This week's new release is Pixels but I had trouble finding a film relates to Pixels that I wanted to review and since next week I will be out of town with no cell reception, Internet, etc. I decided to go ahead and review a film that is the predecessor to Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation, which is next week's new big release. This also with no doubt so far my favorite installment in the franchise but that could always change when I see Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation.
'Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol' Review
Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol is my favorite installment in the franchise for a number of reasons. It's probably the only Mission: Impossible film to contain humor as well as some large scale crazy action sequences and another insane stunt that Tom Cruise actually performs, given that he does his own stunts.
One highlight of the film that I particularly enjoy is to see the spy tech utilized in the film which is quite interesting and somewhat realistic given modern technology. An aspect about the spy tech that is quite interesting regarding how it comes into play in this film is that the technology is constantly breaking and messing up, making the mission that much more "impossible"and also adding an element of humor to the film.
This film was also Brad Bird's first foray into live-action, and he did a splendid job re-imagining the franchise to differ from previous installments. All of the actors do an incredible job in this film, but the team of IMF agents stand out in particular. Tom Cruise once again portrays Ethan Hunt and is given much more to explore for his character. He is really quite enjoyable to watch in the action sequences that put you in the edge of your seat.
Another aspect that adds to the suspense is knowing that he performs his own stunts, especially when he is climbing the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building. Cruise appears to be solo climbing, but in actuality is attached to multiple cables. It is also quite interesting to see Tom Cruise run, which he seems to be quite the pro at it, and there are several jokes about Cruise's running even though he runs in a manner that is entertaining to watch.
Simon Pegg's character is very enjoyable and injects humor into the film with numerous one-liners. He manages to steal numerous scenes that he is included in and I can't wait to see him in Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation!
Paula Patton and Jeremy Renner both deliver great performances as their respective characters and were enjoyable in numerous action sequences. I really enjoyed Renner's performance as he makes his character quite compelling with what he is given and brings some great acting chops in some dramatic scenes.
Michael Nyqvist portrays a compelling, quite evil villain, but can be regarded as a typical villainous caricature who's merely out to incite nuclear warfare for no apparent reason aside from destruction. The plot of the film is very intricate and kept me engaged the entire running time despite having seen the film numerous times.
If you haven't seen any of the Mission: Impossible films I highly recommend you watch them all in preparation for Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation and give Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation a chance next weekend!
Given Ant-Man's release as the twelfth Marvel Studios' release I felt the need to go back and revisit my Marvel Cinematic Universe Movie Ranking and update it to show how I now stand on ranking the films. I'm also giving each film a Film Assessment score and if I have reviewed the film I inserted a link to the review if you click on the title.
Given that Ant-Manwill be released this week as the twelfth Marvel Studios film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and that it is an origin story, I thought it would be appropriate timing to go back and review the very first origin film that is the reason for the existence of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Iron Man. And I'm aware this is being posted on Friday as I was busy yesterday but if it can also considered a Flashback Friday review.
'Iron Man' Review
Nominated For: Best Visual Effects and Best Sound Editing. Iron Man is a blast! The action is awesome, there are plenty of hilarious one-liners, and there are many enjoyable performances. In particular Robert Downey Jr. really breathes life to the role of Tony Stark and plays it perfectly. So it's crazy to look back and see that initially it was a big risk to bring Robert Downey Jr. onto the project but it is probably one of the best decisions Marvel has ever made. Terrence Howard is enjoyable as Colonel Rhodes but I personally prefer Don Cheadle in the role as Don Cheadle who replaced Howard in future Marvel films. Gwenyth Paltrow also is enjoyable in the role of Pepper Potts, Tony's love interest, and she and Robert Downey Jr. worked well in their scenes together. Jeff Bridges portrays an evil corporate villain who still remains a great villain for Marvel today although not quite the best. Iron Man is a great movie and for awhile was one of my favorite Marvel movies but I have found that it doesn't quite have as great of a rewatchability factor that some of the more recent Marvel Cinematic Universe films possess. I really enjoy watching Tony Stark's origin story and can still watch it multiple times and enjoy it! If you haven't seen Iron Man, I highly recommend that you check it out and if you enjoy it I would recommend that you watch the other Marvel films.
