Favorite movies and film reviews

From the Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magical thread:

https://ltahime.forumotion.com/t722p80-mahou-shoujo-madokamagica#141512

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I was a late entry into the whole Madoka franchise. Nothing about the series interested me since a lot of people over-hyped it by saying it was the greatest thing ever in anime since...well...probably Evangelion. They're saying the same thing about Shingeki no Kyojin and that turned out to be a disappointment. But when I finally got to watch Madoka months after it's final episode aired, I can see why I enjoyed the series compared to the hundred of fans out there. In the introduction video to Rebellion, the wonderful seiyuu of Madoka filled us in on what we were about to see. It was apparent that the people in the theater earlier wanted to see blood, guts, "tropes" and style with little substance. It's ironic that the people involved with this film wanted us to enjoy it the way I wanted to enjoy it and the way it was meant to be enjoyed. I don't know the exact words, but it was along the lines of:


That right there made me want to shake hands with Aoi Yuki and all her talented team of friends, as the well the talented crew at SHAFT and Aniplex. This film is not about how many tropes we can count or the fights, but rather the characters. It's mind boggling how many fans in the audience with their Kyubey plushies missed the point of the movie. Regardless of it being the third film in the trilogy; also a sequel to the television series, Puella Magi Madoka Magica: Rebellion was meant to showcase love and despair in their truest form. Only it's never simplified. The animation team went to great lengths to tell it's story through amazing cinematic brilliance, with some of the best visuals ever in a Japanese animated film. The series was no different either, only now it's become bigger in scale, richer in symbolism and constant references to the past episodes. The Madoka anime series made me a believer with it's story of love. Whether you take that emotion as friendship or romance, love comes in many forms. Elements of Sailor Moon and Mai-HiME can be found peppered throughout Madoka, only it's more bleak and more elaborate, telling it's story through abstract art and tragic characters. The idea of obtaining magical power, only to be servant to a lifetime of battling Witches and having to become a Witch through the inevitable despair caused by an impossible battle is depressing. But through Madoka Kaname (voiced by Aoi Yuki), we see that there is a surviving light in a tunnel of suffocating agony. The series finale left a lot open to interpretation and surprisingly, this film answer my biggest question of all: What happened to Homura? Keep in mind that a lot of what I say comes from speculation and what I've seen throughout the anime canon. The manga and all of it's canon is not connected, I know that much. I do not have any knowledge of video game canon or if it has any relevance here. This is just what's in my brain.

Rebellion picks up immediately after the series/movies left off, with Madoka returning (bear with me here...), along with her teammates Kyoko Sakura (Ai Nonaka), Mami Tomoe (Kaori Mizuhashi), and Sayaka Miki (Eri Kitamura). They're all living a normal life again and fighting a new threat called "Nightmares" that take over the dreams of human beings. One of their latest victims in the film is Hitomi Shizuki. After restoring her dream with one of the most creative attack patterns I've ever seen, we suddenly meet Homura Akemi (voiced by Chiwa Saito) once again. She is back to being a shy girl with glasses and eventually reunites with the girls. Wait until you hear the round cake tune, it'll be stuck in your cranium for years. During an investigation, Homura discovers that her and Kyoko are unable to leave the city of Mitakihara because of a Witch's barrier. Homura then reveals the obvious (at least for me) that she remembers everything from the previous films/episodes; convinced that it's an alternate universe that suits her ideal world. One of the creepiest aspects of the film is finding out that Mami is raising Charlotte (now called "Bebe" ), the very Witch that devoured her head in the previous life. Using her time stop ability, Homura threatens "Bebe" to reveal it's true colors; that it is she who is responsible for this false world. After an amazing battle between Homura and Mami (they'll be talking about this one for a long time, trust me), it doesn't take long for Homura to realize that the very witch she wanted to destroy is herself. Kyubey (voiced by Emiri Kato) explains that her great despair has caused this. With assistance from all the Incubators, they were able to seal Homura's soul gem in hopes of gaining Madoka's powers. You see, not only does Kyubey remember Madoka's wish to save the magical girls from their cruel fate, but also that she has become a Goddess herself. The Law of Cycle established a system that interferes with Incubator goals to harness vast amounts of energy. To obtain the greatest of energy, they need Madoka's omnipotent power.

Madoka is unable to remember anything up until now, although there is a beautiful scene where her and Homura express how much they care for one another. Even if they did somehow forget each other. Homura comes to a tragic conclusion; in order to ensure the safety and stability of the Law of Cycle (which can also be classified as Madoka herself), Homura accepts her fate as a Witch and enters the transformation. The girls (including Nagisa Momoe, obviously Charlotte aka Bebe's human form before becoming a Witch) arrive in time in a spectacular battle against Homura's Witch form. They succeed in saving Homura's soul gem and Goddess Madoka makes an appearance to lead Homura to salvation.

Let me just say this. If the film ended here, I would of been blown away. Most Madoka fans who welcome the idea of leaving things open for the sake of speculation and debate is fine. However, I don't share the same sentiments. The tone has been bleak since the beginning, even with Goddess Madoka rewriting the laws of the universe, the Wraiths still came into existence. So we never got the feeling of triumph, rather, repeated gloom for characters that never had a chance from the start. But I do agree if you say giving Madoka a happy ending would be too risky. The series is not supposed to be the usual magical girl series where a Deus Ex Machina solves everything. But if the series took a leap of faith, it would of taken the audience by surprise. What happens instead didn't surprise me at all and here's why. It wasn't bad, I want to make that perfectly clear: It. Was. Not. Bad. It was just blunt, obvious and by no means did I expect Homura and Madoka to live happily ever after after an exhausting hour and a half.

The moment Madoka touched Homura, she was rewarded by having her powers absorbed. That's right, Homura has become evil out of her love for Madoka. This twist came out of nowhere and yet I'm not surprised. Whether or not despair helped water the plants of obsessive love, Homura has gone through Hell so much that she became Hell itself. Going so far as to call herself the "Devil". In a very intense scene, Homura's power spreads across the entire universe in every single detail. I'm not the biggest Kyubey fan as most people know, but even I share his concern here. Homura has become something more dangerous than anything the Incubators have ever encountered. Kyubey might of well of said "What have we done?" during Homura's monologue. If Kyubey got served badly in episode 12, you've seen nothing yet. He gets it bad in this film and I wish I enjoyed it. I should enjoy it, but knowing Homura has become a monster, it's hard to do that. I don't feel sympathy for Kyubey, but I do feel sorrow for the seven billion people who are part of Homura's sick game of rewriting all creation. What's brilliant about this ending reflects on the viewer on their own unique speculation and theories on where the series goes from here. The ending opened doors to the possibility of Homura vs. Madoka, only it won't be played completely straight. Not if SHAFT has anything to say about it. Rebellion is a classic tale beneath it's beautiful artistic visual direction and score by Yuki Kajiura (Mai-HiME/Otome, Noir, Madlax). It's definitely the anime 'Citizen Kane' of recent times. Homura Akemi is a meek little girl who is taken away from her best friend at an early age. Eventually she becomes an idealistic young girl with principals and a mission to do good. Ultimately she is consumed by her own despair and a fear of losing the ones she loves, a fall from grace if you will. Madoka's ribbon can even substitute as a "Rosebud" theme. It's beautiful storytelling about love in a world where nothing is simple. Nothing is certain. In Mai-HiME, the Carnival brought great misery to the battle princesses, only to be revived by the one who was violated by the mastermind. Her long awaited revenge. In Sailor Moon, the darkest of times is dispelled by the power of love and hope, something Madoka tried to do. Rebellion takes that concept and throws it in the dumpster. But Usagi Tsukino was limitless with her powers while Madoka still had restrictions, despite being a Kami. No wonder fans refer to Rebellion as the End of Evangelion of the series, it's dark(er), depressing and miserable. These elements are what make the film great and from a standpoint of someone who enjoys great direction and art, this is one of the best animated films I've seen in a long time. Taking my number 3 spot of all time for Japanese animated films. It's rich with it's detail, cool visual work, Matrix style action sequences that don't make me ill and one of the best art directions ever. The yuri subtext in this movie is more than enough to please fans of Madoka x Homura. There are several moments of embrace and sweet exchanges about how much they care about one another. Even after Homura obtains her new Kami powers, she still pines for Madoka by rewriting the past. She does this by having Madoka be the new student in class, so she can become friends with her first, rather than Sayaka. It's practically obsessive ownership of your girlfriend. Maybe a fourth film wouldn't be so bad after all if it's played straight as a romance between Kami and Devil. A most forbidden fruit indeed, but that's what makes Yuri juicy.

Rebellion is a little predictable, but, I can overlook these flaws with repeated viewings. Rebellion is a masterpiece in every conceivable way, knocking down everything you loved about the series and throwing it's own unique spin on the characters. It's a technical and storytelling achievement that stands the test of time, but only for those who watch the series.


+ Beautiful animation!
+ Fantastic score!
+ Total irony
+ Complex characters
- Predictable ending...
+ ...saved by Homura's character arc coming full circle.

So...X-Men: Days of Future Past. Probably the only movie, with the exception of Superman Returns (both were done by Bryan Singer! FEEL THE IRONY! TASTE THE IRONY!), that came out of the screen itself to tell me, "You wasted your time watching the previous films because...THEY NEVER HAPPENED!"

As soon as I got that message, I felt myself sinking into the chair, feeling betrayed and abused like most women in a 3 month relationship she took too seriously. Or did we? X-Men: Days of Future Past is a convoluted mess of a film thanks to 'First Class' screwing around with the continuity. Bryan Singer was given the task of connecting all the films together into one giant event. This seemed awesome at first, as I was very familiar with the Future Past storyline from the comics and the 1990s animated series. Both were very well done; showing us a Terminator-esque story where the X-Men and human race are nearly extinct thanks to Marvel's own Skynet, the Sentinels. To prevent this cliche apocalyptic future, one of the X-men must return back in time to stop an assassination which triggers the creation of mutant annihilation with the help of Sentinels. Of course, the Sentinels become self aware and turn on their human creators. They would follow Master Mold, the giant Sentinel from the comics and animated series, who was originally designed to make Sentinels faster. He goes batshit crazy and orders the destruction of all beings, humans and mutants alike.

Sounds exciting, right? Well, in 2014's X-Men Days of Future Past, we don't see any of that. The movie just opens to the already enslaved world where Sentinels (who are all sup'ed up Nimrod types) are running the place on their own. The movie obviously picks up where last year's 'The Wolverine' left off, fast forwarding years into the future where a band of mutants led by Charles Xavier are hiding out from the Sentinel massacre. We get a look at some cool new mutants like Blink...and some that were important to the original Days of Future Past storyline, but now just stand in the background - Bishop. What a shit load of fack. Why does the most pivotal character in this famous storyline take a backseat? HUGH JACKMAN OF COURSE! He's come to save the day as usual and the reasoning is more of an excuse really.

For some reason, Kitty (played by the lovely and gay Ellen "Beyond: Two Souls" Page) can now send a person's consciousness back in time....???????? HUH!? What happened to the time machine Bishop uses in the animated series?! I thought Ellen Page can only go through walls. Where did she get this new power from? PLOT CONVENIENCE! BUT WAIT! DERSHHH MOAR!!!!!!! Ellen Page is unable to send someone back more than a month, or else the person's body would rip apart. Gee, if only we had someone who couldn't die until the studios says to and heals instantly....

Luckily, the movie gets a little better here. But truth be told, how could you ruin the opening of the film? Yeah, we get a little fight scene, which never happens thanks to Ellen Page. The fight scene with the Sentinels was thrown in there to EXPLAIN how her new ability works. I felt like leaving at that point. However, like I said, things actually improve a little. Wolverine is sent back to 1973 to get Charles and Magneto to cooperate. Not only that, they must stop a young Mystique (played by the always amazing Jennifer Lawrence) from killing the creator of the Sentinels, Bolivar Trask (played by Game of Thrones's Peter Dinklage. It's so sad that even I know that without peeking at Wikipedia. BTW, that show still hasn't grown on me and never will. )

It's interesting to see Logan placed in a situation where he has to be the peacemaker between the young Charles (played by James McAvoy) and Magneto (played by the overrated Michael Fassbender). Both do well enough in their respective roles and they do have good chemistry...on the yaoi sense. It feels natural whenever they get into a squabble. Anyway, we follow Mystique in scenes where she is trying to kill Trask, plotting to kill Trask and infiltrating his office. Jennifer Lawrence's performance is good as usual, but there was something off about Mystique's role in this movie. When did she became so important? Thanks to her eventually killing Trask, the Sentinels go into production for many years throughout the events of ALL the previous X-Men movies. Yeah, whatever. They would of scrapped that idea when the "cure" of Last Stand showed up. That, imo, was a more effective way of mutant oppression. So many plot holes.

Because of Mystique (and Magneto being a total ass), President Nixon approves of Trask's Sentinel idea. Trask even has prototypes that are ready to go! ENOUGH WITH THE PLOT CONVENIENCES! GAWD! WHERE WERE THESE MAGIC PROTOTYPES SHORTLY BEFORE YOUR DEATH IN THE ORIGINAL TIMELINE!? Now you see why I hate modern day time travel stories. Nothing can get it right. Not this, not Final Fantasy XIII-2, not Stab 5: Clock of Doom.

Can I just stop complaining about this movie and talk about the stuff I did like about it? Don't worry, this won't take long. Despite the material, X-Men: Days of Future Past does deliver on the action sequences. The opening "fight" between Blink, Iceman and the others against the Sentinels is fast paced and brutal. These versions of the Sentinels are relentless in combat. I feel bad for Colossus. He got it the worst in the second real time fight. OUCH! I loved all the 1970s references; cars, posters, music, and news. Very cool period piece shit going on. But why on Earth didn't they mention the release of Enter the Dragon or Bruce Lee!? I would of believed him being a mutant instead of JFK. That's right, it's implied that the JFK assassination a decade earlier was done because he was a mutant. Not only that, Magneto tried to save him because of that reason. I laughed so hard in the theater, as did everyone else. That is just being cartoony. At least with 'Prometheus' implying that the Jesus might of been an Engineer, our brains were tickled because it made a creepy kinda sense. (Remember that, honey? Dwita Marzelia ). I can even accept anime/manga series 'Madoka' implying that Joan of Arc was a Magical Girl. But John F. Kennedy being a mutant is pure unintentional comedy. Anyway, I do like the music for the film. John Ottman brings the excitement and emotional weight of the storyline (when it isn't being retarded) nicely. The movie is also shot well; you can tell what's going on in every action sequence or moment of confrontation like every time Mystique attempts to kill Trask. The performances are also well done. From Ellen Page, JLaw, Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen and James McAvoy are all good. Whenever James McAvoy tries to convince Jennifer Lawrence to not kill and seek another path, it's emotionally strong and honest. We even have James as young Xavier having an emotional discussion with Patrick Stewart Xavier. This was the best scene of the movie. Up until now, young Xavier was like this lost and drunk Jack Sparrow type of dude. When faced with his future self; a future self who is wise beyond his years, he breaks down. He cannot believe he'll become this good person with the ability and willingness to help others. Why couldn't the whole movie be like this? The rest of the cast are kind of meh. I couldn't of been more bored when Nicholas Hoult started talking. This is a major crime because Beast is awesome! Hank McCoy is my second favorite X-Man. Thank goodness good ol' Kelsey Grammer arrived at the end. OOP! Did I spoiler that? Might as well come clean because that's all I liked about the film. Most of these are little things that happened in the middle act, which was great.

So, the ending. We reach the unveiling of the new Sentinel prototypes made by Trask. Little does he know that Magneto had placed railroad tracks into the Sentinels, acting as an endoskeleton so he can control them and kill the President, Trask and all the service men in one go. By this point, Magneto is already wearing his helmet to block Xavier's mind power. Mystique is faced with the ultimate decision that will decide the fate of humans and mutants forever. Though everyone saw it coming, I can forgive this moment. She fires her plastic gun at Magneto, wounding him. She agrees to spare Trask, ensuring the safety of the future. The Sentinel program is scrapped, Trask is arrested and mutants are on the country's good side since they saved the president. Where was Wolverine during all this? During the battle (or lack thereof since the Prototype Sentinels fight was disappointing), Wolverine is launched into the Potomac River where he is feeling the ouch of reinforcing bars impaled through his body, thanks to Magneto. Luckily, he is able to return back into his body in time after JLaw decided to let Trask go. As he awakens in the year 2023, he sees that the school is back, the sun is shining, the mutant students are running about, Anna Paquin shows up for about two seconds and...omg....omg.....OMG.........X-MEN, X2, LAST STAND, AND THE WOLVERINE NEVER HAPPENED!? CYCLOPS (Scott Summers) AND JEAN GREY ARE ALIVE AGAIN!?!?!?!?!?!?!??!?!?

((Quck BTW: Famke Janssen is pushing 50 and Jiminy crickets!, she is as gorgeous as ever)

>:3 YOU KNOW WHAT? fack YOUUUUUUUUUU! You retcon'ed the entire series! Now whenever someone watches the older films, they'll be like:

Person A: Awww, Logan killed poor Jean.
Person B: Don't worry. Watch the 7th film where they go back in time. She comes back.

The emotional moments of the previous films are gone because now we know everything can be fixed with time travel. Hey! Did your cat get run over? NO PROBLEM! Get Ellen Page to send you back a few hours before it happened! AHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Characters cannot grow and learn from their experiences if they can simply go back and prevent their death from happening. Jean Grey and Scott are basically brand new people from now on. Great. This is one of the rare times I'm not satisfied with a happy ending.

