Star Wars is back. After a detour in which director George Lucas gave us a less-than-uneventful trilogy of films explaining the back story of Darth Vader, Lost director J.J. Abrams has restored balanced to the Force with the series' seventh entry, The Force Awakens. And awakened, it has.
The story takes place thirty years following Return of the Jedi, wherein the Rebellion defeated Darth Vader's evil Galactic Empire. Now, the heroes of the original films (Jedi Master Luke Skywalker, smugglers Han Solo and Chewbacca, and Princess Leia) are regarded as the makings of myth and legend. Since that time, a legion of darkness called the First Order, led by the sinister Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), has risen from the ashes of the Empire, and is at war with the Resistance (a stand-in for the Rebellion). After a good-hearted stormtrooper named Finn (John Boyega) abandons the First Order, he encounters a desert scavenger named Rey (Daisy Ridley). Aided by Han Solo (returning cast member Harrison Ford) and Chewbacca, the two must escape the clutches of Ren and protect a droid who is carrying vital information in the war. While this may sound like a lot of information to take in, the movie makes it easy to follow by keeping the exposition minimal and the action briskly-paced. The story is moved along by the action (as opposed to being stopped to have an action scene), so whenver a new character is introduced, it makes sense in the overall scheme of things. There's also a really strong mix of old and new elements. Earlier this year, Creed paid an excellent tribute to the original Rocky films, while still remaining to be its own strong, stand-alone movie. The Force Awakens does the same thing for Star Wars: Abrams knows exactly what the hardcore fans want, and he delivers (the cheers from the audience were loud and clear whenver an original ship or character was brought back), but it's not just a gallery of old-school Star Wars. This movie does have a lot of new, from the planets to the characters, and they really do stand strong, especially the characters. As rewarding as it was to see Ford return as Han Solo (as charmingly smug in the role as ever), it was just as relieving to know that the newer additions were worth-while. Boyega is instantly relatable and likeable, knowing that he's in over his head but is willing to do the right thing anyway, and he shares excellent chemistry with Ridley. Finally, Leia is no longer the only strong female character in the galaxy. Rey isn't just cool because she's good with a staff or she shoots stormtroopers, but because she refuses to let her troublesome past define her. Much like Luke Skywalker was in the original Star Wars, she's wide-eyed and curious, but reasonably cautious. And for anyone weary that Kylo Ren is merely a replacement for Darth Vader, fear not; there's much more to him than that. Behind that sinister mask is a young man brewing with turmoil, and Adam Driver portrays that inner struggle fantastically. Again, similar to Rey, Ren isn't just a hooded figure with an awesome lightsaber (though he is definitely that), but he's also a character, and even though you don't agree with what he does, you find yourself understanding his actions. In addition to the characters and story beats, another aspect that's well-balanced is the approach to the visual effects. Obviously, a 2015 film is going to use a lot more computer-generated effects than the films from the early '80s, but in a clever callback to the originals, The Force Awakens does use a fair amount of practical effects. When you see animatronics, sets, and models, you know it's not real, but it's really there, and that does make a difference. The CG effect is only used to polish the practical, and like Jurassic Park and Lord of the Rings before it, this is how a balanced approach to visuals is really done. If there's anything for me to nitpick about, it would be that some of the computer effects look a little too obvious, but truth be told, there's way too much noticeable effort poured into the practical effects for me to make a big deal out of it. Other than that, I'm really reaching, and I've got nothing. Every time this movie did something minor that I didn't really care for, they do something else that completely justifies it. So in the end, The Force Awakens is a phenomenally entertaining return to form for Star Wars that will satisfy old fans and likely engage new ones. It's fast-paced, action-packed, funny, and at its heart (for reasons I'll cover in another, spoiler-filled entry) a family-centered tragedy. I was thrilled to return to a galaxy far, far away, and if Episode VIII were playing in the theater when this one ended, I would've walked right in. I'm giving Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens three and a half out of four stars.
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12/9/2015 0 Comments 'Terminator Genisys' Movie ReviewCan we send a Terminator back in time to prevent Terminator Genisys from happening? No, seriously, it's that bad.
