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-
Friday, November 27, 2015
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.
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