I wanted to do something new for this blog this year and I thought to myself that maybe I could write some "think pieces" on topics in media that I've been noticing or have thought about for a while. Future posts like these might focus on other topics but I feel like this one I have been thinking about for a while. I remember back in middle school I was not into Disney films as much I am now. I remember being like most middle school students in that I wanted to be treated as more of an adult and a way I and many others saw of doing that was to shun the Disney brand. I went years without seeing a film by Disney or any animation company. But I was at that weird age where Disney or animation films do not appeal to me but I'm too young for films like Frost/Nixon and The King's Speech.
Now, Disney at the time was making decent animated films like Tangled, Princess and The Frog, Meet the Robinsons, and Bolt with its sister company Pixar making animated hits like Cars and Up. But it was also making disappointing movies like Enchanted, Brother Bear, Treasure Planet, and quite possibly the worst, Chicken Little. The early millennium was hit and miss for the Disney company. But for me, as I entered middle school I found that most kids did not want to see Disney films or anything that felt kid friendly. No, those were the days when we thought going to a PG-13 or even R rated movie was a right of passage and that the passage meant that we would never return to Disney as that not what the cool, popular older kids did.
For me, that all changed when I saw Toy Story 3. It was the first time I felt the dark side of Disney and got emotional over a film meant for children. It showed me that an animated film can be for adults and children. I was finally brought back to Disney and I wanted to see what they would do next. Sadly, Cars 2 proved to be a massive disappointment for audiences and the Disney company. Any middle schooler going into high school that said they paid money to see Cars 2 would be seen as kind of a dweeb. So I decided to wait awhile until I saw a Disney movie worth paying money to see. It was around this time I started watching the Marvel movies, and though at the time having mixed feelings about the movies, I awaited the release of The Avengers.
In 2012, the Disney company purchased Marvel studios and now own most Marvel characters. This is where I feel most people started to get back on board with Disney was after seeing The Avengers. From there Disney started to not only become present again in pop culture but it started to dominate it. Once Star Wars was bought from George Lucas, Disney's grasp on entertainment seemed to be complete. But even with franchise juggernauts like those in their grasps, Disney still had to excel where they were lacking for a while, their own films.
Pixar wasn't putting out the best of films for a while so it was up to Walt Disney Animation Studios to carry the animated film banner. With that came Wreck It Ralph, an animated movie centered around video game characters and the world they lived in. It was a critical and financial success but nothing could prepare them and the rest of the world for what came in 2013. In November of that Disney released Frozen and it became one Disney's biggest hits since The Lion King. The film and its merchandise brought in tons of money and thus solidified Disney's control over the pop culture.
But why now? Why weren't they doing this years ago? Well there are many reasons, too much to go into. But I will say I can chalk it up to leadership change with Bob Iger replacing Michael Eisner and with having some of the biggest movie properties with the loyalist of fan bases, Disney had to make sure they did everything right to please the massive fan bases. It's a lot to balance both a cinematic universe and a galaxy far, far away on the shoulders of a mouse. But through will and effort, Disney pulled it off.
No I am not saying Disney is perfect by any means. It's children's programming needs major adjustments and there are times when they care more about the merchandise instead of the movie itself. But when the company puts its all behind a project it can be one of the most amazing things ever seen. Will there be another time when people move away from Disney, yes, but its important to remember that though they may falter at times, you can be sure that right around the corner is another hit waiting to make its way to cultural phenomenon status.
Sunday, January 24, 2016
Friday, January 15, 2016
The Revenant Review
First, a little backstory, I saw this movie on the night of the Golden Globes award as I wanted to wait a while to see if the movie would win any major awards. And it did. It won the Golden Globe award for best drama, best director and best actor. Just recently the movie received Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor. That being said this movie had a lot going for it when I saw it. In my opinion, The Revenant deserves all the acclaim its getting.
