Updated with the official HD trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saHzng8fxLs
A long time ago, in 2007 to be exact, Transformers was released. I remember sitting in that theater, and before the movie started, being treated to one hell of an intriguing, mysterious trailer for a secretive film. The footage showed a group of partyers rushing outside after a tremendous earthquake and a fiery explosion, only to be met by a city in chaos and the Statue of Liberty's head being tossed down the street. It ended with only a date, 1-18-08. The trailer was met with great interest, confusion, and debate. Was it a new Godzilla film? Was it Voltron? Answer was, none of the above. It was actually a trailer for a completely new American monster film named Cloverfield, and boy was it great. I was one of the many who took part in the massive viral campaign for the film, which included several websites, passwords, and lots and lots of sleuthing around as we tried to piece together the individual pieces of the puzzle. Unfortunately, no answers were really given and the film itself only paid a few very tiny nods towards the numerous info and questions the campaign had raised.
Lack of any real concrete answers aside (What was that monster? Where did it come from? Is it still alive after the end of the film? Was it created, or a natural undiscovered creature? What role did Slusho have to play in all this? Could Rob and Beth possibly have survived the end of the film?), I still thought the film was pretty great, and made for quite a fun ride (I still associate Sephora with the film due to it being a location during one of the more hectic scenes). I, like many others, wanted a sequel very badly. Now, 8 years later (ironic, considering 08 played a key part in the original trailer) we may be getting a sequel....or maybe not. Either way, it stars John motherfucking Goodman and that's more than enough for me to sign myself up.
The first word we see of the title is Cloverfield, and indeed we linger on that word for a good few seconds. The font is also that classic Cloverfield font. Surely this was intentional. JJ Abrams had this to say: “The idea came up a long time ago during production. We wanted to make it a blood relative of Cloverfield. The idea was developed over time. We wanted to hold back the title for as long as possible.” So....maybe this won't be a direct sequel to Cloverfield, but more like a cousin, kind of like a weird spin-off. Will we see the monster from Cloverfield? Will there be some kind of recognition of the events seen in Cloverfield? Will this film deal with the after-effects of the events of Cloverfield? Will this film have it's own unique monster, or will it not feature any monsters at all and instead just take place in the same universe as Cloverfield? Is Cloverfield going to be a title used for a new series of loosely connected anthology films? Already so many questions.
The apparent plot revolves around a young woman played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead, who is in some sort of car crash. A doomsday prepper played by Goodman rescues her and holds her against her will in a cellar along with John Gallagher Jr. Winstead offers more plot details: “He ( John Goodman's character) tells me that basically the world is over outside because there’s been a nuclear fall-out. It does have similarity to Faults (another film Winstead recently starred in), in some ways, because you don’t know who’s telling the truth or who to believe. There’s a lot of, who’s manipulating who, and all of that. Tonally, it’s very different, but it has some of those same themes.”
Already this is sounding very different, but somewhat similar to Cloverfield. All I know for sure is that there is a film that is related to Cloverfield in some way, being released March 16th of this year (JUST A FEW MONTHS AWAY) and it stars three phenomenal actors. I CAN'T FRIGGIN WAIT!!! Let's just hope there's some sort of viral campaign to go along with this film. I am more than ready to put my sluethin' cap back on, it's been gathering dust on my shelf for far too long.
Thursday, January 14, 2016
Tuesday, January 12, 2016
FANTASTIC FOUR IS A FANTASTIC MESS
Yes, I know this came out a very long time ago in theaters but I just saw it for the first time and I HAVE to talk about it.
Fantastic Four (or as all the ads would have you call it, Fant4stic) is the story of teen science whiz Reed Richards (Miles Teller), his best friend Ben Grimm (Jamie Bell), Super-smart but super awkward and isolated Sue Storm (Kate Mara, who is very pretty. This is one of the only good things I will say about this film.), and her hot-headed brother Johnny Storm (Michael B. Jordan). Sulky, rich, internet troll/hacker Victor Von Doom (Toby Kebbell) tags along for the fun. They are all brought onto a special project that hopes to perfect inter-dimensional teleportation (ok, admittedly Ben is not a part of the project, but is invited to join the team for their first inter-dimensional trip by Reed, who feels some sort of obligation after having short-shafted his friend before). Naturally, things do not quite go as planned and out of horrific tragedy, the Fantastic Four are born.
