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Deadpool
Director: Tim Miller
Writers: Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick | 2 more credits »
Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin, T.J. Miller.
Storyline
This is the origin story of former Special Forces operative turned mercenary Wade Wilson, who after being subjected to a rogue experiment that leaves him with accelerated healing powers, adopts the alter ego Deadpool. Armed with his new abilities and a dark, twisted sense of humor, Deadpool hunts down the man who nearly destroyed his life.
User Reviews
Deadpool is a triumph of artistic vision over studio interference. Little credit should be given to 20th Century Fox, as they had zero faith in the success of a Deadpool movie. To put things into perspective, Ryan Reynolds fought for this film back in 2004 when Blade: Trinity was released. Reynolds and co. went to shoot test footage that was then leaked online by Reynolds because Fox had no intentions to release it to the public. Finally, after years and years of BEGGING to the studio and the overwhelming positive responses of the test footage from the public, Fox didn't even tell Reynolds and co. that the film was greenlit. They had to find out online like the rest of us plebeians. If that sounds bad, Fox even cut their budget by $7 million AT THE LAST MINUTE, which caused the writers to scratch some action sequences that I'm sure would've been great to see.
Deadpool now has the biggest opening weekend in the month of February (surpassing Fifty Shades of Grey), the biggest opening weekend for 20th Century Fox (surpassing all the X-Men films), and the biggest opening weekend for an R rated film EVER (surpassing The Matrix: Reloaded). With all that being said, Deadpool is a hilariously entertaining film that works mainly because of Reynolds himself. His comedic skills pay off gloriously as the titular character, who gives so many quips in one instance that some jokes will be missed. Of course, credit should be given to the writers too (AKA: The Real Heroes Here), and it's impressive that this is Tim Miller's directorial debut. The action sequences and pacing are so good that you'd think this came from a veteran director.
From the ingenious opening credits to the subversive ending, Deadpool constantly upends clichés and tropes you're used to seeing in superhero flicks in the past few years. What's great here is the filmmakers had something weird and perverse and just went with it. Jokes about pedophilia, pegging, and sex run rampant, but it's never really dark, despite the mature subject matter. On top of that, it's also very refreshing to see a pansexual superhero in such a big studio film. It's unheard of these days. Fox and other studios, learn from this success. It's not the fact that a hard R-rated film can do well, it's that Deadpool also happens to be very good, most likely because you, Fox, actually gave the filmmakers the creative freedom to do whatever the hell they wanted.
The Jungle Book
The man-cub Mowgli flees the jungle after a threat from the tiger Shere Khan. Guided by Bagheera the panther and the bear Baloo, Mowgli embarks on a journey of self-discovery, though he also meets creatures who don't have his best interests at heart.
Director: Jon Favreau
Writers: Justin Marks (screenplay), Rudyard Kipling (book)
Stars: Neel Sethi, Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley.
Storyline
The man-cub Mowgli flees the jungle after a threat from the tiger Shere Khan. Guided by Bagheera the panther and the bear Baloo, Mowgli embarks on a journey of self-discovery, though he also meets creatures who don't have his best interests at heart.
User Reviews
To those who still hold any degree of skepticism for Jon Favreau's The Jungle Book—Disney's live-action adaptation of the Rudyard Kiplingclassic—I say just sing along to "Forget about your worries and your strife…" That's a guaranteed earworm from this really good film. Complete with splendid sound design and flabbergasting CGI wizardry, director Favreau, with cinematographer Bill Pope, deftly crafts this spectacle not only to dazzle viewers but also to enhance its dramatic agenda.
With an excellent voice cast, The Jungle Book presents a colorful array of memorable characters. Idris Elba as Shere Kahn is chillingly formidable with his guttural threats. Ben Kingsley brings nobility and wisdom in the sleek jungle cat Bagheera. In her short sequence as the python Kaa, Scarlett Johansson delivers the film's backstory with a magnetic voice. Giancarlo Eposito's Akela and Lupita Nyong'o's Raksha supply the fierce patriarch and protective maternal vibes needed by their characters. Christopher Walken as the mafia-king orangutan waiting for extinction is an oddly delightful sight, especially when he starts to sing. Bill Murray as the manipulative sloth bear Baloo is a crowd favorite as he blurs the line between being annoying and adorable. Even the lesser animals (porcupine, pygmy hog, squirrel, etc.) manage to steal the show as sources of comic relief.
In his first feature appearance, Neel Sethi as young Mowgli is tasked with selling the wonder and portraying the humanity of this tale. Considering that he is basically working within the confines of his imagination and a green screen room for the entire film, he manages to make everything believable: the beauty and danger of the jungle, his kinetic and charismatic character, and his deep connection with the animals. Of course, this is owed in large part to Jon Favreau's direction's too. A magical scene in the film (and my favorite!): an infant Mowgli and Bagheera's innocently touches Bagheera's face. It's a sweet moment, a reminder that the there's a seed of humanity in each of us.
