Review: Maleficient

This film has had a lot of buzz.  It had some decent trailers and some wonderful visuals.  And Angelina Jolie is a great performer.  I had heard some very mixed things about it going in, but, as always, I hoped for the best.  I was both surprised and decently satisfied. 

I think it's important when reviewing a film that the reviewer should take into account who the target audience is.  For example, a film like 12 Years a Slave is most certainly not meant for the Disney Princess crowd, and vise versa: Maleficent is not meant to entertain Oscar voters.  Maleficent was made by the mouse to make money by giving what the Disney Princess crowd wants. 

Now, when I say that this is for the Disney lovers, I mean it.  It felt like an expensive Disney Channel original movie, full of fun and cheesiness.  In fact, I would dare say that if Angelina wasn't in the film it wouldn't be taken seriously at all. 

With that being said, I did enjoy the movie.  I didn't like it as much as my friend Sassy Sarah or my mother, but I also didn't hate it like my other friend Kaptain Kevin.  It's a crowd pleaser of a film.  My audience clapped as the credits rolled.  The special effects were good and Angelina gave a great performance.

 I give it 3/5 Disco Balls.

Spoiler Critique (Read at your own risk!)
My biggest problem wasn't that they changed the Sleeping Beauty story, but that they chose to give it such a happy ending.  I had hoped for a more tragic/melancholy ending.  Oh well, this is Disney after all and I am certainly NOT the target audience. 

Why The Spectacular Now is not for me

In what I consider to be a strange convergence of the Force, there were 3 like-minded, coming-of-age films to come out of the Sundance Film Festival this year.  One of these movies,  The Way Way Back, I put very close to the top of my top 10 list of last year.  It was one of the most emotionally fulfilling film experiences of last year for me and I still sob at the end every time I watch it.  The other two, The Spectacular Now and Kings of Summer, were on my watch list, but had a fairly low priority because of their R-ratings (I try to avoid R-rated films, especially if they have hard violence or sex).  However, The Spectacular Now recently showed up on Amazon Prime, so I decided to give it a shot.  I didn't end up finishing it and here's why.

The Spectacular Now (TSN) comes across as a very pessimistic film.  None of the characters are really happy, or at least the ones that I met in the first hour.  They all lead fairly bleak lives and this movie focuses on that bleakness.  It feels like something that the Nihilistic Coen Brothers could have written. 

Also, the film deals with some very heavy and/or dark themes.  Teen alcoholism and teen sex are both prevalent, and both of which I have absolutely no experience with.  I will probably be called a prude for saying this, but almost every one of the problems that these people are experiencing could very easily be solved by choosing to live a more virtuous life.  I found almost no sympathy for them and certainly couldn't relate to any of them. 

So, I cannot recommend TSN to any of you, unless you want to go on a depressing journey.  I think that most of you are like-minded and would find this film to be as unwatchable as I do. 

Cheers.

No-Spoiler Review: X-Men Days of Future Past

Expectations
I consider the first two X-Men films to be among the greatest comic book films of all time.  Obviously the franchise has had its ups and down since then, and most of its downs were the result of too much studio intervention.  Truth be told, the only X-film that I've really liked since the first two was last year's The Wolverine and even that was a mixed bag.  So, when it was announced that Bryan Singer (the director of X-Men and X2) was returning for Days of Future Past...let's just say I got my hopes pretty high.  Singer has had a pretty mixed track record as well since leaving his X-roots, with Superman Returns and Jack the Giant Slayer being two of his big budget disappointments.  Well, I am pleased to tell all 3 of you that follow my blog that both Singer and X-Men are back in true form. 

The Good
First let's start with the action.  The action set pieces in DOFP blow any other movie this year out of the water.  I highly doubt that anything this year will be as awesome as the climax in this film.  Also, Quicksilver's action scene got literal cheers and clapping from my audience.  These two scenes alone are worth the price of admission.

The writing and acting here are beyond any other X-film as well.  I was amazed at the performances that Mr. Singer was able to get out of these actors.  James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, and Patrick Stewart gave remarkably moving performances.  This film adds complexity to these characters that I really don't think we've ever seen in a comic book movie, with the possible exception of The Dark Knight. 

The script was very tight.  Although it wasn't perfect, it was more than I could have hoped for.  Like I said before, these characters are complex beyond anything we've seen.  It's also the most satisfying ending of any in the X-franchise. 

