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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out Of The Shadows (2016)

November 8, 2016

Starring: Megan Fox, Will Arnett, Tyler Perry, Stephen Amell
Director: Dave Green (Earth To Echo

Bottom Line: To be clear, I hated the 2014 Ninja Turtles, but Out Of The Shadows looked promising if for only one reason: for the first time in 26 years of making TMNT movies, Bebop and Rocksteady were making an appearance. Outside of Shredder, these guys are easily the turtles most popular villains and somehow we’ve gone five movies without them. Granted, the turtle costumes looked pretty hokey in 1990, so you can only imagine how bad Bebop and Rocksteady would have looked. But it’s 2016 now and we have CG and motion capture performances, so they look pretty damn good here. Plus the writers managed to nail their personas pretty well – physically imposing, mentally challenged. Better late than never, these guys are a fun addition to the franchise.

Out Of Shadows also introduces Dimension X foe Krang into the mix for the first time as Shredder and noted scientist Baxter Stockman (Perry) work together to open a portal that will allow a war machine called the Technodrome access to earth. If nothing else, Out Of Shadows works because it finally gives TMNT fans what they’ve been waiting for: all their favorite things about the cartoon series.

The film itself is merely enjoyable. It seems like the conflict is always the same: Leonardo and Raphael clash as the turtles try to learn how to operate as a team while preventing Shredder from doing whatever scheme he’s up to. There’s nothing new in TMNT storytelling here. The casting of the human characters continues to be questionable. Megan Fox as April O’Neil is just weird – she’s one of those actors that can’t really shed her own identity during a performance. She’s not April O’Neil, she’s Megan Fox in a Ninja Turtles movie. The additions of Tyler Perry as Baxter Stockman and Stephen Amell as Casey Jones don’t really help either. You’d think the guy that plays Oliver Queen would be a good choice for the hockey-themed vigilante, but he gives a pretty cheesy performance.

Out Of Shadows is a fun movie that should instill some nostalgia in fans of the old cartoon series and even though it suffers from some mediocre acting and a cliche story, it’s a drastic improvement over the 2014 version.

Replay Value: I think kids will love it, but once was enough for me.
Sequel Potential: Keep ’em coming.
Oscar Potential: None.

Grade: 5/10 (watchable)

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10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)

October 14, 2016

Starring: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, John Goodman, John Gallagher
Director: Dan Trachtenberg

Bottom Line: 10 Cloverfield Lane was a solid and fun suspense mystery featuring good performances from Mary Elizabeth Winstead and John Goodman in the lead roles. Winstead’s character has a bad car accident and wakes up to find herself captive in the survival shelter of a man (Goodman) that claims a chemical attack has made the above ground world unlivable. The big mysteries of the film are whether or not Goodman’s character is telling the truth – and there are plenty pf reasons to question his intentions – and what, if anything, this film has to do with J.J. Abram’s 2008 monster film Cloverfield (Spoiler alert: he’s a not-so-secret producer on the film).

10 Cloverfield Lane is a tense, claustrophobic film with some good scares, a solid cast, and a mystery that will have you guessing until the very end.

Replay Value: I’d watch it again.
Sequel Potential: It’s hard to comment on this because you are wondering the whole film if it’s a sequel or not.
Oscar Potential: John Goodman gives a great supporting performance but it will probably be forgotten and overlooked come award season.

Grade: 6.5/10 (recommended/must see)

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Don’t Breathe (2016)

October 12, 2016

Starring: Jane Levy, Stephen Lang, Dylan Minnette
Director: Fede Alvarez (Evil Dead [remake])

Bottom Line: Somehow, years after Eminem shared his vivid and sometimes scary tales of life in the slums of Detroit, horror filmmakers had the brilliant idea that these lonely projects are the perfect backdrop for a scary movie. Much like last year’s amazing and unique It Follows, Don’t Breathe once again takes us into the depths of Detroit, where a young girl named Rocky (Jane Levy) and her friends hatch the perfect plan to rob an old, blind war veteran that lives alone in an abandoned neighborhood. This plan is able to come to fruition mostly because Rocky’s friend Alex (Minnette) has a father that works for a security company and they are able to use that connection to gain access to people’s homes. Obviously, things don’t go as planned and the old man is far more capable than they ever could have imagined.

