Movie Review - Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Starring: Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Harrison Ford, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Lupita Nyong'o, Adam Driver, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, Joonas Suotamo, Simon Pegg, and many more.

Directed by: J.J. Abrams Written by: Lawrence Kasdan, J.J. Abrams, and Michael Arndt Based on Characters Created by: George Lucas Cinematography by: Daniel Mindel Music by: John Williams

Premise: Despite the death of the Emperor, years later, the Empire still exists, now called the First Order and led by Supreme Leader Snoke. The Republic has grown and secretly funds/helps the Resistance, who continue their fight against the Empire. Luke Skywalker has disappeared and the Empire wants him found and slaughtered so the extinction of the Jedi can be complete. An old colleague gives the Rebels a piece of a map showing Luke's whereabouts. But the Rebel is caught before he can escape with the information, so he leaves the map with his droid, BB-8. BB-8, a scavenger, and an AWOL stormtrooper will become embroiled in matters bigger than they ever imagined. (Rated PG-13)

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Daisey Ridley as Rey and John Boyega as Finn end up doing a very nice job as the extremely reluctant heroes for the film. Harrison Ford shows he's still got it as he reprises his role as Han Solo. Andy Serkis makes for a rather creepy Supreme Leader Snoke. Adam Driver did a fine job as the mercurial Kylo Ren.

It was a ton of fun seeing so many of our old friends again. :)

2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: While we always expect larger than life special effects in the Star Wars films, this one wasn't as grandiose, but was filled with a lot of subtle, and no less impressive, effects. They fit so well, it makes them easy to miss. One super cool one was after Rey gets her quarter rations and sprinkles the content of one of the packets into a small bowl of water - and then before our eyes, the powdered dough coagulates and turns into a small loaf of bread she grabs and bites into.

There are several new creatures that get introduced as part of the scenery and the plot. There's a neat bird with an anvil like beak, tentacled monsters in the freighter, and a giant hog like creature drinking water at a trough in Jakku. The bar was also chock full of familiar and new aliens types to look at.

The ships haven't changed much, but we do see a few new ones both in the air and on the ground. Kylo Ren's shuttle is even more intimidating and grandiose than Darth Vader's, almost like he's trying to compensate for something. (*joke*)

3) Plot/Story - Thumbs Up: This story was better than Episode III Revenge of the Clones! Yay! Not that it would take much to be better than Episode III, but I was just happy it was. :P

The film is enjoyable overall and uses our fond memories of the original trilogy to rope us in - though they do get carried away a bit in that respect. (If you cry at movies, make sure to take a hankey with you!) The plot is basically Episode IV with some changes thrown in. Bits get pulled from some of the other films as well, especially Episode V.

The change about how clones are no longer being used for stormtroopers, but rather use newborns taken from their homes and trained from childhood, as well as brainwash them, is stated so quickly, you might miss it. Yet the information is actually an important point with regards to the plot and Finn. Also not stating the fact this was Finn's first mission until late in the film was a mistake - his reactions made no sense during the raid because the audience didn't know he'd never been on one of these missions before. They had other issues with little things like that - inconsistencies or items that didn't add up right or should have been mentioned for clarity. For example: if you're part of the sanitation crew of a large military installation, why would you also get sent out as a stormtrooper to subjugate a town? The First Order didn't look that short handed. And if your giant military installation has to move from sun to sun to get fuel, how do you have trees alive on the surface of it? Several other weird bits ran along the same vein.

They also somewhat spoiled the dramatic scene where Kylo Ren and his father meet up, mostly due to the fact they'd already had Ren take his helmet off when he was with Rey. Boo! And why, oh why, did they decide to make Kylo Ren so super powerful? There was really no need to have him be that ramped up. And  to make it worse, they then seem to forget his uber power later. Not once did he try to do to Rey what he'd done in the forest once before, and had worked so well. Boo! Though I did very much enjoy how it is Ren's own words that reminded Rey she's not alone and thus could get help to defeat her foe.

4) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: All the locations we see during the film were excellent. As usual, the integration of real places to those that are painted or computer generated were flawless. The cinematography combined with IMAX and 3D made the vistas lovely to look upon. Though with a desert planet, jungle planet, sort of snow planet, it almost seemed like they were trying too hard to tie back to the previous films though these were new worlds. :P They were still beautiful to look at though!

5) Music - Total Thumbs Up: John Williams is king! Was thrilled to see he did the work on the film score. A lot of the old favorites as well as new tracks! Yay!

