Movie Review #93: Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

At first I found it to be rather unusual that the tagline to the first Guardians of the Galaxy poster was "You're Welcome." But when I walked out of the theater today, I realized that the tagline meant something along the lines of,
"You just saw one of the funniest, action-packed movies of the year just now. You're welcome."
Ah, now it all makes perfect sense.

Guardians of the Galaxy is the last (and easily the most hyped) Marvel movie of the year. It is also the biggest gamble the studio has made since.... well, ever! It's a risky and ambitious project to adapt to the silver screen because prior to this films release and inevitable success, no one had ever heard of these guys! Heck when I heard that Marvel was going to make a movie called Guardians of the Galaxy, I thought they were talking about that Zach Snyder animated movie The Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'hoole. Does anyone remember that film? I never saw it, but that was the first thing that came to mind.

Nonetheless, the first trailer made it loud and clear that this movie was gonna be something completely different from all of the other films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe from the tone and visuals. And talk about a breath of fresh air because Guardians of the Galaxy is everything we wanted it to be and then some!

For a film as off-the-wall as this, the plot is pretty straightforward. Chris Pratt plays an outer-space outlaw named Peter Quill a.k.a Star-Lord. He is on the run from an intergalactic super-villain named Ronan the Accuser played by Lee Pace because Quill stole something that he wants. And what he wants will give him the power to destroy the galaxy. Star-Lord comes across an assassin named Gamora played by Zoe Saldana, a revenge-hungry psychopath played by WWE star Dave Bautista, a giant tree-like creature called Groot played by Vin Diesel and a foul-mouthed, gun-smokin', genetically modified Raccoon named Rocket played by Bradley Cooper. Forming the Guardians of the Galaxy.

I am a huge science-fiction fan. I crave movies that take place in outer-space and on strange planets. And we get so much visual eye candy that it was like looking through the Hubble Telescope at the most colorful galaxy in the sky! This is without a doubt the most visually unique comic book film I've seen since Hellboy: The Golden Army. The futuristic technology, spaceships and weapons were all designs that I hadn't seen before. Guardians of the Galaxy doesn't just have the distinct, colorful visual style of The Lego Movie, it also has the characters and humor too!

Chris Pratt is perfectly cast as the wise-cracking Peter Quill. Pratt expertly walks the line of womanizing scoundrel and lovable underdog. I mean how can you not love a character that gives himself a nickname because no one else does? Zoe Saldana is also a lot of fun as Gamora. She and Pratt have feisty chemistry together. Dave Bautista really surprised me as Drax. Is his acting terrific? Not really. But come on, they didn't cast this professional wrestler for a deep, tour-de-force performance. They needed a buff dude that can get angry at the drop of a hat. And he does that very well. And it's awesome. What is perhaps the most interesting aspect these three lead characters share is that they all have interesting, heartfelt and surprisingly emotional backstories. Which was something i didn't expect all three leads to have!

But regardless of how terrific Star-Lord, Gamora and Drax were, everyone who walks out of this movie is going to be talking about Bradley Cooper as Rocket Raccoon. Talk about getting lost in a role! This character might be a thief on screen, but he steals every scene he's on screen!

Vin Diesel as Groot is essentially the Chewbacca of the movie. He might not say much, but you'd be surprised how emotive and likable of a presence they made a walking, 8-foot tall tree. The only words he can say are "I am Groot" and only in that specific order. And like Han Solo with Chewbacca, Rocket can understand Groot and I found it extremely funny how he was able to have essentially a one-sided conversation with a character that says the same thing over and over again.

I am a lover of film scores and while Tyler Bates score is fine, it's completely overshadowed by the absolutely fabulous soundtrack! The song choices for certain scenes add another level of comedy that just makes it even funnier. Ever since that first trailer debuted I haven't been able to get Hooked on a Feeling by Blue Swede out of my head. And I'm not complaining!

I have but two issues with the film. Ronan the Accuser is your typical, one-dimmensional, generic baddie with no backstory or character arc. The only things kind of cool about him is the actor that plays him and the way he looks because his costume and makeup are terrific. What is it with Marvel movies and their villains recently? This is the tenth movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and we've only had one really terrific villain in Tom Hiddleston as Loki.

Luckily, my second issue is more of a personal flaw than an actual drawback. With this being the last Marvel Cinematic Universe film until The Avengers: Age of Ultron, I was hoping there would have been a post-credits scene teasing about what was in store. What we got instead was Howard the Duck. And I am not even joking. I guess writer/director James Gunn thought it would be rather clever to include such an obscure 80's science-fiction reference, but I was disappointed. Again, a very small issue I had in a movie that was filled with so much great stuff!

Final Report: Guardians of the Galaxy might sound ridiculous on paper and look even more ridiculous in the trailers... and that's because it is. And that's precisely what makes it so terrific! It knows exactly what it is and just rolls with it. It has all the comedy, colors, emotion and Chris Pratt of The Lego Movie, with a hysterical on-screen team and a toe-tapping soundtrack to boot!
Hooked on a Feeling? Nope. I'm hooked on this movie.

Movie Review #92: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)

I"ve finally gotten around to seeing Dawn of the Planet of the Apes! The only reason it took me so long is that Transformers 4 left such a bad taste in my mouth that I've been frightened to set foot in my local multiplex since. Just kidding! The real reason is that I've been flat broke all month because I had spent all my money on Taco Bell. And sadly, I'm not joking about that...
But I was going to see apes ride horses in the theaters one way or another! It just took a lot longer than I wanted it to.

If you went back in time to 2011 and asked any movie reviewer what their top 10 most anticipated films of the summer were, I'd bet you that not many people would be really looking forward to Rise of the Planet of the Apes. But to everyone's surprise, it was actually a really awesome movie! The film received stellar reviews from critics and fans alike and went on to do well at the box office. And three years later we now have our highly anticipated sequel!

