Sociable Movie Guy
REVIEWS
A Gorgeous Disney’s Creation That Suffers from Having Too Many Messages Hi thereeeee! Been missing me a lot? Thank you if you have and sorry for abandoning this blog for the past few months. I know (and I’ve said this so many times) no excuses could make up for this. So instead of explaining why I haven’t been around providing you the reviews that you (might and probably) need, I’d just jump to my first review of 2016. The lucky one that got the chance to be reviewed by your Sociable Movie Guy is the latest animated film from Disney Animation Studios: Zootopia. Set in a universe where the entire world is populated by animals (and plants actually, but they’re not the highlight in the movie so we can just leave them) Zootopia tries to re-imagine what it would be like if animals live the life like humans would. Generally, the animals here are divided into two groups, predators and preys. Predators consist of animals who normally consume the other smaller and weaker animals, while preys obviously are the ones who normally got consumed by the hunters. I did say ‘normally’ because in the film all of the animals have left that savage way of life far behind them. Not only do they not eat each other anymore, they also wear clothes, go to work, and live the civilized life just like humans. Centered in the story is Judy Hopps, a female bunny who aspires to be a cop. There has never been a bunny cop before, so of course she is laughed and not taken seriously by the people around her. They think bunnies should only and will only be carrot farmers, because that’s what the other bunnies have been doing since forever. Thanks to her sturdiness and tenacity, Judy never lets anyone sidetracks her and she becomes a cop just like what she’s been wanting her whole life. But the challenge doesn’t stop there. She must face another discrimination from her peers all the while delve into a big conspiracy to prove that she’s worth to be a cop just like anybody else. Plus, she gets to befriend a slick fox named Nick Wilde and together they embark on a journey that will change the way they think of others and most importantly of themselves. Just like any other Disney movies, the animation here is nothing short of amazing. All of the characters here are drawn vividly and detailed in characteristics. The voiceovers are good too, though to me no one really stands out here. But the best thing about this film is hands down the world-building. Zootopia will make you amazed on how thoughtful the world-building is. They successfully adjust and incorporate things commonly found in our everyday life into the animal world. Here you will find everything from subway doors with various sizes, body-dryer in subway station for underwater animals, to giant-size popsicles for elephants.
Another thing to highlight here is the noble main messages it’s trying to convey. One of them is we, regardless of who we are or what people think we are, can be anything that we want to be. It is also supported by the original soundtrack ‘Try Everything’ from Shakira that suggests we should never give up in doing everything that we want to do. As if those two are not enough, Zootopia also includes ‘we should never prejudice or stereotype other people’ message into its already message-crowded story. This is where the biggest problem in Zootopia starts. The film simply has too many messages in it. I understand that there’s nothing wrong with each message. What’s not right is the way the film tries to convey them. Entering the second act of the film, the messages start to be overlapping with each other and it becomes convoluted. It’s not clear which one that the film wants to focus on. I personally think it would be sooo much better if it focused on one message only. All in all, Zootopia is another worthy animation from Disney that encourages us to defy all of the stereotypes that are given to us. The film is sadly let down by its noble intention: putting too many messages that ends up being confusing instead of inspiring. Score: 3.5/5
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A HEARTWARMING TALE OF FRIENDSHIP AND SELF-DISCOVERY As social beings, it’s only natural for human to want to belong to somebody else. That somebody else has a pretty wide range. From significant others like your parents or your siblings, to your school friends, romantic partners, and colleagues. The needs to be socially included and appreciated come since we were very young. That’s why most of us really enjoy going out and playing with friends when we were little. Not only was it super fun, but it was also how our social needs were fulfilled, though we might not aware about it yet. Of course it wasn’t all fun at the time, frictions were always there too. Whether for trivial matters (just like it has always been) or for something more fundamental, frictions, when they’re done right, can lead to a greater bond between humans. What I just described (or ranted) about is more or less what Charlie Brown is facing. Based on a comic strip by Charles M. Schulz, this Blue Sky-produced film offers a simple premise. The story focuses on the aforementioned character and his everyday antics. Charlie Brown is a clumsy kid who never does anything right and is very close with his dog, Snoopy. One day, a new kid moves to his neighborhood and catches his attention. He sees that as a chance to restart his image since the new kid never met him before. A ‘clean slate’ as Charlie Brown likes to put it. Will he make it? Or will he embarrass himself in the process of doing so? Being an animated film, ‘Snoopy and Charlie Brown: The Peanuts Movie’ has a visual that clearly doesn’t disappoint. The visual successfully brings the warmth and nostalgic feelings to the screen and eventually to the viewers. I didn’t even grow up reading or watching the classic series but I can totally get the nostalgic feelings. Can you imagine how the visual alone will take back those who grew up with Charlie Brown and the gang to one of the happiest days of their lives? The film is jam-packed with characters and Charlie Brown stands out among the rest. It’s not because he is the main character in the film, but it’s because he’s just adorably selfless to the people around him despite his clumsiness. He is the type of a person whose kindness is always taken for granted by his friends simply because he is too nice. How the adults are never fully depicted in the film is also genius. It shows that the film really wants to focus on the kids and how they make sense to everything that happens around them. The way the adults speak with a very unclear voice is so hilarious. It captures how kids usually don’t care with what the adults have to say to them. As adorable as Charlie Brown and the gang are, the story sadly can’t fully support the whole film to be memorable. Yes it’s warm and nostalgic, but that’s it, nothing more. One character in the film also fails to be memorable and ironically it’s Snoopy, the very character whose name is in the title. What he does in the film doesn’t contribute much to the story line. He’s just there goofing around Charlie Brown but never really helps him getting through his problems.
