Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’ is aptly named.  This is not a sequel or a prequel to the current Star Wars storyline, rather a supplement. It’s a film smaller in scale which, in some ways, gives it greater impact.  It tries to set itself apart from the main Star Wars universe by not adopting things such as the credits story line scroll or even the iconic Star Wars music by John Williams.  In all honesty, I did miss those iconic touches, but it in no way takes away from the integrity of the film.  In further honesty, I have to confess I was never the biggest Star Wars fan, even though I am well versed in the mythos and characters in the Star Wars universe.  While I find the movies fun, to me it was always special effects and fight scenes at the expense of story.  What spartan and basic story it does possess is powerful, but usually, the endless fight scenes failed to impress me.  Rogue One is no different in terms of action over story, but where this film did impress me is the quantum jump in the quality and beauty of the film.  The second trilogy never really impressed me in terms of their level of special effects over the original trilogy.  Rogue One is a visually rich film and the beauty of many of the planets and locales are breathtaking.

Most people remember the plot of the first Star Wars where the Evil Empire have developed a moon sized Deathstar to wipe out the Rebellion and completely conquer the galaxy.  Princess Lea of the Rebellion loads the plans to defeat the Deathstar into R2D2 and tasks the droid to transport the plans to the Rebellion after she is captured.  A comment was made in the film that many good men died to acquire these plans.  This is the basis of ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’:  How a group of brave men and woman infiltrate the Empire and steal the plans to save the universe.  The central character revolves around Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones), the exiled daughter of the man most responsible for the creation of the Deathstar, Galen Erso (played by favorite Mad Milkkelson). After being traumatically separated from her parents, she is taken under the wing of extreme dissident Saw Gerrera (another favorite Forrest Whitaker).  When her true identity is discovered she is rescued by the Rebellion and she is teamed up with Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), this film's swashbuckling version of Hans Solo. She is assigned to a Rebel ship, code named Rogue One with the mission to retrieve the plans that contain the key to destroying the Deathstar.  Joining them is the delightful droid K-250, who is continually exacerbated with his human companions and a variety of other rag tag assemblings. Most notably is the blind Jedi Chirrut Îmwe (Donnie Yen) who has some of the coolest scenes in the film

Director Gareth Edwards is able to find his own voice in the Star Wars universe while at the same time keeping the magic that Star Wars fans will love.   By focusing on a smaller story, we feel that we get a perspective of the Star Wars Universe that we never had before.  Of course, by the third act, non-stop blaster and saber fights commence.  Monotony and tedium would have set in for me, but the sheer beauty of the film and breathtaking scenery kept me engaged and enjoying the film.  I have to say this film deepens my appreciation for the universe created in Star Wars even if does not increase my love for it. This film is a worthy interlude to the Star Wars universe even as I look forward to getting back to the story line. Hats off with respect.

I give this film ** 1/2 stars

Rogue One Trailer

Arrival

        I’m going to warn in advance that there are some spoilers in this review as it is difficult to review without talking about the nature of the film which unfolds slowly throughout. To call this film  science fiction is to do it a disservice.  The science fiction is there to be sure, but it’s merely a vehicle to deliver a highly introspective and existential story as it profiles a woman’s life.  Denis Villeneuve delivers another great Director performance with visuals and story that are in no hurry to unfold and work in perfect harmony.  This won’t be a blockbuster and it probably won’t be noticed by the majority of movie going audiences, but if you are someone who enjoys impressive filmmaking then I highly recommend ‘Arrival’

The premise of the story is that twelve mysterious hemiglobe shaped spaceships arrive at random locations around the world.  Global panic ensues. Respective governments make contact with the alien creatures, but communication is impossible given the vast differences between the two creatures. The head of the U.S. government task force, Colonel Weber, (Forrest Whitaker) reaches out to Dr Louise Banks (Amy Adams), a top level linguist, in order to find some way to communicate with the aliens to determine their intentions. Along with a theoretical physicist, Ian Donnelly (Jeremy Renner), a team enters the space ship to attempt to learn how the aliens communicate. This is where Villeneuve demonstrates his aptitude for science fiction in giving us hectopod shaped creatures who communicate through inky mists.  An angle that could go horribly wrong under a lesser Director, but Villeneuve is able to fill us with a sense of wonder as these two species attempt to communicate with each other.

So, with this science fiction backdrop, the story of Dr Louise Banks becomes the focus of the film.  Through visions that Louise seemingly randomly has, we see her life unfold before us.  Early on, we realize she has suffered through the death of a child and we feel her pain.  Her visions of her relationship with her daughter are both intimate and poetic.  In a non-linear fashion, we have the arc of Louise’s daughter’s life laid out before us from birth to deathbed and the emotions that Louise experiences at each point.  We feel her pains and joys as the film slowly unfolds and her life story starts to take focus albeit it in a mysterious fashion. This is the center of the film even as Ian and Louise begin to understand the nature of the alien language.  

I’ll stop there in describing the film as anything else would be giving away too much.  Instead I’ll focus on Villeneuve’s artistic vision.  This film is the antithesis to a film like ‘Independence Day’.  It’s an exploration… a quest and Villeneuve feels no obligation to get you anywhere in a hurry.  Instead he seeks to create visual poetry and prose on the screen in order to advance the story.  Part of the joy is getting there with him even if it doesn’t seem like a straight line.  He existentially explores our perception of life and linear perception of time in a way I’ve rarely seen outside of authors like Alan Moore or the vastly underrated film ‘Cloud Atlas’ by the Warkowskis.  Villeneuve explores our human limitation of perceiving time in a linear fashion and our capacity to one day rise above that.