Alejandro G. Inarritu returns after his Academy Award winning dark comedy Birdman. He teams up with Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy to bring us the story of Hugh Glass and his story of survival and revenge. For those unaware of Mr. Glass's reputation, he was a pioneer fur trapper who after surviving an attack by Native American warriors, lives through a grizzly bear mauling and must survive the harsh winter weather in the wilderness in order to enact revenge up on one his fellow trappers that left him for dead and killed his son. It's a tale of both survival and the human spirit as Glass, who is on the verge of death, wills himself on and takes drastic measures in order to ensure his survival and revenge.
DiCaprio plays the titular character and by god if he does not win an Oscar for this, there must be something wrong with the academy. The man is put through the wringer in this movie. Not only did he have to act in extreme weather conditions but he also had to get thrown around and hurt in this movie. The role of Hugh Glass is a big departure from DiCaprio's usual role as a charming yet cocky character. He has very little dialogue in the movie and I think it works to both DiCaprio's and the movie's advantage. Giving Glass to much dialogue might have made audiences see that its just DiCaprio and not Glass saying these things. For the movie, the minimal dialogue allows the story to be told through its solid acting, visuals, and tone. Which brings me to the director.
I've only seen two movies from Inarritu, those being this one and Birdman, but I can clearly tell that he is a lover of cinema. You feel the passion in every shot of his movies and how hard it can be to work with the guy. This a guy who will put his actors in freezing wildernesses and might try to do a movie all in one take. It's a hard task to accomplish but so far he has gotten the best out of everyone on board, both actors and crew. However, even the best of things have problems.
The worst thing about the movie is that it feels long. I remember checking my phone three times in the theater to see how long I was sitting there. There were times I wanted to get up to use the bathroom but I held it in to see what would happen next. Another thing that bugged me was that every time the film would cut to the forest or any form of wilderness it felt like I was watching a nature documentary. But for those problems I can say that this movie was intense from beginning to end.
You feel like you're there watching something that happened in the days of the frontier and I commend that. Going for anything less than real in this movie would have been a let down given how serious the trailers made this movie to be. The acting in the movie by its two stars sell the feel of it being real. Tom Hardy's character is kind of a bastard as he is one who leaves Glass for dead in the snowy wilderness and kills Glass's son so that he can get back to civilization and get paid for his work. But the setting of where this movie takes place makes these actions justifiable. I feel that many fur trappers at the time would do the same thing, though probably doing a mercy killing instead of leaving someone to die. Hardy's character is not greedy but will do whatever it takes to survive and that kind of thinking works in this time period.
The Revenant is a strong contender for best picture given its many wins at the Golden Globes, but anything can happen. It's also Leonardo DiCaprio's best performance as he runs the gambit of emotions a man can have will finally nab his first Oscar for Best Actor but it's a strong field of contenders with accomplished talents like Matt Damon, Bryan Cranston and Michael Fassbender as well as the transgender role Eddie Redmayne played in The Danish Girl which may get some of the "lets avoid controversy or be really pro LGBT" votes. As for best director, Inarritue will win though Geroge Miller may be give him a bit of competition and is my hopeful to win, though given the nature of the academy, I can see them palying it safe and giving it to Inarritu. As for Best Picture, its safe to say like the director, its the academy's safest bet though I found Fury Road be more entertaining. It's a long sit but by the end, like me, you'll be glad you stuck with it.
Grade: A
Alejandro G. Inarritu returns after his Academy Award winning dark comedy Birdman. He teams up with Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy to bring us the story of Hugh Glass and his story of survival and revenge. For those unaware of Mr. Glass's reputation, he was a pioneer fur trapper who after surviving an attack by Native American warriors, lives through a grizzly bear mauling and must survive the harsh winter weather in the wilderness in order to enact revenge up on one his fellow trappers that left him for dead and killed his son. It's a tale of both survival and the human spirit as Glass, who is on the verge of death, wills himself on and takes drastic measures in order to ensure his survival and revenge.
DiCaprio plays the titular character and by god if he does not win an Oscar for this, there must be something wrong with the academy. The man is put through the wringer in this movie. Not only did he have to act in extreme weather conditions but he also had to get thrown around and hurt in this movie. The role of Hugh Glass is a big departure from DiCaprio's usual role as a charming yet cocky character. He has very little dialogue in the movie and I think it works to both DiCaprio's and the movie's advantage. Giving Glass to much dialogue might have made audiences see that its just DiCaprio and not Glass saying these things. For the movie, the minimal dialogue allows the story to be told through its solid acting, visuals, and tone. Which brings me to the director.