Thanks to my awesome new stepsister, I had the opportunity to view Ant-Man a day earlier than I was anticipating, and will say in short that I loved it! I consider it to be one of the best standalone Marvel films besides Captain America: The Winter Soldier, this doesn't include either Avengers films since those are team up films.
It has epic action that takes advantage of utilizing Ant-Man's abilities, some hilarious one-liners and many Marvel Easter eggs and references. Among these is the first reference to Spider-Man in the MCU!
In terms of acting, the main cast is phenomenal! Paul Rudd is fantastic in this film! He really manages to deliver the action scenes and some hilarious one-liners quite well. His character Scott Lang also has an interesting relationship with his daughter that allows for some more depth in the film given that this film has quite a few father-daughter relationships and is even somewhat about fathers. I really enjoyed Paul Rudd and hope that this will help propel his career a little bit more to give him a push to find other work or continue to work with Marvel.
Michael Douglas also manages to shine through his acting abilities, which comes at no surprise to me given his acting history and Academy Award. Douglas' character also has a very interesting relationship with his daughter Hope van Dyne, who is played by Evangeline Lily, and I really would love to see Hank Pym further explored in the MCU.
Evangeline Lily was also an interesting character due to her complex relationship with her father and an enjoyable member of the cast! I'm looking forward to what her future in the MCU will be given what occurs in one of the post credits scenes.
Michael Peña is definitely a standout of the supporting cast though because he steals almost every scene he is in with his hilarious one-liners!
Corey Stoll does his best to bring Darren Cross and Yellow Jacket to life, but unfortunately Marvel has another mediocre villain. Yellow Jacket is very evil, but I don't feel he had justifiable motivation or much character development.
The action sequences in this film are very fun and inventive due to the shrinking and growing of Ant-Man in his fighting style. Due to this, you can see glimpses of Edgar Wright's vision for the film that unfortunately didn't come into fruition as he departed the project for creative differences, but Peyton Reed did a superb job taking over for Edgar Wright.
And there are two post credits scenes so make sure you stay all the way through the credits. I'd also like to let you know that there is an an Avenger that makes an appearance in the film that allows for a fun and hilarious action confrontation. I really want to express how great this movie is and help sway those who are on the fence of viewing it. This film is fun and manages to have a heart and find it's voice to convey it's larger message about father daughter relationships.
So in short, Marvel has done it once again by creating a fun and fresh origin story film for a lesser known superhero!
So as many of you may know San Diego Comic Con was this past weekend and there were plenty of movie and tv show headlines to come out of it. I thought I would try to recap most of the big news and provide my thoughts on what was showcased this weekend. Unfortunately there is so much I can't cover it all so I will be covering news, etc. on TV shows I watch and movies I am interested in as to not overwhelm myself.
Movies
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2
This new footage looks very cool and makes me very excited for the final installment.
- Link to view panel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4k_1eMlQ0Co
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
A very interesting part of the Star Wars: The Force Awakens panel is that a Behind The Scenes reel was shown that showcased the use of practical effects as well as modern technology, etc. I really enjoyed the reel and it really excites me to see this film which is my most anticipated film of the year!! During the panel J.J. Abrams even brought out one of the creatures created for the film which was a practical effect that can be seen if you watch the panel below. After the panel there was a Star Wars concert where John Williams and an orchestra played Star Wars themes and everyone from Hall H was able to attend and were given a free lightsaber!
