2017 Movies
Oscars Won/Nominated
IMDB Top 250
IMDB Top 250
Absolutely Anything
Dir: Terry Jones Stars: Simon Pegg, Kate Beckinsale It is refreshing to see the Monty Python gang together again, even if it is only as voices of intergalactic beings that grant Simon Pegg absolute power...and if he uses that power for evil, the Earth will be destroyed. The entire tone of the film is very Douglas Adams-esque...and it is a pleasure. Some of the comedy is dumb...some of it is inspired. Robin Williams (last performance) lends his usual brilliance as the voice of Dennis the dog. Pegg and Kate Beckinsale are fun. Nothing is really breaking the mold here...but the Monkey's Paw style "Be careful what you wish for" fable could be a lot worse. B |
Alien: Covenant
Dir: Ridley Scott Stars: Michael Fassbender, Katherine Waterson, Billy Crudup, Danny McBride, Demian Bichir I am one of the few people who loved Ridley Scott's Prometheus, because I watched it as its own science fiction adventure and not just waiting for the Alien mythology to show its face. Again...Scott shows how great he is as a director. He is patient and doesn't make the film overblown with action or CGI. The film takes its time, fleshes out characters, and allows emotion and terror to creep itself in. The mythology and geneaology of the famous, still frightening Xenomorphs is still a bit unclear...but I found myself desperate to find out what would happen. Fassbender is fantastic, in dual roles as androids of different versions. B |
American Made
Dir: Doug Liman Stars: Tom Cruise, Domhnall Gleeson, Sarah Wright Tom Cruise and Doug Liman created magic when they teamed up to do Edge of Tomorrow, but as unique and clever as that film was, this outing is a bit predictable and bland. I can't say it is boring, because it rockets along at full-throttle for the entire movie, barely taking any time to take a breath and flesh out any of the characters. But is feels like every other drug-smuggling movie. Watch Ted Demme's Blow, it is grittier, more detailed, and the character of George Jung is infinitely more interesting and charismatic than Barry Seal. It is lucky that Cruise and Liman are such professionals that they just barely hold it all together. B- |
Atomic Blonde
Dir: David Leitch Stars: Charlize Theron, James MacAvoy, Sophie Boutella, Eddie Marsan, Toby Jones, John Goodman. This movie really took forever to gather my interest. I'm sure the filmmakers were relying on Charlize Theron's naked body and lesbian sex scene with Boutella would perk me up....but I didn't really care. The direction of this movie was terrible because there was no life or excitement in the proceedings. It wasn't until the climax, and an uncut action sequence that lasted almost 10 minutes, that I was invigorated. Theron didn't seem too interested in this film, but McAvoy is his usual electric, wonderful self. The twists and turns were interesting and that sequence was amazing...so it sort of gets a pass...but only barely. C+ |
OSCARS
Best Editing
Best Sound Editing Best Sound Mixing |
Baby Driver
Dir: Edgar Wright Stars: Ansel Elgort, Kevin Spacey, Jon Hamm, Jamie Foxx I just don't know what happened. I was looking forward to this film for a long time because I am obsessed with Edgar Wright. Even though he is a master director and it shows in every frame of this film...it was just so BLAND. I knew everything that was going to happen and the things that were trying to make this film stand out...got old REAL fast. The music is never catchy enough and the gimmick whereby everything on screen unfolds to the beat, really detracted from what was happening. When every gunshot goes off in time with music...it feels stagey and false...and took me right out of the story. On top of the blandness and gimmicky-ness, put Ansel Elgort...who could not have been more unpleasant and wooden. Surrounding that with just charisma from Kevin Spacey, Jon Hamm, and Jamie Foxx is not a good idea. C |
The Babysitter
Dir: McG Stars: Samara Weaving, Bella Thorn, Robbie Amell Oh, how McG's career has fallen from the grace days of Charlie's Angels and Terminator Salvation. None of those movies are great but it was a time when he was given a HUGE budghet and trusted. Here...it is obvious he has reigned himself in to make a MUCH smaller film. That being said...it isn't that bad. It is simple, with a 12-year-old with a bombshell babysitter who notices, one night, that she is part of some kind of sacrificial cult. What follows is absurdity...with such extreme violence that its comes around to hilarious, in a good way. There is absolutely NOTHING profound going on in this film, and it certainly isn't going to get McG back on the A-list...but it has enough fun in it to get by. B- |
A Bad Moms Christmas
Dir: Jon Lucas & Scott Moore Stars: Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, Kathryn Hahn, Jay Hernandez, Christine Baranski, Susan Sarandon, Cheryl Hines The first movie had some laughs, but its underlying premise was given up on and made everything pointless. This movie is bit better, bringing the grandmothers into the mix...but they are all so unpleasant, it sucks a bit of comedy out of it. These are successful, the actresses are entertaining, but they aren't doing anything clever or really interesting. Kathryn Hahn is outstanding though. C+ |
Battle of the Sexes
Dir: Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris Stars: Emma Stone, Steve Carell, Sarah Silverman, Bill Pullman I'll say right of the bat...both Emma Stone and Steve Carell are outstanding in their respective roles, and the movie is definitely enjoyable. It isn't great because of two specific reasons. One...Bobby Riggs is shown as a clown. He is an Andy Kaufman-esque hustler out for a payday...not an actual misogynist. This is very clear...even to Billie Jean King. However...NO ONE ever calls him out on the damage he is doing and the pressure he is putting on these women looking for equality in the world of tennis. It is VERY unsatisfying. Also...the penultimate match is shown almost completely in wide shots and reaction closeups...and it took me right out of the film because I didn't believe these actors were playing tennis for a second. It was very odd and off-putting. B- |
Baywatch
Dir: Seth Gordon Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Zac Efron The genius of the original TV show was that it was absurd how involved these lifeguards were in policework and community drama...all while being naive of that fact. The movie is a bit too self-aware of this absurdity, constantly pointing it out to itself, and it sucked a lot of the corny enjoyment out of it. Rock fans and Efron fans will get a bit more out of the movie because they are perfectly cast, but the movie was just trying WAY too hard. C- |
OSCARS
Best Production Design
Best Costume Design KEVIN'S PICK
Best Production Design
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Beauty and the Beast
Dir: Bill Condon Stars: Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, Luke Evans, Kevin Kline It is an impossible task to try and live up to the 1991 Disney Animated classic...but Bill Condon's live-action remake does just about as well as one could. The cast is stellar, the production design is superb, and the familiarity really pulls on the nostalgic heartstrings. I had a great time, and I found myself singing the old songs that I have loved for so long...but it isn't QUITE the original. B+ |
The Belko Experiment
Dir: Greg McClean This was pretty promising for an action gore-fest, blood-lust satiating fun time...but it was full of missteps. So a bunch of office-folk are locked into a building and told by the voice in the sky that if 2 of them aren't dead in 30 minutes, 4 of them will die. Good premise...but a movie that should have been a "don't trust your neighbor" concept drew its lines in the sand WAY to fast. Instead of every man for himself tension, it was 3 psychos vs. the rest...and it sucked the life right out of it. Not to say there weren't some GREAT action and kills...but deleting the fear of the man next to you might suddenly stab you...is a fatal flaw. Also...why not show the men behind the scenes?? Didn't these people see how well that worked in The Cabin in the Woods? C- |
Big Bear
Dir: Joey Kern Stars: Joey Kern, Adam Brody, Tyler Labine, Pablo Schreiber I guess I have to give props to Joey Kern for Writing, Directing, Producing, and starring in this film. It could be a lot worse, but it could also be a lot better if it weren't for its odd tonal shift. A bunch of friends are up in the woods for a bachelor party. When the groom-to-be shows up, he informs them that his fiancee just left him that morning. All the reactions, jokes, and sympathies are real and natural so I enjoyed this stuff. Then the hothead friend goes and kidnaps the guy who apparently broke up the engagement, and the proverbial shit hits the fan. It is definitely funny, but then it takes a serious turn while it isn't unwelcome, it spoils any further attempts at humor because what we are seeing is no laughing matter. B- |
OSCARS
Best Original Screenplay
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The Big Sick
Dir: Michael Showalter Stars: Kumail Nanjiani, Zoe Kazan, Ray Romano, Holly Hunter This film reminded me of (500) Days of Summer. This is a very funny comedy...but it is also very serious, sad, and bitter-sweet. An Americanized Muslim has fallen in love with a white girl...and that is going to blow-up his family life in catastrophic ways. Then said girl falls into a dangerous, life-threatening coma and he has to deal with her parents. There is such a somber atmosphere to what is happening, but the screenplay is so well structured that it injects life, comedy, and realism into the situation. This will make you laugh, cry, wince, and cheer. This is a good one. B+ |
Brawl in Cell Block 99
Dir: S. Craig Zahler Stars: Vince Vaughn, Jennifer Carpenter, Don Johnson You know what the only problem with this movie is? The title. It makes it seem like it is going to be this action-packed prison-riot thriller. It isn't. It is a calm, perfectly crafted, slow-burn drama that made me feel uncomfortable in a way that I haven't felt since 2003's Oldboy. This is Zahler's sophomore outing, after the impressive Bone Tomahawk, and I have fallen in love. If these patient, visceral dramas are what he is going to be churning out...sign me up. By the way...Vince Vaughn has literally never been better. A |
Bright
Dir: David Ayer Stars: Will Smith, Joel Edgerton, Noomi Rapace, Jay Hernandez, Edgar Ramierez This movie got a terrible, unfair wrap. On paper: A direct to Netflix movie with Will Smith, involves a buddy cop movie in a world where humans live alongside magical creatures like orcs and elves, rated R, directed by David Ayer. People decided they hated this movie before they saw it, and then watched it waiting to be legitimized. I watched it with ZERO expectations...and this movie is pretty sweet. Smith is his usual entertaining self, Edgerton, unrecognizable, is great as the alientated orc partner to Smith, steals the show. This movie works well by holding to its R-rating and it builds a universe in the best ways. There are rules, history, structure, and the movie treats it all seriously and it just worked. The finale is telegraphed the entire film, but it is still fun to see it all come to pass. B |
