Starwars: The Force Awakens Review (2015)

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

 

  The most anticipated movie of all time came out last night, pulling in a record breaking $57M. All Star Wars fans wanted for Christmas this year, was for this film to be good or even just better than the prequels. So, did they get what they asked for?

  I think so! First, let me start off by saying that there are a LOT of problems with this movie. I know that's not what you wanted to hear, because it's not what I wanted to say, but I must be objective in this review.   

  Secondly, there is a lot to love about this movie too. SO, I will start with the things I love. 

  Guatemalan/Cuban actor Oscar Isaac. Boy am I excited to see him as Apocalypse in the new X-men movie. This dude is extremely likable and even in the brief screen time he was given in Force Awakens, he displayed very Han-Solo-like charisma and big acting range. Most people think Isaac is new to the scene, but he actually has quite the resume, including 2014's indie gem, A Most Violent Year. 

  Another thing I loved, was Adam Driver as Kilo Ren. Aside from a comedic drama called While we're Young, I can't bring to mind any memorable performances I've seen from this guy. When I heard he was going to be playing the menacing villain of the Star Wars universe, I was really curious to see what would happen. He had the height, the deep voice, and the emotional range, but could he compete with Darth Vader, Palpatine, and General Grievous? This will probably be the most debated thing among fans, but I think he competed pretty well. Driver brought a humanity to the character and really tried to make him redeemable. I feel like he's going to be the Prince Zuko of Star Wars characters, which granted, may bother some people who didn't find him so sympathetic. The only thing I didn't like about the character, was not being able to completely understand his motives. We are told he is seduced to the dark side and then it is presumed that the reasons will be revealed in later movies, but certain plot points in this movie don't have quite the impact they want because his character isn't fleshed out enough. There is an inner battle going on between dark and light, and in order for us to really relate to the battle, I think we need to be given more insight into why Kilo Ren is the way he is. Driver is given a big job with this character, but he brings his A game and really gives us an expression-filled, unforgettable performance. 

  Daisy Ridley. This was the first movie I've seen with her in it and I really liked the fact that she isn't a big name actor. That way, you see her as her character only and nobody else. The movie really hinges on whether or not you like Ridley or not, which thankfully her character is written and acted extremely well. I wouldn't say she's the most amazing actress in the world, but she was solid and likable.

  BB-8. SOOO cute. I loved this little bot. Not only was it a great R2D2 replacement, but it was funny and had a big personality. I really enjoyed this character.

  John Boyega. I won't spoil whether or not his character is a Jedi or a Storm Trooper, or just some random dude, but I will say, I'm not quite sure what I felt about him. He's probably the most different character in the Star Wars universe that we've seen so far. You can tell he's excited to be here, but sometimes his dialogue was a little clunky, which made it harder to deliver. They laid his relationship with Daisy Ridley's character on pretty thick, and sometimes it felt a little too rushed for them to be so emotionally attached, but aside from those things, he was an interesting character.

  Domhall Gleeson plays General Hux and really models his character from the old trilogy generals. I know to some he seemed to be a bit over the top, but I actually really liked him. I was unaware that he was in this movie until I saw it, and I'm a big fan of his acting style, which is ironically pretty similar to Adam Driver. He's usually super likable characters in movies like About Time or as Bill Weasley in Harry Potter, but here we get to see a different side of him, which I really appreciated! He looked like he was having so much fun being in a Star Wars film and it showed.

  Harrison Ford was AWESOME as you probably expected, and slipped back into the role of Han Solo effortlessly. So many cool nostalgic moments in this film, and he was probably my favorite of all. 

  Now that I just vomited fangirl all over you, time for the things I didn't like so much. Predictability and the rewatchability factor are the two biggest problems for this film. It is very derivative of A New Hope which comes off as very safe. J. J. Abrams is trying so hard not to rehash the prequel movies, that he isn't very ambitious with this one. Some fans may like that he didn't try to make it a completely different thing, but for me it felt a little unoriginal. The rewatchability factor comes into play because, as shocking as this might sound, there isn't really any huge action sequences. Weird for a Star Wars movie right? Aside from one lightsaber battle, a CGI monster, and some gun fights, there was never a scene in this movie where I thought, I need to go back and see that scene again. 

