As far as film franchises go, few are revered and beloved by its fans like Star Wars. The baffling thing about these fans however, is how they never seem to be satisfied.
Latest point of contention: "Episode VIII: The Last Jedi"
Reactions have varied from "Too different; BAD!" to "Beautiful BECAUSE it's so different!" Quite honestly though, as a movie being judged on its own merits, without taking into account previous installments, hours of TV shows, and endless pages of official fanfiction, erm, expanded universe, it is a great story about how different kinds of people are trying to move past tragedies and other past sins & failures...while set in space and also revolving around space wizards.
Stop me if you've heard this one:
A youngster with so much potential ends up before an old master who has become jaded and bitter at the world, begging to be trained by him so that purpose can be established. For a good chunk of the movie, this is the parallel of the bits of "Empire Strikes Back" with Luke training under a green Muppet who lives in a swamp that complains about aggravating birds, but not a complete copy/paste job. The now-crotchety Luke Skywalker is truly a treat to behold, incorporating elements of both of the masters he's had, Obi-Wan's relative calmness and Yoda's mischievousness for example. Mark Hamil, after acquiring over 30 years of acting experience, has really stepped up the performance, bringing us a Luke Skywalker to be remembered fondly for years. His interactions with his Force-wielding proteges, both Daisy Ridley's Rey and Adam Driver's Kylo Ren, are also pretty darn amazing, letting him showcase his acting chops.
While the young-protege-learning-from-old-master-on-another-planet bit is about the only real parallel to other famous 2nd installments in this franchise, an argument can be made for rebels on the run from the oppressive, constant threat of the bigger, badder, more well-equipped enemies. But while this happens, the audience is treated to what happens when hotshot mavericks get humbled by their superiors. Poe Dameron, given the shaft in character development last movie, receives character development in massive spades this time. His itching desire to fight to his last breath against the First Order is palpable as he's constantly held down (sometimes forcibly) by General Leia and another higher up that looks like she came from the Capitol in the "Hunger Games." Throughout the events of the movie though, he learns how to be a wiser leader, made very important in the last scenes where he finally values the often-distasteful-in-movies tactful retreat.
So this busy film has a 3rd story, which involves Finn, BB8 and his new female companion Rose, because his dynamic HAS to be with a lady who knows more about this galaxy than him. They travel to a different kind of hive of scum and villainy that has been in the audience's scope yet in the movies: war profiteers. These one percenters who have become ridiculously wealthy because of all the hardware that have been given to both sides of the conflict are who surround our former Stormtrooper and engineer gal. While they try and find someone who can help them break into the enemy ship and disrupt their diabolical machinations, they also cause a little havoc in this town of pampered fat cats, in a way, still fighting the power in a little way. They end up on that enemy starship and things go downhill further, which is great for the audience since it's always satisfying to see how people can get out of an impossible-seeming pickle.
All three stories converge on a planet made of rocks and salt as a showdown for the fate of the fortunate few Resistance fighters, and it is absolutely fantastic. The environment and color scheme are utilized to great cinematic effect, with red on white like blood on snow, culminating to a duel that almost echoes a Western shootout at sunset. As a side note, so much cinematography props must be given to several scenes in this movie. So many still shots and action shots range from wonderfully composed to breathtaking, and that is commendable for a movie franchise renowned for being groudbreaking.
At this point, with so many different ways the movies have gone, in what can be arguably good or bad directions, I feel like this film is moving forward in a bold direction, even going so far as to have the major metaphor constantly being thrown around by several characters be the simple phrase of "burying/killing the past." After easing the movie-going public back into what Star Wars is about with the "Force Awakens," primarily cleansing out the sour taste of the prequel trilogy, this installment brings forth thought-provoking material & commentary, a fair amount of humor, characters you can actually care about now, and of course, hot action that'll scratch that spaceship dogfight and swordplay itch very well. Overall, worth watching to see how the film breaks conventions and expectations.
For a creative overview from a fellow movie-reviewing friend that lists three pros and three cons, please go here.
Sadly no singing Mark Hamill...but thankfully a madman from the Internet provided a full version.
Faulty theology aside, Pixar's new animated feature "Coco" is pretty good.
After having to sit through an incredibly schmaltzy "Frozen" themed musical short (Olaf is apparently now essential, nay vital, to the sisters' characters and happy memories), the audience is treated to the tale of "The Little Mermaid," "Tangled," "Brave," and "Ratatouille" but with a twist: a young character bound by family to be one thing while there is a burning desire of doing more, but alas, that desire is forbidden and poo-poo'd by the family. Yet through some happenstance that's never truly explained, the young character is whisked away on a truly life-changing journey with the chance to live out that dream. Along the way, truths are revealed about both the family and the character's own remarkable capabilities.
So just replace the mermaid with a young Mexican boy destined to be a shoemaker but dreams of being a master chef, I mean musician.
The trademark Pixar A-game is on full display with this film: heart, humor, action, adventure, more heart, and gorgeous art via moving pictures. The main character wants more but never seems too bratty and his family and their prejudice against music doesn't seem unreasonable based on what happened in that family's past. The movie's version of the Afterlife is not only vibrant and lively, but filled with fun yet never unbearable characters. An interesting twist is that just like "Spirited Away," the boy finds himself becoming more and more like the locals; so it's a race against time as well as a race to find the forgotten member of his family with the intent on becoming a musician like him.
Now the inevitable comparison will be made to the other well-known Dia de los Muertos-themed animated feature, "The Book of Life," by ReelFX and Fox. And while there are comparisons that can be drawn, (the culture, the setting, the main character and his struggle with family, rivals in ambition, etc) they are as different films as apples and oranges are different fruits. Prime amongst the differences is the tone of the movies. The one with Zoe Saldana as the object of affection between two men who also are trying to live their personal dreams is an interesting one, even without the supernatural rulers of the afterlife meddling in their affairs like the myths of old, as the climax has the living and the dead team up to defeat a bandit king and his army that has been billed as a major threat throughout the whole movie. The one with the modern-day boy finding himself inexplicably transported to the land of the dead, who also have inhabitants who look like sugar skulls and skeleton puppets sold by the vendor on the side of the lonely street, has a major focus on music and how he wants to achieve his own dream, and the climax has him realize that his family had his back the whole time because they themselves had a passion for music. Thus, one is like an old-school myth with the higher beings manipulating the mortals like puppets (har har), and what Pixar has offered is more a story along the lines of "Alice in Wonderland" with the protagonist finding himself transported to a weird and wild world.
Overall, this hot "Coco" is a wonderful take on a culture's notion of what happens after life and just how important are memories of the departed, a lesson on how lives can be enriched by something as simple as music, and a big ol' reminder to cherish your family, whoever they might be.
And since my culture is definitely not one reminiscent of the people south of the border, here are some actual legitimate film reviews by the people this movie honors:
http://remezcla.com/lists/film/latino-film-critics-review-pixar-coco/
I know it's a different...well everything, but would've been hilarious to see these guys referenced.
Stop me if you've heard this one:And
there came a day unlike any other, where Earth's mightiest warriors,
misfits, and freaks found themselves facing a common threat: an ancient
evil and his invading space alien army, but not before fighting their
overpowered trump card and bickering amongst themselves. And the
post-credits scene teases at a greater threat to come.
I've said it once, and I'll say it again:
DC movies tryin' to play catch up to Marvel, but they're rushing too much and letting their blatant borrowing show.
But honestly, "Justice League" was everything I expected based on their past entries (with "Wonder Woman" being the outlier). But this time, they certainly TRIED to make it more fun and appealing.
