Will we ever get a good video game movie? I'm starting to think it will never happen. I had high expectations going into Warcraft, mainly because of the director, Duncan Jones, who made the movies Moon and Source Code. Unfortunately my expectations were not met and I left the theater extremely disappointed.
Warcraft is a movie based on the extremely popular video game series called Warcraft, of course. The movie is about this land of orcs that is dying and the orcs must find a new place to live. The new place the orcs choose is this human realm. The problem is that the orcs start destroying the human realm and so now the humans must stop the orcs. I wish I could tell you the names of the places and the characters in this movie, but honestly I don't remember them (yes, I could look them up, but that would be cheating).
I love video games and I love movies so I was hoping that this would be a movie made for me, even if I have never played any of the Warcraft games. Unfortunately this movie may only be for fans of the video games. I feel like there were a lot of things in Warcraft that fans of the series would immediately notice and enjoy, but for me, I just didn't care. The movie jumps around to various different places, but never stays long enough to care about these places. The same thing happens with the characters in the movie. Once you start spending any quality time with a character, you immediately jump to another character and have to learn about their story. This made it really hard to care about any of the people in this movie.
One of the most distracting things about Warcraft was the way it looked. The orcs in the movie looked fantastic, but the world around them was ugly. The orcs looked lifelike and their armor had this incredible and distinct minor details. Whether it was skulls of mystical beasts as shoulder pads or jaw bones as necklaces, the detail was amazing. Unfortunately the humans didn't get to benefit for this type of detail. Their armor was extremely fake looking. It looked like armor you would find in a halloween store. It looked like the humans had never been in an actual battle before. Another problem were the buildings in the background. There was one scene where the king was riding his horse around the castle and the castle looked like it was made of styrofoam. Things like that instantly took me out of the movie.
Another problem was the characters and the performances given by the actors. Outside of the main orc (Durotan, yes I looked that up), I didn't care what happened to anyone in this movie. No one had a compelling backstory or even showed any type of emotion that made you want to root for them. The writers tried to throw in this love story between the main human (Sir Anduin Lothar) and a half-human/half-orc (Garona). I have no idea why this love story was needed, there was no pay off for it in this movie, but most likely will come into play in future films, if they get made. The performances by the two actors in this love story (Travis Fimmel and Paula Patton) were dry and dull.
If I had to pick one thing I enjoyed about Warcraft it would have to be the mage characters and the only thing I enjoyed about them is the way their magic powers looked. I cared a little bit about Ben Fosters character but that's only because I like Ben Foster as an actor.
Overall Warcraft was a dud. The story never allowed you to care about any of the characters, it jumped around from place to place and character to character. Relationships were forced for no reason whatsoever other than to maybe have pay off in a future film. Some of the CGI looked good but other parts of the film looked extremely fake and would suck you out of the world. If you are a fan of the Warcraft games then you may find something to enjoy in this movie. For me, it's world I never really want to explore again, which is extremely disappointing.
Thursday, June 9, 2016
Tuesday, June 7, 2016
Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping Review
While in high school I watched many episodes of the show Behind the Music on VH1. It was always fascinating learning about the early years of popular musical acts. The movie Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping plays out like a Behind the Music episode, but with a lot more laughs and a lot less heart.
Popstar follows the life of Conner Friel (Andy Samberg) and his two childhood friends Owen and Lawrence. The three of them formed a rap group called The Style Boyz that quickly rose to fame. Then like most groups, one of the members, in this case Conner, gets a big head and decides he is the reason for their success and starts a solo career. Most of the movie follows the events of Conner releasing his new album, Connquest, and his tour in support of the album, that ends up getting quite a different reception than Conner was expecting.
For the most part, Popstar plays out like an extended Saturday Night Live sketch. After a while the jokes get a little old and tiresome. For me, the reason I found the jokes to get old is because Conner is not a likable guy. He has a huge ego and is a jerk to everyone around him. The songs on his album Connquest are supposed to be terrible and because of that, I didn't enjoy having to listen to them during the movie. There was maybe one or two songs that I actually enjoyed in the movie.
The funniest parts of the movie were seeing the various cameos from famous singers. They would randomly pop up and give testimonials about how Conner and his old band, The Style Boyz, changed their lives and influenced them. One of my favorite cameos was from Justin Timberlake, he plays Conner's personal chef that enjoys singing but no one wants to listen to him sing. Justin is someone I wish got to do more acting. I also enjoyed the scenes where they mocked the news/gossip site TMZ. If you have ever watched a clip from TMZ, you will see that they were extremely accurate in mocking them with CMZ. Another highlight for me was when Conner was reading the review of his album on Pitchfork.com. I'm not sure everyone would get the joke, but Pitchfork is a website I go to often for music reviews. At times that site seems extremely snooty and pretentious, so seeing a singer react to a review was entertaining.
Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping has some very funny moments, but it also goes on way longer than it should. It's a movie that I would have preferred watching in short increments rather than one 90 minute sitting. If you are a fan of Andy Samberg and The Lonely Island, as well as Saturday Night Live, you will most likely love Popstar. For me it was just enjoyable, but not very memorable.