This time around the apes have taken over and the only humans left are those immune to the virus. Caesar and the rest of the apes have been in the wild for roughly ten years. They've been living peacefully until they encounter a group of humans for the first time in many years. The group, lead by Jason Clarke and Keri Russell, was trying to get to a hydroelectric power dam to bring the lights back to the rest of the survivors living in San Francisco. Which leads the humans and apes to work together and help each other out. But that's just the gist of it because the story is much more complex, compelling and emotional than that. And that is a very good thing.

If I had to pick out one or two flaws with Rise of the Planet of the Apes, I would say that the human characters weren't very interesting. Probably because the apes are just far more interesting. I might like James Franco and John Lithgow as actors, but in that film I did not care about what there fate would be. In Dawn of the Planet of the Apes however, I genuinely cared for the human characters! Jason Clarke is a great actor (see Zero Dark Thirty for further evidence). His character might not be the most fleshed out, but he has a genuine likability about him that made me want to see him come out of this safely. The rest of the human cast, consisting of Keri Russel, Gary Oldman and Kodi-Smit Mcphee, give fine, if forgettable performances. There's nothing bad about them per say, but none of them really stood out as much as Jason Clarkes'. Speaking of stand-out performances, let's get to the real stars; the apes!!!

We've all heard of the phrase "Less is More" at least once or twice in our lives, right? That quote really comes into play during the first ten minutes of this film. There isn't a single audible line of dialogue during that period of time. It's just the apes communicating with one another using hand gestures and occasional grunts. Those ten minutes allow us, the audience, to become immersed in the environment and the atmosphere with the help of some steady handed cinematography and a terrific score by Michael Giacchino. In a summer blockbuster like this, long drawn out quiet moments aren't exactly what you would first expect, but that is what gives this film the extra mile and my respect.

And while there are quiet, intimate moments, there are more than enough action-packed, heart-pounding, apes riding horses while firing machine guns moments to be had! Particularly in the thrilling third act that both pumped my adrenaline and tugged at my heartstrings. The film cost $170,000,000 dollars to make and not a single dollar was spent unwisely. Weta Workshop, the visual effects company behind Avatar, King Kong and The Lord of the Rings and Hobbit films, has really outdone themselves with what might be their most impressive work yet. But motion capture work is only as good as the performances given by the actors being animated, and this film brilliantly showcases a scene-stealing Toby Kebbell and an Oscar-worthy Andy Serkis.

There are many terrific actors working today that desperately deserve recognition from the Academy and Andy Serkis, no questions asked, tops that list. He has wowed and amazed us for years with his legendary portrayal of Gollum that elevated the art of acting into a whole new galaxy of class. And his performance as Caesar is quite possibly his best work to date. He commands such an unparalleled presence on screen in this film. When he speaks, motions with his hand or just doesn't do anything at all, our eyes are focused on him, anticipating what he will do. He's also able to convey so much emotion just from a look in his eyes. That's why motion capture is a tool that should be used to animate creatures instead of people, because you can get human-like responses from animals with motion capture. When you try to use motion capture to animate humans, they end up appearing more like dead, soulless, stiff ghosts rather than people. Yes I'm looking at you Robert Zemeckis.

The only times Serkis is not the center of attention is when Toby Kebbell as Koba appears. Who is Toby Kebbel you may ask? He's an English actor not primarily known for motion capture acting like Andy Serkis. Why do I bring that up? Because he delivers the best, non-Andy Serkis motion capture performance I've ever seen. He plays the ape from the first film that was tortured and experimented on and he has a bit of a temper. Well when I say "a bit", I mean more like a seething hatred and prejudice of all humans. There was a particular scene, that I will not spoil, when he switches emotions from calm and collected to loathsome detestation in the blink of an eye. It's was incredibly shocking and actually quite terrifying. And I loved every minute he was on screen.

Final Report: With exciting action sequences, stunning effects, a great villain, a powerful performance by Andy Serkis and more apes on horses than you can shake a stick at, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes improves upon its 2011 predecessor in every possible aspect! Making this "The Empire Strikes Back" of the series.

Sorry for the long wait. I saw this film a week earlier than this but had a bad case of writers block every time I approached my keyboard. Better late than never I guess.

Expect a Guardians review very soon.

Movie Review #91: Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014)

Last wednesday I worked my very first eight hour workday. From nine to five I packed up, carried and loaded boxes in the humid weather for nearly eight hours straight. And yet the pain I felt then was nothing compared to excruciatingly painful theater experience that this film was.

I previously mentioned in my Super Bowl Highlights post that if I got a chance to see Transformers: Age of Extinction I would see it. And boy do I hate keeping my word.

Transformers: Age of Extinction takes place a few years after the events of the last film. Autobots and Decepticons alike are being hunted down because humans now view them as bad and unsafe. Enter Cade Yeager, played by Marky Mark without the Funky Bunch. He's an inventor from Texas who bought a broken truck that he later discovers is Optimus Prime. They both decide to work together and reunite the Autobots to take down a corrupt corporation trying to build their own Transformer army.

I did mention that I was rather intrigued by this film though. I wouldn't dare call it excited though. To me, it seemed like a step in the right direction by ditching the original cast and getting a brand new one. Casting Mark Wahlberg as the lead sure is a step up from Shia Labeouf. Not to mention the impressive additions of Stanley Tucci and Kelsey Grammer to the cast. But even the best actors can be reduced to mere caricatures of cliches and tropes with the wrong screenwriting. And the script hasn't differentiated from the first three films because this film is nothing new.

