REVIEW: The Magnificent Seven

The Magnificent Seven is the definition of a remake that nobody asked for. Like...no one. Did anyone my age even know about this movie? For Those who don't know, The Magnificent Seven is a remake of the classic 1960 western of the same name. And that is a remake adaptation of the epic classic 1954 Japanese masterpiece "Seven Samurai". So really...this is a remake of a remake! And people think endless sequels are a sign that Hollywood is out of ideas. Okay enough jokes, Magnificent Seven is the remake about seven gunslingers who protect a village from a large gang of bandits. It was a classic western back in the day, and it's back. How does it hold up?

Not very well. Right off the bat, this film not only does little justice to the original classic (if any at all), but just makes you rub your head in frustration as every cliché in the book is thrown at you amidst nonstop gunfire, explosions, and cheesy unamusing one liners.  If you're going into this theater, hoping for a good retelling of the classic, then you're going to be sorely disappointed. Look, I'm not gonna pretend that the original 1960 film is perfect, because it's not. Seven Samurai is the superior fillm, but it was still very well done, and did justice to the film it was adapting.  This?  This is pitiful. The story is replaced by over-the-top action that is all show, no impress. Chunks of this incredible story, have been taken out of this story, where they now rest in oblivion. 

Okay, before I unleash myself on this film, let me say what I liked. The first thing that immediately comes to mind is the diversity of the characters. This I like. In the original, the main characters were all your typical cowboy gunsliging heros, who defend a village against a bunch of bandits. And they're all white. Here, the cast is more diverse. The lead is black, one's a Mexican outlaw, one's a Chinese immigrant, they even put in a Native American. This would all be really cool, if they were developed properly. But unfortunately, they don't take advantage of this diverse lineup. They don't get risky with it.  You'd think that racial issues would come into play here, but they don't. Not one n-word, not one issue regarding discrimination. Nothing. I can think of one stupid racial stereotype joke that Chris Pratt does with the Mexican. And the Native American kinda trashtalks "white-man's food".  Beans. How barbaric.  The original lineup isn't as diverse, but they're much better developed, and you actually connect with them. This movie attempts to try to have us feel for these guys, as they laugh with one another and give us an idea of "bonding" but each character is so unbelievably one-dimensional that by the time the end rolls around and characters start dying (spoiler alert), you just don't care. 

Another thing I kinda liked was the setting. There are some very cool landscape shots in this film, but it needs to be said that the settings of the towns seem rather underdeveloped in more ways than one. I feel like the city's size changed more than once.  And it does need to be said that the ending shot is completely CGI, and it stands out...SO BAD. I don't often complain about bad CGI, but with something like this shot, you'd expect them to nail it.  It wasn't anything complex, it was just four graves. And it looked so unbelievably fake.

This being an adaptation, I was ready to see some changes, but I feel a lot of the changes made, either hurt the film, or don't make sense. While the original antagonist wasn't exactly memorable, he was certainly intimidating, and you could see his motives.  The antagonist here is so unbelievably one-sided evil, that it's annoying. He does things because....he's evil. His motives? GOLD! (Facepalm) The original antagonist is written as the leader of gang who conducts annual raids on a village for their food and crops, which effectivly starves the village to the point of them searching for outside help.  This guy just rolls in, says he's driving everyone out because mining, murders a bunch of people and we're supposed to care. The movie falls on its face right there. I could call so many shots with this antagonist that it became a game for me. As a matter of fact, this whole movie became a game for me. There is so much predictability in its clichés, that it's hard not to see things coming honestly. Even out and out guesses on my part came true.  There are so many clichés that come into play here, it's almost laughable. You got the one hero who decides to leave, only to heroicly come back, you have a tough woman character who no one seems to give a chance, despite the fact that she can shoot better than ANY of the other guys in the village, you get bland dialogue, generic storytelling...it's just painful.

One thing that I absolutely hated about this movie however was the fact that the mortality of our characters seems so unbelievably absent. The action is over-the-top in all the wrong ways. I hate continuously bringing up the original film, but the Magnificent Seven did a good job of portraying the characters as humans with limits.  And yeah, none of them died until the end, but not one of them reached Clint Eastwood levels of quickdraw. Here?  Everyone is unloading their pistol in seconds, dead on accuracy, never missing. In fact, the ONLY reason any of them die is because the bad guys brought in a gatling gun. Hey that wasn't in the original film. Good job new film for bringing in your own touch...just to kill off the heroes because none of the other bandits are any good with their guns apparently. That or when they do hit their target with the guns, everyone soaks up bullets like BBs. Chris Pratt's character gets shot like five or six times.  And even THAT doesn't kill him. Heck, they rip off straight from Lord of the Rings as one of our characters gets the Borimir treatment. 

My final big issue with this film is the fact that the story seems much shorter in the wrong way. THe original film shows an ongoing struggle against a group of bandits that remain a threat.  Here, it's more like a one-off shoot-em up. The protagonist and antagonist exchange no words at all until the fighting is pretty much done, the battle drags on a long time, to the point where it's kinda boring actually, and when the hero and villain finally do meet and begin to talk, we get backstory that was never hinted at beforehand, and by the time it comes around, you just don't care.  You're just counting the seconds until the credits roll, and you can go home. We don't get the famous ending in which the heroes realize that they themselves didn't win, the villagers won. They just ride off into the sunset, no questions asked, the end. Roll credits, play the original Magnificent Seven theme, because it's the only song on this soundtrack worth a damn, and this movie didn't deserve to use this theme.  Much respect to James Horner, but this was no masterpiece score. This movie amounts to nothing more than a cheap excuse to bring an old classic back onto the big screen, only pack it full of action that you just can't get into.