  One thing I absolutely hated, was the way they handled one particular scene (don't worry I won't spoil). For those who've seen the movie, I'll just say that it's on a bridge and they'll know exactly what I'm talking about. This scene is between the villain and a main character. As I said before, Kilo Ren isn't developed very well, so when we have this big, critical moment, it doesn't impact us emotionally the way it wants us too. This is a huge disappointment, because it's such a critical moment to the Star Wars Saga and it could have been done so well.

 The only other problem I had with the film was some of the comedy. It would have been fine if the comedic dialogue was limited to only one or two characters, but everyone seemed to get at least two one-liners. This had a very Marvel Avengers type affect. Sometimes the jokes landed, mainly when it was without out dialogue and just action, and other times, it just took me out of the film a bit.

  Once the high of the movie wears off for fans, I think they might realize that this is a good film, but not a great one. However, to be fair, I don't think any movie can live up to the decades worth of nostalgia Star Wars fans have had stored up for themselves. For this reason, I'll give Star Wars: The Force Awakens an 7 out of 10 stars (Very Good)

Bridge of Spies Review (2015)

Bridge of Spies

  Tom Hanks is arguably one of the best actors in Hollywood with quite the resume of amazing movies. Because of this, I didn't really question whether or not Bridge of Spies would be good, despite the somewhat ambiguous trailer. Throw Steven Spielberg in the mix and you really have a winner. 

  The true story of the American lawyer, James B. Donovan, takes place during the Cold War and walks us through what it might have been like to defend an accused soviet spy. While never painting any of its characters as black and white villains and heroes, we get an objective view into the war as Donovan orchestrates an exchange for American spy, Francis Gary Powers.

  The acting of course was excellent. Not an Oscar worthy performance for Hanks, but good none-the-less. Aside from the slightly long-winded opening, Bridge of Spies managed to entertain me for the whole rest of the 2 hour run time. 

  What we have here is a very solid film that makes you proud to be American, but lacks in realm of ambition on a film-making level. It's polished, uplifting Oscar bait that will score high with critics, but possibly bore your generic audience. I, however, quite enjoyed the film. 7 out of 10 stars (Very Good)

Macbeth Review (2015)

Macbeth

  Oh boy, where to even begin with this review. . . Macbeth stars Michael Fassbender and Marion Cottilard as its main leads. I'm a huge fan of both, but recently Fassbender is going up the ranks on my personal favorites list. 

  The gritty film, though beautiful to look at, wouldn't be quite as marvelous if it weren't for Fassbender's raw performance. He has a way of making the most intense scenes work so organically as he breathes life into his characters. The way he transitions from physical battles to emotional ones, while never losing the audience's sympathy, is extremely impressive. Likewise, Cottilard is just as precise in her portrayal of Lady Macbeth, bringing the perfect amount of emotion to the role.

  From the very first shot, I knew I was in for a treat. The cinematography was beyond stunning, so rich and vivid. From the accurate period costumes, to the music, to the slow motion battle sequences, to the Shakespearean English, Macbeth is a unique masterpiece from director Justin Kurzel. 

  While at first it was extremely hard to follow their regional accents and poetic language, it became one of my favorite aspects of the movie. The dialogue was so beautifully written that it made me want to spend hours watching a single scene and taking in/analyzing every word said in it. While I do suggest reading up on the basic plot and cliff notes, Macbeth is a movie you should see in theaters. Absolutely mesmerizing. . . 10 out 10 stars (A Must See)

 

Spotlight Review (2015)

Spotlight

  Spotlight is the true story of how the Boston Globe turned over an ugly rock to reveal cockroaches molesting children in the catholic church. It stars Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams, Liev Schreiber, and Stanley Tucci. As great as this cast is, I don't feel like anyone, aside from Mark Ruffalo, really stood out in a way that screamed Oscar. They all had solid performances, but the focus was on the story more than the characters. Not a knock on the film, but something I thought I should mention.

