Justin and I saw Power Rangers on March 25, 2017! Growing up in the 90s, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers was one of the most intriguing things to be a fan of. Luckily, I grew up with the original era of Power Rangers, which is what this movie is based off of. Power Rangers was always a constant favorite among me and my brothers. We watched the series, we saw the movies, & we went to the Radio City: Power Rangers Live special on stage. We had the figures, the zords, etc. I have been waiting for years for a new version of Power Rangers borrowing influence from the original MMPR storyline. In 2017, it was high time that Power Rangers was made in a new light, with a more serious tone, and the results were simply amazing!
This movie is split perfectly. The first hour delves into character development & storytelling that make us care about the characters: Jason, Kimberly, Billy, Trini (don't call me Didi), & Zack. The second hour provides fans with incredible Rangers action.
The overall acting in this was really well done. Dacre Montgomery, Naomi Scott, & RJ Cyler have the most character development of the five, however, Becky G (who I've been a fan of for years as I like her music) & Ludi Lin were fantastic in their roles as well. Each of the characters has an interesting back story to make you care more about them. I think Cyler gave the best performance as Billy (he really gets to you on an emotional level in so many scenes), but Naomi Scott as Kimberly & Dacre Montgomery as Jason were simply excellent in developing their characters and making their characters feel real. Becky G gave more depth to the Trini character, and reshaped it into a new version of the character. Great work on her part! I loved how sassy she was throughout the movie. Lin was kind of the comedic glue of the five, which makes sense as Zack was usually like that in the series. Each of the characters has complexity & flaws, which makes them easier to identify with. I felt like these five actually were friends on screen. They were all different in their own ways, but they also were able to put that aside to come together for the greater good. Elizabeth Banks did so well shaping the Rita Repulsa character. This Rita was more cerebral, and so much darker than we're used to. Banks played it over the top, which worked so well as that's how Rita is in general. I was really impressed with the performances in this movie. Everybody made each character come off the screen, and put their all into shaping the characters for a new generation.
The battle sequences were simply excellent. The morphing sequences, the zords, the battle with Goldar & Rita, etc. were all amazing to watch on screen. Everything resembled the original series, but had a little bit of an updated twist to it that worked extremely well. The graphics looked great, and the battles felt like a real struggle. The zord battle with Goldar and Rita is one of the most incredible sequences you'll find. The zords charging forward as the Power Rangers theme blasted through the theater was a truly awesome moment.The Megazord looked awesome and was the perfect symbol to show that these five started from total strangers with nothing in common (except, for the fact that they are ostracized by those around them) into close friends that happen to save the world.
Great performances by Dacre Montgomery, Naomi Scott, RJ Cyler, Becky G, Ludi Lin, & Elizabeth Banks, excellent character development, amazing graphics for the Ranger outfits and the Zords, awesome battle sequences, and the ability for a Power Rangers movie to make you shed a tear make this a definite 5/5! Easily one of my favorite movies of 2017! Look out for some cameos at the end of the battle scene! Also, there's an end credit scene that definitely looks like it's setting up for a sequel! I can't wait to get this on DVD!
Saturday, March 25, 2017
Thursday, March 23, 2017
Beauty and the Beast Review
Justin and I saw Beauty and the Beast on March 23, 2017! I wanted to see this over the weekend, but every theater around me was sold out. I've always been a fan of Disney animated movies. If I had to rank my Top 5 animated movies, I'd say Beauty and the Beast is my second favorite after The Little Mermaid, with Aladdin, The Lion King, and Hercules rounding out the Top 5. I was so excited to finally see this movie today, and after seeing it, I liked it even more than I was anticipating. It's definitely one of my favorite movies of 2017! Beauty and the Beast has always held a special place in my heart, because, it makes me think of my mom and dad. Belle is my mother & The Beast is my father! I always joke about it with my brothers, but it's how I feel when I watch the characters interact. Also, I saw the play they have at the MGM theme park in Orlando, and I think of my mother singing Beauty and the Beast at the top of her lungs to annoy a woman in front of her, because she kept giving nasty looks at me and my brothers, Jake & Justin. Much like Belle, Mom is/was fearless. Much like The Beast, my dad is loud, sometimes temperamental, but has a great heart and does everything he can to protect those closest to him. Don't mess with him!
The new live action movie borrows influence from the 1946 fairy tale, the 1991 animated movie, and the Broadway play. It combines all of these elements into a magical adventure that does Beauty and the Beast justice. I'm definitely considering picking up the soundtrack and the commemorative Beast & Belle dolls for this movie.
I think the cast did a phenomenal job all around. I think everybody that knows me is aware how big of an Emma Watson fan I am. Here she is once again bringing life to a favorite character of mine in Belle. What an excellent performance in terms of acting and singing. I was blown away by her voice in Belle/Provincial Life. I liked how fealess they made Belle. While Belle has always been a fearless character, Emma Watson and Bill Condon took it a step further. She's such a proper, sophisticated, talented actress! Paige O'Hara even acknowledged Watson playing her as a great choice.
I loved the design of the Beast. The CGI never bothered me. At times, they even made the CGI look like actual prosthetics and make-up. I thought they matched the voice of The Beast from the animated movie extremely well. The Beast looked intimidating, and was a great composite of two forms of the finished Beast in the animated movie. The dancing sequence with The Beast & Belle was choreographed well, and the costumes were exquisitely made.