Popstar follows the life of Conner Friel (Andy Samberg) and his two childhood friends Owen and Lawrence. The three of them formed a rap group called The Style Boyz that quickly rose to fame. Then like most groups, one of the members, in this case Conner, gets a big head and decides he is the reason for their success and starts a solo career. Most of the movie follows the events of Conner releasing his new album, Connquest, and his tour in support of the album, that ends up getting quite a different reception than Conner was expecting.
For the most part, Popstar plays out like an extended Saturday Night Live sketch. After a while the jokes get a little old and tiresome. For me, the reason I found the jokes to get old is because Conner is not a likable guy. He has a huge ego and is a jerk to everyone around him. The songs on his album Connquest are supposed to be terrible and because of that, I didn't enjoy having to listen to them during the movie. There was maybe one or two songs that I actually enjoyed in the movie.
The funniest parts of the movie were seeing the various cameos from famous singers. They would randomly pop up and give testimonials about how Conner and his old band, The Style Boyz, changed their lives and influenced them. One of my favorite cameos was from Justin Timberlake, he plays Conner's personal chef that enjoys singing but no one wants to listen to him sing. Justin is someone I wish got to do more acting. I also enjoyed the scenes where they mocked the news/gossip site TMZ. If you have ever watched a clip from TMZ, you will see that they were extremely accurate in mocking them with CMZ. Another highlight for me was when Conner was reading the review of his album on Pitchfork.com. I'm not sure everyone would get the joke, but Pitchfork is a website I go to often for music reviews. At times that site seems extremely snooty and pretentious, so seeing a singer react to a review was entertaining.
Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping has some very funny moments, but it also goes on way longer than it should. It's a movie that I would have preferred watching in short increments rather than one 90 minute sitting. If you are a fan of Andy Samberg and The Lonely Island, as well as Saturday Night Live, you will most likely love Popstar. For me it was just enjoyable, but not very memorable.
The Lobster Review
If you had to pick an animal to be for the rest of your life, what would it be? Would you pick a dog or cat that everyone seems to love? Or maybe something more exotic like a peacock or dolphin? In the movie The Lobster, you have the ability to be turned into an animal of your choosing, but that isn't necessarily a good thing.
The plot of The Lobster is pretty interesting. In the future being single has been made illegal and if you are single you have 45 days to find a partner. Singles go to this hotel where they try to find a partner. At this hotel the guests attend dances and seminars that explain the benefits of being in a relationship. The guests also go on hunts in the nearby woods where Loners (those that don't want to be in a relationship) are hiding. If a guest is able to tranquilize a Loner, they get an extra day added to their stay. In The Lobster, you get to experience the hotel through the eyes of David, played by Colin Farrell. While at his stay at the hotel, David starts to question whether this is a place he wants to be and wonders if it would be better being a Loner.
What I enjoyed most about The Lobster was the world building. It was really fun seeing the rules that were set up in the hotel like the dances and seminars, as well as sports that only singles can play and how if you find a partner you access new parts of the hotel. It was also fun seeing the rules of the Loners where you are not allowed to kiss another Loner and you dance while listening to EDM with headphones on away from other Loners. Also when people visited a nearby city, the cops would question anyone who was seen by themselves to make sure they had "marriage" papers.
I also enjoyed the dark humor within The Lobster. A lot of the humor was found in the rules within the hotel especially during the seminars demonstrating why being in a relationship was good. One of the strange rules within the hotel is that if you find a partner but soon find yourself arguing, the assign you a kid so your attention is no longer on each other but instead on a child. There is also a rather funny, yet disturbing scene where a guest of the hotel decides to kill herself by jumping out a window, but doesn't jump out a high enough window so she survives. It was really messed up but the way they had her laying on the ground crying in pain was pretty funny, especially the way David reacts.
Even though I really enjoyed The Lobster there were a couple of things that bothered me. The thing that disturbed/bothered me the most was a scene where a lady kills David's dog, which is also his brother since he never found a partner. At first the lady just describes what she did, but then they showed the dogs body and it really wasn't needed. I also would have enjoyed more time with the guests in the hotel. About midway through the movie you start hanging out with the Loners. The Loners to be were not as interesting as those inside the hotel.
I loved The Lobster. The premise is original and dark and at times absolutely hilarious, but it also contains some disturbing imagery that will bother some people. If you are looking for a film that is not your traditional romance and not a big budget blockbuster, The Lobster may be for you. Also if you are a fan of Colin Farrell, you must see this movie, he is outstanding in it.
The plot of The Lobster is pretty interesting. In the future being single has been made illegal and if you are single you have 45 days to find a partner. Singles go to this hotel where they try to find a partner. At this hotel the guests attend dances and seminars that explain the benefits of being in a relationship. The guests also go on hunts in the nearby woods where Loners (those that don't want to be in a relationship) are hiding. If a guest is able to tranquilize a Loner, they get an extra day added to their stay. In The Lobster, you get to experience the hotel through the eyes of David, played by Colin Farrell. While at his stay at the hotel, David starts to question whether this is a place he wants to be and wonders if it would be better being a Loner.