OSCARS
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Call Me By Your Name
Dir: Luca Guadagnino Stars: Armie Hammer, Timothee Chalamet, Michael Stuhlbarg 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die Slice of life, moment in time, stream on conciousness movies have a huge hill to climb for me. This film is about 6-weeks over a summer in Italy where a 17 year old does stuff. Sure...one of the things he does is has a gay relationship with his father's research assistant...but it is treated as just another thing. I felt no conflict and no plot with this movie so it was hard to engage. There is no parental, societal, or even personal pressures about his sprouting gay tendencies...so the homosexuality is irrelevant. It is just a kid having a 6-week romance. "Six weeks in Italy" could be the title...because that is the only point. The atmosphere and acting is superb...and the last 15 minutes of the film are the best of any film all year...but I just failed to be completely engaged or find a purpose. B |
CHiPS
Dir: Dax Shepherd Stars: Dax Shepherd, Michael Pena, Vincent D'Onofrio, Kristen Bell I really like both Dax Shepherd and Michael Pena...they make me laugh and are much funnier in their dumb comedies than a lot of other people give them credit for. I just don't know what Dax Shepherd was trying to do with this remake of an old cheesy TV show. It is like...here are California bike cops...one is undercover FBI, one is just an idiot but good at motorcycling. That's it. There are a FEW laughs and actually a few decent action scenes...but it all feels so unnecessary and so uninspired that it is a colossal waste of time. D |
Christmas Inheritance
Dir: Ernie Barbarash Stars: Eliza Taylor, Jake Lacy, Andie McDowell When it comes to these Hallmark-esque, schmaltzy Christmas movies...this is about the best that I can expect. This silly premise is a CEO sends his daughter, incognito, to the small town where he founded the company. If she delivers a personal letter to his old partner, she will become CEO. So city girl learns small-town life, turns the head of the local guy, and learns the true meaning of blah blah blah. Still...Eliza Taylor is very fun and this COULD have been a LOT worse. C+ |
The Circle
Dir: James Ponsoldt Stars: Emma Watson, Tom Hanks, Karen Gillen, John Boyega What a mess of a movie that doesn't actually say anything. It all starts out well, like a decent Black Mirror episode, where a Google-like mega-company is out to learn every bit of information imaginable. Then Watson turns into an EdTV character. Then things go comically over-the-top in Bond Villain-type ways...and no one seems to mind. When everyone in the movie is equally detestable and complicit in such horrible uses of technology and violations of privacy...who is there to root for? It all fizzled to nothing so fast that I was left confounded. D+ |
Colossal
Dir: Nacho Vigalondo Stars: Anne Hathaway, Jason Sudeikis I am a huge fan of Nacho Vigalondo's Timecrimes, and this movie is also incredibly creative and fun. It's funny when it needs to be and it's exciting when it needs to be.. I just felt like such a great idea, with such talented actors, with a very clear vision, should have clicked into a higher gear at some point. For example, a world and culture in which a huge monster is destroying a major city like Seoul should be MUCH more affected by the mayhem Such a significant disaster is treated asalmost trivial, and it makes the movie feel small when it should feel epic. Our characters and the people around them are mildy curious about what they are seeing on the news instead of existentially terrified. That being said, it is so refreshing to see movies like this that you have NEVER seen before. B |
Creep 2
Dir: Patrick Brice Stars: Mark Duplass, Karan Soni An obvious ripoff of Behind the Mask, and by no means as good...but this film certainly had its merits. The biggest merit is Mark Duplass, who really lives up to the titular namesake and has you on edge the entire film. I did not like Soni, as her willingness to participate in this situation of documenting a serial killer is not believable in the least. Sure...it wasn't in Behind the Mask either...but at least those filmmakers were scared and on their guard. Soni is just a cartoon character. B- |
Cult of Chucky
Dir: Dan Mancini Stars: Fiona Dourif, Brad Dourif The Child's Play franchise really stopped caring about scares back when they made Bride of Chucky. Now they are just churning out such utter nonsense that it has gone past bad and come around to being a bit of a guilty pleasure. Nothing makes sense, but who cares. There is still a doll running around killing people in absurd, overly complicated, totally unbelievable ways. C |
OSCARS
KEVIN'S PICK
Best Actor
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Darkest Hour
Dir: Joe Wright Stars: Gary Oldman, Kristen Scott Thomas, Lily James, Ben Mendelsohn Gary Oldman's performance as Winston Churchill in this movie is one of the greatest performances I have seen in years. It is Charlize Theron-level in Monster where he disappears 100% into the role. Churchill has been portrayed many times in cinema and it has always been caricature. Here he is bombastic, emotional, and prideful, and hubristic. To see May 1940 and how he handled the imminent danger of Hitler's march across Europe is riveting. Joe Wright deserves as much accolades as Oldman...because this is a movie about an orator...and it is as exciting as a lot of action films this year. I am also glad I saw Dunkirk first, because I was well versed with what was being talked about and handled throughout the film. Glorious entertainment!!! A |
The Dark Tower
Dir: Nikolaj Arcel Stars: Idris Elba, Matthew McConaughey Stephen King's opus, The Dark Tower is one of my favorite fantasy series and I have read it several times. But I put that out of my mind when I gave this film a shot. I went in with a blank slate and no expectations. I ignored the fact that the point of view was wrong. I ignored the fact that the movie took place essentially in Manhattan instead of a mid-world desert or beach. I ignored the fact that there was no "Drawing of the Three". I just accepted what I was given...and it is an astonishing pile of garbage. Elba and McConaughey are perfectly cast but are thrust into a nothing story with nothing explained. I guess I could be disappointed if I wasn't so utterly astonished in confusion. I have no idea what happened, what the stakes are, what the characters' purposes were, or why what was happening was happening. There wasn't even any "gunslinging". What the hell happened? D |
Death Note
Dir: Adam Wingard Stars: Nat Wolff I had a hard time deciding about this movie. It follows a high school kid who inexplicably comes into possession of a book that will kill anyone whose name you write in it. It sets up a cool kind of Final Destination scenario. But then the movie devolves into a kind of espionage thriller where the world becomes almost cultish behind this mysterious force that is killing bad people. It's odd, because it ceases to be scary or exciting...but it stayed a bit interesting. Willem Dafoe as the Demon who is around to explain the book is pretty cool too. C+ |
Dig Two Graves
Dir: Hunter Adams Stars: Ted Levine I feel cheated by this movie...because it presents itself as something spooky, mystical, and devastating...but it is effectively masking a simple, ordinary story that only becomes apparent late in the film, and it makes the entire experience MUCH less interesting and makes the entire movie pointless and forgettable. I was intrigued by the spooky gypsy men offering to bring a traumatized girl's brother back from the dead if she would only offer up another life...a specific life. I hated how credulous this girl was since they don't portray her vulnerability through depression correctly, but I was interested. Then it just went down a lame path and actually angered me at the end. This movie shouldn't actually have been made...or its simplicity should have been apparent earlier so the audience knows more than as the main character. As it sits...it is a failure. D |
OSCARS
Best Adapted Screenplay
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The Disaster Artist
Dir: James Franco Stars: James Franco, Dave Franco, Seth Rogen, Alison Brie, Josh Hutcherson I feel like one must see The Room before you can fully appreciate this film. Simply because you would think Franco's performance is hyperbolic and ridiculous without it. With it...it shows how great Franco can be, for he fully immerses himself into the role of Tommy Wiseau, the mysterious man at the helm of what many consider the worst movie ever made. This film is very funny, touching, and almost angering at how enigmatic Wiseau is. The friendship, the drive to succeed, and the realizing your dream themes are all handled well. It is more of an exhibition of what happened then an explanation...but it is still a lot of fun. The Franco brothers really show how good they can be if given the right material. B+ Bluray |
OSCARS
KEVIN'S PICK
Best Director
Best Editing Best Cinematography Best Sound Editing |
Dunkirk
Dir: Christopher Nolan Stars: Mark Rylance, Kenneth Branagh, Tom Hardy I still think Christopher Nolan is a virtuoso director. He has made a "war" movie of the likes we have never seen before. But I don't know if that is entirely positive. In 1940, on the beach at Dunkirk, France, British and French forces were driven back to the point that a full-on retreat was ordered as a way to preserve troops who would be needed to defend Britain. It is told in 3 ways, with 3 different timelines. One was on the beach, over a week, where the soldiers are desperate for deliverance. Two was on a man's civilian boat, over a day, who is on his way across the channel to pick up soldiers. Three was over an hour in a spitfire plane dogfighting above the beach. It is all technically masterful but emotionally void. This is simply about survival and desperation, and the only emotionally poignant scenes exist on Mark Rylance's civilian boat. It is still a marvel to watch. B+ |
The Emoji Movie
Dir: Tony Leondis Voices: TJ Miller, James Corden, Anna Faris, Patrick Stewart, Steven Wright, Jennifer Coolidge, Maya Rudolph This is a pretty bad movie, but it is not quite as bad as you have heard. It follows the adventures of the Emoji icons as they venture through their owners phone. The problem with the film is that it is so obvious. Every joke is exactly what joke you would expect with whatever emoji it is focusing on. Every idea about specific apps is blatantly obvious. Also...the animation is pretty bad. In today's world, you have to have better animation than something like Shrek had 17 years ago. Bad, but not insultingly bad. D+ |
The Fate of the Furious