Luke Evans & Josh Gad did a fantastic job as Gaston & Lefou respectively. Evans seemed to really get into the character, which is great, because Gaston is supposed to be over the top. Gad was humorous and provided more depth to the Lefou character than we're used to, which I liked. His interactions with Emma Watson were great. Other supporting cast members like Ian McKellen, Emma Thompson, & Ewan McGregor provided great voices for Cogsworth, Mrs. Potts, & Lumiere.
Watching this movie, I can recall scenes straight from the animated movie. It was fun sitting back and watch them unfold in live action. I think Belle/Provincial Life, Be Our Guest, & Something There were performed really well. They were fun, and made you think about those memorable scenes. The battle with the enchanted objects vs. the villagers, and the scenes with Beast, Belle, & Gaston on the castle balcony were really well done. They expertly used the CGI and live action and created a visual masterpiece.
The performances, the music, the effects of the castle & the enchanted objects, the interwoven stories, the costumes, and the overall aura of Beauty and the Beast make this a definite 5/5 for me. I thoroughly enjoyed this.
The new live action movie borrows influence from the 1946 fairy tale, the 1991 animated movie, and the Broadway play. It combines all of these elements into a magical adventure that does Beauty and the Beast justice. I'm definitely considering picking up the soundtrack and the commemorative Beast & Belle dolls for this movie.
I think the cast did a phenomenal job all around. I think everybody that knows me is aware how big of an Emma Watson fan I am. Here she is once again bringing life to a favorite character of mine in Belle. What an excellent performance in terms of acting and singing. I was blown away by her voice in Belle/Provincial Life. I liked how fealess they made Belle. While Belle has always been a fearless character, Emma Watson and Bill Condon took it a step further. She's such a proper, sophisticated, talented actress! Paige O'Hara even acknowledged Watson playing her as a great choice.
I loved the design of the Beast. The CGI never bothered me. At times, they even made the CGI look like actual prosthetics and make-up. I thought they matched the voice of The Beast from the animated movie extremely well. The Beast looked intimidating, and was a great composite of two forms of the finished Beast in the animated movie. The dancing sequence with The Beast & Belle was choreographed well, and the costumes were exquisitely made.
Luke Evans & Josh Gad did a fantastic job as Gaston & Lefou respectively. Evans seemed to really get into the character, which is great, because Gaston is supposed to be over the top. Gad was humorous and provided more depth to the Lefou character than we're used to, which I liked. His interactions with Emma Watson were great. Other supporting cast members like Ian McKellen, Emma Thompson, & Ewan McGregor provided great voices for Cogsworth, Mrs. Potts, & Lumiere.
Watching this movie, I can recall scenes straight from the animated movie. It was fun sitting back and watch them unfold in live action. I think Belle/Provincial Life, Be Our Guest, & Something There were performed really well. They were fun, and made you think about those memorable scenes. The battle with the enchanted objects vs. the villagers, and the scenes with Beast, Belle, & Gaston on the castle balcony were really well done. They expertly used the CGI and live action and created a visual masterpiece.
The performances, the music, the effects of the castle & the enchanted objects, the interwoven stories, the costumes, and the overall aura of Beauty and the Beast make this a definite 5/5 for me. I thoroughly enjoyed this.
Saturday, March 4, 2017
Logan Review
Justin and I saw Logan on March 4, 2017! When it comes to Marvel, the only universe I truly like is X-Men! Wolverine is in my Top 5 superheroes of all time! The X-Men trilogies are two of my favorite superhero movie installments. What Logan accomplishes is transcendence from a comic book movie to an action adventure, modern day western incorporating elements of the X-Men storyline based off the Old Man Logan comics. This is an amazing achievement in comic book movies, and is easily the best movie of 2017 thus far.
Hugh Jackman has done an amazing job in the role of Logan/Wolverine since 2000. Seventeen years in the role has shown Jackman make the character an extension of himself. In X-Men, Wolverine seems invincible due to his accelerated healing and adamantium skeleton. In Logan, we see a completely different side of him. He's battered, broken, vulnerable, and suffering with every step physically and emotionally. This was a performance that I personally would nominate for a Golden Globe or Oscar. Forget that it's labelled a comic book movie. Jackman's work in this movie really hits you hard. He's trying to navigate through the world feeling what human beings feel on regular basis: pain. He's struggling to deal with that. He's struggling with his health. You have to remember that nobody quite knows how old Wolverine really is. His bones, even with the adamantium skeleton, would be extremely brittle by 2029, which is the year this movie takes place. It's a performance that really combined the anger and rage brought out by his mutant side blended with the compassion and loving side in his human heart. It's a layered, complete performance that was the perfect swansong for the character. He has a mission of protecting Laura Kinney, Charles Xavier, and the future of mutants throughout this movie, while maintaining his health and sanity.
Where Logan is the focal point, we can't discount Patrick Stewart's performance as Charles Xavier. He was great in the original trilogy, and Days of Future Past, but his work here was some of the best work of his career. Xavier acts as a father figure for Logan. We watch Xavier suffer much like Logan is. He's the one telling Logan how to cope. He's the one telling him he still has a purpose (protecting the next generation of mutants and taking them to Eden), even if he's hard on him throughout the movie. He knows there's more to Logan, and it's been that way ever since he stepped into Professor Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. Logan has actually cared for Xavier more than any of his pupils in my opinion. While somebody like Cyclops or Storm were leaders and listened to his advice, Logan always showed how much he cared by coming back to the mansion or what he's currently doing making sure Xavier doesn't suffer in his older years. I like their bond. It makes sense that both would get frustrated at each other, but at the same time love each other to their core. You can sense it on all fronts.
