Michael Dougherty previously directed the great Trick r' Treat. Krampus is his latest outing and he does not disappoint.
In Krampus, Max (Emjay Anthony) is struggling with the fact that each proceeding Christmas has been getting rougher and rougher. His mom, Sarah (Toni Collette), and dad, Tom (Adam Scott) seem to be falling out of love, his older sister Beth (Stefania LaVie Owen) doesn't spend as much time with him as she used to, and his grandmother, Omi (Krista Stadler) seems to always get weirder around this time of year. Making things much worse are his cousins' family, which are a bunch of intolerable jackholes led by patriarch Howard (David Koechner), his wife Linda (Alison Tolman), the awful Aunt Dorothy (Conchata Ferrell), and their kids. After the family dinner ends in tragedy, Max denounces his belief in Santa and throws his list to Santa out the window. Unfortunately, this simple act has drastic consequences for Max and his family, as Krampus (a Christmas devil who kidnaps naughty people) is summoned to the house and proceeds to wreck his own brand of yuletide terror on the inhabitants within.
The story of Krampus has been around for literally centuries. I've been waiting for a film that does this creature justice. I was sorely disappointed in Rare Exports, but with the new movie Krampus, I am happy to say I've finally been granted my wish. I'm not saying Krampus is perfect, but it does get Krampus right and to me, that's really all that matters.
The stand-outs are Emjay Anthony as Max (A good kid who has a tendency to get in fights about Christmas. Emjay did a fantastic job.) , Toni Collette as Sarah (a frazzled and disheveled mother who is trying her best to stay afloat. Toni Collette was a natural in the role, and I really liked her.) , Adam Scott as Tom (Adam Scott is actually kind of a bad-ass here, and gets to have fun with some guns. I really dug his character as he gets to show that he is not a wimp in any way), Stefania LaVie Owen as Beth (the older sister who cares about her family but is a bit busy with boyfriend issues. I thought she was super cute, and I liked that the filmmakers made her character not the typical older teen sister), and Krista Stadler as Omi (the cool and kind of creepy grandma who only speaks in a foreign language). I found that I genuinely liked and cared for each of their characters, and wanted to see all of them make it out in one piece. The same cannot be said for David Koechner's Howard and family. They are all a bunch of ugly Americans, and I honestly could not wait to see how they would be dispatched during the film.
Weta created the creatures in this film, using both practical effects and CGI. Needless to say, the designs are impressive. We get homicidal gingerbread men (who are more goofy than anything else, think Gremlins), dark elves (They were very cool, I loved their design), snowmen (Super creepy, they don't do anything but I loved how they looked), a demented jack-in-the-box (super disturbing), and of course Krampus himself (Loved him). It warmed my heart to see how cool the practical effects in this film were and while we only get 3 scenes with the titular Krampus, he is still a sight to behold. I must say I kind of wished there were more scenes with Krampus and crew, that said they are still in the film a good deal. All together, Krampus and his holiday horrors make for quite the obstacle for our family to overcome.
Now, Krampus is PG-13, and this worried me a good deal. Well, it really shouldn't have. The lower rating doesn't kill the film, though I can't help but feel that this film should have been rated R. Some of the scenes involving Krampus and crew feel a bit neutered, and there are definitely parts where you could tell characters were begging to drop an F bomb. I'm hoping they release an R rated cut for blu-ray, but as a PG-13, Krampus still works fine. It's clear the PG-13 was slapped on there in attempt to market this film as a horror film for the family, but even with that rating a family film this is not (There's definitely stuff in here that could give your kids nightmares).
At it's dark heart, Krampus is a film about family and what happens when you lose faith/hope in Christmas. It's definitely tons of fun, but it's also a great deal sad too. The atmosphere and sets in the film are top-notch, and succeed at creating a beautiful dark, creepy Christmas vibe. Krampus manages to pull off comedy, sadness, darkness, a rich atmosphere, super-likable leads, and ties it all up with an ending that's way darker than you would expect it to be (It's completely perfect). Krampus makes for a fine holiday treat.
3.5 STARS
Thursday, December 10, 2015
Monday, November 23, 2015
SMALLS ENJOYS THE DRUG ADDLED CHAOS OF THE NIGHT BEFORE
It's the night before Christmas, and the tradition that Isaac (Seth Rogen), Ethan (Jospeh Gordon-Levitt), and Chris (Anthony Mackie) share of going out on the town that night is ending. The tradition stems ten years back from Isaac's and Chris' attempt at cheering Ethan up after his parents were killed by a drunk driver shortly before Christmas. Now, Chris is a popular sports star who uses steroids, Isaac is married with a kid on the way, and Ethan is stuck in a rut. All but Ethan feel that they have outgrown their yearly night of drunken escapades. However, when Ethan stumbles upon tickets to a legendary Christmas party he and his friends have been searching for for years, it catapults the trio into the night to end all nights.
I really dug the emotional core of this film, which is Ethan having to deal with the loss of his parents (He never seems to have fully recovered from this loss), the fear that his friends are outgrowing him, and the fear of being alone. It's actually very sweet and touching. Needless to say, I also LOVED JGL in his role here. He is one of the best actors out there, but my favorite role for him to play will always be the normal guy. I wasn't head-over-heels in love with his arc, which involves him contemplating getting back together with his ex (played by Lizzie Caplan, who is given little to do. I still dug her here, and naturally she was beautiful), but having JGL in the film helps to elevate the proceedings a good deal nonetheless. I know I wouldn't have cared nearly as much about Ethan if JGL wasn't portraying him.
I also genuinely enjoyed Seth Rogen's Isaac. His arc mainly involves a small box of drugs including molly, marijuana, cocaine, and shrooms, which his wife (played by Jillian Bell, who is super cool and likable here) gave to him in a clear effort to help him face his own fear of becoming a father. For most of the film, Isaac is just trying to survive the night and keep his cool while attempting to fight off the aggressive effects of the drugs. This is the most likable and the best Rogen has been in some time.