I've only seen two movies from Inarritu, those being this one and Birdman, but I can clearly tell that he is a lover of cinema. You feel the passion in every shot of his movies and how hard it can be to work with the guy. This a guy who will put his actors in freezing wildernesses and might try to do a movie all in one take. It's a hard task to accomplish but so far he has gotten the best out of everyone on board, both actors and crew. However, even the best of things have problems.
The worst thing about the movie is that it feels long. I remember checking my phone three times in the theater to see how long I was sitting there. There were times I wanted to get up to use the bathroom but I held it in to see what would happen next. Another thing that bugged me was that every time the film would cut to the forest or any form of wilderness it felt like I was watching a nature documentary. But for those problems I can say that this movie was intense from beginning to end.
You feel like you're there watching something that happened in the days of the frontier and I commend that. Going for anything less than real in this movie would have been a let down given how serious the trailers made this movie to be. The acting in the movie by its two stars sell the feel of it being real. Tom Hardy's character is kind of a bastard as he is one who leaves Glass for dead in the snowy wilderness and kills Glass's son so that he can get back to civilization and get paid for his work. But the setting of where this movie takes place makes these actions justifiable. I feel that many fur trappers at the time would do the same thing, though probably doing a mercy killing instead of leaving someone to die. Hardy's character is not greedy but will do whatever it takes to survive and that kind of thinking works in this time period.
The Revenant is a strong contender for best picture given its many wins at the Golden Globes, but anything can happen. It's also Leonardo DiCaprio's best performance as he runs the gambit of emotions a man can have will finally nab his first Oscar for Best Actor but it's a strong field of contenders with accomplished talents like Matt Damon, Bryan Cranston and Michael Fassbender as well as the transgender role Eddie Redmayne played in The Danish Girl which may get some of the "lets avoid controversy or be really pro LGBT" votes. As for best director, Inarritue will win though Geroge Miller may be give him a bit of competition and is my hopeful to win, though given the nature of the academy, I can see them palying it safe and giving it to Inarritu. As for Best Picture, its safe to say like the director, its the academy's safest bet though I found Fury Road be more entertaining. It's a long sit but by the end, like me, you'll be glad you stuck with it.
Grade: A
Wednesday, January 6, 2016
The Big Short Review
iIf you were to ask a random person on the street to explain the financial crisis of '07, odds are with a strange look the person wouldn't be able to give you a straight forward answer. This is where Adam McKay's The Big Short comes in. The movie is about this group of Wall Street business men that discover the ground work of the financial crisis and are looking to profit from the ignorance of the banks and the public. And if you're thinking that even though you have some knowledge of how the market works but are thinking that there are going to be terms in this movie that can go over the head of even the most knowledgeable wall street yuppy, you would be correct. However, the movie does a good job in explaining the definitions of certain terms by using celebrity cameos like Anthony Bourdain, Selena Gomez and even Margot Robbie in a bath tub to explain terms used in the movie and on Wall Street. It's helpful for people like me who has very little knowledge of economic terms.
The Big Short follows a lot of Hollywood Wall Street movies like Wolf of Wall Street and Wall Street. What the big short does different from those movies is that The Big Short actually looks at how the banks and the housing crisis worked instead of focusing on an individual. In this movie you get a plethora of characters from Steve Carrel's character Mike Baum (who is based on money manager Steve Eisman) to Brad Pitt's off the grid former stock broker Ben Rickert.
The movie is sort of a reverse heist movie, as the characters look to put money back into the economy. It is addressed in the movie that if the characters succeed in predicting the financial crash they will profit from it but also that millions of people will be out of jobs and businesses will suffer from the crash. It's a very big moral dilemma for the characters. Yes, they can go against the over confident banks and profit from their stupidity but if they are right, it will not be good for the rest of America.
The momentum of the movie never slows down and I think it's because of the unique editing style of the movie. It's a fun movie given the subject matter. It does not shy away from the serious moments but it's still darkly humorous.
