In honor of the Academy Awards tonight, I thought I would briefly review a couple movies I saw in the theater this weekend. Mind you, neither of these movies will be up for an award soon, let alone an Oscar, but since both are bringing in the cash at the box office I thought I would give my two cents. By the way, if you do want some throwback Oscar literature from yours truly, click here.

This weekend I enjoyed two movies that were both released to quite a bit of fanfare. Last night I watched “Fifty Shades of Grey” and then this morning I saw “Kingsman: The Secret Service.” Let me tell you what I thought.

“Fifty Shades of Grey” – Yesterday evening, Sidney and I went to see the movie that garnered gasps from women when the secretive teasers were shown in theaters months before the release date. I swear these same women came back for our showing yesterday. Besides them, many couples around the ages of Sidney and I also took up room in the theater. But even with these two groups, the auditorium was only about 75% full, making it very puzzling why an older gentlemen climbed all the way to the top row where Sidney and I sat and decided to sit down in the unoccupied seat right next to me. Hmmm…Fifty Shades of Weird.

My ticket for “Fifty Shades of Grey.”

For everything I have heard about the “Fifty Shades” franchise over the past couple of years, I was preparing myself to see something completely graphic, taboo, crazy, and sinister. When the movie concluded, I was honestly asking myself what the big deal was. I really didn’t find the film that offensive or shell-shocking.

I was pleasantly surprised that the film took place in my home state of Washington. I did not know this detail prior to last night. I enjoyed the shots of Seattle and I took pleasure in seeing the great promotion of Washington State University, the college I grew up cheering for and where I thought I would one day attend. The institution is where the lead female character, Ana, went to school.

As for the movie itself, I thought it was well-done. I think it had a very interesting plot, one in which the dilemma of Ana is very captivating. I loved the acting job of Jamie Dornan, the man who played the title character of Christian Grey. He did such a superb job of making himself a man of intrigue, someone who might really qualify as “The Most Interesting Man in the World.” He played his role so smoothly and did a convincing job of portraying the secret life his character must live. The ending absolutely sucked but I guess that is what is expected when a sequel is to follow. Even though the movie ended with me on the ropes, “Fifty Shades of Grey” exceeded my expectations.

“Kingsman: The Secret Service” – The plot for this movie is much too complex to explain so I won’t try to do so. However, I hope that by describing what the movie is like you might have a better idea on whether you want to see it or not.

My ticket for “Kingsman: The Secret Service.”

“Kingsman” is a mix between a thriller/spy/comedy film. Although the movie is very humorous and on the lighter side, you must be tuned in from the beginning to the end to understand everything that is going on. Although Samuel L. Jackson stars in the movie, it is very much a British film. Because of this, at times it is hard to catch everything that is said because of the English accents.

It is a very clever movie with lots of twists, killing, and crazy ideas. Dialogue is quick and witty. There is actually a moral dilemma that is at the center of the film but it is purposefully overshadowed by the action and humor. For me the movie lasted a little too long and I became really annoyed with a few of the characters who reappear throughout the whole feature. With that said, if you like comic books and enjoy spies, you will most likely enjoy “Kingsman: The Secret Service.” I was entertained, but like I said above, this movie will not be taking home an Oscar.

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Enjoy the Academy Awards! I will be turning back and forth throughout the evening. As I said on Thursday, my fingers are crossed for “American Sniper” to take home Best Picture. Don’t Blink.