Rogue One: A Star Wars Story - Movie Review

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is the first in a line of Star Wars prequels, telling the story of how the rebel alliance obtained the plans to the Death Star at the start of the original 1977 film.

Rogue One is a highly entertaining movie. Everyone in the cast does a good job, led by a solid performance by Felicity Jones. The visual effects are stunning and flawlessly rendered. Director Gareth Edwards knows how to depict scale, making the Death Star feel massive and intimidating.

The final act of Rogue One is fantastic. It features an all out battle on a tropical planet for the Death Star plans, and it's absolutely thrilling. The action is intense and extremely well executed, utilizing handheld cameras reminiscing gritty war movies such as Saving Private Ryan by simulating the chaos of war from ground level.

This is worth watching for Darth Vader alone. There is not enough of him in the movie, but his two scenes are incredible, particularly a late scene where he takes on an entire squad of soldiers. Also, a major plot hole in the Star Wars universe is solved thanks to a clever scene.

Unfortunately, many of the characters are woefully underdeveloped. The acting is sufficient, but the lackluster script doesn't flesh out any of the characters save for the main protagonist. There isn't enough reason to care for the expendable cast of heroes on this deadly mission.

Another letdown was the musical score. This is the first of the series not to be scored by John Williams, and it shows. The music is forgettable and adds very little to the movie. Also the first act feels rushed in an attempt to introduce an overabundance of characters and exposition.

Rogue One is a fun movie that should entertain for two hours, with a great second half. However, it is lacking in compelling characters and memorable music, something the best Star Wars movies always had. A good time at the theaters, nothing more.

Rating: 7/10

Arrival - Movie Review

Science fiction today is often blended with the action or thriller genre. Very rarely do we get a high concept, hardcore sci-fi movie in a wide release. Yet along came director Denis Villeneuve's intelligent film, Arrival.

The plot is simple, alien spacecrafts have come down to Earth with unknown intentions, and a team of scientists is tasked with communicating with them. Arrival is bigger on ideas than thrills, yet there are still suspenseful scenes. It's devoid of action, instead taking a more thought provoking approach to a familiar concept.

Amy Adams gives one of her best performances here, as the majority of the film rests on her shoulders. It was important we care about her character, as the events of the movie are mostly experienced through her. She is a well developed, sympathetic character.

The visual effects and cinematography are stunning, making for some beautiful shots of the spacecrafts. The musical score perfectly lurks in the background as a humming, mysterious presence, only moving to the foreground in the grand wide landscape shots to convey scope.

The final twist is quite shocking, achieved throughout the movie by clever plotting and editing. However, the reason for the aliens' arrival feels somewhat rushed and underdeveloped.

The supporting cast all does a fine job, but none of their characters really stand out or receive much development. Also, the movie's final moments seem like a bit of a stretch.

Overall, Arrival is an impressive work by Villeneuve, who directed this film with confidence and intelligence. With many interesting themes and an engaging story, this is easily one of the best films of the year.

Rating: 8/10

The Accountant - Movie Review

The Accountant is an engaging action thriller with great acting. As a low budget film in a year of many big budget blockbusters, it is a refreshing and enjoyable watch.

Ben Affleck proves yet again to have come a long way in the acting department, delivering a solid performance as the lead. J.K. Simmons and Anna Kendrick are quite good in their supporting roles. The movie has more emotional depth than I expected, to the point where I wanted the hero to succeed.

The fractured structure of the narrative works well to simulate the thought process of the mentally disabled protagonist. Director Gavin O'Connor proves he is very capable of navigating a complicated story with ease.

The screenplay packs in some surprisingly great humor to break up the darker tone. Every action scene is very well handled, with impressive choreography and hard hitting fights.

Editing could have trimmed a few scenes down to tighten the pacing and extended others to fully develop its characters. The way the main character's dark past is explored is extremely rushed; one character sits down and explains it to the audience for five minutes.

The third act twist feels forced and underdeveloped. It starts to become obvious near the end and when it's revealed it feels far too convenient and silly to work for this otherwise authentic story.

Overall The Accountant is a thrilling crime film from a competent director with nice action sequences and an effective cast. With one more rewrite it could've been great, but as it stands it is simply a good film.

Rating: 7/10

Sully - Movie Review

     Sully is a very good film telling the true story of the heroic pilot who was forced to make a water landing in the Hudson River.

     Directed by Clint Eastwood, this 96 minute drama is an engaging and interesting film. All the performances are great. As to be expected, Tom Hanks is excellent in the movie. Aaron Eckhart is very convincing as the sarcastic co-pilot.

     The pacing is quite good, as there is rarely a dull moment. The screenplay does a decent job at sprinkling humor throughout the dramatic scenes.