Grade: A
The Big Short follows a lot of Hollywood Wall Street movies like Wolf of Wall Street and Wall Street. What the big short does different from those movies is that The Big Short actually looks at how the banks and the housing crisis worked instead of focusing on an individual. In this movie you get a plethora of characters from Steve Carrel's character Mike Baum (who is based on money manager Steve Eisman) to Brad Pitt's off the grid former stock broker Ben Rickert.
The movie is sort of a reverse heist movie, as the characters look to put money back into the economy. It is addressed in the movie that if the characters succeed in predicting the financial crash they will profit from it but also that millions of people will be out of jobs and businesses will suffer from the crash. It's a very big moral dilemma for the characters. Yes, they can go against the over confident banks and profit from their stupidity but if they are right, it will not be good for the rest of America.
The momentum of the movie never slows down and I think it's because of the unique editing style of the movie. It's a fun movie given the subject matter. It does not shy away from the serious moments but it's still darkly humorous.
Grade: A
Sunday, January 3, 2016
My Top 15 films of 2015
2015 was a banner year for Hollywood as Jurassic World and The Force Awakens have shattered previous box office records and were met with satisfaction from critics. It was also the year where sequels dominated the big screen. Now there were some original movies out that were getting critical acclaim but it was the sequels we were most excited to see. So now join me if you will in counting down my top 15 favorite films of 2015.
#15. The Walk
This film runs the gambit of being a heist movie, a bio-pic and a love letter to the World Trade Center. Joseph-Gordon Levitt is one of my favorite actors and he does a wonderful job of playing the tight rope walking daredevil Philippe Petit. The 3D for this movie is some of the most breathtaking 3D you will see in theaters and I'm glad I saw this movie in IMAX 3D. One standout performance is Charlotte Le Bon as she plays the girlfriend of Levitt's character. You feel for this character and what she is going through. Someone she loves is going to walk on a thin wire between two tall buildings with no net. It's a testament of trust when you see how calm she is given this information. But as a whole the film is a good watch and Levitt gives another good performance. But this will be one of many bio-pics on this list so be prepared.
#14. Avengers: Age of Ultron
What can I say, the Marvel movies are just fun. I love seeing the characters interact with each other and the action as well as character development is amped up for this movie. James Spader does a great job as Ultron, a robot computer that believes the only way to save humanity is by wiping it out. Does it live up to the hype as a sequel to the massively successful Marvel's The Avengers, in a way yes. We get more of what we want but we get some things that we did not need like the Romanoff twins and their oddly absent magnetic father (PLEASE FOX GIVE MARVEL X-MEN AND FANTASTIC FOUR!) and the Hulk/Black Widow romance. Now I like those things but when you get down to it, we got nothing new from this sequel but to follow up one of the biggest comic book movies of all time is a job very few could do and Joss Whedon gives it his all. For what we got, a surprisingly good sequel that gives us more knowledge of the characters and action, it makes my list
#13. The Hateful Eight
Being a Tarantino fan, I could not wait for this to come out and like most people I wanted to see it in 70mm, the way Tarantino wants it to be seen. And while I haven't seen its non 70mm counterpart, I can guess what got cut to see the difference. But as a whole The Hateful Eight is another enjoyable Tarantino film with sharp dialogue and interesting characters. That being said, the film kind of falls apart logic wise near the end but if you're willing to roll with it you should be fine. It is a Tarantino film so expect graphic violence and if that's not your thing I understand but you're missing out on an interesting movie. It's another Tarantino movie guaranteed to entertain you from beginning to end if you love the Tarantino style.
#12. Straight Outta Compton
Coming into this film having very little knowledge of N.W.A. or their music, I have to say this was a pretty good film. Now that being said you have to like rap and have a knowledge of rap's culture. It gives us a look at how the group came together, created their music and shows us their eventual break up and influences on future rap stars. It's a very interesting look at the rap genre, set during a time when rap was viewed as criminal. The performances in this movie our outstanding as you believe you are seeing the members of N.W.A. in their prime, going so far as to have Ice Cube's son playing a younger version of him. The movie can focus a little to much on Dr. Dre near the end but you get to know most of the group pretty well. These guys were not always gangsters and criminals, they were artists looking for a way out of the hood. Heck, Ice Cube has become one of America's beloved funny men as he gives good performances in his comedies. But getting back to the movie, it is an interesting look at one of America's most "dangerous" group in music and it also gives the audience insight to how rap works.
