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+

Star Wars: The Force Awakens - Movie Review

I, like many of you, went into Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) with the highest expectations, and how did this movie turn out? I am delighted to report that The Force Awakens is an incredibly entertaining and surprisingly well crafted blockbuster. Director JJ Abrams has resurrected Star Wars, and proves once again that he does Sci-Fi better than almost anyone working today.

The characters in this film are great, we see the introductions of fantastic new characters that you become very invested in. The determined Rey (Daisy Ridley) and the charismatic Finn (John Boyega) are a compelling duo. A surprising amount of depth is given to the antagonist Kylo Ren (Adam Driver). What starts off as a Darth Vader rip off turns into a layered character. The return of Han Solo (Harrison Ford) is just as great as you'd hope, Ford proving he still has the ability to play the character with as much charisma as he did back in 1977.

The screenplay is witty and clever, having an unusually high amount of humor, most of which works. Comic relief in the form of a ball shaped Droid resembling R2D2, BB8 steals many of the scenes it's in. But the movie isn't afraid to go to darker places when needed; the comedy and tension is perfectly balanced.

The action scenes are fantastic, Abrams gets you up close to the battles as the camera follows ships flying over the chaotic space duels. Utilizing practical effects whenever possible makes the world feel and look like an inhabited and tangible universe, something sorely lacking from the prequel trilogy. The impressive cinematography, eye popping visual effects, and nostalgic theme songs make for a brilliant film from a technical stand point.

My only complaint is that there are some derivative story elements pulled right from the first movie, Star Wars: A New Hope (1977). The movie has enough of its own new story and characters to not play it safe and fall back on previously used formulas such as another Death Star.

Star Wars has returned with a bang. JJ Abrams has made an incredible sequel to the original trilogy. He developed great characters, thrilling action, and a sense of nostalgia without submitting to fan-service to cloud the narrative. This is essential viewing for a cinephile, and for anybody who wants to watch a massively entertaining movie.

Grade: A-