Anthony Mackie is enjoyable as Chris, although he isn't given nearly as much meat to chew on as JGL and Rogen. That said, some of the best parts of the film are the few brief scenes he shares with Ilana Glazer (She's awesome here), who plays Rebecca, a cute Christmas Grinch who keeps stealing the weed Chris has been charged with delivering to the party. The two work off of each other to an impressive degree. It's a shame Glazer's character kind of just disappears somewhere in the 2nd act.
Michael Shannon was another one of the more awesome aspects of the film. He plays Mr. Green, the stone-faced drug dealer with a heart of gold. Shannon's job is essentially to be the Clarence (from It's A Wonderful Life) of the film, dishing out wisdom in the handful of scenes he appears in. He's absolutely perfect, and each of his scenes is gut-wrenchingly hilarious.
All my love for the film beside (and yes, if it isn't obvious, I do love this film), I do have a few tiny issues with The Night Before. First off, the film is bookended by narration from Tracy Morgan. I have nothing against him, but these parts felt kind of weird, wrong, and annoying to me. The overall plot of the film was also too reminiscent of your typical, predictable Christmas film (and sure enough, everything is wrapped up nice and neatly by the end). For such a clever film, I kind of wish they had found some way to liven things up a bit plot-wise. All that said, While the plot may be a bit predictable to how each character's story is going to end, the proceeding chaos and fun is more than enjoyable enough for anyone to overlook what little issues they may have.
In the end, the heart of this film lies in the chemistry between the three leads, the numerous LOL moments, and the touching story about friendship and love. The Night Before may not be a perfect film, but I'll be damned if it doesn't get pretty close at times. I would say it's definitely a new holiday classic. Pour some liquor in your eggnog and drink up!
4.5 STARS
I really dug the emotional core of this film, which is Ethan having to deal with the loss of his parents (He never seems to have fully recovered from this loss), the fear that his friends are outgrowing him, and the fear of being alone. It's actually very sweet and touching. Needless to say, I also LOVED JGL in his role here. He is one of the best actors out there, but my favorite role for him to play will always be the normal guy. I wasn't head-over-heels in love with his arc, which involves him contemplating getting back together with his ex (played by Lizzie Caplan, who is given little to do. I still dug her here, and naturally she was beautiful), but having JGL in the film helps to elevate the proceedings a good deal nonetheless. I know I wouldn't have cared nearly as much about Ethan if JGL wasn't portraying him.
I also genuinely enjoyed Seth Rogen's Isaac. His arc mainly involves a small box of drugs including molly, marijuana, cocaine, and shrooms, which his wife (played by Jillian Bell, who is super cool and likable here) gave to him in a clear effort to help him face his own fear of becoming a father. For most of the film, Isaac is just trying to survive the night and keep his cool while attempting to fight off the aggressive effects of the drugs. This is the most likable and the best Rogen has been in some time.
Anthony Mackie is enjoyable as Chris, although he isn't given nearly as much meat to chew on as JGL and Rogen. That said, some of the best parts of the film are the few brief scenes he shares with Ilana Glazer (She's awesome here), who plays Rebecca, a cute Christmas Grinch who keeps stealing the weed Chris has been charged with delivering to the party. The two work off of each other to an impressive degree. It's a shame Glazer's character kind of just disappears somewhere in the 2nd act.
Michael Shannon was another one of the more awesome aspects of the film. He plays Mr. Green, the stone-faced drug dealer with a heart of gold. Shannon's job is essentially to be the Clarence (from It's A Wonderful Life) of the film, dishing out wisdom in the handful of scenes he appears in. He's absolutely perfect, and each of his scenes is gut-wrenchingly hilarious.
All my love for the film beside (and yes, if it isn't obvious, I do love this film), I do have a few tiny issues with The Night Before. First off, the film is bookended by narration from Tracy Morgan. I have nothing against him, but these parts felt kind of weird, wrong, and annoying to me. The overall plot of the film was also too reminiscent of your typical, predictable Christmas film (and sure enough, everything is wrapped up nice and neatly by the end). For such a clever film, I kind of wish they had found some way to liven things up a bit plot-wise. All that said, While the plot may be a bit predictable to how each character's story is going to end, the proceeding chaos and fun is more than enjoyable enough for anyone to overlook what little issues they may have.
In the end, the heart of this film lies in the chemistry between the three leads, the numerous LOL moments, and the touching story about friendship and love. The Night Before may not be a perfect film, but I'll be damned if it doesn't get pretty close at times. I would say it's definitely a new holiday classic. Pour some liquor in your eggnog and drink up!
4.5 STARS
Friday, September 11, 2015
SMALLS GOES TO GRANDMA'S HOUSE WITH THE VISIT
In The Visit, 15 year old Becca (Olivia DeJonge) and her younger brother Tyler (Ed Oxenbould) go to visit their grandparents (Deanna Dunagan and Peter McRobbie). They have never met their nana and pop-pop (as they call them) due to a falling out between their mom (Kathryn Hahn) and their grandparents a long time ago, so they have no idea what to expect. Shortly after they arrive, the kids realize something seems a bit off with their grandparents, as Nana is clearly off her meds and Pop-pop is a bit awkward, stoic, and secretive. Naturally, things continue to spiral horribly out of control.
This is another found-footage film, but one where I never once questioned why the kids never put the camera down (and in fact, the camera comes in quite handy every so often). Becca is an aspiring film artist, and this latest project of hers is an attempt at getting closure for her mother. Tyler is a wanna-be rapper who is pretty interested in the female gender. Becca is the brains, Tyler provides the comedy and common sense. Both actors do pretty great jobs and are not only believable and super-likable, but also manage to inject some depth and heart into their characters. The same can be said for both grandparents (Though Nana is the clear stand-out of the two). They both sell their roles very well, and Nana is genuinely freaky and disturbing most of the time (Even when the sun is still out).
