Quentin Tarantino is back with his latest film The Hateful Eight and in true Tarantino fashion, he had to do it in his own unique way. The 8th film from Tarantino, The Hateful Eight was filmed in Ultra Panavision 70, which captures the largest aspect ratio in film and has a wider and more detailed image. However, this type of film has been dormant for many years as digital filming has been the norm. The last films to use this type of technology were Ben-Hur and Battle of the Bulge era type movies. And that's not the only thing Tarantino is blowing the dust off of. Tarantino enlisted Academy Award winning composer Ennio Morricone, who is responsible for the music behind classic western movies like Once Upon a Time in the West and The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. The Hateful Eight marks the return for Morricone after 40 years of not composing a Western movie.
I bring all this up because this movie oozes Tarantino, and for me that's a good thing. The story has the feel of Clue but in a western movie written by Tarantino. Kurt Russell plays John "The Hangman" Ruth, a bounty hunter returning to the town of Red Rock intending to cash in on the $10,000 bounty placed on his prisoner Daisy Domergue, played by Jennifer Jason Leigh. Domergue is wanted for murder and after Ruth captures her he encounters Major Marquis Warren, a former union soldier with a mysterious and controversial past played by Tarantino usual Samuel L. Jackson. Warren needs a ride back to town so he can retrieve the bounty for three men he has killed. Almost minutes after picking up Warren the group encounters Chris Mannix, the supposed new sheriff of Red Rock and former patriot of the confederacy, played by Walton Goggins. From there the group is caught in a blizzard and forced to take shelter in Minnie's Haberdashery. It is there we meet four more characters: Bob, a Mexican help played by Demian Bichir, Oswaldo Mobray, the supposed hangman of Red Rock played by Tarantino alumnus Tim Roth, Joe Gage, a cow puncher played by Tarantino alumnus Michael Madsen, and Sandy Smithers, a Confederate General played by Bruce Dern. Ruth has a suspicion that someone in the haberdashery is working with Daisy and plans on killing Ruth and everyone else in order to see that Daisy goes free.
From there, tensions build and secrets are revealed all in classic Tarantino fashion. Now, there are two ways to see the film. One is to see the regular release of the film on digital and the other is to see the Roadshow version, where you get the 70mm version of the movie and is the one I saw. The Roadshow is one of the most unique things in recent movie going experience next to IMAX. It follows the style of the old Roadshow movies back in the days. You get a program there is an intermission in between acts and an overture to start the movie. Tarantino has been vocal in saying that the best way to see the movie is to see it in 70mm and I have to agree with the man. The intermission in the middle is much needed as the ending to the first act leaves you wondering what will happen next. The movie is filled with sharp Tarantino dialogue and his unique form of violence. Seriously, this movie gets bloody towards the end. It's a hard R for sure as (SPOILER ALERT!) Warren marches one of his enemies out in the snow fully naked. It's not something to watch with the folks.
But how does it compare to Tarantino's last Western Django Unchained? Hateful Eight and Django tell vastly different stories for westerns so it all comes down to which story you prefer. Do you prefer a story where eight interesting characters are stuck in one location and must figure out who is not who they say they are or will you prefer the story about a former slave getting revenge on the white men that have his wife. Reading the premises I would have to say Django has the biggest draw for casual viewers in term of an interesting premise but Hateful Eight has good drama and tension, especially in its second act that makes it stand out.
I have yet to be disappointed by a Tarantino film and Hateful Eight reminds me why. Tarantino has this way of making the smallest conversations interesting and giving us interesting interpretations of old school movies. As a Tarantino fan, I like the movie but for every movie there are critics. If you are opposed to Tarantino's style of violence I would leave the theater when the second act starts as that is when everything hits the fan. Also if you are one of those foolish parents that believe that taking their child to an R rated movie is something a "responsible" parent would do I am going to remind you that there is a scene where you can clearly see a fully exposed man and Samuel L. Jackson's character describes the horrible thing he makes that man do before he kills him. This is not a movie to see with mom and dad but rather friends or other Tarantino fans. For me I enjoyed this movie and all of its 70mm glory. If you plan on seeing the movie, the Roadshow is the way to go as you're seeing the way Tarantino wants it to be seen but if you can't give it a look if you like his work.
Grade: A
Wednesday, December 30, 2015
Tuesday, December 22, 2015
Spotlight Review
Who knew all it would take to bring down a conspiracy was the Hulk and Batman teaming up. This is going to be my only joke about this movie because Spotlight takes a look at a subject matter that is very serious to a lot of people. The movie is about reporters uncovering a conspiracy that involves catholic priests sexually molesting children. It is a touch subject matter that is hard to watch, especially those who may consider themselves to be members of the catholic church. It shows men who have sexually assaulted many children not going to jail and simply being put on probation simply because no one wants to face the wrath of the catholic church.
We see how the actions of the priests affected the children as we meet those who have been haunted by it since it happened. One victim's story is horrifying in particular as not only he was being molested by his priest but also dealing with homosexuality. Imagine being that child, going through such a weird time in your life and having your first homosexual experience be by molestation by someone you trust, it's just sickening.
The catholic church come off as the mafia as they are burying secrets and making sure no one is to be told about the multiple priests. This is why I say the movie is not for all people. This kind of stuff can destroy a persons faith. For something most people consider to be a large part of their life and to be told that followers of that are doing something so sickening like molesting children and getting away with it can make someone re evaluate their beliefs. And all of this coming after the September 11th attacks. At a time when people needed faith the most, too hear that priests were molesting children was something the world and especially America was not ready to face. But with the victims of these priests suffering for as long as they have been, their stories needed to be heard and unfortunately it came during a time when faith in a higher power was what most Americans were looking for.
It should be stated that the reporters in this are not god hating atheists, but reporters who came across something huge. Most of the reporters were active in their churches but stopped because of work. There is an absolutely great scene with Mark Ruffalo and Rachel McAdams as they talk about their childhood and how they see the church in a different way because of their reporting. You get to see these reporters, who grew up in a catholic environment, discover something that has been going on under their noses and how they react to it. John Slattery's character finds out that one the homes in his neighborhood is for recovering priests and immediately warns his children about it and loses sleep knowing that only a few feet from his house are the very people he is reporting on. It's just a chilling thing to know.
Spotlight not only shows us how a large conspiracy like this can affect everyone involved but shows that ignorance is a double-edged sword. Having to much of it is what caused the discovery of the priests to take so long and too little of it can haunt you for days on end. Everyone involved gives an Academy Award performance. If this comes back into theaters around award season, I would highly give it a look.
Grade: A+
We see how the actions of the priests affected the children as we meet those who have been haunted by it since it happened. One victim's story is horrifying in particular as not only he was being molested by his priest but also dealing with homosexuality. Imagine being that child, going through such a weird time in your life and having your first homosexual experience be by molestation by someone you trust, it's just sickening.
The catholic church come off as the mafia as they are burying secrets and making sure no one is to be told about the multiple priests. This is why I say the movie is not for all people. This kind of stuff can destroy a persons faith. For something most people consider to be a large part of their life and to be told that followers of that are doing something so sickening like molesting children and getting away with it can make someone re evaluate their beliefs. And all of this coming after the September 11th attacks. At a time when people needed faith the most, too hear that priests were molesting children was something the world and especially America was not ready to face. But with the victims of these priests suffering for as long as they have been, their stories needed to be heard and unfortunately it came during a time when faith in a higher power was what most Americans were looking for.
It should be stated that the reporters in this are not god hating atheists, but reporters who came across something huge. Most of the reporters were active in their churches but stopped because of work. There is an absolutely great scene with Mark Ruffalo and Rachel McAdams as they talk about their childhood and how they see the church in a different way because of their reporting. You get to see these reporters, who grew up in a catholic environment, discover something that has been going on under their noses and how they react to it. John Slattery's character finds out that one the homes in his neighborhood is for recovering priests and immediately warns his children about it and loses sleep knowing that only a few feet from his house are the very people he is reporting on. It's just a chilling thing to know.
Spotlight not only shows us how a large conspiracy like this can affect everyone involved but shows that ignorance is a double-edged sword. Having to much of it is what caused the discovery of the priests to take so long and too little of it can haunt you for days on end. Everyone involved gives an Academy Award performance. If this comes back into theaters around award season, I would highly give it a look.
Grade: A+
Star Wars: The Force Awakens Review
In October 2012, George Lucas revealed that he sold his production company, Lucasfilm, as well as the Star Wars franchise to The Walt Disney Company. It was also in that month that the world was made aware that sequels to the original trilogy would be made, this time under the guidance of the Disney company. This sent of wild speculations of how much Lucas would be involved given the negative reaction to the prequel trilogy, would there be original story or the one Lucas created, who would direct and most importantly, would the original cast return?
Over the next few years we got our answers. In January of 2013, Star Trek reboot director JJ Abrams was announced as the director of the next Star Wars movie. Over the next couple of months new writers were brought on for the script and the world was told that the saga would continue in December of 2015. But it was not until 2014 that it was revealed that Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford and Mark Hamill would return to their roles as Princess Leia, Han Solo and Luke Skywalker. But we were not only going to be getting the original characters back, but also some new ones. Daisy Ridley, Oscar Isaac, John Boyega and Adam Driver were cast as completely new characters in the Star Wars universe.
From there it was back to speculation for fans. Until November 28, 2014 when the first teaser dropped online. It was only 90 seconds but still, it was the first footage of the movie, a movie coming out in only a year. After that, Abrams released images of mock trading cards that revealed the names of the new characters, those being Rey (Daisy Ridley), Finn (John Boyega), Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac), Kylo Ren (Adam Driver). Then we got the second trailer in April of 2015 that blew every fan away. From there it was media coverage and a HUGE mass marketing until the date of December 18th, 2015 , the release date of the movie.
I've brought all this up to remind everyone of how much this movie was built up. For 3 years we waited in anticipation for clips, images and any source of information regarding the movie. And was all the build up worth it? Yes, yes it was. Star Wars: The Force Awakens recaptures the spirit of the franchise that was lost in the prequels. No more boring political drama, no more stiff acting, no more hokey dialogue and especially no more dumb Jar Jar humor. This is the movie fans have been hoping for. SPOILERS AHEAD!
The Force Awakens takes place 30 years after the demise of Darth Vader and the Empire. Luke Skywalker has vanished and the rebels, now called the Resistance, as well as The First Order, a new version of the Empire, are looking for him as he is now the last Jedi in the galaxy. Leading The First Order is the ominous Kylo Ren. Kylo Ren is what fans wanted out of Anakin Skywalker, someone who is being torn apart by both sides of the force and ultimately giving in to the fear and anger that is the dark side. He discovers from Poe Dameron that the map to Skywalker is in a droid, BB-8 who serves as our R2-D2. At the same time stormtrooper FN-2187 is having a moment of realization that he should not be with the First Order, and Ren feels it in him. He helps Poe escape the torture of Ren as Poe gives him the name Finn.
The escape and crash land on the desert planet Jakku, which is home to Daisy Ridley's character Rey. Rey is arguably my favorite character in the movie next to Finn. Her past is a mystery but is one that may be pieced together through her journey and she is a strong and bold female lead that can lead a massive franchise such as this one. There have been those who say she is a Mary Sue character (a female who is so perfect she is annoying) but I feel that those critiques are not warranted. She's good because she knows what she is doing. As a scavenger she has been in an Imperial ship many times to the point she knows how they work and thus she would know how to fly a ship. Also, when it is revealed she has the force, she doesn't immediately move objects with her mind but use the Jedi mind trick to get free and to guide her in battle. She is new to the force and is not fully aware of her strength.
After meeting Rey, it becomes a race to get the map to Skywalker to the Resistance and blow up The First Order's Starkiller base, which is so freaking huge it makes the death star seem tiny by comparison. Now a lot of critics have pointed out the film mirrors the story of A New Hope, the first film released but the forth in the story. And yeah, it does but A New Hope when you get down to it, is a basic hero's journey story. What makes it work here and in the first movie is the characters. We want to see Rey and Finn make it because we care about them, something we didn't when it came to the prequels. Good characters can give an old story new life.
Speaking of new life, practical effects are back and they are a welcoming site from the CGI heavy prequels. Yes CGI can make glorious looking worlds but sometimes we need to see that what's there is really there. There is CGI in the movie and the most notable are the characters of Supreme Leader Snoke, played excellently by motion capture expert Andy Serkis, and Maz Kanata, played by Lupita Nyong'o. They're not bad looking by no means but they stand out in a mostly practical effect heavy movie.
While the movie mirrors a lot of the plot of the first movie and even some story points from Empire Strikes Back, The Force Awakens is the kick in the pants Star Wars needed after the lackluster prequels. We see what our old favorite characters are up to but it also gives us great new characters to adventure with. The movie is sure to please fans and casual movie goers a like. Now with all that said is the most perfect movie of the year? No, it has a lot of unexplained plot holes and continuity errors out the wazoo, but as a Star Wars movie The Force Awakens is a fun movie going experience that must been seen in glorious IMAX 3D in order to appreciate what the fandom is getting after years of disappointment.
Grade: A-
Over the next few years we got our answers. In January of 2013, Star Trek reboot director JJ Abrams was announced as the director of the next Star Wars movie. Over the next couple of months new writers were brought on for the script and the world was told that the saga would continue in December of 2015. But it was not until 2014 that it was revealed that Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford and Mark Hamill would return to their roles as Princess Leia, Han Solo and Luke Skywalker. But we were not only going to be getting the original characters back, but also some new ones. Daisy Ridley, Oscar Isaac, John Boyega and Adam Driver were cast as completely new characters in the Star Wars universe.