The biggest crime is that 'The Wolverine' never happened. That was and still is the best film in the series. It followed the formula of an action movie and not a super hero one, which made it unique. In fact, one of the reasons I loved the 'The Wolverine' so much was because it was structured like an Indiana Jones film. The main hero has an opening scene that has NOTHING to do with the main storyline. Then at the 13 minute mark, he's given new information on whatever the main storyline is about. He travels to another country where he gets a sidekick (Yukio) and a love interest (Mariko) and eventually defeat the main villain and his henchman in a climatic battle. Great stuff!

'X-Men Days of Future Past' isn't a terrible film. It had some really strong moments. Unfortunately, I have to say that the film is a disappointing one. It could of been so much better by making very simple changes. The convoluted time travel storyline to connect all the films, only to erase them from existence doesn't sit well with me. They basically rebooted the series right in front of our eyes and not in some secret board meeting at Fox Studios. I still think you should see it for the spectacle of it all, but it's no way great or amazing as people say it is. It's just a really cool Men's shirt with several rips in the front where people can see my nipples. It's good with cool designs and color, but needs sewing work. Badly.

Luu Sky Sapphire rates 'X-Men: Days of Future Past':

      /          

A very generous 3/5 Sapphires.

LOW MATINEE: Optional to own on DVD/Blu-Ray. See it only once every 10 years. It's good, but not great.

Luu Sky Sapphire reviews: Edge of Tomorrow



Ever died over and over again in a game that was just plain hard? The difficulty setting set so high, even on Easy, that you cannot beat it. Not that it matters because you're so stubborn to win, you continue torturing yourself? That is 'Panzer Dragoon Orta'...I mean- 'Edge of Tomorrow'. An action sci-fi movie so good, it's not actually a movie. It's a beautiful video game I can't stop playing, even though there's no controller. :'D

'Edge Of Tomorrow' stars Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Charlotte Riley and Hudson from Aliens (Bill Paxton). It is directed by Doug Liman, who directed the romantic comedy 'Mr. & Mrs. Smith' and the Bourne films. Now, I have to be honest with you. That is not a good track record as the Bourne films were dull, lifeless action films. And Mr. and Mrs. Smith was two good looking people at their silliest. That's all. In this film, Liman shows what he's really capable of by delivering a movie that takes story and visual elements from some of the best stories ever told and combines them to create a masterpiece. I'd probably say he had more to do with the visual part as Edge of Tomorrow was adapted from a Japanese novel by Hiroshi Sakurazaka called 'All You Need Is Kill'. I've never read it personally, so I can't do a proper comparison. Not that it matters; the movie is well acted and has some of the best contemporary action effects and scenes I've ever seen. THE ALIEN CREATURE DESIGN! WOW!!!! Before I talk about the movie, be aware that I won't offer major spoilers. This movie is too good to be spoiled, unlike 'Days of Future Past' which needed to be talked about because it required stitching.

The story follows William Cage (what kind of name is that?), played by The Last Samurai who somehow survived the Gatling gun attack because..he's white. Cage is basically a PR Major who is trying to enlist people in the military to fight alien invaders called the Mimics. Now this is a cool name! The Mimics arrived on Earth via meteorites and started taking over the world. Why they're called Mimics is self-explanatory in the film, they can mimic our actions and predict what we're going to do next. Very unique ability for creatures, usually "bugs" act like wild animals (ala Xenomorphs), but this is a welcomed change. The Mimics themselves look sooooo good! A cross between an octopus and metal tumbleweeds. Very awesome and weird! Now, since we're clearly not strong enough to combat the metal spaghetti monsters on our own, the military has mecha suits called "Jackets" which enhance strength, speed and shoot gunfire and missiles from the top and front. It's around this point that we meet the baddest female heroine (with ammunition) since Ellen Ripley. And that is a bold statement too!

Meet Rita! THE FULL METAL BITCH! *gets shot at* I mean, The "Angel of Verdun"..bitch. I'M NOT THE ONE WHO WROTE IT ON THE SIDE OF THAT BUS, OKAY!?

I cannot begin to describe seeing Emily Blunt in a role like this. Normally, Em is cast in drama and comedy films so much that it's impossible to imagine her doing action. I remember during a discussion with friends many years ago about actresses we'd love to see in action roles and I did bring Emily Blunt's name up. The response met with laughter as nobody could imagine Emily as being anything beyond the angry chick from 'Devil Wears Prada'. Boy was I wrong, Emily Blunt expressed intensity beyond my wildest imagination. Her character of Rita is definitely the quintessential hero of the film, becoming the poster child for the military's fight against the Mimics. Her skills are so great that she's feared and respected by her peers it seems. Meanwhile, Cage is being drafted to join the military himself, though he's hesitant to do so. At the boot camp, he meets Bill Paxton's character, Sergeant Farell. Now there's something about Sergeant Farell that stands out to me- HE IS HUDSON FROM 'ALIENS' IF HE NEVER DIED! THIS IS WHAT HE BECOMES! Next to Ripley and Hicks, Hudson was the most popular character from Aliens and to see Bill tapping into that character again is amazing! What's with all this nostalgia lately, people! First Sailor Moon and now this? I cannot cry happy manly tears forever, you Facking assholes. >:'''3 Some of the funniest moments in the entire film are between Bill and Tom, although Bill clearly steals the show.

So Cage gets ready for battle and doesn't do very well in the beginning. He's basically lost like some newbie in Titanfall (oh, the similarities). By the way, every time a drop ship flies by, I immediately think of 'ALIENS'. Movie, you're treating me too kindly here~ Enough of the flattery!

"There's something wrong with Cage's suit!"

"YEEEAH! There's a dead guy in it!"

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I'll never forget that line.

Anyway, isn't it ironic how Cage's first battle feels very D-Day and we just passed June 6th not that long ago? Give the marketing guy a prize! Now, what happens next may confuse you a little, so bear with me. It makes better than sense Days of Future Past's So-Be-It time travel power for Ellen Page. Cage eventually ends up dying because he sucks at fighting Mimics, obviously. During which time, Cage is covered in the blood of an Alpha. I guess a rare type of Mimics that are far and few between compared to regular Mimics. Because the Alpha's brain (called "Omega" ) has the ability to time travel, Cage becomes one as an Alpha and somehow, the DNA triggers the ability to reset. This may sound stupid but at least we know this ability is alien, so there is some credibility there.

This is the point that may or may not lose the audience. Not longer do we get the traditional linear storyline of alien invasion. We're giving a story telling element through repeating the same event over and over again, ala 'Groundhog's Day'. And just like that great film, Cage learns over the course of the second half what to do, what not to do; he is teaching himself. And WE are learning. The biggest strength of his reset ability is deciding to spend time with Rita and join her in more action sequences. There's even a great scene where their Jackets go bad and they take the fight on foot. The action sequences are so rich with perfect detail, using CGi where it's most needed. When a scene calls for the time reset, it's used in the best possible way each and every time! So there's so much spoiler from here on, so I'll sidetrack a bit to talk more about the effects. Remember those mech suits? PRACTICAL. I repeat. PRACTICAL. I had to confirm this after I got home by watching any behind-the-scenes video available and to see that the Jackets were real? Boy was I Facking shocked to learn that! There was barely any green screen in this film; the fire, sets and locations were all legit! Everything was shot nicely, very little shaky cam. You can tell what was going on most of the time.

Emily Blunt...stretching....yoga....muscle tone....in a Mass Effect cosplay....slicing aliens with a big sword......pass the tissue.....

I have to give the film credit for not presenting Cage and Rita with the typical Hollywood romance. Both Cruise and Blunt's characters are not exactly lovers, per se. More like comrades in arms in a complicated relationship...make sense? She is drawn to him because he has an ability that she no longer has-oop, can't spoil that part for you.

And why was I the only one who liked Charlotte Riley's character? Her Bandai Shizuru Fujino accent was hilarious! XD

This amazing movie has the subtitle "Live. Die. Repeat." which is kind of wrong as you watch it. It's more like "Fight. Die. Learn." A philosophy people can embrace in a real life scenario. See this movie is less about the alien attack and more about the spectacle and making decisions in life. It reminds me a little of 'Madoka: Rebellion', showing how psychological damaging it can be to die or see someone die repeatedly.

As for the ending...here's what I think (SPOILER ALERT. SKIP THIS PART AND GO STRAIGHT FOR THE OVERALL SCORE):

The Omega set a loop at the time Cage was getting off the plane (or he can start the loop when ever he wants either works). So, since Cage got his first loop from the alpha, the Omega was always present in the time loop when he went back. Remember, once he killed the Alpha the first time and got his powers we never did see that Alpha again because it could no longer loop back because Cage stole its powers by killing it. So fast forward to the end of the movie, when Cage killed the Omega, he stole its powers and looped back without the Omega, so since the Omega wasn't able to loop back in time, just like a queen bee, all the drones die off since the Omega is no longer present in the new time line.What's interesting is that at the end of the movie, Rita's poster is different. I'm starting to think that the reset may actually have reverberated back to when Rita was after the Omega in Verdun.

Overall, Edge of Tomorrow is a visual delight with a great hybrid story of two of cinema's greatest films, while adding in visual effects seen in contemporary video games. Emily Blunt is fantastic, and admittedly, Tom Cruise did well too. We care about Rita and Cage's story all the way. When Cage starts off as an insurance PR stiff to becoming a better warrior, we're invested. When Rita kicks all kinds of ass, only to show vulnerability when she discovers Cage's familiar ability, we're invested. My only complaints about the film is that the soundtrack isn't very memorable. For a movie like this, I was hoping a masterpiece soundtrack would accompany it like past films did. Also, I felt like it needs a Director's Cut. I understand the Omega and how it works perfectly, but the casual viewer may not since it borders on science fiction physics that a big dork like me is used to. Aside from that, this is movie of the year worthy! It's fantastic and I knew it was going to be good long before anyone talked about it. It was last year I brought up the teaser poster and everyone just kind of laughed it off. Don't blame the initial reaction, it does look like a video game, but don't be fooled. This is a MOVIE and not commercial diarrhea like 'Days of Future Past'.

Luu Sky Sapphire gives Edge of Tomorrow:

****/***** 4/5 Sapphires.

+ Amazing visuals
+ Emily Blunt's performance! The entire cast was good, though.
+ Interesting time travel concept
+ Action done right, you don't grow numb to it!
- Meh score. Should of hired John Williams.

Rating: STANDARD FULL PRICE

Definitely buy it on Blu-Ray/DVD. It's worth owning. Not one of the all time best films, but it's close. One of the few that rules the modern decade, anyway.

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Also, I just finished watching 'In The Blood', starring none other than the gorgeous Gina Carano.



There's no need to review this film. We've seen this film a million times; some family member is stolen and pissed off father/mother/wife/husband beats up a bunch of generic bad guys to retrieve him/her.

Despite this, Gina did it with style. The woman has a great intensity and oozes with physical presence. Her buff physique and biceps that are as almost as big as mine are a marvel to behold on Blu Ray quality. *DROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL*

She racked up quite a body count too. Overall, entertaining little movie with all the cliche trimmings. But I gotta be honest, even though I've seen this movie a million times, this is one of the better ones. It depends on the actor/actress. The 'Taken' films are lame since I don't buy Qui Gon Jinn as a bad ass. *I* can beat Liam Neeson while singing "My Favorite Things" by Julie Andrews.

Gina Carano was an actual fighter, so I can buy her as an physical presence in the movie. She was fantastic and acted better than she did in 'Haywire'.

Luu Sky Sapphire Rates 'In The Blood': ***/*****

MATINEE

+ Gina Carano. This woman is a warrior goddess. Why was she not cast as Wonder Woman? Oh yeah, because Nolan, Snyder and Goyer are f*cking idiots.
+ Awesome kills (THE SHOVEL KILL WAS EPIC! )
+ Exotic locations are well shot...
- ...but certain action scenes are not. Very choppy editing
- The entire supporting cast is godawful and generic.
- Final fight's ending sucked.

---

Aspirin, anyone?

Lucy is without a doubt, one of the dumbest movies, USING an interesting premise, I have ever seen. But like Jaws attacking Sea World, another great idea, it wasn't executed well and 'Lucy' is no different. It is said "While a person may indeed utilize 100% of their brain in order to get through their day, it does not mean that their thoughts are being processed as efficiently as possible." Then we reach the conclusion of, "Relativity is constructed of material that you cannot even prove exists." Then your brain train definitely jumped the tracks in between.

This movie is just horrible. The idea of unlocking the brain's full potential is smart and can be debated to no end. But why is such a brain teaser (pun intended) punctuated by hokey tongue-in-cheek and mediocre action sequences? Scarlett Johansson doesn't strike me as a badass, even when she is no longer "human" thanks to the magic blue goo that stimulates DNA and the brain electrically; based on studies that go way back. Ugh, the movie doesn't know what it's trying to be in literally every frame.

Miss Johansson does well enough as a living entity processor, capable of being anywhere and controlling time itself, but it's ultimately a movie based on a theory that could of been fascinated. Instead, we get shoot outs and awkward comedy with constant tone shifts. It's fascinating in a way. Had they played this movie straight, with Morgan Freeman and his team of egg heads trying to understand Lucy and explore capabilities that surpasses a dolphin's by light years, then I would of loved this movie.

I'm no expert in Quantum physics or any type of advanced science. What I can tell you is that this movie didn't work the way it *should* have. That's fact; rather than fiction.

Luu Sky Sapphire rates 'Lucy':
*1/2/*****

LOW RENTAL

+ Fascinating premise...
- Ruined by hokey action and humor
- Bland performances
- Exposition for self-explanatory science.
- ANIMAL TRANSITIONS. LOTS OF ANIMAL TRANSITIONS.

Let's be honest here, how many versions of this classic European folk tale have we seen? It's so common, that even your run-of-the-mill cartoon parodies it on one of it's many episodes. Even more modern works seem to be influence by it; like Memoirs of a Geisha. The rags-to-riches storyline is in so many works of fiction, whether it be books, television or film, that we sometimes dismiss it immediately. Thing is, it's hard to dismiss this classic premise when it was done perfectly in Disney's 12th animated motion picture, Cinderella. The history behind Disney's Cinderella
is something you can research through the making of featurette, and Wikipedia, if you're lazy. What I want to do is give a quick review on the film itself, without any comparisons to other version, which in my opinion, pale in comparison.

I had the privilege of watching this film again for the first time since it's 2005 DVD release, which I still happen to own! It's been a while, so my friend requested that we watched Tangled and Cinderella back to back, to sort of compare the eras. Thankfully, we watched Cinderella second, because it felt like a proper upgrade from Tangled. Nothing against Tangled, I enjoyed the film, but it's got nothing on Cinderella as a whole. Tangled, like the more recent Frozen, lacks the magic you feel when watching Golden era film. I'll make the comparison afterward; but allow me to share why I feel this way.

Cinderella is about a young and beautiful girl named Cinderella, who lives in a Château with her Stepmother and stepsisters, was once a happy child with a father and a wonderful home. When it came time to find Cinderella a new mother, her father met Lady Tremaine (brilliantly voiced by Eleanor Audley) and her two heavy bags of luggage named Anastasia and Drizella. Hmm, make that three, since Lucifer is quite a load himself! Though Lady Tremaine tolerated Cinderella for the longest time, her chance to place the girl under her thumb had arrived when the kind man suddenly passed away. Leaving a young Cinderella to slave away for her step family is bad enough, but her home also deteriorated thanks to the constant spending of Drizella and Anastasia. Despite the suckiness of what her life has become, Cinderella continued to keep her head up, in hopes that her dreams will come true. Finding a happily ever after, even when everything is against her.

I'm shocked how people overlook Cinderella (voiced by the lovely Ilene Woods) as a character, in terms of progression. Snow White was delicate, not rude, not a fighter by any means...just about the kind of 1930s woman today's society scoffs at. In reality, it was a more classy and feminine time for women, and considering Snow White was a princess who never ventured out of the castle, one could understand her reactions. In her defense, she schooled an entire house full of men. Think about that! In Cinderella, the character of the same name is a progression of the all-American woman (symbolically, of course). This was 1950 and even Cinderella herself resembled the 1940s woman with her "Betty" hair and sassy attitude. Yes, SASSY attitude. Cinderella is a much stronger woman than I remember! She talks back, insults people (who rightfully deserve it) and isn't against animal violence when it came to Lucifer, Lady Tremaine's trouble making of a cat (the name is PERFECT for him). Cinderella has more of a backbone than Rapunzel or even Elsa; disobeying them during the scene where she learns that it was the Prince who danced with her. She even starts humming "So This Is Love" in their faces; clearly taunting them in a way that screams, "I won!" Otherwise, Cinderella is a kind person who appreciates the friends in her life and the opportunities given to her.