Really, the only negative thing I can say about The Visit is that I found it hard to believe a 15 year old could so expertly edit a student film so that it looked this pretty (plus, the numerous fade out shots are extremely well done and beautiful too). The Visit doesn't have much of a plot when you get down to it, instead choosing to focus on the grandparents ensuing freaky antics. It can get a bit slow at times, and it's hard not to wonder where the film is headed, luckily the ending is satisfying and there are plenty of disturbing moments and jump scares throughout to keep you distracted. The biggest twist in The Visit is that after 13 years, M. Night Shaymalan finally managed to make a good film again. Let's hope he continues this possibly new trend and doesn't revert back to old habits. The Visit manages to deftly mix both laughs and scares (I did laugh pretty hard a few times, something I definitely wasn't expecting). It's a fun, funny, disturbing, and genuinely entertaining treat. Shania Twain, Bitches!
3 STARS
This is another found-footage film, but one where I never once questioned why the kids never put the camera down (and in fact, the camera comes in quite handy every so often). Becca is an aspiring film artist, and this latest project of hers is an attempt at getting closure for her mother. Tyler is a wanna-be rapper who is pretty interested in the female gender. Becca is the brains, Tyler provides the comedy and common sense. Both actors do pretty great jobs and are not only believable and super-likable, but also manage to inject some depth and heart into their characters. The same can be said for both grandparents (Though Nana is the clear stand-out of the two). They both sell their roles very well, and Nana is genuinely freaky and disturbing most of the time (Even when the sun is still out).
Really, the only negative thing I can say about The Visit is that I found it hard to believe a 15 year old could so expertly edit a student film so that it looked this pretty (plus, the numerous fade out shots are extremely well done and beautiful too). The Visit doesn't have much of a plot when you get down to it, instead choosing to focus on the grandparents ensuing freaky antics. It can get a bit slow at times, and it's hard not to wonder where the film is headed, luckily the ending is satisfying and there are plenty of disturbing moments and jump scares throughout to keep you distracted. The biggest twist in The Visit is that after 13 years, M. Night Shaymalan finally managed to make a good film again. Let's hope he continues this possibly new trend and doesn't revert back to old habits. The Visit manages to deftly mix both laughs and scares (I did laugh pretty hard a few times, something I definitely wasn't expecting). It's a fun, funny, disturbing, and genuinely entertaining treat. Shania Twain, Bitches!
3 STARS
Monday, June 15, 2015
JURASSIC WORLD IS FINALLY OPEN TO THE PUBLIC!
"The lack of humility before nature that's being displayed here, um, staggers me."-Ian Malcolm
"You stood on the shoulders of geniuses to accomplish something as fast as you could and before you even knew what you had you, you patented it, and packaged it and slapped it on a plastic lunchbox and now you're selling it, you want to sell it, well.."-Ian Malcolm
A mere 22 years after the incident at the original Jurassic Park, John Hammond's dream has finally come to fruition...and it's Ian Malcom's worst nightmare come to life. Jurassic World has been open on Isla Nublar (just a few miles away from the original Jurassic Park site) for an unspecified amount of time (Seems like several years at least), and things seem to be going smoothly except for a few things....customer satisfaction levels are just below 90%, and somehow the public has grown tired of seeing living, breathing dinos. The morons in charge decide to spice things up by creating their own genetically modified dinosaur, a terrifying creature they dub the Indominus Rex. Naturally, things don't go so well.
The actors all do fairly good jobs. Chris Pratt completely owns his role as Owen Grady, a velociraptor trainer who is the only person who seems to understand what the head honchos are doing is a very bad idea. "Their dinosaurs. Wow enough." he quips, and he's completely right. Pratt is not Star-Lord here, and manages to make a convincing and totally bad-ass hero. I also like that the bond he shares with the raptors is a shaky one at best. It goes without saying that Pratt is the best actor and character in the film.
Bryce Dallas Howard is pretty good as Claire, the no nonsense and up-tight businesswoman who is one of the higher-ups at Jurassic World. She goes to Owen for help figuring out the deal with the D-Rex and naturally, sparks eventually fly. She's an entertaining character that I grew to really like by the end of the film. Irrfran Kahn impresses as Simon Masrani, the CEO of Masrani Global, which is the company that runs Jurassic World with a little help from InGen. I was shocked and pleased at how jovial his character was, he's essentially our surrogate Hammond. It's nice to see Kahn play a nicer guy for a change.
Ty Simpkins and Nick Robinson do exactly what is required of them pretty well (running, screaming, and looking on in awe-struck wonder at times). They play Claire's nephews, who are shipped off to spend a weekend with her at Jurassic World while their parents get divorced. Robinson plays the girl obsessed teen Zach, and Simpkins plays his younger brother Gray, who is TOTALLY into dinos (Yes, he definitely has shades of young Tim from Jurassic Park). Vincent D'Onofrio plays Hoskins, the InGen security expert who has some shady plans involving the D-Rex and Owen's raptors. He is basically the embodiment of InGen, and here that company is portrayed much the way it is in the novel...as pretty evil and bad. I have to give a shout out to my boy Jake Johnson, who plays the character of Lowery, one of the workers in the Jurassic World control room. He's a pretty cool guy who is a major Jurassic Park nerd (he even wears a Jurassic Park T-shirt which Claire chastises him on, saying it's in bad taste). BD Wong also returns once again as the awesome Dr. Henry Wu, who is in charge of creating all the dinos on the island (including the D-Rex).