If you go to this film expecting a science fiction story I feel you might be disappointed.  In fact, by the end of the film I felt that the alien arrival was one of the least important aspects of the story and the resolution of that story line was highly unsatisfying,  I find it hard to otherwise classify this film, so I’ll just call it a profile of one woman’s life.  In seeing the choices she made, we question ourselves and the choices in our life.  Looking back on your life, would you make the same choices you made?  Even the ones that caused you pain?  Or would you be able to appreciate the beauty of your life taken as a whole and appreciate the arc it took.  It’s rare to find a science fiction film that causes you very human introspection, but I’m glad I found this one.

Arrival trailer

Doctor Strange

          Many people believe that superheroes are their own genre.  While that may be true, I think it’s overly simplistic as under the overall ‘superhero’ umbrella, there are as many genres as one would find in all other movies.  We find everything from the comedy of a ‘Deadpool’ to the dark political thrillers of a ‘Captain America: Winter Soldier, to the fancifulness of Thor all under the title of a “superhero movie”.  Whatever your proclivities are, there is a superhero to fit them.  ‘Doctor Strange' is a foray into the world of magic and mysticism in the super hero world, which we have not yet truly seen in the Marvel onscreen offerings.  Fanboys have been wanting to see Doctor Strange come to life on the screen for a longtime (one doesn’t count the embarrassingly bad TV movie from 1978).  Marvel has once again proven it’s ability to make a crowd pleaser and ‘Doctor Strange’ is a welcome addition to the annals of the Marvel onscreen universe. In addition, Marvel demonstrates their ability to perfectly cast their roles and Benedict Cumberbatch is an inspired choice as he embodies the essence of Doctor Strange by the end of the movie.

I was a fickle fan of the Doctor Strange comics growing up.  Created in the psychedelic era of the 1960’s by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, Doctor Strange was a mind bending psychedelic trip into other dimensions fueled by Steve Ditko’s LSD visions (that’s what artists did at the time).  At its’ worst, Doctor Strange was just weird (fitting given his name), but at its’ best, it was an exploration of other realities and thought provoking concepts.  While I was not a follower per se, some of the most moving and epiphany producing stories of my youth came from the pages of this comic book series.  That is what art is about and for that Steve Ditko has my utmost respect.

Marvel did a fantastic job transferring the pages to the screen.  Director Scott Derrickson pays homage to Ditko’s 60’s 

psychedelic visions in creating other dimensions and universes directly from Ditko’s storyboards as well as grabbing inspiration from more main stream artists, such as MC Escher, during some of the spectacular battle scenes.  Everything you’ve heard about the visual power of this movie is true and the film could be enjoyed on that merit alone.  However, what makes Marvel successful is that, despite the fanciful premises, their films are character driven and  inhabited by flawed human beings (mostly human).  Benedict Cumberbatch captures the arrogant Doctor Strange persona in much the way Robert Downey Jr did with Tony Stark: He is able to take an arrogant, narcissistic, and abrasive character and make them engaging and sympathetic.  No easy task and a credit to both the writing and the acting.  

The story is standard super hero fare which involves a tragedy, in this case the famed neurosurgeon Doctor Strange losing the use of his hands after a horrific car accident.  Given that his entire egotistical self image is tied to his greatness as a surgeon, he spends every last resource he has searching for a way to restore his hands.  A chance encounter leads him to Nepal in search of the mysterious ‘Ancient One’ (a politically controversial casting of Tilda Swinton, but she owns the role) in hopes of a non-traditional cure. Rescued from a Nepalese gutter by Baron Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a skeptical Doctor Strange is introduced to a world beyond the comprehension of his scientifically trained mind.  Although, in the Marvel world, magic is just science that has not yet been discovered.  What follows is the standard teacher/pupil training montage for which I’m a complete sucker. 

While never fully explained why the Ancient One would choose such a narcissist as Strange into her order, it is apparent that she sees strength in him.  The film’s villain, Kaecilius (Mad Mikkelson) embodies Marvel’s weakness for having mediocre villains, but being the wonderful actor that he is, Mad is able to embody his character with the appropriate level of sinister.  Kaecilius has given himself to the Dark arts and worships a Dark Lord named Dormammu who promises eternal life.  If it sounds a little Star Warsy, just remember that Doctor Strange was created a full decade before Star Wars and George Lucas was a big comic book fan.  Rounding out the cast is a modernized version of Wong.  In the comic books, Wong was Doctor Strange’s faithful manservant, embodying all the Asian stereotypes one would imagine. In this version, Wong (coincidentally,  played by British actor named  Benedict Wong [hmm, two Benedict’s in the same cast])) is more of Strange’s guide and drill sergeant on his journey to mastering the mystic arts.