The actor chemistry for the most part is there; of particular note is Ben Affleck and Gal Gadot, with them both being battle-weary heroes trying to fill in the shoes of the dead Man of Steel, taking solace in each other as respected warriors, and being the proactive ones in the incoming alien invasion. Newcomers Ezra Miller as black-haired, super adorkable Barry Allen, Ray Fisher as a Cybertronian Protoform, erm Cyborg, and Jason Momoa as essentially Maui from "Moana" are all serviceable and seem like really interesting characters. Of course the main desire is that we wish we could've seen them shine on their own in their own film, like they did with Gal Gadot's Amazing Amazon Princess, but that's a minor gripe. The interplay between all of the team (which for some reason is NEVER referred to as the Justice League...or Superfriends for that matter) members are great and I would love to see these characters in another movie all together. Whether or not I believe they can carry their own movie will be up to what they show us in future trailers.
The one big downside to all these great actors and characters...has been my same gripe ever since he let his adoptive father get sucked into a tornado: SUPERMAN! His scenes, especially with his supporting cast, were unbearably cheesy and kept on reminding me of bad times. The two things they've improved upon with him is that they actually make his suit a better shade of blue and his primary focus is back to saving the civilians instead of beating up the bad guy like Goku. (And it's only a spoiler that he got better from dying in "Dawn of Justice" if you've paid absolutely no heed to the promotional materials, posters, or trailers for "Justice League")
Speaking of bad guy, the fiend from Apokolips was not the promised Darkseid, but one of his core group of sickos named Steppenwolf...and he's a generic alien baddy bent on conquering the Earth and controls droves of mindless minions that fly and shoot lasers. Nothing really interesting about him except the way he talks to the Macguffin boxes makes him seem like Norman Bates talking about his mother. And while some people would complain that Darkseid would've been a better threat and would mirror better with the start of the New 52 and the animated film "Justice League War," I want to believe they learned their lesson about playing their major-threats-card too early like what happened when they introduced Doomsday and his inevitable destiny in "Dawn of Justice." As far as how well it stacks up against its predecessors in the DC cinematic universe, it is most definitely much more entertaining and less anger-inducing than "Man of Steel" and "Dawn of Justice." There are jokes, actual human emotions, well-balanced screentime for each Justice League member, a nicer lighting and color palette, and most thankfully, a minimum of interactions with the superheroes being angry at each other for petty reasons. Overall, a fun superhero flick that's simple to digest that doesn't seek to piss off their fans.
For a creative overview from a fellow movie-reviewing friend that lists three pros and three cons, please go here. For a SPOILER-FILLED rundown of the movie's events told in a way similar to how Michael Peña told stories in "Ant-Man," go here.
Also, a flashback of a great war against the ancient evil had a member of a familiar space cop corps show up...and then die, but 'twas a nice bone to throw the comics fans.
Third time's the charm
Third time we have an All-New Peter Parker, with All-New challenges, All-New cool gadgetry, All-New relationships, and All-New villains to tackle, AND IT WORKED OUT!
"Spider-man Homecoming" is truly a return to form for what people like about the character while also establishing a new tone with him being a young 'un and a hero in training in the ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Like always, the plot is simple: Peter Parker must try to balance his time as a crime fighter and an average high school student while he must foil the dastardly plot of an evil villain. What adds new wrinkles and twists to this formula is the fact that Peter is young and stays in high school throughout the movie. His youth leads to a different playfulness to the character as well as a burning desire to prove himself to the adults (and heroes) of his life...which for the most part leads to disaster. In a similar way to how the "Parker Luck" was in full effect in "Spider-man 2" as Maguire's Peter ran into mishap after mishap, scenes where the current Peter's inexperience with the whole "superhero" thing is painfully evident and that just works out perfectly. The audiences who are familiar with what the character can do and yet is hampered by how new to everything is to him just want to see him succeed. Additionally, the casual moviegoers can always root for the underdog, something they have done ever since Rocky Balboa got into the ring. In addition to this new spin on the character, the amount of cool gear he has this time around really puts the previous Spidermen to shame. This Spidey's Stark-made suit, previously glimpsed at in "Cap 3: Civil War " has all sorts of wonderful cool stuff, including an advanced Siri to help him figure everything out...including his love life? Surprisingly though, there is a time in the movie where he has to abandon all the high tech and really slum it with a homemade costume, which also gives Peter his time to shine since he has to prove to himself, the villains, and the audience he is still...spectacular without the fancy super suit.
The definitive tie to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Tony Stark, was part of this film's massive draw as the ever charismatic Robert Downey Jr. never disappoints as the billionaire playboy with the fancy suits. While some people were worried that this might mean he hogs the spotlight, there was not much screentime with him to distract the crowd; it is still Spider-man's movie first and foremost after all. All in all, he does play a fairly decent mentor to Spidey, trying to be the cool uncle and connection to the bigger world of heroes beyond the little bit of New York that is the friendly neighborhood. With that said though, a large part of Peter's characterization in the early parts of the movie is him trying to get Senpai to notice him. While that is not a completely bad motivation as a character, it does kind of detract from Spidey's own honorable character traits, with the idea that most of what he does is a cry for a parental figure.
The supporting cast does an excellent job as well. His "surprisingly attractive aunt" plays this role less as a surrogate mother figure as the other actresses who have portrayed this character before, and more like a cool older sister, made even more acutely aware with Peter never calling her "Aunt" May and just sticks to calling her "May." Peter's best friend is surprisingly not a vaguely menacing Osborn this time but a fat, nerdy, Filipino dude who even though is an established character in comics canon plays much more like another Spider-man's best friend, who is a fat, nerdy, Korean dude. His mannerisms and quirks really give Peter more of a confidant, giving them a dynamic which was sorely lacking in the previous incarnations. As for the rest of the familiar characters, oh wait! Not familiar anymore since some got age-lifted, race-lifted, and all in all changed. Especially with an "original" character played by Zendaya, is pretty much Trini from the
recent Power Rangers movie as she is SUCH a teenager with attitude. It's
as if her only purpose in this movie is to provide snarky comic relief
in random scenes, and that's totally fine.
The villains this time play the more relatable, street-level, but credible threat. The best part is the complete departure from megalomaniacs or psychos whose evil sides are unleashed by science fiction accident; this villain's motivation is the working man's bad guy, one who is trying to provide for his family without being a common criminal thug. And of all the residents of Spidey's rogue's gallery I never thought I'd learn to care about, it was the Vulture. No longer is he a decrepit old man in a funky green animal cosplay but Michael Keaton channeling equal parts Batman and Birdman with a high tech flying suit with impressive wingspan. Of particular note is how his relationship to Peter changes as the movie progresses and to say how would be to completely spoil the flick. Definitely one of the top bad eggs that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has brought forth to distract us from the heroes discovering about themselves and conquering their own demons (The top tier in my book are Loki and David Tennant as Purple Man; this Vulture is somewhere around Kingpin level.).
Overall a fine picture to reintroduce the world to the friendly neighborhood wallcrawler. Heart, fantastic action, decent humor, a cool villain, and an after-credits scene that mocks you like Deadpool did last year for waiting so long, this movie is a blockbuster to bust all blocks.
For a creative overview from a fellow movie-reviewing friend that lists three pros and three cons, please go here.
For a simple yet somewhat entertaining (somewhat spoiler filled) review, go here. For funny yet spoilery synopsis disguised as a trailer, go here.
As the follow-up to their unintended breakaway hit, does "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" manage to catch that same creative spark?
Yes, most definitely yes.
The spacey ragtag bunch of misfits are back, and this time after running from people they've pissed off (What else is new) they come across a mysterious hermit claiming to be Starlord's long-lost father. While they try to figure out this enigmatic loner with phenomenal cosmic power, old antagonists from the last movie have their stars aligned with our lovable rogues, and they get roped back into their shenanigans, but will they be more hindrance than help? And what major threat will these Space Avengers foil this time? And will Star Lord find a more updated means to play catchy tunes?