Wow, was this film bad. I mean, I had heard tales but I had no idea. This is really one of those rare cases where it has to be seen to be believed. By now we've all heard the reports that director Josh Trank would show up to set either drunk or f-ed out of his mind on drugs, and that originally Doom was to be called Domashev (Something I had earlier reported on, and indeed appears to be true since the name change seems to have been done last second. Every time his name is said, it sounds like it was dubbed over, and the first time we see his name on screen is a quick shot that feels like an add-on). A film with this many production issues normally does not fare well.
Trank does not seem like he has any love for The Fantastic Four, in fact it feels like he is reluctantly making this film. He certainly seems interested in their individual powers, and has some somewhat interesting ideas about them (mainly as a government run fighting team used to carry out secret/special missions). It feels as if the movie was done without enthusiasm, passion, or drive. It's almost like Trank's heart just wasn't in the project. This is a Fantastic Four film that doesn't want to be a Fantastic Four film, but instead a new, weird take on the super-hero genre. If anything, it aspires to be more of a science fiction film than anything else (after all, it does center around a new dimension, named Planet Zero, that scientists hope they can use to answer questions about Earth). Now, Trank's ideas aren't awful in and of themselves (I did like the body horror element he brought to a few scenes, although it really didn't belong in a Fantastic Four film), but he shouldn't have cannibalized an already well established and beloved property like The Fantastic Four in order to present them. He should have just been given free reign to make his own, original super hero team film instead.
What about the characters? Well, they have little to no character and are poorly developed (They are never referred to as their super hero monikers, and there's not even a romance between Sue and Reed! None of them are really all that likable either). The actors don't seem invested in their roles, and lack chemistry with each other (Sad, since they have all already been proven to be fine actors. Here, it feels like they all just want to get this over and done with so they can move on to something else. Never a good sign. In fact, the only actors who do good jobs are Tim Blake Nelson as Dr. Allen, a government man, and Reg. E. Cathy as Dr. Franklin Storm, the head of the science project and father to Johnny and Sue). I couldn't buy any of them as friends. In fact, I'd say the characters don't even feel like the Fantastic Four characters we know and love.
The character guiltiest of this is Victor Von Doom. He's in the beginning, disappears for most of the rest of the film (for reasons I won't spoil....not that there's really much to spoil here), and then his alter-ego is haphazardly thrown into the last 30 minutes so the Four can have someone to fight. His motivations don't make sense, and indeed, he's not Dr. Doom (His whole thing is protecting the new dimension which he now considers his home. He feels he has to destroy Earth in order to do this.). If you've read my previous posts you know Doom is my favorite villain in the Marvel universe, but tragic mishandling of his character here aside, I just can't bring myself to be upset about how they use him here. He doesn't look like Doom (the film's new take on his mask, and their explanation for it being how it is is just silly. It's also funny how they threw in his cape here for no good reason), his motivations are silly and dumb, and he really does feel carelessly thrown into the film because a Fantastic Four film just HAS to have Dr. Doom in it. As he is though, he's not Dr. Doom (like, at all. Only in name).
Possibly the worst part of this film is the last twenty minutes or so, which feels like it was quickly re-written and re-shot by the studio in an attempt to bring the project in line with what they wanted it to be: a typical super-hero film ( If that's what you wanted, why did you hire Trank? I guess cause Chronicle made a lot of money and was popular). This is the big climax where the Four are teleported back into Planet Zero to fight Dr. Doom. This is the part where it's emphasized that the Four have to team up because individually, they don't stand a chance against Doom. It's done in the most lazy, careless, obvious way that it kind of made me angry. I suppose that I could be wrong and this was the "grand" ending Trank had envisioned for his film all along, but I seriously doubt that (Maybe he really couldn't have cared less after all).