What I enjoyed most about The Lobster was the world building. It was really fun seeing the rules that were set up in the hotel like the dances and seminars, as well as sports that only singles can play and how if you find a partner you access new parts of the hotel. It was also fun seeing the rules of the Loners where you are not allowed to kiss another Loner and you dance while listening to EDM with headphones on away from other Loners. Also when people visited a nearby city, the cops would question anyone who was seen by themselves to make sure they had "marriage" papers.
I also enjoyed the dark humor within The Lobster. A lot of the humor was found in the rules within the hotel especially during the seminars demonstrating why being in a relationship was good. One of the strange rules within the hotel is that if you find a partner but soon find yourself arguing, the assign you a kid so your attention is no longer on each other but instead on a child. There is also a rather funny, yet disturbing scene where a guest of the hotel decides to kill herself by jumping out a window, but doesn't jump out a high enough window so she survives. It was really messed up but the way they had her laying on the ground crying in pain was pretty funny, especially the way David reacts.
Even though I really enjoyed The Lobster there were a couple of things that bothered me. The thing that disturbed/bothered me the most was a scene where a lady kills David's dog, which is also his brother since he never found a partner. At first the lady just describes what she did, but then they showed the dogs body and it really wasn't needed. I also would have enjoyed more time with the guests in the hotel. About midway through the movie you start hanging out with the Loners. The Loners to be were not as interesting as those inside the hotel.
I loved The Lobster. The premise is original and dark and at times absolutely hilarious, but it also contains some disturbing imagery that will bother some people. If you are looking for a film that is not your traditional romance and not a big budget blockbuster, The Lobster may be for you. Also if you are a fan of Colin Farrell, you must see this movie, he is outstanding in it.
Thursday, June 2, 2016
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows Review
At some point I'm hoping they stop trying to make movies out of things I adored growing up with, but I know that is highly unlikely. At least with the latest Ninja Turtle movie I had a fun time watching it, even if it was a pretty bad movie.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows is the sequel to the 2014 reboot of the Ninja Turtle franchise. Out of the Shadows takes place exactly one year after the events of the 2014 film. The turtles (Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo and Donatello) are still in hiding and not taking credit for saving the day by defeating The Shredder, instead it is Vern Fenwick that is taking the credit. The movie starts with The Shredder being transferred to a new prison, where of course his motorcade is intercepted and he is now on the lose. It is now up to the turtles to find The Shredder before he destroys the world.
This movie isn't completely terrible if you go into it expecting it to not be great. If you can turn off your brain and just image it is a life action cartoon that is super cheesy and over the top, you will potentially find yourself having a fun time. The best part of the movie is the turtles. It felt like they had way more screen time than the first movie. The interaction between them was fun and light hearted and felt like a brotherly relationship. It also felt like you were watching the cartoon for the late 80's/early 90's. Some of the action scenes were also fun to watch. The trailers for the movie pretty much contain all the action scenes but it was still enjoyable to see them played out a little longer on the big screen.
Another thing I enjoyed was that they fixed some of the annoying things from the first movie. The big one for me was giving Will Arnett's character (Vern Fenwick) a lot less screen time. When he is on screen he is still annoying but at least he isn't hitting on Megan Fox's character (April O'Neil) the entire time. It was also nice to see The Shredder being played by an actual human rather than some super metal robot thing. The Shredder is still not right in this movie and still a major problem, but at least they tried to make him a little better.
But like I said before, this is still a pretty bad movie. The actors played all their parts way over the top. Tyler Perry as Dr. Baxter Stockman is almost painful to watch with how over the top and cartoony his character is. It was fun to finally see Bebop and Rocksteady on the big screen but they still were played at an extreme level and mainly relied on elementary school level jokes. I also had a hard time believing April O'Neil was a brainiac and actually useful when helping the turtles. This is mainly because I've seen Megan Fox in other movies and have a hard time taking her seriously.
The villains in this film are also completely wasted. The Shredder is seen in his entire armor once at the end and he does nothing with it. The main villain in this movie is supposed to be Krang and he is only seen twice and doesn't really do much. The ending of the movie plays out like a video game level set to easy difficulty. You never really feel the villains are in control and that that anyone is in danger.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows was pretty much what I expected. I enjoyed it more than the 2014 movie, but it isn't as good as the original movie back in 1990. The performances are super exaggerated and cheesy, the story is completely forgettable since there is no real threat and some of the characters are added for no reason whatsoever besides fan service. If you don't like the Ninja Turtles or have no interest in this film, you should probably avoid it. But, if you are a fan of the cartoon from back in the late 80's/early 90's you will probably have some moments of fun with this movie, but most likely only if you rented it.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows is the sequel to the 2014 reboot of the Ninja Turtle franchise. Out of the Shadows takes place exactly one year after the events of the 2014 film. The turtles (Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo and Donatello) are still in hiding and not taking credit for saving the day by defeating The Shredder, instead it is Vern Fenwick that is taking the credit. The movie starts with The Shredder being transferred to a new prison, where of course his motorcade is intercepted and he is now on the lose. It is now up to the turtles to find The Shredder before he destroys the world.
