Mini Movie Review Catch Up 7/22/18

Greetings!

Yep, I once more fell off the face of the planet. This is never intentional, but sometimes life's plans don't match mine. (Busted pipes, rabid bat and consequent pet quarantine, vet bills from quarantine fallout, back muscle issues, tons of day job work, etc. Life has been interesting. Not always a good thing!) :P Money is tight right now, which hasn't helped matters any.

Figured I would try to catch up on mini movie reviews since it's summer and it's movie watching time! Lots out there to see right now. (Had to do some catching up on that too!) These are in order of older to newer.

Mini Movie Reviews

Incredibles 2 - after a super long hiatus, the Incredibles are back! And we get theme songs! Lol. Yes, the older superheroes had theme songs, and we get to hear them. You have to wait for  Elastigirl's in the end credits, but worth the wait. :P

Befriended by a brother and sister who want to bring back the old days when superheroes were free to do what they do best, everyone has to deal with changing roles in the household as Helen become the focus of the hero campaign.

Lots of family issues to deal with as Bob tries not to be jealous and works at being a stay at home Dad. Nefarious forces are at work, however. In that respect, the new film repeats some of the plot complications of the first movie. Still, it was a fun ride.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price to See Again!)




Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom - The advertisements give a wrong impression of what the film is actually about. Yes, there is a volcano about to explode and destroy the island, but that whole segment is only the beginning of the film leading to the main section.

Dr. Wu (played by BD Wong) is a fortunate and resilient man, and the character connects the latest two films back to the original. The scientist has been a very busy and he has a new patron.  They want to build upon the success of their last creation and use the older animals to finance their ambitions.

Gorgeous film, loads of actions, quirky comedy, and more. The whole volcano problem is a little contrived, but if you can look past that, there's definite fun to be had. I find it funny how the old T-Rex is used much like Godzilla now. A very dangerous creature that still comes to your aid when you least expect. :)

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price to See Again!)




Ant-Man and the Wasp - Scott Lang is suffering the consequences of his actions when he went to the aid of Captain America in Captain America: Civil War. He's been under house arrest for two years as a result. His relationship with Hope and Dr. Pym lie in tatters.  His decision to help Cap had many consequences he'd not expected.

A few days before his house arrest is complete; however, he has a strangely vivid dream about Hope's mother and a little girl. So he leaves them a message, not sure how to explain it or even if it means anything.

It is this message that gets him kidnapped by Dr. Pym. Due to the things Scott saw during the first film when he shrunk himself into the subatomic levels, Dr. Pym and Hope have been working on a way to try to free his wife from there. They believe Scott is connected to Janet due to quantum entanglement.

But there are others interested in what Pym is working on. So Scott finds himself jeopardizing his freedom as they fight to bring Janet Pym back while keeping the tech out of other hands.

Everything I loved about Ant-Man comes back to the second film. Scott's relationship with his daughter (the maze adventure was awesome!), Luis and his dense but adorable childlike spirit, Hope and Scott's clashing denial of their feelings, and just all the fun of making things big and small! (Not sure you really could shrink and move a building around and have it work once you made it big again. All the power infrastructure and underground parts would not be there. But the concept is so cool! They could have easily explained it if they'd just taken a few moments!) :P Oh and the way they use the wheel-shaped Matchbox car carrying case is genius!

Rating: 3.75 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price to See Again!)





Skyscraper - weird as it may sound, the biggest reason I wanted to see this film was because the protagonist had a disability. This problem added such a neat wrinkle to the plot. After reading the three book mystery series by J.K. Rowling and her hard-boiled P.I. and his issues with part of a missing leg, I wanted to see what they did with it here. Overall, I thought they did a good job!

The building was gorgeous! I wish they'd shown us more of it before the destruction began. The special effects were fantastic. The company logo was awesome! Loved how they used it in the company video. (Yes, I love dragons!)

Once you find out what the tower owner is hiding, the reasons behind the actions of the bad guy make sense, but not Mr. Ji's. If you have copies of the data, leave the original in the safe. It will either keep it or destroy it, but you still have what you need. Henry, Will's son, also disappears conveniently from the film when they need Will's wife, Sarah to be more involved. Loved that she helped, so the movie wasn't just one-sided, but... Another issue was the wiring needed for the final move at the end of the film to work. Most of that would have melted off so wouldn't have worked. If they'd spent a little more time on the building introduction, they could have covered that, but they didn't.

Overall though, it was a fun ride and worth watching for all the action and just the darn cool building!!!!  :P

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





Hotel Transylvania 2: Summer Vacation - These are always so cute! Great for families to see together. They always cover different aspects of being a family. This one is multi-pronged in that aspect as we see issues from multiple families being highlighted.

The writers had a lot of fun writing this one. A lot of the details and bits definitely came from people with kids. Lol. They also take some expectations and give you something entirely different. Loved what they did with the Bermuda Triangle and the lost city of Atlantis. I would go on this cruise! :)

Loads of family topics - tradition, loneliness, obsession, letting go, embarrassment caused by family members, and more. Ericka ended up being a much more faceted character than I expected. I loved what they did with her. I even guessed the song that was used to save the day! Bwahahahaha!

Rating: 3.75 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price to See Again!)

That should keep you all busy for a bit. :P

Here's hoping for a steady blog posting schedule!

Virtual Tourist - My Time at Portia 4/22/18

My goodness! 2018 is turning out to be even more turbulent than 2016 and 2017. Oi!
Typically once I am out of the YE and audit circus, things settle down a bit. But not this year! First Quarter End was brutal. I worked three weeks worth of time in two weeks. Ugh. I've been a mental vegetable.

Mini Movie Reviews

Rampage - The film is another piece of fun nostalgia. It's loosely based on the console game Rampage. It was a fun ride all the way around. George, the albino gorilla, is a hoot! 3.75 out of 5. (Hubby's Rating: Worth full price to see again!)