In the end, Fantastic Four is a film that is very poorly put together (and poorly written too). Just about everything about it is wrong, wrong, wrong! The wrong director was chosen to helm and write it (Apparently two other people helped write it, I have to assume they were chosen to re-write Trank's script which the studio didn't approve of), the director's vision was way different from the product the studio had wanted him to churn out, the whole production was plagued by troubles, and the film itself is dour, grey, dull, and dark (Something a Fantastic Four film should not be). It's also curious for a film that had a one hundred twenty million dollar budget that the special effects are this atrocious and ugly to look at (REALLY bad CGI). The whole film is a fantastic, spectacular mess. It left me scratching my head in jaw-dropped disbelief at what I was watching. This is the kind of film that should be shown in film schools as the perfect example of how not to make a film, and how very wrong a film can go if left in all the wrong hands. Fantastic Four has A LOT of sound and fury, but signifies absolutely nothing. How disappointing.
1 STAR
Fantastic Four (or as all the ads would have you call it, Fant4stic) is the story of teen science whiz Reed Richards (Miles Teller), his best friend Ben Grimm (Jamie Bell), Super-smart but super awkward and isolated Sue Storm (Kate Mara, who is very pretty. This is one of the only good things I will say about this film.), and her hot-headed brother Johnny Storm (Michael B. Jordan). Sulky, rich, internet troll/hacker Victor Von Doom (Toby Kebbell) tags along for the fun. They are all brought onto a special project that hopes to perfect inter-dimensional teleportation (ok, admittedly Ben is not a part of the project, but is invited to join the team for their first inter-dimensional trip by Reed, who feels some sort of obligation after having short-shafted his friend before). Naturally, things do not quite go as planned and out of horrific tragedy, the Fantastic Four are born.
Wow, was this film bad. I mean, I had heard tales but I had no idea. This is really one of those rare cases where it has to be seen to be believed. By now we've all heard the reports that director Josh Trank would show up to set either drunk or f-ed out of his mind on drugs, and that originally Doom was to be called Domashev (Something I had earlier reported on, and indeed appears to be true since the name change seems to have been done last second. Every time his name is said, it sounds like it was dubbed over, and the first time we see his name on screen is a quick shot that feels like an add-on). A film with this many production issues normally does not fare well.
Trank does not seem like he has any love for The Fantastic Four, in fact it feels like he is reluctantly making this film. He certainly seems interested in their individual powers, and has some somewhat interesting ideas about them (mainly as a government run fighting team used to carry out secret/special missions). It feels as if the movie was done without enthusiasm, passion, or drive. It's almost like Trank's heart just wasn't in the project. This is a Fantastic Four film that doesn't want to be a Fantastic Four film, but instead a new, weird take on the super-hero genre. If anything, it aspires to be more of a science fiction film than anything else (after all, it does center around a new dimension, named Planet Zero, that scientists hope they can use to answer questions about Earth). Now, Trank's ideas aren't awful in and of themselves (I did like the body horror element he brought to a few scenes, although it really didn't belong in a Fantastic Four film), but he shouldn't have cannibalized an already well established and beloved property like The Fantastic Four in order to present them. He should have just been given free reign to make his own, original super hero team film instead.
What about the characters? Well, they have little to no character and are poorly developed (They are never referred to as their super hero monikers, and there's not even a romance between Sue and Reed! None of them are really all that likable either). The actors don't seem invested in their roles, and lack chemistry with each other (Sad, since they have all already been proven to be fine actors. Here, it feels like they all just want to get this over and done with so they can move on to something else. Never a good sign. In fact, the only actors who do good jobs are Tim Blake Nelson as Dr. Allen, a government man, and Reg. E. Cathy as Dr. Franklin Storm, the head of the science project and father to Johnny and Sue). I couldn't buy any of them as friends. In fact, I'd say the characters don't even feel like the Fantastic Four characters we know and love.