From there it was back to speculation for fans. Until November 28, 2014 when the first teaser dropped online. It was only 90 seconds but still, it was the first footage of the movie, a movie coming out in only a year. After that, Abrams released images of mock trading cards that revealed the names of the new characters, those being Rey (Daisy Ridley), Finn (John Boyega), Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac), Kylo Ren (Adam Driver). Then we got the second trailer in April of 2015 that blew every fan away. From there it was media coverage and a HUGE mass marketing until the date of December 18th, 2015 , the release date of the movie.
I've brought all this up to remind everyone of how much this movie was built up. For 3 years we waited in anticipation for clips, images and any source of information regarding the movie. And was all the build up worth it? Yes, yes it was. Star Wars: The Force Awakens recaptures the spirit of the franchise that was lost in the prequels. No more boring political drama, no more stiff acting, no more hokey dialogue and especially no more dumb Jar Jar humor. This is the movie fans have been hoping for. SPOILERS AHEAD!
The Force Awakens takes place 30 years after the demise of Darth Vader and the Empire. Luke Skywalker has vanished and the rebels, now called the Resistance, as well as The First Order, a new version of the Empire, are looking for him as he is now the last Jedi in the galaxy. Leading The First Order is the ominous Kylo Ren. Kylo Ren is what fans wanted out of Anakin Skywalker, someone who is being torn apart by both sides of the force and ultimately giving in to the fear and anger that is the dark side. He discovers from Poe Dameron that the map to Skywalker is in a droid, BB-8 who serves as our R2-D2. At the same time stormtrooper FN-2187 is having a moment of realization that he should not be with the First Order, and Ren feels it in him. He helps Poe escape the torture of Ren as Poe gives him the name Finn.
The escape and crash land on the desert planet Jakku, which is home to Daisy Ridley's character Rey. Rey is arguably my favorite character in the movie next to Finn. Her past is a mystery but is one that may be pieced together through her journey and she is a strong and bold female lead that can lead a massive franchise such as this one. There have been those who say she is a Mary Sue character (a female who is so perfect she is annoying) but I feel that those critiques are not warranted. She's good because she knows what she is doing. As a scavenger she has been in an Imperial ship many times to the point she knows how they work and thus she would know how to fly a ship. Also, when it is revealed she has the force, she doesn't immediately move objects with her mind but use the Jedi mind trick to get free and to guide her in battle. She is new to the force and is not fully aware of her strength.
After meeting Rey, it becomes a race to get the map to Skywalker to the Resistance and blow up The First Order's Starkiller base, which is so freaking huge it makes the death star seem tiny by comparison. Now a lot of critics have pointed out the film mirrors the story of A New Hope, the first film released but the forth in the story. And yeah, it does but A New Hope when you get down to it, is a basic hero's journey story. What makes it work here and in the first movie is the characters. We want to see Rey and Finn make it because we care about them, something we didn't when it came to the prequels. Good characters can give an old story new life.
Speaking of new life, practical effects are back and they are a welcoming site from the CGI heavy prequels. Yes CGI can make glorious looking worlds but sometimes we need to see that what's there is really there. There is CGI in the movie and the most notable are the characters of Supreme Leader Snoke, played excellently by motion capture expert Andy Serkis, and Maz Kanata, played by Lupita Nyong'o. They're not bad looking by no means but they stand out in a mostly practical effect heavy movie.
While the movie mirrors a lot of the plot of the first movie and even some story points from Empire Strikes Back, The Force Awakens is the kick in the pants Star Wars needed after the lackluster prequels. We see what our old favorite characters are up to but it also gives us great new characters to adventure with. The movie is sure to please fans and casual movie goers a like. Now with all that said is the most perfect movie of the year? No, it has a lot of unexplained plot holes and continuity errors out the wazoo, but as a Star Wars movie The Force Awakens is a fun movie going experience that must been seen in glorious IMAX 3D in order to appreciate what the fandom is getting after years of disappointment.
Grade: A-
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
Universal Studios Orlando
Recently I visited the Universal Studios Orlando Resort and I want share my opinions on what the resort has to offer. I'd like to start out by saying that the crowds at the resort were minimum at best. The longest wait for a ride was 70 minute wait but if you took the single rider line it would be at most a 20-30 minute wait. Universal is currently being outperformed by the Disney parks up north because for one, the Disney holiday festivities blow Universal's out of the water. Second, the new Star Wars movie was only less than a week a way at the time I was there and I would guess anyone remotely excited for the movies would be heading out to the Disney parks at this time.
But with all that does Universal measure up to the mouse's Orlando theme park? In a way, kind of. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter puts Universal in close contention with Disney. Universal has always been the alternative to Disney in the theme park game. It has a lot less variety but a lot more attitude in the sense. Look at most of the intellectual properties that are licensed in the parks. Harry Potter, The Simpsons, Despicable Me, Transformers, Jurassic Park, etc. all you can find in a Universal theme park. But in that sense some of the rides may become dated as time goes on. I do not see the Michael Bay Transformers being popular in the distant future and I sure as hell believe that very few people remember the Men in Black movies. Where Disney relies on properties that have proven to be successful over time, Universal is willing to give whatever movie series is popular a ride if they can make one. But what do the parks have to offer, well lets start with Universal Studios.
Universal Studios Orlando is one of two parks of the resort, the other being Islands of Adventure. Some rides you will see immediately when entering the park are Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem and Shrek 4D. Minion Mayhem is a motion simulator ride that is child friendly, fun, cute and even a little heart warming. Shrek 4D on the other hand, is none of those things. I understand that some people like the Shrek movies but there was no effort put into this thing. Most of the jokes are pun related and fall flat almost on arrival and by goodness there is way to many Disney jabs. Another ride you will see is Hollywood: Rip, Ride, Rocket. It's a roller coaster with a completely vertical ascension and a twisting loop de loop. But one thing that makes this coaster different is that you can choose what song you want to hear while riding. It's like Rock n' Rollercoaster but this time you can choose what you want to hear.
But the main thing hear is The Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Diagon Alley. Universal has bent over backwards in order to make sure guests feel as though they are apart of the Harry Potter world and let me tell you, they do a fantastic job. From its London exterior to the "hidden" wizard world that stands behind it, Diagon Alley is an impressive feat of theming. From large things like the buildings to small things like having no sodas and only serving English food, you really feel like you have entered into the world of Harry Potter. The main attraction of Diagon Alley is Harry Potter and the Escape From Gringots. A roller coaster/simulator hybrid, Escape From Gringots is a thrilling journey that takes through the faults of the Gringots bank where you meet up with Harry and also the deadly Voldemort. It's a fun and unique ride that if the lines are short enough, should be ridden twice. But Diagon Alley is only one part of the Wizarding World.
Located in Islands of Adventure is Hogsmeade village. Now if you have a park hopper pass, which everyone should, you get to travel between the two locations via the Hogwarts Express train. It's a glorified monorail but the experience that lies on board the train is one you have to see for yourself. Hogsmeade village shares the same impressive theming as Diagon Alley. The Universal designers should be praised for how much effort went into this project. The big rides here are Dragon Challenge, an intense rollercoaster experience I dare not try, Flight of the Hippogriff, a kiddy rollercoaster, and Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. Forbidden Journey is for my money the best ride of the two worlds. Imagine Soarin Over California but on steroids. It's a blend of flight simulator and dark ride that must be seen to be believed. Now be warned, this journey may give a little motion sickness as your ride vehicle does spin you around a lot as my dad can verify. Overall, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is a must see for Potter fans and theme park lovers. Oh, I forgot to mention the greatness that is Butterbeer. Yeah, it's as good as everyone says it is.
Once your done with Hogsmeade you can explore the rest of Islands of Adventure, which sadly is not much. Yeah there are cool rides like The Amazing Adventures of Spiderman and the Jurassic Park River Adventure, but after those two there really isn't anything else that noteworthy. Seuss Landing is cool for its Seuss look and Lost Continent is okay, its stunt show Eight Voyage of Sinbad is a good relaxing time waster but again there are WAY to many pop cultural references and Poseidon's Fury is nothing special. Bottom line: You should HIGHLY invest in a park hopper pass because if you only do Islands for the day, you may get bored.
Islands sister park Universal has more things to do like Transformers the Ride: 3D, a ride I waited 45 minutes for in the single rider line because the ride broke down, but it's the Spider Man ride basically, same ride vehicle and everything. But it all comes down to taste if you prefer Spidey or Optimus Prime. I like the Spider Man ride but Transformers offers a newer version of the ride that I enjoyed more. But I do recommend going on Spidey as soon as you can because with Disney owning Marvel I have no idea how long it and its Marvel themed land in Islands of Adventure will be standing.
There are also rides like The Simpsons Ride, another motion simulator ride but this time in an Omni-max dome, that replaced fan favorite Back to The Future the Ride but it is a worthy successor for its humor and fun and Men in Black: Aline Attack which is a shooting gallery ride like the Buzz Lightyear ride in the Disney parks but with more focus on animatronics instead of cardboard cutouts. For me its more fun than Buzz but its movie theme is becoming more dated and less relevant as time goes on so if you enjoy Men in Black I would ride it soon as its days may be numbered. One last ride I would recommend is Terminator 2: 3D. If you enjoyed the second Terminator movie I would highly recommend going on this. James Cameron directed the show so you know there's going to be some clever technology you won't see anywhere else
Both parks offer something different from the Disney brand, but without the Wizarding World it can barely hold a candle to Disney. I understand if you prefer Universal over Disney as someone who has been going to a Disney park for the last couple of years I welcomed the change of scenery. But this scenery has very little to offer outside of its Wizarding World. Yeah there are some cool rides but if your stuck in one park for the day you might end up becoming bored, especially if you choose Islands of Adventure. This is why I encourage you to buy the park hopper tickets as not only do you get to see all of the Wizarding World and each parks rides, but you also get the Hogwarts Express which is a special ride for park hopper pass holders only. For me, Universal Studios Orlando does not offer more than Disney World or Disneyland/ California Adventure but it does offer something different. And if your up for a unique theme park experience I'd say go for it, but only if you buy the park hopper pass
But with all that does Universal measure up to the mouse's Orlando theme park? In a way, kind of. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter puts Universal in close contention with Disney. Universal has always been the alternative to Disney in the theme park game. It has a lot less variety but a lot more attitude in the sense. Look at most of the intellectual properties that are licensed in the parks. Harry Potter, The Simpsons, Despicable Me, Transformers, Jurassic Park, etc. all you can find in a Universal theme park. But in that sense some of the rides may become dated as time goes on. I do not see the Michael Bay Transformers being popular in the distant future and I sure as hell believe that very few people remember the Men in Black movies. Where Disney relies on properties that have proven to be successful over time, Universal is willing to give whatever movie series is popular a ride if they can make one. But what do the parks have to offer, well lets start with Universal Studios.
Universal Studios Orlando is one of two parks of the resort, the other being Islands of Adventure. Some rides you will see immediately when entering the park are Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem and Shrek 4D. Minion Mayhem is a motion simulator ride that is child friendly, fun, cute and even a little heart warming. Shrek 4D on the other hand, is none of those things. I understand that some people like the Shrek movies but there was no effort put into this thing. Most of the jokes are pun related and fall flat almost on arrival and by goodness there is way to many Disney jabs. Another ride you will see is Hollywood: Rip, Ride, Rocket. It's a roller coaster with a completely vertical ascension and a twisting loop de loop. But one thing that makes this coaster different is that you can choose what song you want to hear while riding. It's like Rock n' Rollercoaster but this time you can choose what you want to hear.
But the main thing hear is The Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Diagon Alley. Universal has bent over backwards in order to make sure guests feel as though they are apart of the Harry Potter world and let me tell you, they do a fantastic job. From its London exterior to the "hidden" wizard world that stands behind it, Diagon Alley is an impressive feat of theming. From large things like the buildings to small things like having no sodas and only serving English food, you really feel like you have entered into the world of Harry Potter. The main attraction of Diagon Alley is Harry Potter and the Escape From Gringots. A roller coaster/simulator hybrid, Escape From Gringots is a thrilling journey that takes through the faults of the Gringots bank where you meet up with Harry and also the deadly Voldemort. It's a fun and unique ride that if the lines are short enough, should be ridden twice. But Diagon Alley is only one part of the Wizarding World.
Located in Islands of Adventure is Hogsmeade village. Now if you have a park hopper pass, which everyone should, you get to travel between the two locations via the Hogwarts Express train. It's a glorified monorail but the experience that lies on board the train is one you have to see for yourself. Hogsmeade village shares the same impressive theming as Diagon Alley. The Universal designers should be praised for how much effort went into this project. The big rides here are Dragon Challenge, an intense rollercoaster experience I dare not try, Flight of the Hippogriff, a kiddy rollercoaster, and Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. Forbidden Journey is for my money the best ride of the two worlds. Imagine Soarin Over California but on steroids. It's a blend of flight simulator and dark ride that must be seen to be believed. Now be warned, this journey may give a little motion sickness as your ride vehicle does spin you around a lot as my dad can verify. Overall, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is a must see for Potter fans and theme park lovers. Oh, I forgot to mention the greatness that is Butterbeer. Yeah, it's as good as everyone says it is.