Isle of Dogs - this was a fun and super quirky film. They use both stop animation and film animation. They make subtle fun of all sorts of things. The dogs are awesome. Not everyone will like it, but we thought it was great! 3.75 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth full price of admission.)

My Time at Portia

I got a new game to detox with - My Time at Portia. It is very similar, yet also different from Stardew Valley (Another fun game). The central premise of both games is to help the community, grow in skills, mine, fish, farm, scavenge, fight, and more.  Aside from different mechanics and emphasis, My Time at Portia has an entirely different visual feel from Stardew Valley.

This is the central square in town. A&G Construction, Commerce Center, and the Mayor's office are here.

Since it is a community type game, you get experience for meeting people. This is my first meeting with Sonia. One thing this game adds to the townsfolk is the ability to spar with them, plays stone-paper-scissors, or even Go. If you win, you get additional relationship points and a bit of coin (or lose coin, too!)

This is the Mayor's office. On the right is a list of active quests. The indicator over his head shows I need to go to him for an action. (And yes, that's me!) :)

Game room at Django's restaurant. There are lots of things reminiscent of Stardew Valley.

The Civil Corps building - they help fight monsters and keep the town safe. Had to take a pic of their mascot/statue as it is a pig flying. lol.

This is a post-apocalyptic world that is once more prospering. There are ruins that can be mined for old technologies. There are factions/guilds that are pro and anti old technology. 

View back towards town from the tree farm area. You can see the Church of Light on the right. They are anti old tech. 

Inside the Church of Light. Quite impressive! 

The murals depict some of the events before civilization collapsed.

Here humanity is rising out of the dark ages.

More weird stuff was going on in life this past week. Hopefully, things will find a neutral ground, and I can get back to a regular schedule again. *fingercrossed*

Virtual Tourist - Deus Ex: Mankind Divided 12/17/17

Morning!
Chaos continues! Hope you're having a great weekend!

Mini-Movie Review - The Shape of Water



The opening scene is super awesome. This is a cute fairy tale, but IT IS NOT FOR KIDS! I can't emphasize this enough. This movie is for adults. There are lots of great performances. It's a sleepy little tale, but very poignant.

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided

One of the problems with what was supposed to be an aug paradise.

Heading to some of the restricted levels as I search for the man who created this place.

Sneaking around looking for ways up.

The man being blamed for a lot of the terrorist action in the world. He is an avid aug supporter. He doesn't look like he's doing so well. His dreams have been rotted from within and without, but others not so altruistic.

He's a broken man. He's not realized the depths of the betrayals visited upon him quite yet.

Well educated, driven, and yet even he has been played.

The skeleton of dreams never to be realized.

I so love the attention to detail!

Jensen has ferreted some of the truth. Time to bail from Hell.

There will be a reckoning.

Have a great week!

Movie Review - The Mummy

The Mummy

Starring: Tom Cruise, Russell Crowe, Annabelle Wallis, Sofia Boutella, Jake Johnson, Courtney B. Vance, Marwan Kenzari, Simon Atherton, and more.

Directed by: Alex Kurtzman Screenplay by: David Koepp, Christopher McQuarrie, and Dylan Kussman Screen Story by: Jon Spaihts, Alex Kurtzman, and Jenny Lumet Cinematography by: Ben Seresin Music by: Brian Tyler

Premise: A relic hunter stumbles onto a hidden chamber in Iraq. Rushed for time, he inadvertently loosens an imprisoned force. A woman with a mission she's been trying to complete for five thousand years. Nick is the one she's decided will replace the receptacle for Set stolen from her so many years ago. No one better stand in her way. (Rated PG-13)

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: While we have some great acting powerhouses in this film, there is so much action,  little time is left for actual acting. Still, Tom Cruise does a nice job as Nick - relic hunter, thief, adventurer. Annabelle Wallis as Jenny got the biggest range to play with as she dealt with her feelings, her attractions, and her job. She did it well. Sofia Boutella made a nice sultry mummy. Jake Johnson was a ton of fun as Nick's sidekick Chris Vail. Russell Crowe's character was a rather big surprise once the two men meet and introductions are made. (He could still take some lessons from James Nesbitt's superb performance of the same character though. :) )

2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: There was a ton to love about the special effects in this film. Watching the credits, they used a ton of different companies. They come up with some superb images.

Ahmanet's prison and the other chambers attached to it were very cool! The Crusaders' tomb when they first find it with the tunnel maker and other sections of the place were well done!

Several special effect parts used weird spiders, tons of rats, black birds and other crawling things. They looked great.

When Ahmanet first shows herself, and the transformation after her first feedings, were enthralling. The change on those she fed on also were fantastic. When she has them rise, and the bones and joints pop and snap - creepy!

Cool sand storms, walking and swimming dead, and all the cool bits using mercury. The look and feel of the base beneath London's Natural  History Museum were great. The all important dagger was a wicked looking thing!

Lots and lots of lovely effects!

3) Plot/Story - Neutral: I go up and down on how I feel about the story. A big part of my issue with it is the presentation. While they didn't give everything away in the previews, they gave away a lot. So there was little there to give a feeling of discovery or mystery in what was going on.

They also didn't do themselves any favors by having Henry tell us all about Ahmanet at the very beginning - especially when the information got repeated all over again later as Nick has visions of the past. They could have easily found the Crusaders' tomb and the wall carvings and left it at that. Thus tantalizing the viewers to discover how the Crusaders and Ahmanet might be related. But no. We got spoonfed the information instead.

A couple of scenes, while cool, didn't make a lot of sense. Ahmanet wants her new Chosen to willingly submit to the ritual. So, how was giving him nightmares of rats and monsters was supposed to do that? Other images made sense for that, but some others did not.

Also, Nick's choice in the final room I saw coming ten minutes before he made it. DUH!