While I did give you a quick & far too simple synopsis of the plot, the biggest problem is that the audience is left in the dark as to what direction the movie is going up until the midway or 3/4 of the way. Big surprise, a lot of the movie IS the old standby of the Hulk and Godzilla and Lupin III stories with a whole lot of people, ruffians and the Law alike, chasing them. So when the plot actually happens, the audience realizes in flash that we've shifted into top gear and the leisurely ride with these crazy characters is now a roller coaster (or a Tower of Terror?).
Thankfully, seems like the movie makers had some leftover acid or LSD from their time working on "Doctor Strange" since the colors and the visuals are breathtakingly colorful and a tad bit surreal. The first big action scene is against a tentacle monster that can breathe rainbow beams for crying out loud! The alien life continue to astound as some inhabitants of this galaxy can now be golden-skinned aristocrats, ridiculously ornate cyborgs, or even cute yet buggy Asian girls. Environments are amazing, and the choreography and action continue to get you excited.
The most standout feature of the last movie is still very much intact as well, with the songs of yesteryear peppering the soundtrack and further references to a time before the term "Millennial" was so widespread. While this brand of retro-references and nostalgia waves might not be enjoyable by everyone, it is still a distinguishing feature to make it stand out amongst all the other sci-fi films. Despite the laughs, this movie also provides a fair amount of pathos, with most of the drama coming from family issues. The dynamics of each Guardian to each other and to an additional character change and grow and we see this rich characterization be the main strength of the movie.
For all who reside in the vast sea of sci-fi movies, the Guardians of the Galaxy movies is a big ol' shiny pistol shrimp knocking out the competition with the one-two punch of humor and heart that is pretty much the trademark of films by Marvel Studios. Go check it out if you love space stuff, character chemistry, cool action, bonkers-bananas humor, and the best Stan Lee cameo ever.
For a creative overview from a fellow movie-reviewing friend that lists three pros and three cons, please go here.
For a simple yet somewhat entertaining (somewhat spoiler filled) review, go here. For funny yet spoilery synopsis disguised as a trailer, go here.
Blue Mary Poppins giving Emily Blunt a tough act to follow.
Why all this talk about going fast? Well that's EXACTLY the kind of breakneck pacing they tried to go for in the live-action remake of the Disney animated classic, "Beauty and the Beast."
It was as if the actors were just so impatient to spit out the familiar lines that there was no real emoting, no chance for the audience to connect with any line spoken or sung, and no way any of the nostalgia-laden viewers could remember the lines with fondness. What was the rush? To show us the new stuff and songs you added so it's not 100% a carbon copy of the original? Totally not worth it. The only worthwhile addition to the story that was added in this version was that we finally found out what happened to Belle's mom, and why she isn't with them in their dumpy little cottage that's smack dab IN their little town now instead of being on the outskirts.
To be fair though, there are many shining moments in this production that gives a slight improvement to the original.
Maurice is no longer a crackpot inventor, but a simple tinkerer and music box/clock-maker. He has progressed from a typical dopey Disney dad to being a competent human being. The audience can see all the subtle details of his agony of having to leave his wife, how he can sense his daughter's frustration in being trapped in old France's equivalent of the boonies, and he has the common sense to haul-ass when he realizes a spooky-ass castle is a straight up haunted mansion. Not to mention the golden opportunity to set the record straight on why the Beast imprisoned him in the original fable (rose theft), and not for simply being an intruder and sitting in his favorite chair like in the animated version. But with that change to make him much more relatable, that does make his attempted incarceration for being insane seem really out of place, and makes the villagers seem more like sheep to Gaston's smooth tongue.
The classic jock & sidekick routine is executed excellently with Luke Evans and Josh Gad as Gaston and LeFou...except for one minor exception. As most media outlets are only concerned with causing the most sensationalizing of headlines, they've picked up on the subtext that LeFou's character is now openly gay. As I've always believed LeFou was just in hero worship of Gaston, but this movie takes it to a definite push over the gay edge by lingering the camera on LeFou after Gaston leaves a scene to deliver some under-his-breath comment on just how much the diminutive sycophant was passionately pining for the hunk. Really nothing too gay, so conservatives can keep their monocles on and the LGBT community can feel represented. (And while Gaston's song about how great he is was never one of my favorite Disney songs, they surely elevated it to something familiar yet still as gloriously bombastic as the soundtrack version.)
And on the enchanted side of things, the feather duster of all people was given much more of a presence now instead of just being arm candy for Lumiere as she was back then. Lumiere is strangely enough the most animated of the household appliances since he was more motion-capture than the rest of the cast. Chip has turned into a faux skater boy now with his constant need of sliding around on his saucer. Funnily enough, they paired the wardrobe up with the Sir-Not-Appearing-in-This-Trailer of the harpsichord, voiced by Stanley Tucci. And yes, "Be Our Guest" is still the scene-stealing wonder of a musical sequence as it was before, but now with the added bonus of Belle frustratingly trying to eat and drink despite the show, and a part where they suddenly go Bollywood and throw colorful powder about like it's Holi.
Further pluses include the adding of the enchantress who cursed them all in the prologue as an actual character instead of just the impetus for things to get rolling, and quite possibly having a thing with Maurice. The breathtaking aesthetic of the grand castle with its juxtaposition of both poshness and decay, as it's also a victim of the curse as with each rose petal falls, it crumbles further into ruin. Expanding the length of time for Belle and the Beast to get to develop their romance is always something I thought was lacking in the original, so the inclusion of actual bonding moments was appreciated.
As for the music part, ALL the familiar songs are in place with only some decent new songs to lengthen the chance for these actors to flex their pipes for the audience...with only a smattering of autotune. Emma Thompson sounds exactly like a younger Angela Lansbury with the iconic song and that's very commendable. The exceptionally great amongst the newcomer songs would have to be Beast's song called "Evermore," which he sings while watching Belle leave to save her father; truly a great song for when you're pining for a gal you can't have, rife with longing and sadness. BUT! Like I said in the beginning, this movie is severely hampered by pacing issues, not putting their exceptional actors in more scenes together, having too much extra stuff which contributed nothing to the plot (new magical trinket left by the enchantress as another window to the outside world? Completely pointless...), and most cardinal of sins, letting me down on what I thought was ideal casting. Emma Watson was such a non-presence in the movie in certain parts, I was embarrassed to suddenly remember she was standing right there on the far side of the screen.
So despite my great enjoyment of the movie, it is a much weaker version of the tale as Disney has spun it. As a movie itself, it is a fine version to show folks, especially if it's their first time seeing the tale as old as time. But if you were to compare the two Disney movies, this one simply cannot hold a candle (or a candelabra) to the original Oscar-nominated masterpiece.
For a creative overview from a fellow movie-reviewing friend that lists three pros and three cons, please go here. For funny yet spoilery synopsis disguised as a trailer, go here.
Just some fantastic cross-promotion months before the movie's actual promo material.
The funny thing about Netflix original content is that a lot of their shows can be seen as a whole movie. And that's what I did with "Stranger Things" since it essentially did feel like three movies put together covering the same something strange in the neighborhood.
Movie #1 and the main story: kids side.
The young stars pull off a lot of the characteristic charm of the same kind of protagonists from "ET," "Goonies," and other films that feature kids having to go up against the supernatural and situations way over their heads. The kids seem familiar yet completely fresh since they have the boisterousness, attitude, and general demeanor the audience has come to expect from an 80s movie but with a more professional kind of kid actor as you would see from movies in the modern era. Nothing about them screams "I HAVE NO IDEA HOW TO ACT" and in all truth, they sometimes act more like adults than the adult characters. How did they find these kids? I was genuinely invested in all their shenanigans, internal conflicts, their own nerdy know-how, and how much drive they displayed in wanting to achieve their goals.
Movie #2 and the stronger of the side stories: the adults.
