Movie Review - Insurgent

Insurgent

Starring: Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Kate Winslet, Jai Courtney, Miles Teller, Jai Courtney, Mekhi Phifer, Ansel Elgort, Daniel Dae Kim, Octavia Spencer, Naomi Watts, Zoë Kravitz, Cynthia Barrett, Ashley Judd, and more.

Directed by: Robert Schwentke Screenplay by: Brian Duffield, Akiva Goldsman, and Mark Bomback Based on the Novel by: Veronica Roth

Premise: Having escaped Jeanine after foiling her plans, Tris finds her inner self conflicted with all that's happened, especially the loss of her mom. And a new wrinkle presents itself, Jeanine found a vessel that contains a message from the Founders, but only a Divergent can pass the tests necessary to open it. And she very badly wants it opened - as she believes it will give her a way to get rid of all Divergents once and for all. So she's more than willing to break even more rules than before to reach her goals. (Rated Pg-13)

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Shailene Woodley did well as the unbalanced Tris. She and Theo James oozed chemistry throughout the film. Miles Teller was fun as bad boy Peter. Kate Winslet was cold as ice as Jeanine. Naomi Watts as Evelyn was rather interesting. Very hard to tell what side she's truly on.

2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: The cool effects start with the credits. The Summit Entertainment and Red Wagon Logos looked amazing as they introduced them in the 3D and morphed them into Jeanine's image. The visuals were very good - like late in the film, when the city is coming totally apart during two of the sims.

There's one scene with Four where the image falls slowly apart that made for a great visual. Also the weird nano spider things looked very cool.

3) Story - Neutral: Sadly, the film makers forgot some basic rules: a) Not everyone has read the books b) Not everyone will have seen the first film c) Those who did see it, have probably forgotten a lot of details by now.

So instead of doing a quick recap of events, the audience is thrown into things with nothing to guide them. While it's easy enough to remember the main characters, the details behind Peter and Caleb were not as memorable, so it made it incredibly hard to understand some of what was going on or the feelings being kicked about at the beginning. Very bad move. The excitement that could have been built right off is instead hampered and made twice as hard to light.

As happens in a lot of science fiction movies and some books, they can never seem to find a balance between the science level indicated vs. other tech used. If you can make nano machine spiders that are intelligent enough to try to fight against you taking them out, then why can't you make them good enough to heal your wounded hand? Through the entire film, Jeanine is cradling her bandaged hand. This from a culture with science that can make virtual reality feel real, put living nano technology inside you without any drawbacks, and use other tech to take over your mind. Yet no tech to help your booboo? Right...

There were some definitely good moments -  some snappy zingers cropped up here and there. But they were only moments. The whole concept of the 'secret in a container' seemed out of place and contrived, as I don't believe it was ever mentioned in the first film. The leftover bad guy from the first film had to reach useless heights of depravity just so there would be sufficient reason built to shoot him while he was helpless with his hands tied. Which pretty much overrides the act, making it wrong as well. (Though it will uncannily resemble a later act by his mother...)

The ending was odd as well. The message in the container did not surprise me, but the mass exodus of the population did. They all know there's at least thirty miles of desert out there - we had some awesome shots of it in the first film! - so where do they think they're going without transportation or water?

There are two more films coming out for the series - but the ending of this one, made us think there this was it. Only found out there's two more while doing research at IMDB. Would a tiny hint have hurt? "The Maze Runner" did that much at least.

4) Stunts - Thumbs Up: There are fights in several parts of the film, but most were the usual. The fight on the train was very nice though. Some explosions and decent stunt work, but again nothing overtly unusual.

5) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: Somewhat outdone by the sims, there were still some great shots of the real city. The collapsed areas and people having to traverse them by foot were definitely impressive. The dried up river with the half drawn bridges was definitely a nice visual. (Though why in 200 years you'd not done some renovating seems rather weird - especially with some of the grandiose buildings in some of the sectors.)

Conclusion: With the lack of a recap putting the viewers off center, the film never heats up as much as it could have with the audience. Some cool sims, some snappy lines, but really nothing much to get really excited about. Which was a pity. You'll think this is the end, but there's two more movies coming. But no hint of it in the film at all. Too bad.

Rating: 3.25 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price of Admission)

Movie Review - Divergent

Divergent

Starring: Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Kate Winslet, Ashley Judd, Jai Courtney, Zoë Kravitz, Ray Stevenson, Miles Teller, Tony Goldwyn, Ansel Elgort, Maggie Q, Mekhi Phifer, Ben Lloyd-Hughes, Christian Madsen, and more.