Despite all this, this film is a standard ‘origin’ movie which the critics predict everyone is getting tired of. I would disagree as the box office receipts prove.  There are untapped heroes and genres still out there and while sometimes it’s refreshing to see a hero just dropped into a film fully formed (eg: Black Panther in Captain America: Civil War), there is something inherently gratifying about seeing the creation of a hero.  ‘Doctor Strange’ deals with dark and mystical forces, but in the tradition of Marvel, never loses its’ fun and humor when needed.  I won’t say this is the best film Marvel has produced, but I am definitely glad it was made.  It expands the Marvel Universe to introduce us to other dimensions and multi-verses only briefly hinted at in films like Thor and Ant man. This is another fun time at the movies

I give this film *** 1/2 stars

Doctor Strange

Hell or High Water

       ‘Hell or High Water’ is the type of film I crave when I go to the movies.  It seems easy to just categorize this film as a western crime drama, but that does it a disservice.  This is a low key, under-the-radar type of film, but has some of the most mature and powerful performances that I have seen in awhile.  It is a movie about two brothers that are bank robbers in west Texas pursued by the law containing all the clichés that you would think would apply, but it goes deeper than that.  It is truly a portrait of poverty in west Texas without becoming preachy and it is also a character study of right and wrong without being judgmental.  A difficult task ,but writer Taylor Sheridan (Sicario) does an incredible if not subtle job in fleshing out this portrait of the modern American West.

Ben Foster and Chris Pine play Tanner and Toby Howard.  Two brothers on a bank robbery spree to raise money to save their recently deceased mother’s house from foreclosure.  While Ben Foster isn’t a household name yet, his performances (Lone Survivor) have continued to impress me over the years and this one is no exception. Tanner has been in and out of jail his whole life and he understands more than most that no one ever truly gets away with anything, yet he loves his brother (despite all the name calling) and will do whatever it takes to help him.  Chris Pine is the true standout of this film for me.  This is by far his most mature role to date and I would even call it an Oscar level performance.  Pine has been in the spotlight in recent years in Hollywood blockbusters, most notably for Star Trek and the upcoming Wonder Woman, but his low key portrayal of Toby Tanner hits the mark perfectly.  He is the ‘good’ brother, but one thing the film explores is how bad people can do good things and good people can do unforgivable things.  Pine keeps his performance subtle and morally ambiguous, which makes it so powerful.

Jeff Bridges has redefined his career by playing grizzled, salt of the earth, country boys in his later years (True Grit).  He plays the Texas Ranger, Marcus Hamilton, who is on the verge of retirement with all the gusto one would expect, but there is more to him than that.  We wince at his racial insensitivity to his Mexican\Indian partner Alberto, but despite the audience and Alberto’s distaste, you can sense the love and respect between the two, albeit strained at times. Marcus is of a bygone era, but panicking at the idea of retirement and becoming irrelevant.

As the brothers rob the fictional Midland Banks across Texas as a sort of Robin Hoodesque journey to try and pay off the bank loan from the very predatory bank that gave the loan they knew their mother wouldn’t be able to pay back you develop some sympathy for the brothers.  However, even though there is sympathy you know and feel what they are doing is wrong and leading them both down a path they won’t be able to come back from. We shake our heads at their decisions, but the constant backdrop of billboards for revers mortgages and predatory debt relief pits our sympathy against our moral code.  That’s where I think the film’s strength lies; it evokes sympathy without giving absolution.  One of the most poignant moments was when Rangers Marcus and Alberto were talking about how the Comanche lands were taken over by the Europeans.  Marcus wondered how Alberto wasn’t more bitter than he was.  Alberto calmly explained that at one time Marcus’s ancestors in Europe were taken over by someone who forced them to assimilate and now the poor in Texas are being taken over and driven out by Corporations  like the Midland Bank.  “It’s just the way of things” Alberto explains. 

Tanner and Toby are the protagonists whom we grow to love, but we know they don’t deserve to get away with what they are doing.  Ranger Marcus is a dogged lawman who is doing what is right, but is he doing it for the right reasons?  I hope I don’t spoil the film by saying that the ending does not leave the story wrapped up in a nice comfortable bow.  In fact, the lack of feeling satisfied or any sense of resolution is another one of the film’s strengths.  The Director, David MacKenzie, is an Englishman and I am amazed at how he nailed not only the look and feel of West Texas, but its’ cadence as well.  The poverty and mundane existence was captured so perfectly that it almost seemed foreign and exotic even to an American such as myself. 

In an era of big budget and big production, this film will come and go quietly, but I left the theatre feeling I had just witnessed three Oscar worthy performances.  If you are a fan of acting and character study, then I can think of no better film than this in recent years of actors performing at the top of their craft.  It is a slow paced film, but it kept me engaged and riveted throughout.  I’m always leery when I see trailers that emphasize how much the critics love this film as that always seems desperate to me, but in this case the adulation is justified.  Just a fantastic film.

I give this film **** stars

Hell or High Water

Sausage Party

        ‘Sausage Party’ is by far one of the crudest, loudest, and most offensive movies I think I have ever seen and I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it.  Usually, when you have films that go for the mega shock value there is not much in way of depth or plot.  ‘Sausage Party’ embraces it’s juvenile humor, but at the same time gives us some impressive thought fodder on religious and political perspectives in the world today.  Disguised as a Pixar family friendly film (I hope some naive parents don’t accidentally take their kids to this), the stoner minds of Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg not only push the limits of good taste, but fly right past it without even waving.  This is a total deconstruction of Pixar animation’s penchant for anthropomorphizing everything on the planet from toys to animals.  I was going to give a warning to stay away if you are easily offended, but I think that ‘Sausage Party’ is such a fascinating and original film study, you should go even if you are offended (being offended now and then is good for you).

