Review: Guardian’s of the Galaxy- Directed by James Gunn

For nearly a decade, Marvel Studios has taken their comic book properties and turned  them into blockbuster movies but never have they taken as much of a gamble as they have this week with the release of their newest team-up adventure, Guardian’s of the Galaxy. A story centered around a group of unlikely companions thrown together by chance and tasked with saving the galaxy for certain destruction; everything you want in a summer blockbuster but with a lot more heart than we have reason to expect. Simply put, Guardian’s of the Galaxy IS the savior of this summer movie season!

Peter Quill, the self proclaimed Star Lord (Chris Pratt), is an Earthling who, as a young boy, was abducted by space pirates known as Ravagers, led by Yondu (Michael Rooker), and adopted as one of their own. Decades later, Quill travels the galaxy, thieving his way to the sounds of seventies top 40 music on his prized Walkman and making a name for himself as an intergalactic smuggler. Quill lands on the planet Morag where he is in search of a sphere for a buyer known as the Broker. After being intercepted by Korath (Djimon Hounsou), a henchman of Ronan the Accuser (Lee Pace), who is also in search of the sphere, Quill escapes  and heads to the planet Xandar to receive payment for the prize.

Upon arrival, Quill encounters Gamora (Zoe Saldana), an assassin sent by Ronan to retrieve the sphere as well as a duo of unusual bounty hunters, a genetically engineered raccoon named Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper) and a tree-like humanoid named Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel) in search of a big pay day. Soon the four are taken into custody by the Nova Corp and sentence to prison where we meet the fourth member of our team, Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista). Since Drax is after Ronan for killing his family, Gamora is his likely target rage, but after Gamora reveals she has betrayed Ronan and refuses to allow him to unleash the power of the sphere onto the planet Xandar, Quill convinces Drax to use Gamora as bait for Ronan.

Learning that Gamora has a buyer for the sphere, Rocket, Quill, Groot, Drax and Gamora work together to escape the Kyln. But as Ronan and his henchman get closer, the team must make choices that will shape the fate of the galaxy forever.

Director James Gunn understands the challenge at hand of taking a group of obscure comic book characters and trying to make them household names.

The script by James Gunn and co-writer Nicole Perlman is beautifully written and helps the novice in the audience acquaint themselves with Quill and Co without alienating the core comic book fans. The way Gunn sculpts the action sequences offers many nods to films of the past (Think Indiana Jones meets Star Wars meets Spaceballs) and the injection of some great bits of humor allow the film to not take itself too seriously and allows for the fun to shine through.

The use of CGI to create the aliens and world of Guardian’s is astonishing, but it is the human factor that shines thru these creatures that is the true marvel. Rocket and Groot are extraordinary and lifelike that you forget that you’re watching characters created thru special effects. Bradley Cooper is amazing as the voice of Rocket and brings humor and heart to his portrayal of the hero. In his limited verbal responses, performed by Vin Diesel, the CGI character of Groot offers more from his mannerism than most live actors portray in an entire film. Lee Pace is fantastic as Ronan the Accuser. He eerily brings the comic villain to life in such a way that the Kree government would cringe at the sight of him. Karen Gillian, completely unrecognizable as Nebula, the daughter of Thanos, turns out to be a perfect choice and turns in a stand out performance.

Zoe Saldana  was a concern for me when casting was announced for this movie. The role of the galaxy’s most dangerous assassin and the daughter of the Mad Titan Thanos needed to be a badass and a strong woman who could take on legions and I was not sold on Saldana and still am not, but she’s not bad as Gamora, I actually rather like her, but it’s still hard to see Gamora in the performance so I will leave it at that. Dave Bautista is actually rather good as Drax. While the character does not warrant much Thespian mojo, Dave holds his own and brings Drax to life with a great performance. But the real star of the movie is Chris Pratt. Another wild card at announcement time, Pratt brings a wonderful amount of human and heart to the role of Peter Quill and delivers a home run of a performance. The casting done by James Gunn deserves as much credit for the success of this film as the script.

Overall, Guardian’s of the Galaxy is one of Marvel’s finest achievements. A great mixture of humor, heart, action and drama that will have audiences cheering and begging for more…too bad we have to wait til July 28, 2017!

Stars

4 out of 5

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Review: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes- Directed by Matt Reeves

 

MOVIE

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

CAST

Andy Serkis, Jason Clarke, Gary Oldman, Keri Russell, Toby Kebbell, Nick Thurston, Kirk Acevedo and Kodi Smit-McPhee

RATING

PG-13

RELEASE

July 11, 2014

DIRECTOR

Matt Reeves

STUDIO

20th Century Fox

RUNNING TIME

2 hour 10 minutes

REVIEW:

For all the summer blockbuster busts that 2014 has produced, it’s refreshing when a film like Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is released.  Set a decade after the events of Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Dawn takes us further into the back story of how the human race succumbed to the apes and ultimately lost the planet. Director Matt Reeves takes over the franchise and creates a  smart, visually stunning, spectacle that revolves more around the apes as the central characters than the humans. Andy Serkis returns to the motion capture suit to again play the role of Caesar, the leader of the apes, whose history has lead him to both respect and fear the human race. Will Dawn be the smash hit Fox is hoping for and pave a fresh new path for further sequels in this storied franchise?

The ALZ-113 virus has crippled the human race and the remaining survivors have struggled to survive.  It’s been ten years since Caesar lead the escape from ape sanctuary at Genisys, Caesar (Serkis), and his commune of apes still live in the Redwoods, away from civilization in hopes to continue to live a peaceful existence. Life is different for Caesar.  Now middle aged, he has married, is father to a newborn son as well as his elder son Blue Eyes (Thurston), whom is starting to come into his own in the colony. A new way of life has lead to a healthy existence with the apes, some of whom are former comrades in the escape, including former test subject Koba (Kebbell), as well as a new generation of apes learning to speak and being trained to be useful members of the colony. A far cry from the existence they once had known in the cages of humanity.

