IT Review (2017)

IT

  I can't even tell you how excited I was for this movie after seeing the first trailer. Everything about it, from the acting, to the tone, to Pennywise himself, looked absolutely terrifying and demented.
  There was so much about this film that I liked and other things that left me a little disappointed. With that said, let's get into the review!
   If there is one thing that absolutely works in this film, it is the characters. They are the beating heart of IT, and basically the reason we wind up so invested. There are no passive characters, everyone makes decisions and those decisions affect the plot in some kind of impactful way. The professionalism in the young cast is so impressive and really adds a lot to the film's entertainment value.
  Another thing that really worked for the film was Bill Skarsgard as Pennywise. He managed to keep bits and pieces of Tim Curry's Pennywise, all the while adding his own slightly more demented flare. His performance was extremely layered and he really put a lot of emphasis on the details, giving Pennywise that feeling of not only being a crazy clown but also a demonic entity.
  Another thing that stood out to me was the aesthetic of the film and the soundtrack. The cinematography, combined with the beautiful score by Benjamin Wallfisch really gave it an 80's feel and charm. In that sense, it was very similar to Stranger Things.
  Moving on to the gripes I had with IT... In the trailer, the tone we get is a very dark, moody film that takes a lot of chances with its scares. What we actually get though, is a film that isn't actually that scary. While it excels in a lot of areas and has a lot of heart, it isn't a film that will keep you up at night, which is a darn shame because its ability to traumatize its audiences into adulthood was what made the original so iconic. Unfortunately, as well executed as this film was, I don't foresee it having that same effect on this generation. Does that mean it wasn't a good film? No, it's still very good. But I do wish it would have been a little edgier in that area. 8 out of 10 stars (I'd Buy It)

Annabelle: Creation Review (2017)

Annabelle: Creation

  So it's official! The Conjuring has its own cinematic universe. I never saw the first Annabelle movie, but this one definitely looked like it had potential to be very good.
  Director David F Sandberg (Lights Out) sets up the story in a very promising way, introducing us to two very sympathetic orphan girls, and having them lead us into the story. For the first 30 minutes of the film, the tension was there. It's conventional in a lot of ways, but still creepy enough to keep you interested. THEN about an hour into the film, we take a turn into a more campy territory. Most of this, I would say, has to do with the script. The characters start doing things that are either stupid or out of character and the scares become cheaper.
While I wish I could say this was as good as The Conjuring movies, it doesn't have quite the charm those movies did.
  In the end, Annabelle: Creation, while mildly entertaining, doesn't quite reach it's full potential and does nothing to stand out in the horror genre. 5 out 10 stars (Rent It) 

A Ghost Story Review (2017)

A Ghost Story

  A Ghost Story is the story of, you guessed it, a ghost! Rooney Mara and Casey Affleck play a married couple whose lives are turned upside down when the husband gets into a car crash and dies. That said, his story doesn't end there. Casey Affleck comes back as a ghost and haunts the home where he and his wife lived.
  Now, I waited a while to review this movie because honestly I didn't really know what to feel about it and I wanted to let it marinate. At times it felt extremely pretentious, and other times it was moving. This is definitely an art house film, so if you're not into that style of filmmaking, this isn't going to change your mind.
  Starting off with the positives, some of the framing in this movie was absolutely stunning. The child-like simplicity of the ghost, mixed with the sweeping landscapes blew me away. It was straight visual poetry at it's finest, and I loved it.  An interesting choice of the director, however, was to have the entire film shot in a little box like frame. I understand that he wants the audience to feel kind of trapped, but if anything, the smaller screen just distances the audience from the characters.
  Speaking of characters, there is hardly any dialogue in this movie, apart from a really random monologue in the middle where a hipster guy explains the whole point of the film. Rooney Mara did what she can with the part, but the story isn't really about her. It's about the ghost that we can't see.
  There were a couple scenes in the movie where David Lowery holds a shot for an uncomfortable amount of time. I kid you not, there is a scene where Rooney Mara eats a pie for 9 minutes. 9 MINUTES! During scenes like these, I honestly wanted to just get up and leave, and the group of people watching with me felt the same way. For 9 minutes I heard sighs and groans and awkward whispers. There were a lot of moments like this, which made A Ghost Story feel very long.
  Despite all this, when the film ended, it did hit me emotionally and it's hard to explain why. Maybe it was the choice of music, or a subconsious manipulation of my emotions, or ghosts cutting onions. I'm not sure. All I know is that I left that theater feeling very confused. I loved the original, ambitious concept, but the execution was lacking as was any kind of momentum. I'm gonna have to disagree with the critics on this one and give it a 3 out of 10 stars (Watch At Your Own Risk)

Dunkirk Review 2017

Dunkirk

  I'm starting to wonder if it's even possible for Nolan to make a bad movie... Like seriously, he never ceases to amaze me. Every Nolan movie is an experience, and Dunkirk is no different.
  Based on true events, Nolan's new film is the story of 400,000 men stranded in the French city of Dunkirk and trying to at the very least survive, and at best, return home. Its all star cast includes Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Mark Rylance, Kenneth Branagh, and newcomers Fionn Whitehead and Harry Styles.
  Funnily enough, what I really appreciated about this movie, is something I've heard other critics complain about. The fact that there isn't really a main character, and the fact that the characters aren't given much of a backstory. I, however, think this was done intentionally. I think Nolan wanted us to connect more with the atmosphere and the experience of the war, then a specific character in it. I believe that is why all of the men looked so much alike. Nolan puts us right in the center of this major event and he makes the event the character. Because of this, we get to see the bigger picture of what went down.
  Speaking of pictures, see this on the biggest screen you can cause it is GORGEOUS. Seriously, the aerial views from the planes, above the beach, and over the water were like a massively immersive painting. Shot on 70mm film, Nolan blesses our screens with gloriously pristine imagery. But it's not only pretty, it's also practical when it comes to the special effects. Because of this, the actors are able to react naturally to the surroundings, putting their efforts more into other aspects of their performances.
  I also want to talk about the sound editing, because everything sounded so realistic! The gunshots, bombs, and planes rang through those theater speakers like they were right above me and all around me.
 I seriously cannot gush about this movie enough. It's intense, it's moving. Dunkirk is another epic masterpiece from the best director of our generation, and I will definitely be seeing it a second time in theaters. 10 out of 10 stars! (A Must See)