Not only did this movie mark the return of Bryan Singer, but it also marked the return of his Usual composer, John Ottman (did you see what I did there?). Ottman's work is also top notch, and his themes here bring both a sense of nostolgia for the previous films and added depth.  His score is a perfect fit and adds a lot to the film. 

The Bad
There isn't a whole lot bad in this film.  The only thing that bothered, albeit only slightly, was Wolverine's character was a bit too much of a softy.  The performance felt a little phoned in by Hugh Jackman, especially compared with the depth of his work on last year's The Wolverine.  This probably wouldn't have been noticeable if it weren't for the amazing performances surrounding him.  I suppose that Singer had his hands full with such a large cast that he either consciously or subconsciously chose not to spend as much time on Jackman's performance.

The 'Meh'
The studio made us watch the movie in 3D for the screening.  I normally hate 3D, yet this one wasn't as distracting as others that I have experienced (Thor: The Dark World was abysmal and I'm very glad that the studio didn't make us watch Winter Soldier in 3D).  However, when I see it again, I will not be seeing in 3D and unless you really like 3D, I recommend doing the same.

Conclusion
X-Men Days of Future Past is my favorite film of the year so far.  It has stellar performances, complex and likable characters, and action scenes that I don't think will be topped until Marvel releases Avengers: Age of Ultron next year.  It is a return to form by Bryan Singer and I couldn't be happier that he's back.  I'm going to give this a near perfect score (however, when I rate it on IMDB, Flixster, and the like I will round up).  It must not be missed.

4.75/5 Disco Balls

Quick Review: Godzilla (2014)

Expectations
I went into this film with average expectations.  All my favorite critics liked it (Leonard Maltin, Silas Lesnick, Kate Erbland, etc.) but my good friend Kevin (who is also a critic at redcarpetrefs.com) was quite disappointed with it.

Thoughts
With these tempered expectations, I have to say that I was a little disappointed.  I can see why it would appeal to a lot of people, however I just didn't 'feel' it.

It tried to be smarter than it should have.  Although I ultimately thought Pacific Rim was a silly film, at least it knew it was silly.  Godzilla is not a complex subject matter, so I thought it ridiculous that they tried to make it more sophisticated than it was.

Ultimately this 'clever' back story took away from what people wanted to see: giant monsters fighting!  For a monster movie, there is a very noticeable absence of fighting.  In fact, with the exception of the climax scene, they try to NOT show Godzilla.  I suppose Gareth Edwards decided to follow the "don't show the shark till close to the end" principle, cleverly avoiding much monster action until the end.  As a result of this, I personally felt cheated.  The movie just didn't know what it wanted to be.

The characters were pretty shallow, with the exception of Bryan Cranston's. This saddens me because both Elizabeth Olsen and Aaron Taylor-Johnson are both great!  Same with Sally Hawkins and Ken Wanatabe!

My friend Kevin told me that it wanted to be a Steven Spielberg film.  I went in looking for this, and found it to be pretty obvious that the director, Gareth Edwards, is a Spielberg disciple.  He employed mirror and crane shots to no avail, but none of them were nearly as effective as when Spielberg does it.  There were also A LOT of Jurassic Park references.

The special effects weren't nearly as good as Pacific Rim, although I think I liked Godzilla more overall.

3/5 Disco Balls.

I'm back

You might have been wondering where I have been the last year, or at least why I haven't been posting anything (let's not kid anyone, you don't care at all).  Well, I have been writing for a site called RedCarpetRefs.com.  They are growing and I enjoyed my tenure there.  However, my wife just had a baby and being part of the Refs was just too stressful for the time being. 

So, you get to hear my ramblings here again.  Cheers!

Review: The Way, Way Back

Movies that are picked up (bought by a studio to distribute to theaters) from the Sundance Film Festival have a mixed record both critically AND in the box office.  You can list on one hand the movies that have had wide commercial appeal that come out of Sundance. They have also been hit or miss for me personally, which is one reason why I'm glad I've never attended the film festival.  However, sometimes there is a diamond in the rough that makes the film festival worth it.  The Way, Way Back is such a film in that it has redeemed my faith in movies after the awfulness that was this summer.

THE GOOD

Let's start with the two younger actors.  Liam James, a new comer that debuted his acting career in this film as the star of it, is perfectly believable in his role as an low-confidence teen in search for acceptance and meaning in his life.  AnnaSophia Robb (Soul Surfer and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) plays the young Susanna, a neighbor and potential love interest that is also dealing with the same coming of age problems, albeit in different ways.  I had no idea that she could act so well!  I put the amazing acting of these two youngsters entirely at the feet of the directors, Nat Faxom and Jim Rash, who are masters of character.