 

Some years have passed since the last humans have been seen in the woods, the apes begin to believe the human race has become extinct from the virus.  One day, on a hunt for the colony, Caesar’s son Blue Eyes and friend Ash, came across a small party of armed survivors in the forest led by a man named Malcolm (Clarke). Startled by the site of the apes, Carver (Acevedo) shoots and wounds Ash, which brings down Caesar and the rest of the apes. Caesar decides against retaliation for the action and demands the humans leave. Shocked by what they just witnessed, the group head back into the city of San Francisco where a fairly large amount of  survivors have gathered to create a new community. Greeted by Dreyfus (Oldman), the leader of the surviving humans, Malcolm tells the story of their encounter.  Fearing that the humans will not heed his warning, Caesar leads the apes to the city where he tells the humans to not enter the apes’ territory ever again, a warning that does not sit well with the human survivors.

 

Malcolm convinces Dreyfus to give him three days to make peace with the apes to gain access to a dam in their territory, which could provide long-term power to the city. Though Caesar responds to the diplomatic pleadings of Malcolm and his medic wife, Ellie (Russell), not all the apes approve of this agreement. Koba takes it upon himself to investigate the human community in the city and see just what exactly the survivors are up to. When Koba finds the smoking gun he is looking for, he returns to persuade Caesar to change his stance regarding the humans and go to war to eradicate the survivors once and for all. As a power struggle begins to ignite, will Caesar be able to keep the peaceful existence he fought so hard to achieve or will war engulf the inhabitants of the ape colony and lead to survival of the fittest?

Director Reeves has masterfully taken a story, which has been told all too many times, and made it seem fresh and exciting. As the story begins to explore the sub context of the conflict between man and ape, the real life political overtones begin to shine through (anti-gun lobbyists will be cheering in the streets after this one). Where Rise of the Planet of the Apes focused solely on the mistakes that humans make, Dawn takes a step back and evaluates all the parties involved in this conflict and calls each out on their shortcomings. The battle between the two sides is visually stunning. Reeve’s manages to create action sequences using not only visual effects but provide set pieces equally as impressive. The camera work during the siege of San Francisco is phenomenal.

The human actors, lead by the highly underrated Jason Clarke. Clarke offers a sincere performance reminiscent of James Franco’s from Rise, providing an emotional connection to Serkis’ Caesar and offers a glimmer of hope that humanity still can be compassionate through adversity. Acting legend Gary Oldman, provide truly wonderful performance as a man trying to protect those lives which have been thrust upon him. Andy Serkis is an absolute genius. A master of the motion capture suit, very few people can act under those conditions time and time again and continue to output Oscar worthy performances. Serkis’ Caesar is an amazing achievement in acting and I truly hope the Academy finally honors Mr Serkis with a nomination this year.

Overall, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes breathtaking film that re-invigorates the Apes  franchise and will have audiences wanting much much more. July 26, 2016 is a long way a way to wait for the next installment, I’m just glad we have these two films to keep us company in the meantime.

Stars:

4 out of 5

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Review: Boyhood- Directed by Richard Linklater

MOVIE

Boyhood

CAST

Ellar Coltrane, Ethan Hawke, Patricia Arquette and Lorelei Linklater

RATING

R

RELEASE

July 11, 2014 (Limited)
July 18, 2014 (Nationwide)

DIRECTOR

Richard Linklater

STUDIO

IFC Films

RUNNING TIME

2 hour 46 minutes

REVIEW:

All too many times Hollywood uses the phrase “Once in a Lifetime” to describe a film that we’ve encountered way too many times before, but finally, a director and film studio have come thru and brought us a film like nothing we’ve ever seen before.  Boyhood is that film and it just might be the best movie you will see all year.  Directed by industry legend Richard Linklater, the film is a true labor of love.  The film, shot intermittently over a twelve-year period, follows a young  boy named Mason through his childhood from first grade (age 6) thru his high school graduation (age 18). It’s a documented journey that will most likely never be duplicated in our lifetime and one that will resonate with each viewer for decades to come.

We meet Mason Jr (Coltrane) at age 6, laying in the grass, pondering the days  lesson from first grade, the beauty of a child discovering the world and the wonderful knowledge that will embrace him along the way. Mason lives with his sister Samantha (Linklater) and his single mom Olivia (Arquette) in a small town in East Texas. Mason is your average young boy, spending his days riding his bike, playing with his friends and fighting with his sister, but a decision by his mother to uproot the children and move to Houston so she can attend college to get her degree, offers Mason his first true challenge in his young life. As they pack up the house and get ready for the move, Mason is tasked with painting over the mural on his wall and the  pencil marks on the door frame which have measured the growth of him and his sister from infancy until now. A symbolic gesture that the film will now take the place of those pencil marks and will chart his growth for all of us to witness.

Showing the true innocence of a child, Mason’s biggest concern is whether his father, Mason Sr. (Hawke) will be able to find them in Houston.  Mason Sr. has been missing from the children’s lives for a little over a year and with little communication. As the move is completed and the family settles into their new hometown, Mason Sr. arrives in Houston to reconnect with his children and make up for lost time.  Mason wants to know if his parents are going to get back together and will his dad be moving back in, a question that any young child in Mason’s position would ponder, but its a question easier to ask than to answer.  The dynamics of these and other relationships will play out in great detail through vignettes along the way.