There's tons of action, and they move at breakneck speeds. There's even a quick wink/homage to Brendan Fraser's "The Mummy" in the form of the Book of Life showing up at one point. But character development is pushed way back to the background.

4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: The whole 'gag' in the airplane was fantastic! I felt sorry for them all. lol. The fun chase scene in the Iraqi city with bullets and grenades being used all over the place kept the stunt people quite busy and looked great. Lots of good work from the team.

5) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: Tons of great and real places! Waverley Abbey in the UK, London, the Natural History Museum, the Namib Desert in the country of Namibia in Africa. These great locations added lots of visual flavor to the scenes.

6) Costuming/Makeup - Total Thumbs Up: CGI mixed with real makeup gave some great looks to Ahmanet, Henry, and Vail. The writing on Ahmanet's skin alone was dazzling. When we see her close to filled out but still with gaps in various places on her face and body, it added so much! Some great contrast too between Nick and Vale in the restroom scene.

Conclusion: The Mummy is a wild ride. Great special effects and stunts. A surprise here and there. Yet a little less telling up front would have made the film more mysterious and thus more enticing to the viewers.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price to See Again.)

Movie Review - Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales

Starring: Johnny Depp, Javier Bardem, Geoffrey Rush, Brenton Thwaites, Kaya Scodelario, Kevin McNally, Golshifteh Farahani, David Wenham, Stephen Graham, and more. 

Directed by: Joachim Ronning and Espen Sandberg Screenplay by: Jeff Nathanson Story by: Jeff Nathanson and Terry Rossio Based on Characters Created by: Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio, Stuart Beattie, and Jay Wolpert

Premise: Will's son Henry has been trying to find a way to break his father's curse. He believes Poseidon's Trident has the power to do so. But to find it, he needs to find Jack Sparrow. But Henry is not the only one looking for Jack. Plus many others also want to get their hands on the Trident. The hunt for the treasure begins. (Rated PG-13)

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Johnny Depp once more reprises his unique take on a pirate captain as Captain Jack Sparrow. His crazy expressions, obfuscation, and general "go with the flow" attitude are in high force. Brenton Thwaites is very reminiscent of Orlando Bloom's Will Turner, which seems apt as he is playing his son Henry. Kaya Scodelario as Carina Smyth is spunky, stubborn, and driven. Javier Bardem does a nice job as Captain Salazar. Geoffrey Rush gets to prove to everyone Captain Barbossa has got it all. Then comes to realize there is an even greater treasure to be had. Loved the expressions as the truth of things finally began to register. :)

2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: Special effects tend to make up large sections of the "Pirate of the Caribbean" movies and "Dead Men Tell No Tales" is no exception. The smoky piecemeal appearance of Salazar's crew is neat and very haunting. The effect when they touch land even more so.

The whole gag with the bank robbery and running through town was great! Only Jack has this kind of weird luck. Oh, and wait until you see the guillotine gag - hilarious!

Salazar's ship was fabulous! A literal shark of the seas. I also loved what they did with the masthead later in the film. Too fun! The undead birds and sharks were a nice addition as well. The monkey is still a total ham. :P

They did save the best to show toward the end. The island holding the last clue to Poseidon's Trident was gorgeous! The area that unfolds from there was way cool as well. They did all sorts of fun things with water. And the trident itself was lovely. Something more befitting of the sea than the usual trident portrayal.

The Black Pearl's transformation was also a lot of fun. Especially when the change stalls. Later, the maneuverings with the edge of the water and the anchor looked great!

3) Story - Neutral: I wish those who give the final okay on scripts and changes would remember the devil is in the details. While they carefully kept track of some information, they totally disregarded others, so certain things made no sense. For example: Don't make a commander who is dead set on killing witches, and will hunt them relentlessly with all the soldiers at his disposal, then turn around and go pay/use one to come do magic! Also, if you have a captain say he only ever kills pirates, don't have him going around killing non-pirates! (Since Salazar is a Spaniard, adding two words to his statements would have fixed this. Just say "pirates and Inglés," and he would have been covered to kill all the Brits and pirates he wanted without anyone raising an eyebrow.)

Another bit that seemed weird is that Disney appeared to pull the same thing they did with "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" - they tried to cookie cutter the new film into a clone of the first with bits from the others. What is that about? Girl in distress, a boy about to get killed, Jack in trouble, all looking for a special treasure as they are hunted by the undead. Huh. It's like they're afraid to try new plots. :( 

One thing I did like was the undercurrent themes of obsession, drive, and what we should all truly treasure.  Pay attention to the ship names as well, there are some subtle jokes going on there. :)

Another subtle bit was Jack's descent since the events from years before when he bid his friends goodbye. His luck, his drive, his sense of purpose, all eroded by his inability to help Will. Jack's final comment as he spies upon events on the hillside at the end said it all - veiled as usual of course.

Do make sure to sit through the credits! One final scene at the very end. :)

4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: Much to love in the stunt department. Pratfalls, guillotines, hangings, chases, sword fighting, shark wrangling, and much more. Of particular fun was Jack's fight/chase scene between two ships jumping from canon to canon. :P 

5) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: Filmed in different parts of Queensland, Australia, there were plenty of gorgeous shots of the bay, the sea, and the sky. The sunrise over the map island and the blood moon are especially lovely. Add in the CGI locations like the Devil's Triangle and the resting place of Poseidon's Trident, and you're in for many visual treats. 

Conclusion: Though a fun romp and filled with cool effects, "Dead Men Tell No Tales" felt too much like a retelling of the original "Pirates of the Caribbean." Some inconsistencies drew away from the fun. Stay through the credits for a final scene at the very end!

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

Movie Review - The Circle

The Circle

Starring: Emma Watson, Ellar Coltrane, Glenne Headly, Bill Paxton, Karen Gillan, Tom Hanks, John Boyega, Mamoudou Athie, Patton Oswalt, and more.