Jurassic World (the park) is really a beauty to behold, and it's a complete thrill to travel back to Isla Nublar again (it almost feels like going home in a weird way). The park is gorgeous, but is filled to the brim with numerous corporate sponsors (there's even a clever joke about Indominus Rex presented by Verizon Wireless). The numerous corporate entities are all handled a bit tongue-in-cheek (except for the overwhelming and tiring ads for Chevy), and it's done with a wink and nod to the audience. The film is very much commenting on the public's constant demand for bigger, better, scarier, and more more MORE (as the film puts it, more teeth!)! It's also in a weird way a comment on modern day blockbusters and why they are made the way they are made.
Michael Giacchino's score is a beautiful, gorgeous thing that uses some of the original score from Jurassic Park in key scenes, but still manages to emerge as it's own piece of art. Jurassic World is a film that is incredibly respectful and reverent to the original film, and it stays true to the message and tone of Jurassic Park. The film is filled with nods to the original classic, I don't know how much I want to give away, but there was one scene that had me seriously tearing up.
Jurassic World is indeed quite thrilling and fun, but the deaths that occur don't pack the punch that the deaths in the original had (except for one). I was also surprised that the film wasn't quite as chaotic as I had expected (certainly nowhere near as chaotic as Jurassic Park was. In fact, the D-Rex doesn't even really gobble up many park visitors, mainly feasting on any dino she can sink her teeth into and any teams sent in to contain her). That said, I was pleased that Jurassic World was able to effectively recapture some of the magic and wonder that the first film had (They even seem to use one and only one dino animatronic in a deeply affecting scene).
While Jurassic World isn't the masterpiece that I was hoping it would be, it's still a beautiful, gorgeous, and super fun film. It's a complete joy to re-visit Isla Nublar and some of the old sites from the original Jurassic Park (we even get the return of The King herself, the original T-Rex from the first film) and the film does manage to fit in some awe, wonder, and magic. Some parts definitely feel a little neutered and obviously it's nowhere near as great as the original classic, but overall Jurassic World is the only worthy sequel to Jurassic Park we've received thus far, and that alone makes this a definite must-see for any Jurassic Park fan.
3.5 STARS
Also, don't waste your money on the 3-D. And please guys, NO MORE SEQUELS. Quit while you're ahead.
"You stood on the shoulders of geniuses to accomplish something as fast as you could and before you even knew what you had you, you patented it, and packaged it and slapped it on a plastic lunchbox and now you're selling it, you want to sell it, well.."-Ian Malcolm
A mere 22 years after the incident at the original Jurassic Park, John Hammond's dream has finally come to fruition...and it's Ian Malcom's worst nightmare come to life. Jurassic World has been open on Isla Nublar (just a few miles away from the original Jurassic Park site) for an unspecified amount of time (Seems like several years at least), and things seem to be going smoothly except for a few things....customer satisfaction levels are just below 90%, and somehow the public has grown tired of seeing living, breathing dinos. The morons in charge decide to spice things up by creating their own genetically modified dinosaur, a terrifying creature they dub the Indominus Rex. Naturally, things don't go so well.
The actors all do fairly good jobs. Chris Pratt completely owns his role as Owen Grady, a velociraptor trainer who is the only person who seems to understand what the head honchos are doing is a very bad idea. "Their dinosaurs. Wow enough." he quips, and he's completely right. Pratt is not Star-Lord here, and manages to make a convincing and totally bad-ass hero. I also like that the bond he shares with the raptors is a shaky one at best. It goes without saying that Pratt is the best actor and character in the film.
Bryce Dallas Howard is pretty good as Claire, the no nonsense and up-tight businesswoman who is one of the higher-ups at Jurassic World. She goes to Owen for help figuring out the deal with the D-Rex and naturally, sparks eventually fly. She's an entertaining character that I grew to really like by the end of the film. Irrfran Kahn impresses as Simon Masrani, the CEO of Masrani Global, which is the company that runs Jurassic World with a little help from InGen. I was shocked and pleased at how jovial his character was, he's essentially our surrogate Hammond. It's nice to see Kahn play a nicer guy for a change.
Ty Simpkins and Nick Robinson do exactly what is required of them pretty well (running, screaming, and looking on in awe-struck wonder at times). They play Claire's nephews, who are shipped off to spend a weekend with her at Jurassic World while their parents get divorced. Robinson plays the girl obsessed teen Zach, and Simpkins plays his younger brother Gray, who is TOTALLY into dinos (Yes, he definitely has shades of young Tim from Jurassic Park). Vincent D'Onofrio plays Hoskins, the InGen security expert who has some shady plans involving the D-Rex and Owen's raptors. He is basically the embodiment of InGen, and here that company is portrayed much the way it is in the novel...as pretty evil and bad. I have to give a shout out to my boy Jake Johnson, who plays the character of Lowery, one of the workers in the Jurassic World control room. He's a pretty cool guy who is a major Jurassic Park nerd (he even wears a Jurassic Park T-shirt which Claire chastises him on, saying it's in bad taste). BD Wong also returns once again as the awesome Dr. Henry Wu, who is in charge of creating all the dinos on the island (including the D-Rex).
Jurassic World (the park) is really a beauty to behold, and it's a complete thrill to travel back to Isla Nublar again (it almost feels like going home in a weird way). The park is gorgeous, but is filled to the brim with numerous corporate sponsors (there's even a clever joke about Indominus Rex presented by Verizon Wireless). The numerous corporate entities are all handled a bit tongue-in-cheek (except for the overwhelming and tiring ads for Chevy), and it's done with a wink and nod to the audience. The film is very much commenting on the public's constant demand for bigger, better, scarier, and more more MORE (as the film puts it, more teeth!)! It's also in a weird way a comment on modern day blockbusters and why they are made the way they are made.
Michael Giacchino's score is a beautiful, gorgeous thing that uses some of the original score from Jurassic Park in key scenes, but still manages to emerge as it's own piece of art. Jurassic World is a film that is incredibly respectful and reverent to the original film, and it stays true to the message and tone of Jurassic Park. The film is filled with nods to the original classic, I don't know how much I want to give away, but there was one scene that had me seriously tearing up.