Jackman was excellent. Stewart was excellent. However, the person that stole the show for me was Dafne Keen as Laura Kinney a.k.a. X23! This young actress came on the screen with such presence and fire that everybody in the theater was immediately enthralled. She already has a life time of pain and anger built up in her young life. The expression on her face tells us this. Her movements are quick and sudden, with deadly purpose. Each movement is necessary to protect herself and those around her. She's a survivor-extremely resourceful and extremely intelligent and assessing the situations around her. She has so many elements of Logan in her, but at the same time, her core is not as damaged as Logan. She is a brilliant, young actress that has a bright future. I was so amazed by her interactions with Jackman and Stewart. To me, it felt like a little family working together. You had Keen acting as the fragile daughter, Jackman acting as the father, and Stewart as the grandfather. There was so much natural chemistry between them. Everything just seemed to come naturally for Dafne. I loved the dialogue scenes with her and Jackman. I was really into their conversations in the car on the road to Eden, and during the finale of the movie (which absolutely brought me to tears).
This is a movie where performances of our heroes were some of the best you'll find in any comic book related movie. The action sequences were excellent-brilliantly choreographed, with magnificent brutality. The slice and dice combination of Wolverine & X23 is amazing to watch unfold whether it's in the compound at the beginning, the farm, or in the woods. I think they did a brilliant job of incorporating some subtle comedic elements-such as the dinner scene. I was laughing so much at Laura eating her potatoes with her hand, and Logan handing her a fork. This is an in your face, serious comic book movie that gives Marvel an edge that it sorely needed.
The performances, the action sequences, the mission, the dialogue, and the overall intense nature of Logan makes this a 5/5. It's one of those movies that will make you feel so many emotions-you'll laugh and you'll damn sure cry at what you see. I definitely did at least 3 times watching this. It's just an amazing movie that hit all the points it was supposed to and then some!
Hugh Jackman has done an amazing job in the role of Logan/Wolverine since 2000. Seventeen years in the role has shown Jackman make the character an extension of himself. In X-Men, Wolverine seems invincible due to his accelerated healing and adamantium skeleton. In Logan, we see a completely different side of him. He's battered, broken, vulnerable, and suffering with every step physically and emotionally. This was a performance that I personally would nominate for a Golden Globe or Oscar. Forget that it's labelled a comic book movie. Jackman's work in this movie really hits you hard. He's trying to navigate through the world feeling what human beings feel on regular basis: pain. He's struggling to deal with that. He's struggling with his health. You have to remember that nobody quite knows how old Wolverine really is. His bones, even with the adamantium skeleton, would be extremely brittle by 2029, which is the year this movie takes place. It's a performance that really combined the anger and rage brought out by his mutant side blended with the compassion and loving side in his human heart. It's a layered, complete performance that was the perfect swansong for the character. He has a mission of protecting Laura Kinney, Charles Xavier, and the future of mutants throughout this movie, while maintaining his health and sanity.
Where Logan is the focal point, we can't discount Patrick Stewart's performance as Charles Xavier. He was great in the original trilogy, and Days of Future Past, but his work here was some of the best work of his career. Xavier acts as a father figure for Logan. We watch Xavier suffer much like Logan is. He's the one telling Logan how to cope. He's the one telling him he still has a purpose (protecting the next generation of mutants and taking them to Eden), even if he's hard on him throughout the movie. He knows there's more to Logan, and it's been that way ever since he stepped into Professor Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. Logan has actually cared for Xavier more than any of his pupils in my opinion. While somebody like Cyclops or Storm were leaders and listened to his advice, Logan always showed how much he cared by coming back to the mansion or what he's currently doing making sure Xavier doesn't suffer in his older years. I like their bond. It makes sense that both would get frustrated at each other, but at the same time love each other to their core. You can sense it on all fronts.
Jackman was excellent. Stewart was excellent. However, the person that stole the show for me was Dafne Keen as Laura Kinney a.k.a. X23! This young actress came on the screen with such presence and fire that everybody in the theater was immediately enthralled. She already has a life time of pain and anger built up in her young life. The expression on her face tells us this. Her movements are quick and sudden, with deadly purpose. Each movement is necessary to protect herself and those around her. She's a survivor-extremely resourceful and extremely intelligent and assessing the situations around her. She has so many elements of Logan in her, but at the same time, her core is not as damaged as Logan. She is a brilliant, young actress that has a bright future. I was so amazed by her interactions with Jackman and Stewart. To me, it felt like a little family working together. You had Keen acting as the fragile daughter, Jackman acting as the father, and Stewart as the grandfather. There was so much natural chemistry between them. Everything just seemed to come naturally for Dafne. I loved the dialogue scenes with her and Jackman. I was really into their conversations in the car on the road to Eden, and during the finale of the movie (which absolutely brought me to tears).
This is a movie where performances of our heroes were some of the best you'll find in any comic book related movie. The action sequences were excellent-brilliantly choreographed, with magnificent brutality. The slice and dice combination of Wolverine & X23 is amazing to watch unfold whether it's in the compound at the beginning, the farm, or in the woods. I think they did a brilliant job of incorporating some subtle comedic elements-such as the dinner scene. I was laughing so much at Laura eating her potatoes with her hand, and Logan handing her a fork. This is an in your face, serious comic book movie that gives Marvel an edge that it sorely needed.
