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Tag Archives: film
“Blade Runner 2049” #review
The year is 1982 and “Blade Runner” (a science fiction film) arrives in theaters that for the next 35 years will be considered one of the best science fiction films of all time. The year is now 2017 and the follow up film arrives in theaters and some, not all, had the highest of expectations. So, does “Blade Runner 2049” deliver on the quality of its predecessor or is this a replicant that needs to be put down? Let’s dive in and take a look in this review.
I was not one of the people who had a special place in their hearts reserved for this film. I didn’t see the first film until this year when I purchased “Blade Runner” on BLU-Ray at my local used book store. That story celebrates everything that was the 1980’s and science fiction. Seeing it for the first time in 2017 I couldn’t help but see the movie as a period piece stuck forever in 1982. The story by itself is well written and constructed however the movie as a whole is 1982 at its very most 1982’ish. So walking into the theater to see this sequel I didn’t have the same expectation as many who were eagerly awaiting the arrival of this story.
The movie starts by acknowledging the fact that Replicants are a thing that’s not hidden in society which caught me off guard. I was pleased they jumped right into that because it allowed the story to progress forward into new territory not really analyzed in the first movie. I will say the story does feel a bit long in that we get to see a lot of emotion and epiphanies on screen. These moments are not brief and that makes the story drag at points which was unfortunate. However, as long as the movie felt it looked incredible. The colors, the lighting and use of shadows, the make up and the action all were spectacular. I was completely mesmerized by the cinemotography and I wouldn’t not be surprised if this film gets nominated for an Acadamy Award for Cinemotography. Rumors confirmed, folks. This is one of the best looking films I’ve seen all year.
The story deals with a philosophical examination regarding what it means to be alive and to be human. The story resolves itself like a crime noir/detective story. It’s methodical in its delivery however the pacing is slower than I felt necessary. We get multiple view points or arguments that look at what society is, what it could be, power struggles to maintain the status quo and the opposite. In all, this movie explores the question, “What does it mean to be alive?” As I just wrote, this revelation takes time to be revealed. It’s not until we find out that a replicant had a “natural” born child that the overall plot of the film is realized. It’s at this moment the opposing view points are pushed to the fore front and we are seated amidst a debate that also has some great action and science fiction visual flare. This debate, unfortunately, is not very captivating and because of that will be lost, I feel. The film rests mainly on the visual astheatic and actors performances. It falls short on an engaging story that should be both at the same time thought provoking and exciting. The potential for this film is much greater than the final product.
“Blade Runner 2049” is in theaters now. I definitely recommend you see this on the big screen. This movie looks spectacular and I truly believe it will be nominated for best Cinematography. The overall look warrants a big screen viewing but I will caution you against paying more than matinee prices for the time spent in the theater. It’s slower paced and does drag at times but it looks incredible while doing that. Check this film out!
“Battle of the Sexes” #review
There are certain studios that find their way by making smaller budget, almost indie, films with talented, well known, actors. In this particular case, Fox Searchlight Studios decided to tell the real life story of Tennis greats Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs. It was a spectacle for everyone who saw it live. So, does “Battle of the Sexes” serve us a champions story or does it double fault its way in and out theaters. Let’s dive in and take a look in this review.
First, we can look at the cast for this film as diverse, in that, many of the faces I don’t recall seeing on screen together. Outside of that, I wasn’t overly wowed by any of the performances because I received the caliber of talent that I expected to receive from each actor. In general, I thought the acting in this film was the high point. Plus, it was nice to see Natalie Morales in the film because I enjoyed the performance she gave in the hit TV show “Parks and Rec.” Also, Sarah Silverman plays a great older jewish woman who has a smoking addiction and enjoys managing women’s tennis players.