-Link to view panel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fMx670jOnw
Batman V. Superman Dawn Of Justice
I liked this new trailer much more than the first teaser trailer shown a few months ago that seemed to have a mixed tone as well as not much to excite me as it teased the film more than revealing anything but this trailer was amazing!!! My chief complaint with the trailer was Jessie Eisenberg as Lex Luthor as he seems to be portraying the same character that he normally does (ala Now You See Me and The Social Network). Eisenberg isn't playing Lex but rather it seems that Lex is Jessie Eisenberg, which seems odd to me but is my only issue with the trailer. Also regarding Eisenberg a few months ago an image was revealed of a bald Jessie Eisenberg yet for some reason he has long hair in this trailer that looks quite strange. Overall, I'm not a fan of the choices being made for his character as of right now but this could change when i see the film. Now that I've touched on the one thing I disliked about the trailer I will move on to my positive comments. I loved every bit of Batman/Bruce Wayne that was shown in the trailer from him charging into a dust cloud in the middle of the Man Of Steel Metropolis destruction to him glaring down Superman. There were several great moments for Batman in this trailer but to avoid going to in-depth I won't cover all of the specifics. I can say that I think Ben Affleck will be both a suave Bruce Wayne and a fearsome Batman. I was very excited to finally see some footage of Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman because prior to this trailer there were only images of her so I could never quite judge her performance. There still was not any dialogue from Wonder Woman but Gal Gadot seems to be handling the action quite well as she looked awesome in the scenes that featured her! So I'm at least thrilled to see Wonder Woman go toe to toe with either Batman or Superman or both, etc. Jeremy Irons also looks to be an intriguing Alfred but it will be difficult to top Michael Caine's performance. We already have a good idea as to hoe Henry Cavill portrays Superman based off of Man of Steel which was actually a highlight of Man of Steel for me but he seems to have little dialogue in the trailer. I'm very excited to see the introduction of Kryptonite as well as the easter eggs involving Robin's costume, Zod's body, etc. I'm very thrilled for the film and can't wait to see it!
- Link to view panel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXP-uvc7DZs
Suicide Squad
I must say it seems to be quite unfortunate for those who did attend the Hall H panels as a majority of the footage has leaked forcing Warner Bros. to release the footage officially. Now I must say I loved this trailer!!! There wasn't anything in particular that I disliked but I can talk about a plethora of positive aspects of this trailer! My personal favorite parts of the trailer were Joker and Harley Quinn. I really liked what is being shown of Jared Leto's Joker and am very intrigued to see his performance. His lines at the very end of the trailer are especially creepy and I can't wait to see it! Margot Robbie seems to be doing quite well as Harley Quinn but we didn't see much from her in terms of acting. She had a few humorous aneurisms like when she holds her bat like a shotgun and her line saying "I hope you have insurance". Another very cool thing to see that was unfortunately a set leak was the scene featuring Batman clinging to the top of Joker's car which seems to be a very awesome action sequence! Will Smith looks to be a very interesting and compelling Deadshot and I can't wait to see more from him in future trailers and the film itself. Killer Croc looks very cool and I like the CGI onto of the costume and makeup which I was a little unsure of based on pictures released earlier. There are great shots of the Suicide Squad all together throughout the trailer. We don't really see too much of the rest of the squad but I liked the looks of them and can't wait to see more! I'm very excited for this film and am loving what I see!
- Link to view panel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwSMgfDuwis
Fantastic Four
I have actually not yet come across this footage but watched the panel and must say there are so many aspects to this film that concern me and I'm glad that Josh Trank was removed from the Star Wars Anthology film. I can provide many of my complaints when I actually review the film itself.
- Link to view panel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HxGdRn3tkg
Deadpool
I will start this by saying that I have indeed seen the leaked footage and it measures up to what Deadpool is. Very Crude Humor. This teaser was hilarious at times due to Deadpool breaking the fourth wall a few times making a joke about the 'Green Lantern' suit, etc. I'm very excited to see this based of the humor that has been showcased and can't wait for the trailer to officially be released and Ryan Reynolds said it should be released in about three weeks.
- Link to view panel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ze0sfeLX3as
X-Men Apocalypse
I have seen leaked version of the trailer and will say it is one of the best trailers I saw all weekend but out of respect to 20th Century Fox and those making 'X-Men Apocalypse' I will not include any links to the leaked footage or images, etc First of all Apocalypse looks awesome and like he will be a very compelling evil villain! The new cast members look intriguing but not much was shown of them in terms of acting as this was more of a teaser. I'm also very excited to see the returning young cast as they are all incredible actors and I enjoy them in these respective roles. Overall this trailer has me psyched for the film!