Once your done with Hogsmeade you can explore the rest of Islands of Adventure, which sadly is not much. Yeah there are cool rides like The Amazing Adventures of Spiderman and the Jurassic Park River Adventure, but after those two there really isn't anything else that noteworthy. Seuss Landing is cool for its Seuss look and Lost Continent is okay, its stunt show Eight Voyage of Sinbad is a good relaxing time waster but again there are WAY to many pop cultural references and Poseidon's Fury is nothing special. Bottom line: You should HIGHLY invest in a park hopper pass because if you only do Islands for the day, you may get bored.
Islands sister park Universal has more things to do like Transformers the Ride: 3D, a ride I waited 45 minutes for in the single rider line because the ride broke down, but it's the Spider Man ride basically, same ride vehicle and everything. But it all comes down to taste if you prefer Spidey or Optimus Prime. I like the Spider Man ride but Transformers offers a newer version of the ride that I enjoyed more. But I do recommend going on Spidey as soon as you can because with Disney owning Marvel I have no idea how long it and its Marvel themed land in Islands of Adventure will be standing.
There are also rides like The Simpsons Ride, another motion simulator ride but this time in an Omni-max dome, that replaced fan favorite Back to The Future the Ride but it is a worthy successor for its humor and fun and Men in Black: Aline Attack which is a shooting gallery ride like the Buzz Lightyear ride in the Disney parks but with more focus on animatronics instead of cardboard cutouts. For me its more fun than Buzz but its movie theme is becoming more dated and less relevant as time goes on so if you enjoy Men in Black I would ride it soon as its days may be numbered. One last ride I would recommend is Terminator 2: 3D. If you enjoyed the second Terminator movie I would highly recommend going on this. James Cameron directed the show so you know there's going to be some clever technology you won't see anywhere else
Both parks offer something different from the Disney brand, but without the Wizarding World it can barely hold a candle to Disney. I understand if you prefer Universal over Disney as someone who has been going to a Disney park for the last couple of years I welcomed the change of scenery. But this scenery has very little to offer outside of its Wizarding World. Yeah there are some cool rides but if your stuck in one park for the day you might end up becoming bored, especially if you choose Islands of Adventure. This is why I encourage you to buy the park hopper tickets as not only do you get to see all of the Wizarding World and each parks rides, but you also get the Hogwarts Express which is a special ride for park hopper pass holders only. For me, Universal Studios Orlando does not offer more than Disney World or Disneyland/ California Adventure but it does offer something different. And if your up for a unique theme park experience I'd say go for it, but only if you buy the park hopper pass
Tuesday, December 8, 2015
Creed Review
One of my biggest fears about Creed was that it was going to focus on Rocky and Apollo Creed's son would be in the background. Thankfully, I was proven wrong. Creed tells the story of Adonis "Donnie" Johnson, the extramarital son of legendary boxer Apollo Creed. He is adopted as a child by Apollo's widow Mary Anne, who tells him about his father. Donnie grows up a decides he wants to follow in his father's footsteps and become a boxer. He finds that no one will train him so he seeks out Apollo's best friend, Rocky Balboa. Balboa is long past his prime and has fallen into a bit of depression after the death of his wife and best friend. But with each others help, they try to conquer their separate battles, Donnie's being living up to his father's name and Rocky's being a fight against cancer.
Michael B. Jordan does a fantastic job of playing Donnie. You can tell that while he wants to be like his father, he wants to do it in his own way. His character, in a unique way, is relieving Rocky's journey from the first movie. Sylvester Stallone returns again to play the role of Rocky Balboa. Time has finally caught up with the legendary boxer as most of the ones he loved have passed away and his own health is not doing so well. This is the first role in a while that I took Stallone seriously. After years of doing dumb action films and toned down dramas, its good to see Stallone doing a role that works for him.
Creed is a welcome addition to the Rocky universe. It furthers the story of Rocky but doesn't let his character over take the story of Donnie, who the movie should focus on. It also pays tribute to the original movie without pandering to the masses. With great reviews from critics and audiences, some people are considering it as an Oscar nominee. And yeah I could get behind that idea. Right now its one of the best drama movie in theaters. I give this movie my full recommendation to see it in theaters.
Grade: A
Michael B. Jordan does a fantastic job of playing Donnie. You can tell that while he wants to be like his father, he wants to do it in his own way. His character, in a unique way, is relieving Rocky's journey from the first movie. Sylvester Stallone returns again to play the role of Rocky Balboa. Time has finally caught up with the legendary boxer as most of the ones he loved have passed away and his own health is not doing so well. This is the first role in a while that I took Stallone seriously. After years of doing dumb action films and toned down dramas, its good to see Stallone doing a role that works for him.
Creed is a welcome addition to the Rocky universe. It furthers the story of Rocky but doesn't let his character over take the story of Donnie, who the movie should focus on. It also pays tribute to the original movie without pandering to the masses. With great reviews from critics and audiences, some people are considering it as an Oscar nominee. And yeah I could get behind that idea. Right now its one of the best drama movie in theaters. I give this movie my full recommendation to see it in theaters.
Grade: A
Sunday, December 6, 2015
Krampus Review
What better way to start the holiday season then with a movie about the dark shadow of Santa. Well that's what the film Krampus is about. Now for those who are unaware about the lore of Krampus, Krampus comes from German folk lore and is described as the dark shadow of St. Nicholas. Instead of giving gifts to good children he instead punishes the naughty children by kidnapping them by. Krampus, in this film, instead of punishing children for bad behavior, uses demonic toys to kidnap the family of any child who loses faith during the holiday season. i should point out that Krampus never steals the child, only their present family. The child will receive a bauble to remember what happens when they lose faith during the holdiaysThis happens to the family of Max, who loses faith in the holiday after he tears apart his letter to Santa after he is embarrassed by his extended family members.
The family features many comedic actors like Adam Scott, from Parks and Recreation, David Koechner, who played Champ in the Anchorman films, and Conchata Ferrell, who was in Two and a Half Men. If you couldn't tell from the casts' reputation, this is a horror comedy. And its not a bad horror comedy but its no Army of Darkness. Most people could compare this to Gremlins and I can see why. It's a horror movie taking place during Christmas and there is some comedy put in the movie.
The problem with Krampus is that it does not do a good job balancing out the horror and comedy. One moment David Koechner is being attacked by evil ginger bread men and the next we see a demonic jack in the box eating a child. The horror and the comedy never go hand in hand. But one thing that most people have to understand when going into these kinds of movies is that it is a horror comedy. The movie is not meant to be taken very seriously. Watching it after a couple of times, you could see where the cast had fun making this movie. The actors know that this isn't a suspense thriller but, again, like Gremlins.
The movie actually offers a good message: Never give up hope around the holidays. It's something most people need to be reminded of, especially given what has been happening in the world recently. Even though bad things happen and because of those bad things people are hurt, we must always remember to never give up hope. Also, even though some people can be annoyed by the excessiveness that is the holiday season, just remember it will all go away after New Year. There are good things happening in the world, we just need to acknowledge them once in a while.
Overall, Krampus is a cult-classic Christmas movie that most horror fans can pop in during the holidays. And even if you're not into horror, if you go in thinking its going to be goofy and campy, you might enjoy it. It's not graphic at all, in fact its PG-13, but some the images are a little creepy. If you're in the mood to be a little scared during the holidays, I would give Krampus a glance.
Grade: C+
The family features many comedic actors like Adam Scott, from Parks and Recreation, David Koechner, who played Champ in the Anchorman films, and Conchata Ferrell, who was in Two and a Half Men. If you couldn't tell from the casts' reputation, this is a horror comedy. And its not a bad horror comedy but its no Army of Darkness. Most people could compare this to Gremlins and I can see why. It's a horror movie taking place during Christmas and there is some comedy put in the movie.
The problem with Krampus is that it does not do a good job balancing out the horror and comedy. One moment David Koechner is being attacked by evil ginger bread men and the next we see a demonic jack in the box eating a child. The horror and the comedy never go hand in hand. But one thing that most people have to understand when going into these kinds of movies is that it is a horror comedy. The movie is not meant to be taken very seriously. Watching it after a couple of times, you could see where the cast had fun making this movie. The actors know that this isn't a suspense thriller but, again, like Gremlins.
The movie actually offers a good message: Never give up hope around the holidays. It's something most people need to be reminded of, especially given what has been happening in the world recently. Even though bad things happen and because of those bad things people are hurt, we must always remember to never give up hope. Also, even though some people can be annoyed by the excessiveness that is the holiday season, just remember it will all go away after New Year. There are good things happening in the world, we just need to acknowledge them once in a while.
Overall, Krampus is a cult-classic Christmas movie that most horror fans can pop in during the holidays. And even if you're not into horror, if you go in thinking its going to be goofy and campy, you might enjoy it. It's not graphic at all, in fact its PG-13, but some the images are a little creepy. If you're in the mood to be a little scared during the holidays, I would give Krampus a glance.
Grade: C+
Friday, November 27, 2015
The Good Dinosaur Review
While I was still blown away by the Pixar animation and at times emotional story, The Good Dinosaur offers nothing new for long time Pixar viewers. And while there are the heart warming moments seen in most Pixar movies, The Good Dinosaur had the unfortunate pleasure of being the next Pixar release after their mega hit Inside Out, a far superior film in my opinion.
The film takes place in an alternate time where the meteor that took out the dinosaurs missed Earth and instead dinosaurs were allowed to evolve for million of years more. After many years of evolving, we meet Arlo, a young timid dinosaur who wants nothing more to make his father proud of him after his fears get his father killed by a flood. His anger and sadness makes him blame a cave boy for the accident and when chasing him, gets him separated from his families home. So Arlo and the cave boy, named Spot, work together to find a way back to Arlo's home.
The main problem with the film is that it borrows way to much from other film. One moment it's a buddy road trip, the next it feels like Land Before Time, The Lion King and many better movies that did what this movie is trying to do. I am not the only one who sees this problem as that is one of the biggest criticisms the movie is getting. But I wonder how much stems from Inside Out doing a fresh take on an already done idea in a masterful way. This film takes a safe route in giving us a message we all know in a predictable film. And that's something the populace does not want from Pixar, they want clever ideas and re-telling a message with that clever idea. It's the same criticism Cars got.
Would I say this is the worst Pixar movie? No, it has emotional moments and I did find myself liking the characters and I wouldn't say this is worse than the Cars franchise or Monsters University. A bad Pixar movie is not the worse movie of all time, its just a let down of expectations. If you have a kid that wants to go see it, I have no problem with that, but if you're looking for another original Pixar movie you might feel a little let down.
Grade: B-
The film takes place in an alternate time where the meteor that took out the dinosaurs missed Earth and instead dinosaurs were allowed to evolve for million of years more. After many years of evolving, we meet Arlo, a young timid dinosaur who wants nothing more to make his father proud of him after his fears get his father killed by a flood. His anger and sadness makes him blame a cave boy for the accident and when chasing him, gets him separated from his families home. So Arlo and the cave boy, named Spot, work together to find a way back to Arlo's home.
The main problem with the film is that it borrows way to much from other film. One moment it's a buddy road trip, the next it feels like Land Before Time, The Lion King and many better movies that did what this movie is trying to do. I am not the only one who sees this problem as that is one of the biggest criticisms the movie is getting. But I wonder how much stems from Inside Out doing a fresh take on an already done idea in a masterful way. This film takes a safe route in giving us a message we all know in a predictable film. And that's something the populace does not want from Pixar, they want clever ideas and re-telling a message with that clever idea. It's the same criticism Cars got.
Would I say this is the worst Pixar movie? No, it has emotional moments and I did find myself liking the characters and I wouldn't say this is worse than the Cars franchise or Monsters University. A bad Pixar movie is not the worse movie of all time, its just a let down of expectations. If you have a kid that wants to go see it, I have no problem with that, but if you're looking for another original Pixar movie you might feel a little let down.
Grade: B-
The Night Before Review
After the let down and depressing feel of Mockingjay Part 2 I decided to cheer myself up by watching the Seth Rogen, Joseph Gordon Levitt comedy The Night Before. And for me, it was okay. I'm not going to say this is a future holiday classic but I will say that it could be a cult favorite among stoner comedy lovers and casual viewers. The story is about 3 friends going out for one last Christmas party as one of the friends is about to have a baby and the other is having a career comeback as a football player. For their last holiday bash, Levitt decides to go to the holiday party they have been searching for, The Nutcracker Ball. From there the characters get into all sorts of hijinks and each of them learn a lesson.
Only time will tell if the humor in the film holds up with classics like Blazing Saddles or Ghostbusters. While it may not reach the acclaim those films have, for the genre of stoner comedy and heartwarming holiday comedies, it is a welcome addition. Seth Rogen does his job of being the goofy friend and as stated before I have yet to find a reason not to enjoy a Joseph Gordon Levitt performance.
Overall, The Night Before is decent holiday comedy with some good performances from actors I enjoy.
Grade: B
Only time will tell if the humor in the film holds up with classics like Blazing Saddles or Ghostbusters. While it may not reach the acclaim those films have, for the genre of stoner comedy and heartwarming holiday comedies, it is a welcome addition. Seth Rogen does his job of being the goofy friend and as stated before I have yet to find a reason not to enjoy a Joseph Gordon Levitt performance.
Overall, The Night Before is decent holiday comedy with some good performances from actors I enjoy.