#11. Bridge of Spies
We got a lot of good bio-pics this year and I put this one over my #12 pick because I found this one to be a bit more interesting. Tom Hanks plays James Donovan who is a lawyer who must defend a supposed Russian Spy during the height of the Red Scare. He ends up having to negotiate a prisoner exchange involving two captured Americans, both stuck on different sides of the Iron Curtain, and his client. I like James Donavan as a person and as a negotiator as he has to get both the Soviets and Germans to work together in a way in order to make sure the Americans are set free. Donovan, having to defend an accused soviet even though soviet's are despised in America, says a lot about him both as a person and a character. It says that no matter if he is guilty of being a spy or not, he should be given a trial like a normal citizen and that says a lot in this day and age given all that is going on in the world of law. All in all, the movie gives us a look nat a side of the Cold War we have never seen, that being the politics behind both sides of the Iron Curtain.
#10. Steve Jobs
This movie sat for a long time in development hell given that actors like Christian Bale and Leonardo DiCaprio were slated to play the Apple CEO but they ended up leaving the project. It was when Michael Fassbender decided to play Jobs was when the film could start production. With all the production problems it is amazing the film turned out as well as it did. It feels really good to have a good Steve Jobs movie after the catastrophe that was the Ashton Kutcher Jobs movie. Where in the Kutcher movie played up the "Jobs is a god amongst men" thing, Aaron Sorkin gave us a look at a side of Steve Jobs people haven't seen or choose to ignore. That being the arrogant side of Jobs, the side that almost lost him his daughter's love and actually did lose him his spot in the company he created. Steve Jobs is a terrible person throughout most of the movie as he bosses around his assistant and ignores the woman who is mothering his daughter, you just want to punch the man sometimes he's that horrible. But eventually Jobs arc from arrogant tech business man to the man we knew before he dies actually begins at the end of the movie after he thinks up the idea for the IPod after being annoyed by his daughter's Walkman. It really is a side of Jobs most people need to see in order to understand the man behind the tech giant Apple.
#9. The Martian
I did not read the novel this movie was based on so I was going in with a blank slate. What had me most concerned was Ridley Scott as a director. Now don't get me wrong he has done good work in the past but lately it has been hit and miss with the man. Thankfully, the movie really works with Ridley Scott. It's a Cast Away in space kind of story as Matt Damon plays astronaut Mark Watney who is stranded on the desert planet of Mars and its up to NASA and Watney's team of fellow astronauts to help him get off Mars and back to Earth. You some surprisingly good performances from Jeff Daniels, Kate Mara and especially Donald Glover. The effects used to make it look like Matt Damon is on Mars show how far Hollywood has come in the effects division. It's both a welcoming return for Ridley Scott and a confirmation that Matt Damon can carry a serious movie.
#8. Mission Impossible: Rouge Nation
Safe to say that Mission Impossible finally had a win over the James Bond franchise as I found this to be more entertaining than the lackluster but decent Spectre. The action in this movie felt a lot larger than the last Bond movie and we're given a lot more time with Simon Pegg's character and I can say it worked for the better. I will admit again, like #10, things can get complicated story wise near the end as there is a lot of double crossing near the end and it can get confusing for some people but all in all it's a fun ride.
#7. Ant Man
This movie probably caused the most fear in Marvel movie fans. For one, its original director Edgar Wright left the project due to creative differences, a trend that has been happening with Marvel movies recently, and when one of the most beloved comedy directors leaves your project, people will worry. Not only that, but the general public was not familiar with the Ant Man character and how do you bring a character like Ant Man to the screen. Again, Marvel proved the doubters wrong as the Peyton Reed directed movie proved to be another success story for Marvel. Paul Rudd is great as Scott Lang, the second Ant Man after Pym, and Michael Douglas and Evangaline Lilly do a great job as the Pym family who are going through some family drama. The scenes where we see the Ant Man suit are fun and entertaining, and the fight scenes in this movie are also very unique. It's up there with Guardians of the Galaxy as one of the more fun Marvel movies.