The performances, the action sequences, the mission, the dialogue, and the overall intense nature of Logan makes this a 5/5. It's one of those movies that will make you feel so many emotions-you'll laugh and you'll damn sure cry at what you see. I definitely did at least 3 times watching this. It's just an amazing movie that hit all the points it was supposed to and then some!
Sunday, February 26, 2017
89th Academy Awards Preview
This Sunday February 26, 2017 will be the return of an event that I look forward to each year for the dedication to cinema and the pageantry and tradition of what the event has meant since 1927. This year marks the 89th installment of this event and it should be an interesting night. What I will do is post the main awards nominees: Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Director-these are the six I feel are the important ones, though I am always interested in Best Costumes, Best Score/Original Song, Best Visual Effects and Best Make-Up, they aren't necessarily the most important ones-just ones that interest me. I will post the ones I THINK/FEEL will win in bold. I will post the ones I WANT to win in italics. Keep in mind in one or more of these categories there may be one and the same for think and want. Then I will provide some commentary on my thoughts on the nominees involved. I will talk mostly about the choices I selected rather than discussing each nominee as I usually do as I didn't have the time. I needed to write something for my readers, though.
Best Picture:
Arrival
Fences
Hacksaw Ridge
Hell or High Water
Hidden Figures
La La Land
Lion
Manchester by the Sea
Moonlight
Best Picture:
Arrival
Fences
Hacksaw Ridge
Hell or High Water
Hidden Figures
La La Land
Lion
Manchester by the Sea
Moonlight
I think Moonlight is a poweful movie portraying social issues of the day. It creates some intriguing characters set amidst the backdrop of dangerous neighborhoods in Miami The first two acts are well done overall. The inclusion of Juan's character holds the first act together nicely, and Chiron & Kevin's relationship helps the second act. However, I thought the movie itself fell flat in the third act and took away everything that was working in the first two acts. I absolutely loved La La Land. The movie is colorful. People pushing through obstacles to achieve their dreams is inspiring, and the music is excellent.
Best Actor:
Casey Affleck-Manchester by the Sea
Andrew Garfield-Hacksaw Ridge
Ryan Gosling-La La Land
Viggo Mortensen-Captain Fantastic
Denzel Washington-Fences
Is Denzel Washington a great actor? Absolutely! His performance as Private Trip in Glory remains one of my all time favorite roles. Who could forget his excellent work as Alonzo Harris in Training Day that saw him take home Best Actor in 2001. However, do I think he should win for Fences? To be perfectly honest, I would say not quite.. I felt he gave a fantastic performance, but this is a role that basically felt like Washington was going through the motions. While it's based on a play which means there's already established dialogue in some form, you have to try to make the lines stand out and make the audience feel like they're immersed in a movie. I never felt that way with this performance. I think he deserves the nomination, though, because it's Denzel! Casey Affleck's work in Manchester by the Sea is amazing to watch. It's a depressing movie, but Affleck really captures the melancholy nature of the movie. The events of the movie show why Lee Chandler is how he is. That burning house scene still sticks with me. It was an excellent performance showing that Affleck is one of the best the industry has seen. He's always been a gifted actor, and it's great seeing him recognized for it. Recent news might derail him from winning, but he ultimately deserves to win for how much he put of himself into this role.
Best Actress:
Isabelle Huppert-Elle
Ruth Negga-Loving
Natalie Portman-Jackie
Emma Stone-La La Land
Meryl Streep-Florence Foster Jenkins
Isablle Huppert gave a truly great performance in Elle. She is a legend of French cinema, and her work as a video game designer combined with the intense overall theme of rape and survival showed an actress perhaps delivering her swan song performance. This would be a great cap to end her career. With her win at the Golden Globes, I see her picking it up based on respect from the Academy and how powerful the performance is. For the first time ever I'm torn on who I want to win., because I have two I want to win here: Natalie Portman & Emma Stone. Both of these actresses are in my Top 10 of all time. Their performances in their two respective movies are two of their strongest performances. Portman's work as Jackie Kennedy was in my Top 5 female performances of the year, which is why I listed her first in this category. Also,Jackie Kennedy is in my Top 5 historical figures list. Her voice, her demeanor, and her presence were perfect. She potrayed Jackie as a strong, but also vulnerable woman in her and the nation's darkest hour. It was simply an excellent performance that deserves to win. Stone was brilliant as Mia in La La Land. Her journey to become a successful actress as she navigates through Hollywood is inspiring. She always puts forth incredible effort, and succeeds. This could be her moment, and I'd absolutely love it. She has a great singing voice and her acting was on point. I'd like to also add for the Best Actress category that Hailee Steinfeld as Nadine in Edge of Seventeen & Amy Adams as Louise Banks in Arrival deserved nominations. Steinfeld's performance as Nadine was my favorite female performance of 2016, and Adams portrayal as Banks was possibly her best performance to date. Sometimes, you have to hate the Oscars for snubbing people that certainly deserve to be on the list. I would have nominated those two over Ruth Negga & Meryl Streep in a heartbeat.