The overall story I wasn’t familiar with despite its notoriety. All I knew was a dude and a lady were competing in a tennis match and the whole world was tuning in to watch. So, when I walked into the theater I was pretty open minded regarding the story that was about to be told. Curiously, the story wasn’t the story advertised. It was, in fact, only a small portion of the actual movie. The actual story revolves around Billie Jean King (played by Emma Stone) and her determination to be a pioneer for women’s rights, her love affair with her hair dresser, the divorce of her marriage and her eventual victory over the chauvinist Bobby Riggs (played by Steve Carell). I felt mislead once the credits started rolling because I was under the impression that I would be getting a sports movie. Instead, I was given a lesbian love affair with a strong feminist message that had sports peppered throughout until the very end of the film in which we see the famed event unfold. It felt like the final tennis match was just a metaphor for the entire pro feminist message in the film which makes the title “battle of the sexes” misleading, in my opinion. More appropriately, the title I feel should have been, “The Billie Jean King Story.” The film as a whole had more to do with her life than tennis (even though her life was tennis).
“Battle of the Sexes” is in theaters now! If you don’t mind two women making out on screen then you won’t be offended by this film. It’s a very well acted piece however you do need to keep in mind that it’s not about tennis. Tennis is the resolving plot point that, again, felt more like a metaphor than a resolution/conclusion. This is the Billie Jean King story and if you’re interested in her life, the struggles she went through and her love of tennis, I think you’ll appreciate that story. It does feel like a Hallmark or Lifetime film at points and it’s based on a true story that you might enjoy it during matinee prices.
American Made #review
Tom Cruise movies will continue to peak my interest until he has a string of bad films in a row. Now, you put Cruise in a movie that is based on a true story about a drug and gun runner who worked for the US Government AND Cartels and you definitely have my attention. So, was “American Made” a captivating look at real life events during the 1970’s and 80’s or did this film fail to deliver? Let’s dive in and take a look in this review.
I wasn’t familiar with the real life story behind the film. In fact, I had no idea what I was getting into when I walked into the theater except that which I saw in the previews. So I went into the movie with a pretty open mind since I didn’t have any real expectation for this story. Even still, I found the overall movie bland. The moments that could have been stressful weren’t and the humor didn’t land as well as I believe the director wanted. The visual style was also confusing because the entire movie had a vintage filter on it to make it look like aged footage but then they used playback footage as well. So, we get the story, plus a look back at the back story, at the same time and both look aged but differently aged. I didn’t care for the visual style used to tell the story. It was obnoxious in my opinion.
The characters were also bland. I’ll probably use that adjective a few more times in this review because that’s how this entire thing felt. Domhnall Gleeson plays a CIA operative and even his performance was mediocre, and again, bland. I can’t say that any particular performance was memorable. In fact, if this movie didn’t have Tom Cruise I’m not sure it would make the money it’s made so far. This is a very forgettable film and that’s unfortunate because of the talent involved.
Overall, the message of the film felt like it was trying to tell the story of how Big Government is bad and uses the character Cruise plays to drive that point home. I didn’t care enough about his character to concern myself with the fact that the different government agencies involved in all the black ops dealings were still successful even though at the end of the film his character is shot in the head because of how the US Government betrays him. Gleeson’s character is promoted and we see how this whole movie was the beginning of what eventually became the “Iran Contra” scandal. So, we go through the whole film only to realize that the point (or message) of the story could be to not trust your government because you could end up dead? I’m not sure. I thought I was watching a movie based on a true story but then the very end felt like a passive aggressive public service announcement for how terrible and untrustworthy the government is. Plus, the end doesn’t make sense. Part of the film we’re watching playback video recordings of him talking about his dealings with the government agencies (CIA, DEA, FBI), so, why does it stop just because he gets shot in the head? He’s not watching his videos. Someone else is and the videos have already been recorded. The end scene of his made no sense to me. He’s already recorded his message about how America is great before he was shot. So the recording wouldn’t stop because he’s shot in the head, because he recorded it before he died. Odd.
“American Made” is in theaters now. You can skip this movie. It’s boring. It’s bland. It doesn’t really go anywhere that isn’t predictable and the characters are not memorable at all. I’m not even sure this is worth a Redbox viewing. If it pops up on your TV one Sunday afternoon and you’re too lazy to change the channel than ok, go ahead and watch it. Otherwise you can skip it because chances are you won’t remember much of it after it concludes. I will say this about the movie in closing, it’s better than Tom’s last film, “The Mummy.”