Dir: F. Gary Gray Stars: Vin Diesel, Charlize Theron, Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Kurt Russell, Michelle Rodriguez, the rest of these idiots OK, it only took 8 movies...but I finally love one of these things. This 8th installment is so utterly ridiculous that it is as fantastical as a Marvel movie. No one can ever die and the stunts are as outrageous as ever. But I found myself giddy at the movie's self-awareness and audacity. Sure, there is a car race over ice when a Russian sub bursts through and the Rock throws a torpedo into a car. Sure, Jason Statham skydives into a plane in flight and fights his way through the plane while holding a baby. There are a dozen other "Sure"s, and I loved them. B+ |
Father Figures
Dir: Lawrence Sher Stars: Ed Helms, Owen Wilson, Glenn Close, Terry Bradshaw, Ving Rhames, JK Simmons, Katt Williams, Christopher Walken I can't fathom how a comedy starring these two men can be SO bad. What the hell were the filmmakers thinking? The ONLY reason this isn't an F is because there is a blindsided dramatic scene at the end that was oddly effective, even though it put the final nail in the coffin of this being a complete disaster of a comedy. Nothing is real, funny, or fun. It is very mean-spirited at parts, completely unbelievable and manipulative at others, and it is WAY too long. This movie could have been cut by an hour and accomplished the same thing. What utter and complete garbage. D- |
Free Fire
Dir: Ben Wheatley Stars: Sharlto Copely, Brie Larson, Armie Hammer, Cillian Murphy, Jack Reynor, Noah Taylor I knew what this film was going in. It was a arms deal gone wrong and then a shootout for the entire length of the film. When that is the premise, I am obviously none too concerned with character development and things of that nature. But I do expect creativity...and this movie has none. There are no cool deaths, twists, turns, differentiating character qualities, or anything else to make it worth while. You don't know who wants to shoot who half the time, the geography of the firefight is never properly understood, and people shoot, pause, run, and hide at the most RANDOM times that it turned into a game of Friday night lazer-tag. It just didn't work. C- |
Geostorm
Dir: Dean Devlin Stars: Gerard Butler, Jim Sturgess, Abbie Cornish, Ed Harris, Andy Garcia This movie totally reminded me of my odd affection of 2003's The Core. It is an end of the world sci-fi extravaganza that has a cast that has no business being as star-studded, filled with overly complicated, stupid plot devices, that I can't help but enjoy, even if just a little. The Earth has build a system of satellites that controls the weather. Something has been going wrong and can cause a "geostorm" that can kill us all. So they send the creator of the system to fix it. There are a FEW disaster scenes that are ok (especially Hong Kong), but the movie takes place on the extremely well-done visual effects ISS and then in the political realm. I couldn't help but recognize the idiocy going on...but I enjoyed myself a few moments in spite of myself. C+ |
OSCARS
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Get Out
Dir: Jordan Peele Stars: Daniel Kaluuya, Alisson Williams, Bradley Whitford, Catherine Keener 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die Such a refreshing thriller. Jordan Peele is a genuine comedic talent...and the fact that he so effectively brought his talents into the horror/thriller genre is extraordinary. He takes the simple awkwardness of a black man meeting his girlfriend's affluent white family, slams on the gas, and brings the audience on an insane ride that enters Cabin in the Woods-level audacity. The movie never cheats, never gets corny, and never tries to be more than it is. Tight, concise, gloriously absurd...and so satisfying. B+ |
A Ghost Story
Dir: David Lowery Stars: Casey Affleck, Rooney Mara What a strange movie....whose first half is so excruciatingly boring that it took every bit of my self-control to continue through. Casey Affleck dies, and the shroud over his body in the morgue becomes the classic ghost costume as he lurks around in a time-slipping afterlife. The first half of this film involves the ghost watching Rooney Mara silently and tearlessly mourn her loss...until she moves on...and the second half begins. It is here where the film is a bit interesting, showing how the world moves on, somewhat rapidly, irrespective of who you are or what you did in life. It is all too perfectly exposited by a nihilistic diatribe, which is 95% of the films dialogue. It is a near-slinet reflection about life and loss...sort of...and what a ghost is and what they need and want. Kind of daring and cool...but man...that first half is so hard to get through. C+ |
KEVIN'S PICK
Best Documentary
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Gilbert
Dir: Neil Berkeley In the grand scheme of things, of course this is a superfluous documentary, but I am a HUGE Gilbert Gottfried fan...and to see this touching, man-behind-the-curtain glimpse of his life is simply wonderful. Gottfried is one of the most obnoxious characters in the history of stand-up comedy...and it is what makes him so funny (to some). But to see how gentle, quiet, and reserved he is off the stage makes his life almost melancholy. I loved every second of this documentary. I was laughing to the point of severe coughing fits at some points and crying my eyes out at others. This is specifically for Gottfried fans...and for them it is nearly perfect. A- |
Girlfriend's Day
Dir: Michael Paul Stephenson Stars: Bob Odenkirk, Amber Tamblyn I don't know what the hell this was. This society treats greeting card writers with admiration usually reserved for rock stars. The governor announces that he is creating a new holiday to help the failing greeting card industry. There is a contest to write the most romantic card. People will kill to win it. I couldn't stand this dumbass movie. I love Bob Odenkirk and he would be entertaining if he read the phonebook to me for 2 hours...but there is literally nothing to this movie and nothing to take away from it. It was so poorly thought out, and ran just barely over an hour, that I can't believe it is even a movie. D |
The Girl With All the Gifts
Dir: Colm McCarthy Stars: Gemma Arterton, Paddy Considine, Glenn Close So here is another Zombie movie...but it does have some neat new ideas and a good cast with Gemma Arterton, Paddy Considine, and Glenn Close. The endeavor starts off really strong but it gets weaker and weaker as it chugs along. It gets less scary, less exciting, and almost becomes silly and corny at one point. Also...there is a major protagonist/antagonist issue as I was never sure who I was supposed to be rooting for. Who was the villain? Who was the hero? Does that change? It makes it all uneven but it definitely could have been worse. B- |
Goon: Last of the Enforcers
Dir: Jay Baruchel Stars: Seann William Scott, Liev Schreiber, Allison Pill, Wyatt Russell Goon was an ultra-violent, oddly-touching film about a simpleton finding a place where he fits in...and it was so well done. Jay Baruchel took the reigns with the sequel, and a lot of that magic was lost. He turned it into a run of the mill story, while interesting, didn't have that unique spark. That being said, the final half-hour is superb and saves the movie. I was lulled into complacency and then punched in the face with everything that made the first so great. B- |
OSCARS
Best Original Song
KEVIN'S PICK
Best Picture
Best Sound Mixing Best Original Score Best Original Song |
The Greatest Showman
Dir: Michael Gracey Stars: Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron, Michelle Williams, Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya Good god this is a spectacular piece of entertainment. Deep down I knew this was going to be something special when I first learned that Hugh Jackman would be portraying PT Barnum in a new musical...but I just got around to it. It looks incredible. The choreography is spot on. The Music...my god, the music. This film is full of gloriously anachronistic songs that seem to emulate the fact that Barnum was ahead of his time and it works perfectly. Even the subplots of the freaks, and the Efron/Zendaya romance worked. It is mass-market entertainment for sure...but there is an unbridled enthusiasm at play here that constantly gave me chills. While watching this movie, I was just like PT Barnum as he hears Jenny Lind sing "Never Enough" for the first time...mouth agape with tears in my eyes, in utter astonishment at what I was seeing and hearing. A Digital |
OSCARS
Best Visual Effects
KEVIN'S PICK
Best Makeup & Hairstyling
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Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Dir: James Gunn Stars: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Kurt Russell, Karen Gillen, Michael Rooker I may lose a bit of my review credibility with this one...but I always figure an "A" movie should be something I enjoy at the highest cinematic and emotional level and there is NOTHING I would change if I was given the chance. This sequel fits that bill...and it is my favorite of the year thus far...because it is virtually perfect for what it is. I really don't think Marvel has better to offer than the Guardians movies. It knows EXACTLY what it is...that it is absurdly ridiculous on the surface, so it embraces that absurdity, and is so perfectly playful with it that even the harshest Comic book or sci-fi critic can appreciate. As soon as the opening sequence began...I knew it was going to be special. This is a movie that has the confidence to put an Avengers level climactic battle in the background, unfocused, and off-center, while a small animated twig dances to classic rock. A Bluray |
Happy Death Day
Dir: Christopher Landon So here is a horror movie using the Groundhog Day theme. The idea is fine...where a sorority girl is constantly getting killed and waking up in some guy's dorm room and starting the day all over again. She uses this power of reliving each day to try and discover her killer. Ok fine...but it doesn't really follow the rules it has chosen to abide by. She keeps getting weaker every time she gets killed, so is she actually getting killed, resurrected, and time traveling? It is never explained. Also...she makes a list of suspects and crosses one off every new day. How is that list there if the day resets? Also...whoever thought it was a good idea to make this PG-13 is a complete idiot. It is too sterilized and non-graphic. It's a horror movie people!!! C+ |
OSCARS
Best Documentary Short
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Heroin(e)
Dir: Elaine McMillion Sheldon Essentially an episode of Cops, but an episode that focuses on the opiod epidemic, in the overdose capital of the country in West Virginia, and following three women that are helping the crisis in their own way. The center woman in the poster hands out meals and helps get people into rehab...but she is underused and inconsequential. The woman on the far left is a judge in Drug Court, who shows sympathy and restraint when dealing with her offenders. The woman in the foreground is the most interesting though, as she is the Fire Chief who deals with several overdoses per day. It is interesting and there is a gut-punch that will make you cry. B |