The character guiltiest of this is Victor Von Doom. He's in the beginning, disappears for most of the rest of the film (for reasons I won't spoil....not that there's really much to spoil here), and then his alter-ego is haphazardly thrown into the last 30 minutes so the Four can have someone to fight. His motivations don't make sense, and indeed, he's not Dr. Doom (His whole thing is protecting the new dimension which he now considers his home. He feels he has to destroy Earth in order to do this.). If you've read my previous posts you know Doom is my favorite villain in the Marvel universe, but tragic mishandling of his character here aside, I just can't bring myself to be upset about how they use him here. He doesn't look like Doom (the film's new take on his mask, and their explanation for it being how it is is just silly. It's also funny how they threw in his cape here for no good reason), his motivations are silly and dumb, and he really does feel carelessly thrown into the film because a Fantastic Four film just HAS to have Dr. Doom in it. As he is though, he's not Dr. Doom (like, at all. Only in name).
Possibly the worst part of this film is the last twenty minutes or so, which feels like it was quickly re-written and re-shot by the studio in an attempt to bring the project in line with what they wanted it to be: a typical super-hero film ( If that's what you wanted, why did you hire Trank? I guess cause Chronicle made a lot of money and was popular). This is the big climax where the Four are teleported back into Planet Zero to fight Dr. Doom. This is the part where it's emphasized that the Four have to team up because individually, they don't stand a chance against Doom. It's done in the most lazy, careless, obvious way that it kind of made me angry. I suppose that I could be wrong and this was the "grand" ending Trank had envisioned for his film all along, but I seriously doubt that (Maybe he really couldn't have cared less after all).
In the end, Fantastic Four is a film that is very poorly put together (and poorly written too). Just about everything about it is wrong, wrong, wrong! The wrong director was chosen to helm and write it (Apparently two other people helped write it, I have to assume they were chosen to re-write Trank's script which the studio didn't approve of), the director's vision was way different from the product the studio had wanted him to churn out, the whole production was plagued by troubles, and the film itself is dour, grey, dull, and dark (Something a Fantastic Four film should not be). It's also curious for a film that had a one hundred twenty million dollar budget that the special effects are this atrocious and ugly to look at (REALLY bad CGI). The whole film is a fantastic, spectacular mess. It left me scratching my head in jaw-dropped disbelief at what I was watching. This is the kind of film that should be shown in film schools as the perfect example of how not to make a film, and how very wrong a film can go if left in all the wrong hands. Fantastic Four has A LOT of sound and fury, but signifies absolutely nothing. How disappointing.
1 STAR
Sunday, December 20, 2015
THE FORCE AWAKENS
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away.... QUE MUSIC!!!!
It's been thirty years (THIRTY FREAKIN YEARS!!!!) since we last left Han, Leia, Luke, Chewbacca, R2D2, and C-3PO and the galaxy is in pretty bad shape. Luke has mysteriously vanished and in his absence The First Order arose out of the ruins of The Empire (consider them The Empire 2.0), their aim is total and complete control of the galaxy and they have a special weapon of ultimate destruction to aid them in their quest. One of the most feared leaders of The First Order is Kylo Ren, who has been spreading fear and destruction wherever he goes as he attempts to complete his own special, personal mission. The Galaxy's best hope lies in a stormtrooper named Finn and an orphaned scavenger named Rey.
This is the movie fans have been waiting for. It's big, heartfelt, very cool, touching, adrenaline-filled, and very, very fast. The whole film moves at a breakneck speed, but is unafraid to slow down for a few minutes here and there and has no problem with somewhat developing our new heroes and villains. I'm happy to report that Han Solo and Chewbacca are both lead characters here and we get to spend a great deal of time with them. Harrison Ford easily steps back into one of his most beloved roles and is just about flawless. The way he speaks, his mannerisms, his facial expressions....it's all still there. This is easily the best he's been in a very long time, and the material he's given to work with is strong stuff (and he interacts with our two new leads perfectly).