Kinsman: The Golden Circle #review
The news broke that Matthew Vaughn was coming back to write and direct the “Kingsman” sequel and that made movie fans everywhere happy. The first story had a fresh visual style to spy/action films with entertaining characters (both hero and villain) and it made enough money that another film only seemed logical. Did “Kingsman: The Golden Circle” live up to the magic of the first film or should we give this franchise its burn notice? Let’s dive and take a look in this review.
The important characters in this film were limited however there was no shortage of supporting characters. In fact, the majority of this film felt like an equal distribution of screen between most all of the actors. Also, the two main heroes, Eggsy and Merlin stay who they were in the first one without much, if any, development. We knew them in the last film and that’s who they are in this one. In general, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The James Bond franchise has been giving us the same character for over 50 years. Each new actor who has played Bond has given us just a little bit more each time but theres nothing dynamic with regard to character development for Bond. He’s Bond. He drinks Martini’s, kills bad guys and has sex with the hottest women on the planet. So, to not really explore who Eggsy and Merlin are isn’t terribly tragic. That being said, killing Merlin at the end of the film while he sang a John Denver song was a decision I didn’t agree with. I would’ve understood it had Eggsy survived and everyone else, including Harry, died and Eggsy had to go at it alone creating a brand new agency for Kingsman. That I would’ve understood. However, leaving Harry and Eggsy alive felt like they just rehashed the first storyline but changed main characters at the end. Harry dies and Merlin survives in the first one and then Merlin dies but Harry survives in the sequel. This felt lazy to me and I didn’t care much for it.
The villain, Poppy, in this film was a cartoon caricature. The idea behind her character was intriguing but not enough to keep my attention. It’s surprising how much I didn’t care for her character when I’m a fan of Julianne Moore’s acting. Her basic motivation was to create a drug empire and have it legalized by holding the world hostage until they comply. In order to achieve this, she has a chemical(s) in her drugs that quickly kill its users and only she has the cure. She felt like a villain from Saturday morning cartoons I grew up watching in the 80s in all honesty. It was over the top and unbelievable.
The violence was just as ridiculous as the original which was definitely a highlight for me personally. I enjoy the unbelievably wild fights and style of gun play this franchise uses. It’s definitely one of the things I look forward to the most when I watch these movies. I don’t need it to look believable I just want it to be fun and both films nailed that. However, I wasn’t a fan of the blatant “Sweeney Todd” rip off, twice, in the story. Two men walk into the restaurant to meet Poppy and she has one of the men thrown into a meat grinder to be made into raw ground meat. She then proceeds to use the man meat to make a burger, cook it and then serve it to the surviving guy who just watched everything unfold. Two men are ground up in this film and I just sat in the theater scratching my head because all I could think of was the “meat pies” from “Sweeney Todd.” This, again, showed me lazy story telling and I was not impressed.
“Kingsman: The Golden Circle” is in theaters now! I’m not gonna recommend people see this movie in theaters. It’s not great but it’s entertaining. Plus, hearing Elton John swear like a sailor is a lot of fun. If you want to see this in theaters I’d recommend a matinee showing before noon so the price of admission is more affordable. If you can wait for Redbox or Netflix that is probably your best option. Channing Tatum and Jeff Bridges aren’t really in the film at all but this is the second film Tatum is in this year that highlights John Denver tunes. So if “Take Me Home Country Road” is your jam, then you’ll enjoy some of the soundtrack.
Home Again #review
Single mothers already have a lot on their plates when it comes to raising their kids and providing financially for them. Now, add the city of Los Angeles, turning 40, an emotionally manipulative ex-husband, a supportive and loving mother and three charming young filmmakers from New York and we’ve got a story. So, was “Home Again” the feel good comedy it appeared to be or will we need to divorce ourselves away from this film? Let’s dive and take a look in this review.
The overall movie examines life through the eyes of the main character Alice (played by Reese Witherspoon). We meet her on her 40th birthday and we get a glimpse into her life, as she perceives it. There are moments that depart from that as she is not in all the scenes and I’m happy to report the supporting cast of characters are each delightful on screen. This felt similar to films like, “Music and Lyrics,” “Crazy, Stupid, Love” and “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.” It’s light hearted, humorous, sincere and character driven in how it tells its story.