Given that this is the fifth in a series built on time travel, it would probably be best if I filled in some background information: in the 2020s, what's left of mankind is at war with Skynet, a massively powerful race of robots who wiped out most of humanity by nuclear bombing. The survivors refer to the attack as "Judgment Day," and are in serious danger of facing extinction, until salvation arrives in the form of a freedom fighter named John Connor. Realizing that Connor is the key to the human Resistance's survival, the Machines send a Terminator back in time to 1984, to kill John's mother, Sarah, before John is even a thought in her head. That's the basis for the first film, and it's where Genisys picks up. After a flashy opening scene in which John and his right hand man, a soldier named Kyle Reese (the Divergent series' Jai Courtney), storm Skynet's headquarters, they realize that they're too late, and have to send Kyle back in time to protect Sarah. But when he arrives, he finds that the frail and helpless Sarah whom he was expecting to find has been replaced by a gun-toting soldier (played by Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke), who has actually been raised by a much older version of the Terminator who was originally sent back to kill her (Arnold Schwarzenegger, reprising the role that made him a star). Now, the unlikely trio have to find a way to get to the future and stop Skynet before it exists, with a shape-shifting Terminator (Zero Dark Thirty's Jason Clarke) hot on their trail. I love the first two Terminator films and pretty much can't stand anything after that, and there's a really simple reason: T2 had a perfect ending, wrapping up all loose ends, story and character-wise, so everything after that just comes off as a cash grab. But Genisys takes it to a new low, using time travel as a cheat code to rewrite the events of the original film, and thusly creating a whole new timeline to make unorginal movies out of. And no, Kyle Reese isn't a robot in this new fangled timeline, though Jai Courtney's acting may try to convince you otherwise. Setting aside the fact that Michael Bein played the same character to perfection in 1984, and simply judging Courtney on his own merit...he's still no good. Remember Hayden Christiansen's wooden acting in the recent Star Wars movies? Well, at least that can be simplified by bad directing; Christiansen has proven to be worthy of screentime in other, more competently-handled projects. Courtney, regardless of direction, just feels like a weightless cardboard cutout of an actor in every scene he's in. It also doesn't help his case that none of the characters are properly developed. In the original movies, the action, while magnificently crafted, only worked because we cared about the characters, but here, the priorities have been tragically reversed. A prime example is Reese's rushed romance with Sarah. The story moves at such a brisk pace that we hardly feel as though we get to know them, because everything we know about them is told through dialogue. As for the characters themselves, they have no observable personality traits that make them unique. The worst part of this is that I've seen Clarke act amazingly in other things (namely Game of Thrones), and though I really feel like she's giving it her all, she's ultimately held back by a limp script. But let's be real here, if you're interested in a new Terminator movie, the only cast member you really care about is the man himself, Schwarzenegger. So how does he turn out? Similar to Clarke, he's about as good as the script allows him to be. He's playing his protective robot role from Terminator 2, and he's pretty good at it, but he ends up employing a lot of dry comedy that feels really forced. When he first flashes a massive grin as an attempt to blend in, it's pretty funny, but after the gag gets reused multiple times, it feels stale, as though the writers are really reaching for laughs when it just isn't necessary. But honestly, who really cares about laughs in an action movie? As long as the action is good, right? Well, even the action, the one thing you'd expect to be done right if nothing else, manages to fall flat. To be fair, the situations are interesting, and when the heroes are on the run from the Terminators I'd probably be in genuine suspense if it were only shot properly. An overwhelming majority of the action sequences throughout this film have a bad habit of shooting the scenes from multiple different angles, so whenever you get used to a new shot, it switches to another one. It would be a lot more effective at putting the audience in the characters' perspective if the cinematographer had stuck with one consistent shot, that way when a new action occurs, it's offscreen, and it thusly comes as a surprise. Alas, such editing was not the case. Terminator Genisys is an interesting kind of bad; it's filled with a myriad of promising facets and elements, so there's a lot of potential for a good movie, but absolutely none of them follow through and come to fruition. What that leaves you with is a movie that's not nearly as bad as I expected, but still not anywhere close to resembling something that can be interpreted as "good." It's a limp, lifeless checklist of all the things that made the first two movies "cool," without any of the elements that made them well-thought-out or timeless. Without proper storytelling, characterization, or just good editing, you've just got a Terminator-themed party balloon: it may look nice and flashy, but on the inside, it's completely hollow. 12/8/2015 0 Comments Ranking: 'Rocky' SeriesStarring, written by, and mostly directed by Sylvester Stallone, the Rocky series, though a little inconsistent, is a pretty entertaining ride. Though few people know it, the first film is not only the movie that made Stallone a star, it's also the film that saved him from being homeless. In that regard, the series is all the more inspiring; its emotional resonance not only reflects Stallone's very rise to stardom, but it speaks to the underdog in all of us. But not all of them hit the mark, and today, I'm ranking the series from worst to first.