The Magnificent Seven earns a one star rating out of four. It didn't infuriate me enough to score it any lower, but I continuously called the shot, continuously rubbed my face in annoyance, and continuously wanted to just turn my phone on and see if anything interesting was going on in the world. Because this movie certainly wasn't keeping my interest. And I'm sorry for that.  I was curious about this film.  I liked the cast for the most part, and I liked the idea of the characters being as diverse as they were, but they aren't focused on, aren't developed, and it doesn't hold up. It's an action packed mess that doesn't deserve the name it bears.  Do yourself a favor, and go find the original 1960 classic. Or do an even bigger favor, and find the 1954 Japanese masterpiece.  It's three hours of your life that still holds up.  If you find either of these films, I've won my battle, and you will have won too.  Just stay away from this.

Please feel free to request any film you'd like me to review.  Leave a comment down below expressing your own thoughts on the film, and as always, thanks for reading.

Final Verdict: 1/4

THROWBACK REVIEW: The Sword in the Stone

Growing up I fell in love with the legend of King Arthur.  In my adult mind, I can't exactly recall a lot of the legends and life of King Arthur. I watched plenty of movies though, like Quest for Camelot (which I barely recall), and of course...Monty Python and the Holy Grail which I can quote line by line from memory. But then again who can't? Then there was also this film, which I never owned, but certainly watched as a child, and enjoyed it to an extent. It wasn't my favorite Disney movie out there, but I had enough fun. Writing this ten, fifteen years later, my stance really hasn't shifted...much. And I say that last part because watching it as an adult, I can't help but ask myself of what the point of this film was.  The title event doesn't happen until the very end of the film, the film focuses more on Merlin than it does Arthur most of the time, and in the end, the film feels most like a compilation of Disney shorts than it does a feature length story.

It makes me think that this movie likely would have been much better off as just a small series of Disney shorts. Maybe a fun little television series of a young Arthur getting educated by the powerful Merlin.  The characters are most certainly likable enough. Merlin is voiced by the late Karl Swenson, and there were plenty of times I was chuckling over his bumbling attitude towards certain inconvieniances all around him, from his beard to no electricity (he apparently can travel across the temporal planes and has been to the 20th Century). Arthur is voiced by...three different voice actors. No joke, look it up.  This can lead to some noticable flukes in the film structure and whatnot. It can also get a little noticable and slightly annoying to hear recycled voice clips, or animation sequences ranging from Arthur simply yelling "Whoa!" To Arthur tripping down the stairs carrying way too many dishes. I'm also unsure but I'm pretty sure that the Jungle Book would use some recycled animation from Arthur stuffing his face with cookies, but I'm not entirely sure. And while I'm on the subject of animation it unfortunetaly needs to be said that this is far from an animated pinnacle. There are areas in this movie where I could easily spot sketches that seemed unfinished or unpolished. 

As I said above, the film's title event doesn't really come into play until the very end of the movie.  Instead, the film decides to focus on the educational experience and adventures of Merlin and young Arthur, which most of the time revolve around Merlin changing Arthur into an animal, and them living the lift of that animal.  I guess it's no one's fault that a fish is easier to draw than a person.  Each adventure tackles some different "lesson", and I put that in quotes because I gotta say that Merlin isn't that great a teacher, rather more than he is just plain...dickish at times. Arthur gets chased by a large fish in the moat that wants nothing more than to snack on Arthur, and Merlin just says "Oh you're on your own, use your brain to outsmart the fish." Great advice that I'm sure most teachers repeat nowadays (but then again a lot of them kinda do). Arthur is changed into a squirrel, and gets the attention of a female squirrel in a scene where he's told that love is perhaps the greatest force in the world.  And I'm not gonna lie, that is one depressing as hell scene. I never thought a movie could make me want to hug a squirrel of all things. Arthur is changed into a bird and learns that the power of logic is one that can triumph over brawn, but it seemed more like a cheap excuse to have Merlin battle a witch. Yeah, it's no secret that the plot of this story really isn't that focused. It jumps all over the place and since we're supposed to get the feeling that Arthur is our main character, it can be strange to see him take the backseat for Merlin who tends to take up more of the actual story. Heck, the film opens with Merlin.

Each adventure is its own thing, offering a fun unique adventure with different characters, and dangers, though in the same way, each plays out like the other a little too similarly at times. During the fish adventure, a frog takes a liking to Arthur, and follows them around the water before a large fish decides to chase Arthur around.  During the squirrel adventure, a girl squirrel of course takes a liking to Arthur, follows them around, and even saves Arthur from a wolf character that we saw at the beginning of the film.  The only difference with this one is that Merlin also attracts a friend of his own.  Then we get the bird example, where Arthur becomes a bird, doesn't get any friends, but still runs from a hawk, and Madam Mim in a cat form.  So literally, each adventure is just a different chase scene with different takes and endings and whatnot. Then when the final event of the film, which is focused on the sword begins to come up, Merlin gets angry for very little reason, disappears off to Bermuda until the very end of the film, and we get a climax which is rather...anticlimatic. There's very little jousting shown of the joust the film mentions, after Athur pulls the sword and becomes King, we don't exactly get much of a hint for what's to come in Arthur's time as king, and this ultimately leaves more questions unanswered than it does answer questions.  Despite the likability of Merlin and his owl pet, the rest of the characters feel a little too one-dimensional, so when the climax happens, and people act like they do, it's hard to really care, because all you know is that Arthur's older stepbrother is a jerk, his stepfather kinda cares, but obviously favors his actual son, and honestly, that's about it. I can barely remember any other character in this movie by name. 