Mark Wahlberg is our main protagonist and he is easily the best part of this entire film. He's a very likable protagonist, which is hard to come by in a Michael Bay movie. You really like the guy because he just wants his daughter to be safe. Parental figures have been put in a really bad light in the first three Transformers films so it is nice to see one you can actually get behind. And during the battle sequences he's always there to help and actually fight, which is something you never saw Shia Labeouf do.

The rest of our heroes, his daughter and her boyfriend, on the other hand are simply awful. They are both completely unlikable and annoying. She constantly disobeys her father and every time he rescues her she always thanks and hugs her boyfriend who does ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! And I really do mean absolutely nothing. He doesn't add anything to the plot, he's not funny and he sure as heck isn't a good actor! The only thing he does is surrender, run away and smart of to Mark Wahlberg's character. Yeah, this guy is dating his daughter and he's back talking to her father. Hey genius! That's not how you make a good first impression! Ugh. I feel bad for Mark Wahlberg for having to put up with these two idiots.

As with any generic Transformers movie you have to throw in a government conspiracy with your typical government bad guys. These roles are occupied by Kelsey Grammer and Stanley Tucci. Kelsey Grammer commands a great on screen premise in big, dramatic villain roles. But here he's just forgettable. His performance isn't bad really. I mean it's probably second best only to Mark Walhberg's. Thankfully his dialogue doesn't consist of a bunch of cringe-worthy, tasteless "jokes". Leave that to Stanley Tucci's character! Stanley Tucci is one of those actors that you can almost count on to be great in everything he does. And he really tries. Boy does he try. I feel that Michael Bay was trying to turn his character into the next John Tuturro. Every time he says a stupid "joke" you can just see in his eyes that deep down it's killing him on the inside. Sometimes they got a chuckle out of me, but most of the time I just felt bad for the guy.

Some of the Autobots were alright. John Goodman and Ken Wantanabe lend their voices to two Autobots and they have some fun in their roles. You can tell that Goodman  channeled his inner Walter Sobchak for this film. He of all characters probably had the most laughs. That being said, I still didn't care about any of them.
I never got to know any of them. Their history or their different personalities. So if I'm watching a movie called Transformers, how do you expect me to care about the Transformers if there's nothing for me to go off of?! If someone asked me when I walked out of the movie, "Who was your favorite Transformer?" I would probably respond with something like "The green one, I guess." And that's the thing is that they rarely ever use their names! The only way I could tell them apart was by what they looked like and their voices. And that is such a shallow, one-dimmensional way to describe a character. Let me try describing the Transformers actually:

• Optimus Prime - Blue and red with a sword and shield and has a really cool, commanding voice.
• Bumblebee - Yellow.............. and that's it really. (There is honestly nothing interesting about this one)
• Hound - Brownish with grenades and gatling guns and is voiced by John Goodman so that's awesome.
• Crosshairs - Green with guns (Not much t this guy either)
• Drift - Blue, samurai-like appearance with giant katana sword 

Oh yeah and they all have to be inconspicuous so let's make them all look like multi-million dollar cars. Really? THAT is keeping you from being detected? Seriously? I don't get that. If you really wanted to blend in then why don't all the autobots look like Gremlins? You know I would love to see one that looks like a Volkswagen Thing.

The only real redeemable element this film has over the others is the addition of the Dinobots. These guys were really cool to see on screen. I loved the T-rex bot and the Triceratops bot and the ones that I couldn't tell what they were. (I'm pretty sure one was a Stegosaurus) I'm a big Jurassic Park/Land Before Time fan and I kind of loved seeing these guys take up the screen. Even if it was only during the final battle. That's the real problem with this film! The Dinobots were criminally underused!

When it comes to Michael Bay's direction.... well there is none. If you've seen a lot of Michael Bay movies (or even only a few) then you should expect to see every Michael Bay-ism possible. What are some of his cliches you might ask? Well here are just a few:

• Low angle shots of people getting out of cars.
• Having the camera focus in on the legs of the female protagonist/any female on screen.
• Sunset backgrounds.
• Spinning cinematography.
• Hyperactive editing.
• Explosions.
• Explosions in slow-motion.
• Explosions that look like fireworks.
• Explosions that look like fireworks in slow-motion.
• Explosions that look like sparklers.
• Explosions that look like sparklers in slow motion.
• Explosions that look like fireworks and sparklers at the same time.
• Explosions that look like fireworks and sparklers at the same time in slow-motion.
• Theatrical film runtime of nearly three hours long.

All of these are seen on screen at least 10 different times. Each. I dare not even count all of the explosions. I don't think numbers go up that high.

In all seriousness, this film has no style. There isn't any passion or joy in this filmmaking. It's just a bunch of loud special effects and sounds trying to compete at which one can be more annoying. Michael Bay doesn't deserve any of the credit. It's the people at Industrial Light and Magic that deserve the praise because without their terrific special effects, this movie would be absolutely nothing.

Final Report: There's a great quote that George Lucas once said;
"Special effects are a means to tell a story. A special effect without a story would be pretty boring."
Transformers: Age of Extinction has no story or character and masks it with an overabundance of blaring special effects. And what George Lucas said rings true because this film after a while, was pretty boring.

Movie Review #90: Jersey Boys (2014)

I felt rather awkward when I walked in to see Jersey Boys because even though I couldn't see everyone in the theater, I just knew that I was the youngest one there. By about 40 years. At least.

Jersey Boys! Yeah I know this movie came out last week but I couldn't get around to it because of my job. But where I work is being remodeled so I'm out of a job for possibly three weeks. That's good news for me getting to see more movies but bad news for my wallet. So it comes as both a good thing and a bad thing. But I saw Jersey Boys nonetheless. On the opening weekend of Transformers: Age of ExSTINKtion, which is a movie that most people in my age group would be flocking in herds to see. I personally don't see the appeal in Michael bay films but I do enjoy me a good movie musical. Even if this one felt more like a musical biopic.