1. Rocky Even though this is a moving film from start to finish, for me, a huge part of its appeal comes from the ending. Rocky doesn't win the big fight, though it still feels like a victory, because of the journey that he had to take to get there. He won the love of his admired Adrian, he earned the respect of his trainer, Mickey, and he went the distance with the world champion. It was never about winning, it was about proving to himself that he could win, and Rocky proves itself and then some. 2. Rocky II To be totally honest, the only reason I like the first movie a tiny bit more is the ending. Rocky winning the rematch kind of takes a little bit away from the first film's message of "not all victories are won in the ring," but up until that point, it's still a rousing rematch, and the story is about as perfect a continuation as you could ask for, highlighting Rocky's physical consequences from his brutal bout with Apollo Creed. After stepping out of the ring, Rocky still needs to make his way in the real world, which is exceptionally difficult without a high school education. His biggest motivator is his wife, Adrian, and their romance is a strong enough one to carry the entire film. Everything that was built up in the previous film is continued in refreshingly real-world directions, distinguishing Rocky II from the "bigger and better" cliché that has become common among sequels. 3. Creed For the first time in much too long, we have a Rocky movie with a genuine fire in its belly. The protagonist, the illegitamate son of major Rocky player Apollo Creed, has a burning strive to respect his father's name while still wanting to make a name for himself, which cleverly represents the film's effortless ability to set it self apart from the original films. It's in familiar Rocky territory, but instead of feeling like a retread, it feels like a respectful tribute that builds on the groundwork of the originals and takes the story to exhilerating new directions. Rocky Balboa was a firm step in the right direction, but it was really a training montage for the knockout comeback that is Creed. 4. Rocky Balboa After a string of Rocky sequels ranging from okay to bad, Rocky Balboa felt like a breath of fresh air; Stallone gives a good performance and has some genuinely emotional exchanges with his son, and (although I didn't really buy into him fighting someone probably half his age) the final fight was riveting and employed some sharp cinematography. Aside from that, however, it's got that same problem as Rocky V: there's just no energy. The majority of the film's tone is downbeat and dour, and I sadly remember a lot of greys in the color palette, and the resulting feeling didn't exactly make me want to run up the steps of the art museum. Is it a bad movie? Not entirely; Rocky Balboa gets an advantage for taking itself more seriously than the string of sequels that followed Rocky II, and actually trying to emulate the real-world grit of the original two. 5. Rocky IV Rocky IV may not be a good movie on a technical level, but on a nostalgic level, it's got a lot of silliness that it turns into pretty good fun. Rocky going to Russia to fight the villain (who looks more like a Street Fighter character) who killed his best friend in the ring without any repercussions is definitely an illogical movie conclusion, but the movie plays it so straight that you can't help but go along with it because of its timely relevance to the Cold War. The one element that isn't relevant or timeless in any regard, however, is the robot. I gotta talk about the robot: what were they thinking? Coming off a series that was built on a timeless underdog story set in a challenging and obstacle-ridden real world, a talking robot stands out about as well as putting Jar Jar Binks in Schindler's List. For all of its goofiness, however, Rocky IV is a far cry from the orginal, but on its own, it's pure '80s fun. 6. Rocky III When Rocky fights Hulk Hogan and Mr. T in the same movie, that should be your first sign that we're in an entirely different world from the series' beginnings. After winning the championship in the climax of the previous entry, there really wasn't anywhere else for Rocky to go except for him to find his fire and win it back. Though well-intentioned, the following story felt rather clichéd and expected, bursting with all of the odd-balled silliness of Rocky IV but without any of the unabashed optimism. The result makes Rocky III feel stale by comparison, and it's the only one in the series that I can call not good, not bad, and just not memorable. 7. Rocky V Now this is just an unapologetic low point, no way around it. If you feel like the plot direction for Rocky III felt clichéd, be grateful that that movie at least had some sense of where it was going. At this point, the series was truly exhausted, with nowhere left to go and with the characters being forced to mire around in scenarios and settings that you just don't want to see them in. When Paulie (I never liked Paulie from the beginning, no matter how much the sequels try to make him into a comedic cartoon character) messes up and loses all of Rocky's riches, a modest attempt to return the characters to their humble roots instead feels like a massive and unexpected step backwards that halted production of any sequels for 16 years. Think about that for a second. 12/4/2015 1 Comment 'Creed' Movie ReviewIn 1976, Sylvester Stallone's original Rocky made an impact as a cinematic masterpiece, and the series, while mostly enjoyable, has certainly had its ups and downs since then. So how does the seventh installment, Creed, hold up? In a pleasant surprise, Creed is not only a knockout, but it's a contender for the best sequel in the series.