One of the more interesting elements of this film is that it takes some major Hollywood names and casts them as characters that are opposite of the roles that they normally portray.  For example, this is the first performance by Steve Carrell that I've seen where he is the main antagonist, and he pulls it off well.  I never knew that Carrell could be unlikable as a character, but that's certainly what he does here.  Also, Allison Janney gives one of the best performances of her life as a divorced mother going through a perpetual mid-life crisis and reminds us why she is so considered to be among the best actresses in Hollywood today.  And while Sam Rockwell plays a variant of his Justin Hammer character (Iron Man 2) his bravado and likability are just so striking that you couldn't help but want to give him a golden statue of some sort.

All the other characters are great, but the few I have mentioned are the stand-outs.  This film is a wonderful example of an ensemble picture, with a fairly star-studded cast.  Each of these actors embody their character flawlessly and they have spectacular chemistry together.   

The film's emotions are raw and real.  The experience watching this movie was just awesome.  I laughed hard, although it's quite not a comedy.  I will admit that I cried at the end, even though it's not a sad movie.  This film embodies why I go to the movies: to experience. 

THE BAD
There really isn't anything I didn't like about this movie.  Some have said that it is a little slow to start, but I found it to be riveting from start to finish. 

CONCLUSION
As of right now, this is my favorite movie of the year.  I haven't laughed and cried in a movie this much since Toy Story 3.  I give it 5/5 Disco Balls.

PARENTS GUIDE
There is a fair amount of language in this PG-13 movie, but I wouldn't call it excessive.  There is one F-Bomb and a bit of sexual dialogue, though nothing too explicit. 

Review: RED 2

It's been pretty hit and miss for both Bruce Willis and Jon Malchovich in the last few years.  And by 'hit and miss,' I really mean almost entirely 'misses.'  Can anyone think of any decent movies from either star besides the first RED movie?  They are both capable actors who, like many modern teeny boppers, need New Direction(s), or at least good ones (I know, that's a bad pun).  And they seem to have found it and amazing character writing in their latest endeavor, RED 2.

I adored the first movie to the point that I own it on Blu-ray.  It was a refreshingly unconventional take on the spy genre in that it was well executed AND it didn't take itself too seriously.  Any film that tries to break convention gets points in my book.  Add some marvelous acting and character development, and I'm sold!  Now, I don't want to turn this review into a review of the first film, yet I would be remiss if I didn't note how much I loved it and how much I was anticipating the sequel.

THE GOOD
First and foremost, this movie is character-driven.  And the characters are likable to the point of them being Whedon-esque.  I will go through each of them individually because I enjoyed them so very much.

Mary Louise-Parker is, in my humble opinion, the most under-used actress in Hollywood right now.  She is even better in this movie than she is in the first.  Not to be a dead horse, but her character is so likable, quirky, and yet the most grounded of them all.  She is the character that the audience relates with most, and I would suggest that her performance is flawless here.

Jon M. and Helen Miren are both also better than the first film, which I would have thought impossible. Their chemistry, along with most of the rest of the cast, is electrifying. I enjoyed all their interactions so very much.  Even Byung-hun Lee's character had good chemistry with them, although I think that was more due to wonderful writing and directing than his actual acting ability.

This movie is the funniest film I've seen all year.  So, if you liked the first one, this one delivers the goods in spades.

The set piece transition mechanism is also a step up from the last movies' postcards.  They basically use the comic book images to transition between scenes.  I really enjoyed it.

THE BAD
Although the acting was good with most of the main characters, there were blaring exceptions.  Neal Mcdonough, Catherine Zeta Jones, and Anthony Hopkins were just so-so performances.  McDonough felt out-of-place, like he didn't belong in the same league as the other legends.  Whereas Zeta-Jones and Hopkins are in the same league, but just didn't deliver on the same level as the 4 protagonists.

The story was campy and outlandish, something that a lot of audiences don't have tolerance for post-Bourne.  I was willing to give an exception here, however I can see why some would find it too corny.

CONCLUSION
I really loved this movie.  I recommend it to anyone who liked the first one and I certainly can understand why this isn't for everyone.  Critics have been hard on it and part of me understands why.  It is quirky and not everyone loves that.  4.25/5 Disco Balls.

PARENTS GUIDE
The language isn't too bad, yet there is a remarkable amount of killing.  I think if someone were to do a body count I wouldn't be surprised if it was in the 100s. They don't show a lot of blood.  But, don't be mistaken: this is a horribly violent film.