The Hitman's Bodyguard
Dir: Patrick Hughes Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson, Salma Hayek, Gary Oldman Ryan Reynolds is a lot of fun to watch This film, about a protection agent tasked with protecting a notorious contract killer in order to get him to the Hague to testify against a ruthless dictator, is just saturated action. It is almost all done effectively, but its so hyper-kinetic and often ridiculous that it becomes boring at a certain point. There is nothing too interesting beyond the transport so the action is never really that intriguing. Also...Jackson is getting a BIT too old for this stuff and HIS action isn't very believable. C+ |
The House
Dir: Andrew Jay Cohen Stars: Will Ferrell, Amy Poehler, Jason Mantzoukas I felt like I had to support this movie since the college that the daughter wants to go to that the parents can't afford is my Alma Mater, Bucknell University, but this movie is awful. The premise is fine, where two middle-class loser parents open a casino in their friend's house to earn money to pay for college. But Ferrell and Poehler act like such over-exaggerated imbeciles that it sucked all the comedy out of it. They should have played it as in-way-over-their-heads. As it sits...it is garbage with characters that are unpleasant and 100% unrealistic and stupid. D |
I Don't Feel at Home in This
World Anymore Dir: Macon Blair Stars: Melanie Lynskey, Elijah Wood Macon Blair, a great actor in the fantastic Jeremy Saulnier films Blue Ruin and Green Room, has written and directed his own film. This one has the same essence of those films...constant tension interrupted by unexpected and almost sickeningly graphic violence. I have thoroughly enjoyed those movies and I also enjoy this one. However, this film seems to lose a lot of its steam just when things should be ramping up. Watching a diminutive, innocent woman go off the deep end through her interacting with assholes was wonderful and you can see the fact that she will soon be in over her head coming from a mile away...but when that moment comes, the film slips into a bit of cliche and routine. Still, it's really entertaining nonetheless. B |
Infinity Chamber
Dir: Travis Milloy Stars: Christopher Soren Kelly If your sci-fi movie is going to be minimalist and low budget, you better have a good idea underneath it to carry it through. Infinity Chamber certainly does that. It takes patience and some mind gymnastics, but this story re-invigorated my love of the hunt for movies like this. Frank has been placed in a modern prison. Howard talks to him and says it is his mission to keep him alive. Throughout his stay, Frank keeps reliving the night he was arrested in a coffee shop. Why is this happening? Does it have to do with the device in the wall of the prison? Why is he there? What is real? So many questions, so many interpretations, and so many exhilarating possibilities. B+ |
Ingrid Goes West
Dir: Matt Spicer Stars: Aubrey Plaza, Elizabeth Olsen, O'Shea Jackson Jr I am so on the fence with this movie...that I have no choice but to give it a complete, middle-of-the-road C. This tells the story of a disturbed girl who becomes obsessed with an online, twitter star. So much so that she heads "west" to be near her and SOMEHOW befriends her. It is her life's dream. But of course...this creepy scenario can only devolve into stalker-ism. The movie is well acted and well crafted...but the characters are so unpleasant and vapid, it is very hard to root for or even care about any of them. That is a huge problem. I also hated the conclusion as it really should have gone in the 100% opposite direction. C |
It
Dir: Andy Muschietti Stars: Bill Skarsgard If it weren't for the terrifying performance of Bill Skarsgard and the wonderful updated realization of Pennywise the clown...It wouldn't have much going for it. The film is well written and well directed, but the lack of context for the scares and what the conflict is made it all feel a bit hollow. Stephen King's novel is vast and detailed, but we don't get much exposition beyond the fact that something happens in the town of Derry, Maine every 27 years. This film certainly provides some nightmarish visuals and the nostalgic 80s friendships is fun, but after over 2 hours, I was hoping for a bit of understanding as to WHY any of this happened...or WHAT it was that was preying on these kids. Saying "It" was preying on the kids was not quite enough. B- |
OSCARS
KEVIN'S PICK
Best Supporting Actress
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I, Tonya
Dir: Craig Gillespie Stars: Margot Robbie, Sebastian Stan, Allison Janney This is an extraordinarily entertaining film, with great direction, pitch perfect writing, and cool storytelling techniques that reminded me of The Big Short. If I have to gripe a bit...and it is a strange gripe...it is that Margot Robbie, as solid as her performance is, doesn't quite "fit" into the Tonya Harding role. She is a bit too big and a bit too old. The petite, young personna of the real Harding made her a bit more sympathetic and tragic. Even that being said...the perfromance is great...but Janney and Stan are also so great that it almost overshadows some of what Robbie accomplishes. If this movie isn't a "Best Ensemble" winner for the SAG...I don't know what is. B+ |
Jigsaw
Dir: The Spierig Brothers Stars: Tobin Bell, Matt Passmore I have missed the Saw franchise. It has a rich mythology and an aesthetic of blood lust I haven't been able to find elsewhere. I really enjoy the Spierig brothers, but I think they are a bit to talented for these movies because Jigsaw is a bit too clean and sterilized. The Saw movies hinge on their dirt, grit, and amateurish feel. We are always in a dilapidated warehouse, bathroom, or industrial center...here we are in a farmhouse. The traps are fun..and there are at least 2 that are outstanding. But overall, I feel as if this movie was emulating the beloved series...not a part of it. It was a bit too polished and didn't feel as depraved...which is absolutely necessary. C+ |
Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond
Dir: Chris Smith There is a very fine line between method acting and just being an insufferable asshole. This documentary that shows the behind the scenes antics that Jim Carrey was up to on the set of 1999's Man on the Moon, a movie I am a huge fan of. Carrey dove into portraying Andy Kaufman to an almost religiously fanatical way, and his method acting became borderline obnoxious and disruptive to the entire production. He wasn't method acting though...he was emmulating Kaufman and pulling pranks on the prodiction crew and his co-stars. Every eye-roll and grimace was painful. This isn't about Carrey playing Kaufman. It is about Carrey pretending to be Kaufman playing Kaufman. You'll kind of hate Jim Carrey by the end of this documentary...but that doesn't mean it wasn't a bit sadistically enjoyable. B- |
John Wick: Chapter 2
Dir: Chad Stahelski Stars: Keanu Reeves, Ian McShane, Ruby Rose, Common I wasn't a huge fan of John Wick. I liked it's brutality and streamlined concept...but it got old pretty quick for me. Well...they upped the stakes, expanded the exceptionally cool assassin universe (my favorite aspect), and the movie has a level of technically beauty that is head-and-shoulder's above most other action films. Still...everything eventually gets stale. How many flawless headshots can we see before we are just bored by them? However, every second that Reeves and Common share on screen is MASTERFUL. B |
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle
Dir: Jake Kasdan Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan, Rhys Darby, Bobby Cannavale. This is just one of the flat-out most fun films of the year. There is nothing extraordinary about it, but it brings the laughs, the fun, and the "popcorn flick" mentality to the extreme. The Jumanji board game we know and love has morphed into an old-school video game system. Four archetypical high-schoolers plug it in whist in detention and get sucked into the jungle world. The themes are as light as a feather, the performances are all a riot (with Jack Black stealing the show), and the focus on video game tropes and logic make for a rollicking good time. That's it...its great escapist fun. B |
Justice League
Dir: Zack Snyder Stars: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavil, Gal Gadot, Jason Momoa, Ezra Miller, Ray Fisher I thought there was some hope for the DC Universe after the fantastic Wonder Woman. There isn't. They just don't get it. A Justice League movie should be one of the biggest movies of the decade, instead it made barely a blip on the Box Office radar in 2017. DC rushed it out so there is no backstory to Aquaman, Flash, Cyborg, or even Affleck's Batman. Marvel at least gave us standalone origin stories for Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, and Captain America before The Avengers came to fruition. The movie relies on their pop culture history and insists on the audiences entertainment instead of providing any. It is so terribly written that it borders on astonishing. Every quip and aside feels SO unnatural. That all being said...I was never bored...but that may of been my expectation that these icons will break out of their lame shell. A few scenes were fun and exciting...but the DC universe is just a disaster. C |
Justice League
Dir: Zack Snyder Stars: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavil, Gal Gadot, Jason Momoa, Ezra Miller, Ray Fisher I thought there was some hope for the DC Universe after the fantastic Wonder Woman. There isn't. They just don't get it. A Justice League movie should be one of the biggest movies of the decade, instead it made barely a blip on the Box Office radar in 2017. DC rushed it out so there is no backstory to Aquaman, Flash, Cyborg, or even Affleck's Batman. Marvel at least gave us standalone origin stories for Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, and Captain America before The Avengers came to fruition. The movie relies on their pop culture history and insists on the audiences entertainment instead of providing any. It is so terribly written that it borders on astonishing. Every quip and aside feels SO unnatural. That all being said...I was never bored...but that may of been my expectation that these icons will break out of their lame shell. A few scenes were fun and exciting...but the DC universe is just a disaster. C |
Kingsman: The Golden Circle