Although the film comes a bit dark, fans are not robbed of iconic songs such as "The Bare Necessities", "I Wanna Be Like You," and a jovial musical scoring for the film (thanks to John Debney). Old as it may, the story of The Jungle Book remains an affecting contemplation on the virtues of family, self-growth, and man's progress at the expense of nature. The Jungle Book successfully opens a new chapter in cinema's visual storytelling prowess. It deserves to be seen, and unequivocally needs to be experienced in 3D or better, an IMAX theater. It is immersive, it is enchanting, and it is wonderful.
13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi
Director: Michael Bay
Writers: Chuck Hogan (screenplay), Mitchell Zuckoff (book)
Stars: John Krasinski, Pablo Schreiber, James Badge Dale.
Storyline
As an American ambassador is killed during an attack at a U.S. compound in Libya, a security team struggles to make sense out of the chaos.
User Reviews
The overall experience of the World Premiere was incredible, but this Movie in any venue would be worth the price of admission.
Like most, I've seen hoards of "Action Movies", but the compressed time line and episodic nature of this one puts you into a pressure cooker that leaves you drained at the end. Probably more firepower per minute than in any true life account ever shown on the Big Screen.
In the final moments, though, you realize just how much these men lost. Few if any other team of six would have survived such relentless and massive assaults. But more than anything, it will force you to ask yourself why our government literally left these men and the people they saved, to die.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
Fearing that the actions of Superman are left unchecked, Batman takes on the Man of Steel, while the world wrestles with what kind of a hero it really needs.
Director: Zack Snyder
Writers: Chris Terrio, David S. Goyer.
Stars: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams.
Storyline
Following his titanic struggle against General Zod, Metropolis has been razed to the ground and Superman is the most controversial figure in the world. While for many he is still an emblem of hope, a growing number of people consider him a threat to humanity, seeking justice for the chaos he has brought to Earth. As far as Bruce Wayne is concerned, Superman is clearly a danger to society. He fears for the future of the world with such a reckless power left ungoverned, and so he dons his mask and cape to right Superman's wrongs. The rivalry between them is furious, fueled by bitterness and vengeance, and nothing can dissuade them from waging this war. However, a dark new threat arises in the form of a third man: one who has a power greater than either of them to endanger the world and cause total destruction!
User Reviews
I am drawn back to when this movie was first announced and how I despised the notion of a Batman V Superman film a la Freddy vs Jason, Alien vs Predator and so on. It all seemed like a huge gimmick to me and I expected the worst for this movie. Fast forward a couple years, I am sitting down at a private screening, the lights go down and the movies opens up. The opening sequence was not what I expected but shows Snyder's visual creativity in a similar manner as he did with the opening sequence of Watchmen.
We are hearkened to the Black Zero Event, only we see it from Bruce Wayne's perspective as shown in some of the trailers. I love that Snyder uses Bruce's as the eyes of the audience to get an outside perspective of the surrounding madness and destruction, and he does it very effectively. You are mad at these beings, you feel the terror, the confusion the anger for them bringing there war here, it plays out with spectacle and sadness.
I had reported a rumor about Scoot Macnairy's characters months back and was called out by Ocelot and others several times on things I reported, well turns out it was true. Something tragic happens at the hearing and it is our insight of how cunning and vicious this Lex Luthor is.
The overall story is well woven and much better than MOS, you can definitely breathe a sigh of relief in that Terrio does a great job of crafting this all together. The movie is a visual tour de force as we have come to expect with Snyder but let me just say that his directing has also improved. For those who moaned about the shaky cam and muted colors, they will be pleased. Performance wise. EVERYONE does an outstanding job, the standouts to me were Affleck, Eissenberg and Gadot. I was not on the Ben, Gal, Jesse hate wagon, though I found Eissenberg's casting questionable but I felt he had shown that he has some capable range of pulling it off. Affleck is Bruce Wayne, Affleck is Batman, talk about casting redemption. Similar to Reynolds, GL>Deadpool. Affleck should no longer be bogged with complaints about Daredevil.
For those that hated on Gadot, suck it, she owns the role in every way possible, she really has stepped up her acting game as well. The woman has presence as Diana, grace and beauty and as Wonder Woman, she is truly a Goddess. People were moaning about Gail's size, forget that nonsense, she proves she does not need bulking muscles to be a warrior and her fight scenes are exceptional, makes Faora look like she was waltzing. Eissenberg, well well well. Let me first say I thought the best versions of Luthor were from the Lois and Clark and Smalville TV shows but Jesse brings something totally new to the game.