Winona Ryder is the biggest big name actor of this little Netflix show and she acts with such passion and conviction that you almost forget she was Lydia from "Beetlejuice" and Kim from "Edward Scissorhands." In light of her character's son suddenly becoming a victim of the ne'er-do-well from another dimension, she certainly looks like she's lost her marbles. And she plays it so very well. On the flip side is the police chief of their little Indiana town and right off the bat, we can tell he has his demons. Not until the last episode do we actually get to see why he's as gruff and bitter as he is. Yet, he is super driven, and him solving this missing person case which would lead to his own redemption is one of the most compelling parts of this series/movie. When their two stories converge, it is very gratifying seeing them become a duo of explorers into the unknown.
Movie #3 and what I thought would be a drag and eventually becoming a very compelling side story on its own: the teens.
Like any kind of teen drama full of popular teens, nerdy teens, sexual awakening, yelling at parents that they don't understand them, and cute girls treating freaks like people, this portion of the series was rife with
clichés and overused tropes. And yet it diverges from this pointless melodrama and dives headlong into a revenge-driven story where teens be badass and kick supernatural ass a la "Evil Dead" and some of the "Nightmare on Elm Street" movies. What I thought would be cardboard cutouts of characters become their own well-rounded characters with fears, foibles, real-seeming emotion, and gumption.
Overall, it is one of the biggest love letters to popular cinema from yesteryear, specifically the 1980s. While it gets a little weird, and a little wild, I highly recommend popping some Eggo waffles and watching this romp through these fantastic eight episodes of spooky goodness.
For a creative overview from a fellow movie-reviewing friend that lists three pros and three cons, please go here.
Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro
You know me; I'm a sucker for heist movies since it usually shows how a
well executed plan can come together to make a simple fetchquest all
that more intricate.
Now when you make a heist film with a ton of Miyazaki magic, you get "Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro."
Technically a franchise film about an infamous gentleman thief and his
crew (including the Interpol agent who hounds him), it is so full of the
typical early Hayao Miyazaki flair, that it can be forgiven for little
things like how Lupin and the female thief Fujiko know each other and
who the random samurai wandering a European landscape is. Centers mainly
around a counterfeiting ring of global proportions and of Lupin's brush
with the small duchy of Cagliostro and how he intends to save the
princess held against her will. As things go south, and things look bleak, the man manages to find new ways to get out of scrapes and that's admirable.
The art is gorgeous, the action frenetic and fun (slapstick as only
early anime and 'toons can give ya), and the characters are engaging and
entertaining. Enjoy the chase!
Not on this completely pointless list, but the spaghetti and meatballs from this film looked beyond scrumptious.
Driving Miss Wealthy Another of my all-time favorite Chinese movies, "Driving Miss Wealthy,"
or the more accurate translation "The Best Filipino (Maid)," is one that
can give you a bunch of gut-busting laughs. A Hong Kong cop who
takes any odd job he can is hired to pose as a Filipino
chauffeur/bodyguard to look after the beyond-spoiled, highly-gullible
daughter of a millionaire. Her father knows of her flaws and with the
help of "Mario," he hatches a plan to pretend to be comatose, and
leaving nothing to the daughter. This
forces her to live in the slums with her very best Filipino manservant.
The two learn to live together and work hard to get back on top. In
addition to this tale of learning independence and hard work, it's a
completely goofy love story. The performance of the main character
is the show stealer as he can effortlessly change his tone to heavily
Tagalog accented Cantonese to his normal demeanor of no-nonsense
bodyguard. While that may seem racist to some people, he does it with
good taste and no negativity. If you have a chance to watch it, highly recommend this rom-com of epic proportions. Deadpool
"Wow, breaking the fourth wall while breaking the fourth wall. That's like... sixteen walls!"
With the exception of quite a few dramatic and/or romantic moments,
"Deadpool" is a film with non-stop black comedy, 4th Wall breakings, and
the deconstruction, calling out, & subtle jabs at the superhero movie
genre.
Tons of fun (for those with a more twisted sense of fun),
and the main character is VERY true to his comics counterpart, an
antihero that revels in his powers, violence,
and talkative loon status. In addition to being really funny, the
action is well done and the emotional investment has its moments of
getting the audience to actually care. Of course, it is nowhere
near the title of "the best superhero movie ever," but I expected
nothing less for a film starring this ridiculous rogue. Highly
recommended to comic book and superhero movie fans...and just them.
Don't bring the family along. Older or younger will not get a kick out
of this.
For funny yet spoilery synopsis disguised as a trailer (complete with actual Ryan Reynolds voicework), go here.
For a more condensed and entertaining (spoiler-filled) review, go here.
Because I refuse to let this song die. 2012 wasn't that long ago!
Fury
"Fury" tells the same truth that's been told in so many war movies:
War is hell, but having comrades you can rely on makes it somewhat bearable.
Excellent action and all the horrors of World War II are brought to the
forefront, but strangely enough meanders pointlessly around the middle
just for a taste of "normalcy" and really, it dragged the movie down for
what seemed like a mind-numbing 30 minutes or so. Best scene of course,
is the climax with the main cast having to survive an indefensible
crossroads in a glorious last stand in an immobile tank.
Recommended.
Actually no. The men involved were very smart and stayed IN the tank for the most part.
Burnt
"If you have one Michelin Star, you're Luke Skywalker. If you have two,
you're whoever Alec Guiness was. If you have three, you're Yoda."
"But what if he's Darth Vader?"
When a disgraced rock star tries to break back into the scene, do we
want him to succeed? Hellz yeah. We want to believe that crippling
setbacks can be overcome, and that we can get back into the game like
nothing ever happened.
That's "Burnt" in a nutshell.
Bradley Cooper plays a chef who had too much success too early
and after a self-imposed exile, goes to London to try to achieve his
3rd Michelin Star. After assembling his crack team of specialists, he
seems to be all set to take the culinary world by storm. The only
problem is...he's more Gordon Ramsay than Gordon Ramsay. In his striving
for perfection in his restaurant, he isolates himself and his attempts
to interact with regular humanity is stilted. Can he overcome all these hangups and earn Jedi Mastery? Overall, great film with Cooper playing simultaneously the fiercest oni and the warmest captain of the cooking ship.
Having never eaten anything cooked with the "sous vide" method, I really didn't understand this movie's...BEEF with this process.
The Revenant So vengeful spirits that haunt you from beyond the grave? Let's see,
there's Sadako from "the Ring," Kayako from "the Grudge," not counting
Ryan Reynolds in "RIPD," and joining their ranks is Leonardo DiCaprio in
"the Revenant." This Oscar-winning performance has Leonardo
DiCaprio face the harshness of the wilderness after being left for dead
by his fur-trapping buddies after getting attacked by Native Americans.
He was left intentionally dead by new Mad Max since that guy's character
is truly despicable, confirmed at the point where he kills he kid who
plays DiCaprio's son. And even after all the trials consisting of
snow-covered mountains, amoral Frenchmen, and perilous falls, he goes on
the roaring rampage of revenge against the Bane of his existence. Don't lose your waaaaaaaay! For funny yet spoilery synopsis disguised as a trailer, go here.
Because if they didn't give him an Oscar for his performance in the Revenant, he would've surely killed himself in his next movie to achieve it...seriously, the man suffered hard for his artsy movie.
The Good Dinosaur Well Pixar ol boy, you raised my hopes with "Inside Out" and you made me cry with "The Good Dinosaur" and not in a good way! Well, give Pixar some props for making the first Western set before the idea of cowboys or horses, giving us a fuly Western atmosphere through sprawling landscapes and an almost "Magnificent Seven" score. In a funny twist, it is reminiscent of another Pixar movie, "Brave." What "Brave" accomplished with hair, "The Good Dinosaur" accomplished with beautiful landscapes, given that both are feats in animation. Also taking pages from the playbook of "Brave," the story and plot are pretty much two other Disney properties mashed together; while "Brave" is essentially "Brother Bear" meets "Freaky Friday" and set in Scotland, "the Good Dinosaur" tries its hand at being a mish-mash of "the Lion King" and "Finding Nemo" set in the prehistoric frontier. It is slightly darker in tone as well, with essentially cultist pterodactyls that demand sacrifice, Native American Styrcosaurus who might have ingested one too many natural hallucinogenic substances, our two protagonists tripping out on their own hallucinogenic substances, and Sam Elliot as a cattle-herding T-Rex who has to ferociously fight cattle-rustling velociraptors,
But despite all this madness, there is a certain charm that I'm sure will be some 6 year old's gateway into dinosaur love as it was for somebody of the previous generation and "Land Before Time."