One thing I must give say about this film is that the music is surprisingly well done. That's not to say it's flawless, Madam Mim's song is completely forgettable there, but Merlin's songs can actually be surprisingly catchy in the right way, and the music that plays when Merlin uses his magic to help Arthur clean the dishes is really fun. But that's really the only thing that stood out to me.  They had a decent musical score and a few fun musical numbers. But that's not enough to really carry this film if you ask me.  I'm not saying that the movie is bad, but...it's not exactly the best effort Disney ever did.  There are a lot of shortcuts taken, and it kinda shows here.  I had fun watching it, but it's hardly one I'll recommend or rush to watch again in the near future.

The Sword in the Stone just barely earns a two and a half star rating and honestly, that might be a little generous. It coul easily be a two.  But despite the lack of focus on its plot, and bland cast, the film is still fun to watch on multiple levels. Each little adventure presented is presented in a charming way, and will give you a reason to laugh or smile.  It's Disney, so it really doesn't have something that would make me condemn this film on a whole. It just needed a better direction.  If you're in the mood for some quick nostalgia, you'll probably have a good time, but it needs to be said that it likely spent a lot of time in the Disney Vault for a reason.  Heck for all I know, it's probably sitting in that dark place now.

Please feel free to suggest any films you'd like me to look at in the future.  Leave a comment down below of how you feel about this film, and as always, thanks for reading.

Final Verdict: 2.5/4

REVIEW: Heroes Reborn

I'm so fucking frustrated with this series right now.  What the hell happened?! How could Heroes, one of the funnest concepts I've seen in any show, degrade into the most clichéd, unfun piece of shite that I've ever seen?For those who don't know, I loved Heroes when I first watched it.  It's not a perfect show, but the first season of this show is beyond fun to watch. In our culture where a lot of us have grown to love the many superheroes of the Marvel and DC universes, I found this show very refreshing, because it didn't depend on people who wore the common superhero costume or held the high profile to save the world.  This show was based on ordinary people unknown to the world, who accomplished things that changed the course of humanity.  It was a lot of fun while it lasted.  Yeah after season one, the show went kinda downhill rather fast. Season two's potential was hurt by the writer's strike that happened that year, and it felt rushed and unfinished.  The first half of season three was garbage, but thankfully, the second half of season three was pretty fun, albeit a little clunky. Season four wasn't terrible, but it left the show at an unsatisfying finish that I couldn't help but wonder what was going to happen. So when Heroes Reborn was announced for 2015, I got my hopes up.

I was so ready to see how this fun show would finally close the doors. Close out the universe. Give us that ending we'd been waiting for for years now.  We were so ready to see the faces of our beloved characters return, alongside some new interesting characters, for one last big hurrah!  Something to send the franchise out on a bang with.  And what did we get? Strap yourselves in guys, this is a long one. 

I'm going to warn you guys now...spoilers are here.  

Well half the returning cast dies in insulting ways, of the many newer characters, three of them are memorable maybe, the story leaves that intriguing narrative, and instead falls into the lowest common denominator of clichés and deus ex machina plot elements that had me slapping my head in more ways than one.  Oh and if you're hoping for the return of faces like Claire, Sylar, Peter, or Ando?  Guess what?  The only one who shows up or is even mentioned is Claire, and she's dead upon arrival. In fact, the only real memorable characters that appear that contribute anything to this story are Hiro and Noah. And they are handled attrociously. This miniseries wasn't just bad.  It was insultingly bad. 

And the biggest complaint?  They bring two of my least favorite words into the plot. Prophecy and destiny. Because yeah. Heroes has always been about prophecy and destiny. The only character who even gets to use the word destiny is Hiro Nakumura, who was always an adorable guy who was rather unique amongst the cast from the start.  Of the characters, he's one of the few who gets really giddy about what he can do, and he wants to genuinly help people.  He wants to be that guy in a costume, and he'll often use the word "destiny".  It's funny to watch. The combination of Hiro and Ando in the original series was very fun, because Hiro was all about how his destiny was to make the world safer and whatnot. And when he didn't succeed, he had genuinly hurt emotions. But here?  Everyone knows their destiny, and there's this prophecy about the end of the world and how to save the world...and it's just insulting.  I absolutely cannot stand it when we get mentions of prophecies out of the blue.  And in the case of Heroes Reborn, it's maddening.  WHAT PROPHECY ARE THEY TALKING ABOUT?  It's only mentioned. Never do we see what they're talking about. Never once is it seen or explained. It's just there. The prophecy says this. So do it. 

The newer characters of this series are a complete joke. Everyone seems so bland and uninteresting! Again, there are maybe three characters that I actually kinda liked.  They had some pretty fun arcs in this series, but the awful storytelling didn't exactly help their position at all. My favorite arc of the series came from a couple who had lost their young son in a terrorist attack which is blamed on evos, which is short for evolved human.  Why they didn't just use special as their term as they normally did?  Who knows? I guess that's not the important thing. It focuses on the husband who slowly begins to realize that he is in fact a special, and how this influences his thought patterns and emotions. That's actually really well done! But sadly, even this just gets handled badly towards the end. In fact the ending of this particular arc is pitifully anticlimactic, when we get this exchange between the two how the husband apparently never liked killing, and how his wife was apparently always this bloodthirsty psycho who is killed without any emotion. I also enjoyed following the character Tom around though he could have used much more development...and he falls right into the prophecy bullshit.

So what about the returning cast? Well they did a good job of bringing back some of my personal favorite faces. The Haitian, Micah, Hiro, Noah, Matt, and Mohinder all make appearances, but each contribute so little to the story, that I can't help but wonder why bother including them at all. I was really excited for Mohinder who was built up as this terrorist in the story. I was on board! I was so ready to see him actually the leader of this underground resistance movement in support of specials or whatnot, but nope.  None of my expectations would come to be. He merely served as a dead scapegoat for this terrorist attack that happens at the beginning of the series. Great...well played. A lot of my favorite characters are forced into the back seat, or get the most unsatisfying ending you can think of. Matt Parkman for example...they just kinda leave him laughing insanely in a car. The end. 