What Disney film would be complete without critters! Without much access to the outside world, Cinderella's friends are mostly her dog Bruno, her horse and a shit load of mice! The most famous of the mice, Jaq, is one of the most charismatic mascots in Disney history. He's sly, devious, smart and always helpful. Yes, all the mice are helpful, but Jaq is clearly the brains behind every operation. He even leads the other mice in a mission to grab chicken feed, without being spotted by Lucifer. In the film, the mice meet a chubby new addition to the gang, who Cinderella comes to name Octavius. But for short, we'll call his Gus. Gus is another fantastic character, he's like a mix between Scrappy Doo and Jerry. He plays out as the perfect sidekick for Jaq as he's always trying to be the tough guy against Lucifer and the stepsisters; being quite protective of Cinderella. His emotions get the best of him so many times, that it makes all the chase scenes with Lucifer even more exciting. Seeing Lucifer chase Jaq and Gus is hilarious; harkening back to cartoons like Tom & Jerry or Sylvester and Tweety shorts. The fun characters don't just stop at the mice! The King and The Grand Duke are also a hilarious pair, constantly going back and forth with marriage plans for the Prince. When the Grand Duke reports that Cinderella got away, The King literally tries to kill him! And for the record, this is after the King makes the Duke smoke a few dozen cigars. I love old fashion, NON-PC Disney. That was the studio at it's strongest.

One of the biggest characters in the film is the music itself, believe it or not! You don't see this in Disney or Pixar films, where the music and sound effects caused by certain instruments help tell the story! When Jaq is sneaking past Lucifer, they sync flute notes whenever he shuffles his feet. The music by Joseph S. Dubin and Paul J. Smith goes insane during Lucifer and mice scenes and switches to a more romantic waltz and dream-like score for Cinderella's scenes.

Speaking of the waltz, the build up for the famous ball scene is pure magic in itself. Cinderella's Fairy Godmother (voiced by Verna Felton) is an amusing old woman with a quirky personality of her own; constantly surprising Cinderella with new and exciting ways to setup her memorable night. Why does the horse need to pull the carriage? Why not make him a coachman instead! And let's not forget the iconic "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo", a catchy tune that had trouble leaving my headspace. (I've been humming it all night!). The ball scene itself is as gorgeous as the rest of the film. I forget to mention how beautiful the film looks, the art design, even in the chateau is gorgeous with good mixes of colors so vibrant. It's one of the most aesthetically classy animated films in the Disney library. The movie is so incredible to look at, especially after the remastering job on DVD. I can only imagine the perfect brilliance on Blu-Ray!

There's essentially two stories going on in Cinderella, one being our title lady and two being Jaq and Gus. This is the film's ONLY problem. While I like Jaq and Gus, they dominated at least 50% of the film with their subplot. Though I'd never have their scenes removed, they should of provided more characters moments for Cinderella. Reflecting back on her father, what kind of goals she had in life and perhaps other things. But these are just nitpicks, as Cinderella offers us a fairy tale and not the meaning of life. That's why Enchanted tainted the Golden Era with it's theme of "realism". There is no "realism" in fairy tales and that's why we love them. By making these characters think and react like real people, you take away the fantasy and daydream variables that make these classics rich. Because Cinderella chooses to do what works, it becomes timeless. For those bothered by the fact that her and the Prince fall in love instantly, may I remind you again that fairy tales are like good dreams, where something wonderful actually happens to you. The Prince himself represents the unrealistic male (okay, he did yawn when introduced to the 800th single female, haha) of your dreams. And Cinderella is the woman who accepts this because this is, as she says, "a wonderful dream come true." Yes, the Fairy Godmother said the spell was temporary, but in keeping the glass shoes in tact, that to me, was her telling Cinderella that her dreams can come true if she (Cinderella) made it so.

In a brilliant finale, Lady Tremaine discovers that Cinderella is the mystery girl the Prince danced with the other night. So to sabotage her chance at fitting the slipper, immediately becoming the Prince's bride, she locks Cinderella in her room. Jaq and Gus go on an exciting and quite tension filled mission to bring the key to Cinderella. Keep in mind, there are no fights, sword battles or winter go haywire. This is essentially a climax where two mice try to retrieve a key and get past Lucifer one last time, yet Disney's genius animators and screenplay writers put you on the edge of your seat! The music, again, helps sell the concept as a race against time to release Cinderella.
And once Cinderella does get released, Walt and his Disney team did the brilliant job of having the glass shoe shatter. Only to have Cinderella herself save the day with the OTHER shoe she saved. Not only do we feel her victory over Lady Tremaine, we applaud Cindy for being a slick woman in her own right.

Disney's Cinderella is a marvelous, timeless classic. I must drag Tangled and Frozen back in here to give my reasons why Cinderella is the better movie. I feel the two recent hits don't do anything to make their film magical because they were too busy trying to be contemporary-what I dub, "hipster ironic". Perfect for memes, not so much for cinematic genius. Cinderella trumps them for remembering what it is; a fairytale.  Yes, it has that 1940s flare to it, Cinderella's character helps with that, but it doesn't poke fun nor change the well known material (in retrospect) so drastically just to be hip. It's a sweet story for all time; especially for the open minded who will take note of it's purity. The newest films play it so safe, that it feels too commercial. Too politically correct. Something that only fits the Tempur-Pedic mattress-era it's set in. Cinderella, despite it's one major flaw, is an honest dream come true in itself; with dazzling animation, music, characters and even story! I also noticed something I rarely gave this movie credit for in the past, it's quite funny! A lot of what happens with Jaq and Gus, even Cinderella herself (GET UP, YOU SAY! TIME TO START ANOTHER DAY! Even HE orders me around!) are part of the charm and majesty.

---

To sum it up, watching the sequel to the 20 year old original was like spending time with an old friend. This old friend made you laugh a lot; you guys did everything together during early childhood. Then one faithful day, you grow apart due to being different (something we'd grow to treasure when we're older. In my case, however, I never picked a crowd. If I liked you, you were never rid of me).

20 years later, you reunite with your old friend and spend the entire day together. You have the best time ever. Yeah, he or she made not be as wild as you remember, it's just great to see him or her again for a while before life continues for the two of you. That, my friends, is Dumb and Dumber To.

Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels reprise their roles as Lloyd Christmas and Harry Dunn (respectively) after 20 years, and let me tell you, they've still got it! The movie was a lot of fun; strange because, as you know, comedy films are rarely reviewed by me. Why? Well, comedy films aren't that good. They haven't been good for a long time. In fact, most of my more modern comedy is not pure comedy; just part comedy like 'Devil Wears Prada' or '13 Going on 30'. Dumb and Dumber To, like the original, is never taken seriously. THOUGH, one thing does hurt the film. Actually, a few things.

Yes, Dumb and Dumber To, while fun, it isn't perfect. The problems lies with the jokes being rehashed from the first in a less clever situation. In the original, Harry and Lloyd were morons, but in the sequel...well, they're still morons...only now they've developed a mean spirited nature. It's not frequent, but it does make me cringe when they get this way. The biggest problem with the film is the fact that the world has become a much dumber place. I blame the rise of iphones, social media, etc. What made the original great was these two cartoony morons existed in a grounded world. In the sequel, EVERYONE around them is a cartoon, right down to the people who run the science convention in the finale! Had the movie pit these two dummies against a mundane world again, I think it would of been a lot better.

Despite it's problems, I had a great time with the guys again. I choked on my popcorn during the Stephen Hawking scene, that was the funniest thing I've seen all year, haha! Jim and Jeff share great chemistry once more, really showing how much fun they had making this. The opening is a bit slow, but the rest of the film mirrors the original in a new way. Rather than chase down a dream girl, the guys discover that Harry had a daughter (and Lloyd wants to bang her) played by the adorable Rachel Melvin. I've never seen this actress in anything before; she's gorgeous and ironically, plays an even dumber character than our two heroes! She's not laugh out loud funny, but her antics are really cute.

I don't blame people thinking Dumb and Dumber To would fail. I had serious doubts it could recapture the hilarity of the original. The original is leagues better due to Jim Carrey being at the top of his game at the time (not to mention a movie thought out script), while this one feels like an enjoyable reunion film. For what it is, Dumb and Dumber To is a MOCK! YEAH! ING! YEAH! BIRD! YEAH!-ING good time! ALSO! The post-credits ending! I LOVED IT! HAHAHAHA! Was not expecting that to happen at all!

Luu Sky Sapphire rates Dumb and Dumber To:

***/*****
3/5
Solid Matinee

+ Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels chemistry
+ True sequel to original
+ The Steven Hawking scene
- Falls flat at times
- Being set in a 2014 setting with 2014 society makes our heroes look like Valedictorians by comparison

---

Literally left in tears.

2014's 'When Marnie was There' proves that even without Miyazaki at the helm, you still get something timeless that will never disappear from your collective mind.

I love this movie. Everything from the gorgeous animation, beautiful score, and great sound is very well done, and what you'd expect from Studio Ghibli. But what this film does best, which is saying a lot, is tell a human story. Arguably, one of the most human in the entire Ghibli library. 'Marnie' plays out like a beautiful melody in one of your daydreams. It's a magical and heartfelt tale about a girl named Anna, who suffers from Asthma and heavy depression. To help her recover, her foster Auntie sends to to the country to stay with a lovable pair of relatives. Even in a better environment, Anna continues to suffer internally and runs away to be left alone. When she finds the famous and rundown Marsh House, she meets a beautiful girl named Marine. Anna is so blown away by Marnie's kindness and mysterious aura, that the two become intimate friends. As the film goes on, they learn more about one another, and learn to adapt to their respective worlds, which they found to be a burden.

'When Marnie was There' is based on the novel by Joan G. Robinson, which I haven't read in quite some time. If there are any comparisons to make, I would have to read the book again to be exact (I'm ordering a copy of the original novel as I type this). What I can truthfully say now is that 'Marnie' is perfectly paced and well told. Our supporting characters are a pleasure as they assist Anna and regard Marnie as their own personal interest and legend. Meaning, no character in this film is "just there". Everyone served purpose. Anna and Marnie themselves are wonderful, I cannot begin to describe how real these two are. Their relationship is one we look on from the outside, yet, we've been there before. Everyone experienced their personal dilemma; when we feel like we've hit our lowest point in life, with nobody who cared to notice. So we feel like we ARE them.

Sara Takatsuki and Kasumi Arimura bring so much depth to Anna and Marnie. They both deliver passionate performances. It helps seiyuu when the script is powerful, selling us two characters with a bond nobody would understand.

As a bonus note, there IS yuri subtext! Quite heavy! Nothing official, though. The ending explains why and it makes perfect sense. I wasn't even disappointed with the reason Anna x Marnie didn't become a staple. It brought me to tears. But let me tell you! For 75% of the film, Anna and Marnie do act like lovers. That's all I'll say~

I wish I could talk about this film in heavier detail, but like Pinocchio, Cinderella, Wolf Children, Sailor Moon R: The Movie, Madoka Rebellion, Mononoke and Hunchback of Notre Dame; 'When Marnie was There' is not an animated movie. It's an experience. One in the most realistic way possible. In fact, it's the perfect summer movie. You have the most magical time and then leave, but you carry those precious memories of that place forever. When we see Anna grow into a much stronger person, we see that the trip wasn't a waste. This trip changed her, thanks to Marnie.

For magic comes when you least expect it.

Rating:

*****\*****

BETTER THAN SEX


'When Marnie was There' is a beautiful film that hits all it's emotional and development high notes with accuracy and precision. I haven't given a film a perfect rating in quite a while, this truly was a special film to end Studio Ghibli's illustrious career.

BONUS:





Got it on Blu Ray. Not surprising.

Hollywood: Don't worry! We're not making the same mistakes again like we did with Jurassic Park III.

No, you're making all new ones. Okay, so we're back on the old island...ALL fences this time...and you want to send many, MANY people on the ground while your Frakenfishasaurus ensures that your film has action sequences devoid of all tension.

It's no shock to you or anyone else reading this that if you saw the 'Jurassic World' trailers, you can safely safe you saw the entire film. You know what made Jurassic Park and even it's two underrated (I can safely say that now) sequels work? Suspense. Tension. BUILD UP. Despite the original film taking it's sweet time to give us dinosaur action, it carefully laid the seeds of character development, science (of the science fiction) and wonder that is Jurassic Park. John Hammond's substantial upgrade from his flea circus.

But even the idea of "fleas on parade" would be more exciting than Jurassic World.

I want to set the record straight before I carefully dissect this film: This movie is neither horrible, nor good. It's in the head shaking grey area of B movie schlock. In other words, it's bad. So bad in fact, that I compare it to one of the worse sequels in the Alien franchise; Alien Resurrection. What makes Jurassic World a bit more tolerable compared to that trash are certain aspects that gave it heart. It certainly didn't have the wonder we were hoping for, but there is SOMETHING the film offered that prevented me from disowning it. Suffice it to say, a lot of these elements were destroyed almost instantly. So come with me, to an island off the coast of Costa Rica, where Sam Neill and Jeff Goldblum were smart enough to avoid.

Good points:

Jurassic World's a train wreck mess (or, rather a monorail mess), yet it somehow gets a couple of well deserved free passes from me. Starting with it's title character, Claire Dearing, played by the gorgeous Bryce-Dallas Howard. She is the park operations manager of Jurassic World and a complete corporate stiff. Everything she says is straight out of her cold, thick park handbook and laboratory jargon. Claire is fascinating, willing to drop all humanity (when she clearly has some) to get shit done. She is direct, intelligent and successful...at the same time, she's clueless, awkward and a little crazy. It adds a lot of depth to a character when she puts on the most impenetrable shield, only to shed it off when everything goes to hell. Some would say she's basically Grant and Hammond mixed into one, I wouldn't argue with this motion. This works in Claire's favor, for she was the only one in the entire cast given the tools to develop into a stronger character. No, screw that; she was the only one given character development. This is a highlight for me personally, as I heard the early criticisms regarding her character. There are questionable actions taken by Claire, but if you pay attention, they're only brought on by Chris Pratt and the older brother character. That aside, I was invested in Claire and respect any woman who can trek and survive this entire escapade in high heels. She's a regular Sailor Mars in that aspect. You go, Bryce. Without you, the trio of morons would of died. She doesn't exactly turn into Aliens Ellen Ripley, but a Diet Alien 1979 Ripley. That's all you could ask for in a character like that. Score for women.

I enjoyed seeing the park up and running in certain places. The gyrosphere ride was unnecessary, they could of easily made it a jeep ride. The tree trunk tunnel in the T-Rex kingdom was cool, the Mosasaur show was nicely done, the Herbivore kayaking was nice and I especially enjoyed all the park's functions like those nifty holograms. There was an exceptionally cool scene where one of the V-9s (K-9...V for Velociraptor, do the math), ran into the hologram and...well, at least we got our Dilophosaurus return...sort of.

I liked the return of the original Jurassic Park, more specifically the Visitor's Center, which has turned into a ruin. Lots of nostalgia waves hitting my face. On the flip side, it's just shoehorned in there without any real purpose. I'm just glad to see it, because it reminds me of a superior film I could be watching instead.

Lastly, I enjoyed the...oop. Maybe I should save that for last. It's rant time! >:D

Before I get to the best aspect of Jurassic World, I must get my frustrations out in the open Gallimimus field. I mentioned early that Jurassic Park movies THRIVE from the building of suspense and tension. Well, prepare to be disappointed, because we get none of it here. Oh sure, you could count the Indominus Rex hiding from thermal readings like it's 'Aliens', but it happens so fast and you see plenty of the creature before it break out and kills everyone. Recall back to the first Jurassic Park, where we get the atmosphere and a tropical storm, while our protagonist, the comic relief, the kids and the bloodsucking lawyer. All parked next to the T-Rex paddock as the power goes out. The Rex slowly makes his entrance, starting with the rumblings, then tensions rising, then the missing goat, BAM! GOAT LEG! then a glimpse of the Rex's animatronic head and finally, the CGI break out where Rexy is perfectly detailed and powerful. Fast forward to The Lost World. Malcolm brings Kelly to the "High Hide" (a HIGH HIDE, GET IT? YOU GO UP AND YOU HIDE...HIGH!) and proclaims the following nonsense: "This is a completely different situation right now" and BAM! Pissed off T-Rex roar because the baby's missing from the nest. Malcolm rushes back to the trailers where Julianne Moore and Vince Vaughn (that fucking moron) are nursing the baby. Malcolm desperately tries to return the baby, but then BAM! Mommy's very angry. We see not ONE, but TWO T-Rexes. Upping the ante from the original was an excellent decision. And by the way, this also happened during a storm. I've always said the storm and Rex combo ALWAYS works, it's white knuckle awesomeness. Jurassic Park III, sadly executed it's attraction, the Spinosaurus, in low-key fashion. But at the very least, the Spino was introduced through it's roar and Alan Grant's "No. It sounds bigger!" We don't even see the Spino in it's entirety until the plane crashes. So while it was rushed, it had SOME build up to it's credit. This brings me to my next point.

Indominus Rex is not terrifying at all. It's introduction and first break out was done in broad daylight and without tension. It just shows up and stuff happens. That's it. And this formula would press on throughout the entire movie. Indominus Rex shows up, stuff happens. Indominus Rex shows up, stuff happens. Indominus Rex shows up, stuff happens. He's more of a Nemesis from Resident Evil 3 than the Spino was, there's no denying it now. All the while, the control room people are monitoring it and trying every option possible to stop it. Of course, nothing works. This happened three times, you know.

Speaking of which, Colin Trevorrow denies writing the sequels out of continuity. I don't believe him, no matter how many easter eggs were lying around. You're telling me that Isla Sorna's two incidents were not mentioned AT ALL? The events of the original Jurassic Park are mentioned, in addition with a returning Dr. Henry Wu, but it feels like a hustle on the movie's part. They don't add anything to the overall experience because it takes place 20 some years after Jurassic Park and 15 after Jurassic Park III. That's another reason why I refer to it as the 'Alien Resurrection' of the series. It takes place so far into the future, that whatever happens doesn't matter and that hurts it. But this is not a science fiction in space, Jurassic Park can be credited for being more ground than the Alien franchise. To exclude the incidents of the previous films and not give a solid explanation as to WHY Jurassic World had to be made, hurts the film a lot. THIS film is less of a sequel and more of a spin off. No one can rightfully call Lost World and JPIII spin offs because they involved Grant, Ellie, Hammond and Malcolm. Let that sink in and try to call TLW and JP3 "spin offs". How the hell is InGen even still around? None of their troops are gonna mention the large body count from The Lost World? No lawsuits from their families? They've truly become the poor man's Weyland-Yutani here, wanting to use the Raptors as weapons. Charming.