Best Supporting Actor:
Mahershala Ali-Moonlight
Jeff Bridges-Hell or High Water
Lucas Hedges-Manchester by the Sea
Dev Patel-Lion
Michael Shannon-Nocturnal Animals
I think Mahershala Ali and Janelle Monae's performances were the best parts of Moonlight. Ali's Juan character is the best and worst part of Chiron's life in my opinion. You watch as he takes Chiron under his wing to provide stability, but at the same time he's the reason for his neglect from his mother, due to his drug dealing. It's very interesting to think about. It's a damn shame he was only in the first act, because after he's gone from the movie, the movie slowly starts deteriorating. Even though I wasn't a huge fan of this movie, I can't say enough good things about Ali's performance as Juan. If I had to pick another choice for who I want to win then it would be Dev Patel in Lion. Patel has been a great actor since I saw him in Skins. His performance here on a journey to find his birth mother and family as a whole is truly epic. It's basically a version of the Odyssey in some ways. It was based on a real story of Saroo. Patel actually rode the same trains and visited several of the same orphanages, even going as far as to meet the real Saroo in person. That shows extreme dedication to this project. He wanted to make it authentic. It's a performance of a journey to find love and unification. I was impressed with his work. Between Mahershala Ali & Dev Patel, it's going to be a close one. I loved both performances, so I'd be perfectly fine with either of them. If I had to choose another option of who I want to win, I'd definitely select Lucas Hedges performance in Manchester by the Sea! He was great as Lee's nephew. Instead of Jeff Bridges for Hell or High Water, I would have nominated Woody Harrelson's performance in Edge of Seventeen. He was on top of his game as Mr. Bruner-the sarcastic teacher that cares about his students, especially Nadine deep down.
Best Supporting Actress:
Viola Davis-Fences
Naomie Harris-Moonlight
Nicole Kidman-Lion
Octavia Spencer-Hidden Figures
Michelle Williams-Manchester by the Sea
There's a lot of controversy about Viola Davis being nominated for Best Supporting Actress as she should have been included in Best Actress for Fences, but she has a better chance of winning if she's nominated in this category, which is why the Academy put her in this category. Davis is one of the best actresses going today. She always puts forth a solid performance, and her work in Fences was no exception. I think she definitely did a better job than Denzel Washington in this movie. Davis has basically been the de facto choice since Day 1, so I really don't think anybody else has a chance of winning this. Her fire and demanding voice will lead her to victory. (While she's only on screen for a limited amount of time, I'd personally love to see Michelle Williams win this. That scene with her and Casey Affleck outside the church is enough to make me want to see her win. I mean, I've been a fan of Williams since she played Jen on Dawson's Creek. I thought she should have won Best Actress for My Week With Marilyn in 2011. I think her performance was indicative of a woman that felt the same hardships that Lee has been feeling, and when she sobs uncontrollably and apologizes for everything, it's extremely powerful. Williams is a great actress that I'd love to see pull off the upset. Unfortunately, I don't see it happening, but last year, I never saw Mark Rylance winning for Bridge of Spies,which was my choice last year as well and left me pleasantly surprised when they announced his name. Go Michelle!
Best Director:
Denis Villenueve-Arrival
Mel Gibson-Hacksaw Ridge
Damian Chazelle-La La Land
Kenneth Lonergan-Manchester by the Sea
Barry Jenkins-Moonlight
The Best Director category this year is stacked. Ultimately, I see Barry Jenkins pulling out the win. His style is similar to Boyhood in terms of splitting the acts through different phases of the main character's life. The overall movie in general has gotten so many positive reviews from critics and I feel the Academy wants to give him the win. Jenkins should have had an actor that slightly resembled Chiron in his earlier stages to make the movie more effective. I really didn't like the third act of that movie, and I think casting and overall pacing in the third act hurt the movie. Jenkins had a great vision and it's an extremely powerful movie, but I think and want Damian Chazelle should win this. He created such a fun musical movie loaded with a colorful palette that kept me invested in the movie. This, combined with the larger than life characters on the screen were excellent. La La Land is a feel good movie, which is why I want to see it win Best Picture and Best Director. Chazelle's vision just based on that opening freeway traffic jam alone is enough to convince me he should win. I wouldn't mind seeing Mel Gibson win, either. It's really great to see him back at the Oscars. I've always liked Gibson. The research he did to put this together is amazing. The way he shot it brought the audience into the battles! While Jenkins is the Academy's favorite, Chazelle's work should definitely win.
Now that I have covered the six major categories, I hope the readers of this blog will enjoy this look into the 89th Academy Awards. The only other thing I'd like to add is I hope to see Zootopia win Best Animated Feature. I am so picky on animated movies, but Zootopia was just so amazing. I love the unique characters as well as the entertaining plot. I enjoyed writing this Oscars piece and hope you enjoy reading it. There are some really competitive categories, and it should be interesting to see what Jimmy Kimmel does as the host.
Saturday, January 21, 2017
Split Review
Justin and I saw Split on January 21, 2017! Normally, January isn't known for having solid movies, but every now and then you get one that delivers. Split fits right into that category. It's a movie that definitely has many layers, which is apropos for the title of the movie. It's a thriller that keeps you thinking. You are immersed in the story and characters on screen. Split will make you feel many emotions while watching it, which is the intention of the movie. M/ Night Shyamalan is a director that always keeps the audience in mind. He always tries to connect them to the story. The story revolves around DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder) & what human beings are capable of-whether it's good or bad.