Jesse plays his Luthor like a true devil. He is deceiving, manipulative, conniving, that line the Devil will do it, he is referring to himself to me. I could not help but see him like a Lucifer in his role and wondered if Jesse kind of based playing his character that way. Everyone else support wise was absolutely great. I do not want to write a long report of praises so let me see if I can cap off before getting on my flight. The fight set up was a little weak but boy the pay off was spectacular. Cavill I feel needs to step up a little more, granted he was wonderful but he was out shined. He needs to get beyond that distraught expression that he likes to use because he does it to death in this and I found that annoying.
The other member intro's were great and will have you all pumped for the JLA, the Knightmare scene was horrific and impactful and made me smile like a little geek. The final fight was amazing. Never in a CBM have we seen anything like it, yes I said it NEVER and lastly, I will say the movie does end on a heart wrenching note but a wink in the end. I loved it gave it a 9 and looking forward to seeing it again next week. If you guys have any questions ask I am going to be on a plane for the next 6-7 hours so will try to respond. I may have exaggerated about it being 10X better than MOS but I will say 5X better.
Heneral Luna
Set during the Philippine-American war, a short-tempered Filipino general faces an enemy more formidable than the American army: his own treacherous countrymen.
Director: Jerrold Tarog
Writers: Henry Francia, E.A. Rocha.
Stars: John Arcilla, Mon Confiado, Arron Villaflor.
Storyline
Set during the Philippine-American war, Heneral Luna follows the life of one of Philippine History's most brilliant soldier, General Antonio Luna, as he tries to lead his countrymen against colonial masters new and old, and to rise above their own raging disputes to fulfill the promise of the Philippine Revolution.
User Reviews
Words cannot describe my satisfaction with this film and the only way to review it is through personal experience. There are pacing problems and disappointments in terms of the props such as the weaponry used by both sides, but given the film's tight budget, it has managed to portray these battle scenes with epic proportions combined with the score being obviously inspired by the Russian composer Igor Stravinsky. The atmosphere of the entire film is portrayed beautifully, it shows the political machinations and political infighting when the battle scenes are not present, for the entire point of view is based upon Luna and his allies. Still, if you are either a history buff or just an average movie goer, this film is spectacular and it deserves to be one the best films of the year if there are any formal awards as such.
The Martian
During a manned mission to Mars, Astronaut Mark Watney is presumed dead after a fierce storm and left behind by his crew. But Watney has survived and finds himself stranded and alone on the hostile planet. With only meager supplies, he must draw upon his ingenuity, wit and spirit to subsist and find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive.
Director: Ridley Scott
Writers: Drew Goddard (screenplay), Andy Weir (book)
Stars: Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig.
Storyline
During a manned mission to Mars, Astronaut Mark Watney is presumed dead after a fierce storm and left behind by his crew. But Watney has survived and finds himself stranded and alone on the hostile planet. With only meager supplies, he must draw upon his ingenuity, wit and spirit to subsist and find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive. Millions of miles away, NASA and a team of international scientists work tirelessly to bring "the Martian" home, while his crewmates concurrently plot a daring, if not impossible, rescue mission. As these stories of incredible bravery unfold, the world comes together to root for Watney's safe return.
User Reviews
I am a bit of nerd of this kind of realistic science fiction movies and therefore I had high expectations of this movie. I regret to say I was disappointed.
The movie tells the story of how the main character struggles to survive on Mars and how the space agencies work to get them back. But I was missing the emotions, the human touch. The main character never displays any signs of loneliness, despair or fear. He is more like "oh, looks like I'm stuck on Mars, let's grow potatoes". He makes a one- off reference to his parents in an electronic communication, but nowhere in the movie is it made clear what his main drive is to want to return to Earth. It appears as nothing ties him there. Maybe the directors wanted to avoid the cliché of the eight months pregnant and terminally ill wife eagerly awaiting her husband's return from a dangerous mission, but even a cliché had been better than nothing. His character is also too flat. The only character trait that is highlighted slightly in the movie is that he may be a bit too smug about himself. Nothing else to make me identify or sympathize with him. To be honest, I couldn't have cared less if he had not survived.
The Mars landscape is beautifully rendered en very credible with dust clouds and all. This is the main attraction of the movie.
The main problem that there is nothing novel about this movie. There have been better movies for every aspect of the film:
Human aspect/psychology of being marooned in a strange place: Cast Away did it so much better; set in space: Matt Damon's role in Interstellar was more credible than his performance here. Space action scenes: Gravity had me on the edge of my seat Ground control scenes: Apollo 13 already set the standard
In summary, the movie is a beautiful, but hollow shell.
The Revenant
Director: Alejandro G. Iñárritu
Writers: Mark L. Smith (screenplay), Alejandro G. Iñárritu (screenplay).
Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Will Poulter.