As we all know, Disney is no stranger to having their character undergo the most disorienting of delusions.
The Intern For movies like "the Intern" you wonder just how well do the scriptwriters understand real life. Unless the actual old people in their lives are as genuine, heartfelt, and cool as Robert DeNiro plays his character, I do believe they're never really met an average senior citizen before. Trying to fill a void in his life, Robert DeNiro's character becomes an intern for an e-shopping business, reporting directly to the workaholic boss, played by Anne Hathaway, and eventually reaches a point where he becomes her most trusted advisor in matters both personal and professional. Really nice story and just seeing how DeNiro's godfatherly, old-school charm has positive impact on everyone at the workplace. Zootopia "Who's your friend who makes you laugh and cry?" DIS-NEY! DIS-NEY! "Who's the best with talking animals?" DIS-NEY! DIS-NEY! "Who has the best voice-acting casts?" DIS-NEY! DIS-NEY! "Zootopia" is the new amazing film from Disney animation and as is typical of their films of late, it is full of top-notch animation, fantastic voice-acting cast, intriguing story, and unbelievably human characters (even though, they are, in fact, all animals). The two main leads are the best guides to this incredible world, the optimistic and high-energy bunny cop voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin and the ever-hustling, fast-talking fox voiced by Jason Bateman. Judy the bunny is a great determinator character and doesn't let anything get her down, and Nick the fox is another lovable rogue in the same vein as Aladdin and Flynn Rider. As they solve the mystery plaguing the city, we also dig into their pasts and motivations as well as enjoy the antics of the creature-themed city and animal inhabitants around them. What's even more fascinating is that the movie seems to take our current world drama about racism and turn it into a child-friendly, colorful, easy-to-digest story with the morals being two-fold: love your neighbor and try to be more than you are. For funny yet spoilery synopsis disguised as a trailer, go here.
So after being one of the protagonists of the most successful Disney movies ever (Frozen), what else does she do for the Mouse? Be a her most favorite animal ever. No really guys, she LOVES SLOTHS!
Neighbors When you push past the crude sex, drugs, alcohol, and other bodily
functions jokes in "Neighbors," it's actually the tale of two new
parents, played by Seth Rogan and Rose Byrne, who think they can
reconnect with their wild and crazy glory days when a the house next
door becomes a fraternity house, but upon the realization that this
party life ain't for them anymore, come up with ingenious ways to fight
to take back their tranquility and mundane lives. At the same time, the
fraternity, led by Zac Efron and Dave Franco, have their ultimate goal
of being the wildest partyers tested when confronted with their own
looming future of adulthood and the prospect of growing old and boring
like their neighbors. TL;DR clash of clashes between two parties whose very way of life is threatened by the other...in suburbia.
The Jungle Book (2016) In the grand total of 3 direct Disney adaptations of their own animated
features (4 if your count Maleficent), Jon Favreau's "The Jungle Book"
has surpassed my expectations and made the story pretty darn amazing.
The characters are all pretty much spot-on, with their celebrity
voice-overs doing them great justice (of note, Ben Kingsley playing the
commanding protector and Bill Murray being the lovable slacker with a
good heart), and some characters have even been improved upon,
notable amongst them being the wolf pack family and Mowgli himself. In
this version, he's not so much the Load, the one to be rescued
CONSTANTLY; instead, they made him the innovator, the bucker of
tradition, and pretty much leagues more capable than previously thought
possible. Another interesting twist on a familiar character is King
Louie, or should I say Don Louie. Complete with his new gangster persona
is his new standing as a mythical, huge hulking ape instead of a
jive-talkin' orangutan. Behind the story we all know is this
interesting, strangely political power balance trying to be achieved,
with Shere Khan exerting a tyrannical dominance over all the jungle
creatures, despite logic dictating that the majority of these creatures,
having human-like intelligence, should be able to fight back against
one hateful, racist tiger. And not until Mowgli, trying to find his
place in the world, realizes where his responsibilities and home really
lie, becomes an unlikely, unwilling figurehead of the rebellion against
angry, stripey kitty.
For funny yet spoilery synopsis disguised as a trailer, go here.
HILARIOUS reference to the fact that Christopher Walken voices King Louie
Sherlock: The Abominable Bride
Dunno if it really counts as a movie, but "Sherlock: the Abominable
Bride" sure felt like one. Finally putting them Baker Street Boys in
their proper time period, they try to solve a mystery of a vengeful
ghost lady, but is she really? And is everything as it seems?
Great
acting, lots of great set pieces and costumes, turning our modern crime
drama back into the period piece it's supposed to be, fascinating story,
and just references to the classic works of Arthur Conan Doyle make it a
grand ol' mega episode.
Funnily enough, I was able to deduce how the Abominable Bride was able to ghost her way around because of an old episode of "Magic School Bus" that explained this old stage trick.
Gods of Egypt
Oh lawd above..."Gods of Egypt" was a marvelous and spectacular piece of crap.
If I were to explain a film's plot badly, it would sound a little too
much like the Lion King...except that Scar, as played by Gerard Butler,
went and disfigured Simba, who has to regain his honor and retake the
throne after some time away from the kingdom, Timon is trying to save
the soul of his dead lover, and...Rafiki as played by Geoffrey Rush, is on a river boat in space, trailing the sun behind him and fending off Galactus/Parallax from devouring his discworld.
While the plot is cliche, the characters ridiculously 2 dimensional,
the effects laughably cheesy, the lines very cringeworthy, and the actor
chemistry being nonexistent, it is a fantastic (albeit stupid as all
heck) take on the weirdness of the Ancient Egyptian mythology. Save this
one for a bad movie night.
When Captain Barbossa finds another boat to commandeer, he saves us all!
X-Men Apocalypse
"If we can agree on one thing, the 3rd film is always the worst." - Jean Grey, in this movie speaking the truth.
While this isn't a strictly the third film, "X-men Apocalypse" is the
3rd time they've used the cast from the prequels, so I'm counting it as a
trilogy. While the first movie had compelling characters, an
interesting setting in both time and environment, and the most bromantic
Xavier and Magneto have ever been, the 2nd movie gave us
characterization in spades, decent
action, beloved actors, and crisscrossing the timestreams for great
effect. This one...gave us a Quicksilver scene that completely trumped
the previous one, because he's saving people all over the X-mansion to
the sweet techno sound of Eurythmics' Sweet Dreams...
When an ancient evil is unleashed upon the world in the 80s, we get to
see our favorite Mutants (yes the favs, not like the ragtag bunch in
First Class) band together for the first time to take down the Mutant
delusional enough to believe he's a god and with the hax&OP powers
to back up that claim.
While I mentioned that Days of Future Past
had so much character building, this one wasn't devoid of it either,
most noticeable in the scenes with Magneto and with the newbies. And
while the action and effects are decent, there really isn't anything
outstanding. The best thing about this would probably that they're
finally getting the look of the Xmen right, giving us the best costumes
of the entire spectrum of Xmen movies.
Highly enjoyable but it
succumbs to the same problem of "Kung-fu Panda 3": after getting blown
away by the 2nd installment, and the 3rd installment just leaves you
feeling not as fulfilled, you tend to feel like it was worse than it
was.
For funny yet spoilery synopsis disguised as a trailer, go here.