Throughout the coming years, director Linklater shows us the transitions of not only Mason but of the family as a whole.  Each year brings not only new challenges, but also offers a new perspective on the evolution of each character.  From the the changing landscape of American pop culture to the different physical change that manifests in each character; the audience is provided a valuable look into the maturation of Mason and the relationships around him.  But Linklater doesn’t allow drama to engulf his vision.  He has chosen to allow Mason’s childhood play out as authentically as possible, allowing for the actors to grow naturally with each new year and maximizing their new inherent personality to shine through his well thought out script.  By the time Mason begins year 15, his sense of self begins to take shape and discovering the world not through a child’s eyes, but through the  eye’s of a young man in search of life’s purpose and his place in the world.

The evolution of a child’s journey to manhood may never be captured with such detail again. Boyhood truly is that once in a lifetime opportunity.  Ellar Coltrane is absolutely astonishing as Mason Jr.  To watch this young man grow up before our eyes is a true honor.  Every single detailed change throughout this young life is presented in such a way that you almost feel like part of the family.  Coltrane  is given time through the years to hone his craft as a screen actor and by the time we receive the teenage Mason, we are presented with a performance that expresses the personal philosophy of a young man searching to understand his purpose. No doubt the same journey young Coltrane is on.  Lorelei Linklater, daughter of the director, has grown up around the set and has honed her craft at an early age.  Her journey is much different than Coltrane’s but her performance is just as captivating.  The sibling dynamic plays out perfectly between the two actors.

Linklater veterans Ethan Hawke and Patricia Arquette provide truly sensational performances as the parents struggling to find their way in life. Watching the journey of Mason Sr. is as important to the overall story and works as a perfect companion to Mason Jr’s story.  Hawke embodies his characters quirks and his attempts to raise the children through his vision of the world are thought-provoking. I will never forget the wise wisdom of Mason Sr as he uttered “You don’t need the bumpers, life doesn’t give you bumpers”.  Patricia Arquette turns in the performance of her career.  Her performance of a young, single mother looking to better herself and her children is heart breaking and beautifully portrayed. Watching the maturation of Olivia allows audiences to understand the true weight that raising two children as a single mom can take on a woman’s psyche.  Watching her final scenes’s with Coltrane were emotionally charged as you could feel that not only the character, but the actor had taken this journey and it’s conclusion truly took its toll.

At the conclusion of the film I thought to myself, “have I ever experienced anything like this in my life?”, the truth is, yes I have.  I was reminded of my own childhood and that of my young nephew Joey whom is on the same journey as Mason’s.  I have sporadic memories of my childhood as the years have taken many from me, but Joey’s development is still very fresh in my mind.  This emotionally connected me to this film in a different way.  I cannot say that this film will touch you emotionally as it did me, but I can say that  Boyhood is an exceptional movie that demands to be seen. Each audience member will take away something different from their experience, but my hope is each will be offered a sense of nostalgia that will resonate for years to come.

Stars:

5 out of 5

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Review: Deliver Us From Evil- Directed by Scott Derrickson

MOVIE

Deliver Us From Evil

CAST

Eric Bana, Edgar Ramirez, Olivia Munn, Joel McHale and Sean Harris

RATING

R

RELEASE

July 2, 2014

DIRECTOR

Scott Derrickson

STUDIO

Sony Pictures

RUNNING TIME

1 hour 58 minutes

REVIEW:

One of Hollywood’s brightest directors, Scott Derrickson, returns to theaters with this summer’s most bone chilling film “Deliver Us From Evil”, which he co-wrote with long time partner Paul Harris Boardman.  The film is  loosely based on the stories that are contained in the book “Beware the Night” written by New York Police Sergeant Ralph Sarchie, whom is depicted in the film by Eric Bana. Sarchie, a 16 year veteran of the NY police department, worked out of the 46th Precinct  in the South Bronx where he worked the midnight shift and, when not arresting bad guys, investigated cases of demonic possession . The movie takes audiences along with Sarchie through his journey from skeptic to believer.

We open in Iraq, where a platoon of American soldiers lead by Santino (Harris),  find a mysterious catacomb within the desert with inscriptions written in Latin on the wall. A combat videographer records the events as they find a pile of human skulls and encounter a demonic entity whom unleashes a swarm of locusts. The camera fades to black.   The film takes us to New York’s South Bronx where Sergeant Ralph Sarchie is investigating yet another unspeakable act of human cruelty. The city has become a breeding ground for inhumane behavior and the toll is beginning to weigh heavily on Sarchie. This is his patrol, along with partner Butler (McHale), and tonight will test his limits.

 

The soldiers have come home from the war, but they are not the same men that left home all those years ago. Sarchie and his partner are called to the house of one of the men after a domestic disturbance is phoned in by his wife. After an encounter with the man, Sarchie realizes he has come face to face with something he cannot explain. He begins to investigate the soldier, but more unexplained acts begin to take hold of the city. As Sarchie begins to realize there is something connecting all of these events, he meets a rogue priest named Mendoza (Ramirez), who’s checkered past has lead him to seek out evil without the blessing of the church. Mendoza convinces Sarchie that these incidents are demonically related but the news is hard to swallow for Sarchie. As an evil presence inches closer to Sarchie’s wife Jen (Munn) and daughter, against his beliefs, Sarchie enlists Mendoza to help solve these crimes and stop his city from falling into darkness.