  Spotlight reminded me of Zodiac in it's approach to storytelling. It started out slow and as it went on, began to really grip and compel us. It's dark material, and the execution at times gave me chills. On the other hand, there were times where the way it was shot felt almost like a lifetime TV movie.

  One thing I really did like about Spotlight, was its unapologetic way of painting the characters. When tempted to point blame, the film reveals the hypocrisy in not only the church, but the reporters as well.

  While there's not much depth to Spotlight in a artistic, cinematic sense, there is a lot of depth in its lesson that those who turn a blind eye to evil are taking the side of the oppressor.

  I won't rave over this film like other critics seem to, not because it wasn't good, but because it didn't quite have the impact on me that I wanted it to have.

  In the end, where it lacks in character building, style, energy, it made up for in it's candid depiction of mankind and the tendency to overlook suffering right under our very noses. 6 out of 10 stars (Worth Ticket Price)

Creed Review (2015)

Creed

  Sports films are very hard to get right and after watching the trailer for Creed, I figured it would be as generic as the rest. When it came out, the reviews started flooding in and they were all positive. Curious, I decided to give Creed a shot and let me just say, I'm glad I did. 

  If you're a fan of the Rocky franchise, consider it successfully rebooted and rebirthed for the next generation. Adonis Creed (played by Michael B. Jordan) is our main protagonist, a self taught fighter who convinces Rocky (Sylvester Stallone) to train him. 

  Living under the shadow of his father's name, Adonis takes on his mother's maiden name, Johnson, and tries to make a name for himself. 

  I really liked the emotional process they took Adonis and the audience through as he begins his training and as his relationship with Rocky blooms. Beneath his hard shell, there is an endearing quality about him that makes you want to root for him no matter what. 

  It's organic storytelling is engaging, full of heart, and a real winner as a Rocky follow up. It was never predicable or overlong, but instead a great balance of lightheartedness and poise. I really really enjoyed this film! 8 out of 10 stars! (I'd Buy It)

Mockingjay Part 2 Review (2015)

Mockingjay Part 2 Review

  I'm sad to say that The Hunger Games series has finally come to an end. As a huge fan of the books, I've had mixed feelings on the movies. While the story and concept is phenomenal, the delivery onscreen didn't always quite meet my expectations and do the source material justice. A lot of this has to do with the casting. As much as I like Jennifer Lawrence, she doesn't quite fit the look of the 18 year old, starving capital girl I pictured in the book. On top of that Josh Hutcherson doesn't look very much like Peeta and his delivery of the character comes off as soft more often than not. Because these are the two character we should be rooting for the most, it does put me out of the film a bit. Katniss's fickle and childlike behavior would be much more forgivable to the audience if she actually looked like a child. After the director switch from Gary Ross to Francis Lawrence, the movies did get better, but huge details had already been left out that would make characters like Peeta more understandable. For instance, in the book Peeta had to have his leg amputated after being attacked by mutts. Gary Ross left this out and so Francis Lawrence, who was still trying to follow the source material, had Peeta falling and tripping all over the place in the second film. Without the leg amputation, this doesn't make very much sense and just makes Peeta look like a wimp. On top of that, Hutcherson just isn't a GREAT actor and the height difference next to Jennifer Lawrence is a little laughable. The mutts in the first movie looked like scary pitbulls, but Francis Lawrence in Mockingjay Part 2 makes them look like zombies (again, more accurate to the book). This change might leave viewers who haven't read the books confused and suspending belief. 

  Because Mockingjay is a 300 page book, splitting it into 2 parts did more harm than good. You can tell when they're trying to use filler and because of this, it can be quite boring at times. 

  I know it sounds like I'm bagging on the franchise, but I do actually like them. It's just sad to me when I can see exactly how they could have been phenomenal, and instead they're just good. Mockingjay Part 2 tries and succeed in instances of grabbing my emotions, but in the end it still fell flat. I'll give it a 6 out of 10 stars. (Worth Ticket Price).