Hiro Nakumura, who for the longest time, was the face of the franchise, is handled even worse. In fact I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up when he was finally revealed. I was so excited to see him because before he came along, literally the WORST STORY ARC of any Heroes season I'd ever seen had happened. More on that shortly. The story does pick up when he comes into the picture, but only for so long, because arguably one of the biggest plot holes would show its ugly face after this. Spoiler alert. Claire dies in childbirth. I can get on-board with this, especially since I honestly didn't like how they built her up in Heroes to practically be immortal. I think her dying in childbirth is actually kinda clever. But the reason they give, gives us one very annoying plot hole. She dies because as she gives birth to twins, one of the babies has the ability that Arthur Petrelli had in Season 3, power absorbing. Thing is, I think they tacked this on as a way to kill off Claire since they couldn't get her actor back for this. Because this power only comes into play once more, when he takes Hiro's power. Yeah. That happens. They make this big deal how be shouldn't come into contact with his twin sister...who has an ability, but it's never really hinted what it is. It's just this...God power. She can do literally anything. Oh and if you're wondering who their father is? Don't. They never tell. Back to the son, he takes Hiro's power and never again is his absorption ever mentioned again. In fact they play his character as if he's had time manipulation his entire life. He touches other specials, and never gets their ability. Why not just give him the ability from the start? I guess because you wanted to kill Hiro off in the most anticlimactic way possible. Offscreen and powerless. Yeah! That happens too! 

I mentioned up above that this series has possibly the worst story arc of any Heroes season out there. It does. It involves two completely forgettable characters, a gamer, and this character who can fight inside a video game or something. And the entire point of this arc was to free Hiro from the big forgettable villain.  Each time this story was focused on, I grew very annoyed. Not only were the video game sections painfully atrocious to look at (HORRIBLE animation), but it was so unbelievably clichéd and predictable. By the end of it, the gamer tells the video game girl he loves her. Despite absolutely no development between the two. I'd hoped this would be the last we'd see of them but they'd bring them back for more bullshit I no longer cared about. I also didn't like how these two characters, who were Japanese, may as well have been Hiro, because like him, they were all about honor and destiny. Call me narrow-minded but I have a feeling that it came off as a cheap Japanese stereotype. These guys are Japanese. They are all about honor! Right?

But none of this shows my true anger at how they ended this series. Firstly, to save the world, Claire's children need to do this...thing to prevent the sun from incinerating the earth due to the poles reversing (it's never explained what exactly they do), and in order for it to work, someone needs to willingly sacrifice their life in the process. So they kill Noah, who probably was the only thing left holding this mess together.  The way they go about this is so infuriating to me, that I honestly barely remember how they executed it. You know, they has a decent story going on, but once this ending starts, this house of cards just comes tumbling down. And once the world is saved, I readied myself, hoping for some sort of ending that would at least end this series. 

NOPE. What do we get? Another cliffhanger! Because fuck a finished story, right? Did they really expect this to go on? I watched this, ready for the end story. And instead, we get this "Who's the father" cliffhanger that makes no sense, before the miniseries ends. This series introduced so many characters, killed off so many old and new characters, put us through one of the worst plots out there, and gave us this atrocious ending, and they have the guts to attempt to say "To be continued"?

FFFFFFFFFFFuck this series! I've never been so unexcited for this show. Had it had a quality story and narrative, I'd be more open to this. As it stands, this is a slap in the face for the fans who were so eager to see this series conclude. The characters are forgettable, the story is mediocre, the effects tend to take the center stage and somehow aren't as great as the original effects in Heroes, this miniseries did almost everything wrong. And for that, Heroes Reborn earns a one star rating out of four. The only reason it's not getting scored lower is because that there are moments that did give some satisfaction. But they're so few and far between that it's hard to tell fans of this franchise why they should even bother. It needed more of these cleverly told stories, and less of this cliché that it turned out to be. Heroes never got the satisfying ending it deserved back in the day, but at least the ending we got was open to interpretation. It didn't sequel bait. This? The fact that it's practically begging for a sequel is insulting. It doesn't deserve one. Tim Kring should be ashamed that this turned out as it did. I don't know what he has to do to give this franchise the ending it deserves, but I'll just say this, if he intends to give it one, he desperately needs help. 

Please feel free to request any film you'd like me to review. Leave a comment down below expressing your own thoughts of this series, and as always, thanks for reading. 

Final Verdict: 1/4

REVIEW: Kubo and the Two Strings

Kubo and the Two Strings is a fun, and unique story that is absolutely gorgeous to watch. There I said it. Go watch it. Okay I'll get serious. I had very little expectations going into this movie. I didn't exactly know what to expect. The only reason it really caught my attention was that the animation in the trailers looked absolutely stellar. That and it had George Takei, and my inner Star Trek Nerd said I had to go see it. So I did. And I liked it. I guess I also liked how it was based on the culture of old Japan. I still have a bit of a samurai geek inside me.

Right off the bat, this movie wows you with its absolutely incredible animation. This movie uses its 3D rather well, so I'd recommend the viewing as such. And while some character models can appear rather dull at times, the constant movement in the environment and atmosphere of this film can be absolutely phenomenal. The movement of grass, the papers, and action are just so wonderfully done. It's some of the best stop motion I've seen, and the movie actually gives us a little glimpse at how they did it in the end credits. It's a little treat to stay for in the end credits. I also gotta say that the excellent blending of CGI and Stop Motion is practically flawless. I daresay this is the best animation of 2016, even beating out my beloved Zootopia in that retrospect.

I will also say that the casting is pretty well done. Though unless you're one of the main characters, you don't get a lot of screen time. So if you're a Takei fan, his part is very minor, and you might find slight disappointment there. But I did have a hearty chuckle when I heard them expertly throw in a classic "Oh my!" line. But each voice fits absolutely wonderfully with this movie. Not one voice sounds like it doesn't belong, and coming from a film portraying Japanese society, that is actually really well done.