Jersey Boys is a film based off of the smash hit Broadway musical of the same name that tells the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, their rise to fame and all the bumps along the way.

This film is directed by Clint Eastwood. Yeah, interesting choice to say the least. I'm not saying he's a bad director. Far from it! He's directed two Best Picture winning films along with some other really stellar dramas. That being said when he directs a bad film, it doesn't come off as bad but rather just slow and boring. And when taking on a material like Jersey Boys, it better have some energy to it. And while it's never uninteresting, it is definitely slow. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Firstly, the film looks great. I love the time period this film takes place in. Mostly because I wish I lived back then. When cars were built to look cool, men wore suits, women wore skirts, rock 'n roll was on the rise and the thing everyone did on the weekend was cruise around town. Wait, I'm talking about American Graffiti now. Eh, whatever the time period still fits.

I am a big fan of rock 'n roll biopics and music movies like The Buddy Holly Story, Ray, That Thing You Do and La Bamba. And Jersey Boys really felt more like those films than a Broadway musical adaptation. What I mean by that is that whenever the characters break out into song it's always for a show or a live performance in the film. Random supporting characters don't just break out into spontaneous song and dance routines, the only actors that sing are those playing the Four Seasons. Which honestly comes to me as rather refreshing. Speaking of the Four Seasons, let's talk about the cast.

At first I thought Clint Eastwood chose a bunch of unknown actors to play the four lead roles, but they are more well known for theater than they are on screen. The only actor reprising his role from the original Broadway cast is John Lloyd Young as Frankie Valli. Casting theater actors in a movie musical can be both a good thing and a bad thing. It's great for the musical numbers because they were without a doubt the highlights of the film. Kudos to John Lloyd Young because it's amazing how similar he sounds to Frankie Valli! And he gave the best performance in the film. All of the actors sang live on screen which didn't work out too well for Les Miserables, but here it is stellar. It's not so great for some of the dialogue scenes. On stage you have to act for the people in the back rows. You have to really emote and express on stage, but in a movie you can understate things. When you overly emote or express on screen, it comes off as over-the-top and out of place. Overall, the performances were fine, but the over-the-top arguing scenes happen, they do stick out like a sore thumb.

One thing I thought was rather strange was the narration. Instead of your typical storybook/Morgan Freeman off-camera narration, the lead actors break the fourth wall and let the audience in on what's going on. Kind of like Ferris Bueller's Day Off, or basically any Muppet movie ever. I take it the only reason the narration is this way is because that was most likely how they told the story on stage. Which does make sense, because you would actually have an audience in front of you! In a movie an off-screen narration would not only be a lot more understandable, but also less confusing. Here's what I mean: During the Four Seasons' performance on the Ed Sullivan Show in the middle of one of their songs one of the band members turns towards the camera and starts reciting exposition. I was just sitting there wondering, "Why?" I just didn't get the purpose.

The supporting cast isn't really anything too special. That is of course with the exception of the great Christopher Walken. He plays a mob boss and he steals every scene he's in. He had a majority of the funniest lines because come on, it's Christopher Walken. His iconic voice and deadpan delivery are just comedy gold. And he's also a great actor and awesome human being too.

As I mentioned before, Clint Eastwood's films come off as either spectacular or boring. Strangely enough thought, this film was neither. I mean it was slow, but not slow enough that it made me check my phone every ten minutes to see what the time was. And it wasn't energetic as it could have been with this being a jukebox mob musical. I mean I was entertained and fascinated by the story. But I just know that with a more lively director like an Adam Shankman or a Rob Marshall, this could have been something really spectacular.

Final Report: Clint Eastwood's adaptation of this popular Broadway show wasn't as lively as it could have been. But as it is it's not bad at all. The musical numbers are a blast and the story is rather captivating. I just know it could have been so much more. Jersey Boys is worth a rental but instead of seeing the film, just buy the soundtrack! All the best parts of the film with not a dull moment to be had.

News: Pacific Rim 2: It's Actually Happening!

Well, better late than never!

News broke today that a sequel to Pacific Rim is not only in the works, but has also managed to snag itself a release date. The film is set for an April 7th, 2017 release. Director Guillermo del Toro will return to assume writing and directing duties.

This news honestly made my day. I've been hoping for a Pacific Rim sequel since I saw it for the first time in theaters on opening night last July. I thought it was just such a jaw dropping theater experience. The visuals were stunning, the action beyond delivered and actually managed to make us laugh! Not to mention it had GIANT ROBOTS FIGHTING GIANT MONSTERS! Holy cow why did it take so long for a sequel to get confirmed?
Sure it might not have "Citizen Kane-like" depth but it's not supposed to. It's supposed to pay homage to both monster movies and anime in the best way possible. And I say it succeeded.
Pacific Rim is basically like what Michael Bay could do but he won't do because he doesn't respect his audience enough to.

And while the film earned a majority of positive reviews from critics and moviegoers alike, it surprisingly ended up underperforming at the domestic box office. So much so that on opening weekend it lost to Grown Ups 2. Ugh, more like "Groan Ups 2". That being said, Pacific Rim blew away the foreign box office! Which does make sense, considering the film takes place in Japan. And that it looks like Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers on the budget of 200 million dollars, it's no surprise this film has an overseas smash.

Anyone else find it kind of fitting that the day before the premiere of Transformers: Age of Extinction, Universal drops this bomb of a news scoop? Considering how many have called Pacific Rim,
"A thinking mans Transformers".
Can't fault perfect timing I guess.

Even though I'm pumped for Pacific Rim 2, I do wish Guillermo del Toro would make a third Hellboy film to complete his trilogy. Come on, the second one ended in a way that just begged for a sequel. And for all you haters out there who wish del Toro would go back to making more original movies like Pans Labyrinth, don't worry because next year he has Crimson Peak for us so just wait.