War For The Planet of the Apes Review (2017)

War For The Planet of the Apes

  It is very rare these days to find a decent trilogy. The most recent one I can think of is the Dark Knight Trilogy. Yet, here we are on our third Planet of the Apes movie, and let me just say, they seem to only be getting better.
  Because it is my job to manage expectations, I should mention before beginning this review that if you are expecting a lot of action and war, you're not going to get it. There is really only one war scene in the entire movie,  and the rest is drama. Now, this isn't a knock on the film at all, it's actually one of the things that make it so riveting.
  Of all the movies, this film is definitely the most ape-centric. Because of this, the audience could have easily been lost. Thankfully, we have a brilliant script and every single ape is a fully developed character. They have goals, desires, fears, and hopes.
  War for the Planet of the Apes is about two groups (apes and humans) in a pretty desperate situation. What is so great about this film is that the bad guys aren't really bad. We understand their point of view and if we were in their position might even back them up. The complexity of the problem makes for a lot of high stakes and internal conflict as well as external. As usual, Andy Serkis brings it, further evolving the character of Caesar and showing us the most vulnerable side of him. He is a flawed character. He does things that aren't always the right thing to do, but that's what makes him feel so human.
  I adore this movie. The score by Michael Giacchino was stunning, the cinematography was gorgeous, the scope of the film felt larger than life, the apes looked incredible. If I were to complain at all, I'd complain that it sometimes lacks in momentum, making it feel slightly overlong. This, however, is just me nitpicking. 10 out of 10 stars for War of the Planet of the Apes. (A Must See)

Spider-man: Homecoming Review (2017)

Spider-man: Homecoming

The third reboot of Spiderman stars Tom Holland, Michael Keaton, Zendaya, and a lot of other up-and-coming actors. When I first heard they were rebooting Spider-man again, I was actually excited. My favorite villain from the comic books was going to be in it, my boy Tom Holland was going to be in it, and lastly, Marvel finally received the rights to the character. Unfortunately, Sony still owns a lot of the other characters like Mary Jane, Harry, etc., but honestly, the new, more diverse cast infused the film with much-needed novelty and modernization. It was nice seeing characters such as Flash represented in a more 2017 way. We don't generally have the typical jock bullies anymore. These days the bully probably would be a bit more of a geek since geeks are in and all. The actor of Flash, Tony Revolori, first showed his talent in The Grand Budapest Hotel. I was happy to see him in this role, and I'm excited to see him in the future films.
  There was a lot that I really liked about this movie. I like that they didn't feel the need to show us the same origin story we've seen the past two times. Peter has already been bitten, Uncle Ben is already dead, responsibility, blah blah blah, and we are continuing from there. I really liked Tom Holland in this role. He's high energy, he's quirky, and the best part is he's actually a teenager. Spiderman being a child is essential to the essence of his character and I think we lost that in the last few movies.

   Michael Keaton nailed it as the Vulture. I liked that his character's motivations weren't necessarily rooted in evil intent. He's kind of like Iron man in that respect before he was captured by terrorists. I also really like that in most ways, Spiderman Homecoming feels more like a teen movie. Now don't get me wrong, there are still some great Spiderman moments, but the heart of the film focuses on Peter more than Spidey. It focuses on him earning the right to be called a superhero and earning respect from Iron Man.
  There were only two things I didn't love in this movie. The first was Liz. I don't think she was that good of an actress and she doesn't really have a personality. Peter likes her and thinks she's awesome, but there is really no reason for the audience to like her, aside from her being pretty. It would have been nice to see a little more characterization. Secondly, the film felt a little long, about 15 minutes too long.
  Overall, Spiderman was everything I've come to expect from a standout Marvel movie. Entertaining, fun, comedic where it needs to be, and sincere. 8 out of 10 stars (I'd Buy It).

Baby Driver Review (2017)

Baby Driver

  Written and directed by Edgar Wright, Baby Driver is the story of a young getaway driver named Baby (Ansel Elgort), trying to get out of the #thuglyfe.
  When I saw the trailer for this movie, I figured it was a bad rip off of Drive. However, when the high praise reviews came in on Rotten Tomatoes, I got curious.
  Deciding to give it a shot, I went and saw this film, and I was pleasently surprised. 

  This is one stylish film, my friends. It has that 500 days of Summer, indie vibe to the cinematography and a directorial flare that really sets it apart from other action movies. Baby Driver had the potential to be really campy, but the execution was top notch, as well was the acting. Jaime Foxx in particular gave a really good performance.
  Another thing I really loved, was how the soundtrack was used. It felt like a character itself, bringing us into the action and keeping us there. Which reminds me –– THE ACTION. DUDE. The car scenes blew my mind. From the opening scene, we get to see Baby's driving skills, and he doesn't dissapoint.
  If there is any flaw in the movie, it would unfortunetly be in the romance department. I feel like the love interest (Lilly James) and Baby's connection is quite rushed. She makes choices that are life changing after only weeks of knowing the guy. This took me out of the movie a little bit, but it doesn't ruin it.
  In the end, Baby Driver is a wildly entertaining thrill ride that you should definetly see! 8 out of 10 stars (I'd Buy It)