Justin and I saw X-Men: Apocalypse on May 29, 2016! This movie is epic in every sense of the word! It was an excellent addition to the X-Men franchise. In my opinion, the X-Men: First Class trilogy is the best trilogy in comic book movie history. The movie had a great mix of story & intense, dark action that was perfect for the tone of the movie.
Apocalypse is one of the biggest threats in the X-Men universe. He has caused so much destruction around the world. He's not somebody that is just against humans. He's against anybody that he deems weak, which includes mutants. The premise of the movie focuses on the potential of all mutants and how powerful they can be. Oscar Isaac's work as Apocalypse was excellent. He is one of the best actors in the industry. His take on the character made him truly menacing. He knows how to manipulate those around him to follow commands. I like his speech about following blind leaders. Isaac really helped the audience to understand Apocalypse's motivation. He is an intimidating presence that has unlimited power, because of the souls he has amassed over the year. He's basically absorbed other powers to become a supreme mutant. That is the reason he has a mutated voice. It's the voices of all the souls. It's a fitting villain for a final movie in a trilogy. As he's marching with his Four Horsemen (Magneto, Storm, Psylocke, Archangel), you just feel intidimidated.
James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender are incredible as Charles Xavier and Magneto. Fassbender's Magneto in general makes you understand his struggle with humanity. He has suffered so much pain since he was a boy. McAvoy's Xavier shows you his struggle with his message of helping humanity, but also shows his hope that mutants and humans can live together in harmony. By opening Xavier's School for Gifted Youth, he is trying to help mutants hone their abilities to help mankind. Their performances have deep layers and create complex characters that are interesting to study.
Sophie Turner's Jean Grey was really well done. Turner's performance showed the complexity of Jean Grey. We see how events around the world affect her. The movie shows that her power is truly unlimited and exceedingly dangerous. I really liked how the movie focused on the fact that she is the most powerful mutant in the X-Men universe. She's a Class 5 mutant, which is more powerful than Xavier. Her telepathy is on a different level. Jean Grey has always been one of my favorite characters. It was great in general to see young versions of X-Men characters we know like Cyclops, Storm, & Nightcrawler as well. I thought both Tye Sheridan, Alexandra Shipp, and Kodi Smit-McPhee did well with these roles. Sheridan shows a Cyclops that matures over time to become the leader of the X-Men. Shipp uses her respect for Mystique to make a difference. We watch how important Nightcrawler is in terms of saving the X-Men as well as his religious beliefs (which works really well for this movie based on the antagonist). It's also great to see more layers added to Nicholas Hoult's Beast. I also think Jennifer Lawrence's Mystique was developed better than ever here. Lawrence was on both sides of the fence here, ultimately choosing loyalty to Charles and Eric over everything. She also realizes the true potential of the X-Men. The whole movie is about realizing potential, so this is great. That's her journey-to accept her role as a mutant and a leader of the X-Men.
Some of the best scenes in comic book movie history are on display here. Apocalypse taking over Charles Xavier's mind, Quicksilver's rescue, Alkali Lake (great connection to X2 with a fun cameo by Wolverine), Apocalypse's formation of his Horsemen, the incredible telepathic battle between Xavier & Apocalypse, and the huge final battle between Jean Grey & Apocalypse (which results in a fun surprirse for fans that know what happens when Jean really taps into her power) are all incredibly well done. The battle scenes are brilliant. There is raw emotion in these scenes. You feel the emotion when Magneto looks into Raven (Mystique's) eyes. You see the physical and mental exhaustion on Xavier's face as he battles Apocalypse. Every scene flows well and creates an epic final battle which ultimately finds a way to incorporate each character well. Everybody gets a chance to shine in some ways. What you're seeing during this final battle is the true formation of the X-Men. Each member of the team is working together to take down a huge threat to the security of the world. It's incredible to watch.
The battle scenes loaded with intense, dark emotion, the complexity of each character, the performances of the cast, and the writing and directing by Bryan Singer make this one of the best movies of 2016, and one of the all time great comic book movies. It's an amazing movie capping off a tremendous trilogy. It's a definite 5/5 for me.