The story, while fun, can at times be kinda predictable or hard to follow. One of the things I was asking myself by the film's...slightly underwhelming climax was why things happened in this film. That's not to say that the film doesn't do a good job explaining the here, now, or why, but one thing I would have liked out of this film would be a longer run time. At times the story feels rushed, or like it's explaining the full details. One thing I asked myself was who the Moon King was to the people. The villagers really aren't given much of a reason to fear the Moon King of the film, especially since the Moon King only seems interested in the young protagonist. But I must say that the antagonist's goals are actually pretty unique in a fairytale sort of way. Is it slightly clichéd? Sure, but it's not a bad thing here.  What shouldn't work, does manage to work, and despite the few questions I still have about the movie itself, it was wonderfully done. And I will say, the ending is open to interpretation, though it can be slightly deus ex machina.

However, for a movie, which has a bit of a focus on a musical instrument, one thing I had to ask myself was would the films music deliver? I tend to focus a lot on the film's soundtrack because despite it being a background thing, the music can absolutely carry a film's mood, and tone. The greatest moments of fun need an appropriate soundtrack. And I'm proud to say that this film's soundtrack is an absolute treat to listen to. The instrument they feature, called a shamisen, is energetic, and never dull. It creates one hell of a backing soundtrack. And during the credits, despite my tenancy not to care for these updated covers, they do throw in a nice rendition of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps". It makes for one surprisingly fitting closing song.

With everything said and done, Kubo surprised me in more ways than one. I was kinda nervous going into this one. I'm not familiar with Focus Pictures and honestly wasn't sure what I was getting into with this. But once things start rolling with this film, it's absolutely dazzling. The action is surprisingly fun, the story is charming, the animation and soundtrack are absolutely stellar, Kubo and the Two Strings I am sad to say will be a gem that people will overlook this year. Is it flawless? No. As far as animated movies this year are concerned, I do believe Zootopia left me on a much bigger high, mainly due to the messages in that film, and stronger characters. But this is still very well done, and if you're reading this, do yourself a favor.

Kubo and the Two Strings earns a solid three and a half star rating out of four. The absolutely incredible animation and music more than makes up for the few shortcomings I feel it had in its story. The characters, though underdeveloped are still fun, and by the end of it all, you're left with a smile. It's been a while since I've seen a story with a fairytale feel like this and I have to say I'm very impressed with what I got. This will undoubtedly be nominated for the best animated feature this year.  And it well deserves it.

Feel free to request any film you'd with for me to review in the future. Leave a comment deceiving your own thoughts about this film, and as always, thanks for reading.

Final Verdict: 3.5/4

REVIEW: Jason Bourne

Before I talk about the newest Bourne film, let me just say what I think of the Bourne films so far. I'm a big fan of them. If someone were to come up to me and ask for a good recommendation of action movies, the Bourne trilogy would easily be a quick recommendation. From fun clever stories, to tense music, to some of the coolest fistfight scenes and car chases I can think of, the original Bourne Trilogy is a true example of an action quintessential. And unlike other trilogies, the movies only get better as the films go on. The only downside is that the story can be a little bit hard to follow at times, and I've heard people say that they don't like the fast action camerawork. Me? I don't care about that aspect too much, it adds a certain charm to the film, and as I'll explain shortly, it feels rather dull without it. The original trilogy is a fantastic action series. And though the fourth film "The Bourne Legacy" kinda fell flat, and didn't live up to the standards the original trilogy set, even it is an enjoyable film which has its moments. The main problem with The Bourne Legacy was the fact that its cast didn't have the charm to live up to the standards of the other films, and without the signature camerawork, a lot of the action fell flat to me.  But all the same, it's still a fun story. I very much wanted to do a Bourne Movie Marathon prior to this, but just never found the time.  But I'll probably review these movies in the near future.

Hearing that they were bringing back the actual Jason Bourne for this film, who is portrayed by fan favorite Matt Damon, and that Tommy Lee Jones for this film? You can bet I got excited. The films aren't the same without Jason Bourne, and the fourth film proves that. I mean they constantly mention him in that film, and we never see him once. Not even in the reused Ultimatum shots. And Tommy Lee Jones? Love the guy. This is a guy who is perfect for his role, he's played several agents before, and him in a Bourne movie is a match made in Heaven. So I had some high expectations for this film.  Did they get met?  You know, I'm pleasantly surprised because though this film isn't perfect, it did manage to keep my attention and impress me.

I guess the biggest thing I should say is that for those of you who are familiar with the Bourne films, this film is incredibly predictable. But if you walk into this theater, knowing what you're going to get, you'll probably have the fun you're looking for.  And it does need to be said that there were a few times that I legitly did not know what was going to happen in the story.  I didn't know the motivations or decisions certain characters might make.  But in following the classic Jason Bourne formula, there are several instances where you will call a certain shot, and it will go exactly as you think it'll go.  But damn it if it's still not entertaining.

As I expected, the action in this movie is as awesome as ever, and the camerawork is back, giving it that second life.  I will say that some of the action honestly feels a bit too over the top, for example, Bourne literally has a dumbell thrown at his face, and he kinda shakes it off, but the quick fistfights, the fast intense car chases, and the tense atmosphere that is indeed created alongside that incredible music is still fun to sit through. There are times the action is so big that you might actually feel it. The punches can take you by surprise at times, and the final blows, whether they're by a fist or some sort of improvised weapon will have the hardcore fans cheering silently in their seat every time. It needs to be said that there is no tame action here.  You're going to get what you pay for.  In fact, I will say I likely would not see this in 3D, it's that fast. 

