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.

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

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

Grade: A