#6. Kingsman: The Secret Service
This was the real winner of the spy movie battle of 2015. This movie was just a blast from beginning to end, the fight scene in the church is stuff of legends and give that this came out around the time a lot of bad forgettable movies come out, this was a breath of fresh air.
#5. Spotlight
As drama's go this would be my pick for best picture as the story deals with a group of reporters lead by Michael Keaton that are trying to uncover a conspiracy in the catholic church dealing with priests accused of molesting children. The movie can get dark as this is a subject matter that is hard to make pleasant to sit through. The church is portrayed as this mafia kind of organization that does not want these records to be made public. Add on that the report will be coming after the events of 9/11 and your sitting their wondering how these reporters managed to pull this off. What makes the movie great is the reaction of the reporters as they go deep into the conspiracy. These people were raised in a catholic environment and to hear about the horrible things going on in the church must be a death blow to them. One reporter especially has a house for reformed priest living nearly a block away from him and his children. That is something scary.
#4. Sicario
Not going to lie, I was on the edge of my seat every time Benecio Del Torro was on screen. The man just had a presence to him in this movie that was down right frightening. I'm surprised he hasn't been nominated for any awards yet because this some of the scariest acting I have seen. You feel every time you see this man something bad will happen, and it usually does. The dinner scene especially is one you are just not ready for when it happens. This is probably scarier than most horror movies released in 2015.
#3. Inside Out
This is probably one of the best Disney films I have seen and its only been a few months since it came out. It does such a good job with a used premise that you feel like you're seeing it for the first time. The characters are great, the morals are unique for a Disney film and the humor is really good as well. There's not much else I can say about this, its a damn good Disney movie.
#2. Star Wars: The Force Awakens
The amount of hype behind this project was insurmountable. It was every where and let me tell you the hype was well worth it. After years of horrible prequels it feels good to have a likeable Star Wars product, and this had nothing to do George Lucas. It's a critic proof movie and it is one that fans and casual movie goers will love.
#1. Mad Max: Fury Road
There is a point in one's life where you get to be part of a moment that will change the business, Fury Road is that change. This movie will inspire directors of today and tomorrow on how to make an action movie. I will not be surprised if I see copiers of this style of filmmaking but it will never hold up to the people who were behind it. This is a sequel that took twenty years to make due to script issues and actors going crazy. But in that time a masterpiece was made and it is something everyone should see at least once in their life.
#15. The Walk
This film runs the gambit of being a heist movie, a bio-pic and a love letter to the World Trade Center. Joseph-Gordon Levitt is one of my favorite actors and he does a wonderful job of playing the tight rope walking daredevil Philippe Petit. The 3D for this movie is some of the most breathtaking 3D you will see in theaters and I'm glad I saw this movie in IMAX 3D. One standout performance is Charlotte Le Bon as she plays the girlfriend of Levitt's character. You feel for this character and what she is going through. Someone she loves is going to walk on a thin wire between two tall buildings with no net. It's a testament of trust when you see how calm she is given this information. But as a whole the film is a good watch and Levitt gives another good performance. But this will be one of many bio-pics on this list so be prepared.