Another thing that this film has going for it is the cast.  Matt Damon, Tommy Lee Jones, Alicia Vikander, Vincent Cassel, they all portray their characters brilliantly.  Not one performance felt phoned in.  As much as I love these films, there will be times where I feel the film's antagonists could have been portrayed better.  Tommy Lee Jones, despite his old age, fits perfectly in this film.  You can tell his character is always thinking, always brainstorming, and he might just be the smartest antagonist that the films have ever had. And Matt Damon, he's Jason Bourne.  It's his signature role, and he just easily convinces you that he's still got it in him.

With all this good, I'm surprised that I found certain things as underwhelming as they were.  One thing I found disappointing was that not once do they reference any events of the previous film.   I understand that The Bourne Legacy isn't exactly a fan favorite, but the end of that film does have some crucial information to the plot of the franchise that isn't once hinted at here.  There is no progress on the exposure of Blackbriar or if Pamela Landy is indeed being accused of treason. I mean sure they constantly say how Bourne exposed Blackbriar, but the focus on this is mainly Jason Bourne's father, and the new big program that the CIA are trying to launch through this social media thing.  I must say that some of the plot ideas in this story are really well done, and there will be times where you will be pleasantly surprised, but I just feel that as far as progressing the story foward, this movie could have done a better job.  Especially since we have Matt Damon back in the lead role here.

But aside from that I think for the most part, this movie is loads of fun, and if you're a diehard fan like me, you won't mind the common formula you'll notice for these movies.  You'll have your flashbacks, you'll have your constant disarming of guards, you'll have your confrontation with the big mind of it all, you'll have your car chase and final action, and you'll have that final scene where Bourne walks away from it all, as the credits begin to roll, and that awesome song "Extreme Ways" by Moby begins to play (I'm not joking, that credit song is one of the coolest movie songs I know).  It's all here.  Is it as good as other movies in the trilogy?  Well it's better than Legacy, and Identity, and I'm not sure whether or not I wanna rank it above Supremacy or not, but I can say that Ultimatum remains the best movie of the series.  But for a movie to bring back Bourne, this movie succeeds in more ways than one.

Jason Bourne just barely earns a three and a half star rating out of four. It's flawed, predictable, but it still knows how to keep you entertained and interested, and the story is surprisingly easy to follow here.  With all this said and done, what do I see in the future for Bourne?  The potential for another sequel is there, but the ending of this movie may be one open to interpretation.  There is some unused potential that might be really cool to explore, but I think Bourne should take a few years off here before we get any definite answers. I'm hoping that should they continue these films, we get another big essential series. But for now, I'll live with just a fun action film.  Jason Bourne still shows that it knows how to pull off the action, and it'll probably continue to be the one film other action films try to be.  I wouldn't have it any other way.

Feel free to request any movie you'd like me to review. Leave a comment down below explaining what you thought of the film for yourself, and as always, thanks for reading.

Final Verdict: 3.5/4

REVIEW: Star Trek Beyond

Remember in January, when I started my Star Trek filmdom marathon in which I sat down, watched each and every Star Trek film to date, and reviewed it?  If so, I hope you enjoyed it.  If not, you can check it out in the archives.  But today, we finally REALLY wrap up the marathon because the third reboot film is out, and I gotta say that I was most anxious to see this one. As a brief reminder to you all, I myself, am a fan of the reboot. I enjoy the cast (and was saddened to hear of the tragic accident that claimed the life of Anton Yelchin), I think the action when done right can be mind boggling, and I like the darker tone the series can have in this alternate timeline. Much love and respect to what we fans call the "primary timeline", but there's no reason you can't like both.  The first reboot film is easily in my top favorite Trek movies, but though Into Darkness had its moments with me, like I pointed out in my review a few months back, it lost that spirit that made the first film so likable to me. And it was the film that made so many fans I know turn themselves away to this film.  

And believe me what I say I wanted this movie to succeed. And was given plenty of hopes. The writer, Simon Pegg, who I believe to be a fantastic science fiction writer, and knows Star Trek well enough to write for it was behind the script.  And he specifically stated that he knew what the fans wanted to see in Star Trek, and that this film would have much of those elements. But with the hope there was also the signs that the road ahead was anything but smooth when the director for the project was announced to be Justin Lin, the director of the Fast and Furious movies. I haven't seen any of those, but you know that Fast and Furious is not exactly the thing you put on the resumé if you're hoping to direct something like Star Trek. The first trailer itself made even more people shut themselves off to it when it only seemed to reveal elements of nonstop action, and...dirt bikes. Even Simon Pegg himself said he wasn't a fan of the trailer. I banked hard on Simon Pegg to give the fans of the franchise something...ANYTHING to make them see the reboots from another point of view.  As something more than just pointless action movies that only share the same name. Because if you ask me, these movies, even Into Darkness, are more Trek-like than people give them credit for, even if they're different. They can base themselves or mirror our own events, they can share (at times) culture in other alien races, and there is a sense of wonder, discoery, and technological marvel somewhere in each film.  So with all this said...I've seen the movie.  Does it deliver?

...

Friends...do yourself a favor and go see it. I'll be blunt. This film is surprisingly strong, blowing Into Darkness out of the water, and becoming a very strong contender for Star Trek films right now. There is a lot of things to talk about here, and I'm gonna do my absolute best not to spoil anything. From reinstalling the Star Trek spirit back into these films, to giving us a sense of wonder and awe in the world of the Federation, to giving us an albeit somewhat clunky but fun narrative, to honoring the Mr. Nimoy himself, this film succeeds on so many levels, I'm actually astonished. I'm still a bit dazed as I write this even now.  But, I won't let that distract me.  Despite having some of the common traits of the other Star Trek reboot films, this film stands on its own, and gives me some reason to hope that there's a bit more life in these reboots than what a lot of us tend to think.