Dir: Matthew Vaughn Stars: Taron Egerton, Colin Firth, Mark Strong, Jeff Bridges, Channing Tatum, Julianne Moore, Pedro Pascal Kingsman: The Secret Service may well be my favorite movie of the last 5 years...and it surprises even me. So...there was an impossible standard for the sequel to match...but it is still great stuff. Matthew Vaughn injects so much fun and enthusiasm into the movie and I can't get enough. The addition of the American counterpart agency is an obvious segue...but Pedro Pascal is just so damn good as Agent Whiskey. Huge laughs, intense seriousness, and unequaled action sequences. It gave me everything I wanted...but it was never going to rise to the original's heights. B+ Bluray |
OSCARS
Best Visual Effects
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Kong: Skull Island
Dir: Jordan Vogt-Roberts Stars: Tom Hiddleston, Brie Larson, John Goodman, Samuel L. Jackson, John C. Reilly I kind of hated this movie. Sure the effects are top notch, but the story and the characters are so shallow that it is not much more than a video game. It is amazing that the filmmakers gathered this kind of cast together, with Hiddleston, Larson, Goodman, Reilly, and Jackson, and have NOTHING to show for it. How can you put these magnetic actors on screen, fighting the biggest Kong I have seen on film, and make it boring? I really don't get it. Say what you will about 2014's Godzilla...but at least there was SOME emotion and SOME understandable motivation surrounding the human aspect of the story. This movie was just dumb mayhem for basically no reason. D+ |
OSCARS
Best Picture
Best Director Best Actress Best Supporting Actress Best Original Screenplay |
Lady Bird
Dir: Greta Gerwig Stars: Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf, Tracy Letts, Lucas Hedges 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die Ronan and Metcalf pull off two of the best performances of the year in this film. The high-school, teenage angst is perfectly portrayed by Ronan and Metcalf's overbearing mother is so visceral that it is almost painful. This movie is praised as the best movie ever on Rotten Tomatoes...and that is because it is almost imnpossible for someone to consider this movie "bad"...but it is not great. Make a list of High-School tropes...all of them...and they are all touched upon in this film, without any surprising left turns or novel moments of sadness or jubilation. College, leaving home, friendships, boyfriends, virginity...all there. It is just a slice-of-life drama. It made me cry in a few points...so it is certainly good...but I feel like I have seen this movie a dozen times before. B |
The Last Laugh
Dir: Ferne Pearlstein The ability, courage, and appropriateness of joking about horrible subjects such as Nazis, the Holocaust, 9/11, and child molestation is a delicate topic in comedy. This documentary tries to tackle the subject but I found it incredibly boring. The filmmakers did not tell me anything I didn't already know. Mel Brooks skewered Nazis and it was thought to be in bad taste. Yep. Context is important when telling jokes about touchy subjects. Yep. Actual Holocaust survivors may not find Sarah Silverman's jokes on the matter funny. Ok. Does that mean Silverman is wrong in making the jokes or are the survivors understandably without a sense of humor about it? The movie never has the courage to suggest either. It just exhibits how some people joke, and some people laugh, and some people don't. Comedy is subjective, and one's personal experience informs on how one will react to a joke. And the sky is blue. C |
KEVIN'S PICK
Best Animated Film
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The Lego Batman Movie
Dir: Chris McKay Voices: Will Arnett, Michael Cera, Zach Galifianakis, Ralph Fiennes, Rosario Dawson The novelty has worn off a BIT...but these Lego movies have carved themselves out quite a niche. They are creative, funny, and refreshing because there isn't much attempt to make anything look realistic...only to look like Legos. Also...a lot of effort obviously goes into the writing...because the humor, self-referrentials, and overall goofiness is pretty unique. I could also listen to Will Arnett's drawl as Batman all day long. This is fun stuff. B |
Little Evil
Dir: Eli Craig Stars: Adam Scott, Evangeline Lilly, Tyler Labine This movie is flat out The Omen but done as a near-spoof. Its comedy works when stuff keeps happening but the movie and its characters are trying to stay grounded in reality...so the incredulity becomes hilarious. Adam Scott is pretty perfect as the stepfather trying to connect with his demon spawn stepson, but Evangeline Lilly is pretty much wasted. There is a great cameo though. I liked it, and I laughed enough...but it is ultimately a bit forgettable. B- |
OSCARS
Best Adapted Screenplay
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Logan
Dir: James Mangold Stars: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Stephen Merchant I love the X-Men movies...but with Logan...I feel like they have finally matured and have been done right. Wolverine was always an R-rated character but they couldn't make the X-Men films rated R or they'd chase away the kiddies. Here...Wolverine is dropping F-bombs, drinking, contemplating suicide, and viciously carving through his adversaries in ways you've never seen before. This movie is so great. We've come to love Hugh Jackman as wolverine and his invincibility, but to see his powers failing him and becoming increasingly more vulnerable is a welcome pivot in the franchise and provided a fresh, exciting take. There are SOME slow stretches and the lack of a mutant smorgasbord cast is something you find yourself missing, but it is still fantastic entertainment. This was exactly what I wanted to see Jackman go out on...his best portrayal of his iconic character. A- Bluray |
Logan Lucky
Dir: Steven Soderbergh Stars: Channing Tatum, Adam Driver, Daniel Craig, Riley Keough This is solid entertainment, but it is simply a lesser, redneck Ocean's 11. So much so that I honestly expected Clooney to show up as Danny Ocean to reveal that Tatum's Jimmy Logan was his protege, as a way to explain his inexplicable talents in preparing a heist of a Nascar venue. It is this explanation as to HOW these guys are able to pull off some of this stuff is what the film is lacking. It has several characters but none of them seem to have any defining characteristics or expertise. Still...this movie is populated with great actors and a great director, so it is a fun ride. B |
Long Shot
Dir: Jacob LaMendola I really wish this movie was full length, instead of its brief 40 minutes. It is about a man who is falsely accused of murder and is desperate to set up hi alibi of being at a Dodger Game the night of the killing. It is so exciting, heartbreaking, and interesting...and it takes such a hard left-turn into unexpected-ville that injects so much life into it. I dare not say anything about it...just see it. The epilogue text really does show that a full length documentary could have been made...but I will settle for this little gem. B+ |
The Magic Pill
Dir: Robert Tate Full disclosure. I decided to catch this documentary on Netflix simply for informative purposes and not entertainment ones. My wife and I have recently begun a ketogenic diet, and this documentary is about how healthy and effective that is, for overall health, and for ecological reasons. It's one of those documentaries with a bunch of interesting data and anecdotes but little to no inspiration in storytelling or filmmaking. It will give you a bunch information...but won't provide it much more cleverly than a book. C+ |
Mayhem
Dir: Joe Lynch Stars: Steven Yuen, Samara Weaving Quite a fun ride. Similar to The Belko Experiment, Mayhem is about a viral outbreak inside a corporate hi-rise which causes the infected to completely lose all of their inhibitions. The film is a little unclear as to if these maniacs can't help what they are doing...or using the infection as an excuse to do what they want. Fine line, I know. Still...it is kinetic, bloody fun. It is kind of Belko plus a bit of The Raid/Dredd as Steven Yuen works to get to the penthouse and confront the higher-ups. I dug it. B |
Mindhorn
Dir: Sean Foley Stars: Julian Barratt, Simon Farnaby, Essie Davis, Steve Coogan Sometimes this absurd British humor just takes a little faith until it all clicks into place and becomes hysterical. This film follows an aging television star, who was in a horrible spy show back in the day, who is requested by a crazy serial killer. This killer will only talk to "Mindhorn", so the actor decides to comply as a way back into public conscience. I smirked, chuckled, and enjoyed myself. But it wasn't until the finale, with a glorious sense of "How the hell did we wind up here" that I laughed harder than I have in a LONG time. It was enough to make the whole thing worth while. B |
OSCARS
Best Adapted Screenplay
KEVIN'S PICK
Best Adapted Screenplay
|
Molly's Game
Dir: Aaron Sorkin Stars: Jessica Chastain, Idris Elba, Kevin Costner, Michael Cera Aaron Sorkin's screenplay is on FIRE here. It must be 300 pages long, because the entire film hinges on how incredibly entertaining and electric the dialogue and the narration is. The story is straightforward, where an ex world-class skiier starts up a high stakes, high profile poker game and enjoys the peaks and valleys of such an enterprise, and the character development is adequate, but watching Chastain and Elba trade quips and intellects is exhilarating to the point of exhaustion. The movie is long, but the dialogue is so breathless as to make it all as exciting as an action film. There is a reason movie posters put "Written by Aaron Sorkin" on them...he is one of a kind. For my money...this is the Adapted Screenplay Oscar winner hands down. B+ |
Mommy Dead & Dearest
Dir: Erin Lee Carr I can't believe that this documentary is real, and I can't believe that the darkness and depravity of the human race can still surprise me. This is the story of Gypsy Rose Blanchard, a girl whose mother manipulated everyone she came across by pretending that she was paralyzed, has muscular dystrophy, was retarded, had leukemia, and was much younger than she actually was. It is an astonishingly detailed look into Gypsy's life and how it all came to a head and landed her in jail. The access this movie has is incredible...with interviews with Gypsy today, with home movies, and family/friends interviews. Quite a unique film that is incredibly enjoyable...and it will take a while to pick your jaw up off the floor. A- |
The Monster Project
Dir: Victor Mathieu Stars: Toby Hemingway, Justin Bruening I scrape the bottom of the streaming barrel in hopes to find gems. It doesn't happen often, and it doesn't happen here. But what I do like to find are these movies that have a great idea, but neither the money or the talent to realize it. Here, a couple of Youtube stars set out to interview 3 real monsters, a vampire, a demon, and a skinwalker, that they found on craigslist...and they do it in a creepy rented house for effect. Things go haywire, and it can be scary besides the obvious cheap effects and production design...and then things drive off a cliff and it becomes stupid. It's a shame...give this stuff to a Wes Craven-like director and it could be pretty frightening and fun. D+ |
Mother!