Another thing that crossed my mind while watching the film is all of Charlie Brown’s friends, except for Linus, are selfish and self-centered. Even Snoopy is selfish too! (MINOR SPOILER ALERT) Every time Charlie Brown gets into trouble, Snoopy always looks like he’s mad to what happens to his best friend. And then he uses that as the vehicle to enter his own imagination. Instead of reimagining on how to actually help Charlie Brown, Snoopy’s imagination is always about how he overcomes obstacles to be with his love interest, Fifi. In other words, Snoopy uses his best friend’s unfortunate situation for his own dreamy pleasure. If I was Charlie Brown, I would have unfriended them from a long time ago. Overall, ‘Snoopy and Charlie Brown: The Peanuts Movie’ is a nostalgic and visually terrific film that has enough warmth to entertain both kids and adults, though the film might not offer something new to the latter ones. Score: 3/5 A Dull Addition to the James Bond Franchise Hello there! Long time no see! Hope all of you are granted with health, happiness, and opportunity to watch movies anytime you want. I’m so terribly sorry for abandoning this blog for quite some time. Like usual, I still watch movies (a lot) but my main focus was on something else so I didn’t have the time to write the reviews. Now that I’m back to business, what better film to review than the long-anticipated Bond’s 24th film, ‘Spectre’? Let’s dig in! ‘Spectre’ focuses on James Bond (Daniel Craig) who’s doing a secret mission for someone from his past. The newly-minted M (Ralph Fiennes) is not happy about this for two reasons. First, Bond brings chaos to the place where he’s doing his secret mission. Second, MI6 is on its way to be merged with MI5, whose leader C (Andrew Scott) is so eager to shut down the ‘00’ program because he thinks it’s outdated. So what Bond is doing is basically adding another reason to close the program. Unbeknownst to Bond, not only does the secret mission bring him a dangerous threat, but it also takes him back to his long-lost, deadly past. Let’s talk about that iconic opening title scene. It is downright great! Combined with the equally great Sam Smith’s ‘Writing’s on the Wall’, it looks artsy yet sexy, sorrowful yet majestic. I smiled ear to ear with goose bumps all over my body watching it. It is that good. Another positive take-out from the film is the acting part. Everyone gives a nice performance to their role although no one comes up as a standout here. Daniel Craig is as charismatic as ever playing the rough James Bond. Ben Whishaw is as adorably geeky as ever playing Q. And Lea Seydoux is also screen-grabbing as the new Bond Girl Madeleine Swann, although her role is more damsel in distress than femme-fatale here. As the big villain, Waltz is chilling as ever with his on-point gesture and deliverance. Frankly speaking, this is as far as I can go talking about the good parts in the film. It is because the ugly parts do outshine the good parts. Let me first start with how this film doesn’t do Monica Belucci justice. This film is just wasting her. Her character is almost unimportant it can be portrayed by anyone else than Monica Belucci. It feels like she’s there just to be exploited by Bond. Having said so, the writers should have given her a better material to play. In fact, there’s a cameo performance in the film that is way better written than Monica Belucci’s character (hint: the character’s name rhymes with Monica Belucci’s first letter). Ironic, isn’t it? The screenplay is also not sewn tightly. It resulted in a lack of intensity throughout the movie despite a lot of action scenes all over the film. Speaking of action scenes, it’s only natural that they’re accompanied by a great sound to elevate the cinematic experience. But the sound here is just too noisy without ever really connected to what happens on the screen. The duration is also too long, though it doesn’t make the film feels draggy, but it could have been shorter. The last one is the sex scenes. They’re just… pure bad. The first sex scene involves Monica Belucci and it feels very exploitative, not in a good tantalizing way. The second one is the worst of all, it involves Lea Seydoux in a very cheesy scene. If you expect to see emotionally arousing steamy scenes, you’ll be greatly disappointed.