James McAvoy is one of the best actors in the industry. I've been a fan of his work for at least a decade. His performance here is absolutely amazing! His ability to switch between the personas he has is intriguing to watch. It also shows how incredible of an actor McAvoy is to delve into something so complex and succeed with flying colors. Whether he's playing Dennis, Barry, Hedwig, Ms. Patricia, etc, each personality has a memorable scene or storyline that pulls the audience in. McAvoy's talent really sold the physical and mental manifestations of the split between who you are and what you can become. I think this will end up being one of the best male performances of 2017. The therapy sessions were phenomenal scenes-great dialogue scenes explaining his issues and how he is trying to protect himself at the same time.
Another part of this movie that deserves praise is Anya Taylor-Joy's Casey Cook. ATJ is a bright, young talent with a tremendous future. She knows how to act, sell expression, & obviously looks great. She has "it" and I think her work here proves she is a break out star. This will be the role that helps launch her further. She does so well here selling fear, intelligence, & survival (which actually connects really well to the title as she is split in her own way as we watch her story). ATJ's interactions with McAvoy show an actress that knows what she's doing on screen. The close-up of her eyes in several scenes show how much raw talent she has. I love Casey's scenes with Hedwig. They portray Casey as the adult caring for the child, while also showing she is trying to think one step ahead of the looming Beast. At the same time, both Casey & McAvoy's personas kind of share a kindred spirit to me. They both know they're different in some way, which is why I think Hedwig and some of the other personas open up to her on occasion. While McAvoy commands the screen, ATJ helps anchor it to really sell the emotional layers of the movie. She was incredible in a physical way as her action scenes were some of the most memorable moments of the movie as well as an emotional way dealing with McAvoy's personas.
ATJ's character of Casey is important to show that all of us are split in some way, but while it might hinder us and bring us down, we can persevere, fight back, and embrace our differences knowing it's not necessarily our fault. We all have our own beast inside of us. It's how we deal with it that helps to define us. I think that message was sent through multiple ways here. Casey was able to find a way to deal with the Beast as she's been dealing with the Beast most of her life. It's conveyed so well in a physical and emotional way. McAvoy is trying to bring forth, but hold back the Beast, while Casey is trying to quell the Beast she grew up with and the Beast inside her.
This movie definitely deserves a 5/5 for two excellent performances by James McAvoy and Anya Taylor-Joy, the complexity of the plot, the directing that took us right into the mind of our main characters, the music, & proof that January can produce great movies! I'd like to also point out it was great to see Jessica Sula from Skins in this movie!
James McAvoy is one of the best actors in the industry. I've been a fan of his work for at least a decade. His performance here is absolutely amazing! His ability to switch between the personas he has is intriguing to watch. It also shows how incredible of an actor McAvoy is to delve into something so complex and succeed with flying colors. Whether he's playing Dennis, Barry, Hedwig, Ms. Patricia, etc, each personality has a memorable scene or storyline that pulls the audience in. McAvoy's talent really sold the physical and mental manifestations of the split between who you are and what you can become. I think this will end up being one of the best male performances of 2017. The therapy sessions were phenomenal scenes-great dialogue scenes explaining his issues and how he is trying to protect himself at the same time.
Another part of this movie that deserves praise is Anya Taylor-Joy's Casey Cook. ATJ is a bright, young talent with a tremendous future. She knows how to act, sell expression, & obviously looks great. She has "it" and I think her work here proves she is a break out star. This will be the role that helps launch her further. She does so well here selling fear, intelligence, & survival (which actually connects really well to the title as she is split in her own way as we watch her story). ATJ's interactions with McAvoy show an actress that knows what she's doing on screen. The close-up of her eyes in several scenes show how much raw talent she has. I love Casey's scenes with Hedwig. They portray Casey as the adult caring for the child, while also showing she is trying to think one step ahead of the looming Beast. At the same time, both Casey & McAvoy's personas kind of share a kindred spirit to me. They both know they're different in some way, which is why I think Hedwig and some of the other personas open up to her on occasion. While McAvoy commands the screen, ATJ helps anchor it to really sell the emotional layers of the movie. She was incredible in a physical way as her action scenes were some of the most memorable moments of the movie as well as an emotional way dealing with McAvoy's personas.
ATJ's character of Casey is important to show that all of us are split in some way, but while it might hinder us and bring us down, we can persevere, fight back, and embrace our differences knowing it's not necessarily our fault. We all have our own beast inside of us. It's how we deal with it that helps to define us. I think that message was sent through multiple ways here. Casey was able to find a way to deal with the Beast as she's been dealing with the Beast most of her life. It's conveyed so well in a physical and emotional way. McAvoy is trying to bring forth, but hold back the Beast, while Casey is trying to quell the Beast she grew up with and the Beast inside her.
This movie definitely deserves a 5/5 for two excellent performances by James McAvoy and Anya Taylor-Joy, the complexity of the plot, the directing that took us right into the mind of our main characters, the music, & proof that January can produce great movies! I'd like to also point out it was great to see Jessica Sula from Skins in this movie!
Friday, December 30, 2016
My Top 10 Movies of 2016
This is my Top 10 Movies of 2016. They're listed in chronological order of when they opened in theaters. I posted the initial list on Facebook, but decided to take it and put it into a blog piece. Here's the list:
MY TOP 10 MOVIES OF 2016:
1. ZOOTOPIA
This is still the best animated movie I've seen all year. I loved the storylines. There were many deep stories woven into this. Judy Hops is one of my favorite animated characters. Also Try Anything is one of my favorite songs this year. It's an absolute crock that it's not nominated for Best Original Song at the Golden Globes.
