drew Pearce. The film stars familiar faces including who else but Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Ving Rhames, Sean Harris, and Alec Baldwin.

The Martian (2015) ****

Posted on 10/11/2015 7:37 PM By Ronen Divon

Directed by Ridley Scott and starring Matt Damon, The Martian is a Sci-Fi film based on Andy Weir's 2011 novel of the same title. Adapted to the screen by Drew Goddard, The Martian tells the story of Mark Watney, an astronaut specializing in Botany, who finds himself stranded on Mars, mistakenly left for dead by his fellow teammates. The plot follows Watney’s fight for survival as well as NASA’s attempts at rescuing him.

Mr. Holmes (****) 2015

Posted on 8/20/2015 5:32 PM By Ronen Divon

Based on Mitch Cullin's 2005 novel A Slight Trick of the Mind, Mr. Holmes is not your typical crime-mystery. The film, which was directed by Bill Condon and adapted to the screen by Jeffrey Hatcher, is more of a psychological exploration of a decaying mind. Through revelations of regrets and insights, the protagonist, an aging Sherlock Holmes, can finally find his redemption.

Trainwreck (2015) ***

Posted on 7/19/2015 12:31 PM By Ronen Divon

While Trainwreck starts with some originality, placing its protagonist, a woman, as a manizer (that is the female equivalent of a womanizer,) a rule typically reserved for men, the film quickly derails into a trivial romantic comedy with a yawning plotline. I giggled, even laughed hard on occasion, but when it was all over, this film felt more like a shallow quickie than a one-night stand, let alone a long-term relationship.

Inside Out (2015) *****

Posted on 7/5/2015 5:01 PM By Ronen Divon

Pixar continues to shine! Inside Out, the latest animated film by the studio, demonstrates yet again that storytelling supersedes special effects. Originally conceived by Pete Docter, Inside Out is all about relationships and emotions, especially during times of transition; be it geographical relocation or the change from childhood into puberty. Good storytelling is the ability to tell the tale of one individual in a manner that all watching can relate. That is where Pixar proves time and again their mastery. Fortunately Pixar’s animation skills do not fall far behind, making Inside Out a pure delight.

Spy (2015) ***

Posted on 6/23/2015 9:21 PM By Ronen Divon

Spy by writer-director Paul Feig is an amusing parody that will make you laugh, and then laugh some more. Yet it will be all but forgotten the morning after; thus while a good comedy, Spy is not a memorable one. A fun fluffy flick for a pleasant afternoon at the movies; nothing more, nothing less.