Jurassic World is indeed quite thrilling and fun, but the deaths that occur don't pack the punch that the deaths in the original had (except for one). I was also surprised that the film wasn't quite as chaotic as I had expected (certainly nowhere near as chaotic as Jurassic Park was. In fact, the D-Rex doesn't even really gobble up many park visitors, mainly feasting on any dino she can sink her teeth into and any teams sent in to contain her). That said, I was pleased that Jurassic World was able to effectively recapture some of the magic and wonder that the first film had (They even seem to use one and only one dino animatronic in a deeply affecting scene).
While Jurassic World isn't the masterpiece that I was hoping it would be, it's still a beautiful, gorgeous, and super fun film. It's a complete joy to re-visit Isla Nublar and some of the old sites from the original Jurassic Park (we even get the return of The King herself, the original T-Rex from the first film) and the film does manage to fit in some awe, wonder, and magic. Some parts definitely feel a little neutered and obviously it's nowhere near as great as the original classic, but overall Jurassic World is the only worthy sequel to Jurassic Park we've received thus far, and that alone makes this a definite must-see for any Jurassic Park fan.
3.5 STARS
Also, don't waste your money on the 3-D. And please guys, NO MORE SEQUELS. Quit while you're ahead.
Sunday, May 24, 2015
THERE'S A GREAT BIG BEAUTIFUL TOMORROWLAND
Tomorrowland is director Brad Bird's latest film. Penned by both Bird and Damon Lindelof, the project has been shrouded in mystery since before the first trailer was even released. The film follows Casey (Britt Robertson), a teen who discovers a magical pin that gives her a glimpse at a futuristic land. Intrigued, Casey makes it her mission to travel to Tomorrowland by any means necessary and enlists the aide of grumpy inventor Frank (George Clooney), who himself got to visit Tomorrowland when he was just a child at the 1960's New York World's Fair. However, there are some sinister people out there who would do just about anything to prevent Casey and Frank from completing their mission. With the assist of Athena (Raffey Cassidy), a butt-kicking young girl with secrets of her own, maybe Casey and Frank can make it to Tomorrowland and save the future.
Our main leads all manage to impress and share a great deal of chemistry together (including Hugh Laurie as another inventor. He has what may be the best speech in the film. Keegan-Michael Keyes and Kathryn Hahn also impress with fun cameos). George Clooney pulls off the grumpy curmudgeon with a heart of gold pretty well, but for my money I'd say that it's newcomers Britt Robertson and Raffey Cassidy who are the standouts here. The design of Tomorrowland itself is also very impressive and pretty, clearly taking some inspiration from the architecture of Tomorrowland at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland (Yes, the film does indeed have some ties to the Disney parks. Keep your eye out for the Space Mountain building, which is a part of the landscape of Tomorrowland. The references/ties don't stop there though).
Brad Bird previously directed The Incredibles and Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, and he brings with him here everything he learned from those two films, including action know-how. There are several action scenes in Tomorrowland and each one is thrilling, fun and absolutely fantastic. I'm also happy to say that Lindelof's bad luck streak seems to have ended for the time being, as the mystery at the core of the film is satisfyingly solved and the script itself is pretty well written.
I honestly didn't find anything all that wrong with Tomorrowland. The first 15 or 20 minutes didn't fully engage me, but once we jumped into Casey's story I was fully on board (also the last act does drag a little but not so much that it ruined my enjoyment of the film). I also love that Tomorrowland has a fantastic, positive message aimed at the optimists and dreamers of the world. Tomorrowland is a silly, fun film that had me constantly smiling with pure joy. I have no problem admitting that I loved this cool little film and I would highly recommend it. They've saved a seat for you on the rocket to Tomorrowland, so take the trip!
4 STARS
I also REALLY want one of those Tomorrowland pins now.
Our main leads all manage to impress and share a great deal of chemistry together (including Hugh Laurie as another inventor. He has what may be the best speech in the film. Keegan-Michael Keyes and Kathryn Hahn also impress with fun cameos). George Clooney pulls off the grumpy curmudgeon with a heart of gold pretty well, but for my money I'd say that it's newcomers Britt Robertson and Raffey Cassidy who are the standouts here. The design of Tomorrowland itself is also very impressive and pretty, clearly taking some inspiration from the architecture of Tomorrowland at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland (Yes, the film does indeed have some ties to the Disney parks. Keep your eye out for the Space Mountain building, which is a part of the landscape of Tomorrowland. The references/ties don't stop there though).
Brad Bird previously directed The Incredibles and Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, and he brings with him here everything he learned from those two films, including action know-how. There are several action scenes in Tomorrowland and each one is thrilling, fun and absolutely fantastic. I'm also happy to say that Lindelof's bad luck streak seems to have ended for the time being, as the mystery at the core of the film is satisfyingly solved and the script itself is pretty well written.
I honestly didn't find anything all that wrong with Tomorrowland. The first 15 or 20 minutes didn't fully engage me, but once we jumped into Casey's story I was fully on board (also the last act does drag a little but not so much that it ruined my enjoyment of the film). I also love that Tomorrowland has a fantastic, positive message aimed at the optimists and dreamers of the world. Tomorrowland is a silly, fun film that had me constantly smiling with pure joy. I have no problem admitting that I loved this cool little film and I would highly recommend it. They've saved a seat for you on the rocket to Tomorrowland, so take the trip!
4 STARS
I also REALLY want one of those Tomorrowland pins now.
Thursday, April 23, 2015
EX MACHINA PASSES THE TEST
In Ex Machina, Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson) is a coder at a Google-esque internet search giant. He wins a week-long stay at the fancy lodging of his boss Nathan (Oscar Issac). Once there, Caleb finds that Nathan intends for him to be the human part of a Turing test. It isn't long before the A.I. in question, named Ava (Alicia Vikander), has Caleb questioning what is really going on.