Detroit is such a good city for horror movies. It’s hard to imagine many settings where a film like Don’t Breathe could work, but an abandoned neighborhood in the Motor City, where there is absolutely no human traffic, is the perfect place. And it’s easy to believe this is a man that wants to be secluded. What’s not as believable is that this is a man that would have a security system in the first place. He had a daughter that was killed by a motorist (possibly drunk, I can’t remember) and you get the idea that her death was the end of any connection he had to society. So why does he have this system? I guess living in an abandoned area would raise anyone’s paranoia, but he’s well prepared for intruders and has Cujo for a guard dog. I’m not really buying it and you kind of realize the security system only exists for plot purposes and that it doesn’t really make sense for the character. Of course, pointing out plot holes in scary movies is a silly practice…

…but Don’t Breathe is a good scary movie. Once you can get past some of the silliness (like the team finishing off a joint just before breaking into the house – nothing like a good high when performing an occupied home invasion!) Don’t Breathe is a solid thriller – it’s crazy tense with lots of good scares. And the poor, victimized blind man is even scarier than you can imagine. I’m yet to see the remake of Evil Dead but the team of director Fede Alvarez and Jane Levy as the star are a good match here and that project is now on my must see list.

Don’t Breathe is currently the best horror film of 2016 and one of the best films in the genre of the last several years. It’s a must see for fans of scary films and an all around good time at the movies.

Replay Value: Not as good as It Follows, but definitely worth seeing again.
Oscar Potential: Can’t imagine any.

Grade: 6.5/10 (Recommended/Must See)

SPOILER ALERT: Okay, so the big surprise of the movie is that the blind man has the woman that accidentally killed his daughter locked up in his basement. She was found not guilty of vehicular manslaughter and was able to go free. And now she’s in his basement. Think about this for a second. How difficult would it be for a blind man to not only find out where and when to find this girl, capture her by surprise, and do so while making sure there are no witnesses.

Really?

Sequel Potential: Spoiler alert! Maybe. The blind man lives.

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Finding Dory (2016)

August 26, 2016

Starring: Ellen DeGeneres, Albert Brooks, Ed O’Neill
Director: Andrew Stanton (Wall-E, Finding Nemo, A Bug’s Life), Angus MacLane

Bottom Line: Finding Dory is a more-than-worthy long awaited sequel to Pixar’s Finding Nemo, continuing the story, but this time focusing on Ellen Degeneres’ Dory, a fish that has no short term memory, and the character that was arguably the star of the original film anyway. The movie opens in heartbreaking fashion – with a very young Dory getting separated from her family and having no idea how to get back to them before forgetting about them altogether. Something sparks her memory and Dory embarks on an adventure with Marlin and Nemo to find her parents, ultimately landing them in the Marine Life Institute, where Dory was born. Finding Dory is touching and funny and does a great job of calling back old characters while introducing classic new ones like Ed O’Neill’s self-serving and incredibly resourceful octopus Hank and Kaitlin Olson’s blind whale-shark Destiny. And Becky, a crazy bird that is hilariously wacko. Of course, it goes without saying that the animation in Finding Dory is absolutely stunning.

Finding Dory is great fun for both kids and adults, a worthy sequel to Finding Nemo, and, arguably, the first great Pixar film since Toy Story 3 in 2010.

Replay Value: A must own for me.
Sequel Potential: Pixar’s #1 movie domestically, with chances to pass Toy Story 3 as the studio’s all-time most lucrative theatrical release – all of which is a formula for more sequels.
Oscar Potential: Pretty rare that a Pixar movie this good isn’t a shoo-in for Best Animated Feature, but Zootopia is just as good and Kubo and the Two Strings – which I haven’t seen yet – is sitting at 96% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Grade: 7.5/10 (Highly Enjoyable/Must See)

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The Big Short (2015)

August 26, 2016

Starring: Christian Bale, Steve Carrell, Ryan Gosling, Brad Pitt
Director: Adam McKay (The Other Guys, Step Brothers, Anchorman)

Bottom Line: Director Adam McKay somehow manages to make a movie about the mortgage and housing collapse of the mid-2000s funny and entertaining despite the fact that I largely had no idea what was going on. I get that the banks were loaning money to people that had basically no income or credit, but I didn’t really understand how the key players in the movie realized this and knew how to capitalize on it. While having Margot Robbie sitting in a bubble bath explaining things was a nice touch, I was, admittedly, still pretty lost. Obviously, The Big Short has a stellar cast and it’s cool to see Steve Carrell in a more serious role. Christian Bale, as always, is spectacular. The Big Short is an enjoyable movie even if you don’t really understand banking or the housing market, but I imagine those that read and enjoyed the Michael Lewis book this film was adapted from will really love this movie.