     The plane crash is exceedingly well done, as it serves as an intense scene even for those who know the story. The way our protagonists outsmart the government in the film's final moments is very well handled.

     For all its pros, Sully is far from perfect. The film constantly jumps back and forth between the past and present, which makes the narrative feel somewhat disjointed.

     The way Sully's family is incorporated into the movie doesn't really add up to anything. He occasionally calls them on the phone, and that's the extent of their involvement. There are also a few scenes that feel like filler, as the story the film is based on isn't very complicated or theatrical.

     Overall, Sully is a compelling and well done drama. The true story is adapted quite well, and the directing and acting is very strong. As an adaptation of a true story, Sully soars.

Rating: 7/10

Captain America: Civil War - Movie Review

     Captain America: Civil War has very little to do with the title character, as it stars every character in the Avengers universe and then some. As a piece of entertainment though, it's as fun as movies come.

     For a movie with so many characters and plot lines, Civil War has a pretty focused narrative. The story is interesting. It introduces a lot of questions that will undoubtedly affect the superheroes in the future of the franchise. There are some twists, some of which are very predictable, others which add to the drama of the film.

     There's no point in naming the colossal cast, or praising the actors who at this point could play their respective characters in their sleep. Newcomer Tom Holland is a welcome addition as Spider-Man. He plays the iconic character perfectly, as quite possibly the best incarnation of the character to date. The other new hero, Black Panther, is a cool and mysterious character.

     Every action scene is exciting and memorable. The stunt work is extremely accomplished, looking very realistic. The centerpiece fight between the Avengers is a fast paced and engaging scene, where every character gets a chance to shine. The final fight between the lead characters feels the most personal, and is quite possibly the film's best scene.

     The downside to having so many characters is that some have little reason for being included. Characters such as Ant-Man, Hawkeye, and others show up out of nowhere just to contribute to the big fight. As much as I praised Spider-Man, he feels a bit out of place in this movie. Also, he only has two scenes.

     The story has a fair share of plot conveniences to get characters from point A to point B. The function of the antagonist, Zemo, is quite simply to push the plot along, as he doesn't really fit into the drama between the heroes.

     The music is generic and forgettable, contributing nothing to any of the scenes. The movie also doesn't take any risks, as it establishes a lot of conflict but then wraps it all up neatly to prepare for future sequels.

     Overall, Civil War is a fun time at the theater, and ended up being much better than I expected. It has its fair share of problems, but the good far outweighs the bad.

Grade: B+

The Jungle Book - Movie Review

    

     Disney's live action film adaptation of The Jungle Book is a visually appealing and very entertaining movie with a surprising amount of heart.

     It's absolutely astonishing that all areas of the film were CGI (Computer Generated Images) with the exception of the boy who plays Mowgli. The way Mowgli blends into the artificial environment is seamless. These are some of the finest visual effects I have seen in years and it makes for an immersive experience. All technical aspects of the movie are top notch.

     Neel Sethi, a child actor in his first movie surrounded entirely by green screens, is quite good given the circumstances. He plays Mowgli, and even if he isn’t great, he had a very difficult task to accomplish and sufficiently played the hero. The voice cast is outstanding, the biggest highlights being Bill Murray as Baloo and Christopher Walken as King Louie.

     The pacing is consistent; there is never a dull moment to be found in the briskly moving 106 minutes of runtime. There is enough substance to the movie to appeal to adults and enough light hearted fun and colorful imagery for kids.

     On the flip side, there are some story elements that feel out of place due to the little amount of time spent on them. There is one three minute scene with a menacing serpent that only exists to provide some background to the developing story. The creature then disappears from the film entirely. Also, the upbringing of the hero Mowgli is glossed over to dive right into the thick of the plot.

     The story has a fair share of plot conveniences in which characters arrive at a place at just the right moment to save the day. This is a very predictable movie; it provides very few surprises in its story. The music is quite good, though the movie seems unsure if it wants to be a musical or not.

     Overall, The Jungle Book is a well-directed and eye popping blockbuster with some emotionally effective scenes. It's a fast moving and fun adventure with a little something for everybody.

Grade: B-

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice - Movie Review

     Batman v. Superman is finally here, the battle between two of the most beloved superheroes. Was it worth the wait? Yes and no.

     The best part of this movie is most certainly Ben Affleck as Batman. In what may be my favorite incarnation of the character yet, this Batman is much darker and intimidating then past versions. It really worked for the movie. The performance was convincing and the costume was impressive. Henry Cavill is even better as Superman this time. He is really the main hero of the story and his credible performance made me care more for his character. Gal Gadot was a decent Wonder Woman, though her character was very unnecessary to the narrative, and she wasn't given much to work with.