All in all, Spectre is a disappointing addition to the Bond franchise. It’s overlong, noisy, and almost unintense. Considering all the talents involved, the film could have been and should have been way better. Score: 2.5/5 P.S: I’d just like you to know that this November my blog is turning one. When I first started, I never thought I would go through another month, let alone a year. Of course I could never accomplish this without you. So yeah, thank you so much for your unbelievably kind support and I’ll always try my best to keep this blog alive. Cheers to great years to come! :) AN EXCELLENT SCI-FI BOOSTED BY EXCEPTIONAL PERFORMANCE from MATT DAMON NASA recently announced that they found water on Mars. It indicates, though still a long way to go, that humans can travel and probably live there someday. If that’s really the case, then maybe we won’t have to worry anymore about the excess population on earth (because we can move to Mars in the future) or if someone is accidentally stranded on the planet (because there’s water there, and it’s basically the source of life. So what’s the fuss?). Sadly, this is not the universe that the main character in ‘The Martian’ lives in. The Mars in the film contains no water at all, so it’s a huge problem to be stranded there. Unfortunately he is indeed left behind in the planet, alone. Directed by legendary director Ridley Scott (known for ‘Alien’, ‘Blade Runner; and ‘Gladiator’ to name a few), ‘The Martian’ focuses on astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon), who is on Mars for a mission with his team. The team consists of Captain Melissa Lewis (two time Oscar-nominee Jessica Chastain), Rick Martinez (Michael Pena), Beth Johanssen (Kate Mara), Chris Beck (Sebastian Stan), and Alex Vogel (Aksel Hennie). In the middle of their exploration, they are forced to leave the planet immediately due to the approaching destructive storm. On their way back to the ship, Watney is struck by a piece of satellite-like thing and was separated from the rest of the team. After trying their best to find Watney, the team decides to leave for the earth assuming that Watney is dead, while the fact is he’s alive. Now that he’s alone on Mars with very limited supplies, how will he make it? Can he go back home? As I saw ‘The Martian’, I was so glad for the fact that the film has so many good things going on in it. Let’s first start with the beautiful cinematography by Dariusz Wolski. All of the shots in the film are gorgeously taken and absolutely a visual treat to the eyes. Capturing the dry and inhabitable Mars is no easy task. Wolski did it just right by giving us a depiction of Mars that is as vivid as it is fascinating. The scenes that take place in the outer space are impossible not to make you want to explore them. Supporting the great cinematography is the equally mesmerizing production design. You can tell that the ships, the Mars itself, and the other space-related stuff that I can’t remember the name of are all well-designed and meticulously made. The script is another standout of the film. Penning a sci-fi film is never easy, as you have to carefully insert the science elements without making the film too heavy or complicated. In other words, the science you put really need to appeal the audience instead of bore them. Thanks to Drew Goddard, the science in ‘The Martian’ not only does appeal the viewers, but also excites them. Goddard succeeded in blending it with heartfelt humor, the kind of humor that gives you a good laugh and stirs your emotion as well. Credit also goes to Andy Weir, for which the film is based on his best-selling novel. Though I haven’t read the novel, but I believe it is at least as great as the film, if not better. Backing up the smartly-written script is how the film is edited. The back and forth scenes that show what’s happening on Mars and on Earth are woven seamlessly. That adds to the charm of the film, so you get to see how everyone else reacts to what happens to Watney. Though all of the aforementioned factors contribute heavily to the success of the film, ‘The Martian’ wouldn’t be what it is if it wasn’t for Matt Damon’s amazing performance. I can assure you that nobody could play Mark Watney better than Damon. He was born to play this role. He portrays all of Watney’s traits perfectly, especially his persistence and his sense of humor. So far, he is the only actor in 2015’s movies that I’ve seen that gives an Oscar-worthy performance. There’s one scene in the film that best simulates his talent. It’s a scene between him and Michale Pena’s character that is as funny as it is very touching. I guarantee you’ll be laughing with tears streaming down your cheeks watching that scene. And now it’s time to thank the person who tied all of the aforementioned aspects that make ‘The Martian’ one of the best films of 2015. It’s the very man himself, the director Mr. Ridley Scott. After a string of commercially and critically unsuccessful movies, ‘The Martian’ serves as a return-to-form film for the director. He successfully put the words thrilling, engaging, and hilarious all in a single sci-fi movie. After last nominated for an Oscar more than a decade ago, this film is his biggest chance in years to get back to the awards circuit. Apart from the goodness I mentioned above, the film still has a few flaws. What irritates me the most is how thin Sebastian Stan’s character is written. It’s a shame an actor as talented as he is doesn’t get the chance to shine in an otherwise great film. Although the rest of the supporting characters are not that deeply written, but at least they’re given a chance to show another layer or two of themselves in the film. (MINOR SPOILER ALERT) Speaking of his character, the romance involving him and Kate Mara’s character is just unimportant. It appears too late in the film to give the viewers any emotional impact. Do I even care that they’re together at last? No I don’t.