This movie isn't completely terrible if you go into it expecting it to not be great. If you can turn off your brain and just image it is a life action cartoon that is super cheesy and over the top, you will potentially find yourself having a fun time. The best part of the movie is the turtles. It felt like they had way more screen time than the first movie. The interaction between them was fun and light hearted and felt like a brotherly relationship. It also felt like you were watching the cartoon for the late 80's/early 90's. Some of the action scenes were also fun to watch. The trailers for the movie pretty much contain all the action scenes but it was still enjoyable to see them played out a little longer on the big screen.
Another thing I enjoyed was that they fixed some of the annoying things from the first movie. The big one for me was giving Will Arnett's character (Vern Fenwick) a lot less screen time. When he is on screen he is still annoying but at least he isn't hitting on Megan Fox's character (April O'Neil) the entire time. It was also nice to see The Shredder being played by an actual human rather than some super metal robot thing. The Shredder is still not right in this movie and still a major problem, but at least they tried to make him a little better.
But like I said before, this is still a pretty bad movie. The actors played all their parts way over the top. Tyler Perry as Dr. Baxter Stockman is almost painful to watch with how over the top and cartoony his character is. It was fun to finally see Bebop and Rocksteady on the big screen but they still were played at an extreme level and mainly relied on elementary school level jokes. I also had a hard time believing April O'Neil was a brainiac and actually useful when helping the turtles. This is mainly because I've seen Megan Fox in other movies and have a hard time taking her seriously.
The villains in this film are also completely wasted. The Shredder is seen in his entire armor once at the end and he does nothing with it. The main villain in this movie is supposed to be Krang and he is only seen twice and doesn't really do much. The ending of the movie plays out like a video game level set to easy difficulty. You never really feel the villains are in control and that that anyone is in danger.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows was pretty much what I expected. I enjoyed it more than the 2014 movie, but it isn't as good as the original movie back in 1990. The performances are super exaggerated and cheesy, the story is completely forgettable since there is no real threat and some of the characters are added for no reason whatsoever besides fan service. If you don't like the Ninja Turtles or have no interest in this film, you should probably avoid it. But, if you are a fan of the cartoon from back in the late 80's/early 90's you will probably have some moments of fun with this movie, but most likely only if you rented it.
Monday, May 30, 2016
Love & Friendship Review
Love & Friendship is an interesting title for a movie where I never felt the love or the friendship. There must be something about this movie that I just don't understand.
Kate Beckinsale stars in this adaptation of the Jane Austen novella titled Lady Susan. Beckinsale plays Lady Susan, a widower who is trying to find a husband for both her and her daughter, Frederica.
This is a movie that has universal acclaim with a current rating of 99% on Rotten Tomatoes, but for me it was a miss. It is a beautifully shot film and the acting is outstanding. The story was just dry and dull. Lady Susan is not a likable character. With the way she treats relationships, I don't care if she ever finds a husband because most likely it will not be about love. Kate Beckinsale does a fantastic job making her charismatic and you can see why a guy would fall for her, but since you get to see the other side of her, you can't help but not like her. And maybe thats the point.
The poster for this movie says "Flat-out hilarious" and I could not disagree more. There is one character that is hilarious and that is only because he is a moron. The character is Sir James Martin and he is the man Lady Susan has picked for her daughter to marry. The only reason for this is because he is wealthy. Outside of Martin, the only other funny moments were one-liners various characters give. For me, though, those didn't happen often.
Love & Friendship is a beautifully directed film. The costume and set design was fantastic. The acting was stellar especially Kate Beckinsale, but overall I was bored for pretty much the entire movie. I obviously am not the intended audience for this film and it shows with how I feel about it.
Kate Beckinsale stars in this adaptation of the Jane Austen novella titled Lady Susan. Beckinsale plays Lady Susan, a widower who is trying to find a husband for both her and her daughter, Frederica.
This is a movie that has universal acclaim with a current rating of 99% on Rotten Tomatoes, but for me it was a miss. It is a beautifully shot film and the acting is outstanding. The story was just dry and dull. Lady Susan is not a likable character. With the way she treats relationships, I don't care if she ever finds a husband because most likely it will not be about love. Kate Beckinsale does a fantastic job making her charismatic and you can see why a guy would fall for her, but since you get to see the other side of her, you can't help but not like her. And maybe thats the point.
The poster for this movie says "Flat-out hilarious" and I could not disagree more. There is one character that is hilarious and that is only because he is a moron. The character is Sir James Martin and he is the man Lady Susan has picked for her daughter to marry. The only reason for this is because he is wealthy. Outside of Martin, the only other funny moments were one-liners various characters give. For me, though, those didn't happen often.
Love & Friendship is a beautifully directed film. The costume and set design was fantastic. The acting was stellar especially Kate Beckinsale, but overall I was bored for pretty much the entire movie. I obviously am not the intended audience for this film and it shows with how I feel about it.