Chewbacca is exactly as we remembered him as well, and is still very memorable and funny. His chemistry and friendship with Han continues to be one of the defining things about this franchise. Carrie Fisher is also quite good, and the scenes she shares with Han and Chewie are simply fantastic and touching. The chemistry between Han and her is still rich. R2-D2 and C-3PO also show up for a few minutes. BB-8 is completely adorable as well, and makes for a welcome addition to our cast of humans and droids.
As for the new characters: Daisy Ridley as Rey was definitely a fantastic find. She is one fine actress that sells her role very well, and is also super pretty. I found myself falling in love with her as Finn did. Speaking of Finn, John Boyega as Finn was super likable and cool, even though he spends a good deal of the film in a panicked state as his first instinct is to escape from the clutches of The First Order (naturally, saner heads prevail). It was cool to have someone who is knowledgable about the weapons and tactics of The First Order, and therefore can better guide Rey and our returning heroes numerous escapes (not to mention he's pretty ok with a lightsaber). His chemistry and back and forth with Han Solo was highly entertaining and his relationship with Rey was sweet and believable (definitely more than I can say for the relationship between Anakin and Padme in the prequels).
Adam Driver as Kylo Ren commanded control of the screen whenever he was on. He is essentially Darth Vader 2.0. He is filed with a raw power, but lacks control. He is a tortured soul who is struggling with himself, but finds strength in the legacy of Darth Vader and has committed himself to becoming even greater and more powerful than Darth (And indeed, he is considerably more powerful than Darth. He does things we've never seen anyone do in previous Star Wars films. Call him whiny all you want, I personally consider him a bad-ass). Oscar Isaac as Poe Dameron was also great as the head resistance fighter and ace pilot. He's cool, he's funny, he's likable....basically he's going to be our new Han Solo. He doesn't get much screen time, but I expect (and hope) that changes in the ensuing sequels.
One of the areas where The Force Awakens towers over the prequels are the action scenes. They are all beautifully shot (in fact, the whole film is beautifully shot), and the lightsaber battles are filled with raw adrenaline. The lightsaber battles in the prequels resembled more of a well-choreographed dance, but in The Force Awakens they feel real. It's two people fighting for dominance, control, and survival. The stakes are real, and the battles are intense and breathtaking. I forgot how much I loved seeing two people slashing at each other with lightsabers. The aerial battles are also fantastic. I loved the way the camera followed the numerous X-wings and Tie Fighters, swooping, diving, and spinning along with them....it's almost dizzying and gives you a YOU-ARE-THERE feeling.
Another thing I loved about The Force Awakens was the sound design. All the sounds from the original trilogy are back (one of the first scenes that really made me squee featured a tie fighter firing off rounds. This was my first time getting to hear that sound in theaters and it filled me with joy). There are also constant references to the original trilogy, although this never really bothered me. It all helped to bring you back into a world we all missed very much.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens drops audiences right back into The Star Wars world with little pomp and circumstance. Yes, there is some clunky dialogue here and there, and I feel that some characters could be a bit more well developed (That said, what we get here is still enough, and I expect them to continue to be developed with each sequel) but overall this is one hell of a successful film. I have no problems saying this is WAY, WAY, WAY better than Return of The Jedi. Star Wars has been redeemed and my interest in this awesome franchise has been renewed. I eagerly await the sequel. May the force be with you all.
4 STARS
It's been thirty years (THIRTY FREAKIN YEARS!!!!) since we last left Han, Leia, Luke, Chewbacca, R2D2, and C-3PO and the galaxy is in pretty bad shape. Luke has mysteriously vanished and in his absence The First Order arose out of the ruins of The Empire (consider them The Empire 2.0), their aim is total and complete control of the galaxy and they have a special weapon of ultimate destruction to aid them in their quest. One of the most feared leaders of The First Order is Kylo Ren, who has been spreading fear and destruction wherever he goes as he attempts to complete his own special, personal mission. The Galaxy's best hope lies in a stormtrooper named Finn and an orphaned scavenger named Rey.