 

Director Scott Derrickson, who made “The Exorcism of Emily Rose” nearly a decade ago, triumphantly returns to the exorcism horror sub-genre that made him a household name.  The story follows faithfully through the leads left for our protagonist and immerses the audience deeper into the evil that faces Sarchie and Mendoza. The cinematography and tone of the film add to the stories overall eeriness and the combination add to the uneasiness that the audience will feel while viewing this film. The demonic possession and the ultimate exorcism of Santino, played by Sean Harris, was one of the greatest visual takes on the religious ritual that you will ever see on film.

The performances are out of the world. Eric Bana is spectacular as Sarchie. His portrayal of a man struggling with the demons of his past and the need to protect the family he loves is captivating. Edgar Ramirez is stellar as the priest Mendoza. Ramirez offers a view into the soul of a man who has been crippled by addiction and shows the power of willing himself to fulfill the need to atone for his mistakes by helping others. The chemistry between the two actors is fabulous. Joel McHale is a nice addition to the film. McHale adds his comedic flavor to the film and his offering helps tones down the darkness of the film, but not too much. The rest of the supporting cast, demonically possessed or otherwise, are key to the storytelling and turn in very strong performances as a whole.

Overall, Scott Derrickson has created a film that demands to be seen. “Deliver Us From Evil” is a thrill ride that will entertain and deliver the perfect summer scare. Do not miss this film.

Stars:

3 1/2 out of 5

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Review: Transformers: Age of Extinction- Directed by Michael Bay

MOVIE

Transformers: Age of Extinction

CAST

Mark Wahlberg, Stanley Tucci, Kelsey Grammer, Nicola Peltz, Jack Reynor, T.J. Miller and Titus Welliver

RATING

PG-13

RELEASE

June 26, 2014

DIRECTOR

Michael Bay

STUDIO

Paramount Pictures

RUNNING TIME

2 hour 45 minutes

REVIEW:

Michael Bay needs to stop making films. PERIOD. His movies are so over the top with zero substance, but as cinema summer blockbusters go, the guy sure knows how to blow stuff up. And that’s what most audiences want from a Michael Bay film, don’t talk too much, blow stuff up and stick some pretty people in front of the camera. Well Michael, you achieved these three ingredients in your newest film Transformers: Age of Extinction….but nothing more.

Four years have passed since the battle of Chicago, the Autobots and Decepticons who did not perish in the fight are being hunted down as enemies of the state by the federal government. An elite CIA black ops team under the command of Henry Attinger (Grammer) was created for this very thing, to kill Transformers and take back their planet. The ace in the hole for these humans is a Transformer bounty hunter named Lockdown, who is hellbent on one prize, Optimus Prime. Only one problem, Prime has gone missing so the hunt begins.

Searching for junk in an old abandoned cinema, robotic inventor Cade Yeager (Wahlberg) and best friend and assistant Lucas Flannery (Miller) stumble upon an old truck within the cinema house and take it back to Yeager’s barn to strip the old truck for parts to pay for Cade’s daughter Tessa (Peltz) to go to college and pay over due mortgage bills, but what Cade find under the hood is more than meets the eye. While the hunt for Prime is going on, business tycoon and inventor Joshua Joyce (Tucci), is in the process of using destroyed Transformers salvaged in the battle of Chicago for research to search for advancements in technologies to aid in the creation of a molecule called Transformium (yes…Transformium), a unstable metal substance that recreates the genetics of Transformers, only better.

After an encounter with the CIA black ops team commander Savoy (Welliver), Cade and Tess escape with the assistance of Tess’s boyfriend Shane (Reynor) and regroup with Prime to search out the remaining Autobots, Crosshairs, Drift, Hound and Bumblebee, to find the culprit behind the Autobot assassinations and stop them once and for all. But the Autobots and their human companions find that they’re not just being hunted by Lockdown, there is another presence, one a bit more familiar, that has regenerated and is ready to take down the Autobots once and for all. However, the Autobots have some help themselves in the form of some legendary knights, the Dinobots. The battle begins!

That’s pretty much the premise which is played out over almost 3 hours and played out to exhaustion. The film is a complete waste of time. For one thing, the dialogue is atrocious. Exhibit A. “My face is my warrant” delivered by the over acting Titus Welliver. The dialogue delivered by each Auotbots is comical as well, as it should be, but at least give some meaningful lines to the humans! Continuing with the critiquing, the film editing is grade school level. Never in my life has a movie flowed LESS than it does in Transformers: Age of Extinction. The scenes abruptly end and sequences are slopped together that are suppose to offer some sort of story telling literally offer nothing but scene time for the stars and offer nothing to the overall story. Literally it is a hodgepodge of nonsense filler to add to the runtime, but adds zero to the buildup of the reason we are all there, the battle sequences. Cause that’s the only reason to see a Transformer movie directed by Michael Bay.

The special effects and spectacle are amazing as you would expect. But unfortunately it’s a prime example of too much too late. The run time is an hour too long and the film takes way too long to gain any traction to hold audiences attention. The story literally holds very little glue to keep the audience engaged between battles either. The actors do their best to deliver the insanely bad dialogue and provide an ample performance, and for the most part they do that. Mark Wahlberg and Nicola Peltz are a huge step up from Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox. The addition of Stanley Tucci is a bright spot in the film with his professionalism and his acting prowess. The comedic banter is toned down from previous films which is a plus, but the quips that are present are cringe worthy.

 

The introduction of the villain(s) is underwhelming and I noticed many people in the theater scratching their heads. Lockdown is a fine character to the Transformer universe but by the time his characters intentions are revealed does anyone actually care? And please do not get me started on the use of the “other villain”. I waited for that moment all movie and it was like it never happened. Poorly handled Bay. The Autobots are unlikable for the most part, which should be a warning sign for the studio, but it appears that Paramount doesn’t care as long as kids are wearing Drift t-shirts this summer. But my main issue was with the use of the Dinobots. The build up for these iconic characters was horrific and the screen time was minimal. If you’re going to use the Dinobots then why not develop the backstory a bit more for the novice Transformer fan, offer some opportunity to create a audience to character rapport so that when they are on screen it is more than eye candy.