2. BATMAN VS. SUPERMAN-DAWN OF JUSTICE
Easily my favorite superhero/comic book movie of the year. So many layers. Henry Cavill is possibly my favorite male performance of the year-he is an excellent Superman. Ben Affleck did a fantastic job as Bruce Wayne/Batman. I absolutely love Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman. The DC Trinity all together in live action for the first time was awesome. The view points from both Superman and Batman with Lex Luthor using them against both was well done. I'm a DC guy and I like darker comic book movies.
3. X-MEN: APOCALYPSE
X-Men has always been my favorite Marvel comic. The X-Men: First Class trilogy is my favorite superhero movie trilogy. Apocalypse was epic. I loved the battle sequences. I thought Sophie Turner was phenomenal as Jean Grey. James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender always steal the show as Charles Xavier & Magneto/Eric Lensherr respectively. Oscar Isaac was great as Apocalypse.
4. THE NICE GUYS
Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe had incredible chemistry as a detective duo uncovering corruption in Los Angeles. The dialogue was simply amazing-well written providing some great comedic delivery at times. The scenes were memorable and both Gosling and Crowe evolve throughout the movie. Gosling was especially great here. His daughter was a great character as well helping to steer her father away from booze into the right direction. The mansion party is one of the most entertaining and memorable scenes this year. A must watch movie by Shane Black!
5. SUICIDE SQUAD
Enchantress was one of my favorite characters this year. Suicide Squad was a fun movie where it was finally cool to root for the "villains" (I always put villains in quotations, because I tend to side with the people we're supposed to be against: The Wicked Witch of the West, the Sith, etc.) Margot Robbie was excellent as Harley Quinn. I appreciated Jared Leto's interpretation of Joker. I thought the battle scenes with Enchantress were awesome. It was a fun movie, while still maintaining a serious quality that I like from comic book movies. Well done!
6. MISS PEREGRINE'S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN
I enjoyed the book that the movie is based off of. I appreciated the changes made in the movie. Eva Green was perfect as Miss Peregrine. Asa Butterfield has been a favorite of mine since his great performance in Hugo. Ella Purnell did well portraying her difficulty dealing with her peculiarity. The time loop storylines were intriguing. The battle scenes where each student from Miss Peregrine's home was able to display their peculiarity to protect each other was fun to watch. I hope more people see this eventually, as it's an underrated movie and book series.
7.ARRIVAL
This is possibly Amy Adams best performance to date! I think she's one of the best actresses in the industry to begin with. It's great to see her nominated for Best Actress in a Drama at the Golden Globes. This was an amazing story about the importance of language and communication with a really well placed twist!
8. THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN
Emily Blunt gave her best performance to date in this movie. The story was dark and twisted and portrayed three female perspectives that you became invested in. The corkscrew scene is probably my favorite scene this year. Remember, ladies, always have one handy. You never know when you'll need it! I know a lot of people didn't like this, but I was really into it from start to finish. I'm pissed that Blunt isn't nominated as she deserves it for her work here.
9. EDGE OF SEVENTEEN
Hailee Steinfeld is on the verge of becoming one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. She has been turning heads since she stole the show in True Grit when she was 12 years old. Her work as Nadine was my favorite female performance this year, and it's awesome to see that she's nominated for her work at the Golden Globes. A really great mix of drama and comedy where Steinfeld proved how great of an actress she is. Woody Harrelson was great as Mr. Bruner as well. I can't say enough good things about this movie.
10. LA LA LAND
Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling-2 of my favorite people in Hollywood creating a colorful journey that the audience is invested in from the opening. Stone was great as the rising actress while Gosling was phenomenal as the passionate jazz pianist. The music is amazing, the performances are excellent, and the romance is innocent and timed well throughout. It's great to see deserving people nominated as both are on the list at the Golden Globes.
My honorable mentions for this year are:
KEANU
Keegan Micheal-Key & Jordan Peele created one of the funniest comedy sketch shows with Key & Peele. In this foray into movies, they succeeded. The plot of the cat was appropriately over the top. The comedy was spot on. The conversation about George Michael is even more relevant now.
WARCRAFT
This was a high octane fantasy adventure that was exciting the whole movie. It set records in China and there's talks of sequels that I'm excited for. I hope to see a focus on the elves story this time.
FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM
-
This was a fun, fantasy adventure creating a new chapter in the Potterverse! I'm looking forward to see where this series is headed. There's so much that J.K. Rowling can play with in this series.
Sunday, November 20, 2016
Edge of Seventeen Review
I saw Edge of Seventeen on November 18, 2016! I firmly believe this to be one of the best coming of age movies of all time. This is easily going in my Top 10 movies of 2016! It was a well acted and well written movie all around.