Overall, ‘The Martian’ is an A-level sci-fi film that delivers entertaining thrills and heartfelt humor. With Matt Damon is at the top of his game, the film is definitely a front runner for the upcoming awards season. Score: 4.5/5 AN UNSATISFYING YET WATCHABLE SEQUEL TO THE MAZE RUNNER A year ago, a bunch of teenagers were stranded (or trapped?) in a ruthless maze filled with terrible creatures. They learned how to survive by establishing hierarchy and strict rules in the community. Those who had the capability to run fast could be a runner, whose task was to examine the maze regularly in the hope of finding an exit. After a string of unfortunate events, they finally got out of the maze and faced with the fact that they were put in there by a mysterious organization called W.C.K.D for a supposedly noble purpose. As if it wasn’t bitter enough, they also learned that the outside world was no longer habitable due to the widespread of Flare Virus that makes people have appetite for another people (they are called ‘Cranks’). What I just told you about was actually what happened in the first installment of this series, ‘The Maze Runner’. ‘The Scorch Trials’ begins right where its predecessor left off. Thomas and the gang are picked up by a group of army that’s seemingly against W.C.K.D and taken to their quarter. There, they meet some other teenagers that had been in the different mazes created by none other than W.C.K.D. For once, they get to taste the comfort that they’ve been longing for, such as hot showers, nice beds, and proper meals. But things of course can’t go on continuously good like that, because Thomas quickly realizes that everything is not at all like it seems. So now the question is what’s next for these unlucky kids? The story basically still revolves around how Thomas and his friends survive their cruel surrounding. Throughout the film, you will see that they’re running from one hell to another. I like how Wes Ball (the director) managed to keep the story going fast-paced. That’s really helpful in locking the audience in their seats. Another thing to praise here is the constantly good performance from O’Brien and Brodie-Sangster as Thomas and Newt. As for the new cast, the spotlight goes to Rosa Salazar who plays Bren. The crispy deep-voice she has fits perfectly with her role as a girl hardened by the unrelenting situation. Despite all of the highlights I mentioned above, the film unfortunately still feels bland. Yes, the cranks are creepy. Yes, they mostly successful in shocking the audience whenever they appear on screen. Yes, the scope of the film is broader than the first one. But that’s it. There are no other things that will give you the maximum thrill. I remember in the first film there was this one provocative scene where all the Gladers push their friend to the maze just because he was bitten by the maze’s monster, The Griever. Sadly, that kind of thing doesn’t appear here, there’s nothing in ‘The Scorch Trials’ that can provoke you the way its older brother did. Besides that, most of the new characters don’t contribute much too to the film’s charm. (WARNING! BIG SPOILER AHEAD. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK) The other element that I find distracting in this film is the many nonsensical things going on in it. I’m going to spill two of them here. The first one is I’m highly annoyed by how everyone seems overly depends on Thomas to save their lives. There are too many “Thomas help me!” and “Thomas, do you have a plan?” happening in the film. I know he’s supposed to be a hero, but come on give him a break! He’s just as suffering as they all are. The second one is if W.C.K.D has already known that they can only get the immune kids' blood by literally draining them from a long time ago (one of W.C.K.D’s ex-member who’s now on the Right Arms’ side reveals that in the film), then why would they still lock immune kids in their brutal mazes?