Directed by: James Ponsoldt Screenplay by: James Ponsoldt and Dave Eggers Based on the Novel by: Dave Eggers Cinematography by: Matthew Libatique Music by: Danny Elfman

Premise: Thanks to a friend, Mae gets a chance to interview at the prestigious company The Circle. A social media giant, The Circle is pushing for 100% transparency across the world. As Mae embraces the culture of her new employers, she begins to see that total transparency can cut two ways. Her willingness to share all inadvertently affects others around her in negative ways. Are the company's and her own ideas going too far? (Rated PG-13)

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: A lot of new and familiar faces appear in this film. Emma Watson does a great job as Mae. Her suffering and helplessness with regards to her father's illness really came across. Her open-eyed eagerness to embrace the ideals of the company, even as she scoffs at some of the directions they are heading in, were very well done. Tom Hanks and Patton Oswalt were slick as the company's leaders. Karen Gillan as Mae's friend Annie brought several angles to the tale as well as a lot of energy. John Boyega as Ty proves yet again that you can be alone in a crowd and not just when you're by yourself. :P Major kudos to Bill Paxton and his portrayal of someone with MS. 

2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: The film had tons of subtle special effects. The cool compound for The Circle when viewed as a whole. The user interfaces for the different pieces of software. The frames around the visuals to make the scene look as if it were being viewed through a camera. And let's not forget all the neat pop-ups on the screen as you'd see on your phone screen. A lot of the comments were fun all on their own. (Some a little freaky too!) :P

The section with the kayak in the dark, the fog, and the ship came out very well. The medical software was cool as well.

3) Plot/Story - Thumbs Up: This type of story can go terribly wrong, but luckily they treated it right. Both sides of the question were evenly weighed. Thus allowing the audience to see the pros and the cons rather than the film just picking a side and making the movie preachy or heavy handed. As with all power, the question that must always be asked is "who watches the watchers?". Anything powerful enough to make a difference always runs the risk of being abused. The film is quite thought provoking.

4) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: Lots of lovely cinematography, especially of the Bay and The Circle compound. Tons of different sites in California were used to create the illusion of The Circle. There were some beautiful beach shots for our intro to one of the men controlling the company. 

Conclusion: Good, thought provoking film. Both sides are shown evenly, leaving the audience to draw their own conclusions.

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

Movie Review - Power Rangers

Power Rangers

Starring: Dacre Montgomery, Naomi Scott, RJ Cyler, Ludi Lin, Becky G., Elizabeth Banks, Bryan Cranston, Bill Hader, Cody Kearsley, and more. 

Directed by:  Dean Israelite Screenplay by: John Gatins Story by: Matt Sazama, Burk Sharpless, Michele Mulroney, and Kieran Mulroney Cinematography by: Matthew J. Lloyd Music by: Brian Tyler 

Premise: Five teenagers end up in the same place when one of them uncovers a hidden artifact near an old mine. Veritable strangers to one another, they unite as they try to escape the area. Finding themselves unharmed after an accident, they get back together to try to figure out what has happened to them. That's when they discover an old evil is about to destroy their town, their country, their planet. Unless they can figure out how to tap the powers they never asked for. (Rated PG-13) 

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Dacre Montgomery does a nice job as Jason. His insecurity, avoidance, and hidden anger as he deals with his accident and the repercussions of his prank gone wrong were well done. Naomi Scott showed some talent as Kimberly. Her pain and the hidden aspects of her secret, and her need to be better, coming across well. RJ Cyler did a great job as Billy. Socially awkward, but super smart, he ends up becoming the heart of the group. Ludi Lin as Zack was a two-sided coin of crazy and deep grief. Becky G. as Trini was a lot of fun, as her character found herself drawn into the group despite herself. Elizabeth Banks does evil Rita with flair and fun.

Though all the Rangers do appear to struggle with the acting during the big combat sequence. Robot fighting angst is probably not a class in acting school. :P

2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: It was the special effects I saw in the previews that made me want to see the film. :) There were lots of neat and cool effects throughout the movie. 

The beginning of the film is set in a prehistoric era and looked impressive. The battlefield, the alien rangers, and red ranger's solution were pretty spiffy. 

Our introduction to Jason went places he and the audience weren't expecting. The crash and the view from inside the truck were pretty amazing. He's lucky to be alive! lol. (The few bits of shaky cam luckily did not linger long!)

The Wall was one of the coolest effects in the film. I loved the spaceship and Alpha 5. Cooler still was how they got to the ship in the first place.

The morphing was pretty cool as well. Rita's change and the making of her scepter/lance looked awesome. Goldar was fabulous! He was so fluid! The sequence where Rita reconstitutes him is pretty darn cool. Yay big budgets! lol.

3) Plot/Story - Thumbs Up: Sentai series have been super popular in Japan. Some say the first five-member team originated with the anime series Kagaku Ninjatai Gatchaman in the 70's. Saban took some of the more popular live-action sentai series from the 80's, spliced in American's for the non-costumed parts and Saban's Power Rangers were born! While I have enjoyed several sentai series, the Americanized versions never did much for me. But on seeing the previews for this film, I got interested in seeing what they'd do with a feature film. The fact it looked like they did backstories on the characters also intrigued me.   

Mind you; I didn't go in thinking it would be anything but fun, action, and fluff. And I wasn't wrong. But they did try to add some depth and let us get to know the characters bit by bit. The slow melding of the group was decently done. 

Major kudos for showing us the alien who were the original power rangers and even having an alien language. And though drawn together, we still saw friction in the characters as they struggle to make sense of what they've been dumped into and whether they want any part of it. Also, points for proving that cars can't always outrun the train. :P 

I do wish they'd done more with Rita Repulsa. Elizabeth Banks seemed to have had too much fun playing her. lol.  