Storyline
While exploring the uncharted wilderness in 1823, legendary frontiersman Hugh Glass sustains injuries from a brutal bear attack. When his hunting team leaves him for dead, Glass must utilize his survival skills to find a way back home while avoiding natives on their own hunt. Grief-stricken and fueled by vengeance, Glass treks through the wintry terrain to track down John Fitzgerald, the former confidant who betrayed and abandoned him.
User Reviews
The Revenant falls into the same category as Aronofsky's "Requiem for a Dream" and Spielberg's "Schindler's List" for me, in the essence of being a terrific movie but not something I think I can sit through a second time. In all these movies there are brutal sequences that cause emotional stress and disgust just watching because it is so REAL and GRIPPING. To think that events in these movies actually happened or that they could very well happen is too much for me to think about. Not to say that I did not enjoy this film thoroughly.
The Revenant is a technical masterpiece that left me wondering "How the hell did they do that?" after many scenes and sequences. With beautiful cinematography and adroit camera movement this film is a visual magnum opus. It is apparent that the great minds that put forth this film are none other than the same ones that brought us Birdman: Lubezki and Inarritu. There are many long shots without cuts that are sprinkled throughout the film that add a sense of sophistication to it with the added bonus of predominantly location based shooting and natural lighting for the film , that can even make a novice film watcher raise an eyebrow at its complexity.
The camera work is not the only noteworthy aspect of the film; The actors did a superb job executing their rolls. Many are raving about DiCaprio's performance but I was more of a fan of Hardy's brutal and gritty character Fitzgerald. Granted, half the words that came out of his mouth were unintelligible but he left no doubt in my mind that he was fully devoted to his role and bringing Fitzgerald alive instead of just Hardy playing a character named Fitzgerald. He was simply amazing.
With all this said, there are still flaws in the film. At some points it was dragging on and moving too slow. It gave the impression that the film itself was cocky and wanted to show off all of its beautiful scenery and camera work too much. Then there was the "he shouldn't be alive" situations. Hugh Glass was a real guy that really did survive a bear mauling but in the film they make this guy practically immortal. There were too many instances where I was thinking "he should be dead three times over right now, for me to enjoy the film as much I should have.
All in all a great film that I only recommend to seasoned and mature film viewers.
Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens
Three decades after the defeat of the Galactic Empire, a new threat arises. The First Order attempts to rule the galaxy and only a ragtag group of heroes can stop them, along with the help of the Resistance.
Director: J.J. Abrams
Writers: Lawrence Kasdan, J.J. Abrams.
Stars: Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac.
Storyline
30 years after the defeat of Darth Vader and the Empire, Rey, a scavenger from the planet Jakku, finds a BB-8 droid that knows the whereabouts of the long lost Luke Skywalker. Rey, as well as a rogue stormtrooper and two smugglers, are thrown into the middle of a battle between the Resistance and the daunting legions of the First Order.
User Reviews
Have you ever disagreed with someone about the quality of a production so intensely that you've wondered if the two of you even watched the same film? I'm sorry, everyone in the world, I thought The Force Awakens was a real snoozer. I'm not surprised that my eight year old nephew loved it, but I can't for the life of me figure out why the degree-holding adults I associate with aren't offended at what we've been offered by Abrams as the continuation of the world's foremost loved space epic.
Essentially what it feels like is a reboot of the original series, except this time for kids (no surprise there, Disney), not a meaningful continuation that picks up where the originals left off. Although I did start having my doubts about my future satisfaction with the Star Wars franchise when Disney made its Star Wars paraphernalia so pervasive that one morning I found myself unconsciously buttering my toast with DeathStar Margarine Spread©. Yeah—head trip, but I got over it.
There was virtually zero discussion within the movie itself as to what happened after episode Vl and how we got to where we are now, making this production feel like a desperate lurch to be a stand-alone and to appeal to an audience who is too young to have appreciated the Spice Girls let alone the originals. This direction may be satisfying for some, but for those of us who were expecting more we may find ourselves doused in dissatisfaction. Furthermore, I was saddened by the obvious deficiency surrounding the exploration of the mythology of the Force. One of the elements that so intrigued viewers about the originals was the underlying spirituality and the metaphysical forces at play within the Star Wars universe; however, in this version of Star Wars Abrams seems to care more about the characters ceaselessly running away from things and having meaningless, often silly conversation (like in one scene the character Finn asks Rey in the goofiest way possible if she has a boyfriend—I laughed but I was so ashamed) instead of exploring the depths of some of the most intriguing supernatural philosophy in all of moviedom. However, this fact is not surprising as the masses seem to be entertained predominantly by action, comedy, flashing lights, and explosions, not exploring the psychological latitudes of light and dark within the human soul, and definitely not sitting through slow scenes of dialogue which could (God forbid) give us an understanding of the depths of the Star Wars legend and mystery. I suppose in this regard (and in too many others) Abrams gave the people what they wanted.