For a creative overview from a fellow movie-reviewing friend that lists three pros and three cons, please go here.
I bet my inhuman love for cats counts as a mutation.
Now You See Me 2
When the hustlers get hustled by Harry Potter of all people, you know that this film might be a bit ridiculous.
"Now You See Me 2" gives us our previous pretentious titled
Robin-Hood-MO stage magicians, the Horsemen, featuring Jesse Eisenberg,
Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, and peppy newcomer to supplant that
redhead lass, Lizzy Caplan, in a bit of hot water, landing them in
Macau. It's up to the uneasy alliance of Mark Ruffalo and Morgan
Freeman, especially since we see some of
their sordid history this time around, to help them out, especially
after a high-stakes heist befitting their elaborate and elegant
trickery.
The funny thing
about this film is that it reels you in exactly in the same manner as
the magicians these actors play, giving you a sense of mystery that you
MUST keep on watching or else you'll miss something, or you go in hoping
that their explanation won't leave you feeling completely stupid. And
while the plot is fairly standard and the characters are more outrageous
caricatures, you can't help but feel reeled in with the most burning of
questions...is magic real here?
And despite Daniel Radcliffe being
in this movie, he's strangely enough more of a tech wizard than a
traditional wand-waving one.
Oh yeah. Jay Chou is in this movie too in a completely forgettable, blink-and-you'll-miss-him, role as a magic shopkeeper's grandson.
Divergent
Since "Divergent" put almost no effort into crafting an original story,
characters, romantic subplot, dystopian future, nor tired YA novel
series adaptation cliches, I shall only do the same and yoink from more
creative descriptive minds than me:
Basically, caste system, specialized roles, a couple of chosen ones to fight the system, yadda-yadda-yadda.
Insurgent
So as much as I picked on "Divergent" for having no differences from
other YA adaptations with a dystopian future and categorizations and
stuff, it wasn't until "Insurgent" that I realized in what way it
actually differs:
There is a HUGE emphasis on "Matrix"/"Inception" dream sequences / trip out delusions.
So a little step forward in making themselves at least more stunning visually than its previous film, but still not enough to make me enjoy the character or half-assed plot points.
Also, hi Wally West. Who knew you would pop up here before you even get your superspeed debut?
For funny yet spoilery synopsis disguised as a trailer, go here.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2
In another great instance of the trailers being completely misleading,
"My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2" is NOT about the underage girl finding a
nice Greek boy to marry and make Greek babies with.
Of the three
major conflicts of the film, the biggest deal is allocated to Grandpa,
who finds out, in his research for lawyer-friendly ancestry.com,
that he was never legally married. So in addition to our main gal's
daughter choosing to leave her crazy family to study elsewhere and the
problem-solving Toula having to learn to let go of her family's issues
and just be herself, it becomes a big ol buildup to the big fat Greek
wedding of the elderly.
Really fun, wacky antics of so many crazy
relatives, and super relatable to anyone who comes from a culture with a
big emphasis on family.
Allegiant
"I guess it IS shocking to me. Shocking that the more I learn about the past, I feel like you're making the same mistakes over and over again," - Triss, talking about this movie?
With "Divergent" being a shameless ripoff of more popular films of the genre, and "Insurgent" being a little better since we get some character development and more emphasis on dream diving, where does "Allegiant" stand?
A big ol' frog's leap backwards. We are given the same "don't trust the
people in charge because they loco" song and dance from the new people
in charge, we get the same Reed Richards betrays everyone brouhaha that
worked SO VERY WELL the last couple times, the main protagonists are in
the same kinda pickle that requires the other to valiantly unpickle
them, and, of course, not a satisfying conclusion at all. Good grief, somebody really needs to put this franchise out of their misery...how about you Netflix or Hulu?
Surely it's a red flag when one of these people is in charge of the whole scientific experiment society thing.
Free State of Jones Who remembers "Defiance?" The movie that features James Bond and (a)
Sabertooth saving Jews during World War II by hiding out in a forest?
That's essentially what "The Free State of Jones" is.
Matthew McConaughey stars as the man who got fed up with the
Confederate side during the end part of the American Civil War, and
after going home, finds that the Confederate soldiers stationed there
are worse than the people he's been fighting. Thus, he rebels even
further and is hunted down. After taking
refuge with some escaped slaves, he builds a community that defends
themselves in a swamp, consisting of other Confederate deserters and
more escaped slaves. Together, white and black, man and woman, fight as
equals to defend themselves and what is rightfully theirs. While
this is a great premise upon itself, that's only the first half...the
2nd half is a lot more of a downer as McConaughey takes up the burden of
helping the black population grow from being slaves to US citizens...a
burden as anybody who paid attention in history class, and even paying
attention to the current news, is an ongoing struggle. A bit
disjointed in its storytelling, but kind of makes up for it with the
phenomenal acting and the grit & determination displayed by the
characters.
Now just imagine what would've happened if Matthew McConaughey was replaced with Mike Myers.
Ghostbusters Trepidation, cautious optimism, and just the loud wondering if whether
or not the same lightning can be caught in a bottle were all reactions
to when people saw the trailer. Or in this case, the same ghosts of good feelings can be caught in the ghost trap.
I refer to it as Gal(!)Ghostbusters, but the powers that be simply call
it "Ghostbusters," and while it is a fun ride and not what I would call
a "love letter" (More like the rough draft of a note of longing you
tape/magnet to a crush's locker), I cannot say it is better than the original.
While the first one's humor rests more solidly on deadpan delivery,
quotable lines, and characters being lovably cuckoo, this version has a
lot of times where the camera would just rest on the ladies and let them
be their funny selves and ramble. The characters themselves are pretty
much their actors with a few tweaks, with the exception of Kate Mckinnon
who fully becomes an eccentric mad scientist with an almost permanent
grin and larger than life attitude. I'll have to credit this in the
same way that I credited "Dawn of Justice" for being kind enough to
resort to callbacks and references to the previous incarnation of the
Paranormal Sentai Ghostbusters, but all in all that's just a cheap
tactic for making weak movies seem strong. Overall, it's pretty much got
the same blood running through its veins as "The Force Awakens" with it
basically rehashing the first film to play it safe and to ease us into
our familiar yet all-new surroundings, but with enough visual flair and
"interesting" characters to be entertaining.
For funny yet spoilery synopsis disguised as a trailer, go here. For a creative overview from a fellow movie-reviewing friend that lists three pros and three cons, please go here.
The rationale behind making the Ghostbusters into gals.
Who was the original ghost hunter?
Pacman.
What did Namco do to keep the game going even though nothing about it changed?
Woman.
Zoolander No. 2 The first "Zoolander" can best be summed up as "an absurdist comedy that still maintains the human element"
So when they make "Zoolander2," do we get more of what made the first
one great even after all the jokes should be stale and tired? Yes, yes we do. But are the jokes stale and tired? I don't think so!
We are given the same Owen Wilson and Ben Stiller wacky chemistry, the
same kind of mispronunciation gags, more completely out-of-left-field
celebrity cameos, the continuation of nonsequiter scenes that just make you go "whaaaaaaat," further ridiculous conspiracies about the fashion
industry, and yet again, Will Ferrell felt like taking crazy pills.
But as the first time was so bizarre and nonsensical in a good way,
more of the same, with different situations and contexts, is greatly
appreciated. It's exactly what you expect from a continuation of the
chronicles of the bizarro world where really really really ridiculously
good-looking people are so hot right now.
This movie teaches us that apparently if enough people do the Blue Steel look, telekinesis spontaneously happens.
Jason Bourne Let's talk about "shaky cam," the style of cinematography where you try
to convey more action and "realism" by NEVER holding the camera still.