Dir: Darren Aronofsky Stars: Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Ed Harris, Michelle Pfeiffer 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die I guess I can't hate this movie because it is made with such skill and intensity, it inevitably evokes an emotional response that is powerful. The most powerful of those emotions though are confusion and exasperation. For the first time in her career, I don't think Jennifer Lawrence was up to this task...because when all hell is breaking loose in her house, she always feels too passive, too silent, and too accepting. I know the allegories that have been prescribed to this film, and that is fine, but it fails a bit because I didn't feel these were real people in a real reality at any point. But at points, the horror and extremities are so relentless that your brain has problems processing what you are seeing and understanding it. And even if it makes no sense, you will gasp, cringe, cry out in horror, or even cry. I don't know why...but I bet you will B- |
OSCARS
Best Supporting Actress
Best Adapted Screenplay Best Cinematography Best Original Song KEVIN'S PICK
Best Supporting Actor
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Mudbound
Dir: Dee Rees Stars: Garrett Hedlund, Jason Mitchell, Jason Clarke, Carey Mulligan, Rob Morgan, Mary J. Blige, Jonathan Banks A phenomenal, rich-tapestry of storytelling and filmmaking. The story is set in 1940s Mississippi...and it tells many stories surrounding the southern folk around a cotton farm. We get tales of the owner and his wife, touching on gender roles. We get the story of the black sharecroppers who dream of having their own farm but know they must stay in their place due to the dangerous racial climate. We have the stories of the farm owners brother and the sharecropper's son, who have both returned from WWII, and are handling it differently, and sprouting an unlikely and unacceptable friendship. This movie is just beautiful, well-acted, and never feels like it has to lay on the white-guilt or over-state its themes like so many other films of its type. From beginning to end...this movie is just wonderful...reminding me of The Cider House Rules, while telling several storied POVs and treating them all with respect. A- |
The Mummy
Dir: Alex Kurtzman Stars: Tom Cruise, Russell Crowe, Sofia Boutella What a misfire. Obviously Universal wants to get in on the universe building model Marvel has been so successful with. So why not make it with their Universal Monsters properties? Makes sense I guess. On paper...a Mummy movie with Tom Cruise, Russell Crowe, and Sofia Boutella seemed like a lot to get excited about. However...there is no love or passion behind this venture. Everything is by the numbers. Nothing is new. Nothing is fun. Of course there is a BIT of flair here and there considering the talent on screen...but Universal just wanted to launch their "Dark Universe" and forgot to start it with a great movie. They seemed to just pump it out and move on to the next one...thinking it will take care of itself. It doesn't. C- |
Naked
Dir: Michael Tiddes Stars: Marlon Wayans, Regina Hall, Scott Foley, Dennis Haysbert There is almost nothing original here. This is a take-off on Groundhog Day but this time it is a single hour that is repeated, on a man's wedding day, and he wakes up every reset naked in a broken elevator. The same jokes come out of the premise as you would expect...so any success hinges on how much you enjoy Marlon Wayans. I love Marlon Wayans, but even I found him to be bored with the movie...as if it was ONLY a money grab from the Netflix Juggernaut. There are some good laughs here and there...and I would be lying if I said I wasn't curious to see how it all turns out...but it is tired and predictable. Also...if you are only giving the protagonist an hour...don't make it seem like he accomplished WAY too much in that hour...and remember that people around him aren't repeating the day with him. There are rules to this premise, people!! C |
Nobody Speak: Trials of the Free Press
Dir: Brian Knappenberger The story about billionaires putting their money and influence behind free speech litigation is an interesting subject. It is a grey area because who is to say rich people can't do whatever the hell they want with their money and influence...even litigating against the press? The doc is a BIT one sided though, and the through-story of Hulk Hogan Vs. Gawker, Sheldon Addleston, and Trump doesn't mesh well...even though they are individually interesting. Good Info, well made...but uneven. B- |
Perfect Bid:
The Contestant Who Knew Too Much Dir: CJ Willis Sometimes, documentaries just shouldn't really exist. What is the point? All it does is tell the play by play of a Math teacher who memorized all of The Price is Right's prices over the years (the show repeats prizes constantly). It all leads up to a situation where he helps a friend bid on the Showcase Showdown to the exact dollar. Impressive? sure. Interesting? meh. Important? No! The entire documentary is Ted sitting in a room telling of his experience with stock footage of the show. There is not enough flair to make this film worth your while at all. Find a Youtube clip of the show and you'll have enough. D+ |
Pirates of the Caribbean:
Dead Men Tell No Tales Dir: Joachim Ronning & Elden Sandberg Stars: Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Javier Bardem The key to the original Pirates movies is that Jack Sparrow was a tool or a foil for the other characters to use or deal with. The 4th Pirates film forgot this, but the 5th kind of gets that. There is a lot of the magic missing, mostly because Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley aren't front and center, and their cameos made me miss them all the more. Also...the leads in this have no chemistry whatsoever. But...some of the spirit returns and its kind of fun...but nothing like the magic of the first. B- |
Pitch Perfect 3
Dir: Trish Sie Stars: Anna Kendrick, Brittany Snow, Anna Camp, Rebel Wilson, Ruby Rose The last time we will see the Barden Bellas. They already won the College Championships in the first and the World's in the second. Now they have nothing to aspire to, so they make up some dumb contest to join DJ Khaled's tour. The filmmakers knew they didn't have much, so they inject some weird Bourne-style kidnapping/escape subplot that has no business in this movie. There is way too much plot, the vocals and music sound more manufactured then ever, and they dropped Adam Devine...but these girls do make the movie a bit fun. It doesn't live up to the previous movies, and it is all going out with a fizzle and a whimper, but it was all fun while it lasted. C |
OSCARS
KEVIN'S PICK
Best Costume Design
Best Original Score |
Phantom Thread
Dir: Paul Thomas Anderson Stars: Daniel Day-Lewis, Lesley Manville, Vicky Krieps What an enigma this movie is. I didn't enjoy it per se but it was incredibly magnetic and hypnotic because of its incredible craftsmanship. Lewis is as brilliant as ever as a dressmaker genius who brings a new woman/muse into his life who starts as a girl in awe, then a girl in love, then a girl who feels left behind in the wake of his genius. Anderson composed a rich, gorgeous, and utterly amazing palette of a film and I couldn't get enough of it. It was slow, plodding, with character arcs I didn't like, understand, or buy...but I can't get past how mesmerizing it was and how powerful its sense of je ne sais quoi held me captive. B+ |
OSCARS
Best Picture
Best Actress |
The Post
Dir: Steven Spielberg Stars: Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, Bob Odenkirk, Matthew Rhys, Bradley Whitford, Bruce Greenwood I had a bit of the same problem with this film as I had with the Best Picture winner of 2015, Spotlight. They are both well written, well acted movies, following journalists covering an important story that has historical significance. Also...I feel like they are not very cinematic...being not much more than journalists talking about the story with each other and hyperbolizing its importance for the audience. I'd never say they are bad movies...but I feel like they translate better to theater. Streep and Hanks are superb, as they usually are...but the Spielberg stamp doesn't seem to be here because the movie is so restrained. I was fascinated by the story about whether the Nixon administration would prevent the Washington Post from publishing classified documents about the Vietnam War...but fascination didn't translate to enough excitement or energy for me. B |
The Price of Fame
Dir: Peter Ferriero Stars: Ted Dibiase, Ted Dibiase Jr I have been on a tear with WWE documentaries...but this is not a very good one. The Million Dollar Man, Ted Dibiase, is one of my favorite wrestlers of all time, and whenever I see him, I feel a huge pang of nostalgia. The first half of this movie is fun, talking about how DiBiase was one of the most respected heels of all time. But then the film devolves into a religious exhibition. Dibiase did some things he is not proud of while wrestling, and now he is a hardcore, born-again christian. I mean...good for him...but it makes for a HUGELY unfocused documentary. I picked this to learn about a wrestler...not to be preached to. C- |
Radius
Dir: Caroline Labreche & Steeve Leonard Stars: Diego Klattenhoff, Charlotte Sullivan All the props for this movie go toward the sci-fi gimmick and the small amount of scenes where they actually excercise said gimmick. A man wakes up on the side of the road, having been in a car accident, with amnesia. As he walks around, he realizes that anyone he approaches drops dead instantly. That is until an enigmatic woman arrives, who not only doesn't drop dead in his presence, but seems to counteract his affliction. As Liam tries to understand his condition and how he and Jane try to coordiante their efforts to solve their problem, it is a lot of fun. What happens when one gets stuck on the elevator? It could kill dozens of people in the hospital. What if they are arrested and seperated? Very exciting. BUT...and this is a huge but...there is FAR too little of these scenarios and far too much of these two characters sitting in rooms and discussing their problem. It got incredibly boring and these actors and the screenplay are too weak to carry the movie without the gimmick. How many times can these people say the lines "You just don't understand" and "It's not your fault". It was a valiant effort though. C |
Rough Night