Not only was the confined exploration of the Force disappointing but so was the serious lack of emotional poignancy. At no point, AT LITERALLY NO POINT, did I feel sad, frustrated, anxious, worried, or exhilarated during its belabored two hours and sixteen minutes. The characters felt like they could be potentially cloned from any PG-13 teen movie you've seen since Twilight hijacked the world and forced it's twisted, disgusting version of acceptable adolescent stereotypes upon us. You could almost swap out the light-sabers, tie-fighters, and storm troopers and you'd have a great sequel to whatever the hell number Hunger Games we're on these days (because that's how interesting the rest of the plot was).
Another thing that really annoyed me was the way in which the galaxy was too American. Of course I get it, it was made by Hollywood IT IS American, but guys, this is supposed to be in a GALAXY FAR AWAY, so why was there very little attempt made to try and hide that? Between the all too familiar mannerisms, jokes, and language I just couldn't fully suspend my disbelief. In my opinion, the originals managed to avoid most overt use of cultural indicators, I mean sure, it's impossible to avoid all due to obvious limitations, but watch the main character Finn carefully during the movie and you'll see that he's dripping with 21st century western American dude. Like literally drenched. Where was the otherworldly authenticity among the main characters?
Of course it wasn't all bad. The visuals were beautiful, much of the topography and effects were breathtaking, and I have to admit that I did feel pangs of nostalgia over any scene that included an X-wing, but overall it wasn't enough. Really a lot of what it comes down to is expectation (and perhaps a sprinkle of intelligent awareness). So many people have told me that they went into it not expecting too much and that they had "fun" watching it; and then there's me sitting here thinking: what on Tatooine are they talking about? With all the media hype this film received, not to mention the disappointment of the prequels, I was expecting a hell of a lot out of this movie, and simple "fun" ain't gonna cut it. Abrams seemed to have carved the profundity and soul out of Star Wars with a lightsaber— the same soul we've been waiting to enter our lives again ever since the prequels ruined them.
The Force Awakens was half way there, but it felt forced (pun intended), shallow, in need of a more refined plot, more mature characters, a deeper spirituality, moral complexity and depth; it needed to resonate more deeply with the IMPORTANT themes of the original, and to not have felt like a chaste teen romance with some old faces in there used like a box office tractor beam. If you're content with having your childhood favorite epic turned into a lovable, easily digestible icon of twenty-first century pop culture, marketed intentionally at young people to delight, entertain (and make many million corporate dollars) whilst simultaneously causing you to cringe at the fact that the original actors are okay with such a disservice to a time-proved story then you will love the continuation of this franchise!
May the force save us from this trilogy.
Mad Max: Fury Road
Director: George Miller
Writers: George Miller, Brendan McCarthy.
Stars: Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult.
Storyline
An apocalyptic story set in the furthest reaches of our planet, in a stark desert landscape where humanity is broken, and almost everyone is crazed fighting for the necessities of life. Within this world exist two rebels on the run who just might be able to restore order. There's Max, a man of action and a man of few words, who seeks peace of mind following the loss of his wife and child in the aftermath of the chaos. And Furiosa, a woman of action and a woman who believes her path to survival may be achieved if she can make it across the desert back to her childhood homeland.
User Reviews
Mad Max Fury Road is George Miller's return to the franchise he started way back in 1979 with Mad Max. I will start by saying this movie was absolutely batsh** insane. It was filled right to the brim with continuous over the top bloody ridiculous action sequences that keep you on the edge of the seat and just amazed at what Is happening on screen. Now this film doesn't have much of a plot at all but seriously you're not going into this film for an intense plot, this is a film that almost didn't even need one at all. The one thing I was worried about going in was whether I needed to have seen the previous films to understand this one and thankfully you don't, the story is independent of the previous film which was really helpful.
The characters were all awesome and it did an amazing job to introduce them all almost instantly and get right into the action. Max (Tom Hardy? and Furiosa (Charlize Theron) were were great and extremely likable characters. Even the villain who I will just call Sweet Tooth was so great, he wasn't anything too special but was a great threat throughout the film.
I just absolutely loved this movie, intense action from start to finish and didn't slow down at all, that made it ridiculously fun to watch. The great characters and the performances are awesome on screen and we're always interesting to watch. If there was ever a Twisted Metal movie, this is what it would be. Nothing really let the film down and everything really worked, such a great time and the best cinema experience this year so far. - 10
Furious 7
Deckard Shaw seeks revenge against Dominic Toretto and his family for his comatose brother.
Director: James Wan
Writers: Chris Morgan, Gary Scott Thompson (characters)
Stars: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson.