All in all I'm stoked. This is cool news for me but what are your thoughts? Post them below and tell me your opinions.

Movie Review #89: Edge of Tomorrow (2014)

Tom Cruise stars in a futuristic alien invasion time travel movie costarring Emily Blunt and Bill Paxton in a film directed by the same man who brought us The Bourne Identity. This sounds like the recipe to an sci-fi action movie magnum opus, how on earth is this film bombing at the box office?!?!?!

Yes, I finally got around to seeing Edge of Tomorrow! The film that is being hailed by fans and critics alike as one of the most original science fiction films of the decade. Yet for some reason, this film has been failing to deliver at the box office. And this makes me very sad because this film is as good as everyone has been saying it is. Why more people are not flocking in herds to get in line and see it on the other hand is a question that I have no answer to.

Edge of Tomorrow is based on a Japanese manga called All You Need is Kill, which by the way is a much cooler title than the one they ended up going with. The story is about a military officer played by Tom Cruise who, for reasons I will not give away, discovers that he is caught in a never ending time loop between a doomed battle between an invading alien race. He later discovers of another soldier who had the same problem he currently has. Together they join arms and plot to wipe out the alien race once and for all.

I was looking forward to this film before the trailer or even a poster was released. Time travel is a topic of science fiction that fascinates me very much and I am always interested in anything and everything Tom Cruise stars in. Say what you want about him as a person, but no one in Hollywood commits to a movie more than Tom Cruise does. He's the hardest working man in the business for a reason. The guy does all his own stunts and he even learned how to sing and play guitar for his role in Rock of Ages. Oh and yeah, that Dubai Tower scene from Ghost Protocol? Yeah that wasn't CGI or a stunt double. That was all Cruise. The man is insane and will probably get himself killed. But it's that commitment and essence of craziness that makes me appreciate him as an actor. And I haven't even talked about his film track record! He has been making consistently great films since the 1980's with very few career ruining duds. And I'll tell you one thing, Edge of Tomorrow is anything but a dud.

Wow what a rush! If you want nonstop, turn-your-brain-off action for nearly three hours........ then go watch Transformers Age of Extinction. But if you're hungry for an science fiction action thrill ride crafted with intelligence and care, then this is your ticket because Edge of Tomorrow might just be one of the best science fiction films in recent memory. I would put it alongside Moon, Sunshine, Star Trek, Minority Report and Inception as a science fiction movie we're going to continue raving about long after it comes out on Blu-ray.

I was slightly skeptical of the action scenes because I absolutely detest shaky camera direction and director Doug Liman popularized this type of filmmaking with The Bourne Identity. Thankfully the action is filmed very smoothly using a lot a wide shots. And considering 75% of the film takes place during an alien battle, this film would have really suffered from poor action direction. Another technical element that I really dug were the aliens. They honestly didn't look like any sort of creature I had seen before. The only thing I can describe them to be like were the machines from The Matrix. And the way they attacked was really bizarre, hectic and erratic. They really stood out from all the other generic little green men we've seen in films like Signs, Independence Day and War of the Worlds.

Tom Cruise really surprised me in this film. The trailers made him out to look like your typical hero that has to save the day. But when the film starts out, it's the exact opposite! I won't say much else but needless to say, he undergoes a massive character arc that was really surprising. And Tom Cruise absolutely killed this role! The only other actor who might have possibly stolen the show was Emily Blunt! It comes as a sight for sore eyes to see a strong female lead in an action movie. As of recently we have seen women in action films portrayed as weak or helpless. So to see a strong woman train a helpless, weak Tom Cruise and put him in his place time and time again is not only refreshing to see, but also very funny!

The amount of humor in this film was definitely the most surprising part. Some of the humor comes from the training sequences between Cruise and Blunt. It's just hysterical watching Tom Cruise getting thrown around like a toy. But most of the comedic scenes involved the supporting cast, who were also fantastic. Bill Paxton plays an army sergeant and I instantly thought of his character from Aliens.

Roger Ebert made a rule for movies he called the "Stanton-Walsh Rule," which stated that no movie that has Harry Dean Stanton or M. Emmet Walsh in it can be altogether bad. I believe that that same rule applies to Bill Paxton playing a comedic supporting role in an action movie. Think about it; Aliens, True Lies and now Edge of Tomorrow. It's only common logic! Hmmm, maybe I'll make some more of these "rules" in the future..... I digress.

While this film is very funny at times, it isn't afraid to get dramatic and intense. I really liked the relationship that formed between Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt. It's a very interesting relationship because Cruise repeats the same days over and over again and has to meet and get introduced to Emily Blunt's character time and time again. Meaning that he gets to learn her story while she only knows him for the two days he repeats. It's a very bittersweet relationship that I'm glad the writers touched on. Even more surprising that it was never became romantic. That's a huge cliche that could have been so easy to do and the better for this film for not succumbing to popular tropes and cliches.

And that really describes Edge of Tomorrow the best. It doesn't follow your standard story with your basic characters. It thought outside the box, colored outside the lines and went against the flow. It might not have been the most successful route, but almost everyone who saw this film are glad they went this direction. As am I.

Final Report: If you are looking for a nonstop action thrill ride that never stops surprising you, then Edge of Tomorrow just might be the movie event of the summer for you. And if you enjoy clever humor and intelligent writing that actually makes its audience think, then I implore you to give this movie your time of day. I guarantee you that you won't regret it.

Movie Review #88: Maleficent (2014)

Funny story about this film: I saw it on friday but there was a miscommunication between who I was going to see this film with. She said 7:30 when it was actually 6:45. So in the end I missed about 15-20 minutes of the film. To say the least, it was pretty ridiculous. I saw it nonetheless and I do have my thoughts about it: The 70-75 minutes I did see of it.