The story follows Adonis Creed (Fruitvale Station star Michael B. Jordan), the illegitimate son of late boxing legend Apollo Creed. In case you don't remember, or if you're new to the series, Apollo was Rocky Balboa's bitter rival in the first two films, and then his closest pal in Rocky III and IV. Now, looking to make his own legacy in the ring, Adonis travels from LA to Philadelphia to seek boxing training and guidance from Rocky himself (Stallone). On paper, this sounds like it could have easily been a cheap way to make another Rocky movie, but it's hardly a Rocky movie at all (and that's actually a good thing). Sure, it's got the classic locations and characters and even some of the same story beats as the original, but in terms of character focus, this is the first one where Rocky isn't the central protagonist. Again, he's the trainer this time around, and it's a refreshing turn. Much like Adonis Creed, the movie itself knows the expectations set before it, and while it gains credibility from its predecessors, it doesn't ride the coat-tails of the original. It's its own product, and a darn good one. On that note, Adonis is about as engaging a main character as this sort of continuation could ask for, and Jordan gives a rousing performance with the material. He wasn't born into the spotlight, but rather he was the son that the world never knew Apollo had, and so from the beginning, he's had to fight to make his way in the world. Even after he's taken in by his mother, Creed doesn't stay in his mansion for long, and still strives to make his own name. It's a challenging road he chooses, but you can respect him for wanting to earn everything he has, and it's a good enough reason for him to get into fighting. Stallone also excels, taking a break from satirizing his career in the Expendables series and actually giving a heartfelt performance for the first time in a long time. At this point in his journey, Rocky has lost everything and everyone that has kept him going - his wife, his brother-in-law, his trainer, his best friend - he's outlived them all, and he doesn't really have anyone to connect to until Adonis enters the picture. In a mostly quiet scene where he visits the graves of major Rocky characters Adrian and Paulie, Stallone doesn't go over the top, but gives just enough for you to feel the emotion. And Adonis is much the same: he never knew his father, so with the exception of his mother, he hasn't had anyone close to him in his life, until he meets Rocky. Both characters are looking for a connection they haven't felt in a long time and find it in each other, resulting in a relationship that runs deeper than teacher-student. Another standout feature is the cinematography, particularly during Adonis's first big fight under Rocky's mentorship. Though it wasn't actually filmed this way, the fight is framed to look as though it was filmed in one long, continuous shot, with the camera swiftly weaving between the two boxers. When you think about it later on, it becomes obvious that they had to have cut more than a few times, but the takes are so seamless that you can't tell where they could have spliced two shots together. The resulting scene is filmed at such a brisk pace that you feel as though you're in the ring and in the fight, as opposed to the fights in previous films (which, while certainly entertaining, only felt as though I was watching them from the safety of the stands). As a Rocky fan, I went into Creed cautiously hoping for something good, and came out cheering. It's got its emotional scenes, but it's a mostly triumphant film made for fans of the series, and no clearer is that more evident than when Bill Conti's original theme song, "Gonna Fly Now," is heard during the final round of the climactic showdown. That aside, it's got everything a good Rocky movie should have: Jordan proves himself to be a name to look out for in Hollywood, and Stallone is back on his game, the action is expertly shot, the story is emotionally resonant, and the fact is that finding a flaw in the film is simply a downright chore. If you're a series fan, Creed will leave you cheering until the final round. I'm giving it four out of four stars. |
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