Conclusion: Star Wars: The Force Awakens is an enjoyable return to the Star Wars universe. It'll bring back the feelings and emotions evoked on us by the first three original films. It was better than Episode III, so that's something! Heh heh. There are no extra bits at the end or previews for Episode VIII, which is due out in 2017.

Rating: 3.75 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price of Admission)

Movie Review - The Age of Adaline

The Age of Adaline

Starring: Blake Lively, Michiel Huisman, Harrison Ford, Ellen Burstyn, Kathy Baker, Amanda Crew, Hugh Ross, Hiro Kanagawa, Izabel Pearce, Cate Richardson, Anthony Ingruber, and more.

Directed by: Lee Toland Krieger Screenplay by: J. Mills Goodloe and Salvador Paskowitz Story by: J. Mills Goodloe and Salvador Paskowitz Cinematography by: David Lanzenberg Music by: Rob Simonsen

Premise: After an unusual series of events, Adaline Bowman no longer ages. Forced into a life where she must change who she is and where she lives every decade or take a chance at being grabbed and locked away to be experimented upon, Adaline has allowed very few people into her life, with only her daughter actually knowing the truth about her. On the cusp of once again changing locations and identities, she meets a forceful young man named Ellis. Will she give in to her growing feelings for him or run once more  to keep her secret. (Rated PG-13)

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Blake Lively does a marvelous job as the emotionally starved and understandably paranoid Adaline Bowman. Her distress and feelings during the film are very easy to read.

Michiel Huisman as Ellis makes for some great eye candy for the ladies and made it a lot of fun to watch his character's pursuit of the mysterious librarian.

Harrison Ford was a great choice for William Jones - his reactions when he first sees Jenny and during his recollections of Adaline, were wonderful to watch. Ellen Burstyn as Adaline's daughter in 2015 added great little touches by her presence. A similar approach used by Judd Hirsch's character Abe in "Forever".

2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up:  Believe it or not, there were several big special effect gags in the film. Cars tumbling down hillsides and the audience seeing the chaos from inside the car. The rather spectacular lightning bolt that gets frozen in time. And wait until you see the asteroid hitting the moon and the cool Earth shots! The ceiling of the movie theater was quite awesome. Really nice work.

3) Plot/Story - Thumbs Up: The tale is told by a narrator played by Hugh Ross. No explanation is ever given of who he is or how he knows the story he's telling - so the audience just has to go with it. While the info he gives is definitely interesting, the fact they felt they had to explain the different phenomena that made two separate events possible felt rather odd.

The methodology for taking the audience back in time and showing them pieces of Adaline's life, however, worked rather well.

On the weird side, they telegraph several pivotal points of the film before they happen. Back around 2002 to 2005, the gimmick of having people in a car having a conversation then having them get slammed by another car was fresh and innovative. But in 2015, the move has become cliched. They've been done so often and it's so easy to tell when they're coming - they don't hold much of a surprise factor anymore. (At least not to me.) This makes the story come across as pretty straightforward with minimal surprises for the audience. The one surprise that would have made everyone lean forward with interest had already been disclosed in the previews, so wasn't a surprise at all.

Still, the tale is told well and we learn enough about her to empathize and care about her and those around her. So it was entertaining.

5) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: The film had many wonderful cinematographic moments. The San Francisco bridge is used to full advantage with lovely day shots, but even more impressive night shots. The time lapse segments were lovely as well.

6) Costuming/Makeup - Total Thumbs Up: Great work by the costuming and makeup departments. Just by looking at Adaline's clothes and hair, you could easily identify the time frame being portrayed. The 1963 segment when she's in the taxi was especially well done by showing us one of the rarer fads of the time. Nicely done! (And Blake Lively looked good in everything! lol)

Conclusion: "The Age of Adaline" is a cute little love story with a supernatural slant for added flavor. No real surprises, but the film still moved along well and entertained.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price of Admission)

Movie Review - Ender's Game

Ender's Game

Starring: Asa Butterfield, Harrison Ford, Hailee Steinfeld, Abigail Breslin, Ben Kingsley, Viola Davis, Aramis Knight, Suraj Partha, Moises Arias, Khylin Rhambo, Jimmy Pinchak, Nonso Anozie, and more.