Of course, what would our corporate stiff-turned-survivalist Claire be without her supporting characters. Honestly, I could care less about the staff people and the military goons from InGen, because they're here to get eaten and nothing more. Owen Grady on the other hand, played by Chris Pratt, is a Raptor Whisperer who establishes himself as the alpha to his exclusive pack of Raptors: Blue, Delta, Charlie and...Mushu, I think. Does it matter? For a film that promoted the Raptors are being trainable and having questionable thinking processes (thanks to the Indominus), you'd think the film would invest more emotion between them and Owen. Instead of developing this no different than Travis and four Old Yellers, we HAVE to see Owen doing more important things. Like sass Claire and trying to get a quickie behind the bushes. Chris Pratt as Owen Grady is a one-note character who delivers lines via teleprompter moving at high speed. Personally, I've never been fond of Pratt's work. He doesn't work in a film like this. He's too shallow to be an Alan Grant and he's not intelligent enough to be Malcolm. One of the biggest contradictions is Owen's supposed love for the Raptors. Even after all the carnage, he doesn't express ANY humanity whatsoever. No mourning over the Raptors he raised and trained, nothing. What's more important is "surviving" with Claire. What an asshole. Furthermore, the sight of him kissing Claire (she just saved his life) while hundreds of people are dying around them is disturbing. We have succeeded in creating the a mean spirited Jurassic film. The least that can be said about Pratt is that he's not the worst actor in the film. Nooooo, not by a long shot.

The two brothers are TERRIBLE. The younger one is trying to put on this sympathetic performance, but it's the older brother that should of had his head torn off by a Raptor. This actor, Nick Robinson, is an emotionless twit. No matter what situation he's in, he always looks so BORED and indifferent towards everything. You have Bryce's strong performance, selling all the cartoony CGI dinosaur wreckage, meanwhile, Robinson is just like...meh. This actor is garbage, one of the worst performance I've ever seen in recent memory. He makes Kristen Stewart look like Mick Jaggar. On the whole, the brothers subplot was another godawful, but unnecessary addition...to Jurassic World. The film actually opens by focusing on these two shits like we give any ourselves.

Perhaps the most outrageous aspect of Jurassic World is the effects. This franchise has always prided itself on the fact that it used animatronics for the dinosaur effects. They were beautifully crafted and moved realistically with the right camera angles. Major props to Stan Winston and his team. Poor Stan, he must be rolling in his grave knowing that Jurassic World uses NO animatronics. NONE. The Dinos are fully CGI at all times and they look awful. Fortunately for the movie, these monstrosities appear better in night scenes, but that doesn't happen until the final act of the film. Until then, you're stuck with the same SyFy Channel quality dinosaurs. This truly is the end of old school practical effects; I wonder thinking how horrible it was for my fiancee to see The Hobbit franchise disregard the practical effects that made the Lord of the Rings films stand out. I knew that feeling myself since 'Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull', but at least that used one or two practical props. This had NONE. Laziness. Pure laziness.

Lastly, the film moved at such a frantic pace that we're not allowed to digest anything that's going on. We can place blame on the brothers subplot, which didn't need to be there. Had the film focused on Claire and Owen forming a more friend-like relationship as they survive through the deep jungle of Isla Nublar, I would of been satisfied. At least we would of gotten character development, Owen's deeper feelings on the Raptors and the park as a whole, plus more Claire toughening herself up. Perhaps even realize that running barefoot would probably be a better option. ANYTHING to establish some dialogue, humanity and even foreshadow more dinosaur chaos. There was a nice quiet moment for the dying Apatosaurus, where you can feel Claire's pain. In fact, that was her "What have we done?" cue.

Jurassic World does have one extra thing going for it. I won't lie, after all the trash I've witnessed on screen, one major scene stuck out to me: Claire unleashing the T-Rex, and in turn, Rexy fighting the Indominus Rex. This was AWESOME for a few reasons.

1. This was clearly the T-Rex from the original film, if you noticed the Raptor scars from the first movie. And if you're still in denial, the Jurassic World fruit snacks will enlighten you.

2. Rexy is shown to be an aggressive fighter compared to the Rex from JP3. Yes, Rexy had trouble with the stronger foe, but you felt a sense of effort coming from her. Total badass. Nobody would be upset that Rexy started to lose before Blue jumped in. This is like Terminator fighting the T-1000. "Not like me. Frakenfurtersaurus. Advanced prototype."

3. Claire watching as the gate opened is an AWESOME iconic shot that will forever remain in my memory. That type of visual is what cinema is all about; building up to the solution of the story's problem. Bryce did a fantastic job standing her ground and leading the Rex over to the Indominus.

4. The Raptor and Rex team up wasn't as bad as I thought. It was a contrast to the original where they were fighting one another. Now they're a team. Thematically, it makes perfect sense.

That was worth the near 2 hours of waiting. That shot of Claire, Rexy, the battle and the OBVIOUS finish are quite spectacular.

'Jurassic World' is not a good Jurassic Park film, unfortunately. It's littered with problems, both in the effects, acting and execution. The supporting cast is dull, the storyline is rushed, there's no wonder and the comedy went overboard. Even the death of Zara, the caretaker, was played for laughs rather than shock value. In 'Jaws 2', when the shark consumed Marge after she saved little Sean's life? It was terrifying and tragic, adding more heat on the shark. Here, it's played off for that "OHHHHHH!!!!" reaction. Zara may of been careless, but she didn't deserve that. Not to mention that her character did nothing to deserve such a fate. Nick Robinson on the other hand...

Overall, 'Jurassic World' is proof that one should leave well enough alone. There are some good things sprinkled here and there, but it's not enough to justify a worthy sequel to the franchise. Let alone one that claims it's a direct sequel to the superior original. So, after careful consideration I decided...not to endorse this park.

*/*****

LOW RENTAL

+ Bryce Dallas Howard as Claire is fantastic...
- When Chris Pratt doesn't interact with her.
+ REX AND BLUE VS. INDOMINUS REX!!!
- Recycled and uninspired score
- Nick Robinson in general
- Raptors were humanized, then forgotten like dish rags.
- No mentions of previous films that would of helped this one

I'll finish this with a paraphrased quote from Alan Grant from Jurassic Park III, which I find to be the better film. Isn't that sad?

"What Colin Trevorrow and Universal did with Jurassic World, is create video game cartoon theme park monsters. Nothing more and nothing less."

After two good movies, one guilty pleasure and one godawful abomination (Jurassic World), 2015 seemed a little lacking. There wouldn't be the promise of something great or original.

Until now.

Disney X Pixar have made some good films in the past decade or so. But tonight was the culmination of their brilliant storytelling abilities. This is mostly Pixar's baby, though, as it's completely different from the mediocre 'Frozen' and insulting 'Big Hero 6'. Keep it mind that this movie is full of spoilers that should not be ruined by my review. So don't expect too much, other than the praise it deserves. The magic is waiting for you at the nearest cinema. What I can do for you, is build up the hype around this wonderful film.

'Inside Out' tells the story of a girl named Riley, who since birth, had each human emotion manifest to fulfill their duties. Their job is to react to all of Riley's many situations in life through a control panel that reacts to their touch. This includes little marbles called "core memories", all which power the personality islands that make Riley who she is.

The emotions are all a delight to watch. Joy being my absolute favorite. She is voiced wonderfully by Amy Poehler. Imagine that! I've always pegged Amy as funny, but could never pull off something with brains. Boy was I wrong! Amy made Joy immensely likeable, funny and heroic. Because she's happiness and all things positive, Joy's good intentions make her the leader of the emotions, due to her conception that being happy makes one untouchable. Phyllis Smith, who voices Sadness, is another delight to the story. Bill Hader as Fear is hilarious, Mindy Kaling's Disgust is sassy and Lewis Black as Anger had everyone in stitches! Speaking of which, I can reveal this early for you all: There is NO villain in this film. This is a story about something more important than fight between good and evil. There's a realism to 'Inside Out' that makes you look at yourself or someone you know. Trust me, deja vu, deja vu, deju vu.

I wish I could talk about this film further. The world of the emotions is a visual delight (IMAGINATION LAND!!!) The gags are creative, the voice acting is superb, the emotions and side characters are a delight (every single one of them) and there's a clever use for ALL the emotions! By the end of the film, I can say I understand the human spirit now. There are two people in my life that I'd like to have a conversation with, AFTER they've seen this film, because it revealed to me another side of people with Riley's second and third act conditions. Even through it's central theme, 'Inside-Out' is a breathtaking experience AND an effective comedy.

Pixar finally has it's 'Pinocchio'. It's 'When Marnie Was There'. It struck gold with the most emotional roller coaster ride I've felt in a long while. It accomplished what I want to see in film: Creativity. Originality. This kind of wonderful tale can only come from a talented group of people who understand film and what it needs to be. If we can develop high standards, works of art like this film can change our lives like a great book or memorable music, then we will get more 'Inside Out's and less 'Jurassic World's.
---

Yeah, no shit! And with a family legacy comes new adventures and trials our galactic heroes must face. I have to be honest here, I was always skeptical about this film. You've read my reactions to the concept of Episode VII; I deemed it an unnecessary addition to an already complete story. The Battle of Endor in 'Return of the Jedi' is the big all, end all of movie battles. It sealed this trilogy (prequels? What prequels?) nicely with all the characters at their best. The heroes overcoming the opposition once and for all. There was nothing more to explore...until now.

The Force Awakens reunites many of the original cast, including Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher, but now introduces some young meat to the franchise. There's no room to complain as John Boyega as "Finn" is a likable sidekick character who fights and believes in what's right. As a rouge Stormtrooper, he wants to avoid (and then fight) the First Order; the Empire's leftovers. Consider them the Neo-Nazis of the galaxy. Elsewhere, you have whom I consider the shining light of this film - Daisy Ridley as "Rey". This lonely female scavenger secretly has dreams of adventure during her routine of searching for broken parts to sell. It was fated that Finn, during his getaway (thanks to the underdeveloped Poe, played by Oscar Isaac), meets up with Rey to protect the BB-8 unit, team with the legendary smuggling duo of Han Solo and Chewbacca, and aid the Resistance against the First Order.

I must praise J.J. Abrams for bringing back humanity to Star Wars. The emotion, the character moments, the honest humor...all missing in Star Wars media after Return of the Jedi. Let's face it, the prequels sucked, the Clone Wars TV series sucked and most of the novels and comics have better use when burned. The Force Awakens is a revival of what made Star Wars good in the first place; elements I've always insisted on since The Phantom Menace:

Practical effects.
No stupid dance choreography for lightsaber duels
Shooting on real locations.
Actual sets
Muppets
A more memorable John Williams score

The Original Trilogy felt real; so full of life because everything was actually there. The creature muppets, the models, the exotic locations that pass as alien worlds...The Force Awakens nails it perfectly. None of these things would matter without the performances, and we had some of the best in a long time. To see Carrie Fisher give a sincere performance as Leia (something I thought we'd never see again) was magical. Her and Harrison Ford's quiet moments brought a tear to my eye. Kudos to Adam Driver as Kylo Ben, I mean Ren, ( ) for putting on a menacing show as the devotee of Darth Vader. He reminds me a lot of Vader, with a little dash of prequel Anakin. But my biggest hats off to Daisy Ridley, who we not only root for against opposition, but also for breaking the female stereotype of needing rescue. SPOILER. There's a scene where Rey is captured by Kylo Ren and during her interrogation, Rey's force sensitivity is made apparent. Not only does she get into Kylo's head, exposing him as a Vader fanboy, she also (in the most badass scene ever) practices the Jedi Mind Trick on a Stormtrooper guard until it works. The scene had a pinch of humor that I actually found amusing. Scenes with Finn are especially funny because he's kind of like Jar Jar Binks done right- still cowardly, but he does his best. Finn really is the everyday man in a wacky situation. My respect to John for not giving us yet another cocky male character who can do anything and everything.

That one scene...*CRIES* I WASN'T EMOTIONALLY PREPARED FOR IT!!!

Now, one of the main attractions to a Star Wars film is the lightsaber battle. WATCH THE FIGHTS BETWEEN FINN VS. UBER TROOPER, FINN VS. KYLO AND REY VS. KYLO....that is exactly what I'm talking about! Real, practical, non-dance choreographed sword fighting! Rey and Kylo were having fights similar to the Original Trilogy, or even a sword fight from the Japanese anime series- Revolutionary Girl Utena! It was not flashy, just two people trying to one up the other in vicious combat. This is the best lightsaber fight since Luke vs. Vader II in ROTJ, hands down.

The same could be said for the film as a whole. The Force Awakens really is a dazzling film that reminds people why we loved Star Wars in the first place. It's not about the toys, the stupid video games, the idiot fanboys that can memorize every line from the EU...it's the ORIGINAL TRILOGY as a *self-contained story*. Star Wars was never a sandbox for us to play in, it's an experience to view from the outside. Yet, we live through the existing characters we can relate to. Boys, not just girls, should want to be like Rey. A strong individual who embraces her gifts and proves her worth by becoming more than she already is. Finn is also a devoted friend and ally who will never give up on you. We can relate to everyone, even a little droid like BB-8 can emote better than anyone in all three prequel films. We're seeing FILM MAKING at work during this adventure. Something missing from every franchise as of late, with the exception of the excellent Hunger Games franchise.

If I had to give the film as negatives, it would have to be it's double edged sword: It's too familiar territory. Disney played it extremely safe by creating a sequel that can easily pass as a remake of 'A New Hope' and that's really my only issue (aside from the extremely fast pacing that doesn't allow the audience to take in quiet moments and breathe after a big battle scene). It's how I feel about Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade. Both of these Indiana Jones films are so similar, you end up choosing which version you like more. To me, I will always place A New Hope over Force Awakens, due to innovation and better pacing overall. HOWEVER, The Force Awakens is easily my 4th favorite in the series, only a small notch below A New Hope. This film is wonderful, adventurous, well acted and well made. You know, what Guardians of the Galaxy should of been?

There is life after 'Return of the Jedi' after all. I cannot believe I'm admitting to this, considering J.J. Abrams was presented with the difficult task of following up on, what I consider, the franchise's best film. Rey will be the greatest of all the Jedi training under...oop...better not spoiler that.

Movie review: Side Effects


This movie was ridiculously clever. It had me interested because it's about a woman suffering from severe depression, who goes through different side effects when taking various anti-depressants. The other reason why I was interested in this movie was because it has a great cast: Jude Law, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Channing Tatum, and Rooney Mara. Being a fan of Rooney Mara and Catherine Zeta-Jones, I had to look into this movie.

I quite enjoyed Rooney Mara's performance as Lisbeth Salander from The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, and I quite enjoyed her performance in Side Effects. This lady knows how to act, especially when it comes to acting as a character who is acting as something she is not. The same goes to Catherine Zeta-Jones, acting as a character who is acting as something she is not. Both women perfected the art of acting as characters who pretend to be as something when they're totally the opposite. Jude Law did a great job portraying as a character who has a habit of putting stress levels up to 1000% without breaking a sweat!   And Channing's character, well, he didn't really offer much. He was mainly a tool for the movie~

The movie fools you on the spot. It's one of those movies where you're convinced that this is happening, but really that was happening. The twist almost had me as surprised as when I saw the horror film called Orphan. If I could badly describe the plot in Side Effects, then I would say it's about a woman pretending to be mentally ill just so she can reunite with her lesbian lover. Oh yes, Rooney Mara got to make out with Catherine Zeta-Jones. Then she got to make out with Cate Blanchett in the new movie Carol. Now isn't that girl lucky or what?!

The pros of this film is that it has a good plot, a good twist, and great acting. They even described well the side effects of Zoloft, which tends to make people sick. It made me sick too when I took that medication! I liked how they described the world of depression, how severe depression can really affect you, and how screwed up the psychiatry system can be. I also liked how they mentioned real criminal cases that involved mental illness, or any medical problem. I have heard cases about people pretending to be mentally ill, or have any other medical problem, as manipulation just to get what they want. That tends to happen a lot when it comes to female criminals.

And now for the cons: the music was a bit dull, Channing's character was useless and mainly a punching bag for the plot, the depression Rooney's character had was a bit unrealistic, and Rooney's hair extensions were SO FAKE. Those fake hair extensions were such a distraction~ I did not like how Rooney's character went from completely happy to severely depressed. Depression does not really work that way in a span of a day or two. Then again, maybe it can happen Some people do have the skill to be totally happy when they are not But then again again, Rooney's character was only pretending~

Overall rating: 7/10

Well, as I've seen from some MManiacs, depression can be a long process, or a roller coaster. Always depends on the person. Never seen the film, but anything with Rooney and Catherine Zeta-Jones is worth checking out.

Except the Elm Street remake and The Rebound. Terrible films (that I sadly own).