Storyline
Dominic and his crew thought they'd left the criminal mercenary life behind. They'd defeated international terrorist Owen Shaw and went their separate ways. But now, Shaw's brother, Deckard Shaw, is out killing the crew one by one for revenge. Worse, a Somalian terrorist called Jakarde and a shady government official called "Mr. Nobody" are both competing to steal a computer terrorism program called "God's Eye," that can turn any technological device into a weapon. Torretto must reconvene with his team to stop Shaw and retrieve the God's Eye program while caught in a power struggle between the terrorist and the United States government.
User Reviews
I saw Furious 7 at a SXSW screening. The sudden death of Paul Walker shocked his fans and the people who were setting hopes for another F&F movie. Well, James Wan and his crew managed to pull it together using CGI and stunt doubles. I have to say, it was a bigger stake here than Furious 6, which felt more bang- bang than a GOOD movie. If you are looking for little story, more car chases, stupendous action and violence and hot babes, Furious 7 is your ticket. The scenes shot in Dubai are particularly spectacular, with lush resorts, exotic cars being driven off hotel rooftops and crashing into an art gallery, ah! What wonders F7 takes you to! You may know, James Wan from Insidious and Saw, and his crazy camera tricks are highlight here. But it comes with a little compromise, the acting, Diesel feels raw, while Rodriguez feels stale and bland. Walker is great, as usual (R.I.P) Tyrese Gibson is the worst, with his "cool guy" attitude and "bad boy" cliché character. Overall, this one last trip as Torretto calls it, is refreshing, bang on and full out spectacular. Furious 7 deserves to be watched.
Ant-Man
Director: Peyton Reed
Writers: Edgar Wright (screenplay), Joe Cornish (screenplay).
Stars: Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, Corey Stoll.
Storyline
Armed with the astonishing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, con-man Scott Lang must embrace his inner-hero and help his mentor, Dr. Hank Pym, protect the secret behind his spectacular Ant-Man suit from a new generation of towering threats. Against seemingly insurmountable obstacles, Pym and Lang must plan and pull off a heist that will save the world.
User Reviews
Antman. When I first heard about the plans for this movie I laughed to myself and thought, "How can becoming smaller be cool?" Sure enough, Marvel has surpassed my expectations and turned something I thought would be lame and uninteresting into something hilarious and actually pretty cool. I'm not going to include any spoilers, but I will say the fighting style of Antman is much better than I thought it would be. I learned a lot about the story as well as the abilities he has.
Antman gets much more interesting when doing combat. The ability to shrink and grow at will is something Marvel has gotten very creative with.
The language in this film is good enough for my young children to watch. There are no F or GD bombs to ruin the mood and the moment with the family. I'd say I'd surely watch it again.
Southpaw
Director: Antoine Fuqua
Writer: Kurt Sutter
Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rachel McAdams, Oona Laurence.
Storyline
As tragedy strikes him in his prime, famed boxer, Billy Hope, begins to fall into a great depression. Once the decision regarding the custody of his daughter is under question, Billy decides to get his life back on track by getting back into the ring.
User Reviews
I was lucky enough to catch an advance screening of this movie, and I was extremely glad I did. After watching the previews I felt as though a lot of the movie was given away, but I was blown away by the performances on screen. The movie was centered around a champion prize fighter hitting rock bottom, and slowly climbing his way back into the ring. It was an emotional journey that cannot simply be categorized as a movie about boxing, but rather, an inspiring and riveting tale of parenthood and a father's love for his daughter. The cast was excellent and everyone excelled in their roles. I wouldn't have expected to like Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson in a role as much as I did. Jake Gyllenhaal and Forest Whitaker had Oscar worthy performances. Everyone did a great job with their roles. The cinematography was fantastic, and the fight scenes gave some great first person shots that made you feel as though you were there in the ring fighting along side the actors. Overall, this movie is an experience that is not to be missed. 9/10
Avengers: Age of Ultron
When Tony Stark and Bruce Banner try to jump-start a dormant peacekeeping program called Ultron, things go horribly wrong and it's up to Earth's Mightiest Heroes to stop the villainous Ultron from enacting his terrible plans.
Director: Joss Whedon
Writers: Joss Whedon, Stan Lee (Marvel comics).
Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo.
Storyline
Tony Stark creates the Ultron Program to protect the world, but when the peace-keeping program becomes hostile, The Avengers go into action to try and defeat a virtually impossible enemy. Earth's mightiest heroes must come together once again to protect the world from global extinction.
User Reviews
Spoiler free review. Let me first start of by saying that I am not a Marvel ''fanboy'' or a DC nerd. The comic book genre of films have made it to my personal top 3 favourite genres in the last decade and the MCU has been a strong contributor to that rise. I hold the first Ironman, first Avengers and Captain America 1+2 in high regard. I did not like the direction they took with Iron Man 3 (more on this below) or Guardians of the Galaxy but Winter Soldier was a gem in terms of balancing solid action, drama and levity.