Alicia Vikander is quite memorable as Ava, the pretty A.I. at the center of the tale. The less I say about her the better (I will say that I couldn't really stop thinking about here, in a weird way I still can't. She also has an impressive nude scene). Domhnall Gleeson is one of those big up-and-coming actors. He's appeared in some pretty good films lately (like Dredd, About Time, Frank, Calvary, Anna Karenina, Never Let Me Go, True Grit, and Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Parts 1 and 2. Look for him in Star Wars later this year), but has yet to really make it big. While I'm not sure this will be his big breakthrough, I do have a feeling this will get people talking about him and should certainly put him on more people's radar, so that's a good thing. I really liked his character here, and would say he does a great job in his role. Oscar Isaac just about walks away with the film as the mysterious but somewhat goofy and fun creator of Ava and the owner of the search giant. The discussions and scenes that he and Caleb shares are easily some of the best scenes in the film (Also love Isaac's dance scene). Gleeson and Isaac have a real back-and-forth going on, and they work perfectly together. I'd consider this to be my favorite performance from Isaac, which is saying a lot seeing how he's had some real memorable roles/films as of late (Drive, Sucker Punch, Inside Llewyn Davis, A Most Violent Year, Star Wars, X:Men Apocalypse). He was an up-and-comer, but I'd say he's just about made it now.
From everything I've heard, it would seem that Ex Machina is quite realistic as far as it comes to how the film deals with A.I. technology. The film brings to the forefront some real interesting ideas and discussions about A.I. technology, and how that will affect not just the future, but the future of the human race as well (in reality, this is some pretty terrifying stuff). Ex Machina is superbly directed and written by Alex Garland. This is his directorial debut but he's an expert script writer as he's written the screenplay for Dredd, Never Let Me Go, Sunshine, and 28 Days Later. With Ex Machina, I'd say he establishes himself as the next big thing for science fiction.
Ex Machina isn't completely flawless. I'd say it does get a little bumpy at times, but I found the overall experience to be quite thought-provoking and enjoyable. I went in knowing very little about the film and I thoroughly enjoyed following it down it's twisted, bizarre, freaky path. For the first time in years we get a high quality, sci-fi film that actually encourages us to think (It also encourages us to take part in the Turing test as well, allowing us to decide if we think Ava's passed or not). Ex Machina is a talky, cerebral sci-fi film. I'm happy to say that, yes, this is really the real deal. The film easily passes the test for me. This is a new sci-fi classic. If you're one of the many who has been disappointed with the sci-fi offerings as of late, I'd say it's time you see Ex Machina.
5 STARS
Alicia Vikander is quite memorable as Ava, the pretty A.I. at the center of the tale. The less I say about her the better (I will say that I couldn't really stop thinking about here, in a weird way I still can't. She also has an impressive nude scene). Domhnall Gleeson is one of those big up-and-coming actors. He's appeared in some pretty good films lately (like Dredd, About Time, Frank, Calvary, Anna Karenina, Never Let Me Go, True Grit, and Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Parts 1 and 2. Look for him in Star Wars later this year), but has yet to really make it big. While I'm not sure this will be his big breakthrough, I do have a feeling this will get people talking about him and should certainly put him on more people's radar, so that's a good thing. I really liked his character here, and would say he does a great job in his role. Oscar Isaac just about walks away with the film as the mysterious but somewhat goofy and fun creator of Ava and the owner of the search giant. The discussions and scenes that he and Caleb shares are easily some of the best scenes in the film (Also love Isaac's dance scene). Gleeson and Isaac have a real back-and-forth going on, and they work perfectly together. I'd consider this to be my favorite performance from Isaac, which is saying a lot seeing how he's had some real memorable roles/films as of late (Drive, Sucker Punch, Inside Llewyn Davis, A Most Violent Year, Star Wars, X:Men Apocalypse). He was an up-and-comer, but I'd say he's just about made it now.
From everything I've heard, it would seem that Ex Machina is quite realistic as far as it comes to how the film deals with A.I. technology. The film brings to the forefront some real interesting ideas and discussions about A.I. technology, and how that will affect not just the future, but the future of the human race as well (in reality, this is some pretty terrifying stuff). Ex Machina is superbly directed and written by Alex Garland. This is his directorial debut but he's an expert script writer as he's written the screenplay for Dredd, Never Let Me Go, Sunshine, and 28 Days Later. With Ex Machina, I'd say he establishes himself as the next big thing for science fiction.
Ex Machina isn't completely flawless. I'd say it does get a little bumpy at times, but I found the overall experience to be quite thought-provoking and enjoyable. I went in knowing very little about the film and I thoroughly enjoyed following it down it's twisted, bizarre, freaky path. For the first time in years we get a high quality, sci-fi film that actually encourages us to think (It also encourages us to take part in the Turing test as well, allowing us to decide if we think Ava's passed or not). Ex Machina is a talky, cerebral sci-fi film. I'm happy to say that, yes, this is really the real deal. The film easily passes the test for me. This is a new sci-fi classic. If you're one of the many who has been disappointed with the sci-fi offerings as of late, I'd say it's time you see Ex Machina.