The story starts in the idyllic Shopwell supermarket, where at the beginning of each day all of the items of food prepare for the day with a rousing song (right up there with the best of any songs I’ve heard in a Pixar movie) in hopes they will be chosen by one of the Gods with the Carts and taken to the Great Beyond where they will find paradise.  Our heroes are a sausage hotdog named Frank (Seth Rogen) and beautiful hot dog bun named Brenda (Kristen Wigg), who long for the day when they will be chosen and they can finally leave their packages and be together (the innuendo has already started).  Since the big Fourth of July sale is coming up, they have no doubts they will soon be chosen by the Gods.  Everything seems fine and glorious until a returned jar of Honey Mustard (Danny MacBride), with a crazed look in his eyes and voice, tries to convince everyone what truly awaits them in the Great Beyond: Unimaginable horrors.  He is ignored as a crazed vagrant, but something rings true in his rants.

Frank tries not to let this unnerve him as he is focused solely on being with Brenda in the Great Beyond.  After finally being chosen, Frank and Brenda see the horrors of existence right in the Shopwell supermarket after a great shopping cart collision leaves several of their brethren maimed and discarded to the pits of a bottomless trash can.  The burst flour bag gives the entire scene an eerie and surprisingly moving recollection of 9/11.  It’s funny, but a very uncomfortable laugh at the same time as we realize this isn’t just a warm and fuzzy movie. Most of the foodstuffs are recovered and continue their journey to the Great Beyond, unknowing of what hideous consumption horrors await them when they reach their destination.  Frank and Brenda are cast off to the side as their bags were broken and they are no longer fresh. Frank is suddenly awakened to questioning truths he has accepted his whole life and seeks to traverse the supermarket to meet with the Immortals (or ‘non-perishable items’ as we would call them) in order to ask them about the truth of what lies beyond. Ethnic jokes and stereotypes abound as Frank traverses the different aisles containing every type of food from around the world.  If you appreciate that this is equal opportunity stereotyping, then the jokes can be quite clever at times with some sharp political lampoons.

There are many things to be offended by in this film, but also things that I very much appreciated.  While it had a secular message, it also preached respecting other’s beliefs as they hold them as strongly as a secularist holds their belief.  The theme that everyone deserves respect for their belief system, I felt overrode its’ secular underpinnings.  Hidden (and sometimes not even hidden) amongst the juvenile sexual innuendo and pot humor was a clever and thoughtful examination of existence and how we perceive it.   Despite its’ heart though, the humor comes first and I kept muttering “Oh, they did not just say that” to myself.  Or even better, when I saw a wind up to a joke I thought they wouldn’t have the courage to do, they did have the courage and went even beyond what I was bracing myself for.

I feel odd giving this film a lot of stars given how crude the humor was, but I always respect originality and, as I stated earlier, this isn’t a one trick movie.  There are many layers and levels in which to appreciate it.  Leave the kids at home and go have a guilty pleasure.  Funny, crude, moving, thoughful, over-the-top, all of this applies here. You’ll be surprised how much you talk about it afterwards… or maybe just an uncomfortable silence in the car ride home.  One or the other.

I give this film *** stars

Sausage Party

Suicide Squad

        I so wanted to like the “Suicide Squad’, DC’s attempt to shake up a superhero genre they haven’t mastered yet.  DC films are already much darker than Marvel’s, so I’m not sure how introducing a little known (to the general public at least) ragtag group of anti-heroes is going to be a game changer or make the DC universe any darker.  What the Warner Bros execs were hoping is to replicate the magic of Marvel’s ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ and they don’t even come close.  They even thought putting in a cool retro soundtrack would cover a shoddy story and it wouldn’t be noticed.  That right there is the problem DC is having.  They are trying to copy Marvel’s success formula, from the shared universe to even types of movie storyline arcs.  They aren’t being original and are coming up with pale replicated product that is obviously being made by people who don’t truly understand the superhero genre.

This film is such a hot mess, I don’t even know where to start.  Maybe the good?  So, I love the concept of ‘The Suicide Squad’ even if I never liked the comic.  Similar to Lee Marvin’s ‘The Dirty Dozen’, but with superheroes.  The Government, represented by U.S. Intelligence agent Amanda Waller (Viola Davis in top form), fears they are defenseless in a world where people like Superman exist.  She proposes taking the meta-humans they currently have in prison and forcing them to work on behalf of the government in exchange for clemency.  The catch is that the missions are so dangerous it will almost assuredly mean their deaths. Waller recruits Special Forces soldier Rick Flagg (Joel Kinnaman) as the Unit commander. Waller uses various means of control over each, but the traditional ‘explosive-injected-into-the-neck’ is the most immediate.  The film spends the first 40 minutes reviewing each person’s history and profile arriving at us caring or investing in none of them.  Investment in characters has to be the basis or no movie will work.