Replay Value: I think I would better understand things a second time around.
Sequel Potential: None.
Oscar Potential: Nominated for Best Picture, Film Editing, Director, Christian Bale’s performance, and won the Oscar for Adapted Screenplay.

Grade: 6/10 (Recommended)

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The Lobster (2015)

August 25, 2016

Starring: Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz, Lea Seydoux
Director: Yorgos Lanthimos (Dogtooth)

Bottom Line: The Lobster is a bizarre movie about a society where one must find true love or they will be arrested, transformed into an animal of their choice, and let loose in the wild. So when Colin Farrell’s character David is left by his wife, he finds himself in a hotel full of fellow loners where they all must find a matching partner within 45 days or their human life comes to an end. Wait, they aren’t loners – Loners are an actual group of rebels that duck authority and live illegal lives absent of domestic partnership in the woods – and the members of the purgatory hotel stop can extend their stay by hunting these loners with tranquilizer guns and capturing them. When David’s stay at the hotel comes to in an end he escapes to the woods where he promptly falls in love with one of the Loner women.

I’m having a hard time deciding if I liked The Lobster or not. It might be too weird. The acting is so dead pan and the lines are delivered with such straight faces it’s hard not to laugh at the absurdity of it all. I mean, I think it’s supposed to be funny, but I’m not really sure. The plot is intriguing, even if it is unsettling odd at times. The performances of Colin Farrell and Rachel Weisz are amusing if nothing else. I have to give them credit – they play their roles with absolutely no showing of emotion. I think the film is supposed to be some sort of commentary on the societal pressure to be part of a monogamous relationship.

The Lobster is amusing and, at times, comical, but it’s so strange and difficult that I couldn’t possibly recommend it to everyone in good faith. I am curious what people would think of it. I imagine casual film watchers – like my wife – will hate it, but when I finished watching it I was unsure how I really felt about it. The more time I’ve had to think about though the more I think I liked it.

Replay Value: I would maybe give this another watch some day.
Sequel Potential: Not much.
Oscar Potential: No nominations

Grade: 5.5/10 (/Watchable/Recommended)

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Zootopia (2016)

August 17, 2016

Starring: Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba
Director: Byron Howard, Rich Moore, Jared Bush (Tangled, Bolt, Wreck-It Ralph)

Bottom Line: Zootopia continues Disney Animation’s resurgence, following on the heels Frozen and Tangled‘s recent success. Gorgeous and hilarious, Zootopia is also incredibly relevant, with themes that jive with today’s All Lives Matter movement. Hidden beneath the cute mammals and constant humor is a movie about prejudice, racism, and defying the odds. Can a bunny really be a cop? Are predators predisposed to return to their killing instincts? Ginnifer Goodwin and Jason Bateman voice great chemistry as the lead roles in an unlikely team up of an optimistic bunny cop and a con artist fox. And the sloths! The sloths at Zootopia’s version of the DMV is hilarious. Zootopia is well paced with plenty of memorable characters and lots of humor, all while delivering some pretty adult messages about equality and friendship.

Beautifully animated, clever and funny, and fit for both kids and adults, Zootopia is one of the most enjoyable films of 2016.

Replay Value: Excellent. A must own for families.
Sequel Potential: Absolutely.
Oscar Potential: Midway through 2016, Zootopia is a shoo in for Best Animated Feature (unless The Jungle Book qualifies?) and would currently land on my list of Best Picture contenders.

Grade: 7.5/10 (Highly Enjoyable/Must See)

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Spectre (2015)

August 17, 2016

Starring: Daniel Craig, Christoph Waltz, Lea Seydoux
Director: Sam Mendes (Skyfall, Road To Perdition, American Beauty)

Bottom Line: You’d think a James Bond movie starring Christoph Waltz – one of my favorite actors of late – as famed Bond villain Ernst Blofeld would be a stroke of genius, but somehow director Sam Mendes and crew made Spectre one of the most boring films in the franchise’s history. For starters, if you were excited about Waltz as Blofeld, you’ll be pretty disappointed when you have to wait nearly an hour and 45 minutes before you see his face and hear him speak more than a few lines. While this anonymity follows tradition with the character, it’s also a waste of a pretty great actor. There’s a twist in this movie that makes the Austin Powers movie Goldmember seem foreshadowing and really makes you wonder where the Bond writers are drawing their inspiration from.