- Link to view panel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlAulib08E4
TV
Most Television shows haven't shot any footage for the next season yet so I don't have too much to discuss for each show as I did with movies.
Once Upon A Time
-A highlights reap video that teases Season 5
- Merida will be joining Once Upon A Time
- A first look at Dark Swan, Evil Emma Swan
- Link to view panel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKdssFOoVhI
Gotham
- The actor Cameron Monaghan, who plays Jerome on Gotham, basically confirmed he is in fact the Joker via this Instagram post. Aside from that nothing was really showcased or revealed about the show.
- Link to view panel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzOvw_3_zm8
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
- A Highlight reel was shown
- There was a Dubsmash war that took place between the Agent Carter cast and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. casts and you can view the hilarious videos at this link: http://theinsightfulpanda.com/2015/07/13/the-marvel-dubsmash-war-of-sdcc-2015-when-agents-collide-everyone-wins/
- Link to view panel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JNdCEW9JfY
Agent Carter
- A Highlight Reel from Season 1 shown
- Link to view panel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUx58vGBTUI
The Flash
- The Flash cast Teddy Sears as Jay Garrick and Shantel Van Santen as Patty Spivot
- As seen above, Grant Gustin's new costume for season 2 was on display at the convention.
- It was confirmed during the panel that Zoom and Wally West would be in Season 2
- A Season 1 Highlights Reel was shown during the panel which also teases Season 2
- Link to view panel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82UDC3xmH7Y
There isn't much for me to say other than that I'm tremendously excited for Season 2 of 'The Flash' as I can't really discuss new footage or anything of that nature.
Arrow
- Arrow has cast Neil McDonough as the season's main villain Damien Darhk.
- An official image as shown above was released of Stephen Amell's new costume.
- Stephen Amell entered the Arrow panel wearing the new suit and proclaimed himself the Green Arrow as you can view above.
- A Season 3 Highlights Reel was shown during the panel as you can view above
- Link to view panel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrIATYxfNo0
There's not much to discuss in this case aside from the costume and the name change. I must say I love the costume and can't wait to see what kind of features it has and see it onscreen October 7th!! I'm also excited to see Oliver Queen take on the name of Green Arrow and finally progress to becoming Green Arrow!
Legends of Tomorrow
- Link to view panel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Wdc2hYSTFo
Supergirl
- Link to view panel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Miy8X-DUcjU
Minions is an enjoyable animated film that I promise children will love especially since the children in my theater were so energetic yet when the film started suddenly became deeply entrenched in what was going on onscreen. One thing that concerned me going into Minions was whether the film would contain the same heart that the Despicable Me installments had and I must say that it did to an extent. Throughout the film you watch these Minions go on an adventure to find a new master and really get to care for these characters as you see them journey for this goal that is necessary for their survival. Minions does in fact contain some cameos, easter eggs, and brief nods to the Despicable Me films if you pay close enough attention you will see these pop up a few times throughout the film and then towards the end a very obvious connection between Minions and Despicable Me. In terms of performance, Sandra Bullock was very enjoyable in the role of the eccentric villain Scarlet Overkill and definitely a highlight of the film. Jon Ham also manages to steal the spotlight as Herb, Scarlet's husband, as he was very hilarious with a few one liners. However Michael Keaton lends his vocal talents here but I wasn't able to pin down exactly who he was voicing until the credits rolled so I will say his character is enjoyable but I was never aware that Michael Keaton was voicing that specific character. Front and center in the spotlight as the protagonists of the film, the Minions were the main stars given this is their own adventure. Not that the Minions bring anything particularly "new" to the table since the film utilizes the same type of humor present in the Despicable Me films but they are quite enjoyable and made me laugh several times. This film is very hilarious with a lot of slapstick humor, as we'll as containing several jokes related to the 60's given that 'Minions' is a prequel that takes place in 1968. Overall, Minions is an enjoyable movie going experience that I highly recommend for parents to bring their children to as they will love it. Also be sure to stay through the credits as there are some scenes throughout and one scene at the very end of the credits. In regards to comparing Minions to other family friendly releases currently in theaters, Minions isn't quite as deep and intellectual as Inside Outas Inside Out was created for all ages while Minions is more geared towards children but can still be enjoyed by adults.