That being said, my initial thoughts on Age of Ultron (AoU) are quite negative. To me, its essentially a carbon copy of IM3. There are problems which strike you repeatedly as you progress throughout the film. The 2 biggest complaints I have with AoU is 1) the tone (comedy) 2) the script/writing.
So starting with the tone. I like to laugh as I'm sure most people do, but there is a time and place to exhibit your comedy writing skills in an action film. In AoU, its a constant, recurring and predictable theme. It's not limited to one character either, everyone is popping one liner jokes as if its the Expendables and yes, most are not funny. The timing of these moments of levity are horrible too, desensitising the viewer to any impending fear of death in battle. If the characters seem so relaxed in not worrying about possibly dying, then what suspense is needed to be held by the audience? This plagued IM3 in a bad way and its arguably worse here. The comic book films which achieved great success in this regard were XMen DOFP, The Avengers 1, Cap 2 even Dark Knight Rises! Can you imagine at the climax of Xmen DOFP if old Magneto and Storm and Bishop start pulling one liner jokes as the army of sentinels came charging at them? It would kill any tension! 2) The script. I won't say too much since this is a spoiler free review, but it really feels rushed and unorganised. I watched Fast 7 around 2 weeks before AoU and I got similar vibes. Again, its not the fact that the film is 2.5 hours long or has too many characters, that isn't am excuse since The Dark Knight and Xmen DOFP shows how to navigate these theatrical obstacles. There are a few completely unnecessary subplots in AoU and useless characters which do not impact the story overall. The villain himself, Ultron is another massive let-down in Marvels already growing catalogue of mishandled villains.
So as a summary, if you want mindless action and cool CGI, which this film does offer in the form of some spectacular visual fight scenes then you will like AoU. If you are after a darker, grounded and more moving story like the trailers promised, you will be severely disappointed. Final score 6/10 and I am being kind since Cap is my fav Avenger and they finally gave him some good screen time.
Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation
Ethan and team take on their most impossible mission yet, eradicating the Syndicate - an International rogue organization as highly skilled as they are, committed to destroying the IMF.
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Writers: Christopher McQuarrie (screenplay), Christopher McQuarrie (story).
Stars: Tom Cruise, Rebecca Ferguson, Jeremy Renner.
Storyline
CIA chief Hunley (Baldwin) convinces a Senate committee to disband the IMF (Impossible Mission Force), of which Ethan Hunt (Cruise) is a key member. Hunley argues that the IMF is too reckless. Now on his own, Hunt goes after a shadowy and deadly rogue organization called the Syndicate.
User Reviews
All I can say is Thank You!!! This is what I want to see when I go to the movies looking to enjoy a good summer blockbuster!!! Man, talk about a fun ride. It was humorous, exciting, thrilling, suspenseful, and well worth the price of admission.
Tom Cruise really gets it when it comes to entertaining your average moviegoer and he doesn't disappoint. But the truth is, no one disappoints in this summer flick. All parties brought their 'A' game and played their part perfectly. The female lead (Rebecca Ferguson) really held her own alongside Ethan Hunt and the crew and hopefully we'll see her in future installments, if there is more. Based on this current installment, there should definitely be more.
MI:1 is a classic in my eyes and I've watched it countless times, but I must say, Rogue Nation...well, it's a lot more fun and I do feel it is a better film overall. I will be watching this one again and again. And don't wait for it to come to video...this is a movie you must see in theaters for the full experience.
Also, let me just say the stunt sequences are thrilling...thrilling I say!! Very limited CGI in this film, which made the action scenes even more exciting and dare I say it again...thrilling! Lots of gasp worthy moments.
I won't give away any spoilers as that would ruin the exciting action sequences and fun twists. This is enjoyable from beginning to end. So just go see it!!!
Sicario
Director: Denis Villeneuve
Writer: Taylor Sheridan
Stars: Emily Blunt, Josh Brolin, Benicio Del Toro.
Storyline
When drug violence worsens on the USA Mexico border, the FBI sends an idealistic agent, Kate Macer (Emily Blunt) on a mission to eradicate a drug cartel responsible for a bomb that had killed members of her team.
User Reviews
"Sicario" describes, with surgical precision, the fatal and bloody desecration of Mexico as a result of its decades long cartel war. And it does so by compressing this almost endless tragedy into a two-hour tour-de-force of filmmaking.
At its center we find idealistic FBI-Agent Kate Macer (Emily Blunt), who is recruited to pursue a Mexican drug-baron. She is being guided by a seemingly untouchable covert assassin named Alejandro (Benicio Del Toro). Their investigation and methods are pushed further into unknown territory where justice and morality are no longer valid. The end not only justifies the means, it requires them.
Denis Villeneuve's masterful piece exemplifies not only filmmaking of the highest order, but carves out a place alongside the terrible news reports as a deeply regretful, angry and at times almost unbearable look into the abyss of a socio-political nightmare that is fueled by first world-habit and global economics.