Some of the moments in this film felt very real however it tends to shy away from really digging into the issues they present on screen. We get a lot of surface level dialogue about relationships, family, friendship and achieving goals. Typically, we could say that’s a negative but not in this particular instance. The writing and the actors deliver genuine moments that, while they feel thin, still feel true.
The character struggle that Alice goes through resonated with the (primarily older) female audience I was surround by. In fact, I found myself seated in the midst of women providing real time commentary on the behaviors and actions of the men in the movie as well as Alice’s reaction. This was not a quiet moviegoing experience as the theater, almost in chorus, had an opinion about the men on screen. So, because the film seemed to elicit real emotional responses from the female viewership I enjoyed the film all the more.
“Home Again” is in theaters now! I will recommend you get out and see this film on the big screen. As I mentioned, it doesn’t dig deeply into the characters but as I discovered from the audience response, it did well enough to communicate realism that would evoke true responses from my fellow movie watchers. I laughed and I also could relate to some of the characters in the film at different points in the story which is more than I thought I would get walking into the theater. It’s a heartfelt story that looks at family, friends and being human in todays modern society. Check it out!
American Assassin #review
Terrorists attack a beach paradise while everyone is relaxing and enjoying their holiday. Many of the travelers don’t survive but one does and decides he’ll kill them all himself, for taking the life of his fiancee. So, does “American Assassin” live up to the action promised in the trailers or should we black bag this operation? Let’s dive in and take a look in this review…
The trailer does a great job of describing the film we’re about to watch. The plot is as simple as, guy loses fiancee to terrorists, guy wants revenge, guy gets revenge. This movie might have some of the most accurate trailers which was a positive. I walked into the theater with a certain expectation and that expectation was met, plus exceeded, slightly. The overall story is direct and to the point. We meet all the players in the film rather quickly and we get right into things. The writing doesn’t waste much time on building out characters because the team behind this story is trusting that we as an audience are smart enough to understand how an action movie works. So, yes, this movie follows the action movie tropes quite well. It makes no excuses for their blatant use of the cocky, arrogant lead who doesn’t play by the rules. The seasoned veteran who is head strong and unsure about the new guy but comes around eventually and more.
Overall, I thought the film was a popcorn devouring good time. The dialogue feels like people talking at each other, not with each other. It’s not conversational at all which I found troubling. However, it doesn’t detract from the story and it probably won’t draw your attention away from the action. The movie really embraces the fact it’s a fun end of summer action flick. It’s not surprising this was released in September as things are winding down from summer blockbusters and gearing up for Oscar movie season. When I walked out of the theater one of my first thoughts was, “This movie will crush on DVD and VOD.” I really see this film being celebrated around the office water coolers once it’s available for home streaming.
The majority of the time, this is a fist and feet action flick. That means, the action is believable because it’s gun fire, martial arts and boxing. There isn’t grand CGI action sequences like cars falling out of buildings, insane earthquakes toppling cities or tsunami’s giving downtowns a permanent bath. This is people getting kicked in the chest, punched in the face and critically shot, over and over. That being said, the ending felt incredibly out of place. The ending is nothing but a CGI chaos fest. The ending felt like it was ripped right out of a film from the early 2000’s. It’s an over-the-top CGI extravaganza. I couldn’t believe the spectacle. If I had to offer any critique to the story, rewrite the ending. It was absurd. Similar to the shock I had at the end of “Dark Knight Rises” when Batman sets an atomic bomb off in sky far from Gotham, I couldn’t believe what I witnessed in this film, only at the very end.
“American Assassin” is in theaters now! If you enjoy action flicks that will keep your eyes fixed on the screen while you shove handfuls of popcorn down your throat, this is a great movie for you. I had a fun time in the theater with this story. It didn’t pretend to be something it’s not and delivered on everything promised in the trailers. The story also sets up for a sequel and even if that doesn’t get green lit, this could very easily carry on as a graphic novel or video game franchise. I recommend you get out and see this film while it’s in theaters. Check it out!