The opening of this movie, aside from a rather silly opening scene, is incredible.  Some of the character development in Kirk is very welcome, as we see him reflecting on his Starfleet career as he turns one year older than when his father was killed. These reflections give off another side of Kirk that hasn't been seen before.  The first 15 minutes or so of this film revolve around the feelings of characters all around the ship, and it's very well done.  And it's in this that we get one of the things I found absolutely flawless in this film, but we'll get to that later.  The environments of a space station called the Yorktown, are absolutely stunning to look at, creative, and give us some really visually appealing sets, even if they can hurt the eyes slightly.  Star Trek meets Inception. But when we get a distress call from within a Nebula, we're off and the action is soon to follow, and before I get any whining comments...I actually believe the action is kinda toned down a bit in this film.  In fact, ironically enough, I think most of the action takes place during this opening act.  Now that's not to say that action isn't in the rest of the movie, because it is, but it's much better paced than it was in Into Darkness.  Kahn doesn't just show up out of nowhere and start randomly blasting Klingons to oblivion here if you care to take my comparison. The action that happens, makes sense, is fun to watch, unique (I love the drone swarm concept, I mean come on, in my Star Trek fan writings, I've played with the idea to an extent), and to those of you owndering what they could have possibly done with a dirt bike...well...as silly as the concept is, they found a way to make it work and fit. Well I guess there's also a really...really ridiculous scene near the end where the music of the Beastie Boys literally saves the day but...no I'll let you judge that one by yourself.  

I'm kinda showering this movie with praise.  Let me take a step back because I don't want to give the idea that this movie is flawless.  It does have some problems, mainly with the narrative. As I said above, it's a bit clunky.  There were times I watched this where I felt that the story was either trying to do too much, or just didn't know how to execute certain things.  There were times I was wondering if a little added extra footage could have enhanced certain scenes to help smooth out the story, or other things.  But I will say when the story was reaching the end, a lot of things did fall into place, and it did set up one very fun twist, even if the big bad doomsday weapon of the movie is rather underwhelming. Yeah, I don't mean to spoil anything here, but the weapon they're trying to save the day from really isn't focused on too much here.  We keep getting told that it's this powerful device that can wipe out all sorts of life, and the most we see it do is kill a person. Scary. Actually, now that I think about it, that weaon is kinda similar to the infinity stone in Guardians of the Galaxy.  Which might explain that article from way back in which Paramount said they wanted this movie to feel like that movie.  Well congradulations Paramount, you just made me more confused than ever. That's my biggest problem with this, is just the narrative really.  Though things all come together, there are times I just had to blink, scratch my head or wonder if I missed something.  And honestly, the whole weapon thing is pretty forgettable. In many ways, it reminds me of the Genesis project of Wrath of Khan. It's there, but it's not focused on too much...

But the shortcomings in story are easily forgoten with the strength this movie has in characters.  The characters of this movie are developed so very well, from the main crew, to the villain, to secondary characters, that I honestly believe that it may be one of the strongest character movies in Star Trek out there. Another thing that I love is that they manage to give a little homage to the old NX ships of the franchise.  I won't spoil much, but we do get to see one of those old babies in action, and it's actually very fun.  One of the more predictable things about this movie that I liked was the occassional comedy. There is some legit comedy here, from funny exchanges of dialogue, and other moments that had me laughing.  Heck, Chekov himself actually directly referenced a line from The Trouble with Tribbles. I think I was the only one laughing in the theater at that line.  And of course, one of my favorite things about the reboots in general that they absolutely nailed in this movie was the music.  The score is absolutely gorgeous, and I'm gonna have to make it a goal to pick up the soundtrack.  It's gorgeous.

And for those who are wondering? Bonus points, there's not that many lens flares here in this film. 

But honestly, the best thing about this movie was how they paid homage to Leonard Nimoy.  From the beginning of the film, we see Spock get the news of Ambassador Spock's passing, and it becomes a bit of a theme in the film in which they talk about Ambassador Spock, how he lived, and each time they're doing it, you will be smiling.  Zachary Quinto talks about him in the middle of the film, and each word he says makes it sound as if he's talking about Nimoy himself. It's absolutely beautiful.  And there is a moment at the end that will have even the most devoted fans who hate the reboots tear up a bit. I won't dare spoil it.  All I will say is that it does tug at the heart strings just a bit. It's a perfect farewell to Leonard, and nothing else could have made it better...except that during the credits, we do get a moment of silence as we see the text read "In Loving Memory of Leonard Nimoy". ... And "For Anton", which made me applaud just a bit, knowing that they were able not only to say goodbye to a beloved Star Trek legend and icon, but goodbye to a close friend that was taken far too soon.  

All in all, this movie is just...mind numbing. Despite the few flaws it has, Simon Pegg, and Justin Lin birthed something incredible with this film.  I am willing to bet that even those who don't care for the reboots will find SOMETHING in this film to enjoyo.  And with all this said, I am giving Star Trek Beyond a three and a half star rating out of four. I wanted to give this film a four. I really did.  But the clunky narrative can detract ever so slightly, but don't let that stop you from watching this, because almost everything else about this film is just fun, exciting, wonderful, and well...I will say it's Star Trek.  If there's one reboot film out there that I can for sure call Star Trek, it is this one.  I'm still trying to figure out which one I like more, the original 2009 film or this one. I don't know.  I enjoy both for very different reasons, but if I were to distinguish which one has more spirit of Trek?  Well...look no further. Simon...I knew you wouldn't let me down.  And Justin....hey, congrats.  You hit it out of the park.

Please feel free to request any movie you'd like for me to review, and I will do my best to cover it.  Leave a comment down below telling me of your own thoughts about this film, and as always, thanks for reading.  And thank you for joining me on this awesome marathon of Star Trek.  Hard to believe it's been 50 years...