Grade: B
Sunday, November 22, 2015
Other Junk: Marvel's Jessica Jones Review
Marvel's new Netflix series Marvel's Jessica Jones is a far different species than any of the Marvel films and television shows that I have seen so far. While I would say that this is one Marvel product that families should not watch together, I would sill give this show a glowing recommendation. Jessica Jones shares a similarity to the last Marvel Netflix show Daredevil in that it takes place in the dark corner of the Marvel universe, Hell's Kitchen. But that's the only similarity shared by the shows. Jessica Jones feels like a Marvel show designed for HBO. The story is about a former superhero turned private investigator Jessica Jones who is trying to track down and kill the dangerous and menacing Kilgrave.
David Tennant gives a fantastic performance as the dangerous mind controlling villain. What he does to his victims is truly sick and will definitely leave mental and possible physical scars. Any command given by him must be followed out, whether it's the simple act of not talking to telling someone to cut out there own heart. Kilgrave is not someone you would want to meet in the Marvel universe as he could change your life in the worse way imaginable. For proof, just look at our main character.
Jessica Jones after being in a "relationship" becomes a private investigator so that she can help people in her own way. However, she is still haunted by her experience with Kilgrave and wants nothing more than to see him dead. Jones is a different type of superhero heroin. She is foul mouthed, alcoholic jerk but she can be the only hope for a person in need. Despite her jerky personality, she care about the people in her life, going as far as she needs to in order to protect the ones she loves from Kilgrave's sick and twisted power. Her powers are super strength and super leaping abilities (not so much flying, but more like falling gracefully). Her powers as well as her quick wits and smart thinking make her more than a match for Kilgrave's psycho mind games. Krytsen Ritter brings the character to life with her performance.
What makes this Marvel program different from its others is what it gets away with. As stated before, I would not be surprised if Marvel pitched this to HBO a long time ago. This show probably holds the record for most sex scenes and curse words in a Marvel production. There is also immense amounts of graphic violence in the show which may be a put off for any casual Marvel viewer. But oddly enough these things work in the favor of the show. Jessica Jones and Daredevil take place in a corner of the Marvel universe where the are no alien threats or billionaires in iron suits. Instead the Netflix Marvel series focuses on the more ordinary heroes of the Marvel universe, showing that not every hero needs to be a monster or a god to save the world. It is also a place where villains are more realistic. Wilson Fisk and Kilgrave fit perfectly in the seedy underbelly in New York. They haven't caught the attention of any Avengers member but if it wasn't for our heroes, given time both men could be threats to world, Fisk being more a Lex Luthor threat with Kilgrave being a threat that causes fear in the Avengers.
The series is also a good introduction to Luke Cage, another Marvel character getting his own show in 2016. He has unbreakable skin and is the love interest of our main character. The show does a wonderful job of setting up Cage's character that when his show comes out, the viewer will know why Cage does what he does or if its a prequel story, that Cage will be the man we know from Jessica Jones.
Marvel's Jessica Jones is a great and unique entry into the Marvel universe as well as superhero shows in general. It's staggering amounts of sex, swearing and graphic violence makes it something the family nor anyone under the age of 10 should watch but if you're looking for a different kind of superhero or Marvel show, look no further than Jessica Jones.
David Tennant gives a fantastic performance as the dangerous mind controlling villain. What he does to his victims is truly sick and will definitely leave mental and possible physical scars. Any command given by him must be followed out, whether it's the simple act of not talking to telling someone to cut out there own heart. Kilgrave is not someone you would want to meet in the Marvel universe as he could change your life in the worse way imaginable. For proof, just look at our main character.
Jessica Jones after being in a "relationship" becomes a private investigator so that she can help people in her own way. However, she is still haunted by her experience with Kilgrave and wants nothing more than to see him dead. Jones is a different type of superhero heroin. She is foul mouthed, alcoholic jerk but she can be the only hope for a person in need. Despite her jerky personality, she care about the people in her life, going as far as she needs to in order to protect the ones she loves from Kilgrave's sick and twisted power. Her powers are super strength and super leaping abilities (not so much flying, but more like falling gracefully). Her powers as well as her quick wits and smart thinking make her more than a match for Kilgrave's psycho mind games. Krytsen Ritter brings the character to life with her performance.
What makes this Marvel program different from its others is what it gets away with. As stated before, I would not be surprised if Marvel pitched this to HBO a long time ago. This show probably holds the record for most sex scenes and curse words in a Marvel production. There is also immense amounts of graphic violence in the show which may be a put off for any casual Marvel viewer. But oddly enough these things work in the favor of the show. Jessica Jones and Daredevil take place in a corner of the Marvel universe where the are no alien threats or billionaires in iron suits. Instead the Netflix Marvel series focuses on the more ordinary heroes of the Marvel universe, showing that not every hero needs to be a monster or a god to save the world. It is also a place where villains are more realistic. Wilson Fisk and Kilgrave fit perfectly in the seedy underbelly in New York. They haven't caught the attention of any Avengers member but if it wasn't for our heroes, given time both men could be threats to world, Fisk being more a Lex Luthor threat with Kilgrave being a threat that causes fear in the Avengers.
The series is also a good introduction to Luke Cage, another Marvel character getting his own show in 2016. He has unbreakable skin and is the love interest of our main character. The show does a wonderful job of setting up Cage's character that when his show comes out, the viewer will know why Cage does what he does or if its a prequel story, that Cage will be the man we know from Jessica Jones.
Marvel's Jessica Jones is a great and unique entry into the Marvel universe as well as superhero shows in general. It's staggering amounts of sex, swearing and graphic violence makes it something the family nor anyone under the age of 10 should watch but if you're looking for a different kind of superhero or Marvel show, look no further than Jessica Jones.
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 Review
The finale of the last Hunger Games movie brings an end to not only to the series but to the young adult book-to-movie phenomenon. And unfortunately the finale goes with a whimper instead of a bang. First off, let me say that I have never read any of the books so do not expect me to go on that kind of nit picking rampage in this blog. Now then on with the review.
The movie starts off after Mockingjay Part 1 so if you haven't seen that, I would recommend that you do because the film gives you no backstory about what happened in that movie. It just jumps right in to the second part. This is one thing that I have been noticing a lot with YA (young adult) films that split the finale into 2 parts. If you entered the second movie without having seen the first part of the last movie, you are on your own for plot details. I never found this idea to make sense for a viewer and see it only as an opportunity for movie studios to bank off a money making franchise.
As for the movie itself, its okay, I know how much this movie means to both fans of the movies and the books so I will try to limit myself on spoilers. The basic non spoiler synopsis of the movie is that after Mockingjay Part 1, Katniss Everdeen is on a mission to kill President Snow, leader of Panem. Snow makes the mission difficult for Katniss and her crew by rigging the way to Snow's mansion with various traps created by makers of Hunger Games traps and he has peacemaker troops tracking the group down to kill them. From there characters die and drama happens.
I'm going to be honest here, the movie is both disappointing in story and as a finale. To understand this I looked back on other films that came out this year. Mad Max, Avengers, Ant-Man, all of those brought something fun and unique to the table. Mockingjay Part 2 is a downer movie, there is very little humor and its unique YA feel has been sucked out to make it feel like most YA stories. It's just sad to see a promising franchise that proved YA films don't have to fall into a formula and suck as well as give us a strong female character we can support. My final consensus is that if you feel like you have to see the final installment of The Hunger Games franchise, go ahead and see it. It's not a bad film. There are some clever twists, the cast does a good job, and the story is ok. But as a finale to a popular series I just can't help but to feel let down. If you have your doubts about the movie I would say wait until it's available for rental.
Grade: C-
The movie starts off after Mockingjay Part 1 so if you haven't seen that, I would recommend that you do because the film gives you no backstory about what happened in that movie. It just jumps right in to the second part. This is one thing that I have been noticing a lot with YA (young adult) films that split the finale into 2 parts. If you entered the second movie without having seen the first part of the last movie, you are on your own for plot details. I never found this idea to make sense for a viewer and see it only as an opportunity for movie studios to bank off a money making franchise.
As for the movie itself, its okay, I know how much this movie means to both fans of the movies and the books so I will try to limit myself on spoilers. The basic non spoiler synopsis of the movie is that after Mockingjay Part 1, Katniss Everdeen is on a mission to kill President Snow, leader of Panem. Snow makes the mission difficult for Katniss and her crew by rigging the way to Snow's mansion with various traps created by makers of Hunger Games traps and he has peacemaker troops tracking the group down to kill them. From there characters die and drama happens.
I'm going to be honest here, the movie is both disappointing in story and as a finale. To understand this I looked back on other films that came out this year. Mad Max, Avengers, Ant-Man, all of those brought something fun and unique to the table. Mockingjay Part 2 is a downer movie, there is very little humor and its unique YA feel has been sucked out to make it feel like most YA stories. It's just sad to see a promising franchise that proved YA films don't have to fall into a formula and suck as well as give us a strong female character we can support. My final consensus is that if you feel like you have to see the final installment of The Hunger Games franchise, go ahead and see it. It's not a bad film. There are some clever twists, the cast does a good job, and the story is ok. But as a finale to a popular series I just can't help but to feel let down. If you have your doubts about the movie I would say wait until it's available for rental.
Grade: C-
Monday, November 16, 2015
Spectre Review
Only two weeks after its initial release comes my review of the new James Bond film, Spectre. I am sorry I couldn't get this out sooner but its score on Rotten Tomatoes made it the last movie I saw on my four movies in one weekend binge and honestly I can understand why.
James Bond, played by Daniel Craig, discovers a shadowy league called Spectre which is lead by Ernst Stavro Blofeld, played by Christoph Waltz. His discovery leads him to protect a woman, played by Lea Seydoux, who is the daughter of one of his dying enemies. From there, action ensues, secrets are revealed and Bond gets in some snappy one liners.
My biggest problem in the film is Christoph Waltz as Blofeld. This is the actor that played the gloriously evil Nazi general in Inglorious Bastards, this should've been a cake walk for him. He doesn't do a bad job but he never comes off as interesting, which has been the problem of most Bond and even Marvel villains.
Aside from that the movie is descent. Its entertaining, Daniel Craig and Lea Seydoux give great performances, the action scenes are great and it goes back to one of the best Bond storylines. So why are people not going nuts for this film? My opinion, its because we got a better action film and a better spy film earlier this year. Fury Road and Rogue Nation gave us fun yet dramatic action filled adventure and honestly I would choose those over the latest Bond movie. Yes, I would say the recent Bond movies have more style than the Mission Impossible films but for me Mission Impossible is a more fun movie and it had some clever twists.
Spectre, while not a bad film, does not live up to the expectations set by the summer action films. It's villain does not feel interesting and at times the story becomes too much to remember but great performances from its two leads and some great actions scenes more than make up for these problems for the film to be a good sit.
James Bond, played by Daniel Craig, discovers a shadowy league called Spectre which is lead by Ernst Stavro Blofeld, played by Christoph Waltz. His discovery leads him to protect a woman, played by Lea Seydoux, who is the daughter of one of his dying enemies. From there, action ensues, secrets are revealed and Bond gets in some snappy one liners.
My biggest problem in the film is Christoph Waltz as Blofeld. This is the actor that played the gloriously evil Nazi general in Inglorious Bastards, this should've been a cake walk for him. He doesn't do a bad job but he never comes off as interesting, which has been the problem of most Bond and even Marvel villains.
Aside from that the movie is descent. Its entertaining, Daniel Craig and Lea Seydoux give great performances, the action scenes are great and it goes back to one of the best Bond storylines. So why are people not going nuts for this film? My opinion, its because we got a better action film and a better spy film earlier this year. Fury Road and Rogue Nation gave us fun yet dramatic action filled adventure and honestly I would choose those over the latest Bond movie. Yes, I would say the recent Bond movies have more style than the Mission Impossible films but for me Mission Impossible is a more fun movie and it had some clever twists.
Spectre, while not a bad film, does not live up to the expectations set by the summer action films. It's villain does not feel interesting and at times the story becomes too much to remember but great performances from its two leads and some great actions scenes more than make up for these problems for the film to be a good sit.
Saturday, November 14, 2015
The Peanuts Movie Review
With Disney ruling the animated box office with they're mega Pixar hit Inside Out, it is a surprise to see Blue Sky animation putting up a tough fight with their latest animated film The Peanuts Movie.
Most people remember the Peanuts gang either from the Schulz comic days or from their holiday specials. If you remember those portrayals fondly than you will find enjoyment in this movie. The movie focuses on Charlie Brown trying to get noticed by his crush, the little red headed girl. Snoopy, taking inspiration from his friends life, describes Charlie Brown's journey in his own way as a "novel" that puts him in conflict with The Red Barron as he tries to save his fictional love.
The film has a good blend of 3D animation and the 2D drawings from the comics and past movies. One style never over-shadows the other but rather compliments each other. The humor is Peanuts humor, I was not laughing out of my seat but I was playfully chuckling throughout the film. Peanuts humor is not for everyone so I can understand if someone said the film was not that funny.
Where the film gives Disney a challenge is with its emotion. The journey of Charlie Brown is one that most people have been through, dealing with feelings of heart break, hope and overall accomplishment. The character of Charlie Brown is what gives the film its emotion and good message. Charlie Brown is a good person even though he may not know it. He gives kids the impression that even though he means well, not every good thing you do will get rewarded. It may be a while before karma swings your way. And although Charlie Brown goes through high and low times, his kindness shines through. Whether it be helping his sister out when her talent show performance goes bad or admitting that the achievement and glory he received for passing a test was false, he sill comes off as a good person.