Actually, I enjoyed Will Smith as Deadshot, but at the end of the day it is Will Smith being Will Smith. Nothing wrong with that (Robert Downey Jr made Ironman a household name doing that), but the character is nothing without him.  Of course, all the buzz is about Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn and Jared Leto as the Joker.  Not only did this seem to be a case of overacting for both of them, it seemed artificial and forced.  I hate comparing performances, but the Joker has set a high standard in previous films incarnations with Jack Nicholson and Heath Ledger (he even won an Oscar for his portrayal).  This isn’t even in the same class. I would compare this closer to Jim Carrey’s performance as the Riddler in ‘Batman Forever’; exaggerated and cartoony.  All the rest; Diablo, Killer Croc, and Captain Boomerang were generic and uninteresting.  Everyone had a hard luck story, but again it seemed so forced and wedged in, I rolled my eyes more than sympathized.  

The villainess is a nigh-omnipotent ancient being named The Enchantress (played oddly by Victoria Secret’s model Cara Delevingne) who resurrects her nigh-omnipotent brother (not sure if they ever mentioned his name) to do something…take over the world? Destroy the world?  That part of the plan is never spelled out clearly.  They build one of those machines that makes a hole above the city where everything starts sucking towards it.  Again, not sure what that is supposed to accomplish.  The decision is made to send the Suicide Squad in which really didn’t make any sense either because they had no plan other than just introduce them all and send them in to stop whatever was going on.  Since you need fight scenes, they fight weird cannon fodder mystical creatures created just for the express purpose to have fights.  They seem tough, but very few people get hurt while the creatures blow up constantly.

This film was so riddled with plot holes my head spun.  It never tried to be its’ own film rather just try to exploit other movie’s successes.  I guess my biggest issue is that the Suicide Squad was assembled to be a force to take on the likes of Superman, but none of them really had any powers that were formidable.  Harley Quinn basically walked around with a baseball bat saying and doing crazy things.  How did she even survive the first fight?  Captain Boomerang basically just had…metal boomerangs (Superman must be quaking in his cape)???  The Joker was barely in this despite what the previews would have you believe, so I’m not sure why there were so many stories about Jared Leto’s off camera method acting techniques or why he would take it so far with such limited screen time.  

‘Suicide Squad’ is probably the biggest misstep in an already shaky start to the DC universe franchise Warner Bros is trying to create.  I think they should start with trying to stop be Marvel and find their own voice and style.  I will say I have bias as I was always a Marvel fan growing up, but I really do want DC to succeed.  There is room enough for both Marvel and DC.  The difference is that Marvel movies are made by people who understand what makes super hero special in the hearts of the audience whereas the DC execs don’t understand the magic of super heroes and are just trying to use someone else’s formula for success.

I give this film ** stars

Suicide Squad

Star Trek Beyond

      I approach ‘Star Trek Beyond with mixed feelings.  I have stated before that while I am incredibly grateful that JJ Abrams was able to breathe new life into a franchise that has been around all my life, I still think the reboot lost some of the meaning of what Star Trek is supposed to be about.  Growing up, there were Star Wars fans and there were Star Trek fans.  There was some overlap of fandom by the über geeks, but for the most part, everyone staked out their camps and reveled in their respective franchises.  Star Wars was for the adventurous space swashbuckling crowd whereas Star Trek appealed to the explorers.  Start Trek was an exercise in philosophical and political analysis of the human race through science fiction.  It showed us what our full potential could become.  In other words, there was more nuance and the stories stimulated more intellectual curiosity than its’ Star Wars counter part.  The JJ Abrams reboot embraced the action side, but still dragged us diehard loyalists into 21st century thrill based filmmaking. When it was announce that Justin Lin would take over as Director of the 3rd outing in Star Trek Beyond, visions of Fast and Furious mocked my nightmares (The action film Justin Lin is most famous for).  

While my fears were not completely unfounded, Star Trek beyond turns out to be a fun film even though it drifts further away from its’ source vision.  The action is fast and furious (that phrasing was intentional), but the characters we know and love provide us an exciting space romp that is worth the price of admission.  This time around it puts us smack dab in the middle of the 5 year mission from the original TV show.  Deep space isolation is affecting everyone and the Enterprise docks at the Federation’s newest and most advanced Starbase for some R&R and reflection.  I will say that Justin Lin’s vision of space travel and immense future constructions are awe inspiring. I tip the hat when deserved.  Chris Pine returns as Captain James T Kirk and gives us a portrayal of a man who questions his purpose.  Very different than the Kirk we know and a welcome look deeper into the psyche of the legend.  

Each of the crew’s lives are more deeply explored on the space station, but not gratuitously, just glimpses. A fun and gratifying tribute to the original Sulu, George Takei, where it is revealed that the character is gay as well.  We get glimpses of Sulu's family life which we would not have been able to see during the 1960’s.  We see Spock (Zachary Quinto) attempt to come to grips with the death of the older version of himself.  Surprisingly poignant for something that could have been handled ham-fistedly.  Of course, in an action movie, calm is just the respite before the storm and what a hurricane it is.  The crew of the Enterprise is devastated by the attack of a hostile force and the survivors are stranded on a savage and hostile planet. One can tell that Simon Pegg had a hand in writing this film as his character ‘Scotty’ has a larger role than normal.  No worries, Pegg’s comic relief is always welcome and he is always the clutch player who usually saves the day anyway.