There's a bit in the end for the fans, some hint of things to come. I am sure there were probably a lot of bits having to do with former Power Ranger series, but they were lost on me. Other than a few obvious ones from the sentai genre in general - like tons of disposable minions and major fights always happening at quarries. :P

Still, from what I saw, I think fans of the original US shows will be pleased with how the movie came out. 

 4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: Between the first car crash and then the van crash, the stunt guys were giving their all! The training fights and later the powered fights were pretty decent. They multi-vehicle fights weren't as good. They should have let the stunt team help with those. :P

Conclusion: Fun fluff film with neat special effects. Fans of the Power Rangers and Japanese sentai shows should find a lot to like. The fact they take the time to introduce the team members will go a long way to making the experience more fulfilling for those new to this genre of film.

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

Movie Review - Logan

Logan

Starring: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Dafne Keen, Boyd Holbrook, Stephen Merchant, Elizabeth Rodriguez, Richard E. Grant, Eriq La Salle, and more.

Directed by: James Mangold Story by: James Mangold Screenplay by: Scott Frank, James Mangold, and Michael Green Cinematography by: John Mathieson Music by: Marco Beltrami 

Premise: It is the year 2029. Mutants are no longer born, the weird mutation died out. Logan and Xavier are old, and neither are in good health. Everything they've lived through seems meaningless now. So when a woman approaches Logan professing to need his help, he's not interested. He's got other things to worry about. But she's not about to let this go. (Rated R)

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Hugh Jackman reprises his role as Wolverine. This is an older, more pessimistic Logan. Hugh Jackman does an incredible job. He gives an excellent performance throughout. You feel his aches and pains, he's so good! :)

Patrick Stewart also reprises his role as Charles Xavier. Though ill, Charles still does his best for his remaining student. Patrick brings all the light and comedic moments to the tale. And he does it so very well! Watching the two of them go back and forth was a lot of fun.

Dafne Keen as Laura is a treat. Not only does she have the Wolverine glare down, but she's also full of little surprises. Boyd Holbrook as Pierce is unexpectedly multifaceted. Though, his prosthetic hand kept trying to steal his spotlight. :P

2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: Lots of nice and subtle special effects in this film. Two of the effects stuck with me. 

The first is the awesome work on Logan's abused body. One look at his face, his shoulders, and arms and you know this is a man who has suffered pain. When you see ooze coming from where his blades previously cut the skin, you know he's in trouble. And when you see his wounds at the clinic - eek!

The second is Pierce's mechanical hand. You would swear it was his true appendage. There's a scene where it's disconnected from the socket. Then he plugs it back in and twirls a small screwdriver. It is such a seamless move that it sells its reality to the audience, even though it truly isn't real. 

Laura's blades and Wolverine's were great. Xavier's unintended attacks, and the paralysis and other problems it invoked, made for a super cool scene in the city. 

Oh and Logan's limo? Priceless! Though it loses the fight with the fence, it makes up for that by bringing it along and using it as a weapon! Sweet!

3) Plot/Story - Total Thumbs Up: When you first realize Wolverine is not well, many fans will be wanting to know why. How could this be? Wolverine is a mutant, and his mutation is regeneration/healing. Oh, it's not a problem with the plot. There is an answer. And you'll have to wait for it! But if you're not paying attention, you might miss it. So when the scientist talks towards the end of the film in the woods, pay attention! It won't make immediate sense to connect it to Logan and what's wrong with him, but if you give it some thought, you'll see that they are. I have to say, the whole idea of it was brilliant! (High fructose corn syrup is the devil! I knew it! Bwahahaha!) 

The general plot is straightforward, with several points being obvious in their direction. But then, when you least expect it, you get a little surprise pop up here and there, throwing in some new angle, some new bit of fun. 

There are a lot of piled layers to the film as well. Regret, guilt, debts, family, reality vs. fantasy, putting one foot in front of the other out of sheer stubbornness. Living each day for a dream that's out of reach just to make it through another day. 

Tons and tons of touching moments. I did find it ironic how Canada is mentioned as a place of safety when for Logan it had been anything but. :P Callisto as a man was also a bit of a surprise. I didn't read the Laura arc in comics so I can't make any comments on that, but I did enjoy it! (I'm a sucker for well-done angst.) :P

4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: This is a film with Wolverine, so a ton of stunts is definitely an expectation, and you won't be disappointed. Tons of hand to hand combat. Watching Wolverine and Laura go at it together is a sight to behold. And all the people involved in Xavier's unintended attack were fab! 

5) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: From the neat hideaway in Mexico to the location of Eden, the farm, and more - they all looked great. The sunset behind the caravan looking for Laura was breathtaking. Some nice view of mountains, tundras, and more. Visually satisfying stuff!

6) Costuming/Makeup - Total Thumbs Up: I enjoyed the care they took with some of the clothing used in the film. Especially with regards to Laura. Mean, tough exterior, yet she showed a softer, girlier side with some of her random choices in eyewear and clothing. It was adorable and added an unexpected layer to her personality. Xavier putting on the hat he buys was such a cute moment!  

One the makeup side, all the work on Hugh Jackman was fabulous! It screams out even more so when we meet an unexpected participant. Made for a striking contrast. 

Conclusion: Logan was a fun and emotional film. Tons of action and more. Some typical moments but lots of non-typical as well. There's also a Deadpool intro before the main movie. Disturbing and too funny all at the same time. lol. 

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

Mind Sieve 1/30/17

Morning!

Short one this week as I had to log into work on Sunday. Boo!

Planetarium Trailer - looks funky! 

Brimstone Trailer - looks harsh! Dang! 

King Arthur Official Trailer # 2 - There's a short one and then a longer one in the same video. Magic looks spiffy!

Have a fun week!