Maleficent is the story of the classic Brothers Grimm character and legendary Disney villain Maleficent. The story differentiates from the animated film though with the way the film plays out. It focuses on Maleficent's perspective which is a viewpoint you don't hear from very often: The villain's take.

 It seems that ever since Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland was released in 2010, Disney has been trying to make a similar film in the same vein of it. Why? Because Alice in Wonderland grossed over a billion dollars worldwide and became the third highest grossing live action Disney film of all time. And since the only thing Disney loves more than acquiring every franchise possible, it's money. And they've been trying to replicate that formula for a while with last years Oz the Great and Powerful and Maleficent being the most recent attempt to once again strike billion dollar gold.

The film is directed by Robert Stromberg. Who's that you might ask? He's a very well known visual effects artist and a two time Oscar winning production designer for Avatar and Alice in Wonderland who's making his directorial debut. Yeah cue the red flags. The last time a well known production designer made his directorial debut we got The Cat in the Hat directed by Bo Welch. Yeah, yikes. Not to mention this film broke a record with the highest budget for a first time director at $200,000,000. And this film has been passed around from director to director even more so that Pokemon cards. These are some facts that are enough to raise suspicions.

You walk into the movie about Maleficent expecting to see a film about Maleficent and you definitely get that. I'm not a big fan of Angelina Jolie as an actress or a person, but she is without a doubt what makes this movie. For starters, her makeup is unbelievably good. From the horns to the high prominent cheekbones they got her look nailed to a tee. The makeup is done by Rick Baker and it shows. He's the same guy who did the makeup and prosthetics for the Men in Black films. To say the least, his work is immaculate. She also manages to give a rather sympathetic villain performance. The film revolves around her having cursed Princess Aurora, but as time goes on her heart starts to soften and feelings for her start to form. It's a good character arc to see a villain go through. Most of the humor falls flat, but whenever Maleficent speaks completely deadpan, it's rather funny.

The supporting cast on the other hand are completely forgettable. Sharlto Copley plays the king and his acting is just downright awful. It's so angry and over-the-top that's it's almost laughable. And I don't mind him as an actor! If anything, he was one of the few things I liked about Elysium! But he was just so miscast for this part. I could see like Sean Bean in this role but not Copley. I'm gonna sound like a jerk for saying this, but his voice really annoys me. I know that it's his voice and that's a terrible thing to nitpick about, but it just really grates on my ears whenever he yells. It's like Alanis Morissette singing while scraping nails on a blackboard. To me at least, it's that bad.

I am a huge fan of Elle Fanning but she has nothing to do in the role of Princess Aurora. She looks the part, but adds nothing. The three pixies that take care of Aurora might be some of the most annoying comic relief characters since Rebel Wilson in Pitch Perfect. What makes them even worse is that they aren't even funny! I think Jar Jar Binks has made me laugh more than these three bumbling embarrassments.

The visuals as a whole do manage to dazzle. Strombergs' background as I said before deals heavily with visual effects and production design and this film really shows it. Give or take a few instances where the CGI looks very obvious. Particularly in the pixies and the woodland creatures. The creatures in the forest looked like CGI Muppets. Kind of in the vein of Labrynth and The Dark Crystal. To say the least, they worked better as puppets.

The film's runtime is 97 minutes long. Yet it somehow cost 200 million dollars to make. Really? At least The Lone Ranger had that unbelievable train battle sequence that made me say "Oh, that's where the 250 million dollars went!" With the runtime not even reaching 100 minutes it doesn't feel like I got my money's worth! If you're still really looking forward to seeing Maleficent (which I wouldn't recommend) the least you could do is save yourself a few bucks and catch it at matinee price.

Final Report: Maleficent looks nice and provides a terrific star showcase for Angelina Jolie as the title character. But the supporting cast members are expendable. Not to mention that the 97 minute run time hardly makes it feel like you spent your $10 wisely. Kids and anyone who shops at Hot Topic frequently will probably have a good time. Anyone who doesn't fall into those first two categories will most likely forget about it. And sadly I fall in the latter category.

Movie Review #87: X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)

X-Men Days of Future Past is the seventh installment in the superhero franchise and has undoubtably the most stacked cast of celebrities and mutants alike!
Returning to the screen are fan favorites like Wolverine, Professor Xavier, Magneto, Mystique, Storm, Beast, Rogue, Iceman, Kitty Pride, Colossus, Havoc and even Toad!
Joining them for the first time on screen are Quicksilver, Bishop, Blink, Sunspot and Warpath.

But for some reason, Nightcrawler is nowhere to be seen. Seriously? The coolest X-Men that completely stole X2 gets shafted and they bring back Rogue of all characters?! Well at least they brought back Toad. That's a pretty cool addition.

X-Men Days of Future Past takes place in the year 2023 and the world has been overrun by these robots called Sentinels, (which are basically Terminators). Humanity has become a race of expendable cattle and the only mutants still alive have joined together and have survived off the grid. And the only way to end this war is to send Wolverine back 50 years in time to 1973 to stop the Sentinels, thereby saving both human and mutant kind.

I'm not sure if I mentioned this before, but X-Men: Days of Future Past is my most anticipated film of 2014. I love the X-Men movies. Hey, I can even watch The Last Stand and Origins Wolverine and not hate myself for doing so! But we can all agree that when Singer left, the franchise took a nosedive into mediocrity and less awesomeness. That is of course until 2011 when Matthew Vaughn gave us X-Men First Class: The prequel to end all prequels that also doubled as an adrenaline shot of greatness into a suffering franchise. It reignited everyones excitement for X-Men. And last years' The Wolverine furthered that.