Wind River #review
Suspense. Mystery. The FBI. A Hunter. And Snow… a lot of snow. That’s all I knew walking into the theater. There was plenty of questions rolling around in my head as to what I was about to watch. So, did “Wind River” answer all the questions and deliver on a suspenseful film that takes place in the snow? Let’s dive in and take a look in this review…
The film stars Jeremy Renner, Elizabeth Olson and Graham Greene. The movie poster above only credits Renner and Olson however the amount of screen time that Greene has is equal to that of them both. So, in my opinion, he was also a lead/star. The basic plot is a young woman is found dead in the snow by a local tracker/hunter and the FBI is called in to investigate. The story takes place on an indian reservation in Wyoming and because of that the involvement of the FBI (Olson) is crucial to the story. I didn’t really buy into her character immediately. It took time to discover that she’s pretty unfamiliar with what she’s doing in this movie and because of that she was more believable. Renner was believable as a tracker/hunter and Greene as the Tribal Sheriff. Overall, the characters were well cast and each one had to portray a different emotion or persona and for that I was pleased.
The story itself is very dark. It deals with the death of a young woman who was also raped. The story was written by Taylor Sheridan who also wrote “Sicario” which was incredibly dark. The body count in “Wind River” is far less than “Sicario” but it deals with people in troubled circumstances. It examines the spirit of each character which I didn’t realize until the very end when Renner’s character describes the difference between big city life and living in Wind River. This was a light bulb regarding the personalities of the characters and that single moment elevated the quality of the overall story.
As a murder mystery, the story doesn’t examine the crime story in the typical procedural drama way. It covers some of the basics, like crime scene photo’s and examinations, the medical examiner discussing their findings from an autopsy, etc. However, the questions about who/why/how are revealed via Renner’s character as the Hunter/Tracker. We follow his journey of discovery up into the very end of the film. The pacing of the story also mirrors the temperament of his character. Once he realizes where the danger and the threat that exists, the story picks up and becomes incredibly intense and the pace quickens. Spoiler alert, once you see Jon Bernthal’s character, get ready. From here on out the story is racing to the finish. Do not take a restroom break from his appearance forward!
“Wind River” is in theaters now! If you enjoy cop procedurals, murder mysteries, etc, I recommend you check this movie out on the big screen. This film won’t lose anything on BLU-Ray either. So, if you decide to wait to rent it or stream it, you will still get all the story that I got in theaters. However, I recommend a big screen viewing because the story is worth the price of the ticket. It’s well written and it’s unique. It’s not a typical mystery but it still follows familiar tropes. It’s intense as well. You have been warned! Check it out!
The Hitman’s Bodyguard #review
The idea of an action comedy is appealing. Now, add two dynamic onscreen personalities and a whole lot of ammunition and you’re promising something very special. To go one step further, add a few different locations to make this a road trip movie. What is going on?! Let’s find out more about “The Hitman’s Bodyguard” in this review…
I was not prepared for this film at all. I walked into the theater expecting a “buddy cop” movie and got something much better. The realization of the film didn’t hit me right away. In fact, I didn’t know this was a stylized celebration of action films with comedy in it. This movie celebrates hyper violence that is so over-the-top and ridiculous it’s brilliant. There’s car chases, boat chases, motorcycle chases, people chasing each other on foot, cars exploding, rocket launchers, electrocution, helicopters crashing, massive explosions with people just walking away, fights in a hardware store, punches, kicks, a guy running around on fire and more. It’s chaotic insanity from beginning to end. Literally, beginning to end. If this movie ever let up on the action I might not have enjoyed it as much as I did. It’s because they kept going one step further and then further again that made me love my time in the theater.
The soundtrack/score for this film is equally as enjoyable as the movie itself. There’s a funk band playing along to the scenes giving this film a feeling akin to 1970’s American cops tv shows (i.e. CHiPs). The musical selections were comedically placed to continue the absurdity that is present the whole way through. I can’t speak enough about how well done this movie was because it’s so ridiculous it’s amazing.
Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L Jackson literally look like they’re having the time of their lives in this too. I don’t even know if they were acting or just reacting to each other naturally. The chemistry was great. Now add Salma Hayek (who is just as insane as Jackson’s character) and the ride we’re on is delightful madness. I am gonna say this movie holds the record for the most uses of the word “fuck” and “mother fucker.” They’re dropped so nonchalantly that it is almost inspiring. I couldn’t believe what I was watching on screen and I couldn’t be happier about it.
“The Hitman’s Bodyguard” is in theaters now! If you love rude, sarcastic, action, road trip, buddy cop shows this movie is for you. I can’t wait to see it a second time. It’s over-the-top and unrelenting and because of that I walked out of the theater with a big dumb smile on my face. I couldn’t help but laugh at all the nonsense that was so well done. It’s not an oscar contender. It’s not really that great of a movie. It’s just so much fun you don’t care, at least I didn’t. I don’t expect this movie will deliver stellar numbers at the box office but I anticipate big returns once it hits BLU-Ray/DVD sales. This was a blast. Check it out!
Logan Lucky #review
One brother has a limp, the other has only one arm and together their plan is to rob Nascar, during a Nascar race. I have been eagerly awaiting this film since I saw the first trailer. This had promise to deliver a fun and stylish heist movie. So, did “Logan Lucky” steal a spot in my top favorite films of the summer or does it get locked up with every other film that was just ok. Let’s dive in and take a look in this review…
Steven Soderbergh directed this film and he has a certain flair for heist films. It was also nice to hear the soundtrack/score of the film as well. He has delivered, time and time again, fun stories that also sound great. You could pull up the “Ocean’s 11, 12 or 13” score on iTunes, press play and your day would be set. You might also get a speeding ticket so perhaps just listen to it while at work or milling about your home. I was happy with how well this film delivered characters that were each their own person, who contributed to the plot and the overall story. I also appreciated how well edited this film was. Soderbergh has a certain style that uses frequent scene cuts to help drive the momentum of the story. This was no exception. It looked great and the story flowed from beginning to end. The run time is just shy of 2 hours and in all honesty it didn’t feel that long at all. The beginning does feel a bit slow paced, however, once we know the players in the game, we’re off and running.
It’s interesting how many of the characters spoke with an accent. Non-Southerners sounding Southern, An American sounding English, An Englishman sounding slightly nasally and using a higher pitched American accent. There are so many accents in this film it helped make it feel a bit light hearted, curiously. It almost felt like the story was inspired by a Jeff Foxworthy stand up comedy routine and tailored by Bass Pro Shop or Cabela’s. The movie is that Southern. Additionally, it’s delivered in a playful, charming manner, that isn’t offensive. It never felt like this is mocking people from the south but instead embracing the lifestyle we’ve come to anticipate.
I can’t really say any particular actor impressed me and I can’t say I was disappointed either. In all honesty, it felt like everyone cast was done so to play a caricature more than an actual person. By the end of the film I wondered if they were directed to act like an idea of a person from that area more than any particular individual of notoriety.
The plot twist in the end wasn’t a surprise for me because, as Soderbergh’s stories go, we don’t get to see everything until the end. That’s what makes this a fun time at the movies. Soderbergh’s heists usually explain away all the secrets in the very last minutes and that continues here. I will say the ending could’ve moved a bit quicker. Once the cops show up it slows down. I can almost see the movie being more enjoyable if they cut that whole segment out. The cops really don’t do anything for the plot since the finale is approaching. Now, if there’s a sequel planned for this film that the cop segment must be in the film. The ending of this particular movie gives us potential for a sequel based on the fact the main characters think they’ve gotten away with everything but one cop remains. So, if no sequel is planned I don’t understand the added time for the cops when I didn’t really see them serving a purpose to the plot.
“Logan Lucky” is in theaters now! I will recommend you see this in the theaters. It’s a fun heist film and it could make for a great date movie if you’re so inclined. This is by no means a cinematic treasure but it is enjoyable and will keep your attention from start to finish. If you set your exceptions at “Fun” I believe you will not be disappointed. Check it out!