Overall, The Scorch Trials is a less intense and less thought-provoking feature than its predecessor. Nonetheless, it’s still an enjoyable young-adult film to watch. Here’s hoping that their next (and presumably last) film will grant us with satisfying ending! Score: 3/5 An Exceptionally Original Creation from the Mega Studio Disney Pixar Have you ever wondered what’s going on in your head when you feel all the feelings you feel? Like when you’re happy to see your significant others, mad for being left out by your friends, or even sad for being cheated by your romantic partner? (I certainly hope the latter one didn’t and won’t happen to anyone of you!) Well, wonder no more! Disney Pixar is here to answer your questions, though you may need a spoonful of imagination to grasp that, with its latest film ‘Inside Out’. The film focuses on Riley (Kaitlyn Dias), a bright and cheerful eleven year-old girl whose life seems always surrounded by happiness. We get too see what’s going on inside Riley’s head through the five emotions she has, Joy (Amy Poehler), Sad (Phyllis Smith), Fear (Bill Hader), Anger (Lewis Black), and Disgust (Mindy Kaling) who live inside the Headquarters. Those emotions not only react but also reflect what Riley feels towards her environment. One day, she and her family moves to a new neighborhood and that seemingly simple event threatens the status quo in the Headquarters. Will she finally get a grip of her emotions? And more importantly, will she adapt to the new situation? First of all, let me give a huge applause to Pete Docter (known for his award-winning ‘Up’) and the team for creating such an incredibly creative and original piece. They excelled in taking something that’s so apparent in our everyday life (who doesn’t feel the feelings mentioned above?) to a whole new level. The story is also very well-thought with just the right amount of imagination. So the film is neither too ‘out-there’ nor too by-the-book. That’s an important thing since what they try to convey in ‘Inside Out’ is actually very scientific. I know that because I learned all that mind and emotions thingy in a class I took in college. Never thought my class would come handy in this movie-review stuff. They also managed to insert moments that will resonate to anyone seeing the film. The final result is a heart-warming and touching film without being overly sappy. Though it doesn’t achieve the emotional peak like ‘Up’ did, ‘Inside Out’ will still make the manliest man alive trying his best to hold the tears from streaming down his cheeks. Oh have I mentioned that this film is hilarious too? Out of the five emotions, Disgust is my favorite and the best laugh-inducer among them with her witty and sarcastic lines. Another thing to adore from this film is its striking visual. Definitely a feast for the eyes! This film of course has its own flaws. One of them is the explanation regarding all the things in Riley’s head and how they work at the beginning of the film feels a little bit too fast. So viewers might get a bit confused to grasp all of that at once. The duration of the film is also a bit too short (or maybe it’s because the film’s so good it just passes by without me noticing the duration?). But don’t worry, all those flaws don’t affect the quality of the film much and they are covered by tons of the other goodness of the film. (NOT SO MINOR SPOILER AHEAD. YOU’VE BEEN WARNED)
Seeing this film, I can’t help but admiring the message it’s trying to say. Throughout the film, we’ll see that Sad is always ignored and pressed by the other emotions, especially Joy. I see that as the representative of human who naturally denies any vulnerable feelings. The film then concludes that any one of the emotions can really complement each other, even sadness. So the point is: don’t be afraid to embrace your feelings. It’s okay to be sad, because sadness allows you to be vulnerable and open yourself to people around you. By doing that, you’ll feel relieved and guess what happens when you feel relieved? You feel joy. Overall, ‘Inside Out’ gives an interesting look at what’s going on in people’s heads that is as exciting as it is very original. Best Animated Feature for the next awards season? Yes, please! Score: 4.5/5 Note: MAKE SURE you don’t come late to the theater to catch the heartbreakingly sweet short movie ‘Lava’. Be careful, the song (which happens to be the entire dialogue of the short film) is extremely contagious you won’t stop humming it on your way back home! ANOTHER ADRENALINE-PUMPING SEQUEL TO THE MI FRANCHISE 2015 is definitely the year of spies. Up until now, there are at least three spy-themed films that have been invading theaters around the world (‘Kingsman’, ‘Spy’, and the one that we’ll talk about in this review). Not to mention there are another two (that I’m aware of) upcoming films that involve spies as their main characters. The soonest one is Guy Ritchie’s ‘The Man from U.N.C.L.E’ and the other one is the 24th Bond film, ‘Spectre’. While waiting for those movies to come out, let’s discuss about the newest installment of the famous MI franchise, "Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation". While visiting one of the IMF (Impossible Missions Force) quarters in London, Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) is kidnapped by a mysterious villain. It turns out that the man who kidnaps him is part of the highly-skilled terrorist group the Syndicate, the one that he’s been trying to prove the existence of. Meanwhile, the whole IMF team is accused by the CIA of being ineffective after a series of events that prove whenever the team goes, chaos will follow. The government then shuts down the entire IMF and relocates all of its