Overall this Transformers offering is better than the last two entries into the franchise, but that it not saying much. This is one of the worst movies I’ve seen all summer and possibly in my life. No amount of robot battle can save this film from being an utter disappointment. Transformers 5 has already been announced for release in 2016, the best thing for this franchise is to find a different director and start over, it’s the only way to save a franchise which is already on life support.

Stars:

1 1/2 out of 5

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Review: How To Train Your Dragon 2- Directed by Dean DeBlois

 

MOVIE

How To Train Your Dragon 2

CAST

Jay Baruchel, Cate Blanchett, Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson, America Ferrara, Jonah Hill, Kristen Wiig, Christopher Mintz–Plasse, Kit Harrington and Djimon Hounsou

RATING

PG

RELEASE

June 13, 2014

DIRECTOR

Dean DeBlois

STUDIO

DreamWorks Pictures

RUNNING TIME

1 hour 45 minutes

REVIEW:

Four years after DreamWorks introduced us to the unlikely duo of a young Viking named Hiccup and a dragon named Toothless, comes a new chapter in their story and is DreamWorks strongest sequel offering since Shrek 2. All too many times follow up’s to successful animated films try to rehash an old tired storyline and fail to deliver when they reach theaters, but in the case of Dragon 2, this one continues to keep the fires of the original burning. The perfect blend of storytelling and 3-D spectacle that will thrill audiences for years to come.

Set five years after the original story ends, we return to Berk where we find a much different scene then we found at the beginning of the first film. Hiccup (voiced by Baruchel), now 20, has successfully convinced his village, led by his father Stoick (voiced by Butler), to live in peace with the dragons. Berk has become a safe haven for the mythical creatures, some provide assistance with labor, some are domestic companions, and others are transportation for Viking riders, but, for Hiccup and Toothless, their passion is to explore the vast lands beyond the edges of the old Viking maps. This is where our story begins, with one such ride that will change their lives forever

Assisted by girlfriend Astrid (voiced by Ferrara), Hiccup discovers a wrecked fortress and stumbles upon a band of dragon trappers led by Eret (voiced by Harrington) who is helping build a dragon army for an evil Viking names Drago (voiced by Hounsou). After finding out that Berk is not the only village of dragon riders, Hiccup and Astrid race to warn Stoick and the villagers of Berk. Hiccup tries to convince his father that he can reason with Drago and show him that dragons and Vikings can live together peacefully. Stoick refuses and Hiccup goes it alone, to seek out Drago and try to negotiate peace. But while traveling to find Drago, Hiccup and Toothless encounter a mysterious dragon rider named Valka (voiced by Blanchett), whom has a past with the Vikings of Berk. A past that will change Hiccup and the village forever. With a battle with Drago looming, will Hiccup and Valka find a way to stop the mad man before all of the dragons are under his evil spell?

Much about Dragon has changed over the past five years, not only in the maturity of its lead character Hiccup, but also in the overall tone of the film. Dragon 2 teeters on the edge of a darker storyline, while trying not to alienate the younger audiences. The first film dealt with consequences and accepting those with which you’re dealt, but Dragon 2 expects more out of its characters and some will need to make sacrifices to protect the ones they love. Director DeBlois constantly introduces new twists to the story to which both audiences and characters must adapt. DeBlois delivers an astounding story and allows his characters to grow along with its core audience.

The vocal performances of the returning cast are as memorable as the first film. Hiccup has become more of a mature who lives to explore and learn. A continued trait from the first film is his need to break others from their prejudices and build a peaceful existence. An admirable quest and a wonderful message to portray to audiences no matter what age.  Blanchett’s vocal portrayal of Valka is one to marvel at.  Blanchett’s grace mixed with gritty protector offers one of the best animated characters I’ve encountered in my life.  Kit Harrington was enjoyable as the dragon catcher with a heart and Djimon Hounsou was spectacular as the evil dragon war lord. Each new supporting character added fresh new life into the evolving story.

Overall, How To Train Your Dragon 2 is a high flying, thrill ride that will entertain audiences of all ages. This is one of the best sequels you will ever see.

Stars:

4 out of 5

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Review: Edge of Tomorrow- Directed by Doug Liman

MOVIE

Edge of Tomorrow

CAST

Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton, Brendan Gleeson, and Noah Taylor

RATING

PG-13

RELEASE

June 6, 2014

DIRECTOR

Doug Liman

STUDIO

Warner Bros.

RUNNING TIME

1 hour 53 minutes

REVIEW:

What can you say about the resilience of Tom Cruise. The man has found a way time and time again to turn in a great performance when so many have written him off. So many times has a movie he’s attached to star in received negative comments all across the internet and how many times has that film surprised audiences?  Edge of Tomorrow is the perfect metaphor for the 51 year old actors career. You can’t kill Tom Cruise, and if you try he’ll make you regret it.

The story takes place in the not so distant future, an alien race known as Mimics have begun their invasion of Earth, their starting point for their assault is Europe. The invasion has taken its toll on the world. As each day passes, the new clips from the front line continue to offer little hope that the human race will be able to sustain this assault for long. But a beacon of hope has emerged. The army had designed a new kind of battle armor to assist their troops in engaging this new foe. During a battle for Verdun, a special forces soldier named Rita Vrataski (Blunt) helped turn the tide of the war by killing hundreds of Mimics on her first day of battle and proving that the alien race could be stopped.  Public relations specialist , Major William Cage (Cruise) begins to hit the news circuit, publicly praising the heroics of Vrataski in hopes to win back public perception and support for the war.