While I didn’t hate Spectre, I did find it incredibly dull. It’s almost 2.5 hours long and it feels like very little happens. I really like Craig as Bond, but once again, the James Bond series is in need of a shake up.

Replay Value: I would never watch this again unless it was part of a dedicated marathon. I own every Bond movie, but this one will not be joining my collection unless someone buys it for me.
Sequel Potential: I’ll die before this franchise does. I believe Daniel Craig is under contract for one more Bond movie.
Oscar Potential: Won Oscar for Best Original Song.

Grade: 3.5/10 (Just Skip It/Forgettable)

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Suicide Squad (2016)

August 17, 2016

Starring: Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Jared Leto, Viola Davis
Director: David Ayer (Fury, End Of Watch)

Bottom Line: Suicide Squad is a pretty good example of how the Rotten Tomatoes rating system can be misleading: at 27%, you might expect this to be terrible… it’s not. What a 27% rating really means is that roughly 3 out of 4 critics thought Suicide Squad wasn’t a good movie and, well, it’s not. But it’s not really a bad one either. It’s just a simple, fun action/comedy that does a decent job of lightening up the overly grim DCU film universe.

Margot Robbie is perfect casting as The Joker’s sweetheart Harley Quinn. She not only looks the part, but she plays Harley with the requisite blend of crazy/sexy/funny. Speaking of The Joker, Jared Leto does a remarkable job as the notable Batman villain; a tough taska considering Heath Ledger won an Oscar for the iconic role less than a decade ago. Leto’s Joker looks and sounds like a comic book villain – he’s totally nuts and over-the-top both in appearance and in his actions. The surprise of the cast is Will Smith as Deadshot. When I heard that casting, I raised an eyebrow in doubt, but Smith is easily one of the film’s highlights. If there’s any emotional resonance in the film, it’s with Smith’s Deadshot.

What didn’t work so well was the main antagonist in the film. It’s not The Joker as some might expect, it’s The Enchantress – and she’s terribly lame. Much like Zack Snyder’s awful light show conclusion to Batman Vs Superman, Suicide Squad’s finale is equally as bad, with lots of in-your-face visual effects, laughable dialogue, and a cringe worthy performance from Cara Delevingne.

Ultimately, Suicide Squad has some working elements – particularly the cast and the tone – but a poor choice in main villain and another terrible DCU third act make the film pretty mediocre. Still, if you come in with tempered expectations – and there’s no reason you shouldn’t – Suicide Squad is a fun movie.

Replay Value: Leto and Robbie make the movie worth watching again, but this isn’t something I’ll snap buy on bluray.
Sequel Potential: Harley Quinn is getting her own movie, which is great news. Leto’s Joker will surely have more appearances in the future. There’s a better movie to be made with the squad and with over $200M in box office receipts, we will probably get a chance to see it.
Oscar Potential: None

Grade: 5/10 (Watchable)

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Ghostbusters (2016)

July 25, 2016

Starring: Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones, Chris Hemsworth
Director: Paul Feig (Spy, The Heat, Bridesmaids)

Bottom Line: Honestly, I thought this was going to be a huge bust and it wound up being a pleasant surprise. The casting in this movie wasn’t bad news to me, but I thought the trailer looked terrible. Fortunately, the team that was responsible for Bridesmaids – director Paul Feig and actresses Kristen Wiig and Melissa McCarthy – once again find a successful blend of comedy and charm, reinvigorating a dormant franchise that has long been in need of a reboot. But an all female reboot? Why not! It works just fine, as Wiig and McCarthy are two of the strongest comedic actresses working today and they are as solid and funny as expected here, plus SNL’s Kate McKinnon absolutely steals the show in what I believe is her first major film role. She’s so funny we will probably all hate her in about 5 years due to overexposure. Chris Hemsworth is also a fun addition, hamming it up in the part of dimwitted secretary. Part of my concerns with the trailer were that the special effects looked overwhelming, ala Superman Vs. Batman, but all the supernatural hoopla fits in perfectly.

2016’s version of Ghostbusters isn’t going to blow anyone’s mind, but it’s a worthy successor to the – let’s be honest here – overrated original. That film is unfairly hailed as a classic when it probably tops out at slightly above enjoyable, which is pretty much what you can expect from this movie. The good news is we should all be looking forward to new adventures with this team of Ghostbusters.

Replay Value: Fun enough that I’d watch it at least one more time.
Sequel Potential: This reboot should reinvigorate the franchise for years to come.
Oscar Potential: None.

Grade: 5.5/10 (Watchable/Recommended)

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