The Peanuts Movie, while being a dark horse animated favorite next to Inside Out, provides kids with a good message and gives the parents some classic, yet feel good nostalgia.
Most people remember the Peanuts gang either from the Schulz comic days or from their holiday specials. If you remember those portrayals fondly than you will find enjoyment in this movie. The movie focuses on Charlie Brown trying to get noticed by his crush, the little red headed girl. Snoopy, taking inspiration from his friends life, describes Charlie Brown's journey in his own way as a "novel" that puts him in conflict with The Red Barron as he tries to save his fictional love.
The film has a good blend of 3D animation and the 2D drawings from the comics and past movies. One style never over-shadows the other but rather compliments each other. The humor is Peanuts humor, I was not laughing out of my seat but I was playfully chuckling throughout the film. Peanuts humor is not for everyone so I can understand if someone said the film was not that funny.
Where the film gives Disney a challenge is with its emotion. The journey of Charlie Brown is one that most people have been through, dealing with feelings of heart break, hope and overall accomplishment. The character of Charlie Brown is what gives the film its emotion and good message. Charlie Brown is a good person even though he may not know it. He gives kids the impression that even though he means well, not every good thing you do will get rewarded. It may be a while before karma swings your way. And although Charlie Brown goes through high and low times, his kindness shines through. Whether it be helping his sister out when her talent show performance goes bad or admitting that the achievement and glory he received for passing a test was false, he sill comes off as a good person.
The Peanuts Movie, while being a dark horse animated favorite next to Inside Out, provides kids with a good message and gives the parents some classic, yet feel good nostalgia.
Steve Jobs Review
Writer Aaron Sorkin is back with another biography about a tech mogul. This time it is about one of the most famous men in technology boom: Steve Jobs.
This film had are hard time in development with actors like Christian Bale and Leonardo DiCaprio being considered to play the role of the former Apple CEO. But actors dropping in and out caused Sony to pull the plug on the film even after Michael Fassbender was cast in the lead role. It was when Universal Pictures bought the production that things started to turn around. Casting choices were made and finalized and filming took place.
The final product is interesting look at the life of Steve Jobs. Unlike Sorkin's last movie, The Social Network, it does not show every event occurring in the life of Jobs. This could be because most people know about the history of Apple. Instead the story takes place at key events in Jobs life like the unveiling of the Mac, the founding of NeXt, and concluding with the reveal of the IMac. But the focus is not on the technology, instead it is on Job's growth as a person and a father.
In the beginning of the film, Jobs is shown as cocky, over-confident and egotistical. He wants nothing to do with his former girlfriend and the child they had together but as time goes on Jobs, thanks to his confidant Joanna Hoffman, realizes the mistakes he has made and tries to re-connect with his daughter, even coming up with the IPod as a way of getting her to stop using the Walkman.
Another interesting relationship in the movie is between Jobs and Hoffman. Hoffman always is the one to get Jobs head out of the clouds and back to reality. It is during the prep for the IMac's reveal that she threatens to leave him after years of service to him if he does not make things right with his daughter. It is a surprising outburst as Hoffman has been dealing with Jobs' ego for a long time. She is at times a mother and a grounder to Jobs, reminding him of the reality that lies outside of his massive ego.
If you are worried that the real life people portrayed in the movie would be unrealistic, fear not as most of the people portrayed in the film have voiced pleasure of the film. Steve Wozniak, best friend and fellow co-founder of Apple, said that watching the film "was like actually watching Steve Jobs..". Journalist Walt Mossberg compared the film to Citizen Kane saying that both films were well developed but was not happy with how the film focused more on the negative aspects of Jobs early life and not saying anything about the world changing products and Jobs' maturing into a different person.
Steve Jobs offers a unique look inside the early life of the Apple co-founder. It shows a side of Jobs that most people choose to forget or haven't seen. He wasn't always the man we saw before his death and people need to be reminded of that. Michael Fassbender does a great performance of the Apple co-founder everybody knows, Seth Rogen goes out of his element to give a surprisingly emotional performance as Wozniak, Kate Winslet is fantastic as Jobs confidant Hoffman, and Jeff Daniels once again shows his dramatic acting chops as former Apple CEO John Scully. While it may not please some Steve Jobs purists out there, Sorkin gives us a look at the man behind Apple that we needed.
This film had are hard time in development with actors like Christian Bale and Leonardo DiCaprio being considered to play the role of the former Apple CEO. But actors dropping in and out caused Sony to pull the plug on the film even after Michael Fassbender was cast in the lead role. It was when Universal Pictures bought the production that things started to turn around. Casting choices were made and finalized and filming took place.
The final product is interesting look at the life of Steve Jobs. Unlike Sorkin's last movie, The Social Network, it does not show every event occurring in the life of Jobs. This could be because most people know about the history of Apple. Instead the story takes place at key events in Jobs life like the unveiling of the Mac, the founding of NeXt, and concluding with the reveal of the IMac. But the focus is not on the technology, instead it is on Job's growth as a person and a father.
In the beginning of the film, Jobs is shown as cocky, over-confident and egotistical. He wants nothing to do with his former girlfriend and the child they had together but as time goes on Jobs, thanks to his confidant Joanna Hoffman, realizes the mistakes he has made and tries to re-connect with his daughter, even coming up with the IPod as a way of getting her to stop using the Walkman.
Another interesting relationship in the movie is between Jobs and Hoffman. Hoffman always is the one to get Jobs head out of the clouds and back to reality. It is during the prep for the IMac's reveal that she threatens to leave him after years of service to him if he does not make things right with his daughter. It is a surprising outburst as Hoffman has been dealing with Jobs' ego for a long time. She is at times a mother and a grounder to Jobs, reminding him of the reality that lies outside of his massive ego.
If you are worried that the real life people portrayed in the movie would be unrealistic, fear not as most of the people portrayed in the film have voiced pleasure of the film. Steve Wozniak, best friend and fellow co-founder of Apple, said that watching the film "was like actually watching Steve Jobs..". Journalist Walt Mossberg compared the film to Citizen Kane saying that both films were well developed but was not happy with how the film focused more on the negative aspects of Jobs early life and not saying anything about the world changing products and Jobs' maturing into a different person.
Steve Jobs offers a unique look inside the early life of the Apple co-founder. It shows a side of Jobs that most people choose to forget or haven't seen. He wasn't always the man we saw before his death and people need to be reminded of that. Michael Fassbender does a great performance of the Apple co-founder everybody knows, Seth Rogen goes out of his element to give a surprisingly emotional performance as Wozniak, Kate Winslet is fantastic as Jobs confidant Hoffman, and Jeff Daniels once again shows his dramatic acting chops as former Apple CEO John Scully. While it may not please some Steve Jobs purists out there, Sorkin gives us a look at the man behind Apple that we needed.
Monday, November 9, 2015
Bridge of Spies Review
Lately, Steven Spielberg has been moving away from action adventure stories and into the bio-pic territory. One could argue that this is because those get more Oscar buzz generated but it also could be because of directorial interest. Spielberg's latest film Bridge of Spies sees the famous director pair with the Joel and Ethan Coen ,writers of Fargo and The Big Lebowski, to bring to the screen the story of James B. Donovan and how he negotiated the trade of one Soviet spy for two Americans.
Tom Hanks plays the main character and he does a great job. I would compare his character to Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird. Hanks's character has to defend alleged Soviet spy Rudolf Abel in court and even though he knows his client is a spy he believes that he should have his day in court and should be punished justly. Abel is not a mean spirited killer but he is not the most trustworthy man. Their relationship almost mirrors the relationship between Atticus and Tom Robinson. Atticus knew that Tom was going to be found guilty but he tried his hardest to get the jury to do the right thing and acquit Tom. But where the audience knew that Tom was innocent, the audience know that Rudolf is a spy for the Soviets. Keep in mind this was during the era of McCarthyism and the Red Scare. The Soviets were the enemies of Americans and anyone caught defending them would more than likely have their life threaten. Hank's character experiences that prejudice as his house is shot at in the night because he is defending a Soviet.
The film is also an interesting look at how the law worked outside the United States. East Germany has different views from its western counterpart. The prisoner negotiation was not an open and shut case. Donovan had to use his knowledge of persuasion and law in order to get both men free from their respective prisons.
Bridge of Spies may start out slow for some viewers but it starts to pick up speed once it gets to the prisoner negotiations. While not the action adventure movie Spielberg is known for, Bridge of Spies is another great film to add to Spielberg's already impressive resume.
Tom Hanks plays the main character and he does a great job. I would compare his character to Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird. Hanks's character has to defend alleged Soviet spy Rudolf Abel in court and even though he knows his client is a spy he believes that he should have his day in court and should be punished justly. Abel is not a mean spirited killer but he is not the most trustworthy man. Their relationship almost mirrors the relationship between Atticus and Tom Robinson. Atticus knew that Tom was going to be found guilty but he tried his hardest to get the jury to do the right thing and acquit Tom. But where the audience knew that Tom was innocent, the audience know that Rudolf is a spy for the Soviets. Keep in mind this was during the era of McCarthyism and the Red Scare. The Soviets were the enemies of Americans and anyone caught defending them would more than likely have their life threaten. Hank's character experiences that prejudice as his house is shot at in the night because he is defending a Soviet.
The film is also an interesting look at how the law worked outside the United States. East Germany has different views from its western counterpart. The prisoner negotiation was not an open and shut case. Donovan had to use his knowledge of persuasion and law in order to get both men free from their respective prisons.
Bridge of Spies may start out slow for some viewers but it starts to pick up speed once it gets to the prisoner negotiations. While not the action adventure movie Spielberg is known for, Bridge of Spies is another great film to add to Spielberg's already impressive resume.
Monday, October 26, 2015
Sicario Review
If I took away anything from Sicario it is that you do not want to piss off Benicio Del Toro's character Alejandro.
Sicario follows an FBI agent played by Emily Blunt. She is put on a task force that is led by Josh Brolin and Del Toro whose goal is to aid the fight in the war on drugs going on at the Arizona border. As she spends more time on the team she begins to question everything she believes in order to survive.
Del Toro plays Alejandro, an assassin with a past that is mysterious for most of the movie. But it is revealed in the films finale that (WARNING: SPOILER ALERT) Alejandro's purpose for joining the task force is to get revenge on a drug lord that beheaded his wife and pushed his daughter in a bed of acid. It is this revelation that puts Del Toro's character in a new perspective. In the beginning the audience could believe him as a stern assassin who cares nothing for no one. As the film progresses he starts to show some affection towards Blunt, saying that she reminds him of someone he loved. But his emotions flip as at times he can be cool and collective but other times he is a cold merciless killer.
If I could choose another film to compare this to it would be Nightcrawler. You are constantly deciding whether you support what the character is doing. The person does horrible things that no normal person would do, but they do it in order to achieve a goal that most people desire.
Sicario is an interesting drama and suspense movie. If you enjoyed something like Nightcrawler I would recommend this film.
Grade: A
Sicario follows an FBI agent played by Emily Blunt. She is put on a task force that is led by Josh Brolin and Del Toro whose goal is to aid the fight in the war on drugs going on at the Arizona border. As she spends more time on the team she begins to question everything she believes in order to survive.
Del Toro plays Alejandro, an assassin with a past that is mysterious for most of the movie. But it is revealed in the films finale that (WARNING: SPOILER ALERT) Alejandro's purpose for joining the task force is to get revenge on a drug lord that beheaded his wife and pushed his daughter in a bed of acid. It is this revelation that puts Del Toro's character in a new perspective. In the beginning the audience could believe him as a stern assassin who cares nothing for no one. As the film progresses he starts to show some affection towards Blunt, saying that she reminds him of someone he loved. But his emotions flip as at times he can be cool and collective but other times he is a cold merciless killer.
If I could choose another film to compare this to it would be Nightcrawler. You are constantly deciding whether you support what the character is doing. The person does horrible things that no normal person would do, but they do it in order to achieve a goal that most people desire.
Sicario is an interesting drama and suspense movie. If you enjoyed something like Nightcrawler I would recommend this film.
Grade: A
Crimson Peak Review
Guillermo Del Toro has always had a knack for using creatures in his movies, whether they are fighting giant robots in Pacific Rim or mystical creatures in Pans Labyrinth. So it would make sense that one day Del Toro would decide to dive into the horror genre and he does so with his latest film Crimson Peak.
Crimson Peak is about a young woman, played by Mia Wasikowska, who is swept away to a house on top of a red clay mountain by a handsome stranger, played by Tom Hiddleston. From there madness insues as our lead female is haunted by spirits in an attempt to uncover the mystery that lies in Crimson Peak.
As visual goes, the movie is stunning to look at when it gets to the house. It resembles a decaying Gothic feel to it that you would see in an Edgar Allen Poe poem. The ghosts have a unique look as well, a flesh-less spirit. One thing I notice in Del Toro's films is that the creatures, no matter how scary they look, are never the antagonists. The villain is usually human while the creature is sort of guide on the hero's journey. It falls into the "don't judge a book by its cover" and "man is evil" theme.
Del Toro's story telling is also unique to the horror genre. To paraphrase an interview, Del Toro said to get the ghost or creature out of the way first and then focus on the story and characters. At a time where the horror genre is being controlled by found footage films like the Paranormal Activity franchise its good to see a horror movie that goes back to its classic roots: An innocent female is brought to a scary house on a hill.