5 STARS
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
BUG JUICE- SMALL'S TRAILER MANIA: STAR WARS, FANTASTIC FOUR, TOMORROWLAND, ANT-MAN, JURASSIC WORLD, TERMINATOR GENISYS, BATMAN VS SUPERMAN
Hey all! It's been a long time (and I mean a LOOOOOOOONG time) since I've done a trailer mania but seeing as a whole metric you-know-what ton of trailers for hotly anticipated films have recently been released, I see I have no choice but to review each one and post my thoughts below. Buckle your seat belts and hang on tight, because this is going to be a doozy
First up: The newest trailer for Brad Bird's Tomorrowland
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNzukD8pS_s
Wow....I mean, just wow. The plot details still seem a bit scarce, but from what I can make out from previous trailers Earth is in bad shape, and a mystical place that Uncle Walt (as in Walt Disney) and other dreamers like him created may be our only hope. Crazy inventor Frank (George Clooney) and teen Casey (Britt Robertson) have seen glimpses of the place, and Frank has the means to travel there. For whatever reason, an android army has been sent to stop them. Still not sure exactly what's going on here, but the action in this trailer looks both silly and tons of fun. I'm pretty psyched, and not just because Brad Bird is directing or because the film has ties to Disneyland.....but because this looks like it really could be pretty good.
Next up is Star Wars: The Force Awakens
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCc2v7izk8w
It's a good sign when I go through a trailer with a crazy smile plastered on my face. I am certainly a fan of Star Wars (how could you not be?), and this trailer hit all the right buttons for me. The scenes within look gorgeous (that crashed star destroyer...holy carp guys!), and it felt so good to see Chewie and Han back together (presumably entering the Millennium Falcon after quite some time). I like the glimpses we get of our villain Kylo Ren (MORE PLEASE) and of what I assume is the updated version of the Galactic Empire (Also really digging the new Storm Trooper outfits, and that groovy glimpse at Vader's helmet). Star Wars: The Force Awakens definitely looks quite promising (for right now, I'm saying it looks very, very good, certainly better than those awful prequel films). We still don't know much plot wise, but rumors suggest that the film could center around Luke's lost lightsaber from Empire Strikes Back. Unless further trailers eventually turn me off the film (which I doubt) I'm saying COUNT ME IN!
The next trailer we look at today is for a property that is near and dear to my heart (partly because the first film in the franchise is probably my personal favorite film of all time): JURASSIC WORLD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJJrkyHas78
FINALLY! We get a few great glimpses at our main baddie dino: The Indominus Rex (or D-Rex for short), and boy does she look pretty! Our main actors (Vincent D'Onofrio, Bryce Dallas Howard, Ty Simpkins, Jake Johnson, Nick Robinson, BD Wong, Irrfan Kahn, and Chris Pratt) all seem up to the challenge. I'm not expecting this one to be anywhere near the level of the first Jurassic Park, but I do think (and hope) it will be better than the two sequels we got after. The plot does sound kind of dumb (Pratt makes a good point: Why would anyone engineer even deadlier dinos? Don't you guys remember what happened in the first three films?), but the action looks insane and tons of fun (That shot of the pterodactyl getting snapped up by the Moassaur was all kinds of right). I'll mainly be checking in to see what a fully realized, and open to the public Jurassic Park would be like. I'm so excited, you wouldn't believe it. I've got to find a way to see this baby in IMAX 3-D! This is definitely the best trailer we have gotten for Jurassic World thus far.
Next in my queue is Batman Vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xe1LrMqURuw
Still not sure what I think about this one. I do think the trailer looks mighty pretty, and Affleck as Batman looks intimidating, pissed off and scary as hell (dare I say he almost looks kind of perfect. Definitely reminds me of the Bats from The Dark Knight Returns.). I still don't have enough info to properly judge if this film is going to be good or not (Still not crazy about the casting of Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor, but I do like Jeremy Irons aka Scar from Lion King as Alfred). I'll probably attend just to see Batman and Supes duke it out mano-a-mano. Easily the best part of this trailer was the last line: "Tell me, do you bleed? You will." Gives me the chills every damn time.
Next is Ant-Man
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HpZevFifuo
Well, this was certainly better than the last trailer we got for the film. We get a ton more action here, and while I still can't say I'm excited for the film, it does look pretty fun and I love that Paul Rudd and Michael Douglas are our leads. For me, this trailer is all about that last shot of the model train de-railing....so simple but so darned funny. This film will definitely have a sense of humor.
Up next is the newest trailer for Fantastic Four
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POBI7OhGB18
Still very hesitant about this film. We get a bit more plot, some more character interaction, and our first look at DOOM. From everything I've heard about this film, I'm still not digging it so far. The grittier look and tone, the casting of younger actors in the lead roles (I do like each individual actor, but am not sure they fit as The Fantastic Four), and (as you all should know by now) the decision to drastically alter the Doom character so he's now a hacker/programmer/blogger. Until I see more of the Doom character (and admittedly, Kebbell does look fine in the Doom garb) I'll still file this one under awful flop.
I've saved the worst for last: Terminator Genisys. Yes, this trailer contains MAJOR SPOILERS for the film.....YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNU_jrPxs-0
I actually had hope for this film, not so much anymore. This trailer actually makes me angry. Why would ANYONE decide it's a good idea to make John Connor the main antagonist of the film....and a machine/human hybrid? I like that a large part of the film will be about saving John or undoing the damage that Skynet did to John, but the fact that they spoiled what seems to be a large and important part of the film has me worried(Plus, this doesn't make sense with the character of John Connor that the previous films had established. The John Connor I know would never willingly agree to become a man/machine ally to Skynet. All that said, I must say John does look very good in a suit.). The only reason studios pull this tactic is if they have no faith in the product they are marketing, and if they don't have any faith in Terminator: Genisys then why should we? Who knows, maybe the John as cybernetic antagonist plot won't be as big as it seems to be in this trailer. Only time will tell I guess (and where the hell is Matt Smith? Or is that going to be the BIG reveal saved for the film?). I really do hope the film surprises me and is the best installment in the franchise since T2, but I honestly doubt it as of right now. I'd hate to say it, but I'm expecting an awful flop (But hey, the lesser my expectations the more room the film has to surprise me).
So that wraps up this lengthy edition of Trailer Mania. I hope you all enjoyed reading my thoughts on each trailer. Till next time, I'm Smalls and you've just been bugged!