Directed by: Gavin Hood Screenplay by: Gavin Hood Based on the Novel by: Orson Scott Card Cinematography by: Donald McAlpine Original Music by: Steve Jablonsky

Premise: After passing an unexpected final test at school, Ender, the youngest in a family of five, is invited to join the International Fleet's battle academy. The academy exist for the sole purpose of creating a great general to lead Earth against the alien adversaries who almost destroyed them seventy years prior. Colonel Graff believes Ender will be the one they're looking for. But can Ender learn the skills necessary before it's too late for mankind? (Rated PG-13)

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Asa Butterfield did amazing work in his role as Ender Wiggin. The strength and brilliance of the character are easy to see, as are Ender's doubts and fears. Some really nice performances too by all the young actors involved. Harrison Ford was a great choice to play Colonel Graff. And Ford was in the film a lot more than I anticipated, which was awesome. The choice of Viola Davis to play Major Gwen Anderson not only complemented Ford's acting but also proved the perfect foil for the Colonel as Ender moves up the ranks. I also loved the work by Nonso Anozie. This is the second feature I've seen him in, and he plays his parts so very well.

2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: Because of the awesome efforts of the special effects team and others, this is definitely one of those films that must be seen in IMAX if at all possible. The cool Formic mother ships and the giant swarms of fighters as well as the Earth's fleets and its own ships made for some interesting fighting scenes. Even better were the changing points of view over the entire system as Ender shifted the virtual screen's direction how ever he needed them, calling for closeups, side angles, and more.

The Formic's home planet as well as the changed planet with the human base looked great - though I will say the whole jagged landscape for alien worlds is starting to get way overused recently. But it did look wonderful...

Totally loved the cool Zero G battle area. And the work on the Mind Game and the Formic themselves looked incredible. And wait until you see the cool people and fighter formations. Nice!

3) Plot/Story - Total Thumbs Up: I read the book "Ender's Game" back when it first came out in 1985, so I remember little about it. However, this worked in my favor, as I had no expectations and also couldn't anticipate key points, and was therefore surprised by several turning points in the film.

A number of themes run the length of the movie - the precarious decisions when trying to balance our actions between peace and violence, fear winning over reason, nothing is strictly black or white, always question everything, and others. I loved how several of these only become clear later in the film and not when they're actually presented. Like Ender, the audience must make what they can with the information given, even when we realize some is being withheld.

4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: There are a number of fights in the film, and not all of them during training. But regardless of the type, they were expertly done. The mock battles in the Zero G chamber had great timing, were ingenious, and the kids made it all look so easy. The non sanctioned fights had a beauty and intensity all their own.

5) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: The special effects were outstanding, and so was the cinematography. Just watching the shuttle depart from the basin between an amazing set of mountains took my breath away. And the sweeping views of the academy with Earth in the background, as well as all the views on the different planets that were visited made the extra ticket price for IMAX totally worth it. The space shots in the meteor belt, during Ender's travel to the final training camp, and others were beautifully done.

Conclusion: "Ender's Game" is most definitely worth seeing. The awesome graphics, cinematography, special effects, and acting, make it one of the better films of 2013. If you can manage it, definitely see it in IMAX. The extra detail is totally worth it.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price to See Again)

(Two awesome SF flicks in the same year - who knew? And about time! Yeah!)

Movie Review - Cowboys and Aliens

Cowboys and Aliens

Starring: Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, Olivia Wilde, Abigail Spencer, Clancy Brown, Paul Dano, Adam Beach, Sam Rockwell, Keith Carradine, Raoul Trejillo, Walton Goggins, and more...

Directed by: Jon Favreau Writing Credits: Robert Orci, Alex Kurtzman, Damon Lindelof, Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby, Steve Oedekerk Original Music by: Harry Gregson-Williams

Premise: In 1873 an amnesiac in the Arizona Territory, searches for his identity and past even as he finds himself in the middle of an alien conspiracy. Made more puzzling by the fact he's the only one with a weapon that seems capable of harming the intruders.

Review: I'd been waiting for this one for a long time. A lot of people think the premise sounds insane, but I wanted to see what they did with it. Being backed by Spieldberg, I knew it could be done. I wasn't wrong.

The movie begins and moves along where you might expect. But once things get rolling, the unexpected starts making an appearance, taking several items in directions you wouldn't have guessed, and ratcheting the enjoyment factor.

The vistas in the film are truly breathtaking - the arid plains, the colorful skies. Now throw in some flying ships, explosions, and some good old fashioned western stuff, and voila!  Loads of great visuals.

Great cast, with great performances. Cool CGI. Things about the aliens, the whys and wherefores, come out a bit at a time and they make sense. As the end nears we get to see more and more of the visitors.

Several subplots/character complications run concurrently with the mission at hand, some needed, some not, yet still satisfying in their own way. There are even several comedic moments. You might even get a flashback to the Poseidon Adventure - heh heh - you'll know it when you see it.

Overall, nothing too brainy or complicated, but a heap of gun totting, alien butt kicking fun!  

Rating: 4 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price of Admission)