Through the powerful performances by Blunt, Del Toro and Josh Brolin in the leads as well as the excellent supporting cast, do we get a sense of the human cost (physical and psychological), which the war on drugs has caused.
From an exploding prison population, to the destruction of Mexican agriculture, to refugees and a cycle of violence that is beyond barbarity; the pull that "Sicario" exerts over the viewer is undeniable and by skirting the limits of bearable tension, without ever becoming exploitive, it is never giving an inch concerning its subject matter.
Few movies this year will have such a clear and defined structure and unflinching approach towards a situation that appears to be beyond salvation, while showing at the same time that life nevertheless continues.
Taylor Sheridan's script doesn't miss a single beat and without sidestepping anything frees itself from beaten movie conventions by using them in an extremely skillful manner.
All these themes, stories and characters are captured through the lens of veteran Roger Deakins (Skyfall, No Country for Old Men) who lets us always know how the micro- and macro-particles of any conflict are inextricably intertwined. We share the vistas of beautiful sceneries while having to witness their downfall.
Whatever ideals the likes of Emiliano Zapata once had, their country has now, as it is described in the movie, become „the land of wolves".
Fifteen years ago Steven Soderbergh's „Traffic" which earned numerous Oscars, not the least of which went to Benicio Del Toro, made a clear statement about the various strands the drug trafficking business touches. Now, all those years later we see in „Sicario" that even the faintest of hopes that „Traffic" held onto have been eviscerated.
What now? One might ask.
The Raid 2
Director: Gareth Evans
Writer: Gareth Evans
Stars: Iko Uwais, Yayan Ruhian, Arifin Putra.
Storyline
He thought it was over. After fighting his way out of a building filled with gangsters and madmen - a fight that left the bodies of police and gangsters alike piled in the halls - rookie Jakarta cop Rama thought it was done and he could resume a normal life. He couldn't have been more wrong. Formidable though they may have been, Rama's opponents in that fateful building were nothing more than small fish swimming in a pond much larger than he ever dreamed possible. And his triumph over the small fry has attracted the attention of the predators farther up the food chain. His family at risk, Rama has only one choice to protect his infant son and wife: He must go undercover to enter the criminal underworld himself and climb through the hierarchy of competing forces until it leads him to the corrupt politicians and police pulling the strings at the top of the heap. And so Rama begins a new odyssey of violence, a journey that will force him to set aside his own life and history and take on ...
User Reviews
I was lucky enough to catch a limited release screening of this film here in Australia as I was in high anticipation to see it after more than enjoying the first Raid film and in no way was I disappointed with this film. This is honestly, by far, one of the best sequels in existence today. The isolated first film is completely removed of all boundaries and expanded it to this ultra-violent masterpiece. First the possible negatives for some people; this movie is very long and structured differently to the first (Beginning Story - Action Centre - Ending Story) this film follows a back and forth style of (Story - Action - Story - Action) so the accumulation of story is quite large meaning a lot of reading for English viewers. Another possible negative is the fact this film feels almost nothing like the first film, the first being like an action survival story while this film is an action, espionage, martial arts film filled with gangs and all different personalities though in my opinion this gives the film a fresh style for viewers. If you were expecting same old style you may be disappointed but there is an American remake of the first film in production. The final possible negative is the vast amount of brutal and graphic violence throughout the film, this is one of the most violent action films I have ever seen but I enjoy the extreme violence side of cinema but those with a light stomach may find this film difficult for the sheer amount of blood there is in this movie in comparison to the first. These negatives in my eyes are strong points for the film in my eyes but to others might not be. To the positives which there are plenty of, firstly and most important; the action. As you probably would've expected the action in this film is the greatest bone crunching action you will most likely see in your whole life, its gritty and incredibly well planned style makes it like a form of bloody art. Gareth Evans knows exactly what he is doing here. One of my favorite aspects of the films was the direction. The slow pans and zooms Evans uses to build suspense as well as a perfect use of slow motion, not over the top in any way, just give the film an added visual style which boosts it even further. Evans also knows exactly how to build up an action scene, one of my absolute favorite fight scenes in the film in the prison yard fight which is so incredibly well choreographed whilst having this dark and suspenseful build up to the fight. This film try's a lot of new things and all of which work for example are car chase scene which is one of the best I've seen in any movie. The story in this film delivers what the first film was lacking, putting characters in the flesh and making you care a lot more, even for the villains. And with good story and characters of course comes excellent acting which is often rare in action films, these actors are absolutely teeming with talent, all of which can act and can fight. As I read the credits I could only see two stunt doubles for the whole film which is saying something. This is an absolute must see for any action film fan, it is nothing short of a masterpiece and needs to receive the credit it absolutely deserves