First up: The newest trailer for Brad Bird's Tomorrowland
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNzukD8pS_s
Wow....I mean, just wow. The plot details still seem a bit scarce, but from what I can make out from previous trailers Earth is in bad shape, and a mystical place that Uncle Walt (as in Walt Disney) and other dreamers like him created may be our only hope. Crazy inventor Frank (George Clooney) and teen Casey (Britt Robertson) have seen glimpses of the place, and Frank has the means to travel there. For whatever reason, an android army has been sent to stop them. Still not sure exactly what's going on here, but the action in this trailer looks both silly and tons of fun. I'm pretty psyched, and not just because Brad Bird is directing or because the film has ties to Disneyland.....but because this looks like it really could be pretty good.
Next up is Star Wars: The Force Awakens
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCc2v7izk8w
It's a good sign when I go through a trailer with a crazy smile plastered on my face. I am certainly a fan of Star Wars (how could you not be?), and this trailer hit all the right buttons for me. The scenes within look gorgeous (that crashed star destroyer...holy carp guys!), and it felt so good to see Chewie and Han back together (presumably entering the Millennium Falcon after quite some time). I like the glimpses we get of our villain Kylo Ren (MORE PLEASE) and of what I assume is the updated version of the Galactic Empire (Also really digging the new Storm Trooper outfits, and that groovy glimpse at Vader's helmet). Star Wars: The Force Awakens definitely looks quite promising (for right now, I'm saying it looks very, very good, certainly better than those awful prequel films). We still don't know much plot wise, but rumors suggest that the film could center around Luke's lost lightsaber from Empire Strikes Back. Unless further trailers eventually turn me off the film (which I doubt) I'm saying COUNT ME IN!
The next trailer we look at today is for a property that is near and dear to my heart (partly because the first film in the franchise is probably my personal favorite film of all time): JURASSIC WORLD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJJrkyHas78
FINALLY! We get a few great glimpses at our main baddie dino: The Indominus Rex (or D-Rex for short), and boy does she look pretty! Our main actors (Vincent D'Onofrio, Bryce Dallas Howard, Ty Simpkins, Jake Johnson, Nick Robinson, BD Wong, Irrfan Kahn, and Chris Pratt) all seem up to the challenge. I'm not expecting this one to be anywhere near the level of the first Jurassic Park, but I do think (and hope) it will be better than the two sequels we got after. The plot does sound kind of dumb (Pratt makes a good point: Why would anyone engineer even deadlier dinos? Don't you guys remember what happened in the first three films?), but the action looks insane and tons of fun (That shot of the pterodactyl getting snapped up by the Moassaur was all kinds of right). I'll mainly be checking in to see what a fully realized, and open to the public Jurassic Park would be like. I'm so excited, you wouldn't believe it. I've got to find a way to see this baby in IMAX 3-D! This is definitely the best trailer we have gotten for Jurassic World thus far.
Next in my queue is Batman Vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xe1LrMqURuw
Still not sure what I think about this one. I do think the trailer looks mighty pretty, and Affleck as Batman looks intimidating, pissed off and scary as hell (dare I say he almost looks kind of perfect. Definitely reminds me of the Bats from The Dark Knight Returns.). I still don't have enough info to properly judge if this film is going to be good or not (Still not crazy about the casting of Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor, but I do like Jeremy Irons aka Scar from Lion King as Alfred). I'll probably attend just to see Batman and Supes duke it out mano-a-mano. Easily the best part of this trailer was the last line: "Tell me, do you bleed? You will." Gives me the chills every damn time.
Next is Ant-Man
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HpZevFifuo
Well, this was certainly better than the last trailer we got for the film. We get a ton more action here, and while I still can't say I'm excited for the film, it does look pretty fun and I love that Paul Rudd and Michael Douglas are our leads. For me, this trailer is all about that last shot of the model train de-railing....so simple but so darned funny. This film will definitely have a sense of humor.
Up next is the newest trailer for Fantastic Four
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POBI7OhGB18
Still very hesitant about this film. We get a bit more plot, some more character interaction, and our first look at DOOM. From everything I've heard about this film, I'm still not digging it so far. The grittier look and tone, the casting of younger actors in the lead roles (I do like each individual actor, but am not sure they fit as The Fantastic Four), and (as you all should know by now) the decision to drastically alter the Doom character so he's now a hacker/programmer/blogger. Until I see more of the Doom character (and admittedly, Kebbell does look fine in the Doom garb) I'll still file this one under awful flop.
I've saved the worst for last: Terminator Genisys. Yes, this trailer contains MAJOR SPOILERS for the film.....YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNU_jrPxs-0
I actually had hope for this film, not so much anymore. This trailer actually makes me angry. Why would ANYONE decide it's a good idea to make John Connor the main antagonist of the film....and a machine/human hybrid? I like that a large part of the film will be about saving John or undoing the damage that Skynet did to John, but the fact that they spoiled what seems to be a large and important part of the film has me worried(Plus, this doesn't make sense with the character of John Connor that the previous films had established. The John Connor I know would never willingly agree to become a man/machine ally to Skynet. All that said, I must say John does look very good in a suit.). The only reason studios pull this tactic is if they have no faith in the product they are marketing, and if they don't have any faith in Terminator: Genisys then why should we? Who knows, maybe the John as cybernetic antagonist plot won't be as big as it seems to be in this trailer. Only time will tell I guess (and where the hell is Matt Smith? Or is that going to be the BIG reveal saved for the film?). I really do hope the film surprises me and is the best installment in the franchise since T2, but I honestly doubt it as of right now. I'd hate to say it, but I'm expecting an awful flop (But hey, the lesser my expectations the more room the film has to surprise me).
So that wraps up this lengthy edition of Trailer Mania. I hope you all enjoyed reading my thoughts on each trailer. Till next time, I'm Smalls and you've just been bugged!
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