      The motives for Batman and Superman to despise each other for the big throw down worked better than I expected. Seeing Bruce Wayne's perspective on the final battle in Man of Steel was a good way to make us understand the character. The way his origin is explained through an opening credits montage was quite clever.

      Action and effects are for the most part, excellent. The fight scenes are intense and thrilling, especially the clash between the two heroes. The musical score is also very good. The new theme songs composed for Lex Luthor and Wonder Woman were particularly great.

My biggest complaint with the movie is the poorly constructed narrative. There are a lot of great ideas throughout the movie, but there are so many plots occurring at once it becomes overwhelming. The whole story feels incoherent; trying to cram into one movie what took five Marvel superhero movies to accomplish.

     It doesn't help that the opening half hour is poorly edited, bouncing around from plot point to plot point with no rhyme or reason. The setups for future DC movies are painfully obvious and laughably lazy. The pacing of a good majority of the movie feels very uneven.

      Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor didn't work for me, though he wasn't terrible. This interpretation wasn't intimidating, and his motives were unclear. The other antagonist of the movie, Doomsday, is an unimpressive villain. It is essentially a monster thrown into the movie at the last second to give the heroes a new opponent to beat up.

      This is a movie with a lot of good elements strung together in a messy film. There is way too much going on here for one movie, but this is NOWHERE near as terrible as some reviews might suggest. It is a deeply flawed and misguided blockbuster, but highly entertaining in short bursts.

Grade: C+

Man of Steel - Movie Review

     In anticipation of Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, in theaters March 25, here is my review of the first appearance of the new Superman in the blockbuster Man of Steel (2013).

     Man of Steel is a mediocre movie with sporadic great moments throughout. Henry Cavill looks the part as Superman and is able to create a compelling hero. The supporting cast which includes Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Kevin Costner, Diane Lane, Laurence Fishburne, and Russell Crowe each contribute with convincing performances. Although all the actors are quite good, most of the characters are underdeveloped. The villains are intimidating, but ultimately one dimensional. The romance between Superman and Lois Lane comes off as forced and unnecessary.

     Visual effects are commendable, as many scenes in the film rely on them heavily, and there isn't a single unconvincing shot. The action scenes are grand in scale and very entertaining. The musical score by Hans Zimmer is uplifting and powerful, lending itself to the dramatic scenes to pack even more of an emotional punch. The best scene in the movie, where Superman takes flight, is thrilling and handled perfectly.

     Where this movie falters is in its occasionally dull story. It plays out exactly how you would expect. The last third of the movie is exclusively action, which becomes overblown and excessive after a while. The editing of the sequences is choppy, as flashbacks alternate with the main story as a way to disguise how little is going on in the beginning. The script is lackluster, with no quotable lines, seemingly second to the action.

     This is a mixed bag of a movie, there are some great ideas throughout, but the overall execution leaves more to be desired. Not a bad blockbuster by any means, just underwhelming. I am looking forward to the release of Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice in theaters March 25. I am hopeful that the director, Zack Snyder, builds upon the strengths and the groundwork established in Man of Steel. Time will tell.

Grade: C+

The Revenant - Movie Review

     The Revenant is a harsh, uncompromising, and unmatched cinematic experience. The cast is absolutely phenomenal. Leonardo DiCaprio, as Hugh Glass, gives a compelling and physically demanding performance. Tom Hardy plays the antagonist. With another actor in Hardy's role, the character could have been one dimensional, but he adds a layer of depth that not many actors could pull off. He steals many of his scenes with his strong screen presence.

     We are introduced to the characters in a captivating opening battle sequence using very few takes, and from there every action scene is riveting, heart pounding, unforgettable. The scene in which Glass is mauled by a Grizzly Bear is so well executed, you can almost feel every blow, slash, and bite from this beast, and you feel the helplessness of the character for an unflinching five minutes.

     The story is simple yet compelling, using its lengthy runtime to its advantage, crafting a more engaging and immersive experience. It's a long film, but never boring, every scene is germane to the overall story. The film is always emotionally involving or visually captivating. You become fully immersed in this world. It's quite brutal, but you can't take your eyes off of it.

     The cinematography is stunning, effortlessly following the action in breathtaking and seemingly impossible ways. The scenery is gorgeous, every shot is only lit by fire or the sun, no unnatural light penetrates this realistic world. The shot construction and camera work is flawless, thanks to terrific direction from Alejandro González Iñárritu.

     The Revenant is art, sophisticated filmmaking that is emotionally investing, beautifully shot, flawlessly executed, and entertaining. It's a modern cinematic masterpiece, and a rewarding experience.

Grade: A+