Definitely look into it if you're interested

Self-aware spoof films will always have a place in my heart, as long as the performances and concept are done with great passion. Speaking of passion, February is an interesting month with wacky, violent films being released. Deadpool making big numbers, even though that film doesn't qualify as anything more than numbness of the brain. Let's just put it this way: My friends went to see Deadpool recently; while I've been bed ridden for the past couple of days. High fever, violently coughing sticky phlegm that refuses to escape my body and suffering massive toothaches due to my recent fillings. As it turned out, I had a better time than they did.

Thankfully, I got to see Pride & Prejudice & Zombies before these events and boyyyyy, did I love it. I must warn readers that this film is definitely more suited for fans of P&P than the zombie film genre. The zombie apocalypse serves as a backdrop to the actual drama that's going on...the drama you should be familiar with by now after reading one of Jane Austen's most famous literary classics.

As the trailers suggested, a zombie outbreak has fallen upon the land in Jane Austen's classic tale of the tangled relationships between lovers from different social classes in 19th century England. Feisty heroine Elizabeth Bennet (played by the gorgeous Lily James of Disney's Cinderella 2015) is a master of martial arts and weaponry. The introverted Mr. Darcy (played by Sam Reilly) is a fierce zombie killer (his hidden talent!), yet the epitome of upper class prejudice. As the zombie outbreak intensifies, they must swallow their own pride (har) and join forces on the blood soaked battlefield! YEEEEEAAAAAH!!!!

What made this schlock goodness great was that it delivered what it promised (even if you have never read the spoof book of the same name). It's Pride & Prejudice...with zombies. The zombies are definitely treated as an alien entity, since they're in the film, but not as much as people are used to. In an age where shitty zombie movies are everywhere (I only care about the Resident Evil films and maybe some selects from Asylum for laughs), this film appropriately placed the zombie action when it was ready. To sell the ridiculous concept, I feel Lily James did a fantastic job as Elizabeth Bennet. She carried the film for sure, although Matt Smith did have some great Collins moments. Lily, however, is clearly having a blast with the role. Excellent casting for the Bennet sisters and everyone else.

The major downside to the film was the ending.You'd expect a balls to the wall massacre to cap off the movie, but instead, it comes to a screeching halt. You'll see what I mean. It's sad, since the film was doing so well up until the ending. The post-credits ending kind of saves it, but the movie is gravely mistaken if it thinks a sequel will happen. There isn't enough zombies for the typical fan, but when they were on screen, and getting slaughtered, I was digging it. No undead messes with Lizzy Bennet and whatever dangerously sharp implements she has hiding underneath her petticoat.

Like Jupiter Ascending last year, this movie was fun, dumb and took two completely different entities and mushed them together. I had a great time with P&P&Z, a perfect way to start my 2016 movie year because I know the WORST is yet to come with movies like Dawn of Justice, Gods of Egypt, Allegiant, Captain America: Civil War. You know, 2-3 hour movies we'll forget about in 2-3 minutes. Yay.

At least with this, we're getting what was promised. And there's nothing sexier than a good Lily James snarl.

When I watched Deadpool (for free on Pub), I remember not laughing. Not once. It's true that a comedy fails when it doesn't get one cackle out of you. Not even a chuckle. Ghostbusters 2016, the dreaded terror that all man-children feared since Paul Feig announced it's production, has not only made me laugh by the truck loads; it was the most fun I had in the theater since Mean Girls and 13 Going On 30. Comedy genre-wise.

Ghostbusters 2016 stars the lovable cast of Kristen Wiig, Leslie Jones, Melissa McCarthy and Kate McKinnon. Oh, god...KATE MCKINNON! I would marry her if I could! >:3 I'd have to be a woman first...anyway, let me start off by saying this: the comedy genre is without a doubt, the most subjective genre of all. Comedy is quite specific for each individual. The original Ghostbusters worked off dry and sarcastic witty dialogue. It wasn't laugh out loud funny, but very clever where we rightfully chuckled with Bill and the guys. Ghostbusters 2016 did not go in that direction since dry and witty was accomplished. Instead, the girls go for a more over-the-top routine with playful humor and teases. It's amazing how strong the chemistry is between these four women; as if they've been friends since birth. I've noticed that Kate McKinnon improvises A LOT! Yes, there are many throwbacks to the original film, but with their own modern day twists. It's also great to see the original cast involved as cameo characters.


Kristen Wiig plays the awkward Erin Gilbert, currently a university teacher to distance herself from her old passion of paranormal phenomenon. This also means distancing herself from Abby Yates (Melissa McCarthy), who slinks back into her life to investigate a recent paranormal event. Joined by the brilliant and charismatic engineer, Jillian Holtzmann, they begin their paranormal investigation. When subway worker Patty Tolan spots ghosts occupying the tracks, she ends up joining and aiding the "Ghostbusters" in their quest to bust spirits. Not to mention stopping the oddball occultist Rowan from causing the apocalypse through a giant ghost portal.

I'll never understand the hatred for this film. As much as I love the original, it does feel like a slow burner compared to this. Keep in mind that the original wasn't meant to be this major epic film. Just a lighthearted comedy with great performances and cool effects. Um, that's exactly what we got here! Granted, not all of the performances in the new film were great. I stand by my sentiment that Chris Hemsworth was the low point of the film. We get it, movie. He's dumb, yet perfect? Whatever you say. Luckily for us and the rest of the moviegoers, the main cast does justice to the original. Here's the truth: Ghostbusters is first and foremost about the characters. The great chemistry between the main leads. The saving New York element is ALWAYS secondary. Ghostbusters thrives with it's lovable Ghostbusters team, played by some of the best comedians and actors. A disgrace to the original? How? 2016 is doing exactly what it takes to be a Ghostbusters film. It still feels different regardless, considering that Erin, Holtzmann and the others are completely different characters. They don't resemble Peter, Egon, Ray and Winston in any way; making the chemistry feel new-and it works to various degrees of success.

This is the funniest film I've seen in a while. The humor is cute, clever and full of energy. Everyone had a blast making it, and you're right there with them. In addition to the comedy and cast, the ghost effects, while CGI heavy, were nicely done. There's more detail to these ghosts than say...the shitty Scooby Doo films. Some of the ghosts were creepy, like the Macy's Day parade ghosts...so there is a sense of horror to the film (the opening scene is way more intense than the library opening of the original. It sets the tone perfectly. Praise to Melissa McCarthy and Kristen Wiig, btw. No longer are they playing obnoxious characters! They're lovable scientists with their own wacky quirks. Leslie Jones is also a show stopper as Patty, but the real star is Kate McKinnon as Holtzmann. Kate plays a character that you'd want hanging around you at parties! Her magnetic personality and comedic timing are excellent. There's a scene where her character is being asked how many regulations she's broken, and she responds with childlike responses:

"1? *smiles* 2? *Eyes sparkle and grins wider* 1 AND A HALF!?"

SHE'S FUCKING ADORABLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

All in all, Ghostbusters 2016 isn't the best film of the year. That honor still belongs to 'Me Before You'. HOWEVER! THIS IS THE MOST FUN MOVIE OF THE YEAR! HANDS DOWN! So do yourselves a favor and ignore all those man-children who gave free passes to Jurassic World (garbage that deserved the negative response Ghostbusters is getting. Guess it didn't because Chris Pratt dominated 99% of the movie telling Bryce's character what a piece of shit she is, but he still wants to fuck her. I digress, though.) Ghostbusters 1984 shouldn't be deified as an untouchable masterpiece of cinema. It was a simple movie with cool effects and lovable leads. I see the same thing with this film. Ghostbusters 2016 isn't perfect, but it's a fantastic ride I'll NEVER forget! Once I can watch over and over again to cheer me up and brighten my day. That is a true comedy. Who You Gonna Call? THESE GALS!


Rating: /

FULL PRICE

+ On par with the original and Ghostbusters 2.
+ Fantastic cast and chemistry.
+ Cool ghost effects (Especially in the final battle).
+ Kate McKinnon as Jillian Holtzmann.
- Chris Hemsworth's tedious performance interrupts the magic.
- The new Ghostbusters theme by Fall Out Boy is just godawful.
+ USED THE ORIGINAL GHOSTBUSTERS THEME ONCE (at the most appropriate moment) The goosebumps felt SOOOOOO good!

Kara Ballenger Pupzter Hathaway Shezaei Neko

Often times, when you've become a grown adult, you think back to your childhood. Whenever you spot anything with familiar imagery, or when you happen to be put in a situation that causes a deja vu spell. This is the essence of 'Only Yesterday', a lost 1991 classic that hasn't been released (officially) and dubbed in English in the States until recently.

The story follows Taeko, a Japanese woman in her late 20s, who is living the life of the brutally mundane. She lived in Tokyo her entire life, works and remains unmarried. She decides to break the monotony by visiting family out in the beautiful countryside of Yamagata. Throughout her travel, and stay in Yamagata, Taeko begins to recollect on her past. Being reminded of her childhood at every turn. What makes this film stand out is how powerful these scenes are. Taeko's childhood was pampered; provided with everything a young girl would need. Problem was, she had to deal with many hiccups a young girl encounters. These moments, whether it's obtaining a complete pineapple (in Japan, it was extremely common to eat out of a can. Imported fruit was hard to get in 1966, the year of the flashback), experiencing menstruation, or doing poorly at school due to fractions.

I related so much to the film, as I, too, think back to the past quite often. Taeko had a tendency to bring up the joyous and painful moments of her childhood whenever she felt comfort, frustration and sadness. Her interactions with the ambitious farmer, Toshio, made her feel at ease with the present moment. His optimistic outlook made Taeko feel better about pursuing the idea of self-discovery. What she is capable of, not to mention what she could have in life. Toshio shows her that the old ways of farming are not so ineffective. There's a bond between people and the Earth; a joint collaboration. Something people from the city and big corporations have forgotten. This inspires Taeko, but it also scares her. The resolve of the matter felt so natural, that I became emotional. You have to watch the discussion scene between Taeko and Toshio in the car; it's one of the most realistic conversations in an animation film. Like Studio Ghibli's 5 star masterpiece 'When Marnie Was There', 'Only Yesterday' is a film that comes off like a well written live action drama. Only, rather than feeling phony Hollywood, it comes off more like a raw documentary. Following a woman with so much to offer the world, but never fully realizing it; connecting with another human being who "gets" her. You want to win a woman's heart? All man jokes aside - you must be honest with her. As for your nostalgic past, they have indeed made you what you are today. Taeko's entire childhood of 1966, the biggest year of her young life, shaped her into what she would become. At 27, she hasn't seen anything. Hasn't been anywhere. To discovery yourself and your worth at a place of pure serenity; with people you care for and connect with...you have, at last, found yourself.

'Only Yesterday' is a wonderful film. I'm still in shock that it hasn't been released by Disney at the time, all because menstruation is mentioned. I'm not kidding! Look it up! It fills my heart to know that in 2016, we can see this film in all it's glory. The animation is gorgeous, which is typical of Ghibli. What made this entry earn recognition was how the character muscle and breathing movement was animated realistic. A new technique at the time, and it's aged wonderfully. Aside from it's stellar Japanese seiyuu voice cast, the English dub was excellent. Daisy Ridley, Rey from Star Wars: The Force Awakens, had never voice acted in anime before. She played Taeko with the warmth of a snow pea (in a really good way!). Her gentle, sweet and mature tone of voice suited Taeko. Dev Patel also did a great job as Toshio. Dev gave Toshio the every man voice, filled with determination and dorkiness. Toshio is not a smooth talking man, just a farmer with great passion in what he does. Dev really brought that out of him. To know that Daisy voice acted alongside some of anime/gaming's greatest voice talents in Laura Bailey (Tohru Honda in Fruits Basket), Stephanie Sheh (Sailor Moon herself), Grey DeLisle (Setsu Oiwa in 'When Marnie Was There') and Tara Strong (Rikku in Final Fantasy X) is awesome!

Highly recommend 'Only Yesterday' to those who love coming-of-age stories. While not quite 'When Marnie Was There', it's comes awfully close. There's so much truth to the narrative, and it's characters. Taeko shines a light on Japanese women, sure, but anyone can relate to her story. And I mean *anyone*. We are who we are, not just because of the choice we make. Sometimes, the choices made for us are what make us. This film gives it's viewer the opportunity to chase dreams. And above all - happiness.

I mostly just watch animated movies. If I were to choose a non-animated movie though, it would be the Count of Monte Cristo, which was a movie I seen in theaters and really liked. I also really liked Hansel and Gretel (the newest movie for it) My favorite animated movie would be Coraline.

So if I were to categorize these as top three favorites, they would be:

ShadowMikoto wrote:I mostly just watch animated movies. If I were to choose a non-animated movie though, it would be the Count of Monte Cristo, which was a movie I seen in theaters and really liked. I also really liked Hansel and Gretel (the newest movie for it) My favorite animated movie would be Coraline.

So if I were to categorize these as top three favorites, they would be:

Ooo! Nice selection there, Mikoto! Coraline is definitely the best of the bunch. The new Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters was really fun, too. Gemma Arterton was a hot Gretel.

Luu Sky Sapphire wrote:

ShadowMikoto wrote:I mostly just watch animated movies. If I were to choose a non-animated movie though, it would be the Count of Monte Cristo, which was a movie I seen in theaters and really liked. I also really liked Hansel and Gretel (the newest movie for it) My favorite animated movie would be Coraline.

So if I were to categorize these as top three favorites, they would be:

Ooo! Nice selection there, Mikoto! Coraline is definitely the best of the bunch. The new Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters was really fun, too. Gemma Arterton was a hot Gretel.

I agree, I agree! Brave is another animated movie that I really like, too!

TWO NEW MOVIE REVIEWS FROM MY FACEBOOK! Feel my passion for Miss Sloane, and my utter disappointment in Disney's Moana.

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"We never go beyond the reef!" When I hear that, the movie pretty much gave away itself. Our lead does the complete opposite through some spiritual reasoning, meeting sidekick, having a moment or two, resolution. I feel the movie should of been called, "Aggressive Wasting Of Our Time." And it hurts to say that, because this film did ooze potential from every orifice. Instead, it took it's beautiful culture of topic, and just went through the motions. Water is a lot more unpredictable than that.

Moana herself is the daughter of the chief of a small topical island called Motunui. She grew up hearing legends about the origins of her world and the water which surrounds it and always felt drawn to the ocean. It's an attraction that her father, Chief Tui, won't allow her to indulge, fearing for her safety, while Moana's grandmother urges her to be "who she is meant to be". So, when a mysterious plague starts killing the fish and vegetation on which her people depend, Moana feels compelled to follow the example of her wayfinding ancestors. She is convinced that the ocean has chosen her, and together with demigod (of the wind and sea), Maui, they will save the world. Stretching it a bit there, but okay.

First the good. For all it's upcoming list of problems, Moana does have a few strengths to show. The CG animation, while not a taste of mine, does look impressive. The hair is what stood out there most; more so than the ocean water. The scope is much larger than previous Princess films starting with Tangled. Rapunzel's kingdom felt small, Arendelle and the mountains felt small, but the open ocean, deep ocean and the various islands kept Moana large and exciting. That is, until it suffered the exact same problem Tangled and Frozen did (later). I must also praise the voice talent on deck. Little Auli'i Cravalho as Moana has great energy, and excellent timing. She belts out her lines with a lot of grace, and enthusiasm. Dwayne Johnson was pretty good as Maui, though those saying he was pulling a Robin Williams-quality (not style. Quality) performance, really need to stop talking out of their asses. Dwayne was chill compared to his wrestling character, and the character of Maui demanded way more over the top charisma than that. The rest of the cast was solid as well, including that crab voice Jemaine Clement. Should of given him more to do as a baddie. Instead, we get a sketch show. Disney developed this movie by sending co-directors Ron Clements and John Musker on tours of the South Pacific in order to make sure the film accurately and respectfully portrayed the look and culture of Polynesia. I'm not an expert in Polynesian culture, other than what I know from a Samoan family that owned a hotel in Wildwood NJ. Great friends and people, btw. But I am aware of how much culture was rooted into the film, taking most of it's time sharing their way of life. As a celebration of Samoan ancestry, it was well done. Disney showed a lot class to share the beauty of a culture foreign to the casual viewers. Oh, and HeiHei the special ed chicken is a trooper. Bless that poor soul for putting up with such a stressful experience. Not that he would ever remember it.