Cage is called to London to meet with General Brigham (Gleeson) who instructs Cage that he wants to embed him into a combat unit on the front lines to ensure the public perception remains positive throughout the final assault on the Mimics. When Cage, who has no battle experience, tries to blackmail his way out of the assault, the general has Cage arrested and sent to a battle regiment at Heathrow airport. Upon arrival Cage realizes he has been betrayed and his back ground has been forged as Cage is referred to as a Private and is claimed to be a deserter. He is forced to join J-Squad under the command of Sergeant Farrell (Paxton) and is sent to the front lines as a soldier of war. The chaos of war encompasses Cage as the battle wages around him. During the battle, Cage encounters Vrataski who is killed right in front of him. As J-squad engages the enemy, Cage is confronted by a version of the Mimics called the “Alpha”. Cage is able to kill the Alpha, however, he is also killed in the process. But something strange has happened and Cage wakes up the previous morning, at Heathrow, and sci fi version of Groundhog Day has begun.

Cage soon realizes that every time he dies he is given another chance to change the fate of the battle. Despite his best efforts, no one believes Cage when he tries to warn them of the result of the battle and with each repeat day, the battle continues to end tragically for him. A silver lining is discovered, with each battle Cage becomes more skilled in combat and more aware of the Mimics plan of attack. During one repeat battle, Cage finds and saves Vrataski. Surprised by his knowledge of the forthcoming events, Vrataski realizes that there is something familiar about Cage and just before the two are killed by an explosion Vrataski advises Cage to “find her when he wakes up”.

Cage repeats the day but this time he seeks our Vrataski and explains the situation. A connection is forged between the two soldiers and they begin to plot their next move. Vrataski introduces Cage to Dr. Carter (Taylor), a disgraced astrophysicist with a plan to take down the Mimics. A plan is hatched and Cage begins another loop through time to learn more about the invaders and to train with Vrataski so that he will be more battle ready to complete the mission. But with each loop Cage takes, the toll begins to weigh on his psyche. Can Cage and Vrataski find the solution before time runs out?

Based on the Japanese novel All You Need is Kill by Hiroshi Sakurazaka, director Doug Liman combated multiple screenplay re-writes and a blooming budget to make one of this years finest sci-fi dramas. Liman channels the dexterity he showed in making the Bourne Identity and allows the creativity of the superb cinematographer Dion Beebe to flow. Liman succeeds in creating a sense of accelerating vertiginous  and builds the tension of the film with each loop through time. Tom Cruise is terrific in this film. Much like his performance in Oblivion, Cruise embodies the weight of the characters plight and allows the audience to connect with the peril for which his character faces. Emily Blunt is fantastic as always. Blunt brings life to her character with fierce intelligence and intensity while also allowing her character to show some heart when needed. Blunt’s radiance is scene stealing and her presence in the film competes toe for toe with Cruise. The supporting cast of Paxton, Gleeson, Taylor and others, were ideal for the execution of the story and each actor was up to the challenge.

Edge of Tomorrow is the perfect mixture of summer blockbuster and intelligent drama that should be given a chance. It’s an edge of your seat thrill ride that will entertain and intrigue for the duration of the film. A must see.

Stars:

3 1/2 out of 5

Trailer:

Review: Maleficent- Directed by Robert Stromberg

MOVIE

Maleficent

CAST

Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning, Sharlto Copley, Sam Riley, Lesley Manville, Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple, Isobelle Molloy, Michael Higgins and Brenton Thwaites

RATING

PG

RELEASE

May 30, 2014

DIRECTOR

Robert Stromberg

STUDIO

Walt Disney Pictures

RUNNING TIME

1 hour 37 minutes

REVIEW:

Continuing the trend of mining the Disney vaults looking for classic fairytales to turn into big budget live action films come this years entry, Maleficent; director Robert Stromberg’s new twist on Sleeping Beauty story. The story stars Angelina Jolie as the legendary Disney villainess. We all know the tale…after being shunned by King Stefan and not invited to the royal christening, Maleficent curses the infant princess Aurora to “prick her finger” on the spindle of a spinning wheel and die before the sun sets on her sixteenth birthday, but is that really how the story unfolded? We now explore the origin story of Maleficent.

As many origins stories begin, we meet a young Maleficent (Molloy), a young faerie who is just becoming accustomed to her powers. She lives in place which goes by the name of The Moors; a magical land bordering the kingdom of King Henry, a man non to fond of the magical realm right outside his borders. As a young girl, Maleficent spent most of her days flying, but on one such day, she was interrupted by a young human peasant boy named Stefan (Higgins) who had stumbled upon The Moors and had stolen something from her land. After agreeing to return the stolen relic, Stefan and Maleficent begin a friendship that will last well into their teenage years, but Stefan’s love for Maleficent is overshadowed by his ambition to become king one day and as he becomes a young man, he retreats back into the human world to seek his goal.

King Henry finally decides that it is time to attack The Moors. An older and stronger Maleficent (now played by Jolie) and her army defeat the King who is fatally wounded. Upon arriving back at his castle, King Henry declares that the throne will be given to the brave man who can kill Maleficent. A servant to the King, Stefan (now played by Copley) seizes his opportunity and seeks out his old friend to betray her and take her wings as proof that he slayed the faerie. Upon return to the castle, Stefan becomes king.