Directed by: Neil Burger Screenplay by: Evan Daugherty and Vanessa Taylor Based on the Novels by: Veronica Roth Cinematography by: Alwin H. Küchler Music by: Junkie XL

Premise: Years after a war that destroyed most of the world, Chicago continues to function due to a five category split caste system. Beatrice and her brother have reached the age of choosing and go have the test which will show them which of the castes they are more aligned towards. Except the test in Beatrice's case came out as inconclusive, something the tester makes sure she understands and warns her not to tell anyone about. As Breatice struggles to make a decision on who she wants to be, she also starts getting an inkling that the system may not be functioning like it's supposed to anymore. (Rated PG-13)

Review:

1)  Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Shailene Woodley does a good job as the spunky and fearless Tris. Theo James was delicious as the aloof, mysterious, yet slowly warming teacher named Four. Kate Winslet deftly sent mixed signals and kept the audience guessing in her role as Jeanine.

2)  Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: Most of the special effects are subtle and are mostly in the background - the ship in the middle of the wheat fields, the giant mesh wall around the city, the compact wind turbines mounted on the sides of dead Chicago buildings.

In the drug induced sequences the special effects play a bigger part, and with some nicely imaginative segues. Tris's initiation ride after the war games was scary fun.  

3) Plot/Story - Thumbs Up: I've not read the series of YA novels the film is based on, so I can't give any kind of opinion on how faithfully rendered the movie was. Although, from all the clapping and whistling during several points in the film, it appeared that many of the fans were pleased.

There were definitely several elements seeded over the course of the film that grabbed my attention and not only warned of possible troubles ahead for our heroine, but the society she'd been raised in as well. Hints and bits of the political and social order and the bubbling issues beneath the surface get flashed here and there, as we follow Tris through the typical angst caused by bullies and the not so typical stress of getting thrown into a situation from which she and others might not survive.

There aren't many surprises in the story, but enough stuff is going on to entertain.

4) Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: The opening scene started with the mundane, then took a left turn. It spoke volumes without a single word being said. The sweeps of the remnants of Chicago were deftly done. The skyline seemed familiar yet also alien due to the broken spires and the turbines attached to them like extra growths.

Conclusion: "Divergence" was entertaining. The premise is unusual, although overall the plot was pretty standard. The visuals of the city and the imagery used in the mental tests for the choosing, and later to force the initiates to face their fears were rather cool.

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

Movie Review - Labor Day

Labor Day

Starring: Kate Winslet, Josh Brolin, Gattlin Griffith, Tobey Maguire, Tom Lipinski, Malika Monroe, Clark Gregg, James Van Der Beek, Brighid Fleming, and more.

Directed by: Jason Reitman Screenplay by: Jason Reitman Based on the Novel by: Joyce Maynard Cinematography by: Eric Steelberg Music by: Rolfe Kent

Premise: Over the long Labor Day weekend in 1987, Henry and his reclusive mother end up with a uninvited guest, an escaped convict. With secrets being hidden on all sides, this unexpected visitor might turn out to be exactly what they've needed all along. (Rated PG-13)

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Kate Winslet was totally convincing as Adele. Just seeing her for the first time, it was obvious Adele constantly fought battles with herself to try to remain at least partially functional for her son. Josh Brolin as the mysterious Frank also did a superb job - looming one moment, unusually tender the next, then threatening again. Kate Winslet and Josh Brolin had good chemistry. It was fun watching them start to feel for one another even as they fought the unexpected urges. Watching Gattlin Griffith watching them was a treat. His large expressive eyes will get him far. His narratives added an unexpectedly great flavor to the story as a whole.

2)  Plot/Story - Thumbs Up: The film starts as we leisurely travel down a two lane blacktop road. The music is soft. All the views are things you might see while traveling one lane blacktop roads in New England. Put together it generates a laid back mood, like being in a hammock during a soft afternoon. And for the most part, the whole film moves in the same way throughout.

The point of view for the film mostly comes from Henry, with some disjointed tiny flashbacks thrown in about Frank's story here and there, as well as a reveal from Adele of what truly brought her to have the secluded life she leads. But because the film is mainly focused on Henry, the romance element is never heavy.

There are lots of cute, quirky moments, many coming from Eleanor, whose pessimistic wisdom get's Henry into trouble a couple of times.

3) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: The story takes place in a lovely New England town cobbled together from multiple locations in Massachusetts. The shots are often idyllic and filled with feeling. Yet it is Adele's home that is center stage for most of the tale. Just looking at the facade of the house instantly gave the audience a ton of information on the status of those living within. The same view is used several times to impart changes in Adele's situation as time flows by.

Conclusion: No gun fights, no real violence, just lots of interesting people you want to know better. Some cute, tender, and even funny moments are sprinkled through the film. "Labor Day" is what you expect, yet at the same time it's not. Your heartstrings will be tugged at the end, no matter how hard you try not to let them.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price of Admission (Really! A guy said that! YES!))

And because I gotta - My urban fantasy novel "Inner Demons" has been released! Trade paperback and multiple ebook formats abound (Nook, Kindle, pdf, and more). Paperback are currently only available at the publisher's website but should come down and be available at the usual the channels soon! Huzzah!