Now we have Days of Future Past. Which on paper alone sounds like it could possibly be The Avengers of X-Men movies just from the people involved by combining both the original cast and that of the prequel and having Bryan Singer returning to the franchise as director for the first time in 11 years! What's not to get pumped for?

But as enticing as that sounds, it could very well disappoint to no end. Rumors about an astronomically large budget ranging from next to $250,000,000 have put some on edge. I even heard a story that this is the most expensive film 20th Century Fox has produced not directed by James Cameron. Ever since X2, Singer hasn't quite been the same. Last years' Jack The Giant Slayer tanked at the box office and Valkyrie got "meh" reviews. Heck, he couldn't even make a Superman film that could rebuild the franchise! And not to mention the controversial headlines about him making the news... That being said, expectations and tensions are high. But the time has come and it's finally here. And how is it?

Looks like there is still life in this franchise and Bryan Singer's career after all! Not only does this mark a franchise high, but this might just be my new favorite superhero movie of all time! Even more than The Avengers! Which, keep in mind, is the film that opened my eyes to movies and cinema that is basically the movie that made me start this blog! Yeah, it's that good.

And I'm not just being a fanboy freaking out over the action, special effects and seeing both casts on screen. It's actually a miraculously well crafted action film that is funny when it wants to be funny and very dramatic when it has to be. It's not just a great comic book movie, a great superhero movie or even a great Marvel movie! It's just a great film!

Where do I begin talking about this? How about the beginning? Specifically the opening title sequence. It might seem like a strange thing to mention, but I was instantly reminded of X2. You had the classic John Ottman theme playing, an animated title scrawl of DNA animation and it even ended with Cerebro being unlocked like with the first three films. Those are very small details that wouldn't have made a difference if they were left out, but the fact that they included them just really made me say, "Way to go Singer!"

Time travel is always a tricky topic. Aside from being a classic staple in sci-fi literature and films, it often times comes off as either overly complicated, convoluted or riddled with plot-holes. That is not the case here because Simon Kinberg has written an airtight script that somehow, miraculously leaves no storyline left unfinished and even corrects all of the issues fans have been complaining about for years with X-Men: The Last Stand and Origins Wolverine! Some might find that to be disrespectful for completely negating the existence and timeline of practically every X-Men movie except for First Class, but I think it's a really gutsy move that pays off in the end.

Let's talk character because this film has them all! We get to see a very different side of Wolverine in this film. Instead of him being angry using violence to solve his problems, he solves them by talking and negotiations. It's really nice seeing an emotional side to Wolverine that there is a soft side to such a tough, gruff dude.

James Mcavoy and Michael Fassbender are flawless as Young Xavier and Erik. I loved seeing how both are so similar to each-other and yet so different. They're both on the same side, but Xavier takes the longer more peaceful approach, with Erik does whatever it takes to win the fight. Their back and forth is terrific and it doesn't hurt that they're both amazing actors. I might like their portrayals even better than Patrick Stewart and Sir Ian Mckellin's!

I was a bit on the fence about Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique. I wasn't over the moon about her in First Class but she was dynamite here! They gave her a great motivation and character arc that really expanded on her personality. While Wolverine might have gotten top billing, it really is Lawrence's show and she was dynamic. It also doesn't hurt that she's both a talented actress and very good looking!

The new X-Men like Bishop and Blink don't really get much screen-time, dialogue or development, but they were welcome additions that I was happy to see. Especially Quicksilver. I owe this guy a huge apology because when I saw his costume I thought he looked like a second rate steampunk cosplay wannabe. And.... yeah the costume still looks cheesy but every frame this guy is on screen he steals it!
There's a particular scene that shows off his powers in the funniest and most visually astounding way. All set to the most fitting Jim Croce song. Take a guess which one. It's pretty obvious.

Members of the original cast like Storm, Iceman and Rogue are completely underutilized and reduced to nothing more than fan pleasing cameos. Heck, Havok and Toad are practically shafted after their one scene, which was a pretty cool scene if I might add. I was really excited to see those two especially. I just wanted a little something more from them. But if that's the only issue I had, that's really good by my standards!

Days of Future Past is essentially Bryan Singer and Simon Kinberg's apology letter to everyone . Singer for leaving The Last Stand in the hands of Brett Ratner when he went off to direct Superman Returns, and Kinberg for writing the script to the Last Stand. But it's all right because they are now forgiven in my eyes!

Final Report: It's not every day that the movie you've been waiting all year to see delivers beyond your wildest dreams. But X-Men Days of Future Past did just that. It's action packed, perfectly paced, clever, smart, witty, emotional, dramatic It's not just what a great summertime blockbuster should be, it's just a great movie in general! And possibly my favorite Marvel movie to date!

Movie Review #86: Godzilla (2014)

With a purposeful grimace and a terrible sound

He pulls the spitting high tension wires down

Helpless people on a subway train

Scream bug-eyed as he looks in on them

He picks up a bus and he throws it back down

As he wades through the building toward the center of town

Oh no, they say he's got to go. Go go Godzilla!

Godzilla: The King of Monsters! Without a doubt, the most legendary and the coolest of all movie monsters in the history of film! This icon of classic cinema is celebrating his 60th anniversary this year. Godzilla has appeared in so many sequels I don't even know how or where to start counting! But no matter how corny or cheesy the sequels were, no one could forgive Roland Emmerich for his 1998 radioactive turd of a remake. To call the film bad is an understatement. To call it a disappointment is not even close to accurate. It's nearly unwatchable! Leave it to American cinema to desecrate what filmmakers overseas got right from the start. But with the right cast, solid writing and the perfectly cast director, America just might be able to make a pretty darn great Godzilla film.

Like with each season of 24, Godzilla films don't really depend too heavily on the plot because it will most likely stays the same. Godzilla is on the loose and either the humans have to kill him before he wipes them out or some other huge monster wipes them both out. And luckily in this film, it's the latter! That's all you really have to say. Forget complexity, let's get down to the monster smack-down we've been waiting for!