The "Bourne" series of films have been called out on this seemingly
major irritant to enjoyable viewing, but I must admit that it never
bothered me before. "Jason Bourne" however, has made me re-evaluate my position on this. Roughly 80% of the movie is shot with the cameraman seeming to go through withdrawal symptoms. And I think I was
able to forgive the shaky cam in the past because the action scenes
were fast-paced, action-filled, and edited well enough for me to
overlook it. Not so now since so much of the movie was just following
people down hallways, streets, or other places on the way to the action.
Build up to action scenes is a fine tactic, but when it drags on too
long, there is no way the action scene will be mind-boggling enough to
justify the slog. And the story? What story? Most I could get was just that it was trying to be relevant because technology spying on us or something?
Suicide Squad Having read a sparse amount of Suicide Squad, Secret 6, and other
anti-hero/primarily-villains-you're-supposed-to-root-for teams by the
fine people at DC, I already knew what the fundamental problem of
"Suicide Squad" was going to be...they're touted as "bad guys" (and the
movie will remind you of that CON-STANT-LY) but lo and behold, we
sympathize with, enjoy watching, and ultimately WANT the "bad guys" to
win. Quite frankly, I don't believe anyone can be 100% a dick, but they
sure did a poor job of establishing why the audience should feel aghast
at any of their actions, even with gratuitous, quick-edited, and
color-filled backstories for 3 of the 7 squad members. So along with
the mixed messages of how to feel about the characters, the best would
have to be their boss, Amanda Waller (non-fat version) as played by
Viola Davis. Having only seen one episode of "How to get away with
Murder," I can only conclude that Viola is playing this role as an
amped-up version of the teacher from that show. Manipulative, cold, and
completely ruthless in her dealings with all living souls. And
based on my own predictions of the movie, it was way off. Tharja
from Fire Emblem Awakening summoning an evil army of liquid tar people
and a swirling vortex of terror and lightning to take over the world was a far cry from what most people were hoping for, that after a warm-up act with
the magical lady of doom, that they'll focus on attacking the Joker.
The Joker himself, hyped as he was for being such a radically different take on the Jokers we're used to seeing, became no more than a
glorified cameo with some plot significance...like Wonder Woman in "Dawn
of Justice." Enjoyable, with (relatively) likable characters, and a
most basic story...unlike the previous two DC movies, which gave us
enjoyable, but with majority unlikable characters and
convoluted-to-the-point-of-disgust plots. For funny yet spoilery synopsis disguised as a trailer, go here. For a creative overview from a fellow movie-reviewing friend that lists three pros and three cons, please go here and here.
Not a bad guess; and there really was such a petty request from an inmate.
Batman: Attack on Arkham In the continuing trend of WB animation churning out a better quality
movie than the live-action blokes, "Attack on Arkham" is the superior
Suicide Squad movie. Whilst the live-action version seemed to think
that what this movie needed was honor amongst thieves and camraderie out
of nowhere, we rarely get that in the animated version, the closest we
get to them actually coming together is several instances of watching
each other's backs between the beast and the (ice-cold) beauty,
and Harley & Deadshot having a romp in the sheets. The rest of the
time, it's a lot of backstabbing, double crossing, differences in
ideologies, snark at their teammates' expense, and a whole host of other
issues you get when you force DANGEROUS CRIMINALS into a group
situation for a goal that they all can't agree on. Plus, the threat
is much more manageable for characters of their caliber: sneak into the
loony bin, steal a thing, cause tons of havoc, and leave, hopefully
without inciting the wrath of the Bat or the Clown (didn't work). Much
better setup than "save the world from crazy Ancient Mayan
belly-dancer." But the biggest saving grace of the animated movie?
PEOPLE ACTUALLY DIE! I can't believe I'm saying this about a group of
people I'm supposed to root for, but when you want the bad guys stopped,
you want them taken out. Kill count for Suicide Squad: 2/9. Kill count
for Attack on Arkham: 4/7 If you want to introduce yourself to what
the Suicide Squad is all about, do yourself a favor and watch this
movie before you see the one where they're all ohana.
It's funny because Harley kept calling Deadshot "cowboy" and even though this version isn't even remotely close to resembling Will Smith, parallel was made in my mind. ^0^
Kubo and the Two Strings
For too long the name Kubo has been associated with the hack who came up
with the manga series "Bleach," but now, the public consciousness will
thankfully be talking about a better Kubo.
"Kubo and the Two
Strings" has the hallmarks of many a great Japanese myth, a simple hero,
accompanied by fantastical creatures, goes on an epic fetchquest to
vanquish the monsters that have taken so much from him. But the funny
thing is, it's a wholly original idea, from the same folks who made
stop-motion classics, such as "Coraline." Not only is the artistry of
the film a gorgeous marvel, but the characters and story are phenomenal,
full of laughs, tragedies, and humanity, as evidenced by the amazing
voice-acting work and creativity in the settings and lore.
Definitely a must-see if you're a fan of the best kind of puppet shows. For a creative overview from a fellow movie-reviewing friend that lists three pros and three cons, please go here.
Fire breathing chicken from Japan? Where have I seen that one before...
Ip Man 3
What's this? An Ip Man movie without the classification of any one race as inherently a-holes? Miracles!
"Ip Man 3" continues the story of the man with the fast fists and the
calmest disposition who fights the power. In the first film, he fought
the Japanese. In the 2nd, he fought the British. In this one, he fights
organized crime as they set out to terrorize his son's school.
While that might seem like a downgrade, I do enjoy that the bad guys are bad guys; simple as that. And
the end-fight between their boss, played by Mike Tyson trying his
darnedest to make his Cantonese sound rethpectable, and our hero is
truly amazing, bringing the previous boxer vs martial artist fight in
the 2nd film to shame. As always though, it's not just about
fantastic fights, but it's also about Man learning how to be more of a
caring family man, and being (even more) warmer towards his fellow man.
All culminating in his final fight not actually being for national pride
nor survival, but more of a friendly (but still intense) bout between
two practitioners of the same style, departing not as enemies but as
respected martial artists. Also, young Bruce Lee stand-in is hilarious in all his attempts to channel the spirit of the legend.
Storks As far as movie plots go, how much more nonsensical can you get than
forming a world around the collective tall-tale of squeamish parents who
don't want to explain what's the real deal about the stuff between your
legs? "Storks" may lack an engaging plot and any semblance of
common sense in this mad mad mad world, but it is truly a cartoon in all
sense of the word, comparable to the energy, delivery, and straight up
comedy gold to stuff like Chuck Jones and Genndy Tartakovsky.
The characters are all amazingly funny (except one little weirdo who
every time he appeared on screen just made things awkward and sucked me
out of the movie), with the two main leads supplying most of the humor,
essentially turning this movie into a most delightfully zany adventure
with Andy Samberg and Pinkie Pie. It's not purely a barrel of laughs
though. There is a a center of heartfeltness and unbearable cuteness,
and it balances out this film fairly well. Overall, I am starting to
believe in Warner Bros Animation again. To further emphasize their new
masterful handle on animation and humor, they included a short in front
of this movie "built" in the same vein as the LEGO Movie. Watch this
movie if you want to laugh.
So this movie basically depicted wolves the same way that "Finding Nemo" showed us how moonfish swarming worked.
Chef Having only seen Jon Favreau's acting chops through his depiction of Tony Stark's bumbling bodyguard/driver, I didn't know what to expect out of "Chef." Thankfully, he delivers with a performance full of passion and heart.
Favreau stars as a chef at the end of his rope in almost every aspect
of his life, but after a turnaround, he finds a way to make food he
wants, be his own boss, and bond with his young son: have his own food
truck. What follows is the journey of a man across the country, picking
up local flavors and establishing precious memories with his boy.
Each of Favreau's friends, notable stars like Robert Downey Jr,
Scarlett Johanson, and John Leguizamo, churn out good performances and
give you believable characters. But the real star is the
scrumptious-looking food as it's prepared and as it's served. Just try
not feeling hungry after seeing the man prepare a Cuban sandwich of
dreams.