#14. Avengers: Age of Ultron
What can I say, the Marvel movies are just fun. I love seeing the characters interact with each other and the action as well as character development is amped up for this movie. James Spader does a great job as Ultron, a robot computer that believes the only way to save humanity is by wiping it out. Does it live up to the hype as a sequel to the massively successful Marvel's The Avengers, in a way yes. We get more of what we want but we get some things that we did not need like the Romanoff twins and their oddly absent magnetic father (PLEASE FOX GIVE MARVEL X-MEN AND FANTASTIC FOUR!) and the Hulk/Black Widow romance. Now I like those things but when you get down to it, we got nothing new from this sequel but to follow up one of the biggest comic book movies of all time is a job very few could do and Joss Whedon gives it his all. For what we got, a surprisingly good sequel that gives us more knowledge of the characters and action, it makes my list
#13. The Hateful Eight
Being a Tarantino fan, I could not wait for this to come out and like most people I wanted to see it in 70mm, the way Tarantino wants it to be seen. And while I haven't seen its non 70mm counterpart, I can guess what got cut to see the difference. But as a whole The Hateful Eight is another enjoyable Tarantino film with sharp dialogue and interesting characters. That being said, the film kind of falls apart logic wise near the end but if you're willing to roll with it you should be fine. It is a Tarantino film so expect graphic violence and if that's not your thing I understand but you're missing out on an interesting movie. It's another Tarantino movie guaranteed to entertain you from beginning to end if you love the Tarantino style.
#12. Straight Outta Compton
Coming into this film having very little knowledge of N.W.A. or their music, I have to say this was a pretty good film. Now that being said you have to like rap and have a knowledge of rap's culture. It gives us a look at how the group came together, created their music and shows us their eventual break up and influences on future rap stars. It's a very interesting look at the rap genre, set during a time when rap was viewed as criminal. The performances in this movie our outstanding as you believe you are seeing the members of N.W.A. in their prime, going so far as to have Ice Cube's son playing a younger version of him. The movie can focus a little to much on Dr. Dre near the end but you get to know most of the group pretty well. These guys were not always gangsters and criminals, they were artists looking for a way out of the hood. Heck, Ice Cube has become one of America's beloved funny men as he gives good performances in his comedies. But getting back to the movie, it is an interesting look at one of America's most "dangerous" group in music and it also gives the audience insight to how rap works.
#11. Bridge of Spies
We got a lot of good bio-pics this year and I put this one over my #12 pick because I found this one to be a bit more interesting. Tom Hanks plays James Donovan who is a lawyer who must defend a supposed Russian Spy during the height of the Red Scare. He ends up having to negotiate a prisoner exchange involving two captured Americans, both stuck on different sides of the Iron Curtain, and his client. I like James Donavan as a person and as a negotiator as he has to get both the Soviets and Germans to work together in a way in order to make sure the Americans are set free. Donovan, having to defend an accused soviet even though soviet's are despised in America, says a lot about him both as a person and a character. It says that no matter if he is guilty of being a spy or not, he should be given a trial like a normal citizen and that says a lot in this day and age given all that is going on in the world of law. All in all, the movie gives us a look nat a side of the Cold War we have never seen, that being the politics behind both sides of the Iron Curtain.
#10. Steve Jobs
This movie sat for a long time in development hell given that actors like Christian Bale and Leonardo DiCaprio were slated to play the Apple CEO but they ended up leaving the project. It was when Michael Fassbender decided to play Jobs was when the film could start production. With all the production problems it is amazing the film turned out as well as it did. It feels really good to have a good Steve Jobs movie after the catastrophe that was the Ashton Kutcher Jobs movie. Where in the Kutcher movie played up the "Jobs is a god amongst men" thing, Aaron Sorkin gave us a look at a side of Steve Jobs people haven't seen or choose to ignore. That being the arrogant side of Jobs, the side that almost lost him his daughter's love and actually did lose him his spot in the company he created. Steve Jobs is a terrible person throughout most of the movie as he bosses around his assistant and ignores the woman who is mothering his daughter, you just want to punch the man sometimes he's that horrible. But eventually Jobs arc from arrogant tech business man to the man we knew before he dies actually begins at the end of the movie after he thinks up the idea for the IPod after being annoyed by his daughter's Walkman. It really is a side of Jobs most people need to see in order to understand the man behind the tech giant Apple.
#9. The Martian
I did not read the novel this movie was based on so I was going in with a blank slate. What had me most concerned was Ridley Scott as a director. Now don't get me wrong he has done good work in the past but lately it has been hit and miss with the man. Thankfully, the movie really works with Ridley Scott. It's a Cast Away in space kind of story as Matt Damon plays astronaut Mark Watney who is stranded on the desert planet of Mars and its up to NASA and Watney's team of fellow astronauts to help him get off Mars and back to Earth. You some surprisingly good performances from Jeff Daniels, Kate Mara and especially Donald Glover. The effects used to make it look like Matt Damon is on Mars show how far Hollywood has come in the effects division. It's both a welcoming return for Ridley Scott and a confirmation that Matt Damon can carry a serious movie.