Idris Elba is unrecognizable as the malevolent lead villain Krall.  Other than destruction of everything, his intentions are not clear at first.  All we know is that he is the bad guy and he has to be stopped.  I feel an actor as gifted as Elba was wasted playing such a generic villain, but still he gave it his all which you have to respect. And as always, there has to be the hot alien chick who kicks butt.  This time played by Sofia Boutella as the resourceful Jaylah. And since Simon Pegg wrote the script, most of the chemistry scenes are between Scotty and her.

In no way do I want to take away from the visual beauty of this film.  Half the battle in making quality science fiction is the aesthetics.  That being said, I felt the film overly relied on our baser action genre tendencies using cliches and cliffhangers as opposed to developing the mind boundary expanders Star Trek  was created to be.  Hey, I understand as much as anyone that one must modernize and change with the times, but my love of the original series is so strong that my nostalgia was left unsatiated.  Justin Lin tried to make up for it with several call backs to the original series, especially one scene that inserted the picture of the original crew into the storyline, but the end result was still more action than substance.  

If you are a Trekkie, go see it.  Have fun and be thankful that another generation is enjoying characters that have been around for 50 years.  Happy Anniversary Star Trek.  Here’s hoping you have 50 more.

I give this film ** 1/2 stars

Star Trek Beyond

Ghostbusters

       “Meh”!  That’ll I can really say about the new all-female reboot of the ‘Ghostbusters’.  I am a big fan of all these comic actors individually, so I had high hopes of assembling all this talent, but was there really a crying demand to have a new ‘Ghostbusters’?  People forget that despite the fact that the original ‘Ghostbusters’ went on to be considered a classic, it was not a critics darling at the time and with good reason.  In addition, the media driven politically correct hype to make this endeavor a bigger deal than it was seemed forced.  The faux outrage of articles criticizing sexist trolls on the internet also seemed awkward and overblown.  I know the media doesn’t believe this, but does the mainstream public really have issues with women headlining films anymore?  I will say this is a solid paint-by-the-numbers comedy that has moments of mirth, but overall I walked away wondering why do a reboot if there is nothing new to say? In fact, some scenes and situations were lifted straight from the original one.  An all woman cast is not enough reason to redo the film.  In other words “Meh!’

Even the characters themselves can be connected to their original counterparts, with some acquiescence to each actor’s individual talents.  All four, Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Leslie Jones, and Kate McKinnon have solid chemistry and the force of their talent causes more than a few smiles despite the script.  In my opinion, the only new element and actual standout of the film is Chris Hemsworth, playing the hunky albeit simple receptionist, Keith.  I didn’t know he had that type of comedic timing and you actually looked forward to whatever inanities stumbled out of his mouth in whatever scene he was in.  

So I would lay out a synopsis of the plot, but you’ve already seen it.  It’s the same as the first.  Increased poltergeist activity in New York causes three down on their luck scientists to come together joined by a street wise character to be the ‘every person’ balance.  Lots of CGI ghost interactions as the scientists-turned-blue-collar-ghost-exterminators face ridicule until the city elders actually need them to help on a ghost problem of apocalyptic proportions.  Been there, done that.  There was almost too many nods to the original film.  Slight nods are fun, but over doing it shows a lack of confidence in the film.  Each of the original remaining cast members, with the exception of Rick Moranes have cameos.  Even the original firehouse and numerous recognizable ghosts reappear.  Nostalgic smiles are nice, but not enough to make a film.

The good news is that the rebooted Ghostbusters wasn’t a mess.  It has enough smiles to make it a nice Saturday afternoon matinee with the kids.  These nostalgia reboots are more often than not hot messes (i.e. ‘Independence Day: Resurgence’), but this one was a solid enough film to be considered a summer tentpole (not that the competition this year was high).  It was obvious they were setting this up to have multiple sequels, but I guess we will just have to wait to see the box office returns.  Personally, I was not excited about this one, so getting me excited for a follow-up will be a challenge.  I know this review is short, but much like this film, I don’t have much to say.

I give this film ** stars

Ghostbusters trailer

Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping

         For those of you old enough to remember, ‘Spinal Tap’ was a cult hit in the 1980’s and was the first time I ever heard the term ‘mockumentary’.  That’s where a comedy is filmed in a documentary format, yet lampoons its’ subject matter.  ‘Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping’ is SNL alumni Adam Samberg’s modern take on the music scene today and a fine addition to the mockumentary genre.  He mirror’s ‘Spinal Tap’s’ format and wit, but in his own voice and with humor uniquely his.  I won’t say that this film will be a game changer the way ‘Spinal Tap’ was, but it was immensely enjoyable and cleverly insightful.  I went in with low expectations, yet thoroughly enjoyed myself.

The plot is something we have seen played out in real life many times.  When former boy band member, Conner4real’s (Adam Samberg) solo album tanks, his once high living life goes into a downward tailspin.  He is willing to do anything that it takes to regain his previous status except reunite with his former Twisty Boyz band.  Jorma Taccone and Akiva Schaffer play Owen and Lawerence, Conner4real’s left behind band mates.  In real life there is a similar dynamic where the three are part of a SNL writing trio that brought us so many great digital shorts.  Where Adam Samberg is becoming a household name, these two are still relatively unknown.  It was fun to see the superimposition. 