Movie Review - Resident Evil: The Final Chapter

Resident Evil: The Final Chapter

Starring: Milla Jovovich, Iain Glen, Ali Larter, Shawn Roberts, Eoin Macken, Fraser James, Ruby Rose, William Levy, Rola, Ever Anderson, and more.

Directed by: Paul W.S. Anderson Written by: Paul W.S. Anderson Cinematography by: Glen MacPherson Music by: Paul Haslinger 

Premise: Having survived a trap in Washington, D.C. Alice gets contacted by the Red Queen - Umbrella's AI Computer. She warns that in 48 hours the three thousand plus humans left on the surface of the planet will be exterminated. Their only hope is for Alice to come back to the Hive to retrieve the antidote for the T-virus. One the Umbrella Corporation has kept hidden from the world. The ultimate secrets are about to be revealed. (Rated  R)

Review:

1) Acting - Thumbs Up: Familiar and new characters fill the cast. Milla Jovovich, Iain Glen, Ali Larter, and Shawn Roberts reprise their previous roles in the Resident Evil universe. A couple of them get to play more than one. :) Milla Jovovich continues to give Alice some nice layers with what little she's given to work with. Iain Glen looks to have had a lot of most fun playing multiple roles in this one. 

2) Special Effects - Thumbs Up: It's hard to say if it was due to budget cuts or the direction the group was ordered to follow, but some of the filming choices made a lot of the special effects look cheap or mediocre. Which is a shame, because there were some neat effects in there.

The first creature that attacks Alice is filmed in such a way the audience can't get a sense of what it look like. All you see is a blurred, giant blob of flesh. Between all the shaky cam and giggling, weaving viewpoints. They did slightly better with the next creature, but even that one the good glimpses seemed doled out rather than consistent.

Great work on the zombies. The ones hung from a bridge and only reacting when the trucks drove beneath them were an awesome detail. There's one that shows up in the Hive that gave it all he had despite being hung to dry, poor thing. He looked great! 

The Hive itself was fab. The recreations of several familiar places and the transformation of others were well done. The evil laser corridor makes a comeback. Bwahaha! The bridge/walkway coming up out of the water was awesome. 

3) Plot/Story - Thumbs Down: Hubby has loved this franchise since day one. I've gone and seen all of the films with him. Some have been better than others, yet you don't tend to expect too much in that department. The action and special effects are what people truly come for, and they usually deliver quite well on that aspect of things.  This time, though, they failed at both. :(  

The plot was awful. Too much of it was contrived for convenience. No real surprises. 

It was bad enough that the audience gets thrown into the deep end with little explanation. (And with information that doesn't match info previously given in other films!) Then we're "told" Alice survived a trap in D.C. but got to see none of it. New characters are thrown at us, but the audience is given no time to get to know them. Yet we're expected to care when they die...

Alice has 48 hours to get the antidote and save humanity. Yet the story has the characters waste hours upon hours preparing for a coming attack on the human "stronghold" rather than just go to the Hive to save what little of the human race is left. Instead, Alice leaves herself two measly hours to break into and infiltrate a giant underground facility and find the elusive antidote. One that could be locked up anywhere in the facility and not easily accessible. Right...

Wesker's job is to keep people out of the Hive. He knows Alice is coming. He and Isaacs keep talking about doing lockdowns and having all the security primed. So what does he do? He keeps the giant door leading into the hive WIDE OPEN! Even taking into account the supposed "power grid issues" he still had plenty of time to close the thing but doesn't. (What's hilarious about the super convenient "power grid issues" is that if they truly had rolling power outages, all of the people in the cryo tubes would be DEAD!)

Don't get me started on how the "power grid issues" get used to make convenient problems for the infiltrators. Ugh. 

As if the plot issues weren't bad enough, they ruined most of the action shots with shaky cam, blinking lights, wobbly angles and any excuse to not get a good clear shot of the action. Made no sense. You'd get one impressive bit of fighting, then a ton of jerky crap you couldn't keep track of. *sigh*

4) Stunts - Thumbs Up: Lots of stunts and neatly choreographed battle scenes. But they too suffered from the horrible shaky cam, wobbly angles, and strobe light effects. Boo! It was frustrating to get something super cool and then something almost unrecognizable. Double boo!

5) Music - Total Thumbs Up: The one bright spot of the movie was the music. Paul Haslinger's "A Force so Evil" track which is used as the film opens got the blood flowing and built a growing sense of excitement. Too bad the plot and bad filming couldn't follow through on what he created with the score. 

Conclusion: The final installment in the "Resident Evil" saga will not leave a good impression overall. Bad plots might be expected in films like these, but when they muck with the action, they've drained what little fun could be had at all.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Better for Matinee.) 

Movie Review for Underworld: Blood Wars

Underworld

Starring: Kate Beckinsale, Theo James, Tobias Menzies, Lara Pulver, Charles Dance, James Faulkner, Peter Anderson, Clementine Nicholson, Bradley James, and more.

Directed by: Anna Foerster Screenplay by: Cory Goodman Story by: Kyle Ward and Cory Goodman Based on Characters Created by: Kevin Grevioux, Len Wiseman, and Danny McBride Cinematography by: Karl Walter Lindenlaub Music by: Michael Wandmacher

Premise: Having lost her lover, daughter, and family, Selene feels she has no reason for living. Hunted by both werewolves and vampires as they seek her daughter for her blood, they won't believe her when she tells them she doesn't know where she is. Meanwhile, a new leader has risen amongst the werewolves. One whose been able to unite all the tribes and successfully destroyed a number of vampire covens. This could be the ultimate battle for both species. And Selene is once more stuck in the middle of it, whether she wants to be or not. (Rated R)

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Kate Beckinsale reprises her role as the vampire Selene. Her dark, poignant looks are as sharp as ever. Theo James also returns as David. A young vampire Selene saved in the last film, he stands by her side whether she wants his help or not. Lara Pulver is pure gold as the manipulative Semira. Charles Dance and James Faulkner bring their strong presences into the cast giving it some weight. 