valuable assets to the CIA. Faced with that situation, Ethan and his team is forced to work undercover (well they always do, but this time from the CIA) to vanish the Syndicate once and for all. Will they make it? Let’s first talk about the obvious stand-out of the film, the action scenes. Thanks to the assured direction from Christopher McQuarrie, all of the action scenes in the film are guaranteed to make your heart beats faster. It’s thrilling and well-executed. If you think the plane scene you saw in the trailer was thrilling enough, wait until you see the underwater scene in the film. That particular scene is the star among the already great action scenes. Another highlight of the film is the world-famous score. I personally think the score really makes the opening scene goosebump-worthy. In fact, it is the best opening-scene I've seen so far this year. Credits also go to the sound department who successfully made the score, the gun shots, and the punches sound so clear and heart-pounding. They deserve some award recognitions for doing that! And what’s a good sound without the equally good performances? Tom Cruise is more than capable to carry the weight as the main character. Can we all just praise him for being so fit in his 50s? I mean, come on, his physicality will make all the young guys in the world feel as ashamed as they feel envy of him. Including me (poor you, Dan!). Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, and Ving Rhames (even funnier than Pegg with his one-liners) are good too in their respective roles. Let’s not forget about Rebecca Ferguson as the newest addition to the film. She gives a convincing and attention-demanding performance as the femme fatale Ilsa Faust. I’ve spilled all of the positive notes of the film. Now it’s time for its counterpart, the not-so-positive ones. My main problem of this film is I find it not memorable despite all the glorious action scenes. The story is indeed smart (how nice I am to still put compliment in the supposedly all-negative paragraph) but the writing is just a bit weak for me. Yesss I know some of you might argue that this kind of film is not the appropriate place to talk about some writing stuff. But forgive me I just can’t stand not talking about that. The motivation behind Hunt’s obsession in chasing down the Syndicate isn’t convincing enough. (MINOR SPOILER ALERT!) There’s this one scene where he’s being confronted by his team mates about his motivation and he replies with some unclear response, neither confirming the accusation nor giving his actual reason behind it. And as far as I’m concerned, it’s not revealed until the end of the film. Still about the writing, the conflicts revolving Illa Faust are unnecessarily too convoluted. Maybe it was my brain that wasn’t bright enough to digest all that. What I’m trying to say is it could have been, and it should have been, simpler.
There's another thing that crossed my mind while watching it. The film is somehow exploitative towards Fergusson's character. As much as I adore her striking figure, something just felt wrong every time she appeared half-clothed. It almost felt the only reason she did that was only to arouse the viewers. But then again, spy films do have the tendency to make its women showing off their bodies. Maybe it's to emphasize the sexy-yet-deadly quality in those characters. Or maybe it is just what it is. Overall, ‘Mission:Impossible Rogue Nation’ is an above average action film that will entertain you, though it may not remain in your long-term memory. Score: 3.5/5 A MEMORABLE ENDING TO THE PHASE 2 OF MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE HELLO THERE!!! How are you guys doing? Hope you are blessed with the privilege to watch any movie anytime you want (it's indeed a rare privilege, isn't it?). I know it's been ages since the last time I wrote a review and how I beg your mercy for doing that. During my absence, I was so occupied with my undergraduate thesis I felt uneasy to do anything else. What matters now is I'm back and ready to give you the review that you (hopefully) need. Let's roll! There seems to be a new trend in Marvel Studios in choosing comedians to be their lead actors (so far only actors, but who knows in the near future we'll see Amy Schumer suit up in a Marvel film!). Starting from Chris Pratt who was picked to play the lead in 'Guardians of the Galaxy' (2014), the tradition now continues to its latest film 'Ant-Man'. The one who got lucky this time is Paul Rudd, an actor who's long known for his comedic works, such as in 'Anchorman' films and 'This is 40'. 'Ant-Man' tells the story of Scott Lang (Paul Rudd), a kind-hearted ex-prisoner who was sent to jail just because he chose to follow his instinct. One day, he and his gang revisit their past and embark on a mission to rob the house of a genius scientist Hank Pym (Michael Douglas). What he thought as a regular robbery turns out to be more than meets the eye that will alter his life forever. I first thought 'Ant-Man' would be a mess since there was a change of director before the filming began. The original director, Edgar Wright, left the project due to creative differences. He was then replaced by Peyton Reed. This usually signals a problem for a film. Thankfully, that's not the case with 'Ant-Man'. It turned out to be one of the best films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Here's why. Written by Edgar Wright, Adam McKay, Joe Cornish, and Paul Ruds, 'Ant-Man' offers a simple story with a far smaller scope than any recent Marvel movies. The good thing is, the simplicity in Ant-Man doesn't prevent it to be an irresistible superhero film. I also like how these writers managed to insert A LOT of cameos to