#8. Mission Impossible: Rouge Nation
Safe to say that Mission Impossible finally had a win over the James Bond franchise as I found this to be more entertaining than the lackluster but decent Spectre. The action in this movie felt a lot larger than the last Bond movie and we're given a lot more time with Simon Pegg's character and I can say it worked for the better. I will admit again, like #10, things can get complicated story wise near the end as there is a lot of double crossing near the end and it can get confusing for some people but all in all it's a fun ride.
#7. Ant Man
This movie probably caused the most fear in Marvel movie fans. For one, its original director Edgar Wright left the project due to creative differences, a trend that has been happening with Marvel movies recently, and when one of the most beloved comedy directors leaves your project, people will worry. Not only that, but the general public was not familiar with the Ant Man character and how do you bring a character like Ant Man to the screen. Again, Marvel proved the doubters wrong as the Peyton Reed directed movie proved to be another success story for Marvel. Paul Rudd is great as Scott Lang, the second Ant Man after Pym, and Michael Douglas and Evangaline Lilly do a great job as the Pym family who are going through some family drama. The scenes where we see the Ant Man suit are fun and entertaining, and the fight scenes in this movie are also very unique. It's up there with Guardians of the Galaxy as one of the more fun Marvel movies.
#6. Kingsman: The Secret Service
This was the real winner of the spy movie battle of 2015. This movie was just a blast from beginning to end, the fight scene in the church is stuff of legends and give that this came out around the time a lot of bad forgettable movies come out, this was a breath of fresh air.
#5. Spotlight
As drama's go this would be my pick for best picture as the story deals with a group of reporters lead by Michael Keaton that are trying to uncover a conspiracy in the catholic church dealing with priests accused of molesting children. The movie can get dark as this is a subject matter that is hard to make pleasant to sit through. The church is portrayed as this mafia kind of organization that does not want these records to be made public. Add on that the report will be coming after the events of 9/11 and your sitting their wondering how these reporters managed to pull this off. What makes the movie great is the reaction of the reporters as they go deep into the conspiracy. These people were raised in a catholic environment and to hear about the horrible things going on in the church must be a death blow to them. One reporter especially has a house for reformed priest living nearly a block away from him and his children. That is something scary.
#4. Sicario
Not going to lie, I was on the edge of my seat every time Benecio Del Torro was on screen. The man just had a presence to him in this movie that was down right frightening. I'm surprised he hasn't been nominated for any awards yet because this some of the scariest acting I have seen. You feel every time you see this man something bad will happen, and it usually does. The dinner scene especially is one you are just not ready for when it happens. This is probably scarier than most horror movies released in 2015.
#3. Inside Out
This is probably one of the best Disney films I have seen and its only been a few months since it came out. It does such a good job with a used premise that you feel like you're seeing it for the first time. The characters are great, the morals are unique for a Disney film and the humor is really good as well. There's not much else I can say about this, its a damn good Disney movie.
#2. Star Wars: The Force Awakens
The amount of hype behind this project was insurmountable. It was every where and let me tell you the hype was well worth it. After years of horrible prequels it feels good to have a likeable Star Wars product, and this had nothing to do George Lucas. It's a critic proof movie and it is one that fans and casual movie goers will love.
#1. Mad Max: Fury Road
There is a point in one's life where you get to be part of a moment that will change the business, Fury Road is that change. This movie will inspire directors of today and tomorrow on how to make an action movie. I will not be surprised if I see copiers of this style of filmmaking but it will never hold up to the people who were behind it. This is a sequel that took twenty years to make due to script issues and actors going crazy. But in that time a masterpiece was made and it is something everyone should see at least once in their life.
Wednesday, December 30, 2015
The Hateful Eight Roadshow in GLORIOUS 70mm Review
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
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
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-
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