I went in having not seen any of the earlier films, and trust me I was not expecting much. I was actually surprised by how much sense the film actually did make, at least for the first hour that is. After that it devolved into complete disarray, making less and less sense while knocking the sense out of you. I did enjoy the first third of this bloated film, (and I use the term "film" lightly.) The plot started out interesting enough, with a tech company backwards engineering their own Transformers, but just when I think the story might get interesting, it completely takes a backseat to two solid hours of unintelligible nonsensical action sequences strung together by comedic one-liners. Ho-hum.

1.5 Stars (out of 5)

A film that is well aware of its own clichés, aware of its sappiness, and aware of its sadness, yet still manages to take an upbeat approach. The comedy is honest and the drama is well acted leaving a fairly balanced feel, even if it is a little heavy-handed at times. I liked the inclusion of a little history with Amsterdam and the Anne Frank Museum, something I imagine John Green had in the novel to educate us while still being entertaining.

3.5 Stars (out of 5)

My favorite film for 2014 so far, this movie packs a punch! It's clever, fast-paced, well executed and even funny at times. I haven't been much of a fan of Tom Cruise as of late, just kind of burnt out on him, but he handles this material well. Emily Blunt does a great job and even Bill Paxton shines. The story is great and the action scenes actually had me on the edge of my seat, rather than numbing my brain with an overload of CG imagery. As the film goes on the characters get a little farther along each time, much like playing a video game and getting better as you go. It's a fun style that never really gets old because of the great directing. Much like the film this one is being compared to, Groundhog Day, it could've gotten old fast, but the filmmakers make just the right adjustments right before you get tired of something to make it fun again. Will watch again. And again.

4.5 Stars (out of 5)