As the plot of this film goes, its not bad but it has its plot holes. (SPOILER ALERT) For example, why does Mia's character sees ghosts? If she can see the ghost of her mother, why can't she see her fathers spirit? What determines who becomes a ghost? Questions like that came to mind during the movie but were never addressed.
Crimson Peak is a welcomed addition to the horror genre but it comes with some flaws. It raises questions that are never answered but its visuals and characters are interesting enough to keep the viewer engaged.
Grade: B-
Crimson Peak is about a young woman, played by Mia Wasikowska, who is swept away to a house on top of a red clay mountain by a handsome stranger, played by Tom Hiddleston. From there madness insues as our lead female is haunted by spirits in an attempt to uncover the mystery that lies in Crimson Peak.
As visual goes, the movie is stunning to look at when it gets to the house. It resembles a decaying Gothic feel to it that you would see in an Edgar Allen Poe poem. The ghosts have a unique look as well, a flesh-less spirit. One thing I notice in Del Toro's films is that the creatures, no matter how scary they look, are never the antagonists. The villain is usually human while the creature is sort of guide on the hero's journey. It falls into the "don't judge a book by its cover" and "man is evil" theme.
Del Toro's story telling is also unique to the horror genre. To paraphrase an interview, Del Toro said to get the ghost or creature out of the way first and then focus on the story and characters. At a time where the horror genre is being controlled by found footage films like the Paranormal Activity franchise its good to see a horror movie that goes back to its classic roots: An innocent female is brought to a scary house on a hill.
As the plot of this film goes, its not bad but it has its plot holes. (SPOILER ALERT) For example, why does Mia's character sees ghosts? If she can see the ghost of her mother, why can't she see her fathers spirit? What determines who becomes a ghost? Questions like that came to mind during the movie but were never addressed.
Crimson Peak is a welcomed addition to the horror genre but it comes with some flaws. It raises questions that are never answered but its visuals and characters are interesting enough to keep the viewer engaged.
Grade: B-
Monday, October 5, 2015
The Martian Review
Ridley Scott's latest film The Martian sees Matt Damon play botanist astronaut Mark Watney who is stranded on Mars after being injured during a storm that forced his crew was to evacuate. Everyone believes that Watney is dead but once NASA finds out that Watney is still alive, the rescue is on to save Watney before he dies.
The Martian is following in the long line of space films released around the time of award season. 2014 had Christopher Nolan's space journey Interstellar and 2013 brought us the breathtaking 3D space survival film Gravity. But if I had to choose another film to compare The Martian to, I would choose Ron Howard's Apollo 13. While Ridley Scott's film does not fall into a space disaster film it shares the same premise: An astronaut has to get back home safely. Space provides filmmakers with a built in antagonist as it is unknowing and unforgiving. I'm also seeing that these space films are feelin long, at least to me.
Since CGI has improved, space looks more real than ever before. The effects in this film are good but for me it does not provide the experience as The Walk did. I'm sure Neil DeGrasse Tyson or some other space expert will go into detail about the inaccuracies in the film but as a casual movie goer I believed that Matt Damon was on Mars and his survival technique could work.
The film is not the Cast Away in space movie Gravity was, where it had one actor the whole movie, you meet the people that are helping Matt Damon get home. Jeff Daniel and Kristen Wiig, actors who are known for giving funny performances, give surprisingly dramatic performances. I was surprised that the actors could hold their own and be taken seriously in the movie. They get funny line here and there but they are serious characters. Michael Pena and Kate Mara, both coming off of superhero films, also give great performances. Donald Glover, famed rapper Childish Gambino, plays the odd yet talented astrodynamicist that provides the plan that helps Damon's character get off the desolate planet.
Space movies for me can be a little long for me and I felt that way when I saw this movie. But if you're into space drama and enjoy Matt Damon check it out, you will not be disappointed.
The Martian is following in the long line of space films released around the time of award season. 2014 had Christopher Nolan's space journey Interstellar and 2013 brought us the breathtaking 3D space survival film Gravity. But if I had to choose another film to compare The Martian to, I would choose Ron Howard's Apollo 13. While Ridley Scott's film does not fall into a space disaster film it shares the same premise: An astronaut has to get back home safely. Space provides filmmakers with a built in antagonist as it is unknowing and unforgiving. I'm also seeing that these space films are feelin long, at least to me.
Since CGI has improved, space looks more real than ever before. The effects in this film are good but for me it does not provide the experience as The Walk did. I'm sure Neil DeGrasse Tyson or some other space expert will go into detail about the inaccuracies in the film but as a casual movie goer I believed that Matt Damon was on Mars and his survival technique could work.
The film is not the Cast Away in space movie Gravity was, where it had one actor the whole movie, you meet the people that are helping Matt Damon get home. Jeff Daniel and Kristen Wiig, actors who are known for giving funny performances, give surprisingly dramatic performances. I was surprised that the actors could hold their own and be taken seriously in the movie. They get funny line here and there but they are serious characters. Michael Pena and Kate Mara, both coming off of superhero films, also give great performances. Donald Glover, famed rapper Childish Gambino, plays the odd yet talented astrodynamicist that provides the plan that helps Damon's character get off the desolate planet.
Space movies for me can be a little long for me and I felt that way when I saw this movie. But if you're into space drama and enjoy Matt Damon check it out, you will not be disappointed.
Sunday, October 4, 2015
The Walk Review
When I first saw that Robert Zemeckis, director of the classic Back to the Future franchise and award nominated film Flight, was going to direct a movie about Phillippe Pettit's walk between the Twin Towers I instantly knew I had to see it in IMAX 3D. It is one of the most breath taking experiences I have felt since Gravity came out a few years ago. I missed the chance to see that in an IMAX theater and I was not going to pass up that opportunity again. But before we get to the awe inspiring 3D lets get to the story.
Joseph Gordon Levitt plays Phillippe Petit, a French wire walker who is constantly looking for the perfect place to hang his wire. His skilled wire walking comes from the teachings of one Papa Rudy, played by Ben Kingsley. He hangs his wire between street lights, over ponds and even across the Notre Dame cathedral. During one of his performance's he meets a girl named Annie, played by Charlotte Le Bon. They start a relationship and Petit tells her that the perfect place to hang his wire would be between the unfinished World Trade towers in New York. After a few months, Petit and Annie go to New York and from their the film becomes a heist movie. Petit has to assemble a crew for his "coup" so that everything can go to plan. As the norm per heist movies, drama occurs and the crew is pushed to the limit to make the "coup" go as planned. Eventually everything is set up to where Petit can do his performance.
Once the wire walk begins the audience is transported to a whole new world. The IMAX 3D makes it look like you are up there with Petit as he attempts his life threating feat. This is the part where anyone afraid of heights should look away. There are some shots where you can see what is green screened in but then the shots that are good are mind blowing good. This is feat is not something you can half-ass. The minute the audience feels its fake, the movie loses its touch. But not with this movie. The World Trade walk scene is one of the most breathtaking scenes in the movie.
The movie is well acted and well directed. Levitt brings a combination of confidence and charm that makes you want to see this person achieve their goals. And while the film is about the walk in general, it is also a love letter to the World Trade Center towers. The feelings shared by Petit may echo the same feelings in certain audience members. Petit fell in love with the towers and would probably regard it as one of his favorite places. He even has a lifetime pass to go up to the observatory deck. A downside to the film is that some of the heist members may feel a little cliché to some but for me I found them to be enjoyable.
My final thoughts are go see this movie in IMAX while you still can. I stand by that it is the only way to really experience this movie. I expect to see this get a nod for an Academy Award but it is still early into award movie season and there are strong contenders like The Martian, Sicario, Hateful Eight and even Star Wars: The Force Awakens that may end up beating it at the awards.
Rating: A
Joseph Gordon Levitt plays Phillippe Petit, a French wire walker who is constantly looking for the perfect place to hang his wire. His skilled wire walking comes from the teachings of one Papa Rudy, played by Ben Kingsley. He hangs his wire between street lights, over ponds and even across the Notre Dame cathedral. During one of his performance's he meets a girl named Annie, played by Charlotte Le Bon. They start a relationship and Petit tells her that the perfect place to hang his wire would be between the unfinished World Trade towers in New York. After a few months, Petit and Annie go to New York and from their the film becomes a heist movie. Petit has to assemble a crew for his "coup" so that everything can go to plan. As the norm per heist movies, drama occurs and the crew is pushed to the limit to make the "coup" go as planned. Eventually everything is set up to where Petit can do his performance.
Once the wire walk begins the audience is transported to a whole new world. The IMAX 3D makes it look like you are up there with Petit as he attempts his life threating feat. This is the part where anyone afraid of heights should look away. There are some shots where you can see what is green screened in but then the shots that are good are mind blowing good. This is feat is not something you can half-ass. The minute the audience feels its fake, the movie loses its touch. But not with this movie. The World Trade walk scene is one of the most breathtaking scenes in the movie.
The movie is well acted and well directed. Levitt brings a combination of confidence and charm that makes you want to see this person achieve their goals. And while the film is about the walk in general, it is also a love letter to the World Trade Center towers. The feelings shared by Petit may echo the same feelings in certain audience members. Petit fell in love with the towers and would probably regard it as one of his favorite places. He even has a lifetime pass to go up to the observatory deck. A downside to the film is that some of the heist members may feel a little cliché to some but for me I found them to be enjoyable.
My final thoughts are go see this movie in IMAX while you still can. I stand by that it is the only way to really experience this movie. I expect to see this get a nod for an Academy Award but it is still early into award movie season and there are strong contenders like The Martian, Sicario, Hateful Eight and even Star Wars: The Force Awakens that may end up beating it at the awards.
Rating: A
Wednesday, September 9, 2015
Fantastic Flop: comparing the Fantastic Four movies
By now most people are aware that new Fantastic Four movie is a critical and financial failure, but is it worse than the 2005 version? People have voiced their displeasure about the story and effects but why does the 2005 version get a pass? This question has been plaguing me for a while so I decided to compare the two Fantastic Four to see which team is truly fantastic based on 3 categories: Characters, story and villain.
Round 1: Best Characters
Both movies focus on the basic team: Mr.Fantastic, The Invisible Woman, The Human Torch and The Thing. Each team interacts well but for me I have to give the point to the new version. The old version of the team was kind of assholes. I feel what these characters are going through. They are young adults who are transformed by a cosmic events and are now being tested on by the government. It's a lot to take in. With the old version, the powers felt like an afterthought.
Round 2: Best Story
This is a tough one but I'm giving it to the old version. It followed the basic three act structure down to a point. The new versions story is all over the map.
Round 3: Best Doom
Doctor Doom, the teams main villain, has been under utilized in all Famtastic Four films. Both have the similarities like having an interest in Sue Storm, being a companion of Reed Richards (Mr. fantastic) and being involved with the project that gave the group their powers. The new film has him as an ex-employee of the Baxter Company turned hacker and is only returning because Sue will be a part of the project. During the experiment Doom is abandoned on a distant planet after Reed failed to save him when the planet the experiment was dealing with, stated erupting. His genetics are changed because of a powerful lava in the planet's core. When he returns he looks to not only kill Reed but everyone else involved with the project, except Sue of course. In the old version Doom is the owner of his own company and is engaged to Sue. He accompanies the group on a space voyage that gives them there powers. Once Sue re connects with Reed, Doom becomes jealous and vows to destroy Reed and his friends. Both have valid hatred for the team but I'm going with the new version because this Doom straight up kills people, showing he truly does not care for humanity after what happened to him. He is someone who I could see being a dictator of a country. The old Doom feels like a comic book villain but he'd doesn't have that hatred of humanity the new Doom has.
Both movies fail to capture the spirit of The Fantastic Four and by all means bad movies. But if I had toto choose I'd go with the new film. But seriously Fox, please give the rights back to Marvel. I would love to see a new MCU built of the team seeing as they are the original team of superheroes Marvel made. If you have a different opinion please comment
Saturday, August 22, 2015
Weekly Round Up: Straight Out of Compton and American Ultra
I'm doing something different this week. During the past week I saw two movies, the N.W.A. biopic Straight Out of Compton and the stoner action movie American Ultra. In order to prevent my fingers from falling off after all the typing I would have to do for a full review I'm going to sum up my thoughts on both films in short paragraphs. Lets start with Compton.
Out of the two movies, I would strongly recommend seeing Straight Out of Compton first. The movie is about the rise and fall of the rap group N.W.A., if you want to know what N.W.A. means please google it. Its main members, Ice Cube, Eazy-E, Dr. Dre deal with the police brutality of the L.A.P.D., the complication of the music industry itself, and the dramas of their own personal life. If this was released in the fall it would fall into Oscar contender and I still believe that it is worth all the praise. It has one of the best performances done by Ice Cube's son, who is coincidentally playing his father. If you are interested in the story of N.W.A. and remember a time when rap was considered dangerous go see this movie. If your not into biopics or rap, I would recommend American Ultra.
American Ultra stars Jesse Eisenberg as stoner who is secretly a stealth agent for the American government. The government tries to eliminate him but his creator activates him and now he is a deadly weapon. He must also protect his girlfriend who is played by Kristen Stewart. Stewart gives one of her best performances, showing how far she has come in acting since her performance in the Twilight Saga. The action scenes are a lot of fun but once those end the movie kind of stops. If it followed the John Wick formula it would be a good action film. But for what we got, it's just decent.