Now, onto my issues with the film. Despite it's richness in culture (even the religious aspect. The grandmother predicts that she’ll be reincarnated as a ray. Low and behold. Pagans will adore this film by default. I mean, pagan spirits of life and destruction have appeared in Fantasia 2000 before. Why not here?), Moana offers so little in it's vast open world. It's incredible how Disney hasn't moved beyond the "Kids Know Best" trope. And if they must proceed with that trope, Disney never executes it with any creativity, or emotional investment. It's more ATLA than 'Song of the Sea' (where the children were given unrelenting trials to reach the ultimate goal of their story). Young people can do anything! They're kids! Let them have the advantage at all times! This is a result of that. Though Maui wasn't 100% useless like most critics have said, I couldn't help but agree with that notion at times. Without him, Moana wouldn't find the inner strength to move on; let alone perfect the art of wayfinding. Other than that, she was in complete control in just about every situation. Big strong Maui could of just sat and did nothing if Moana knew wayfinding earlier. You'd think this demigod, of the wind and sea, would be actively doing more. Magic hook, or no magic hook. He shows up 35 minutes into the film on top of that. The shiny crab shows up late, as does Te Ka. Neither of which had any sort of build up. Yeah, Te Ka is mentioned often, but even as a non-villain (Te Ka is NOT evil), she just shows up and attacks like a monster the hero would fight at the halfway point of a picture. THIS JUST IN! According to my friend Kris on deviantART, Te Ka is actually based on Pele, goddess of fire, lightning, wind and volcanoes. With that much importance, why stick to just being an obstacle, rather than a character? Speaking of which, the ocean itself is a character. One that people have complained operates at the writer’s convenience. Gods help, and don't help, like in real life? It's not exactly clever, but it makes sense. Moana herself didn't really impress me that much, either. Shocked, huh? I'm often pleased with female characters, and their ability to do more than the arrogant, always perfect Gary Stus of fiction. Sad to say, this adventure was smooth sailing for Moana. Literally. Every risked she took? Paid off. Deciding to buckle down and magically learn Maui's sailing technique? Done. I found her task of having to store HeiHei somewhere practical, the most difficult trial she's ever faced.
Then you have the soundtrack and score. It's upsetting when you watch a Disney film, and barely remember anything about it. At least you're guaranteed a beautiful soundtrack for the ages, right? Not here. Not that these songs were bad. They were just direct-to-video sequel worthy. Nothing that stayed within the depths of my soul, the way "A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes". "When you Wish Upon A Star" or even "A World New World" did flawlessly. Moana's song "How far I'll Go" was it? Felt empty. Did I mention Hamilton's Lin-Manuel Miranda is responsible for the music? Yikes. Fantastic talent (haven't seen Hamilton, but I believe my musical friends), coming up short. I, again, blame the linear story. Maui's song was the closest to having an old school style musical number, but it felt like a held back "Friend like Me" in some ways. Which goes back to what I said about Dwayne not cuttin' loose like he usual would as a "character". I've suffered through his wrestling career, and his many promos. I would know.

There really isn't much to say about this movie. For a film with large scope, and respectable treatment of a grand culture, it felt empty. My biggest issue with 'Moana' is, like Tangled and Frozen, felt linear. Once the opening sequence told us everything we needed to know, we knew what would happen. No clever twists and turns...nothing. It's another, "TAKE ME THERE! SO WE CAN GET SOMETHING, OR BECOME SOMETHING I WAS DESTINED DONE!" Or "TAKE ME HERE, THEN I CAN COME BACK IN THE FINALE TO BE ACCEPTED/CELEBRATED FOR MY DECISION" Now I see why Disney were inspired enough to have a Mad Max reference during the tiki-minion pirate chase. They just love this formula, don't they? At least Zootopia, which I also didn't care for, went in zigzags by offering social commentary

Moana had a lot of potential. Did it suck? No. How can something that played it super safe "suck"? It was just disappointing. I was actually shocked to find out my fiancee *didn't* like it. She's enjoyed worse! haha! In all seriousness, there was a large disconnection between myself and the film's all-too familiar narrative (which is fine...), going in a all-too familiar motion (not fine).

Rating: ** 1/2 / *****

+ Fantastic voice acting
+ The majesty of the Polynesian people and their beautiful culture.
+/- HeiHei. I GET IT! HE'S....special. But he was hilarious!
- Linear story
- Maui doesn't do much.
- Moana picks up a little too quickly to be a convincing, sympathetic lead.
- Little consequence.

High Rental

Moana is worth seeing once for the historical factor. It's wonderful seeing Polynesian culture being cemented in people's minds. I thank Disney for this. Unfortunately, it's tied to a forgettable, predictable and unengaging adventure.

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Nobody in modern America can "out Chess" Liz Sloane. Not even the 2nd Amendment advocates, who still live in ye olden times. This is the kind of film we needed, and deserve in the wake of the 11/9 screwjob. But all politics aside, since not very many out there can think for *themselves*, you'd have to be extremely open minded to watch the masterful brush strokes of a smart, over-prepared young woman making a bunch of cynical, corrupt and evil pro-gun men her bitches. If you sat down and watched 'Zero Dark Thirty', you'd know how talented Jessica Chastain is. If Jodie Foster is the queen of drama thrillers, then Jessica definitely has political thrillers by the proverbial grapefruits.

It's just amazing how some people are unable to see what's real and not. "Miss Sloane" engages its audience by way of setting up the film as both a thriller and a political analysis of what people will do to succeed. Chastain outdoes herself, and that's saying a lot. Political dramas done right, allows the real world, and all it's complicated nonsense and illogical way of thinking (human race) to present the truth on screen without bias. Jessica's difficult characterization is felt here; I can't imagine how much of a headache it must of been to study both sides of the coin. She plays a woman who doesn't care what it takes to win. She shows no fear, sacrificing her health and intimate friends just to get an inch closer to making this country safer place to live. You feel her personal journey with every countermeasure, and every realization that she may have gone too far in certain places.

The film goes on to explore the arguments and the ongoing debates between the issue of gun control. At first, it all about the strategies, later it takes on the personal relationships of the people involved in the two teams competing against each other. My god, the chess game between Liz and the corrupt gun nuts, and shithead Senator is nail-biting; with you constantly cheering for Liz Sloane to fire back. Somehow. Someway. I felt so much unease that she would be beaten back, only for her to pull a convincing and feasible trump card out of her ass. She doesn't kill one person in this film to move her chess piece. She uses her intellect, what resources are available and all possible connections to her advantage. Most times without warning.

Jessica Chastain herself is a force of nature. Her delivery is direct, incisive, intelligent and urges you to make up your own mind on the subject. Question if you're really on the right side. No, not even that. She simply points out what's morally wrong. The character of Liz Sloane is the most sympathetic anti-hero in recent memory. These are the good guys that are are rich with depth; more so than any egomaniac villain in other works of fiction. They work harder, and fight even more dirty.

My only complaints with the film was the execution of how it was shot. The cinematography is painfully average. Rivaling that of a TV show (ala Walking Dead, GoT, etc.). Just average shots and photography with no real technique or flair. Over the shoulder shots between two characters have a discussion, for example. God, I hate that. In a masterful suspense film, with argubly the best female actress in Hollywood today, you'd think director John Madden would demand shots that tell the story Miss Chastain is flawlessly reading aloud. Also, the score for the film was pretty standard. This will continue to be a problem in modern film, unfortunately. The Hunger Games franchise notwithstanding.

It's technical aspects aside, the film is a phenomenal display of story, as well as acting brilliance by Jessica Chastain, and co-stars Alison Pill, Gugu Mbatha-Raw and...John Lithgow?! (I'm just as shocked as you are!) 'Miss Sloane' is an intelligent look at politics, and personal relationships and the state our country is in. It's greatest strength being the inspiring main character who is a true American hero; brought to life by Jessica Chastain. A hero not fighting for their own best interests, but for the good of all. Whether they favor her, or not. One of the best films of the year. This and 'Me Before You' are definitely fighting it out at #1. DON'T MAKE ME CHOOSE, DAMMIT!

      /          

4/5 FULL PRICE

+ Jessica Chastain. She doesn't own her role. She immortalizes it.
+ Thought-provoking story with raw, honest truth about the system.
+ Ballsy.
+ That ending. Took my breath away.
- Shot in static and boring Star Wars Prequel fashion.
- Uninspired score.

Out of all their properties (Animated Films, Marvel Studios, Muppets etc.), Disney did justice with Star Wars and Star Wars alone (so far). Rogue One shows that with enough love for a classic franchise, you can add more to it's mythos in a refreshing way. Throughout this entry, we felt the love for the Star Wars legacy; the intense level of respect for the 3 films.that inspired it. On the other hand, shifting the tone, that doesn't match the 1977 template it's directly connected to, did some damage. Not a lot, mind you. Just enough to not make it the ambitious epic it set itself out to be.

Rogue One tells the story of the the plans that were beamed to this ship by Rebel spies. Now we know what happened to the plans before the they were sent. Felicity Jones stars as Jyn Erso, daughter of a scientist, Galen Erso, forced to work on the Death Star. She is tough, rebellious and reckless, making her a well-crafted character, that has a great backstory. Oh, she would of had a great backstory if we got to know more about *her*. The moment we made that jump into the present timeline of A New Hope, I knew the film would thrust Jyn into the main objective-WITHOUT allowing us to get to know her. The same way we got to be intimately introduced to Rey in The Force Awakens. Jyn's father specifically designs a weakness so that the Rebellion can stand a chance against it.

The film is arguably, the most straight forward Star Wars movie I've ever seen. While not showing us Jyn as a person for a good 10 minutes or so, the film decides to kick the main objective into high gear. Introducing us to a host of rag-tag allies to join Jyn and Cassian Andor. Cassian, the anti-hero of sorts, is an intelligence officer who seeks to retrieve Galen Erso at all costs. Outside of their reprogrammed Imperial comic-relief, K2SO, none of the characters are really memorable. We're supposed to love them for their incredibly non-Jedi efficiency. Beyond that, Forest, Donnie and the other actors were pretty wooden for what was supposed to be a tight-knit group fighting for a better galaxy. I never got the camaraderie felt in the Original Trilogy. This brotherhood of unorthodox heroes felt too stock with little characterization. It doesn't help that Felicity Jones wasn't allowed to branch Jyn out, beyond carrying the weight of the main objective. She has strong moments, like her breaking down over her father's recording. Fantastic acting on Miss Jones' part. Beyond her, there is little heart between our heroes. They seem to be just going through the motions after obtaining whatever they needed to move to the next area. Disappointing on that end. I mean, they're fulfilling their roles. I just wish it were done with a lot more care and flair.

The look of Rogue One is one of it's many highlights. While the battles are shot in standard war-cinematography (fine, considering this is a more gritty Star Wars film), the costumes, creature effects and CGI during the space battles was top notch. The Battle of Scarif is easily the best Star Wars battle since The Battle of Endor from Return of the Jedi. I've always wanted one of these ground/space battle combos to take place in a unique setting. Empire had an ice planet in Hoth, Jedi had the forest moon on Endor. In Rogue One, we have this beach planet with strips of tropical islands. Awesome, AWESOME set piece for a ground battle. Complete with AT-ATs...that get taken down by blasters. Hey Gareth, Luke specifically said in Empire:

"That armor's too strong for blasters!"

Oops. Small details aside, I loved every second of this battle. It was shot wonderfully, and the space battle was insane. Not as grand as Endor from ROTJ, but it's pretty close! Knowing what's at stake elevates it a lot.

Speaking of the worthwhile CGI used in the film, I would like to mention how impressed I was by the CGI used to bring Peter Cushing back from the dead! Also to make Carrie Fisher young again! *laughs* I'm being serious, the face-capture CGI really upped it's game; bringing back Grand Moff Tarkin and Princess Leia in full form. Yes, their movements wasn't natural, but damn, I'd be lying if I said that wasn't as close as you were gonna get to resurrecting Mr. Cushing from death. Let alone reversing the aging process on Carrie! James Earl Jones also lends his voice as a returning Darth Vader. Don't get too excited as Vader's screen time is limited. For the amount of time the character does get? Whoo!!! SO. FUCKING. AWESOME!

The story suffered a lot in the beginning due to it's structure and pacing issues. Pacing problems begin with the drawn out looming camera shots on characters giving speeches. Gareth attempted to sell the overall narrative of the Rebellion in such a heavy handed way. You see it all the time in modern television. Whether it's someone getting in somebody else's face:

"I. Will. End you."

Or pretentiously filling the water with irony:

"You either die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the villain."

This is hurting the overall presentation of modern film. I fully accept the grittiness of Rogue One, but it doesn't have to be THAT damn serious! Good god. You're not some Shakespearean-no fuck that, you're not a four hour Cecil B. DeMille epic. You're Star Wars, and an entry that directly connects to a parent entry with a tone that's adventurous and lighthearted! That's why the difference in tone is odd in retrospect. You go from long speeches and philosophical lessons to more realistic human emotions and responses.

What made up for the drawn out and quite frankly, BORING beginning is the second half of the film. What a turn around in all regards; accepting the passing of a potential Jyn character study (huge sacrifice), and moving into an emotional and thrilling finale. The Battle of Scarif delivered beautiful visuals, while giving our Heroes a nail biting time bomb. And it works on both levels; within the context of the story, and the real world. We want the events of A New Hope set up by these people, so we cheer their efforts on! We cheer Jyn aligning the signal, K2SO's last stand and Bodhi attempting to get contact with the Rebellion. We're being mascots for these characters, and the crowd I was with ate it up! It was an exciting 30+ minute thrill ride! The aftermath with Darth Vader using his lightsaber made me freak out in the best possible way! Also to give credit where it's due, Jyn's last moments with Cassian was well done. I just wish the movie allowed these two to have more character study. If they had, the audience would of mourned their deaths. Guarantee it. Missed opportunity on Lucasfilm/Disney's part.

Overall, I enjoyed Rogue One. With it's many of Easter Eggs (YOU WATCH YOURSELF!), beautiful cinematography, excellent CGI, fantastic lead in Felicity Jones (I blame the script for not letting her do more) and perfect ending; it's a perfect prequel. More so than the actual prequels that accomplished nothing, other than putting Anakin in the suit. Rogue One isn't perfect as I mentioned earlier today, though. It's pacing issues in the beginning, long drawn out scenes that could of been chip away in editing, the wooden performances of the secondary characters, all could of been improved. Rogue One did receive a lot of reshoots, and it's easy to see why. There's a lot more they could of cleaned up. That aside, I enjoyed it! I'm not in love with it, but what I *did* love was the effort.

Review: Beauty and The Beast 2017


Newwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww-and a bit...alarming. Who had ever thought that this could beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee?! Truuuuuuuue, that it's not the first one, but there's something in this that I simply quite enjoyyyyyyyyed!

As with 2015's Cinderella, Disney's Live Action franchise has once again delivered another serviceable remake of their classic animated original. Granted, nothing about 2017's Beauty and the Beast is completely original (sans for a few changes). Because of how corporate Disney is today, they no doubt felt pressured to cater to fans of the original, while hoping the new changes wouldn't be spat upon. It's hard to dislike the few new changes because they're practically lost in nostalgia!

Directed by Bill Condon (directed some of the Twilight films...uh oh...), he does a decent job on the film overall. He updated the tale with modern sensibilities, and a more grounded tone. To me, this works to some degree; considering how vibrant, colorful and "animated" the original was. Every character in this 2017 update is low-key, and less over the top. Maurice isn't a flat-footed little man, Gaston isn't an charismatic, narcissist internet meme macho man; and Belle is a way more ballsy woman in the face of danger. While these changes help the film stand on it's own, sacrificing the fairy tale vibrancy will turn off movie goers wanting more pizzazz. This was a film that won Best Picture, and had a colorful Broadway show! To me, the film's tone and characterization may seem dull by comparison to the animated classic (even the modernized TV series with Linda Hamilton; anyone remember that shit?!), but I felt it was the only way to go without turning into a carbon copy.

On its own merits, Beauty and the Beast 2017 is a good effort in the development department. The screenplay went head by adding layers to its characters. The Beast himself gets detailed backstory, with a look into his mother's death and his no-good father who molded him into the jerk we all know and love. Only, there's a lot less roaring and shouting this time, haha. I consider him full blown introverted this time around, which makes sense, considering how long he's been by shrouded in darkness with his annoyingly optimistic servants). Belle on the other hand, has more agency in ways big and small. She was a Miss Fix-It in one scene, without saying a word. That little moment was directed nicely. She's the one in control, even when she (voluntarily) becomes the Beast's prisoner and, in a small but important scene, she shares the gift of independent thinking by teaching a village girl how to read. Emma Watson was totally being herself in that scene! There are Maya Angelou books all over France thanks to her! :3 Together, Belle and the Beast find common ground in things beyond books and general kindness towards one another. Beast learns of Belle's inability to connect with the outside world, thanks to their narrow views on women who want to use their brains. Even the servants, Lumiere (Obi-Wan Kenobi), jittery clock Cogsworth (Gandalf) and motherly kettle Mrs. Potts (Elinor Dashwood) are focused on, to explain why there's heavier investment in breaking the curse (of course, the animated film fixed this, if you felt that the Special Edition "Human Again" added to the original).

The effects can also be stigmatic for the characterization. Dan Stevens buried in layers of CGI and prosthetics, not to mention the movements of the servants needing to be realistic (seeing how many of them are objects that aren't capable of much movement), results in lack of energy. They're no doubt beautiful, the CGI was rather decent on servants. But the restriction of movement does make them less exciting to look at in the long run. Stevens in Beast makeup was criticized, requiring that Del Toro touch. I do agree there. CGI touch up sucks the life away from the eyes of any creature. That's why nothing in that piece of human excrement known as 'Jurassic World' felt organic like it's 3 superior predecessors. And while 'Dawn of the Planet of the Apes' had amazing CGI, the eyes don't sell the emotion quite like a human actor underneath Academy Award winning make up found in the 1968 original. Practical effects, and a solid make up job could of made Beast and the servants feel more real. Thankfully, the decent CGI (again, on the servants) and character exploration saved the otherwise lifeless bodies.

The music is familiar, but still wonderful to me. A pinch of Alan Menken and Howard Ashman's iconic original numbers are thoughtfully re-imagined. 'Be Our Guest' is a joyous explosion of camp color, featuring welcome nods to movies like Cabaret and Singin' In The Rain; and Luke Evans morphs 'The Mob Song' into a DAMN GOOD rendition! He did a great job inserting pure menace into it! And yes, yes, Emma Watson does sound a bit auto-tuned, This is overlooked the second she belts out "I want Adventure in the Great Wide Somewhere" and her bit in "Something There". Auto-tuned or not, it sounded sweet. The filmmakers didn't make any attempts to hide Emma's singing inexperience. Close ups of her face are front and center during her performances. Even Paige O'Hara would respect that creative honesty, so stop whining. The newer songs like 'How Does A Moment Last Forever' is nice, but lacks impact. 'Evermore' is the same, it was just kind of there to give Beast a solo anthem.