Final Verdict: 3.5/4

We miss you Leonard.  And we miss you no less, Anton...

REVIEW: Bolt

Well, I'm excited for Star Trek Beyond tomorrow, but right now, I'm on kind of a Disney/Animated movie kick, and today, I came across a lone copy of a movie I haven't seen in a long time. And when I did watch it, it was in bits and pieces in French Class in High School.  I couldn't remember much about it, but hey, having been watching a lot of Disney's recent animated films lately, such as Wreck-It Ralph, and Big Hero 6, both good films, and of course this year, we had Zootopia, which I absolutely adored (Part of me actually wants to do a second review of it, or a followup of a sort, but for now I'll hold off), I decided to pick this up, and give it a much needed second viewing. I'd not picked it up before and I'll. be honest why...the name Miley Cyrus turned me off.  I'm no fan of hers, but I guess I shouldn't let a name be the sole reason I close the door on a movie...unless that name is Michael Bay. Because screw that guy.

Bolt is...well...Bolt is cute. What can I say? From the opening scene, you are treated to this absolutely adorable puppy in the pet store, which is being swarmed by all sorts of other cute little puppies, and he's getting battered around as he plays with this silly carrot toy, and it's just one big giant fluffball of adorableness that is impossible not to like. At first I thought this was going to be a story similar to that of the Ugly Duckling or something, but right off the bat, we see our white puppy picked up and adopted by a litle girl, and I then predict that it'll be one of those tales about a girl and her dog.  And it kinda is, but not nearly in the way that I predicted. Straight out of nowhere we get this plot that is as if another movie just trainwrecked its way into this one, and the little white dog, now named Bolt is enhanced with incredible powers, and his owner, a girl named Penny, is playing Spy Kid, as she looks for her father, and fights off hordes and hordes of goons under some forgettable man with a green eye (the guy doesn't even have a name), with the aide of her puppy of steel, who is pretty much the dog version of Superman. Does this sound crazy yet? I knew you'd say yes, and if Disney actually did this, I'd be scratching my head.

While all of what I just wrote is true, the thing is, that this whole superdog, spy kid thing is just a big TV show.  However, Bolt thinks that the TV show, is actually a real thing, because the prodcers have come up with a clever idea, though I will say highly improbable, to keep him isolated from the real world, so that as they film him, he isn't acting so much, as he is working. So basically what they did on 1998's "The Truman Show" only with a dog instead of a person.  But with low ratings, and the need for a fresh story, they decide that in the show, Penny will end up kidnapped. Which is a bit of a mistake because Bolt flips out, and in his fear of losing her, knocks himself out and is accidentally shipped off halway across the country.  From there he meets a cat he mistakes as a cat of the green-eyed man, and decides that she will help him get back to where Penny is.  From there, it pretty much becomes "The Incredible Journey", minus one dog, and adding on a Hamster who joins them later on.

The setup and concept of this film is comedy-gold, with a hint of Plato's Cave (for those of you who enjoy a little philosophy). I'm a huge fan for comedy that involves misunderstanding, and with Bolt (who is excellently voiced by John Travolta) having never been introduced to the world outside the studio he knows, there are plenty of chances at this happening, which are executed brilliantly.  I absolutely love how he fears styrofoam packing peanuts, as he feels they make his powers incredibly weak.  Watching the cat hold him up with it is worth the laugh. Also the Pidgeons of this film are easily one of the best things of the film, always recognizing Bolt, and acting as rabid fans, brimming with ideas, or whatnot. Bolt's interaction with the real world, while still under the impression that he's still living the actual show is absolutely well executed, though I will say there are times I felt a little more could have been done. For example, when we're introduced to a hamster who watches Bolt's show, and sees him as the real superdog, almost immediately afterward, Bolt is told the harsh truth about him being part of a TV show. And is thus, revealed to the light outside the cave. How does he react?  Well of course he tries to deny everything, but reality hurts and the film does a good job of portraying him as he slowly comes to terms with it.

And though his coming to terms with it is also maybe a little rushed, I gotta say that sequences that follow, in which Mittens teaches Bolt how to be a dog, are some of the cutest moments of the film.  I had a good laugh when Bolt first stuck his head out a window of a moving car. It's these little moments that can just carry this film in ways I normally wouldn't think possible. It can be funny, and at times, it had some genuine heart-touching moments.  The ending of tis movie is one of the warmest Disney endings I've seen in a long time. I won't spoil it for those who haven't seen it, but I will say that it can tug a bit at the heart-strings. It's one of those movies, but what more can you expect from a film about a girl and her dog, and how that dog will go through mud and water to get her back?

Bolt earns a nice three and a half star rating out of four.  Yes, despite the occassional clunky narrative, this film is coherent and tells a very fun story.  It's fun, warm, surprisingly action-packed (and it's very well done action), and just one of the best movies I can think of that tackles the special bond a human and a pet can share. It's one of those films I can legitly say "I laughed, I cried" to. And from my understanding, it was one of the first films to come out recently, to really give Disney a kick in the rear with the success it's found lately.  With other films to follow such as Tangled, Frozen, Big Hero 6, Zootopia...etc all coming out lately, to a lot of acclaim, I can't help but wonder if we're in the middle of yet another DIsney Renaissance.  I would certainly welcome one in a period where almost everything else Disney is doing is either Marvel, Star Wars, or remakes. Disney is showing some very strong ground in their animation department lately, and this was a good way to start it off. So don't be like me.  Don't let a simple name turn you off to this movie if you've let it.  It's one fun adventure...it's a fireball of cute.  See for yourself.

Please feel free to request any movie you'd wish for me to review, and I will do my best to get to it. Leave a comment down below expressing your own thoughts of the film, and as always, thanks for reading.

Final Verdict: 3.5/4