the film. If those cameos don't trigger the child-like excitement in you, maybe you should check whether you're really a human or not. The story is of course not without flaws. One of them is the last one third of the film feels a tad too forced. Now let's talk about the performances. As a tough yet caring father, Michael Douglas gives weight to the film. Evangeline Lily is also fresh and screen-grabbing as the driven daughter of his. Corey Stoll is good too as the intelligent but mentally unstable villain Darren Cross. But as good as they can be, they're still not the acting highlights of the film. Yes, you read it right. It's highlight with an S. It's plural. It means there's not only one, but two performances that are more than worthy of your attention. The first one is Paul Rudd as the central charm of the film. He's funny, he's cool, he's pretty much what every man aspires to be. The other one is Michael Pena who's playing one of Scott's friends Luis. He's so hilarious he steals every scene he's in. If Ant-Man can be considered as a comedy in the next Golden Globe Awards, Pena deserves to be (at least) nominated in the Best Supporting Actor field. He's that good.
(MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD. YOU'VE BEEN WARNED) Credits also go to the writers and director who make the film flows so enjoyably but never forgetting to put a careful amount of relatable depth. That depth is conveyed by the recurring theme throughout the film, which is father-daughter relationship. It's apparent between two pairs in the film, Scott and his daughter Cassie and Hank and his daughter Hope. Scott is trying his best to be recognized as the real hero by Cassie. While Hope always questions her dad why he never lets her follow his step to be the next Ant-Man. Those two side-conflicts are woven seamlessly and add to the dynamic of the film's story, which is a really good thing. Overall, 'Ant-Man' is a light entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe that serves as the closing film of its Phase 2. The film will linger in your mind long after the credits roll for all the right reasons. Just remember one thing, you MUST NOT leave the theater when the lights go on for there are two post-credits scenes. One is in the middle and the other is at the very end. Make sure you catch them coz each scene is as important as each other. Score: 4/5 An Almost Forgettable Installment of the Jurassic Franchise Twenty two years ago, when some of you weren’t even born yet, there was a film that amused both kids and adults with its unlikely spectacle. The film was called ‘Jurassic Park’. Based on Michael Crichton’s novel, the film was directed by Steven Spielberg and went on to be his most financially successful film. Two sequels later, another one emerges with a new director, cast, and a bigger scope. Twenty years after the events in ‘Jurassic Park’, the world now has ‘Jurassic World’, the hi-tech theme-park that successfully breeds variety of dinosaurs for attraction. Though it attracts a lot of visitors to come, the park is facing a problem where the maintenance cost is continuously increasing. To overcome the problem, they decided to create a genetically modified hybrid dinosaur that is bigger and has more teeth, named Indominus Rex. It is because according to the statistic, the number of visitor is always high when a new attraction is added to the park. Unfortunately, before they even launch their newest invention, Indominus Rex flees its containment and threatens the lives of unaware visitors. Directed by Colin Trevorrow, the story is indeed simple and familiar. It consists of two brothers (Gray and Zach, played by Ty Simpkins and Nick Robinson) whose parents are in a deteriorating relationship, a restrained aunt slash profit-oriented ‘Jurassic World’ Operations Manager (Claire Dearing, played by Bryce Dallas Howard), a dino-expert (Owen Grady, played by Chris Pratt), and of course a corporate villain (I won’t tell you who it is), whose lives are all intertwined in the events of the film. Sounds interesting? Don’t hold your breath, because all of the aforementioned characters are weakly written or as I like to call it as half-baked. It’s just hard to relate to one of those characters. Some are given more layers than the others, but it’s not believable enough to make us care about them. Some might argue that this kind of film is not made to show depth characterization of humans. If that’s the case, at least give us exciting story. Please make no mistake here, it’s not that there’s no single thing that will excite the viewers in the film. In fact, there are some thrilling and chilling scenes involving dinosaurs. But that’s it. The story is just too dry it will get us bored easily. My guess is it’s because the screenplay is written by too many people. There are actually four names involved in the writing process, which are Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver, Colin Trevorrow, and Derek Connolly. Too many heads can really ruin the process, eh? Let’s move on to the better things of the film, shall we. The visual effects in ‘Jurassic World’ are top-notch. The dinosaurs look like they’re made in 4K definition. The score by Michael Giacchino is as good as John William’s score in the first Jurassic Park film. Though I must admit there are some moments in the film where the music is disconnected with the scene, like it’s standing on its own. From the acting point of view, credit goes to Ty Simpkins who plays his character with so full of adorable authenticity. Another highlight on the acting side is Jake Johnson as Lowery, who steals every scene he’s in though he is only supporting in the film. The rest of the performances are just okay.