Overall, Beauty and the Beast 2017 shares the same score as 2015 Cinderella. It's not terrible, just really, REALLY subdued. There is a lot to enjoy if you don't compare it to the animated original. Emma Watson is a fantastic Belle, playing her with a feminist spirit, strength and human warmth. Dan Stevens was a more isolated and sad Beast, which worked with the tone of the story. Luke Evans played a great Gaston, really making him his own (lots of swagger). Even Josh Gad was likable as Lefou, being a total darling in all his scenes. HAHA! Yes, the talk is 100% true. So what? They even highlighted his touchiness at one point (won't say when), and the audience loved it. Not only that, they were relieved that the film was well aware of it. It's rare to see the film and it's audience embrace a "controversy" at the same time. Movie magic! With solid design, sound, music, character exploration and good performances, Beauty and the Beast 2017 passes without tarnishing the original. While the film isn't memorable (the original won Best picture for a damn good reason), it's a different take that involved a lot of great Hollywood and Broadway talent to keep it afloat.


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Review: The Matchbreaker (2016)


Just finished watching the quirky Rom-Com about young love blossoming into long term love. Yes, we've seen films like this since the dawn of time. And yes, the film is statically shot and edited; with little to no flair in the movie making department. But you know what? Who gives a shit about technique. This heart warming small budget film shines with it's honest story (and lesson) on love. Most of all, with it's leading lady in the late Christina Grimmie, who tragically passed away June of last year. After the film ended, I felt great joy, but also a ton of rage. Christina was a natural pro this film. You don't really see it until her character "Emily" is given her character development/exploration. Grimmie unleashes the natural grace, poise and snappy humor of Hollywood's finest starlets (past and present). And her singing performances? Wondrous.

The story follows Wesley Elder's awkward down on his luck character, "Ethan", as he gets hired by several parents to break up their daughter's relationships. Supposedly, all parents HATE who their daughters date! As he earns money from his newfound Matchbreaker profession, he runs into his childhood crush Emily (Christina Grimmie) and desperately tries to hook up with her, but discovers that she has unexpected ties to his heart breaker scheme. Several characters surround the Wesley and Emily antics, including a dork best friend, two introverts who love iguanas, Wesley's sassy sister, Emily's "perfect" boyfriend, and an out of control childhood female friend named Veronica. It's neat to see all these little stories come together with one hell of a pay off!

Like I said, it's a small feel good movie with many elements you'd expect in a romantic comedy. Especially one featuring young people (as opposed to pathetic adults who try way too hard. >:3 I'm looking at you, 'Trainwreck' Fuck that movie.) No, the true strength in this film is the overall message. Love is indeed an abstract and junkie looking thing up close. From afar, it can be beautiful. Christina Grimmie held it together since her character was worth the trouble Wesley's character had to go through. Think of it this way: Nobody I dated was ever perfect. None of them. Not even my beautiful fiancee. She's a frustrating piece of work; actually capable of telling me 'The Last Samurai' was a good movie because of Tom Cruise! The fucking nerve! But you know what? She's still her. I love imperfections. Imperfections are hot. :)

'The Matchbreaker' is a cute little film that had it's stock rise thanks to Christina's involvement. You'll have a fun time with it's quirky cast, relate to the relationship drama and admire Christina's singing and acting double whammy.

Superman 1978, Superman II, Batman 1989, Batman Returns...now...after 25 long years, the superhero film I've been waiting for is here. Wonder Woman 2017.

I'm literally wiping tears from my eyes.

Like the four films before it, Wonder Woman is not just popcorn entertainment. It's a wondrous experience filled with humor, great action sequences, heart and an origin story that feels just right. I believe Wonder Woman followers will be just as pleased as I was with the way her story was handled. As you know, the comic lore tends to rewrite itself over and over again since it's initial debut. Some changes *can* be good; most are just wrong ( 'Man of Steel' is the great offender, being total dog shit). Director Patty Jenkins, along with story credits from Zack Snyder, Allan Heinberg and Jason Fuchs, have all collaborated on Diana's origin, and main objective nicely. Respecting the traditional origins, all while exploring new territories (World War I) and supporting characters. Choosing the first World War was an excellent decision, considering how bleak it was compared to the black & white aspect of World War II. Besides, Lynda already did WWII! Haha!

In this film, we start with Diana when she was just a child. The scenes of her watching her Amazon Sisters; mimicking their movements during training shows how ambitious our heroine is. Willing to learn, curious about the world around her, even if that world is self contained on Themyscira (Paradise Island). Queen Hippolyta (played by Connie Nielsen) forbids her daughter to become an Amazon warrior like her Sisters, should Ares, the God of War, ever cross her path. For he has corrupted mankind, ridding all that is good and pure. Regardless, Hippolyta allows the great Amazom warrior, and aunt of Diana; Antiope, to train her. Though cloaked from the outside world, Themyscira is accidentally discovered by Steve Trevor, an Allied spy who was hunted down by the Germans. As the Germans pursue him, the cruel world outside of Themyscira is exposed to Diana during an awesome battle between the Amazons and German soldiers. Seeing that Steve is not an evil invader (Thank you, Lasso of Truth!), Diana takes it upon herself to venture to the "Great War to end all wars" with him, in hopes of stopping Ares. Through the destruction of Ares, the War, too, will be stopped and everlasting peace will occur. Along the way, she gets a taste of London, gets baffled by what European women wear (IMPRACTICAL!) and assists Steve's motley crew in the war against the Germans. All while Ludendorff and Dr. Poison lurk in the shadows to create a weapon of death.

Gal Gadot stars as Princess Diana of Themyscira, obviously. But what I'd like the entire world to know is that she carried the film. Rewind back to Batman V Superman. There were those within the geek community (which is toxic enough as it is) criticizing Miss Gadot for being too thin, delivering flat dialogue and having a thick accent. To all those who felt this way, I'd like to ask...how does it feel to be wrong? How does it feel knowing that Gal was in perfect physical condition? How does it feel knowing she gave a beautiful, sincere, charming and powerful performance? And how does it feel knowing I understood *every* word she said? Gal Gadot may have started out rough around the edges in Fast 6, but she has clearly improved as an actress. In interviews, she was brutally honest about how Wonder Woman isn't just as role. It's an embodiment of strength and good. She is portraying a symbol; not just a character. Gal had nothing but heart-SHE WAS THE HEART OF THE FILM! Diana had purpose, motivation and trials to overcome. Patty Jenkins made sure that, like Christopher Reeve with Superman, Miss Gadot drew all those strengths of Wonder Woman, and translated them on screen. Chris Pine as Steve Trevor reminded me of Richard Pryor's Gus in Superman III, throw in Margot Kidder's Lois Lane. He was a comic relief character, yet, he held his own as a supportive friend/ally to Diana. Patty Jenkins made sure that the gender card wasn't played here. Diana and Steve were equals on the battlefield. Sure, Diana is a force of nature compared to Steve, but Steve provided tons of backup, leverage for Diana (the village fight) and even inspired Diana emotionally. Even Steve's rag tag group of a marksman, a spy actor and a smuggler all had their own contributions to the story. In terms of bringing Diana's origin to the big screen, Patty Jenkins succeeded greatly. It retained it's comic book fantasy-WITHOUT ever losing the core narrative. War is stupid. War is terrible. Only love can save the world. Fantasy and realism finally have sound synchronization in a comic book film. Marvel Studios, 20th Century Fox and Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy have failed because they've always had one extreme over the other. Jenkins allowed the tones to combine in harmony; never forgetting that 'Wonder Woman' is a film FIRST, and a corporate toy sell DEAD LAST. The characters felt real, and I cared about them. Diana most of all. Her honest thoughts on the filthy nonsensical "point" of war got to me. Makes one reflect on what's going on today. We are the damned...but Diana is here to show compassion. To become our light.

The cinematography is SUPERB! Gorgeous wide shots of Themyscira, olden London, No Man's Land and Belgium. The action sequences are marvelously done. Steve and his boys being shot in a gritty war film style, while all of Wonder Woman's clashes are with beautiful slow downs, spinning camera (all steady! Unbelievable!) and computer generated imagery when necessary.

WHEN DIANA KILLED THE SNIPER. I CLAPPED!!!!!!!!!!!! I CHEERED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THE ENTIRE THEATER WENT INSANE!!!!!!!!!

The score by Rupert Gregson-Williams is pretty solid, to be honest. While not on the grand scale of John Williams or Danny Elfman, Rupert's work on 'Wonder Woman' pays attention to detail. The soft instrumentals during emotional scenes (like Antiope's last stand) felt strong. Then you have playful little melodies for the comedic scenes, like when Diana is trying on new clothes. It just added to the fun and drama the story was able to balance perfectly.

NOW...I know what you're thinking! "Is there anything he didn't like?!" Well, there is, but it's technically a bit of a stretch. It just bothered me a lot...the lack of character study for the Amazons. What was done for Steve and his ragtag friends, should of been applied to the Amazons, too. Perhaps an extra half hour on the island to explore more Antiope, and the other Amazons who were close to her, and the Queen. I know it doesn't seem like a big deal, but these are Diana's Sisters. Her massive family ever since she was small...surely more time could of been devoted to them. One of them stole my heart when she said (in response to the idea of simply killing Steve):

"Don't kill him, or we won't know anything about him, or the outside world!"

^ The animated 2009 Wonder Woman film had two main supporting Amazons, Artemis and Alexa, who had different views on the world of man. Aside from being polar opposites in general. This film needed that dynamic. Huge missed opportunity.

There's so much more technical aspects to go over, though it would need to involve spoiler talk. A LOT OF IT! Overall, 'Wonder Woman' is the comic book film I've been waiting for. After 1992's Batman Returns, no comic book movie ever got that perfect blend of story, characters, humor (remember, these are heroes, not miserable broods) and above all - cinematic craft. 2013's The Wolverine came close, but it is hammered by the legacy of swimming in a pool of sequels, prequels and reboots. Wonder Woman 2017 is a fresh solo film without the need of it's previous DC films to support it. Sure, Batman V Superman introduced us to Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman. Still, you cannot deny that this film is her own. She *properly* introduced her to this version of the character with her amazing, heartfelt performance. Along with a great supporting cast of likable actors playing the Allied boys, including Chris Pine himself. The pieces were all in the right place, and I couldn't be prouder. Film is meant to inspire beyond the two hour running time. Little talking trees, raccoons, thousands of collapsing buildings and dour impending death stories (You make 'Chinatown' look like a Pixar film, 'Logan'. Miserable) don't work.

This upbeat film left me feeling inspired.

Thank you, Wonder Woman. Princess of all that is good. You've fulfilled the dreams of a young 5 year old boy who wanted a Wonder Woman movie to happen someday. Long time to wait, my friends.

I need Wonder Woman II (or Wonder Woman Returns) more than I need Justice League.


FUN FACT! The opening scene where we zoom in on Earth, then Themyscira? 100% homage to the opening scene of Superman 1978. It's virtually the SAME THING! SAME SHOT! SAME CAMERA WORK! I LOVE IT!!!!

Did...did this Chucky movie just take a cue from 'Inception'? If the godawful 'Seed of Chucky' did not exist, I would of said that THIS film is the most "out there".


'Cult of Chucky' is a 2017 sequel to 2013's 'Curse of Chucky', the 6th film in the series. Now that we're in part 7, what direction will writer/director Don Mancini take the killer doll? When we last saw Chucky, he successfully had Nica (played by Fiona Dourif) sent to a looney bin (she was blamed for he murders of the last film). 6 months later, Andy Barclay (played once again by Alex Vincent) foiled Chucky's assassination attempt by taking him out with a shotgun blast.

4 years later. The film opens with Andy on a date with a beautiful girl, who just happened to know about his dark past with Chucky. Like Andy says in the scene: "Fucking internet". Yeah, fuck the internet! This triggers Andy into telling his date exactly what had happened to him during the events of the original Child's Play trilogy. Including bringing up the murders of people from 'Bride of Chucky' and 'Seed of Chucky', which he did not witness. It's here we get a sense of strong justice in Andy. The man regrets not saving people in events he wasn't even present at. As a result, he lives with a ton of angst and inner darkness. He returns to his cabin where he keeps the head of Chucky locked away in a safe. This is the result of being shot by Andy 4 years prior, so he's technically alive, but chained down and missing a portion of his head. Chucky throws a lot of egg in Andy's face by reminding him of his failed love life. That he is all Andy's got. It is here that we see why Andy keeps Chucky alive, and maaaaaan is it satisfying! Whenever his evil nemesis gives him lip, Andy lets him have it with an endless blowtorch torture.

Elsewhere, Nica is brought to a minimum security asylum due to her "making progress". To the human antagonist, Dr. Foley, that means admitting that Chucky wasn't real. That the murders were done by Nica herself, and that it was all a fantasy. Sort of like 'Nightmare of Elm Street 3: Dream Warrriors', Nica finds herself surrounded by various mental patients with their own unique issues. The film made sure we had the entire play-set here: Schizophrenic, depression/mentally ill, multiple personalities, reliving the murder of a baby through painful memories and so on. Though none of these characters are explored as much as I'd like them to be, their deaths do feel tragic. At the end of the day, Chucky killing mental patients; often times using their own illness against them, is a bit disturbing. Nica is seen by the other patients as a danger due to the alleged murders. To help Nica recover, Dr. Foley brings two Good Guy dolls for the patients to rehabilitate their minds a tad. You know where this goes. After a couple of murders, all blamed on Nica (of course), Andy hatches a plan and races to Nica's aid. Along the way, there was an interesting scene where Tiffany (played by Jennifer Tilly) calls Andy and tells him to join the "cult". Andy rightfully tells her to go fuck herself, and that he has heard of her. See? Like I said, Andy DOES know about the events of 'Bride' and 'Seed', so he adds that Tiffany is also on his murder list.

In the later half of the film, things get visually impressive as Don takes excellent photography and camera work, making Nica's hallucination/hypnosis sequence feel otherworldly. I noticed early reviews saying they were confusing, but like 'Inception', it was quite easy to separate what was real, and what was a fantasy. Quite easy in fact. I don't believe for one second that Don wanted the asylum sequences to be an abstract phenomenon. He just wanted to express these clear messages with more of a visual punch.

The kills in the film are pretty good, too. It's easily the goriest of all the Chucky films. Poor Claire, played by Grace Lynn Kung (I remember her small bit in 'Miss Sloane'), gets it the worst. If you're a fan of gory deaths, this one delivers nicely. I just didn't feel much outside of the fact that these are ill people getting murdered. The real strength of the film was Andy, Nica's interaction with the other patients and the occasional Chucky manipulation.

It pains me, however, to say that Don Mancini really wanted to cater to the few fans of Bride and Seed by adding in stupid humor and jokes between the Chucky dolls. Yes, Chucky somehow found a way to possess multiple dolls all controlled by him. This is not the problem. The real problem is the interaction between the dolls once they started communicating. Lots of stupid jokes and pointless references like : "I'll never know why they cancelled Hannibal. That was a good show!" First off, I'd rather why Seed of Chucky than sit through Hannibal. Second, that stupid meta shit needs to be left out. Outside of Bride and Seed, the Chucky movies were always inside their own world. No running over Britney Spears, no seeing Freddy's glove in the police evidence room, no mention of Hannibal...I expect that from the Scream series (where it's appropriate). Then you have the multiple Chuckies acting like dumbasses, "Who's gonna kill Andy? Ooo! Me! Me! Because he cut my hair!" "Oh yeah, he fucked up your hair. That sooooo wrong, man! So wrong! Fuck his shit up for that!" "I never felt so alive!"

Really? You returned to your horrors roots for a reason, Don Mancini. Enough with the jokes.

The ending wasn't too satisfying as it ended on a cliffhanger. Although Andy didn't die, Nica gets possessed by Chucky and is now using her body to have a lesbian relationship with Tiffany. Andy manages to kill one of the Chucky copies (IT WAS SO DAMN SWEET! Andy can never lose to this idiot in a straight up fight!), but Nica (now walking and again, possessed by Chucky), locks him in the padded room until he figures out a way to escape. Chucky in Nica's body gets away with Tiffany, leaving things open for the sweet post-credits scene! Not long after the climax, we cut back to Andy's cabin with the Chucky head. We then see that Kyle from the second film (Child's Play 2) returns to torture Chucky, in hopes of finding out where he and Tiffany went. It was awesome seeing Christine Elise back as Kyle. I haven't seen her since the second film (1990). She looked great, I thought! If we're gonna get an Andy and Kyle team up in the next film, then I'm up for that!