So you may notice that this seems quite odd for me to be reviewing an older movie as I regularly review new releases in theaters but I haven't quite seen Terminator Genisys yet so I thought I might as well rewatch the Terminator films. Since all of the TV series that I regularly review are currently on a summer hiatus I figured the summer would be a great opportunity to review some older films so my first Throwback Thursday Review is The Terminator. Later in the summer I may write a review for it's sequels and will try to coordinate the reviews in relation to the film release of that week but since I didn't prep this for last week, I decided better late than never. I will also introduce something that I feel has been missing from my reviews and that is a rating on a scale of 1 to 10. I apologize for the long introduction but felt that I should explain the changes to my reviews that will be in effect from now on.
'The Terminator' Review
The Terminator is a memorable classic action film. It contains some of the most iconic quotes in cinema and some notable and memorable action. I particularly enjoyed revisiting this film and found some new aspects to enjoy such as a small comedic bit that I found hilarious that never stuck out to me the other times I have seen The Terminator. The standout actors are definitely Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Biehen, and Linda Hamilton. Arnold Schwarzenegger of course breathes life into the central antagonist the T-800, aka The Terminator, who is a very menacing and iconic villain. I particularly enjoyed seeing Arnold deliver his iconic dialogue. I also enjoyed Michael Biehen as Kyle Reese as he has a few standout scenes that made his character more compelling and really has the elements of a great action hero. Linda Hamilton does a wonderful job as Sarah Connor, I guess you could say she is the damsel in distress in the context of this film but nonetheless is enjoyable on screen and has great chemistry with Biehen. The Terminator is a great action film that manages to stand the test of time despite that it is somewhat dated with some cheesy special effects at times but I really enjoyed going back to watch The Terminator again and can't wait to rewatch T2: Judgement Day.
One highlight of the film that I particularly enjoy is to see the spy tech utilized in the film which is quite interesting and somewhat realistic given modern technology. An aspect about the spy tech that is quite interesting regarding how it comes into play in this film is that the technology is constantly breaking and messing up, making the mission that much more "impossible"and also adding an element of humor to the film.
This film was also Brad Bird's first foray into live-action, and he did a splendid job re-imagining the franchise to differ from previous installments. All of the actors do an incredible job in this film, but the team of IMF agents stand out in particular. Tom Cruise once again portrays Ethan Hunt and is given much more to explore for his character. He is really quite enjoyable to watch in the action sequences that put you in the edge of your seat.
Another aspect that adds to the suspense is knowing that he performs his own stunts, especially when he is climbing the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building. Cruise appears to be solo climbing, but in actuality is attached to multiple cables. It is also quite interesting to see Tom Cruise run, which he seems to be quite the pro at it, and there are several jokes about Cruise's running even though he runs in a manner that is entertaining to watch.
Simon Pegg's character is very enjoyable and injects humor into the film with numerous one-liners. He manages to steal numerous scenes that he is included in and I can't wait to see him in Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation!
Paula Patton and Jeremy Renner both deliver great performances as their respective characters and were enjoyable in numerous action sequences. I really enjoyed Renner's performance as he makes his character quite compelling with what he is given and brings some great acting chops in some dramatic scenes.
Michael Nyqvist portrays a compelling, quite evil villain, but can be regarded as a typical villainous caricature who's merely out to incite nuclear warfare for no apparent reason aside from destruction. The plot of the film is very intricate and kept me engaged the entire running time despite having seen the film numerous times.
If you haven't seen any of the Mission: Impossible films I highly recommend you watch them all in preparation for Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation and give Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation a chance next weekend!