Problem is is that it takes its sweet time getting to the juicy action and that's the biggest problem many people will have with this film. If it's Pacific Rim 2 you're looking for, then you're going to be seriously let down (save the last 25 minutes though). The film doesn't have epic battle after epic battle strung together like with Pacific Rim. The first two thirds of the film is all very tense buildup with some terrifically exciting action sequences peppered throughout the many dialogue and dramatic scenes.

For me though, I kind of loved the sweet, sweet anticipation they built up. It made the climactic finale even more rewarding. And some of the dramatic moments had a definite dramatic weight and emotion that actually kind of got to me. Particularly an early scene between Bryan Cranston and Juliette Binoche. Expertly handled, somber and bittersweet.

All of the acting was well handled. You could tell that all of the actors took this film seriously and it shows. Ken Watanabe can do no wrong in my eyes. Elizabeth Olsen was really good also. Aaron Taylor Johnson was fine, but to me he felt like Sam Neil in Jurassic Park. You know what I mean? He might have the title of "main character" but no one who walked out of Jurassic Park walked out talking about Sam Neil. They were either talking about the dinosaurs or Jeff Goldblum. With Godzilla, you're going to walk out talking about Godzilla and Godzilla's awesome fire-breath. Speaking of Godzilla, let's talk about the star of the show (even though he's only in it for like 35 minutes).

Godzilla looked unbelievable. I adore his design. Instead of making him look like a chicken-walking iguana with a fat head, they returned to the original design and improved upon it. The detail put into him is astounding. He looks absolutely massive! The King of Monsters isn't fully seen until perhaps halfway through, but when we finally hear his mighty roar I was instantly brought back to the first time I heard the T-Rex from Jurassic Park. It was just... wow.

And they brought back his fire-breathing! During the final battle, (which is worth the price of admission alone), I was just waiting on the edge of my seat for him to let it loose. And when he does, oh boy is it a sight to behold! During the battles' climax, there is a scene that was so unbelievably satisfying and beyond words incredible that the members of the audience started clapping and cheering! I of course joined them because I too felt that way. I just had never been to a movie that made an audience break out into cheering before the end credits before! Something about that really made me smile when that happened.

I feel like this could be the Jurassic Park for a new generation of movie fanatics. That's a huge statement but I do believe that Godzilla could be the next "landmark/defining film" of the 2010 decade. Right alongside Inception and The Avengers.

Final Report: Godzilla is a lumbering, larger-than-life beast of a film that takes it's time to get rolling. But when it gets going, it's impossible to get it to stop! With some of the most spectacular special effects I've ever seen and a perfect balance of humanity and destruction, Godzilla is one summer blockbuster that must be witnessed on the biggest of screens. What else can I say other than, go go Godzilla!

The Big News We've All Been Waiting For: Star Wars Episode VII Cast Revealed!

Exactly one day ago, I complained in my last news post that I wanted less Justice League casting news and more Star Wars Episode VII news. I guess ask and thou shall receive! And not a moment too soon.

You know if they really played their cards right they should have released this on May 4th. Now that would have been perfect timing!)

So yes, the moment we have been waiting for since this film was announced way back in 2012 has finally arrived. Everybody was wondering if the cast of the original trilogy would reprise their roles. The answer has now been confirmed as a yes! The original gang will return to the galaxy far far away to reprise their star making roles once again.!

Star Wars Episode VII will star......

• John Boyega (Glad to see a fresh face!)
• Daisy Ridley (Ditto)
• Adam Driver (I've heard he was cast a while ago and expected him to be on here)
• Oscar Isaac (I'm not sure how much folk singing takes place in the outer rim)
• Andy Serkis (Just as long as he isn't doing a motion capture Jar Jar, I adore it)
• Domhnall Gleeson (Hey look it's a Weasley!)
• Max von Sydow (Seeing his name on this list really made me smile)

And reprising their roles are......

• Mark Hamill
• Carrie Fisher
• Harrison Ford
• Peter Mayhew
• Anthony Daniels
• Kenny Baker

Wow. Oh my gosh I love it already. I know that I shouldn't get too excited to save myself from possible complete and utter disappointment. But with a list of unknown actors, lesser known actors and big names like this it's impossible not too! 

I love the Max von Sydow and Andy Serkis choices. Serkis in my eyes can do no wrong. Whether in a motion capture or live action performance! Sydow is one of the all time greats. It's wonderful to see a true legend join the Star Wars universe. (Do you think it's possible that he's going to play an Obi Wan Force ghost? I did hear a rumor about a Kenobi ghost....)

I can really picture Oscar Isaac and Domhnall Gleeson as Jedi. Isaac especially. He just has the look of a Jedi or possibly a gangster. If anyone in this cast is going to be a gangster it's Adam Driver. Not only does the guy just look like a complete scumbag on a good day, but I heard a rumor that he will play the villain. (I don't know why but he kind of strikes me to be Boba Fett!)

As for Boyega and Ridley I don't have a clue. It could go either way. Fingers crossed!

I'm a bit sad that Billy Dee Williams or Warwick Davis weren't on the list. It would have been cool to see Lando and Solo reunite once again. Hey, maybe Davis will make a cameo! There's always something in the Star Wars universe he can play.

All in all, I'm stoked. After nearly a year of nothing but weak rumors we finally got what we've been asking for. Sure there are a ton of actors I would have liked to have been cast, (Viggo Mortensen and Michael Fassbender for starters) but I love how they have sided with lesser known actors. Just like the original trilogy. And from what I've been hearing, that's exactly what they are trying to do. It sounds like they are trying to make this new trilogy to please the fans. What's not to love?

May the Force be With This Film.