A Bigger Splash Review
A Bigger Splash stars Tilda Swinton, as a world famous singer named Marianne. She is on an Italian island with her boyfriend Paul, played by Matthias Schoenaerts. Marianne is recovering from throat surgery when suddenly her ex-boyfriend, Harry, and his daughter, Penelope, show up uninvited. Harry's sudden arrival puts this unwanted strain on Marianne and Paul's relationship. Throughout the entire film you wonder if at some point one of them will crack.
The first thing I took away from seeing A Bigger Splash was just how beautiful it was. The Italian landscape was bright and vibrant. The places the characters visited made it feel like you were on vacation with them, especially this small secluded restaurant on a hillside. I also enjoyed watching them embrace the Italian culture with the meals they made. I know these are odd things to take away from the movie, but it really made it feel like you were there.
The acting in A Bigger Splash is outstanding. Since Tilda's character is recovering from throat surgery she is not allowed to speak. You have to rely on her facial expressions or her interactions with Matthias to know what she is trying to say. When she does speak it is a gentle raspy whisper. The standout for this movie though is Ralph Fiennes who plays Harry. He brings this energy and spunk to the film. Harry loves the Italian culture and takes Marianne, Paul and his daughter to the must see locations. You can also tell Harry still has feelings for Marianne every time they share screen time together.
One complaint I have with A Bigger Splash was that at times it really slowed down. I enjoyed watching them move from location to location, but once they got there and just talked it got a tad boring. They would also show these flashbacks of Marianne and Harry that would give insight to their past relationship. I felt that these were unnecessary. I could tell from the way they interacted that they had a steamy past, I didn't need to see it in flashbacks.
A Bigger Splash is a gorgeous film with outstanding performances from Tilda Swinton and Ralph Fiennes. It isn't the most exciting movie ever made, but is still worth seeing, especially if you have ever wanted the Italian island experience.
The first thing I took away from seeing A Bigger Splash was just how beautiful it was. The Italian landscape was bright and vibrant. The places the characters visited made it feel like you were on vacation with them, especially this small secluded restaurant on a hillside. I also enjoyed watching them embrace the Italian culture with the meals they made. I know these are odd things to take away from the movie, but it really made it feel like you were there.
The acting in A Bigger Splash is outstanding. Since Tilda's character is recovering from throat surgery she is not allowed to speak. You have to rely on her facial expressions or her interactions with Matthias to know what she is trying to say. When she does speak it is a gentle raspy whisper. The standout for this movie though is Ralph Fiennes who plays Harry. He brings this energy and spunk to the film. Harry loves the Italian culture and takes Marianne, Paul and his daughter to the must see locations. You can also tell Harry still has feelings for Marianne every time they share screen time together.
One complaint I have with A Bigger Splash was that at times it really slowed down. I enjoyed watching them move from location to location, but once they got there and just talked it got a tad boring. They would also show these flashbacks of Marianne and Harry that would give insight to their past relationship. I felt that these were unnecessary. I could tell from the way they interacted that they had a steamy past, I didn't need to see it in flashbacks.
A Bigger Splash is a gorgeous film with outstanding performances from Tilda Swinton and Ralph Fiennes. It isn't the most exciting movie ever made, but is still worth seeing, especially if you have ever wanted the Italian island experience.
Thursday, May 26, 2016
X-Men: Apocalypse Review
X-Men: Apocalypse is the third movie of the "reboot" of the X-Men series. In this movie, there is a scene where the writers and director of the film pretty much say what they think of the film before it was even released. In this scene, four of the young mutants go to the mall to see the movie Return of the Jedi. As they are walking out of the movie, two of them argue which Star Wars movie is better: A New Hope or The Empire Strikes Back, then another one chimes in and says "At least we can all agree the third one is always bad".
X-Men: Apocalypse starts off in ancient Egypt where a powerful mutant named En Sabah Nur (Apocalypse) is betrayed by those that worship him. Apocalypse ends up being trapped within a tomb deep underground only to be discovered in 1983 by a new group of worshippers. Apocalypse soon discovers how humans have been destroying the world with weapons and fighting and decides he needs to rebuild the world. To do this, he recruits four mutants that are called the Four Horsemen. Charles Xavier learns of Apocalypse's plan and knows he must do whatever he can to stop Apocalypse.
I wouldn't say X-Men: Apocalypse is terrible, but it has a lot of problems. One of the things that bothered me the most about the movie is the CGI and the way the movie looked. There are some scenes in this movie that are terrible looking. In one scene, Apocalypse and the Four Horsemen are standing on a mountain side and it looks like they are standing on a soundstage made of styrofoam. Near the end of the movie, when Apocalypse is destroying the world, the CGI looked extremely amateur and something I wouldn't expect from a big budget summer blockbuster. Also the costumes the Four Horsemen wear are tacky and impractical, especially Psylocke's.
In the previous two X-Men movies, the focal point of the story has been the relationship between Charles Xavier and Magneto. Xavier feels mutants and humans can get along but Magneto feels mutants need to stand up and be the superior race. The emotional pull of that conflict really made the first two movies succeed. In X-Men: Apocalypse, that relationship is pretty much missing. It is there in brief moments, but it is not enough to leave an emotional impact. The more I think about the story elements in X-Men: Apocalypse, the more annoyed I get with the direction the writers went.