This is the movie fans have been waiting for. It's big, heartfelt, very cool, touching, adrenaline-filled, and very, very fast. The whole film moves at a breakneck speed, but is unafraid to slow down for a few minutes here and there and has no problem with somewhat developing our new heroes and villains. I'm happy to report that Han Solo and Chewbacca are both lead characters here and we get to spend a great deal of time with them. Harrison Ford easily steps back into one of his most beloved roles and is just about flawless. The way he speaks, his mannerisms, his facial expressions....it's all still there. This is easily the best he's been in a very long time, and the material he's given to work with is strong stuff (and he interacts with our two new leads perfectly).
Chewbacca is exactly as we remembered him as well, and is still very memorable and funny. His chemistry and friendship with Han continues to be one of the defining things about this franchise. Carrie Fisher is also quite good, and the scenes she shares with Han and Chewie are simply fantastic and touching. The chemistry between Han and her is still rich. R2-D2 and C-3PO also show up for a few minutes. BB-8 is completely adorable as well, and makes for a welcome addition to our cast of humans and droids.
As for the new characters: Daisy Ridley as Rey was definitely a fantastic find. She is one fine actress that sells her role very well, and is also super pretty. I found myself falling in love with her as Finn did. Speaking of Finn, John Boyega as Finn was super likable and cool, even though he spends a good deal of the film in a panicked state as his first instinct is to escape from the clutches of The First Order (naturally, saner heads prevail). It was cool to have someone who is knowledgable about the weapons and tactics of The First Order, and therefore can better guide Rey and our returning heroes numerous escapes (not to mention he's pretty ok with a lightsaber). His chemistry and back and forth with Han Solo was highly entertaining and his relationship with Rey was sweet and believable (definitely more than I can say for the relationship between Anakin and Padme in the prequels).
Adam Driver as Kylo Ren commanded control of the screen whenever he was on. He is essentially Darth Vader 2.0. He is filed with a raw power, but lacks control. He is a tortured soul who is struggling with himself, but finds strength in the legacy of Darth Vader and has committed himself to becoming even greater and more powerful than Darth (And indeed, he is considerably more powerful than Darth. He does things we've never seen anyone do in previous Star Wars films. Call him whiny all you want, I personally consider him a bad-ass). Oscar Isaac as Poe Dameron was also great as the head resistance fighter and ace pilot. He's cool, he's funny, he's likable....basically he's going to be our new Han Solo. He doesn't get much screen time, but I expect (and hope) that changes in the ensuing sequels.
One of the areas where The Force Awakens towers over the prequels are the action scenes. They are all beautifully shot (in fact, the whole film is beautifully shot), and the lightsaber battles are filled with raw adrenaline. The lightsaber battles in the prequels resembled more of a well-choreographed dance, but in The Force Awakens they feel real. It's two people fighting for dominance, control, and survival. The stakes are real, and the battles are intense and breathtaking. I forgot how much I loved seeing two people slashing at each other with lightsabers. The aerial battles are also fantastic. I loved the way the camera followed the numerous X-wings and Tie Fighters, swooping, diving, and spinning along with them....it's almost dizzying and gives you a YOU-ARE-THERE feeling.
Another thing I loved about The Force Awakens was the sound design. All the sounds from the original trilogy are back (one of the first scenes that really made me squee featured a tie fighter firing off rounds. This was my first time getting to hear that sound in theaters and it filled me with joy). There are also constant references to the original trilogy, although this never really bothered me. It all helped to bring you back into a world we all missed very much.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens drops audiences right back into The Star Wars world with little pomp and circumstance. Yes, there is some clunky dialogue here and there, and I feel that some characters could be a bit more well developed (That said, what we get here is still enough, and I expect them to continue to be developed with each sequel) but overall this is one hell of a successful film. I have no problems saying this is WAY, WAY, WAY better than Return of The Jedi. Star Wars has been redeemed and my interest in this awesome franchise has been renewed. I eagerly await the sequel. May the force be with you all.
4 STARS
Thursday, December 10, 2015
KRAMPUS GIVES SMALLS CLAUS-TOPHOBIA
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
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
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)