Dir: Lucia Aniello Stars: Scarlett Johansson, Kate McKinnon This is obviously a girl version of Very Bad Things...but where that movie had its flaws as well, it was structured as a tragic, black comedy. This is structured as a slapstick comedy. The guys in the former movie acted out of desperation...these girls act out of stupidity and panic. There are certainly laughs to be had, mostly from Kate McKinnon, which is the status quo, and the co-writer has a funny role as Johansson's fiance. One other point...I now think Jillian Bell is a poison pill in comedies and I can't stand her. B- |
Sandy Wexler
Dir: Steven Brill Stars: Adam Sandler, Jennifer Hudson I honestly think Adam Sandler has become so rich, so powerful, and so popular...that no one has the balls to tell him when something isn't working or something isn't funny. This film had a few good laughs in it...but they were often regardless of Sandler or in spite of him. I almost NEVER enjoy Sandler's dumb accents...because if the material is strong enough...the accent isn't needed. His accent in this film is horrible and adds NOTHING to the film, and I bet no one told him that. I also bet no one told him how ill advised the romantic angle was for this film. It is INSANELY creepy and unbelievable and nearly ruins the entire thing. There have been a few times when Sandler has been worse...but there have been MANY times when he has been better...and this is his worst Netflix outing to date. C- |
Score: A Film Music Documentary
Dir: Matt Schrader The success of this documentary hinges solely on your interest in the world of film scores. I am obsessed with film scores so I was hooked. This doc follows the history of movie music, the evolution of it, the technical production of it, and most of it is the exhibition and appreciation of the giants. Jerry Goldsmith, John Williams, Danny Elfman, Hans Zimmer, Thomas Newman...they are all praised and enjoyed. This may not be a full course meal...but it is a delicious piece of pizza. Great for what it is...but singular and simple for what it is. B+ |
OSCARS
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The Shape of Water
Dir: Guillermo del Toro Stars: Sally Hawkins, Michael Shannon, Richard Jenkins, Doug Jones, Octavia Spencer, Michael Stuhlbarg 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die I have been told for months that this movie has the best love story of the year. It angered me that in such a gorgeous, well-acted, well produced movie...I am TOLD about said love story instead of shown it. It is such a shame because this could have been glorious...but I didn't buy the ROMANCE angle of Elisa the mute and this sea-creature. I would have bought the sympathetic angle of a captive animal that smoothly transitions to some sort of mutual respect and then MAYBE love. But as it sits...after a few interactions, Elisa is disrobing and looking for fish love. It bothered me incessantly because everything else I was seeing was some of the best cinematic perfection of the year. If del Toro could write the way he can visually create, he would have had a timeless masterpiece on his hands. B |
Sharknado 5: Global Swarming
Dir: Anthony C. Ferrante Stars: Ian Ziering, Tara Reid This gimmick has run its course. It's just not that funny or fun anymore. The cameos are tired and unrecognizable to those of us who avoid reality tv. Ian Ziering gets it though...he hams up his performace in a very fun way, but Tara Reid is so bad. She isn't even funny bad or corny bad...just monotone, emotionless, and robotic. After it started...I was just waiting for it to be over. D- |
Snatched
Dir: Jonathan Levine Stars: Amy Schumer, Goldie Hawn Nope...just don't like Amy Schumer. I think it is because her comedy seems VERY forced and unnatural when it comes to acting. Not only that...but Goldie Hawn is so underused in this film. She is just there as Goldie Hawn...and given no depth and hardly any comic punches. If it weren't for the big laughs I got from Christopher Meloni and Ike Barinholtz, I would have flat out HATED this film. As it is...I guess it is harmless. C- |
Spider-Man: Homecoming
Dir: Jon Watts Stars: Tom Holland, Robert Downey, Jr., Michael Keaton, Marisa Tomei, Jon Favreau I have just accepted that Marvel has their shit together and is not going to screw up their properties. For the first time, Peter Parker is done right...as a kid. The addition of Tony Stark as his mentor makes for a really cool dynamic. This movie didn't do anything that breaks the mold...like Guardians of the Galaxy seems to do on a regular basis...but it certainly doesn't do anything particularly wrong. Tom Holland is solid, the action is creative, and Michael Keaton as the villain is fantastic. It's great to have Spidey in the MCU. Can't wait to see where he goes. B Bluray |
Spielberg
Dir: Susan Lacy As a cinephile, there wasn't TOO much in this 2.5 hour documentary that I didn't know before. But to watch Spielberg talk about his life and inspirations is infinitely watchable. Nearly every movie is touched on but I wished there was time to talk more about Always, the Indiana Jones sequels, Hook, AI, and The Terminal. Also...Spielberg's opinions were always focused on him...and other than a snippet about John Williams, rarely discussed his actors...which was strange. Not much about Hanks, Ford, Dreyfuss...very important parts of his fame and success. Still...it's 145 minutes of Spielberg...how can you go wrong? B |
Split
Dir: M. Night Shyamalan Stars: James McAvoy An M. Night Shyamalan thriller about a split personality? This could have gone so wrong. Due to James McAvoy's immaculate performance as no less than 8 separate personalities...it is a near triumph. I thought the movie would be cool...but it wound up gripping me and beating the piss out of me. I wasn't watching a simple crazy person...I was actually watching several characters embodying the same human...and I found myself wondering what Patricia would say, or Hedwig, or Dennis...it was quite the experience. In fact...it is all handled so deftly...that when things get a bit supernatural/surreal...I bought it. I could not have been more pleased with this and it is a shame that it was released in January...since James McAvoy will never be remember come Oscar time. A- Bluray |
OSCARS
Best Sound Editing
Best Sound Mixing Best Visual Effects Best Original Score |
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Dir: Rian Johnson Stars: Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac Being a life-long Star Wars fan...I am a tough audience. Ever since Disney too over the franchise, I have loved what they have done. When this film began...I started to really worry, because there is comedy that keeps popping up in such extreme ways that it ruined every scene it was in. It belonged in Spaceballs, not Star Wars. Then it seemed the film got over it...and proceeded with some of the most exciting and unique stuff the franchise has ever done. When I think about this film in years to come. I will think about 3 things. An action sequence in Snoke's chambers, Laura Dern's penultimate scene, and the overall climax on the Salt planet. These 3 scenes are arguably the greatest things Star Wars has ever done. Sure...there are weaknesses here and there...but this is extraordinary action fantasy of the highest order. A- Bluray |
Table 19
Dir: Jeffrey Blitz Stars: Anna Kendrick, Stephen Merchant, June Squibb, Craig Robinson, Lisa Kudrow What a complete disaster this movie is. It was obviously brought upon by the inspired Wedding Singer joke about the "mutants at table 9"...and the idea that there is a table of misfits at a wedding could REALLY be great fodder for comedy. For some reason, the filmmakers and actors made this movie a tragedy in the most uncomfortable, sad, and un-entertaining way. Angry couple? It is Craig Robinson and Lisa Kudrow. Why make that dynamic about infidelity and near hatred of each other? Why make June Squibb a character whose identifying characteristic is that no one remembers her? Everything was so unpleasant and lost opportunities. I actually hated this movie because I had such hopes for it. Stephen Merchant is the only saving grace. He is VERY funny...but it is not enough. D- |
Their Finest
Dir: Lone Sherfig Stars: Gemma Arterton, Sam Clafin, Bill Nighy What an infinitely pleasant, feel good movie, full of heartfelt, surprising performances. The film tells the story of a secretary hired to help write a propaganda film about Dunkirk as a way to boost morale during the Blitz of WWII. It is a heavy subject, and there are heavy themes going on, but Gemma Arterton is simply wonderful, Bringing a bubbliness and a gravitas to the proceedings that more than carries the film. Sam Clafin also turns in a performance as her writing partner that no opne ever thought he had in him. A- |
KEVIN'S PICK
Best Sound Mixing
|
Thor: Ragnarok
Dir: Taika Waititi Stars: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Mark Ruffalo, Cate Blanchette, Tessa Thompson, Idris Elba, Jeff Goldblum It is astonishing what Taika Waititi, a comedy director, has done with the Thor franchise. The movies have been a bit too self important and were among the less successful of the MCU and Waititi single-handedly re-invigorated the characters and has made Chris Hemsworth's God of Thunder the best hero on Marvel's roster...surpassing even Robert Downy Jr. . This movie is one of the greatest, most unique films Marvel has had to offer. It is so exhuberant and playful in ways that make almost every scene pulse-poundingly exciting. This is an action comedy, through and through, with a LOT of laughs to be had. Every character is firing on all cylinders and it really gives Guardians of the Galaxy a run for its money as being the most whimsical among the Marvel films. A- Bluray |
OSCARS
KEVIN'S PICK
Best Actress
Best Original Screenplay |
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Dir: Martin McDonagh Stars: Frances McDormand, Sam Rockwell, Woody Harrelson, Abbie Cornish, John Hawkes, Lucas Hedges 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die IMDB #138 I really wish this movie stuck the landing because it is a simply outstanding drama in almost every way. Martin McDonagh is a great writer/director and he has created a tapestry of characters that are all incredibly realized. Heroes & Villains are always shifting, POVs are always changing, facades are always falling and re-emerging, and your opinion as to what is happening keeps differing. McDonagh writes these characters with such richness that you like each and every one of them, even when they are doing despicable things. Every time you think you know what will happen, or what someone's opinion/actions will be...you will be wrong. Fantastic film...but the last 10 minutes or so felt weird, and even the characters admit as such, and it left me with a cocked head in a bit of confusion instead of the satiated sigh of completion I thought it would be. A- |