Where X-Men: Apocalypse succeeds is in being a big budget summer blockbuster comic book movie. The action scenes are great, especially one involving Quicksilver. If you have seen the previous X-Men movie, Days of Future Past, you know that Quicksilver's scene in that movie was fantastic and the one in this movie is just as wonderful to watch. It was also enjoyable watching the mutants use their powers to fight against each other. There are also plenty of little nuggets that fans of the comic book series will love.
X-Men: Apocalypse is a decent summer blockbuster comic book movie, but overall is fairly forgettable. The CGI in the movie is distracting and the story will not impact you emotionally. I think if you are a fan of the X-Men comic book series or have enjoyed the previous movies in the franchise you will enjoy X-Men: Apocalypse. Plus it's no where near as bad as X-Men III and X-Men Origins: Wolverine.
Thursday, May 19, 2016
The Nice Guys Review
The Nice Guys is a movie that takes place in Los Angeles in the 1970s and the main characters are anything but nice, at least most of the time.
The Nice Guys is about a private investigator named Holland March, played by Ryan Gosling, who is searching for a girl named Amelia. Amelia has hired Jackson Healy, played by Russell Crowe, to find March and get him off her tail. Healy ends up running into two other guys that are also looking for Amelia, but they offend Healy, so he decides to join March in the search for Amelia. Along the way March and Healy learn that their case is more than just for a missing person.
Where The Nice Guys succeeds the most is in the chemistry between Gosling and Crowe. Seeing them on the big screen together is an absolute blast. Crowe plays a big, brute enforcer and Gosling plays a bumbling investigator that would rather screw people out of money than actually solve their case. That combination works so well in this movie. Sometimes they must get out of situations using Crowe's physicality and other times they must use Gosling's detective work even when it comes to being just blind luck. Of the two, though, Gosling shines the brightest. His character adds this energy to the movie that puts a smile to your face and makes you want the movie to never end.
Other than Gosling, the other star of The Nice Guys is Angourie Rice, who plays March's daughter, Holly. Normally kids in movies like this can be annoying but in The Nice Guys, Holly is actually useful. She adds this spunk to the movie that helps bond her father and Healy. Holly is interested in what her dad does for a job and tries multiple times to become an investigator and prove to her dad that she is just as good as he is. Sometimes she succeeds, other times she gets into situations that are way over her head.
The story in The Nice Guys is something that needed to be tightened up. The case that Healy and March are on ends up being way more convoluted than it needed to be. I wish it would have just stayed as a missing person case, but instead it turned into this tale of corporate corruption and it didn't really take that turn until 3/4 into the movie. Because it came so late into the movie, the ending felt really rushed and crammed. There was also some backstory for March that is hinted at, but never fully fleshed out.
The Nice Guys is a fun, original movie. The chemistry between the leads, Crowe and Gosling, is why you must see this movie, they are an absolute joy to watch.
The Nice Guys is about a private investigator named Holland March, played by Ryan Gosling, who is searching for a girl named Amelia. Amelia has hired Jackson Healy, played by Russell Crowe, to find March and get him off her tail. Healy ends up running into two other guys that are also looking for Amelia, but they offend Healy, so he decides to join March in the search for Amelia. Along the way March and Healy learn that their case is more than just for a missing person.
Where The Nice Guys succeeds the most is in the chemistry between Gosling and Crowe. Seeing them on the big screen together is an absolute blast. Crowe plays a big, brute enforcer and Gosling plays a bumbling investigator that would rather screw people out of money than actually solve their case. That combination works so well in this movie. Sometimes they must get out of situations using Crowe's physicality and other times they must use Gosling's detective work even when it comes to being just blind luck. Of the two, though, Gosling shines the brightest. His character adds this energy to the movie that puts a smile to your face and makes you want the movie to never end.
Other than Gosling, the other star of The Nice Guys is Angourie Rice, who plays March's daughter, Holly. Normally kids in movies like this can be annoying but in The Nice Guys, Holly is actually useful. She adds this spunk to the movie that helps bond her father and Healy. Holly is interested in what her dad does for a job and tries multiple times to become an investigator and prove to her dad that she is just as good as he is. Sometimes she succeeds, other times she gets into situations that are way over her head.
The story in The Nice Guys is something that needed to be tightened up. The case that Healy and March are on ends up being way more convoluted than it needed to be. I wish it would have just stayed as a missing person case, but instead it turned into this tale of corporate corruption and it didn't really take that turn until 3/4 into the movie. Because it came so late into the movie, the ending felt really rushed and crammed. There was also some backstory for March that is hinted at, but never fully fleshed out.
The Nice Guys is a fun, original movie. The chemistry between the leads, Crowe and Gosling, is why you must see this movie, they are an absolute joy to watch.