Overall, 'Cult of Chucky' feels rushed and doesn't seem to have clear direction half the time. It was fun seeing older characters return. Andy was more involved this time around, and Kyle returning was just too sweet for words. But the time spent at the mental asylum isn't all that great unless you really care about Inception nods and visuals. Nica being picked on throughout the entire film is a bit disappointing. Even though Nica couldn't walk in the last film, she still kicked ass and even toyed with Chucky's emotion. In Cult, she's weaker, helpless and ultimately gets possessed. What is the ultimate goal with Nica's character, anyway? Chucky says she's being imprisoned (as opposed to being dead which happened in past films when a new soul kicks yours out), so I guess Andy really didn't want to kill Nica because he knew Chucky has her soul hostage. Still, it didn't feel satisfying. WHY DIDN'T YOU HAVE ANDY KILL TIFFANY! Look...I like Jennifer Tilly, but she had little to nothing to do in this film! Other than deliver one of the Chucky clones to Nica, talk bullshit to Andy and arrive to conveniently pick Chucky up in her shitty car. How did she know he would succeed with the plan to possess Nica? Did she read the script, too? DOWN THERE ON THE GROUND BY THE SNOW, IS THAT THE SCRIPT?! Just a ton of writing issues I have, but I do want this to pay off in a future film.

Rating: ** 1/2 / *****

High Rental

+ Alex Vincent, Fiona Dourif and Brad Dourif sell this film
+ Fantastic photography
+ Christine Elise returns as Kyle!
+ Multiple Chuckies idea is interesting...
- ...but in a rushed story like this, it's wasted.
- Treats it's audience like dummies
- Unfunny humor from Bride and Seed is back
- Jennifer Tilly's thankless involvement as Tiffany
- Unsatisfying ending
- Voodoo For Dummies Online? Really? REALLY?! Fuck you, Don Mancini.

On the bright side: Still better than Bride and Seed.

Hello~ Before I review the movie itself, I'd like to briefly touch on the very element that people have against this film. What all their childish issues boil down to: The Anti-Social Justice Warrior male's absolute HATRED of women. While this is a problem as old as time, I have ignored the complaining antics of nerds on tumblr, 4chan and YouTube/Facebook comment sections. I'm quite adamant on the philosophy that one's own opinion, not cultivated by the masses of nerds and mentally ill people across fandom forums, is valuable enough. One can think whatever they wish about The Last Jedi, or any other form of entertainment. Film isn't as subjective as, say...cuisine dishes? Which is why 'Top Chef' is a frustrating experience for me to watch, because everything is centered on what 4 people think. But in film, there is a clear sign of what's terrible, watchable, laughable and masterful. Film is at it's most valuable when it's actually trying to tell a story, have characters you love and make you feel something. The power of film brings real issues with it's narrative. In the latest Star Wars film, we now see that director Rian Johnson took the time to not only challenge the audience, not only shoo away what we expect and want from this franchise, he puts in social commentary relevant to today's world. Is this a bad thing? Absolutely.....not.

Let's be honest with ourselves here. The Original Star Wars trilogy can never be tainted. Not even by the prequels, the shitty Clone Wars cartoon (with it's fanfiction writing to make the prequels look good, when it actually makes them look worse) and even the solid Force Awakens can't ruin it. There are only three trilogies that perfected the beginning, middle and end structure that is synonymous with motion picture greatness:

Original Star Wars Trilogy
The first three Indiana Jones films
The Hunger Games trilogy

With the exception of the last, the first two were eventually hurt by expanded lore. Yes, one could argue that expanding the lore can help a series (It took 'The Legend of Korra''s imagination, likable characters and realistic struggles to get me invested in the Avatar franchise), but when you get it right the first time, then it's set for life in our collective minds. Nobody had ever seen anything like Star Wars back in 1977. Sure, we saw the influences (King Arthur, Moses, etc.), but it really became it's own entity. Everything centered around this young farm boy who wanted to save the galaxy from the evil oppressors known as The Empire. With the help of his strange friends, including a Princess, he embarked on an adventure. Eventually, this farm boy and all characters involved, grew, learned and came full circle. It really was a fairytale for the modern era, one we needed after the downbeat pictures that dominated the 1970s. Sure, you had the Bruce Lee films and The Planet of the Apes series, but they were smaller in number compared to the depressing realism of films like Chinatown, A Clockwork Orange, The Omega Man, French Connection, Taxi Driver and so on. Episode IV: A New Hope (known simply as STAR WARS at the time) brought fun, and magic back to the cinema. It's what we needed. And now, The Last Jedi gives us what we need.

I won't dig into the prequels too much because, and let's face it, they've been established as trash by people who love FILM. Not by people who love waving glow sticks inside of a video game, unfortunately. Go watch Redlettermedia's Mr. Plinkett reviews on the prequels to break them down, and then thank me by sending me a Porg plush. No, what I want to discuss next is why people hate the newer films. And it honestly has nothing to do with Force Awakens being a modern day remake of A New Hope. That's what everyone "thought" they had wanted, so now they can't backtrack it. No matter how hard they argue the fact. And it certainly has nothing to do with The Last Jedi resembling Empire Strikes Back on the superficial surface. It all boils down to: WOMEN. More specifically: Strong, resourceful and successful women who know what they're doing, but are still flawed. Reminds me of someone I know who criticized a well written, perfectly flawed character like Elizabeth Sloane from 'Miss Sloane' for having some strengths. Yet all the male characters loved by this individual are perfectly acceptable because they're actors that send signals right down to this person's sex parts. To feel inferior to a fictional character who is successful in a realistic type world? Insecurity does hamper geekdom, it seems. I just didn't know it was such an epidemic...

*cues 4chan*

Oh.

Most of the complaints I've stomached to listen to, and read for The Last Jedi comes from the fact that women dominate the film just enough to make the men useless. Plus, they see the men themselves as useless, irrational and stupid, while the women are seen as sharp, cunning and make wiser decisions. It's strange to see more complaints about General Leia and Laura Dern's character Admiral Holdo, talking down Poe Dameron (played once again by Oscar Isaac) due to his reckless nature. You know...men? Then you have the idealistic Rey, who dogs the elderly Luke Skywalker for being a total sham after discovering his dirty secret of attempted murder on Benjamin via ROTJ lightsaber. Top it all off with the plucky Rose, whose compassion for animals, and love for her deceased sister drives her to make sure Finn does his mission right. Of course, the average male fanboy with a Darth Vader FUNKO POP stuck in his head is unable to process anything on screen when it challenges their thinking. Truly change your thinking while watching something that's trying to shift the playing field, people! Rian Johnson did not set out to make a space opera with fairy tale elements, or a backstory with dull acting and video game effects. The second film in this new trilogy is the world he sees today. The Resistance represents a stubborn, but righteous group of compassionate people who believe in human rights, recovery, economic justice, racial justice, politics, environmental justice, solidarity...you name it. The First Order and those Rich White People, I mean, those Rich White Aliens on the casino planet represent death, destruction, power, war profits, corruption, etc. And yes, while it's implied that the Resistance also took part in these dealings, it just shows you that this is a grayer world than the past 8 films. They fiddled with the shades of gray theme in Rogue One, but because Episode IV is clearly black & white, their attempt to modernize things were rendered moot. The Last Jedi, however, does it wonderfully. Taking all the elements you'd expect from this series, and turns it upside down. PERFECTLY ACCEPTABLE, since the middle act is where the heroes are normally under the villain's thumb. This is due to many reasons, but at it's core, the heroes of The Last Jedi are finding their place within the universe. This is 100% true to Daisy Ridley's character, Rey. To discover she was a nobody (for now...wait until Episode 9 to be sure...BUT...) didn't matter. Nor will it matter if she is discovered to be a Skywalker, or a reincarnation of Anakin. The movie points out that Rey has discovered her place in the galaxy. She has chosen a side. She chose to save Benjamin, and when she couldn't bring him to the light, she decided to pick up where Luke left off: Restoring freedom and justice to the galaxy.

I want to close this portion by saying this: Have you ever seen the 1951 film 'The African Queen' starring Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn? This incredible classic highlights something that makes it a timeless masterpiece today: Humphrey Bogart was the man's man in 40s and 50s movies. Always on top of things, always in control, always got the girl, and made sure the woman sat on her ass so HE can solve the film's problems. Then came 'African Queen', a film where the man's man was being supported, cared for and getting advice from...GASP...a woman! You can say Bogart met his on-screen match with Hepburn, but Katharine's character made it clear that men and women are equally valuable, strong and can be irrational, vulnerable and in need of rescue in addition to strong, resourceful and intelligent. That film, in a time where we didn't have Ellen Ripley, Sarah Connor, Xena or Alice from the Resident Evil movies yet, it shows that even the man's man can be saved; even upstaged by a strong woman. It's not only plausible, it's not only realistic-it's the truth. The hatred these male geeks have for Rey, Holdo and Rose is stupid and ultimately carries no value. Each woman had great advice, great minds, but were also flawed and vulnerable. They want barefoot and pregnant Padme Amidala from the prequels to stand around doing nothing but cry, worry and foolishly love a murderous crazy person who kills children. That is why I'm glad George is NOT part of the new trilogy. He didn't understand people, or two people in love. Let alone women. That's why I have a hard time believing Leia's character was given spit and shine by him. If anything, Carrie and the directors of Empire and Jedi had more to do with Leia's progression. Like Star Wars itself, we can only thank George for that initial spark. Just leave the rest to more talented people.

ONTO THE REVIEW!

The Last Jedi is the eight film in the main Star Wars line up...feeling old and crusty yet? I sure do! I'm up to my neck in Vicks VapoRub at the ripe age of 32. Back in 2005 when the Episode III poster said: THE SAGA IS COMPLETE, I could of sworn I was done with this franchise. Thankfully, George Lucas was out, and JJ Abrams took over with the fun Episode VII: The Force Awakens back in 2015. Those who remember know how I feel about The Force Awakens. While not on the level of the originals, it does capture the same magic and fun. No longer do we have the stench of fake backgrounds and obviously choreographed lightsaber fights that go on for 6 hours. We're back to a hero on a quest to fight the bad guys. Together with her band of weirdos! Daisy Ridley is back as Rey, the NOT-Mary-Sue (which is funny, since most people I know write Mary-Sues of their own, but I guess they're immune to their own criticisms....)

Only this time, new director Rian Johnson decided to pull a fast one...multiple fast ones in fact. Instead of recreating Empire Strikes Back, he wanted to recreate Empire Strikes Back with twists. Lot of em'! Are you ready? Here we go!

As mentioned, the story of The Last Jedi takes new twists by subverting all your expectations. On the surface, it's really quite simple. The Resistance is on the run from the First Order, despite blowing up the Starkiller base. So, already it sounds like The Empire Strikes Back. But again, only on the surface! The execution is much different. For starters, we are meant to think that Luke will train Rey in the ways of the force in two different methods: Nostalgic and superficial.

Because of the prequels, and newer Star Wars media, we're tricked into believing Rey will use a lightsaber in training (unlike Luke with Yoda in Empire). Because lightsabers are so COOL! So synonymous with fanboys who attend lightsaber classes, right? Well, prepare to be disappointed, my darlings. Yes, Rey does use her lightsaber to swing around at one point, but the fanboy thirst for rave sticks is soon dissolved when Luke takes Rey up for Force meditation practice. Something I consider more meaningful and useful than swinging a flashlight around. Remember, Yoda didn't train Luke with a lightsaber in Empire Strikes Back. Learning more about the Force itself was essential. As a practitioner in yoga, I find that the spiritual side of practice is truly where you learn the most. To embrace spirit, all beings and yourself. I got that same vibe in The Last Jedi for Rey's training. When the Force flows through her body, she can feel the land, sea, the Porgs...everything. Eventually, she connects with the one person she didn't plan on connecting with through the Force - Kylo Ren. The film establishes a Skype connection between the two characters, where they exchange dialogue discovering more about each other. This leads to one of the finest flashback moments in Star Wars which justifies Luke's exile. I don't blame him on many levels, neither did Rey, although she did not condone the attempted murder. Yes, Benjamin had the Dark Side deep inside, and all Luke wanted to do was nip it in the bud before we get another trilogy of a murderous crazy person who kills children. But like Rey says, that's not the Jedi way. Forget the Jedi way! It's not rational! While I'm all for killing villains before they become a problem in the fictional world, this film actually makes me agree with Rey's protest. We've seen conflict within a Skywalker before. Twice in fact. Just because Luke rejected the Dark Side, that doesn't mean all with his blood will, too. Rey's idealistic character is the hope needed to, possibly, save Benjamin. Though how she feels after Benjamin rejected her offer to join the Resistance is up in the air. What matters for now is that she believes in the goodness or the light, and that she gave him the benefits of the doubt. Elsewhere, General Leia, Poe and Admiral Holdo are doing their best to hold off the pesky First Order, who can now use lightspeed GPS! Yikes! After billions of years, NOW someone invents such a tool!? No matter, since the lightspeed tracker is just a storytelling element to show that the Resistance has nowhere to run and hide. They must exhaust all *possible* options just to fight back. This includes Admiral Holdo's BADASS sacrifice. That scene took my breath away. More so than Leia flying through space, which looks funny, but at this point, Leia needed to show how powerful she CAN be. Was her flying through space subtle? No. Did it work? Yes. But as much as I love Carrie Fisher, Laura Dern stole the show here. Then we have Finn (John Boyega), who's desperate to find Rey, ends up with Rose Tico (Kelly Marie Tran), a mechanic with a high sense of moral values, and wit. Both have the least interesting story arc in which they must disable the lightspeed tracking device. Honestly, this story arc doesn't pay off in the end (other than the reappearance of Captain Advertisement). What I did like was the interactions between Finn and Rose. The casino planet didn't do much for me, either. I did like the symbolism for the casino planet, since it, again, represented the Rich White Folk. Oh, I'm sorry. I meant it represented the Trump administration at Donald's private golf club. Both Finn and Rose's antics in the middle of this side mission is what held it together for me. They're cute, funny and provided a lot of set up gags for BB-8. In a movie with so much dramatic weight, Finn and Rose's wacky space horse bonus mission, and BB-8 spitting coins was needed to lighten the mood.

Seeing Luke milk a space walrus wasn't necessary, though. But I'd rather see that than watch Adam Driver shirtless. Even Rey wasn't turned on, and also pointed out the ridiculousness of the scene. To quote Mr. Plinkett: "I wouldn't call Adam Driver a handsome man, but at least he's no Peter Meyhew!"

Characters: We get tremendous character development for both Rey and Benjamin. Daisy Ridley adds more depth to her character by experiencing Rey's discoveries of The Force, truth behind Luke, the confrontation with Snoke and what it means to be a Jedi. Kylo Ren also deals with more emotionally, by being driven to prove he is a ruthless lord in command; willing to maim, skill and destroy. Poe is dealing with being backed into a corner, so his new rash, irrational ways is understandable. Finn similarly deals with his own character progression through the moralist nature of Rose. He even discovers his own worth of being alive rather than dead. Rose's sacrifice was to paint that the Resistance needs Finn and his bravery to survive. Setting up for what's in store for Episode 9. Then there's Luke Skywalker, who is a faded and damaged hero after the events of Return of the Jedi. How can someone who defeated Vader, rejected Darth Sideous and brought peace to the galaxy have been reduced to this? Most fans damn this film for ruining Luke's character. What they can't understand (nor accept) is that Luke failed himself, just as much as Benjamin failed him with the illusion that future Skywalkers will be light guided by default. Luke saw the un-Jedi-like action he was about to execute on Benjamin, thus he feels the ultimate shame. We understand his motivations here. Hey fanboys, you are not Luke. You clearly have NOT walked in his shoes. You can go on and say, "I would never give up!", but that's you. Not him. Luke has never known true failure (he rejected his father, defeated his father and rejected the Emperor to his face), so what happened with Benjamin hit him hard. Call Luke a coward, weak, sensitive....I call him human. Yoda said it all in one sentence:

"The greatest teacher, failure is."

Something I tell myself in my yoga training.

By the way, it's great to have Yoda as a puppet again! He looked weird in spots, but the close ups look like his model from Empire and Return of the Jedi. PERFECT!

Production wise, The Last Jedi is quite a stunner. The visuals are impressive, the salt world was a nice addition to the Star Wars mythos. The crystal foxes, space horses and Porgs were all neat new creatures, although I definitely enjoyed the Porgs the most. They seem straight out of an anime series! Haha! The scene with Chewie eating one of them, and the reactions of the other Porgs...priceless. Huge AWWW moment for everyone in the theater, and I couldn't help but join them.

I'm a little disappointed in the score. John Williams is the greatest film composure, and I stand by that. It just seems like with the 8th film, John has lost all inspiration for this series. We get classics tunes from the Original Trilogy...and that's it. If there were any original tracks highlighting the new characters, worlds and action sequences...I didn't even notice. It was that bland.

Overall, I enjoyed The Last Jedi. Rian Johnson gave you a broken hero, NO climatic lightsaber fight, a main villain who didn't matter in the end (Snoke is irrelevant, and I'm okay with that. Benjamin is the true antagonist for all the right reasons: He's broken. He's the gray area, though he prefers the side of evil), the deaths of many Resistance characters, including Luke Skywalker, Admiral "IT'S A TRAP!" Ackbar, Holdo and Rose. Speaking of Luke, it's sad when the morons who hate this movie say Luke was wasted, when if it weren't for him, the Resistance wouldn't be here today. His force projection bought them enough time to regroup and fight back in 9. Luke's final act saved everyone crucial, with Rey taking it from there. Episode 8 isn't the best Star Wars film, but it certainly isn't the worst. It took immense risks so the final film in Rey's story can be told without the aid of past names. Rey's poetry is not yet written until her battle with the First Order concludes in the next. And it's all thanks to, you guessed it: Luke Skywalker.

Guess he wasn't wasted after all. Sorry, angry fanboys. Next time, switch to decaf, cancel your monthly subscription of nerd gift boxes, learn compassion for others in your community (especially women) and get a job that actually pays. Then, only then, a Jedi will you be.