It sure ain't that simple...you need a sandwich press too!
Tropic Thunder
Truly a film for movie lovers, "Tropic Thunder" brings the laughs at
this ridiculous behind-the-scenes look at the struggle of making a movie
when everyone has issues. Deep and thoroughly insane issues.
All
the actors are phenomenal to watch, including by far one of the most
convoluted performances by Robert Downey Jr. and the most entertainingly
obnoxoious, foul-mouthed, and belligerent cameo from Tom Cruise.
Watch this if you're in for a laugh at the expense of the movie industry.
If you give Jack Black enough cocaine, marvelous things will happen.
Hellboy I always found the phrase "better the devil you know than the devil you
don't" a little bit weird because who wants to be familiar with a demon?
Well, if he's Ron Perlman depicting a stereotypical red devil (complete
with horns and a tail) but who also thinks muttonchops works well with
Japanese man-bun and has a soft spot for kitties and pancakes? Hell
yeah, "Hellboy" is the demon to know.
Brought about by wacky Nazis tampering with the natural order, but taken in by a kind American
paranormal expert, this monstrous figure is part of a secret government
agency that deals with the otherwordly entities way out of the
jurisdiction of the Men in Black and the Ghostbusters. His latest
adventure involves foiling an evil plot by a steampunk cyborg Nazi ninja
and Rasputin himself because nobody wants hellhounds and
lawyer-friendly Eldritch abominations around right? At times, this
Guillermo del Toro flick has all his trademarks of edgy, creepy but not
gross, tendency to use practical and CG effects, and lots of visual
flair during action scenes, but at other times, the acting is a little
stilted and you're only drawn in by how good the visuals are. But then
again, I was never a fan of the art style of the graphic novels made
famous by Mike Mignola, so as far as direct translations goes, it made
it look much better. Watch it if you're feeling like seeing how the things that go bump in the night get bumped back by a giant stone fist.
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children So what happens when you throw in a heaping helping of X-men, add a
little bit of Percy Jackson, put in a dash of Groundhog Day, toss in
some horrific Slenderman aesthetic to the villains, and marinate it all
in Tim Burton's brain? "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children."
An interesting tale of how an ordinary sixteen-year old finds how his
grandfather used to be involved with a bunch of mutant children and
their Time Lord/Animorph headmistress, and how this Ender becomes
integral in their struggle against invisible tentacle monsters led by
Samuel L. Jackson. Fascinating adaptation and full of Tim Burton
flavor. The best thing though? It doesn't BEG for a sequel, but gently
raises its hand asking the masses for a new chance in the future.
Scary Samuel L. Jackson transforms from scary to
SCARIER!!
Star Trek Beyond Say what you will about the JJ Abrams vision of Star Trek, it's definitely full of excitement.
This is fully embodied in "Star Trek Beyond," where they got the
director of the Fast and the Furious movies to give us some of the best
action featuring the crew of the Enterprise. The trade-off is that
despite each of the main crew members getting their time to shine
onscreen, the characterization is not as strong as the previous movies
which really dug into the characters' essence.
(well, main characters of Kirk and Spock) Little bits of growth, and it's more
in the Scotty department with his 2nd assistant/potential love interest
of Jayla, the lone badass survivor on a hostile planet, which only makes
sense since Simon Pegg was one of the brilliant minds who had a hand in
crafting this movie as well. Overall, another grad adventure in
space and in a foreign planet, meeting new people, finding new (old)
technology, and letting their characters shine in these predicaments.
And the moral of this story? When confronted with a killer swarm from beyond the stars, YOU SHOW THEM THE POWER OF ROCK!
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Have you ever seen those people who bring animals onto the late night
talk shows and are clearly more at ease being with animals than with
people, and will excitedly tell you that the potentially dangerous
creatures they have brought with them are actually wonderful and amazing
and you should love them?
Eddie Redmayne in "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them."
While he's not the most charismatic character in this movie, his love for the wondrous CG animals is almost infectious, almost to the point of Steve Irwin levels.
What could've been simply an amazing film about a wizard in New York
City during the Roaring 20s doing his best to keep his world-class
menagerie contained is elevated even further with a tale about neo-witch
burners, a dangerous force never before explored in the wizarding
world, an evil warlock's machinations behind the scenes, and the
zoologist and his new friends getting caught up along in the maelstrom. Great story, imagination beyond compare, and acting that's pretty good, if not a little stiff and wooden at first. Highly recommend especially if you like critters of all shapes, sizes, and temperaments. For a creative overview from a fellow movie-reviewing friend that lists three pros and three cons, please go here.
Moana If there's one thing we can rely on Disney for, it's bringing its
special lens of storytelling onto different parts of the world and
making movie magic. Now that lens has turned to the Pacific Islands
and some of its myths and legends, and we get "Moana" (Or "Moana:
Densetsu no Umi" or "Vaiana" in certain parts of Europe). This is
movie has the hallmarks of all the great Disney classics of the past,
while making things cool to look at with modern technology. The main
character herself is like a proper
fusion of Mulan, Merida, and Ariel's character, and while seeming
familiar in those ways, she has her own way of being herself, and that
makes her a great addition to the long list of Disney leading ladies.
The 2nd protagonist Maui, is Dwayne Johnson performing in a way akin to
the spirit of Robin Williams' Genie but also adding the facets of
grumpiness and massive ego to this gem of a character. Despite the
songs being penned by one of the great up&coming Broadway musical
songwriters, something about the music is holding me back from enjoying
them completely. While lyrical, catchy, and using the native instruments
to add great atmosphere to the movie, none of the songs really seem to
stick with me. With the exception of Moana's "I want" song being a great
anthem for the character and the actress giving it her all vocally, I
don't know if any of these will have the same hummable quality as stuff
done in the Lion King, Aladdin, or Tangled (so thankfully, no endless
spamming of another "Let it go"). Overall, if you're a Disney fan, this
will be another enjoyable adventure brought to you by the Mouse. To
which I'm pretty sure he'll simply say, "you're welcome."
So this is all it takes to have the Ocean choose you as its agent of change. Just imagine!
"My name is Stitch, from the island of Kauai. You will board my boat (draws guns) or else!"
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story "I am one with the Force, the Force is with me." "Just because I cannot see it, doesn't mean I can't believe it." - both dudes who dress in black & white
"Rogue One" is the prequel to Star Wars we've all been waiting for. The
cast gives us much more diversity in that Galaxy Far Far Away than
simply 'Mericans (&Brits?) and Aliens. Action packed, well acted,
and a story that is leagues above any ol' rehashing of a familiar script. The only gripe I have is that it is super hard to
remember the characters' names; I only referred to them as their
archetypes: protagonist girl, spy guy, blind kung-fu master, gun guy,
the pilot, and the robot. Apologies if this is short, but to reveal any more will be super spoiler stuff. For a creative overview from a fellow movie-reviewing friend that lists three pros and three cons, please go here.
When you have Alan Tudyk voicing a character, reference to past roles MUST be made.
The Magnificent Seven (2016)
Sometimes when a remake rolls around, what is usually expected that if
nothing else, the visuals and the action are improved from the original.
This is exactly the case for the 2016 version of "The Magnificent
Seven."
Plot's the same really; banditos, nay hired white
mercenaries under the bidding of a robber baron, besiege a simple town,
and the townsfolk find themselves saviors. What DID change however was
the diversity of the cast. In comparison to the original, they still gave
us accomplished gunslingers, but now their job classes range from
bounty hunter to religious-minded hermit and gambler played by Chris
Pratt to...Chinese ninja played by a Korean? All in all, this update
gives us exactly what we expected out of a classic Western, but with
much more modern action sensibilities. So skip that game of Bang! and check out this star-studded shoot-em-up.
For all those decrying Hollywood for being bereft of ideas, plz. That's been going on since Moses was a baby.