Thursday, May 5, 2016
Captain America: Civil War Review
Why would two heroes decide to go against each other, aren't they supposed to be on the same side? So far this year we have had two movies that forced us to ask this question. First we had Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice and I have to say that movie failed to answer that question and just raised many, many more. Next up we got Captain America: Civil War and boy did this movie deliver.
Captain America: Civil War is the third Captain America movie and the thirteenth movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This movie picks up after the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron where the world is left wondering, who do the Avengers report to. Since they are based in the US, does the mean the US is responsible? Does the US want to be responsible. An accord is proposed that would cause the Avengers to have to report to the United Nations. This causes the Avengers to choose a side, do they want to help people as they see fit or do they want a governing body decide when and who they should help?
There was a lot to like about Captain America: Civil War. First, there was a meaningful conflict between these heroes we have got to know over the course of twelve movies. We have seen them fight side-by-side. We have seen them interact in casual, every day situations. And now we have to see them pick a side and possibly turn on their friends. This movie does a great job of showing the characters struggling with their decision. Outside of Captain America and Iron Man, each character wrestles with what they want to do and who they want to follow.
Another thing I enjoyed about this movie was the Winter Soldier. When the movie Captain America: Winter Solider came out in 2014, I was excited to see the character the Winter Solider. The trailers made him look like an awesome villain who had a history with Captain America. Unfortunately I left that movie disappointed with the character, but in this movie, I finally got to see how awesome the Winter Solider could be. I love every fight scene that involved the Winter Soldier. He was an absolute brutal and relentless fighter. You also got to see him struggle with things he did in the past.
Captain America: Civil War also had great action throughout the entire movie. What I liked about this movie and Captain America: Winter Soldier, was that the action usually takes place in tight quarters and for the most part is hand-to-hand combat. The action isn't a bunch of characters flying around a big city destroying numerous buildings like in the Avenger movies. The action is close up and absolutely brutal. You can see and feel the impact of every punch and kick, and occasional flying shield and laser beam. The action also contain great dialogue that had many fantastic one liners, especially from Spider-Man and Ant-Man.
This movie also did a great job of introducing two new heroes to the universe, Spider-Man and Black Panther. This is now the third different Spider-Man we have seen on the big screen and this one way just be the best. This Spider-Man was still relatively new to his powers, but we didn't have to go through the origin of how he got those powers. He was also a young kid and it was great to see him interact with heroes that were older and more experienced than him. Because Spider-Man was inexperienced a lot of hilarious moments happened when he was fighting. Now Black Panther was a beast. His fighting style was fluid and intense. The way he moved it seemed slow but is was graceful and packed a wicked punch.
No matter how much I loved Captain America: Civil War, it still struggled with the one aspect that has plagued all Marvel movies so far, it's villain. The villain in this movie is not needed at all, but is only in it because he will most likely be seen again in another movie. The Marvel Cinematic Universe seems to just keep building up this big bad evil villain that we will see later on down the road, but because of that, all the villains so far in these movies have been pathetic.
Captain America: Civil War is a fantastic movie. It's a great summer blockbuster that has intense action, hilarious dialog and a meaningful conflict. You will laugh, cheer, scream and cry while watching this movie. Everyone needs to go see Captain America: Civil War!
Captain America: Civil War is the third Captain America movie and the thirteenth movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This movie picks up after the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron where the world is left wondering, who do the Avengers report to. Since they are based in the US, does the mean the US is responsible? Does the US want to be responsible. An accord is proposed that would cause the Avengers to have to report to the United Nations. This causes the Avengers to choose a side, do they want to help people as they see fit or do they want a governing body decide when and who they should help?
There was a lot to like about Captain America: Civil War. First, there was a meaningful conflict between these heroes we have got to know over the course of twelve movies. We have seen them fight side-by-side. We have seen them interact in casual, every day situations. And now we have to see them pick a side and possibly turn on their friends. This movie does a great job of showing the characters struggling with their decision. Outside of Captain America and Iron Man, each character wrestles with what they want to do and who they want to follow.
Another thing I enjoyed about this movie was the Winter Soldier. When the movie Captain America: Winter Solider came out in 2014, I was excited to see the character the Winter Solider. The trailers made him look like an awesome villain who had a history with Captain America. Unfortunately I left that movie disappointed with the character, but in this movie, I finally got to see how awesome the Winter Solider could be. I love every fight scene that involved the Winter Soldier. He was an absolute brutal and relentless fighter. You also got to see him struggle with things he did in the past.
Captain America: Civil War also had great action throughout the entire movie. What I liked about this movie and Captain America: Winter Soldier, was that the action usually takes place in tight quarters and for the most part is hand-to-hand combat. The action isn't a bunch of characters flying around a big city destroying numerous buildings like in the Avenger movies. The action is close up and absolutely brutal. You can see and feel the impact of every punch and kick, and occasional flying shield and laser beam. The action also contain great dialogue that had many fantastic one liners, especially from Spider-Man and Ant-Man.