The film is littered with SNL and musician cameos and characters.  Veteran utility player Tim Robbins plays their manager Harry.  He lives a good life, but still reminisces about his failed band, Tony!, Toné!, Toni! Tonee?.  In retrospect, he muses, the question mark after the last ‘Tonee’ was a mistake.  Sarah Silverman plays Conner’s publicist Paula, who explains that Conner4real is everywhere like oxygen, gravity, and clinical depression. The list goes on of former SNL alumni cameos, each contributing their clever takes on how they are part of Coneer4real’s posse. The interviews with real life musicians on how Conner4real influenced their music were hilarious as much for the seriousness in how they said it as for the inanity of what they said.  Much like Spinal Tap, even while we are laughing, we are also sympathizing with Conner4real as Adam does a good job instilling heart into Conner4real’s collapse from the spotlight.  

Similar to ‘Spinal Tap’, the film is a series of sketches pasted together to tell the story.  Some worked better than others, but the overall effort was a thoroughly enjoyable one.  One sees many fallen or soon to fall stars in Conner4real, but Adam seemed to be channeling Justin Beiber more than anyone else (maybe that’s just my bias).  It took me several scenes to recognize Justin Timberlake as Conner4real’s personal chef.  Ironic that Justin Timberlake seems to be one of the few former boy band alumni to emerge with a career intact. His part wasn’t that humorous, but the realization that it was him made it all the more enjoyable.

There are too many scenes to comment on. I could go on and on about Conner4real’s up coming rival Hunter (played by a hilarious Chris Redd) or describe the penis signing scene, which is one of the funniest moments in the film, but there is only so much space. Suffice it to say that this is a worthy successor to the ‘Spinal Tap’ tradition as well as a cautionary tale of fame altering what is important.  It is silly and extreme at times, but never loses its’ heart.  If you like Adam Samberg and his Digital Shorts on SNL, then you will love this film.  You don’t have to rush to the theater to see it, but definitely put it in your movie queue when it is released on DVD.  Great job to Adam Samberg, Judd Apatow, and team.

  I give this film *** stars

Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping

X-Men: Apocalypse

      ‘X-Men: Apocalypse’ is here and it was not worth the wait.  The previous two movies in the ‘X-Men: First Class’ trilogy built so much positive momentum I had high hopes that the mojo would carry over into this film. This film, like in many comic book stories, fell victim in trying to outdo itself in spectacle.  The result was excessive style over substance and a whimpering last chapter to this story arc.  I’m not going to say this film was bad, just unfulfilling. When will directors and producers learn that just because you stuff more super heroes and special effects into a 2 hour period doesn’t mean you will make it better?  The success of ‘Captain America: Civil War’ is that it did not fall into this trap.  No matter how much ‘Civil War’ added, story and character came first.  We are introduced to so many new characters in ‘X-Men: Apocalypse’, yet we did not get to know any of them. We were re-introduced to previous characters from the original trilogy, but none of the chemistry was developed. Lots of special effects designed to make us  say ‘coooollll’ with mediocre at best CGI and a story line designed to glue together these endless fight scenes.

I think the most disappointing part of the film was the how they turned one of the X-Men’s greatest foes into a generic omnipotent villain who wants to destroy the world (still not exactly sure why). In fairness, Apocalypse (played by the normally phenomenal Oscar Issac) was always going to be a difficult character to bring to the screen.  He was a larger than life character in the pages of the comic book and it would be a challenge for any director to bring such omnipotence to the big screen.  Apocalypse, or En Sabah Nur, is a 5,000 year old Egyptian, believed to be the first mutant.  His ability to absorb other mutants powers over the millennia have transformed him into a god like creature.  When he is awoken from his millennia long slumber, his first assessment is that the world is run by the weak and must be ‘cleansed’.  In order to do so, he recruits what he considers four of the most powerful mutants on earth and he super charges their powers to be his henchmen.  The lineup consists of Magneto, a young Storm (Alexandra Shipp), Psylocke (Olivia Munn), and Angel (Ben Hardy).  This is where they lose a comic fan like me (and many others).  Magneto I can possibly see, even a case can be made for Storm, but Psylocke and Angel? Not exactly recruiting from the upper echelon.  This omnipotent being is recruiting beings he would probably consider in need of cleansing.

The main purpose of this film is to round out the trilogy and introduce the original movie X-Men as their younger selves so they can continue the franchise.  It felt like Jennifer Lawrence was just in it because they had her under contract.  She looked like she was just going through the motions and, in fact, rarely appeared in her supposed natural blue form (when you are a huge star, you don’t have to go through the hours of grueling make-up).  The highlight of the film for me was Micheal Fassbender’s Magneto.  Of course I’m biased as he is one of my favorite actors, but he delivered some of the most profound and poignant moments in the film.  Then of course there is Xavier (James McAvoy) where they were just looking for a story angle to transform him into the bald version all fans love.  Overall, I felt he was vastly underutilized. 

Like the third installment of most trilogies there is reflection on the previous in the form  of clip flashbacks. Combine that with some gratuitous cameos by other X-Men favorites and it was worth the price of admission, but not necessarily gratifying. Director Brian Singer tries to insert some self deprecating humor in one scene where a group of students see ‘The Revenge of the Jedi’ and note that the third movie in a trilogy is always the worse, but it comes off less funny and more irritatingly factual to a person who just plunked down $10 for a ticket would like to hear (not even counting popcorn and drink).  The new kid versions of the team are uninspiringly cast and never truly developed.  Spoiler Alert: The introduction of Jean Grey’s Phoenix powers come far too early in her career and should not have been introduced  this time around.