Out of the two movies, I would strongly recommend seeing Straight Out of Compton first. The movie is about the rise and fall of the rap group N.W.A., if you want to know what N.W.A. means please google it. Its main members, Ice Cube, Eazy-E, Dr. Dre deal with the police brutality of the L.A.P.D., the complication of the music industry itself, and the dramas of their own personal life. If this was released in the fall it would fall into Oscar contender and I still believe that it is worth all the praise. It has one of the best performances done by Ice Cube's son, who is coincidentally playing his father. If you are interested in the story of N.W.A. and remember a time when rap was considered dangerous go see this movie. If your not into biopics or rap, I would recommend American Ultra.
American Ultra stars Jesse Eisenberg as stoner who is secretly a stealth agent for the American government. The government tries to eliminate him but his creator activates him and now he is a deadly weapon. He must also protect his girlfriend who is played by Kristen Stewart. Stewart gives one of her best performances, showing how far she has come in acting since her performance in the Twilight Saga. The action scenes are a lot of fun but once those end the movie kind of stops. If it followed the John Wick formula it would be a good action film. But for what we got, it's just decent.
Monday, August 17, 2015
The Man From U.N.C.L.E. Review
As a spy movie, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. is unique addition to the genre. Director Guy Ritchie brings his unique style that was seen in the new Sherlock Holmes movie. It does not have the intense action of the Mission Impossible franchise nor does it have the Bomd style drama but for what it lacks in those catalogues it makes up in enjoyment and style. The plot revolves around a suave American CIA agent played by Henry Cavill and a tempered KGB agent played by Armie Hammer having too team up during the Cold War in order to stop an arms dealer from setting off a nuclear bomb.
The advantage this film has over Bond and Mission is its style. The set pieces and costumes make you think that you're in the Cold War era. The acting of Cavill and Hammer isn't bad either. Both suffered from poorly received summer blockbusters so it's good to see their skills being used better. The action is some of the most fun action scenes since the Mission Impossible. It's not better than it but since the new Bond film was not out at the moment it gives it some good competition.
Overall Man From U.N.C.L.E. is a stylish spy movie with a witty script that audiences may find enjoyable until the next Bond film premieres in the fall.
Grade: B
Wednesday, August 5, 2015
Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation Review
While offering a different taste of the spy genre, the Mission Impossible franchise is one that the viewing public is often quick to dismiss. No one gets that excited whenever the next movie is announced and its a shame because the Mission Impossible movies are actually pretty good. If I had to give a few reasons why the movie isn't more anticipated I would say one is Tom Cruise and his ever troubling social life or the fact that the franchise itself is not a very memorable one. Its not marketed the way Marvel does its cinematic universe. Another reason could be because no one is not aware of the original source material. The Mission Impossible movies are based off the old television show that existed way before I was born so the youth of today probably think this is an original idea when in reality it is a surprisingly good reboot of a popular television show. Last and not least if someone was to read online that the franchise constantly has a different director every film it might turn a viewer off. But what about the movie itself?
In short: it was good. Granted it is no Fury Road but it does offer competition. If you were not into the gritty world of Mad Max then you might enjoy the stunning sets offered in Rogue Nation. The team of Impossible Mission Force( I.M.F.) lead by Tom Cruise's character Ethan Hunt venture around the globe to places like London, Vienna and Morocco all in the name of stopping terror. The terror in this case is a group called The Syndicate, an anti I.M.F. so to speak, lead by Solomon Lane, played by Sean Harris. Along the way Hunt is caught up in British Intelligence drama when he meets Illsa Faust, played by Rebecca Ferguson, who is a British spy that is deep undercover in the terrorist group.
Rogue Nation is a fun spy movie that offers a different tone than that of the Bond movies and has action sequences that will satisfy an action-spy junkie in the theater
In short: it was good. Granted it is no Fury Road but it does offer competition. If you were not into the gritty world of Mad Max then you might enjoy the stunning sets offered in Rogue Nation. The team of Impossible Mission Force( I.M.F.) lead by Tom Cruise's character Ethan Hunt venture around the globe to places like London, Vienna and Morocco all in the name of stopping terror. The terror in this case is a group called The Syndicate, an anti I.M.F. so to speak, lead by Solomon Lane, played by Sean Harris. Along the way Hunt is caught up in British Intelligence drama when he meets Illsa Faust, played by Rebecca Ferguson, who is a British spy that is deep undercover in the terrorist group.
Rogue Nation is a fun spy movie that offers a different tone than that of the Bond movies and has action sequences that will satisfy an action-spy junkie in the theater
Grade: A
Thursday, July 23, 2015
Trainwreck Review
It's hard for a comedy movie to do well in the battle of summer blockbusters with the various comic book and action movies coming out. But every year their seems to be one comedy movie that does really well in summer. Last year it was Wes Anderson's Oscar nominated film The Grand Budapest Hotel and this year it is Judd Apatow's Trainwreck. Apatow has a knack for directing comedies that focus on adults growing up in the world, an idea that is rarely seen well in the movie world. Apatow is responsible for directing comedy classics like Knocked Up and The 40 Year-Old Virgin and was the creator of the cult-classic television show Freaks and Geeks. While this film has the same premise as the previous two films he directed, an adult having to grow up and learn how to live in the adult world, the Amy Schumer written story about a woman giving up her youthful ways is another .
The premise for the movie is that Amy Schumer plays a woman named Amy Townsed that leads a promiscuous lifestyle ever since her father divorced her mother and drilled into her head that monogamy is not realistic. After years and years of sleeping with one can only assume thousands of other men, Amy feels like she is in a rut. Her rut breaks when she meets sports doctor Aaron Conners, played by Bill Hader, because she has to write a profile about him for the magazine she works at. But soon Amy realizes that she is falling in love with the doctor and what makes it weirder for her is that the doctor loves her back Amy then starts to wonder if now is the time to clean up her act.
It is no secret that since Amy Schumer wrote this that some of her own personal experiences would flow into her character. Anyone who has seen Schumer's stand up and or television show on Comedy Central will notice the similarities between character and creator. But while the Schumer and Hader love story is funny and heart-warming the real comedy comes from the athlete cameos. Basketball superstar LeBron James provides some of my favorite funny moments in the film, even holding an intervention for Hader's character that has NBA commentator Marv Albert doing hilarious real time commentary. There is also a subplot revolving around Conners having to do knee surgery on Amare Stoudemire. Although his is where the movie will become a little dated as it shows Amare with the Knicks when at the moment he just signed with Miami but it can be glanced over.
Fans of both Apatow and Schumer can feel relieved that this movie did not turn out to be a disaster but rather another great addition to the Apatow collection. Schumer, Hader and even LeBron himself give some hilarious performances and the story is that of Apatow movie. If you are not a fan of Schumer's comedy or the themes of previous Apatow films than I would recommend something else. But if you're looking for a good summer comedy that also deals with deep themes like growing up I would highly recommend buying a ticket to see Trainwreck.
Grade: B +
The premise for the movie is that Amy Schumer plays a woman named Amy Townsed that leads a promiscuous lifestyle ever since her father divorced her mother and drilled into her head that monogamy is not realistic. After years and years of sleeping with one can only assume thousands of other men, Amy feels like she is in a rut. Her rut breaks when she meets sports doctor Aaron Conners, played by Bill Hader, because she has to write a profile about him for the magazine she works at. But soon Amy realizes that she is falling in love with the doctor and what makes it weirder for her is that the doctor loves her back Amy then starts to wonder if now is the time to clean up her act.
It is no secret that since Amy Schumer wrote this that some of her own personal experiences would flow into her character. Anyone who has seen Schumer's stand up and or television show on Comedy Central will notice the similarities between character and creator. But while the Schumer and Hader love story is funny and heart-warming the real comedy comes from the athlete cameos. Basketball superstar LeBron James provides some of my favorite funny moments in the film, even holding an intervention for Hader's character that has NBA commentator Marv Albert doing hilarious real time commentary. There is also a subplot revolving around Conners having to do knee surgery on Amare Stoudemire. Although his is where the movie will become a little dated as it shows Amare with the Knicks when at the moment he just signed with Miami but it can be glanced over.
Fans of both Apatow and Schumer can feel relieved that this movie did not turn out to be a disaster but rather another great addition to the Apatow collection. Schumer, Hader and even LeBron himself give some hilarious performances and the story is that of Apatow movie. If you are not a fan of Schumer's comedy or the themes of previous Apatow films than I would recommend something else. But if you're looking for a good summer comedy that also deals with deep themes like growing up I would highly recommend buying a ticket to see Trainwreck.
Grade: B +
Saturday, July 18, 2015
Ant Man Review
First let me address the elephant in the room. Yes, I know Edgar Wright, the director of comedy classics like Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, was supposed to direct Marvel's Ant Man but he left due to creative differences. However, Marvel still decided to use some of Wright's original script for the movie and even gave him writing credits. Odds are in a few years Wright's original script and ideas may find there way online but for now I am reviewing what Ant Man I saw in theaters, the Peyton Reed directed version. For what its worth, I thought it was pretty good.
I wouldn't say its up to par as other Marvel films like Guardians of the Galaxy or Winter Soldier but still it is enjoyable for all audiences. I enjoyed Paul Rudd's performance as thief turned hero Scott Lang as well as Michael Douglas's performance as Hank Pym, the original Ant Man for all you non comic book readers. In fact, most of the actors do a pretty good job in this movie. However there is the black sheep that is Michael Pena's character, Luis. I have read many reviews that thought Pena's character resembled more of a stereotype than an actual person and the same was said about the rest of Scott's heist crew. I however found both Pena's and the rest of the crews acting to be quite enjoyable, even though I could see some ethnic stereotype oozing out. But its nothing too offensive so don't worry PC people of today. Now onto the plot.
The basic plot of the story is that Scott Lang is a thief who wants to do good because he needs money to pay for child support so he can see his daughter again. He comes across the Ant Man suit during a theft from there ends up being trained by the original Ant Man, Hank Pym, so that he can enter a research facility to steal the Yellow Jacket suit made by Pym's former associate Darren Cross, played by Corey Stoll. However, Hank's daughter Hope believes that she should be in the suit but her father won't let her because he is afraid he'll lose her like he did her mother. From there its your basic Marvel super hero story. Good guy fights bad guy, lessons are learned, pasts revealed, a Stan Lee cameo, and Avengers build up.
One can really tell where the Wright script is being used and where the revised version is being used. I can't help feeling that Wright wanted to make it more of a comedy action film like Hot Fuzz while Marvel wanted a super hero heist movie. Marvel also felt like this is just the precursor to the Civil War movie that comes in 2016, the same year Batman and Superman are supposed too duke it out for the first time on screen. That being said there are a lot of Avengers references in this movie, including a cameo by one of them as well as their new base. But the cameo was worth because it gave us a cool scene and some connection to future films. There is also a subtle hint of a certain swinging and wall crawling super hero that is set to debut in the MCU soon. These were probably added on once Marvel got the rights to said character.
One thing I did enjoy about the movie was the Ant Man suit. Whenever there was a shrinking scene it looked damn impressive. You can really tell Marvel had to wait until the technology was right to make this movie. The fight scenes that feature the Ant Man suit are some of the most fun fights in super hero movies with things shrinking a growing quickly. Thankfully scale gags were used very little in this movie which is a good thing as I would have grown tired of them.
Ant Man is a great movie for the Marvel cannon. It's a fun movie that builds up something bigger in the near future. Mind you however that there is some serious tone issues. The film tries to mix Wright's script with the Marvel script and it makes for some odd tone issues. But if you can look past those I'm sure you can enjoy the film.
I wouldn't say its up to par as other Marvel films like Guardians of the Galaxy or Winter Soldier but still it is enjoyable for all audiences. I enjoyed Paul Rudd's performance as thief turned hero Scott Lang as well as Michael Douglas's performance as Hank Pym, the original Ant Man for all you non comic book readers. In fact, most of the actors do a pretty good job in this movie. However there is the black sheep that is Michael Pena's character, Luis. I have read many reviews that thought Pena's character resembled more of a stereotype than an actual person and the same was said about the rest of Scott's heist crew. I however found both Pena's and the rest of the crews acting to be quite enjoyable, even though I could see some ethnic stereotype oozing out. But its nothing too offensive so don't worry PC people of today. Now onto the plot.
The basic plot of the story is that Scott Lang is a thief who wants to do good because he needs money to pay for child support so he can see his daughter again. He comes across the Ant Man suit during a theft from there ends up being trained by the original Ant Man, Hank Pym, so that he can enter a research facility to steal the Yellow Jacket suit made by Pym's former associate Darren Cross, played by Corey Stoll. However, Hank's daughter Hope believes that she should be in the suit but her father won't let her because he is afraid he'll lose her like he did her mother. From there its your basic Marvel super hero story. Good guy fights bad guy, lessons are learned, pasts revealed, a Stan Lee cameo, and Avengers build up.
One can really tell where the Wright script is being used and where the revised version is being used. I can't help feeling that Wright wanted to make it more of a comedy action film like Hot Fuzz while Marvel wanted a super hero heist movie. Marvel also felt like this is just the precursor to the Civil War movie that comes in 2016, the same year Batman and Superman are supposed too duke it out for the first time on screen. That being said there are a lot of Avengers references in this movie, including a cameo by one of them as well as their new base. But the cameo was worth because it gave us a cool scene and some connection to future films. There is also a subtle hint of a certain swinging and wall crawling super hero that is set to debut in the MCU soon. These were probably added on once Marvel got the rights to said character.