2) Special Effects - Thumbs Up: A lot of effects fill the film. Most are quite nice. Several considerably gory. 

The outside area of the northern stronghold, especially the frozen waterfall, was fabulous. The obfuscate skills from the north flowed quite well. And the vampire cocoons were a neat concept.

I couldn't remember from the previous films, but it seems that the werewolves in this franchise get less and less hairy with each movie. Hairless werewolves look less like werewolves and more like muscle heavy people with long muzzles. The vampires too seemed less than they should. They either had elongated teeth all the time or not at all. 

3) Plot/Story - Neutral: At a mere 91 minutes, there's not much time for any real story development. Complications and backgrounds are served at breakneck speeds with no time to savor or absorb them. Character development is minimal. Lots of new enemies that just seem like more of the same because they're not given any real time to prove they're in any way different from the rest. 

To increase the blood and carnage, both the werewolves and the vampires seem to lose a lot of their powers. Their sense of enhanced smell, strength, and more. A lot of wounds that should repair themselves in moments don't heal at all. (Not every blade would have poison on it.) The touch of the sun and the UV bullets now kill instantaneously. Selene and Varga's cage match showed potential for cool combat skills the vampires never once use on their werewolf enemies. 

A lot of the motivations seem concocted and convenient. Without building the characters some of the things they do make no sense. Thomas knows Semira and her techniques, yet ignores what he knows and makes some of what follows hollow. Varga's explanations for his actions late in the film are completely belied by his previous actions, but no one seems to notice. (And when do you put someone in a room as a prisoner without removing all the weapons? As if this huge place wouldn't have a set of cells!) 

It's also never good when you repeatedly tell the audience how impossible something is, and yet it's taken care of easily. Worse, once the vampires realize what has been done, they do nothing to correct the issue and get the benefit of added security instead of being massacred. Oh well. 

 4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: Lots of hand-to-hand combat. Sword fights, gun fights, and combinations of those and more. The choreography from the battles was overall well done.

5) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: The gorgeous vistas, especially when they go north, almost make up for the plot issues. The shots from the train over the mountains were fantastic! The frozen lake with the northern lights behind them was a beautiful sight. I loved the shots of the frozen waterfall.

6) Costuming/Makeup - Total Thumbs Up: Selene wears her signature corset, leathers, and long coat. Later things get shaken up a little with some contrast changes. All the southern vampires are emo to the max. It made for a huge contrast when we're introduced to the northern coven. A strange ying and yang effect. I loved the touch of Viking and Valkyrie influence on the northern group, especially for Lena.

Conclusion: If you love watching Selene kick buns, and some gorgeous cinematography, you'll enjoy the film. Just don't expect much else. 

Rating: 3.25 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Better For Matinee) 

Mind Sieve 1/2/17

Morning, all!

The weather has been flip-flopping here for weeks. Head colds and sinus issues have been prevalent. Ugh. 

Despicable Me 3 Trailer #1 - YES! And an 80's themed bad guy. ROFL!

Rogue One Moments Only True Fans Understood - I caught a lot of these but not all. So fun! 

Taboo Trailer BBC One - could be interesting!

Starcraft Movie Trailer - oh my! 

Stay healthy out there!

Movie Review - Assassin's Creed

Assassin's Creed

Starring: Michael Fassbender, Marion Cotillard, Jeremy Irons, Brendan Gleeson, Charlotte Rampling, Michael Kenneth Williams, Denis Ménochet, Ariane Labed, and more.

Directed by: Justin Kurzel Screenplay by: Michael Lesslie, Adam Cooper, and Bill Collage Based on the Video Game Series Created by: Patrick Désilets, Corey May, and Jade Raymond Music by: Jed Kurzel Cinematography by: Adam Arkapaw

Premise: Cal Lynch was sentenced to death for killing a pimp. Except instead of dying, he finds himself in Spain rather than Texas. Due to his DNA, he's been picked up for a research program. One that taps into his genetic memory. The Institute is using this research not only to study violent behavior but also to find clues as to the whereabouts of the Apple of Eden. A prize that has been pursued by the Templars and the Assassin's Creed for centuries. The stakes are higher than Cal would ever guess. (Rated PG-13)

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Michael Fasbender does a great job with the double role of Cal and his 14th-century ancestor Aguilar. The two characters are polarized in different directions. It's fun to see the two figuratively and literally face off against each other and what drives them. Marion Cotillard as Sofia was also an interesting character. She's a brilliant scientist, yet is mostly blind as to what her research is being used for and her father's real goals. Jeremy Irons is masterful as ever. A charismatic man with giant agendas who doesn't care who and what he uses to achieve his goals.

2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: Lots of lovely and subtle touches from the special effect's team. In the game, the eagle is a symbol of the Assassin's Creed (since it is a bird of prey) and is used in several sequences. For the film, they expanded on this and used the eagle in both the present and the past. I thought it made for a beautiful tie between the two men and a nice sprinkle of mysticism besides. 

The recreations of the ancient cities were wonderful. They even made sure to add in the towers and a lot of the look and feel of the original game. 

The concept of the Animus, a virtual reality machine used to project the genetic memory of the subject, was altered somewhat to make it more cinematic. Still, I thought it was great! The 3D visual representations as seen by the doctor and techs gave everything a ghostly, haunting quality, while for Cal being in the past was solid reality. 

3) Plot/Story - Thumbs Up: You get a little backstory on Cal, which serves to help the audience understand him. It's also used to set up some reveals further on. In general, I felt the plot was pretty straight forward with few surprises. That might also be because I know a little about the franchise. (Got to play the original game years ago - though I didn't get far. The baud rate on the main character's white room at the institute was low. So it would make me very dizzy, even though no one was moving!) 