This was a movie that pulled me in right away. The characters are deep and there's a wide gamut of emotions. We feel the emotions with the character of Nadine and watch as she trudges through that phase of life known as adolescence. On some notion, we can identify with some of Nadine's problems. Adolescence is a hard time for everybody, even if some are just better at hiding it than others. This movie does an excellent job of approaching that through both teenagers and adults. In my honest opinion, Hailee Steinfeld's performance as Nadine is easily my favorite female performance of 2016! Steinfeld is such an excellent, young actress, and she's going to be an absolute force in Hollywood. She has been turning heads since she stole the show in True Grit as Mattie Ross in 2010. Nadine's dialogue draws some similarities to Ellen Page's Juno McGuff in some ways. Much like the role of Juno helped to get Ellen Page's name more known, Edge of Seventeen will do that for Steinfeld. She's one of the best actresses going today. For the record, Ellen Page is my favorite actreess, so it's natural that Steinfeld would be a favorite of mine. Steinfeld's performance is dark, sarcastic, hilarious, beautiful in many ways, and just outright mesmerizing. We follow her through a family tragedy, teachers (Woody Harrelson's Mr. Bruner is great and genuinely made me laugh at many times-he may tussle with Nadine from time to time, but ultimately you know he cares for her at several points of the movie & I love that he is the person that Nadine wants to share things with. Mr. Bruner is crucial to maintaining Nadine's sanity, which is great to see), family (Blake Jenner did a pretty good job as Darian-the brother trying to hold the family together even though he is popular, but he'll drop everything at a moment's notice to take care of Nadine or their mother-very good heroic character or a solid performance by Kyra Sedgwick who is still reeling from the tragedy and always spars with Nadine, but she is doing her part to try to maintain the family), and of course, boys (Hayden Szeto's role as Erwin Kim was hilarious, awkward, and creative which blended really well with Steinfeld's Nadine character-I really liked their chemistry together. It's one of those things where Erwin likes her, but she doesn't like him that way, however, we watch how that evolves. It's a fun, awkward story that's perfect for these two characters).
The dialogue is intelligent, the writing is fantastic, and there's many memorable scenes that I found myself immersed in. Nadine's mood swings are incredible to watch. She can go from ecstatic to enraged in 60 seconds as we all can, which is why I think many people, especially the teenagers of today can identify with. I think in the smart phone generation teenagers still need somebody to rely on. Nadine does have that with Mr. Bruner & Erwin Kim, but even if she doesn't think it's true, Darian & her mother are there for her as well.
Steinfeld has so many great monologue moments as well. Her monologue about her generation or her monologue in the bathroom at the frozen yogurt shop present a young actress that knows how to command a screen. Nadine is her breakthrough role, and I really hope she gets nominated for Best Lead Actress in a Comedy/Musical at the Golden Globes (that's the category she'd be nominated in if she is). It's a great performance for a great movie. I can't wait to buy this on DVD. The characters, the memorable scenes, the dialogue, Hailee Steinfeld's Nadine, navigating through adolescence, etc. make this a definite 5/5. The positive reviews and scores are well deserved. Everybody put their best foot forward and succeeded.
This was a movie that pulled me in right away. The characters are deep and there's a wide gamut of emotions. We feel the emotions with the character of Nadine and watch as she trudges through that phase of life known as adolescence. On some notion, we can identify with some of Nadine's problems. Adolescence is a hard time for everybody, even if some are just better at hiding it than others. This movie does an excellent job of approaching that through both teenagers and adults. In my honest opinion, Hailee Steinfeld's performance as Nadine is easily my favorite female performance of 2016! Steinfeld is such an excellent, young actress, and she's going to be an absolute force in Hollywood. She has been turning heads since she stole the show in True Grit as Mattie Ross in 2010. Nadine's dialogue draws some similarities to Ellen Page's Juno McGuff in some ways. Much like the role of Juno helped to get Ellen Page's name more known, Edge of Seventeen will do that for Steinfeld. She's one of the best actresses going today. For the record, Ellen Page is my favorite actreess, so it's natural that Steinfeld would be a favorite of mine. Steinfeld's performance is dark, sarcastic, hilarious, beautiful in many ways, and just outright mesmerizing. We follow her through a family tragedy, teachers (Woody Harrelson's Mr. Bruner is great and genuinely made me laugh at many times-he may tussle with Nadine from time to time, but ultimately you know he cares for her at several points of the movie & I love that he is the person that Nadine wants to share things with. Mr. Bruner is crucial to maintaining Nadine's sanity, which is great to see), family (Blake Jenner did a pretty good job as Darian-the brother trying to hold the family together even though he is popular, but he'll drop everything at a moment's notice to take care of Nadine or their mother-very good heroic character or a solid performance by Kyra Sedgwick who is still reeling from the tragedy and always spars with Nadine, but she is doing her part to try to maintain the family), and of course, boys (Hayden Szeto's role as Erwin Kim was hilarious, awkward, and creative which blended really well with Steinfeld's Nadine character-I really liked their chemistry together. It's one of those things where Erwin likes her, but she doesn't like him that way, however, we watch how that evolves. It's a fun, awkward story that's perfect for these two characters).
The dialogue is intelligent, the writing is fantastic, and there's many memorable scenes that I found myself immersed in. Nadine's mood swings are incredible to watch. She can go from ecstatic to enraged in 60 seconds as we all can, which is why I think many people, especially the teenagers of today can identify with. I think in the smart phone generation teenagers still need somebody to rely on. Nadine does have that with Mr. Bruner & Erwin Kim, but even if she doesn't think it's true, Darian & her mother are there for her as well.
Steinfeld has so many great monologue moments as well. Her monologue about her generation or her monologue in the bathroom at the frozen yogurt shop present a young actress that knows how to command a screen. Nadine is her breakthrough role, and I really hope she gets nominated for Best Lead Actress in a Comedy/Musical at the Golden Globes (that's the category she'd be nominated in if she is). It's a great performance for a great movie. I can't wait to buy this on DVD. The characters, the memorable scenes, the dialogue, Hailee Steinfeld's Nadine, navigating through adolescence, etc. make this a definite 5/5. The positive reviews and scores are well deserved. Everybody put their best foot forward and succeeded.
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