One thing I did enjoy about the movie was the Ant Man suit. Whenever there was a shrinking scene it looked damn impressive. You can really tell Marvel had to wait until the technology was right to make this movie. The fight scenes that feature the Ant Man suit are some of the most fun fights in super hero movies with things shrinking a growing quickly. Thankfully scale gags were used very little in this movie which is a good thing as I would have grown tired of them.
Ant Man is a great movie for the Marvel cannon. It's a fun movie that builds up something bigger in the near future. Mind you however that there is some serious tone issues. The film tries to mix Wright's script with the Marvel script and it makes for some odd tone issues. But if you can look past those I'm sure you can enjoy the film.
Friday, July 10, 2015
Minions Review
With the ever growing popularity of Disney Pixar's Inside Out, it is safe to say that movie going public lost interest in the Illumination Entertainment's newest addition to the Despicable Me franchise, the Minions movie.
Now the idea of telling the backstory about the small, yellow, pill shaped assistants to the despicable Gru sounds like an interesting idea until you remember that the whole movie has to feature the Minions. Don't get me wrong I enjoy the Minions but I don't think they can carry an entire movie. They were usage is best as comic reliefs to the drama surrounding Gru and his adopted daughters. The Minions use a language that mixes Spanish, English, and gibberish. Starting to see where people can get a little annoyed? Now a little Minion gag here and there would be just fine but a whole movie dedicated to the small annoyances does not sound fun. But I have to be honest, I smiled through the whole movie.
The plot revolves around three minions named Kevin, Stuart and Bob as they try to look for the most evilest master in the world. They do this because this is all the minions know, working for an almighty evil, and without that all mighty evil to work for the minions get depressed and may eventually die. Eventually, the trio finds their new master in the form of Scarlett Overkill, voiced by Sandra Bullock, and her husband Herb, voiced by Mad Men star Jon Hamm. Both provide fun performances, especially when Bullock's character starts acting crazy. But their performances fail to elicit a reaction that a certain "despicable" character gets at the end of the movie. All the kids in theater were happy to see this character pop up and interact with the minions during the credits. It made me wonder why we didn't get that movie instead. The minions growing up with the person would have had the heart felt drama the first Despicable Me film had.
Deep down I enjoy the Despicable Me movies, there is something so upbeat and enjoyable about them that I find myself coming back to the movies whenever they are on TV. But all good products are not without their faults. For instance, the second movie gave popularity to the either loved or hated song "Happy" by Pharell Williams. Also, a lot of characters just straight up die in the Minions movie. These aren't sad or dramatic events but rather if the comedic violence of Tom and Jerry had grim consequences. There was also a lot of adult jokes in the film which felt weird. Not Ted 2 level, but it's there when you see it.
While the minions themselves can get annoying, I'm talking near Jar-Jar Binks level of annoying, it never got to the point where I wanted to leave the theater, unlike a certain Jai Courtney film made me do. Overall the movie Minions as well as the Despicable Me franchise is fun and harmless. Inside Out is the far superior product in theaters but Minions offers something different and fun for kids and adults.
Now the idea of telling the backstory about the small, yellow, pill shaped assistants to the despicable Gru sounds like an interesting idea until you remember that the whole movie has to feature the Minions. Don't get me wrong I enjoy the Minions but I don't think they can carry an entire movie. They were usage is best as comic reliefs to the drama surrounding Gru and his adopted daughters. The Minions use a language that mixes Spanish, English, and gibberish. Starting to see where people can get a little annoyed? Now a little Minion gag here and there would be just fine but a whole movie dedicated to the small annoyances does not sound fun. But I have to be honest, I smiled through the whole movie.
The plot revolves around three minions named Kevin, Stuart and Bob as they try to look for the most evilest master in the world. They do this because this is all the minions know, working for an almighty evil, and without that all mighty evil to work for the minions get depressed and may eventually die. Eventually, the trio finds their new master in the form of Scarlett Overkill, voiced by Sandra Bullock, and her husband Herb, voiced by Mad Men star Jon Hamm. Both provide fun performances, especially when Bullock's character starts acting crazy. But their performances fail to elicit a reaction that a certain "despicable" character gets at the end of the movie. All the kids in theater were happy to see this character pop up and interact with the minions during the credits. It made me wonder why we didn't get that movie instead. The minions growing up with the person would have had the heart felt drama the first Despicable Me film had.
Deep down I enjoy the Despicable Me movies, there is something so upbeat and enjoyable about them that I find myself coming back to the movies whenever they are on TV. But all good products are not without their faults. For instance, the second movie gave popularity to the either loved or hated song "Happy" by Pharell Williams. Also, a lot of characters just straight up die in the Minions movie. These aren't sad or dramatic events but rather if the comedic violence of Tom and Jerry had grim consequences. There was also a lot of adult jokes in the film which felt weird. Not Ted 2 level, but it's there when you see it.
While the minions themselves can get annoying, I'm talking near Jar-Jar Binks level of annoying, it never got to the point where I wanted to leave the theater, unlike a certain Jai Courtney film made me do. Overall the movie Minions as well as the Despicable Me franchise is fun and harmless. Inside Out is the far superior product in theaters but Minions offers something different and fun for kids and adults.
Wednesday, July 8, 2015
Terminator Genisys Review: Old but is it obsolete?
When I saw the trailer for Terminator Genisys I was skeptical about how good the film was going to be. This is what I believe to be the major cause of the 26% rating it had on Rotten Tomatoes at the time I saw it. Once the 4th of July festivities died down I decided to give it a watch. Now I cannot say that the film deserves its 26% but I can say it was a bad movie.
Now to the movie's credit it does have some fans that support the film, even the director of the first two films James Cameron (yes that James Cameron) advertised his support for the movie and I know why. The idea for Terminator Genisys sounds really good: Kyle Reese is sent back to 1984 to protect Sarah Connor from being killed by a cyborg assassin so that she can give birth to the savior of mankind in the war against the machines in the near future, John Connor . But when Reese arrives in 1984 he finds that Sarah is not the defenseless woman from the first film but rather the bad ass soldier that we saw in Judgment Day. Add in to the plot a twist that Skynet sent back a Terminator that has nano-byte technology and looks like John Connor and it sounds like it would be a good film worthy of the Terminator franchise. However, the movie going public got a James Cameron-less Terminator movie again because the last three Terminator movies did so well without him (sarcasm).
What we got was a semi decent action film at best. Arnold Schwarzenegger puts in the best performance as the T-800, who raises Sarah after her parents are killed by an unknown assassin. The actors that portray the Connor family are also good but it all goes wrong with the casting of Kyle Reese. Jai Courtney plays the main hero and he reminds me of Anakin Skywalker, always whining and very unlikeable. It also does not help that he shares no chemistry with Sarah Connor so the romance is non believable. But the worst part of the film actually happened even before its release, the advertising. After only one trailer the advertising showed off the big plot twist about John Connor and showing off all the big moments in the film. When I was siting in the theater it felt I was waiting for all the moments shown in the trailers to happen. It got so bad that I left the theater to see what was happening with Mad Max and Jurassic World. It beats sitting and watching Genisys.
Once the film was nearing its end I left before the credits could even start and that's coming from someone who stays after Marvel movie credits. I feel if James Cameron got his hands on the project it could have been better than Judgment Day but unfortunately I have to settle for what I got and what I have is a sub-par action movie with a few enjoyable parts but overall it's still predictable and boring, the worse crime an action movie could commit. It doesn't deserve a 26%, more like a 40%. It's not god awful but it should be avoided. Hopefully the next sequels can live up to the T-800's moto: "Old, but not obsolete".
Now to the movie's credit it does have some fans that support the film, even the director of the first two films James Cameron (yes that James Cameron) advertised his support for the movie and I know why. The idea for Terminator Genisys sounds really good: Kyle Reese is sent back to 1984 to protect Sarah Connor from being killed by a cyborg assassin so that she can give birth to the savior of mankind in the war against the machines in the near future, John Connor . But when Reese arrives in 1984 he finds that Sarah is not the defenseless woman from the first film but rather the bad ass soldier that we saw in Judgment Day. Add in to the plot a twist that Skynet sent back a Terminator that has nano-byte technology and looks like John Connor and it sounds like it would be a good film worthy of the Terminator franchise. However, the movie going public got a James Cameron-less Terminator movie again because the last three Terminator movies did so well without him (sarcasm).
What we got was a semi decent action film at best. Arnold Schwarzenegger puts in the best performance as the T-800, who raises Sarah after her parents are killed by an unknown assassin. The actors that portray the Connor family are also good but it all goes wrong with the casting of Kyle Reese. Jai Courtney plays the main hero and he reminds me of Anakin Skywalker, always whining and very unlikeable. It also does not help that he shares no chemistry with Sarah Connor so the romance is non believable. But the worst part of the film actually happened even before its release, the advertising. After only one trailer the advertising showed off the big plot twist about John Connor and showing off all the big moments in the film. When I was siting in the theater it felt I was waiting for all the moments shown in the trailers to happen. It got so bad that I left the theater to see what was happening with Mad Max and Jurassic World. It beats sitting and watching Genisys.
Once the film was nearing its end I left before the credits could even start and that's coming from someone who stays after Marvel movie credits. I feel if James Cameron got his hands on the project it could have been better than Judgment Day but unfortunately I have to settle for what I got and what I have is a sub-par action movie with a few enjoyable parts but overall it's still predictable and boring, the worse crime an action movie could commit. It doesn't deserve a 26%, more like a 40%. It's not god awful but it should be avoided. Hopefully the next sequels can live up to the T-800's moto: "Old, but not obsolete".
Thursday, July 2, 2015
5 Reasons why Phoenix Comic Con is better than San Diego Comic Con
As the time this blog is posted the San Doego convention center is preparing for the rush of thousands of comic book and media lovers alike. But it was not always like this. It may be hard to believe but Comic Con was a small event. It was only when big movie companies starting holding press events that Comic Con grew into the populated monster it is today. But not to be outdone by California, Phoenix decided to held its own comic convention. From its early roots in 2002 Phoenix Comicon has grown to rival the charm of San Diego's. So here are 5 reasons why I think Phoenix Comicon is better than San Diego Comic Con.
5. Less media
Phoenix Comicon does not receive even half of the media attention than the other Comic Con does and it's for that reason that not a lot people go. Which leads into reason 9.
4. Less people
2015's Comicon drew in 75 thousand people. This is tiny compared to the 130 thousand plus people at San Diego. If you're like me, the less people the better.
3.The celebrities
While San Diego has bigger names, only real comic fans will enjoy the celebrity line up in Phoenix. Just this year we had Summer Glau, Karl Urban and even Christopher Llloyd showed up. The celebrities, at least in my mind, seem to be more friendlier towards fans in Phoenix than those in San Diego
2. The panels
The panels here range from the intriguing to bizarre. There was a steampunk fashion show, Transformers vs GI Joe panel and even screen writing panels. There's a lot of variety there for anyone.
1. The people
While I know there are some die hard fans that attend San Diego Comic Con, I feel that most people are there for the media. In Phoenix, I feel that the people that go to Phoenix Comicon have a real passion about their fandom. I waited over an hour with other Firefly fans just to meet Summer Glau. That takes fortitude. Fortitude that the attendees of Phoenix Comicon have in droves.
Saturday, May 30, 2015
WHAT A DAY! WHAT A LOVELY DAY!
If you were to ask someone around my age what Mad Max was before Fury Road came out, odds are you would get a shrug with an "I don't know". It has been 30 years since the last Mad Max movie, Beyond Thunderdome, was released and for those unaware of the Mad Max world here is a story in a nutshell: Max is a former police officer that is roaming the ravaged wasteland of a post apocalyptic world in order to survive and along the way he meets a variety of unique characters that aid or hurt him.
Sounds simple, right? A basic post apocalyptic action movie. So why is it that after over 30 years people, including me, are losing their minds over this new Mad Max? For one, the action is intense and very real. There's little CGI used in the movie and when it is used it looks fantastic. With no CGI means that what the audience is seeking is what Tom Hardy, who plays Max, and everyone else on set had to go through. Cars exploding, a giant fireball erupting from an exploding tanker and just enough clever car designing to make a steampunk fan giddy. My personal favorite is the rock rider vehicle that has giant base sound system attached to war drums and a man playing a flame throwing guitar.
Another positive is the female characters. Characters like the wives and Imperator Furiosa feel like the vision Joss Whedon wants for sting female characters. They are tough but they have a soft side like most people do. They don't play the damsels in distress, in fact they play a bigger role than Max, the title character. Max is an observer of Furiosa's battle with the all powerful Immortan Joe, who covers the wives as treasure due to their health and ability to produce a healthy offspring.
With Joe are his war boys, the most predominant is Nicholas Hult's character Nux. He is a war boy on his dying days waiting to be taken to Valhalla as the great Immortan Joe foretells all his followers. Nux and all of the war boys represent the lost innocence and humanity of most people during an apocalypse. When Nux fails a mission given to him by Joe he falls into depression only to be comforted by one of the escaping wives. From there Nux regains his humanity thanks to love he receives from the wife.
While there are many more positive things to be said about the movie it is something to see and behold in a theater (3D optional but preferred for me). While some argue feministic tones, I gladly welcome those. I have no doubt that the Mad Max films and many future projects done by its director George Miller will be meet with anticipation.
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