This movie also did a great job of introducing two new heroes to the universe, Spider-Man and Black Panther. This is now the third different Spider-Man we have seen on the big screen and this one way just be the best. This Spider-Man was still relatively new to his powers, but we didn't have to go through the origin of how he got those powers. He was also a young kid and it was great to see him interact with heroes that were older and more experienced than him. Because Spider-Man was inexperienced a lot of hilarious moments happened when he was fighting. Now Black Panther was a beast. His fighting style was fluid and intense. The way he moved it seemed slow but is was graceful and packed a wicked punch.
No matter how much I loved Captain America: Civil War, it still struggled with the one aspect that has plagued all Marvel movies so far, it's villain. The villain in this movie is not needed at all, but is only in it because he will most likely be seen again in another movie. The Marvel Cinematic Universe seems to just keep building up this big bad evil villain that we will see later on down the road, but because of that, all the villains so far in these movies have been pathetic.
Captain America: Civil War is a fantastic movie. It's a great summer blockbuster that has intense action, hilarious dialog and a meaningful conflict. You will laugh, cheer, scream and cry while watching this movie. Everyone needs to go see Captain America: Civil War!
Thursday, April 14, 2016
The Jungle Book Review
Growing up the 1967 classic "The Jungle Book" was one of my favorite Disney animated movies. I had this big Disney's The Jungle Book picture book that I read all the time. I had wined up toys from McDonalds of Shere Khan and Kaa. I even played the Super Nintendo video game. The Jungle Book was just a movie I absolutely loved as a kid. When I saw the first trailer for the new "live action" movie of The Jungle Book, my expectations went through the roof. Would this new movie live up to the 1967 classic?
I must say the 2016 version of The Jungle Book is fantastic. It adds new live to the 1967 classic. It sticks pretty close to the same story, but adds just enough to make it fresh and new. The actors that provide the voices for the characters bring a new life to them. Idris Elba as Shere Khan, the tiger, is menacing and evil. When he speaks you know this is a creature you do not want to mess with. Bill Murray as Baloo, the bear, brings this doopey, sweetness to the character that makes you want to give him a big ol' bear hug. But the true star of the movie is Mowgli, the "man-cub". Mowgli is played by Neel Sethi, who previously had only been in a short film. This Neel is the only human in the movie, he has to act the entire time against animals that are added later via CGI. I can only imagine how hard that must have been and he knocks it out of the park.
The main reason though to see this version of The Jungle Book is the visual effects. Within five minutes of the movie starting you completely forget that everything you are looking at was created by a computer. The scenery and the animals are extremely realistic. One of the things I enjoyed most about the visuals were the tiny details the animators added. There is a scene where King Louie, the orangutan, is speaking with Mowgli and on King Louie you can see other tiny little monkeys climbing in and out of his hair.
If I had to pick one thing I didn't enjoy about the movie was the scene with King Louie. Now if you have seen the 1967 version of The Jungle Book you know that there is a lot of singing in that movie. In this version of The Jungle Book that is not the case, except for during King Louie's scene. For me it just felt out of the place. The scene would have still worked with King Louie just speaking what he wants from Mowgli instead of singing it.
The Jungle Book is a movie that needs to be seen on the big screen. The visuals are outstanding. The voice acting is superb. I had a smile on my face the entire time. If you feel like you don't need to seen this version of The Jungle Book because you have seen the animated version so many times, you are wrong. You need to see this movie. It adds new life to a classic and adds to it in almost every way possible.
4 1/2 Stars
I must say the 2016 version of The Jungle Book is fantastic. It adds new live to the 1967 classic. It sticks pretty close to the same story, but adds just enough to make it fresh and new. The actors that provide the voices for the characters bring a new life to them. Idris Elba as Shere Khan, the tiger, is menacing and evil. When he speaks you know this is a creature you do not want to mess with. Bill Murray as Baloo, the bear, brings this doopey, sweetness to the character that makes you want to give him a big ol' bear hug. But the true star of the movie is Mowgli, the "man-cub". Mowgli is played by Neel Sethi, who previously had only been in a short film. This Neel is the only human in the movie, he has to act the entire time against animals that are added later via CGI. I can only imagine how hard that must have been and he knocks it out of the park.
The main reason though to see this version of The Jungle Book is the visual effects. Within five minutes of the movie starting you completely forget that everything you are looking at was created by a computer. The scenery and the animals are extremely realistic. One of the things I enjoyed most about the visuals were the tiny details the animators added. There is a scene where King Louie, the orangutan, is speaking with Mowgli and on King Louie you can see other tiny little monkeys climbing in and out of his hair.
If I had to pick one thing I didn't enjoy about the movie was the scene with King Louie. Now if you have seen the 1967 version of The Jungle Book you know that there is a lot of singing in that movie. In this version of The Jungle Book that is not the case, except for during King Louie's scene. For me it just felt out of the place. The scene would have still worked with King Louie just speaking what he wants from Mowgli instead of singing it.
The Jungle Book is a movie that needs to be seen on the big screen. The visuals are outstanding. The voice acting is superb. I had a smile on my face the entire time. If you feel like you don't need to seen this version of The Jungle Book because you have seen the animated version so many times, you are wrong. You need to see this movie. It adds new life to a classic and adds to it in almost every way possible.
4 1/2 Stars
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)