Some neat explorations of free will, violence, even faith. There's even some fun mysticism thrown in for flavor. Magic, technology, God, the audience is left to draw their own conclusions.

4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: The film has a lot of cool CGI and regular stunt work. Watching the assassins run through the old streets and roofs of Madrid was a lot of fun. Lots of hand-to-hand combat. 

5) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: The film was shot in the UK, Malta, and Spain. The flavors of the locations come through in both the past and present. The cinematography throughout was excellent, taking total advantage of the sites. Several scenes are from just behind a flying eagle, and they were gorgeous. 

One neat section went from a painting depicting a scene in 1492 to later diving into the location back in time. Lovely! 

Conclusion: "Assassin's Creed" is a fun action film with some history and mysticism thrown in for flavor. While not exactly like the game, it keeps the most important points and makes for a satisfying ride.

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

Movie Review - Passengers

Passengers

Starring: Chris Pratt, Jennifer Lawrence, Michael Sheen, Laurence Fishburne, Julee Cerda, Aurora Perrineau, Andy Garcia, Vince Foster, Kara Flowers, Conor Brophy, and more.

Directed by: Morten Tyldum Written by: Jon Spaihts Cinematography by: Rodrigo Prieto Music by: Thomas Newman

Premise: The colony ship Avalon is on route to Homestead II. It's carrying 5,000 passengers and 258 crew all in suspended animation for the 120-year trip. 30 years in, the ship encounters an asteroid field. One of the asteroids is massive enough that it breaks into pieces when hitting the ship's shields rather than be vaporized. The ship sustains some seemingly minor damage it is able to repair. However, a chip on one of the hibernation pods shorts out, and the passenger is awakened. Something which has never occurred in the history of the company. And something the ship was never programmed to handle. So Jim Preston finds himself alone, with 90 years of the journey still to go. His only companion in a ship of over 5,000 people, a semi-intelligent bartender android. And the ship wasn't actually able to repair all the damage... And it can only hold out so long. (Rated PG-13)

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence did outstanding work in film. They also have great chemistry together. Something that's crucial since for 95% of the movie they are the only ones carrying it forward. Chris gave real emotional weight to Jim's problems when he first wakes up alone and later when he battles himself over a major decision. Jennifer Lawrence also runs the gambit once she's brought awake, and again later when she learns a horrifying truth. Michael Sheen is fabulous. His portrayal of Arthur as the semi-intelligent android and the passenger's only available outlet was top notch. You could almost see his programming struggling to do more and to understand more than his software could handle. Laurence Fishburne also added a lot as Gus Mancuso. The whole cast was fantastic.

2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: Lots to love with regards to the special effects. The Avalon is a gorgeous ship! Self-repairing, auto maintaining, and so beautiful. A lot of care is taken on scope and view angles. When Jim goes on his first spacewalk, his position feels stationary as everything around him is spinning. In reality, though, the two are swapped. (Don't watch the surrounding stars for too long as it will make you dizzy!) Tons of lovely attention to detail!

The Dance Dance Revolution type game was hilarious. And all the 3D holograms and interactive systems looked great. The pool area was fab. And what they do with it when gravity fails at one point was awesome.

The gorgeous views of the universe, and especially the gas giant, will make you feel it's those who are asleep that are missing everything and not those who are awake. A lot of fantastic visuals. Totally worth the 3D price.

3) Plot/Story - Thumbs Up: True science fiction is more than just about spaceships, aliens, and weapons. It's a medium for exploring human behavior, the human condition. "Passengers" definitely explores several levels of both. They also have fun playing with the hubris of corporations and how nature and Murphy's Law care nothing about it. lol. 

The science is, for the most part, solid as well. So that's a bonus. Though the film does take a few things to unbelievable extremes. The spacesuits in the Avalon are beyond miraculous - heat shield or no heat shield. The autodoc is too, once you get past the pesky restrictions. lol.

The film is a combination of "Silent Running," "Robinson Crusoe," "Cast Away," and more. It's also a great date movie. These are things to keep in mind as it will probably not resonate with some viewer's expectations. Hubby and I, however, were quite pleased.

One bit that gets done wrong or is misleading in way too many movies is the act of writing. Aurora is a journalist and a writer. And they show her just speaking out her thoughts and the computer typing them for her on a screen. While that's all well and good, the part they do not cover is EDITING! You can just jumble stuff down on paper, but NEVER is that the final product. NEVER! You have to go over it, prune it, add to it, change it, make sure it flows, that it makes sense, that it's legible. Even this movie review is not just typed and posted. Editing happens to it too! Gasp, wheeze, breathe. *Ahem*

The fabulous acting, gorgeous vistas, and well thought out scenarios will help audiences overlook the overstretched items. And some little things did show a lot of thought. At one point we see Jim drawing on the deck for something he's working on. And he thought it through thoroughly. Many will probably miss it, but what he does is a real achievement, especially since he's trying to avoid damaging any systems. You'll know it when you see it. 

4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: From about the middle to the end of the film there are several scenes with stunts. And most look to have been done by the actors! They meshed quite nicely with the CGI of what was going on around them. Great job!

5) Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: I believe that between "Prometheus," "Avatar," and "Guardians of the Galaxy" that other films' visual effects and cinematography have a high bar to compete against. "Passengers" works hard to get near the three. The spanning space shots. The views of different parts of the ship. The gas giant, the asteroid field, and more are presented in fabulous ways. There are even some beautiful gas clouds during the end credits that take full advantage of the 3D. Nice!

Make sure to take a good look at the end of the film when the crew awakens and goes into the main concourse! It's super fast but super cool. And there are so many details it's hard to take them all in before it goes away!

Conclusion: Whether you go see "Passengers" for date night or for social SF or just the cool visuals, the film is definitely worth it. Add in a little suspension of disbelief at a couple of places, and you're in for a treat.

Rating: 3.75 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price to See Again)