Tour de Pharmacy
Dir: Jake Szymanski Stars: Andy Samberg, John Cena, Orlando Bloom, James Marsden Why oh why are these little vignettes not full blown feature films? "7 Days of Hell" was superb. This one is not quite up to that level...but it is so rapid-fire funny that I was furious that it ended after only 40 minutes. I wish HBO made these at a faster clip because watching this cast act so ridiculous was so much fun. Props to Lance Armstrong and his ongoing "anonymous" joke. That took balls. (no pun intended). B |
Transformers: The Last Knight
Dir: Michael Bay Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Anthony Hopkins, Josh Duhamel Ask me and I couldn't tell you. What is this movie about? Not a clue. And I think I would deserve $10,000 if I were able to give a plot synopsis of all 5 films. They all blend together and have almost the same formula. The acting is awful, the story is absurd...but again...the reason I keep giving these movies "C' grades...it is a visual spectacle. The effects of the transformers are so flawless...that I was constantly mesmerized into complacency. I'll keep seeing them if they can keep wowing me in that respect. C |
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets
Dir: Luc Besson Stars: Dane Dehaan, Carla Delevingne, Clive Owen, Rihanna, Ethan Hawke This film is so ridiculously imaginative, creative, and gorgeous...that all humanity and emotion was put on the back burner and it was sucked right out of it. Besson had to be so concerned with his visual spectacle that he just forgot about everything else. All the acting is atrocious...almost comically so...and the storyline is so meandering, unclear, and ultimately cliche and pointless. That all being said...I could not look away. All the different aliens, technologies, ships, and creatures are just a feast for the eyes. I could not wait for the film to continue as I was generally excited to see what else they could come up with. That opening sequence that shows the growth of the ISS into "Alpha" was miraculous, the scene on Planet Mul was wonderful...then the humans showed up and ruined everything. B- |
The Vault
Dir: Dan Bush Stars: James Franco, Taryn Manning, Q'Orianka Kilcher, Clifton Collins It is such a shame when people have a half-decent idea but they rush to production without the proper budget or properly fleshing out said idea. There is a bank robbery and something is a bit off. Then the assistant manager reveals another vault in the basement in the old bank. More things feel a bit off. The potential was there for this to be thrilling, frightening, and brain-twisty. As it sits...the thrills are too sterile, the frights are too cheap and simple, and the twist is telegraphed WAY too early. What a disappointment. C- |
The Void
Dir: Jeremy Gillespie & Steven Kostanski Stars: Aaron Poole, Kenneth Welsh I felt such disappointment while watching this movie...because this movie had the workings to be a bit of a small horror masterpiece. The directors have a GREAT eye for horror. There are terrifying scenes of hooded, motionless figures outside of the abandoned hospital the characters find themselves in. The grotesque creatures that rear their ugly heads are wonderfully imagined. But that is where it ends. The movie is so disastrously written that it spoils such a great production. The actors are awful, their characters act in such idiotic ways and serve ONLY to advance plot. And the exposition about what is actually happening to these people is incomprehensible. Some mystery and vagueness can be great. This is pure nonsense that is impossible to understand and follow...and I tried my hardest. It got so bad that I stopped caring...because I knew it wasn't going to save itself. D |
Voyeur
Dir: Myles Kane & Josh Koury This documentary had a lot of things to keep my interest, and the central 2 characters are fascinating, but this whole thing is a huge bait-and-switch that was a bit annoying. Gay Talese is an iconic journalist that has written many famous books. Decades ago, he was contacted by Gerald Foos, a man who told the story about how he bought a motel for the sole purpose of setting up a voyeuristic paradise where he could watch his tenants and record everything about what he sees. The documentary promised an account of this man and his depraved obsessions. It has SOME of that, but not enough. What it focuses more on is the difficulty of reporting and writing a book about this subject, and how journalistic integrity is very important. It is not the story I wanted to see...but Gay and Gerald are so charismatic and enigmatic, respectively, that, although I was disappointed, I was never bored. B |
The Wall
Dir: Doug Liman Stars: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, John Cena Liman, Taylor-Johnson, and Cena are definitely not the problem with this film. The entire premise is that the spotter of a two-man sniper team is pinned down behind a tiny, crumbling wall with a ridiculously talented, seemingly omniscient enemy sniper in the distance. The unfortunate thing is that it just can't sustain the premise. The pinned soldier is hit so he spends as much time tending to his wounds and passing out as he does trying to solve his predicament. When he is focused on finding the sniper, finding a radio, or helping his downed parter...the film can be riveting. When he is talking on his radio with his assailant or dressing his wounds..it becomes boring. I love the premise but it just couldn't hold my interest for its short runtime. C+ |
OSCARS
Best Visual Effects
KEVIN'S PICK
Best Visual Effects
|
War For the Planet of the Apes
Dir: Matt Reeves Stars: Andy Serkis, Woody Harrelson An argument can be made that the modern Planet of the Apes films comprise one of the best all-time trilogies. Not only are they a massive leap forward in special effects...but they took the franchise completely out of the campiness of the old films and brought them into the realm of respectable sci-fi. This film involves Caesar facing off against a rogue Colonel played by Woody Harrelson. It is a lot of the same...where Caesar and the apes just want to live independently and the humans just can't leave well enough alone. Again...Andy Serkis proves there has to be a path to awards recognition for motion capture performances...because his Caesar performance is astounding. This isn't as batshit crazy fun as the previous film and it does slow down a couple times...but this is a wonderful conclusion to this great trilogy. B+ |
War Machine
Dir: David Michod Stars: Brad Pitt This is such an odd movie. On the one hand...it is obvious that the film is shaming America for their imperialist policies in the Middle East and how counterinsurgency is a fool's errand. But then they introduce a General, weirdly played by Brad Pitt in a very strange George C. Scott impression, who has the best of intentions and the most compassionate of approaches to Afghanistan. Is he the enemy? Is he hubristic? Is he the hero that the rest of the world just doesn't see? Is he all of it? The movie never decides and so it all feels so strange. I never knew if what was happening was funny, tragic, or satirical...because the film never decided what it was trying to say. It wasn't awful...but I just couldn't settle into a message...if there was a message to be had. C+ |
What Happened to Monday
Dir: Tommy Wirkola Stars: Noomi Rapace, Willem DaFoe, Glenn Close For multiple-role performances, especially something like septuplets, the bar was set incredibly high by Orphan Black and Tatiana Maslany...and Noomi Rapace is not her. Still...she does a serviceable job portraying septuplets, each named after a day of the week. It is a dystopia where overpopulation threatens the human race, so the government imposes a one-child policy and siblings are frozen until the population problem is solved. Willem DaFoe trains his granddaughters to survive by becoming one personna, each portraying her on the day of the week that corresponds to her name. The performances are fun, the action is great, and the story keeps you guessing in the best ways. Thinks started to REALLY slow down leading up to the climax...but it keeps its head above water for the most part. B |
Wonder Wheel
Dir: Woody Allen Stars: Kate Winslet, Justin Timberlake, Jim Belushi, Juno Temple Sometimes...Woody Allen can successfully inject his voice into his cast and it all feels authentic and exciting. It is absolutely not the case with this film about a broken woman stuck in Coney Island. With the exception of Belushi, who I really enjoyed, Winslet, Timberlake, and Temple felt so inauthentic. They were actors reading Allen's lines...not characters. It is the entire downfall of the movie...and it is a shame. The production design and cinematography are almost impossibly gorgeous and fun. Also, there are two instances...one at the start of Act 2 and one at the start of Act 3...that REALLY inject a dose of adrenaline into the plot and kept me interested. Sometimes...no matter how high quality that actors are...they are just not the right muses for Allen. C+ |
Wonder Woman
Dir: Patty Jenkins Stars: Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, David Thewlis, Danny Huston DC has FINALLY figured it out. For the DC Cinematic Universe to work...it has to be fun. This movie is a lot of fun. It combines the best parts of Thor, with the mystical place and culture that is thrust upon our world, and Captain America: The First Avenger, with the superhero assisting in warfare action/adventure. It all just worked, and Gadot and Pine have fantastic chemistry. The action is exciting, unique, and creative. The production design is top notch for a WWI period piece. My issue is a part of Diana's characterization. Her naivety and war-mongering enthusiasm began as charming and provided some comedy. But it evolved into childish and annoying by the end. That and a BIT of an overblown finale where I started to get bored. Be that as it may...this is definitely the best thing DC has done and I hope they can keep the momentum going into Justice League. B+ |