Overall, ‘Jurassic World’ is not and will not be a memorable film in the franchise. The film is saved by its eye-treating visuals though I’m not so sure if that’s enough to compensate its weak story. Score: 3/5 A Fun and Hilariously Acted Espionage FilmI first noticed the existence of this film about a month ago from watching its trailer. My reaction was mixed; I was intrigued knowing that the film is another collaboration of Paul Feig and Melissa McCarthy. Both were involved in my so-far-all-time-favorite comedy film, ‘Bridesmaids’. Looking at the trailer, I was also not so sure about the quality of the film because it looked mediocre. It turns out that you just can’t believe of what a movie trailer gives you. ‘Spy’ is an example of a film that is better than its own trailer, which every single movie should be, and not the other way around. The story focuses on behind-the-desk and underrated CIA agent, Susan Cooper (Melissa McCarthy), who longs to be involved in the real on-field mission. All she wants to do is to get out of her boring life and get into the action. Being stereotyped by her surroundings, a chance finally comes for her to step out of her desk and prove to everyone that she can be the real agent. She then takes the risk and what follows not only change her work but also her entire life. Albeit its simple premise, the film is elevated by a cleverly-written script by the writer/director Paul Feig. I really like how he writes the jokes in the film. They’re not only laugh-inducing but also very witty. That in part thanks to his direction too. If it wasn’t handled by him, I bet the film would fall flat and unfunny. The jokes here are also very him, very Paul Feig, which involve high level of profanity, sexual jokes, and nasty things that you don’t usually make fun of. But trust me, they are put in a way that will make you cringe and laugh at the same time. Another thing that elevates the film is the incredible cast. As the main lead, Melissa McCarthy shines like a sun in the morning. She manages to give her character layers of personality that truly makes her a human. One time she can be vulnerable and self-doubting. The other time she kicks ass, literally and figuratively. Above it all, she is really, really funny! What she does in the film can only be done by her. I bet it would be a mess if her character was portrayed by someone else. I personally think she’s a lock for, if not winning, a Golden Globe nomination in the comedy category. Jason Statham and Rose Byrne deserve some credit too for creating the film’s charm. As Rick Ford, Statham plays against his own stereotype. He portrays a dumb CIA agent that sees himself as way greater than he actually is. Meanwhile, Byrne is playing Rayna Boyanev, the obnoxious and spoiled villain who likes to mock people right in front of their faces. Spotlight should also be pointed to Miranda Hart. She plays Nancy, Cooper’s reckless best friend who always gives Cooper what she needs the most: encouragement. The performances from Jude Law as a narcissistic agent Bradley Fine and Bobby Cannavale as a dazzling villain Sergio De Luca just add to the quality of the film. I don’t know if Feig is a feminist or not, except for the fact that his last three movies as a director feature women as the lead characters. What I know for sure is he has a knack in capturing authenticity in friendship between women. That skill is apparent in one of the best scenes of this film, which involves Cooper and Nancy talking about Karen Walker (gracefully played by Morena Baccarin), a top-rank woman CIA agent behind her back. That particular scene really reminds me of a similar hilarious scene in ‘Bridesmaids’, where Kristen Wiig’s and Maya Rudolph’s characters chatting over coffees. Overall, ‘Spy’ may not offer something new to the genre. But the film is boosted by its smart script and exceptional performances from the ensemble. And that is more than enough to make you entertained and satisfied. Score: 4/5 |
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AuthorA self-acclaimed movie guy who likes to socialize |