I can’t say I didn’t enjoy this film.  There were many things that kept me entertained. It’s just that the previous two films, plus the recent exceptional experiences of both Captain America and Deadpool,  set the bar so high that I can’t give this film a fair shot.  We have gotten to a point where we yawn at omnipotent villains because it always follows the same storyline: ‘no one can match the villain until all seems lost then someone manages to use a plot twist to defeat him’.  I’ve seen it and know when it will happen.  Predictability and formula is death in an action film. Still, go see this film just to round out the trilogy, but leave hoping that the next series of films in the franchise will learn something from Marvel Studios about how to make a super hero film.

I give this film ** stars

X-Men: Apocalypse

Captain America: Civil War

       The much anticipated ‘Captain America: Civil War’ has arrived and I am happy to jump on the bandwagon of everyone praising this movie.  A culmination of the 13 Marvel movies that have preceded it, yet setting a new bar and standing out on its’ own.  Marvel shows that it is not done exploring what is possible in “Super-hero” movies and delivering a true cinematic experience. As I watched this, it occurred to me where DC is failing to find its’ niche.  It seems obvious, but Marvel captures the most important and obvious aspect of any storytelling; that characters come first.  Marvel delivers us smart dialogue and characters in which we all become engaged and invested, despite or because of their all too human flaws.  ‘Captain America: Civil War’, despite being packed to the point of overflowing with superheroes, never forgets that the characters and their development comes first.  Despite all the heroes, old and new, in this film, not one is used gratuitously and each has their part that expands the story.  

The plot is basic, yet complexly layered at the same time.  When a UN terrorist attack, seemingly perpetrated by Cap’s friend Bucky: The Winter Soldier, kills scores of people, including King T’Chaka of the fictitious nation of Wakanda, it’s the straw that broke the camel’s proverbial back and the world governments demand accountability for all the destruction that seems to follow the Avengers.   The Secretary of State (William Hurt, reprising the role of Thaddeus Ross) offers a compromise:  The Sokovia Accords. This would move the Avengers from a private organization to having oversight and accountability from a U.N. panel.  Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr at his best), racked with guilt over his role in the devastation created by Ultron embraces accountability, whereas Steve Rogers (Chris Evans comfortably owning the role of Captain America), an individualist, and  distrustful of government bodies and their unpredictable agendas, chooses the side of freedom from oversight. Thus the philosophical lines are drawn with each viewpoint being correct and the heroes take sides according to their beliefs.  

Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely return as Captain America’s writers and their impressive ability is to create a conflict where both sides are justified.  Even if we choose a side, we fully understand and empathize with the other viewpoint.  What is further impressive is that a film that is overflowing with characters are all deftly handled and flow seamlessly into an overall narrative.  Even with all these characters, we are introduced to two new ones who will be part of the Phase 3 Marvel plan.  Chadwick Boseman makes an impressive debut as the royal Black Panther.  Regal and tortured by the death of his father, his performance makes us long for his solo movie to come quickly.  In addition, Tom Holland is introduced as the MCU’s new rebooted Spider-man.  His performance has almost been universally heralded as getting the character right.  Even these blatant seed plantings of future franchises don’t feel forced and they belong in the film as much as all the other characters.  

The choice of villain in this film is what impressed me most of all.  The ‘rapidly becoming my favorite actor’, Daniel Brühl introduces us to a smaller than life villain named Zemo.  He has little screen time and much of it we are trying to figure out what he is doing and what his motivations are.  Instead of going over the top with the movie villain, like many Super-hero movies, Zemo is low key and mysterious.  We know his actions are leading to something, but without knowing his motivations, we are left in confusion.  It isn’t until the third act that the full purpose of his actions are realized and we understand how truly devastating this reserved and somewhat sympathetic villain is.  Daniel Brühl delivers exactly what he is supposed to.

As I started with this review, ‘Captain America: Civil War’ shines because of its’ character development.  From the intense visceral conflict between Tony Stark and Captain America to the more light-hearted moments between The Vision and Scarlet Witch and even further to the comedic interactions of Ant-man and Spider-man, all seem to belong in this movie and we are invested in these characters and care what becomes of them because of it.   This film is a symphony of character interplay that transcends the super-hero genre to become a truly great movie.  I give a metaphorical standing ovation.  The Russo brothers, who directed this, have proven to be great directors capable of taking the most successful movie genre in history to an even higher level of depth and respect.  The Marvel machine is not even close to running out of steam.

Phase 3 of the Marvel universe is packed full of new heroes and personally, I cannot wait to see what Marvel has to offer. They have proven that they won’t just recycle storylines, rather attempt to just give us new and exciting journeys into these characters that I have known since my childhood.  I don’t think it’s a case of DC vs Marvel as I feel there is room for both, but Marvel is definitely setting the pace.  DC needs to find their own style, but they could also take some notes on how to make a movie that is more than just a super power showcase. Hats off to everyone involved at Marvel for giving us this cinematic work.

I give this film ***** stars 

Captain America: Civil War