Movie Reviews: White House Down, Dirty Wars, The Heat, Monsters University

Are you a movie buff? Or maybe you just enjoy the occasional dinner and a movie date? Either way, Patch would be thrilled to have you on board as a movie blogger! All you have to do is shoot a quick email to Ryan Martin at ryan.martin@patch.com.

White House Down  

• Run Time: 137 mins. 
• Starring: Channing Tatum, Jamie Foxx, Maggie Gyllenhaal, James Woods, Richard Jenkins
• Rated: PG-13

Patch Blogger Mark Glass: *** One might conclude that director Roland Emmerich never met a disaster premise he didn’t like, leading to a track record that includes Independence Day, Godzilla’s 1998 resurfacing, and The Day After Tomorrow. The guy blows stuff up real good, as shown in his second depiction of our nation’s capital being devastated by evildoers. Last time it was aliens (space, not border); this siege comes from an assortment of home-grown zealots with various political, historical and financial motives. It’s basically one of the Die Hard flicks with a patina of allusion to current events... Full Review

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Monsters University  

• Run Time: 110 mins. 
• Starring: Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, Dave Foley, Julia Sweeney
• Rated: G

Patch Blogger Mark Glass: **½ Twelve years ago, Pixar delighted audiences with its animated feature, Monsters, Inc. Billy Crystal and John Goodman voiced the cuddly leading creatures - little round one-eyed Mike, and big furry Sully. They might be "monsters", but in their realm, it’s the humans who are feared. Scaring kids is just a business that supports the economy. After years of merchandising success from the original, we’re served this prequel, showing how the guys met at college, turning from foes to pals, as they learned the craft we’ve already seen from their adult adventures. Full Review

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The Heat  

• Run Time: 117 mins. 
• Starring:  Sandra Bullock, Melissa McCarthy, Kaitlin Olson
• Rated: R

Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: "You have the right to remain skeptical about Melissa McCarthy. “Identity Thief” was a serious offense, and she was too-easily pardoned for stealing scenes in “Bridesmaids” with felonious flatulence. But the multiplex is a prison that’s starved for female protagonists, and a big, loud woman with physical agility can get away with murder if she’s got the right partner in crime"... Full Review

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Dirty Wars  

• Run Time: 130 mins. 
• Rated: Not Rated

Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: "The United States has been at war against a vague enemy called terror for a dozen years, three times longer than we fought in World War II. There will be no victory parade, as the war will never end, spreading from the Middle East to every country on the globe. Yet the tactics and toll of the conflict are rarely mentioned on the news or in campaign speeches. Many Americans aren’t even acquainted with a front-line soldier. That’s because the skirmishes that journalist Jeremy Scahill has termed “dirty wars” are fought in the shadows by small numbers of special forces or remotely by drones." Full Review