Heartbroken by Stefan’s betrayal, Maleficent turns down a dark path which leads her to turn her once beautiful realm into a dark kingdom and seek revenge on her old love for the pain he caused her. Enlisting the help of a crow named Diaval (Riley), Maleficent learns of a birth of a child to King Stefan and the Queen and the subsequent christening for his newborn daughter, Aurora. Maleficent arrives uninvited and, well, you know the story. As King Stefan pleads for his daughters life, Maleficent gives the curse an antidote, something that Stefan once declared on Maleficent: true love’s kiss. Stefan, irate by the curse, sends his newborn daughter off to live with three pixies, Knotgrass (Staunton), Thistletwit (Temple), and Flittle (Manville) who take the young girl hidden deep in the forest with the command to not let Aurora return to the castle until the day after her 16th birthday.

Despite the hatred that Maleficent has for the child, the pixies prove unworthy of caring for the child which leads the vengeful faerie to lend assistance from afar. Upon her 15th birthday, Aurora (now played by Fanning), comes in contact with whom she believes to be her fairy godmother. As the months past, a bond begins to form between Maleficent and the one she once called Beastie. Maleficent shows Aurora around her faerie kingdom and finds that she cannot continue with the curse she cast all those years before. Will Maleficent be able to stop the curse and save Aurora or will true love’s kiss truly be the only thing that can save the young princess?

First time director Stromerg had quite a challenge on his hands, transforming an iconic character known for her villainous ways into someone modern day audiences could identify with and root for. Generations know the story and have recanted the tale to their children for decades, will it be that simple to forget what we have already engrained into our heads about Maleficent and believe her to be a misunderstood hero?

Jolie is superb as Maleficent and she clearly relishes in the role. Her performance is hauntingly similar to Eleanor Audley’s spectacularly terrifying performance as Maleficent in the original all the while finding her own originality in her mannerisms and delivery. Jolie’s beauty and presence are a wonder to watch. Elle Fanning turns in a fine performance as Princess Aurora, but shes given little to explore in her character. Her purpose in the film is more or less to see the arc to completion support the emotional connection between Jolie and her character. Sharlto Copley shines as King Stefan. Copley is allowed to explore Stefan’s psyche and creates a madness within the character that stands out throughout the film. The chemistry between Jolie and Copley is truly great to watch unfold.

Fans of Disney will be divided on this updated tale, but Maleficent is a fine family film, albeit one you may want to leave the really smaller children in your family home for. In comparison to previous Disney classic incarnations, Maleficent casts a spell on them all.

Stars:

3 out of 5

Trailer:

Review: X-Men: Days of Future Past- Directed by Bryan Singer

MOVIE

X-Men: Days of Future Past

CAST

Hugh Jackman, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult, Ellen Page, Peter Dinklage, Halle Berry, Shawn Ashmore, Omar Sy, Evan Peters, Danial Cudmore, Ian McKellen, and Patrick Stewart

RATING

PG-13

RELEASE

May 23, 2014

DIRECTOR

Bryan Singer

STUDIO

20th Century Fox

RUNNING TIME

2 hour 11 minutes

REVIEW:

Who knew that in 1981 Chris Claremont and John Byrne would write the perfect storyline for the Uncanny X-Men comics to completely erase Bret Ratner’s debacle X-Men: Last Stand from our memories. Director Bryan Singer returns to helm his third X-Men movie and the seventh in the franchise. X-Men: Days of Future Past unites the new and old incarnations of the X-Men films acting as a direct sequel to the original trilogy as well as the prequel film X-Men: First Class. Matthew Vaughn reignited the franchise a few years back with the wildly beloved First Class, but can Singer return to the franchise that he created 14 years ago and bring back the magic that made those first two films such a success?

 

The year is 2023, mutants are being hunted by the Sentinals, an army robots whose main directive is the extinction of all mutants. We open in Moscow where find a small band of X-Men including Kitty Pryde(Page), Bishop (Sy), Iceman (Ashmore), Colossus (Cudmore) and others trapped by a squad of Sentinals. Kitty must use her powers to send Bishop back in time to warn the group of the impending attack to avert any loss of life. Once they escape, the group makes their way to a secure location in the mountains of Mongolia where they are joined by Professor X (Stewart), Magento (McKellen), Wolverine (Jackman) and Storm (Berry). The plan is hatched that Kitty’s power can send a member of the X-Men back in time to stop Mystique (Lawrence) from killing renowned scientist Bolivar Trask (Dinklage) and subsequently causing the creation of the Sentinals. Deciding on Wolverine, Professor X advises him on the task at hand and the urgency to find not only Professor Xavier, but Magneto as well, and convince them to work together at a time when they couldn’t be more far apart. Kitty successfully transports Logan back in time to 1973.

 

Wolverine arrives in the past and travel to the X-Men mansion only to find it rundown and out of business. Logan knocks to find Hank McCoy, aka Beast (Hoult) at the school taking care of Xavier (now played by McAvoy) who has lost all faith in his abilities after the events of First Class. Logan must tell Xavier that he is from the future and convince him to undertake this mission to help assist in the breakout of Magneto from prison and find Mystique before it’s too late. Only one problem, Magneto is being held in an underground prison at the Pentagon. They will need to recruit a young mutant named Quicksilver (Peters), to assist in this jailbreak. But with time running out, will Logan and Xavier with the help of Magneto, be enough to stop future devastation and create a future where humans and mutants can co-exist?