Monday, May 30, 2016
Sunday, May 22, 2016
The Nice Guys Review
Justin and I saw The Nice Guys on May 22, 2016! This is definitely one of the best movies of 2016, and honestly, one of the better movies in the last few years. It was a great mix of mystery, action, comedy, and dynamic characters.
This movie reminded me of Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (which is one of the most underrated movies of all time IMO). It makes sense as Shane Black wrote and directed this. The movie gives us a very intricate plot where every little detail connects in some way: whether it's pornography, the environment, or even Richard Nixon. This movie has brilliant writing throughout. The dialogue is intelligent. There are never any slow moments in this movie. Each piece of the movie flows. The characters constantly keep us invested in the story.
I think Ryan Gosling's work as Holland March is my favorite male performance of the year thus far. His work as the down on his luck private investigator was a fantastic character study. His imbecility blended with his drive to prove his worth to those around him, including his daughter, Holly is a great story. Much like Kiss Kiss Bang Bang his investigation eventually connects with Russell Crowe's brute of a character Jackson Healey. He also is on a mission to prove his worth where he truly belongs in society. Crowe was phenomenal here. He might have unorthodox, intense ways to get information, but at the same time he is doing these things for the right reason. I think the chemistry with Gosling and Crowe is excellent. They never missed a beat. The dialogue between them was timed perfectly. They shared tremendous comedic and dramatic scenes together. I think Angourie Rice also deserves a lot of praise for her work as Holly. She was the glue that held this team together through everything. She is intelligent and helps her father and Jackson each step of the way.
The action sequences are so well done. They are so over the top, but with the nature of the different stories going on it worked so well. The brutality in the action sequences was necessary for the tone of the movie. Everything was timed perfectly. The auto show scenes keep you on the edge of your seat. The scenes at Sid Shaddick's mansion are some of the best movie moments of 2016. Both Holland & Jackson's journey has a great ending that both deserve. The bumps and bruises accumulated along the way are necessary for them to feel whole. It also helps Holland become closer to Holly, which I really liked. Jackson also bonds with Holly in his own way which was great for Jackson's character.
I highly recommend this movie. The excellent characters, the dialogue, the action sequences, the genuine comedy, the dramatic elements, the cast in general, and the tremendous writing and directing gets a definite 5/5 from me. This is the type of movie we go to the theaters for.
This movie reminded me of Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (which is one of the most underrated movies of all time IMO). It makes sense as Shane Black wrote and directed this. The movie gives us a very intricate plot where every little detail connects in some way: whether it's pornography, the environment, or even Richard Nixon. This movie has brilliant writing throughout. The dialogue is intelligent. There are never any slow moments in this movie. Each piece of the movie flows. The characters constantly keep us invested in the story.
I think Ryan Gosling's work as Holland March is my favorite male performance of the year thus far. His work as the down on his luck private investigator was a fantastic character study. His imbecility blended with his drive to prove his worth to those around him, including his daughter, Holly is a great story. Much like Kiss Kiss Bang Bang his investigation eventually connects with Russell Crowe's brute of a character Jackson Healey. He also is on a mission to prove his worth where he truly belongs in society. Crowe was phenomenal here. He might have unorthodox, intense ways to get information, but at the same time he is doing these things for the right reason. I think the chemistry with Gosling and Crowe is excellent. They never missed a beat. The dialogue between them was timed perfectly. They shared tremendous comedic and dramatic scenes together. I think Angourie Rice also deserves a lot of praise for her work as Holly. She was the glue that held this team together through everything. She is intelligent and helps her father and Jackson each step of the way.
The action sequences are so well done. They are so over the top, but with the nature of the different stories going on it worked so well. The brutality in the action sequences was necessary for the tone of the movie. Everything was timed perfectly. The auto show scenes keep you on the edge of your seat. The scenes at Sid Shaddick's mansion are some of the best movie moments of 2016. Both Holland & Jackson's journey has a great ending that both deserve. The bumps and bruises accumulated along the way are necessary for them to feel whole. It also helps Holland become closer to Holly, which I really liked. Jackson also bonds with Holly in his own way which was great for Jackson's character.
I highly recommend this movie. The excellent characters, the dialogue, the action sequences, the genuine comedy, the dramatic elements, the cast in general, and the tremendous writing and directing gets a definite 5/5 from me. This is the type of movie we go to the theaters for.
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