Working from Simon Kinberg’s screenplay, which is a very loose adaptation of the Uncanny storyline, Singer has achieved an ambitious film. Capitalizing on the success of Vaughn’s First Class, Singer channeled the spirit of the original X-Men film while weaving elements of Vaughn’s reboot and rights the wrongs that have plagued the franchise after 2006’s Last Stand. In a way, Days of Future Past, closes the chapter on the first act of the X-Men film arc and creates a template for future for the franchise.

While McAvoy is as fantastic as ever, some of the cast has seemed to take a step back. While the storyline calls for a more emotionally centered Wolverine, I feel that there was something missing. Jackman’s portrayal of Wolverine in this film is devoid of much of the energy which made his portrayal so beloved over the past 14 years. Michael Fassbender was equally as uninspiring as he reprises his role as the younger Magneto. While not bad, he just didn’t invoke the same passion that he did just a few years back in First Class. 

Jennifer Lawrence provided a fine performance as the mutant Mystique. Her portrayal requires a certain emotional disconnect and Lawrence achieves this with ease. The returning cast from the original films were a nice edition. Ellen Page, Shawn Ashmore, and Halle Berry all provided great supporting cast, but it was Stewart and McKellen that again command the screen with their larger than life portrayals of the elder Professor X and Magneto respectively.

X-Men: Days of Future Past is not a perfect film, but it is an enjoyable addition into the X-Men universe.

Oh….and make sure you stay all the way thru the credits!!

Stars:

3 1/2 out of 5

Trailer:

Review: Million Dollar Arm- Directed by Craig Gillespie

MOVIE

Million Dollar Arm

CAST

Jon Hamm, Lake Bell, Aasif Mandvi, Bill Paxton, Alan Arkin, Suraj Sharma, Madhur Mittal, and Pitobash

RATING

PG

RELEASE

May 16, 2014

DIRECTOR

Craig Gillespie

STUDIO

Walt Disney Pictures

RUNNING TIME

2 hour 4 minutes

REVIEW:

Disney sure does know how to make a feel good family movie; and they REALLY know how to make a feel good sports movie, add Based on a True Story and you have a certified winner usually! Audiences have been eating up these types of films up for decades and at the top of film goers lists always seems to be good baseball movies. There’s something about the game of baseball that tugs on the heart strings and offers great stories of sportsmanship and triumph. Million Dollar Arm tries to add its name to the memorable sports movies debate this Friday when it opens wide in theaters.

J.B. Bernstein (Hamm) is a sports agent from Los Angeles who has hit a wall, sort of speak. Clients have dried up and the bills begin to pile up with no relief in sight, J.B. needs to catch a break to save his career. J.B’s partner Aash (Mandvi) has supported this venture for many years, but the hardships are becoming too much to bare for him and his family. It’s time for a change and J.B. promises that he’s gonna crack this, and crack it he does.

After Aash informs J.B. of an investor interested in a venture into the Asian market, the two begin to brain storm where there is an untapped market to exploit, India is the choice. Million Dollar Arm is created. A reality show in which J.B. would travel around India in search of two young men with potential to teach baseball and make them Major League Baseball players. But the concept needs the assistance of baseball minds in order for it to succeed. J.B. enlists the help of USC pitching instructor Tom House (Paxton) and baseball scout Ray Poitevint (Arkin) to help teach the winners how to succeed at the game of baseball.  The two agents then pitch (no pun intended) this plan to investor Mr. Chang, who agrees to fund the project in hopes to find a success.

So its off to India in hopes of finding the young men who will help get J.B. and Aash back on track. Upon arrival J.B. meets a young man named Amit (Pitobash), a baseball enthusiast from India who offers to work for J.B. for free in return for help in becoming a good baseball coach. Along with local marketing assistant Vivek (Jariwala) and Ray Poitevint, J.B and Amit set off around India stopping in all the major cities and offering tryouts to whomever would like the chance. As the days move along, J.B. realizes that finding a baseball star in India is harder than it looks, but at one of the final stops of the tour the group finally finds the talent they’ve been searching for. 20 young men make the finals of the contest, but only  Rinku (Sharma) and Dinesh (Mittal) make the cut. After months of searching J.B. and Aash finally have found their men. So its off to the United States to train with the hopes of making both men ready for their Major League tryout in the agreed upon amount of time. But the prospect of turning two young men from India, who are away from everything they know, into major league pitchers will test the psyche of not only the young men, but the agents as well. As time closes in, will J.B. truly find his million dollar arms?

The story of these two boys journey from poverty is an intriguing one albeit one that winds up being a bit muted by the story of J.B. Bernstein. Director Craig Gillespie tries to intertwine the story of the hope that we feel for the young boys and the story of redemption that we want for Bernstein, but ultimately the struggle for balance is tipped in the favor of the latter. Suraj Sharma and Madhur Mittal are given very little to do besides pitch and look pitiful in their attempts to exist in the United States. Sharma and Mittal are fine actors and have proven their abilities to act on the big screen, Gillespie should have concentrated on their stories a bit more and provided some emotional substance to their dialogue. Jon Hamm is great as the sport agent in crisis.Much like similar roles in Hamm’s past, Jon plays the self-serving role to a tee, but his portrayal of a man looking for to change that perception is really worth watching in this film.

The supporting cast was really good as well. Lake Bell as the tenant turned love interest to Bernstein added a nice layer of consciousness to the film which helped aid Hamm’s character and his need for change. Alan Arkin and Bill Paxton are used sparingly but their screen presence is well used, but the real scene stealer is Pitobash in his first American film role. The young Indian actors performance is enjoyable and adds a nice edition to the film.

Overall, Million Dollar Arm provides a nice feel good family film for summer time viewing. Disney may not have hit a home run with this one, but they are definitely in scoring position.

Stars:

3 out of 5

Trailer: