'London Has Fallen' Review

I would like to apologize for the very late review of London Has Fallen, I got busy with a multitude of things and only recently got around to seeing it last Thursday. London Has Fallen is very derivative of Olympus Has Fallen, the difference being that it's set in London of course, but I can accept that they would be similar because this is a potential budding franchise and in a franchise all films have a lot of similarities for good reason. This time around, all the world's major leaders gather in London following the death of Great Britain's Prime Minister and city-scale terrorism ensues. London Has Fallen has a lot of large scale action like the original and that's where the film hits it's mark. A majority of the movie outside it's action is honestly pretty bad. The editing is really choppy and the film feels the need to include a LOT of text for establishing shots and literally everytime anyone of importance shows up they feel the need to bring up text with the character's name and occupation but it comes and goes way too quickly so even if someone actually wanted to read it, they wouldn't be able to. It didn't bother me to much in the case of the establishing location shots, but a majority of these include recognizable landmarks that renders the text useless. However for the characters it was very obnoxious, especially since most of these characters deliver one or two lines and are of virtually no importance to the story, it felt very inorganic and pointless. There's also some scenes included that are literally 30 seconds that attempt to establish the world leaders but they are so brief that you don't care about them when some meet their inevitable demise during the terrorist attack. While on the subject of the terrorist attack, it seemed extremely impractical that a terrorist group would be able to infiltrate every level of Britain's law enforcement and manage to destroy literally every iconic London landmark, I'm not saying it's impossible as terrorism recently has managed to be much more widespread but I can only imagine these groups destroying one or two of these landmarks at most. That's a minor nitpick and this is a ridiculous action movie after all so many people can probably ignore some of these issues. One thing that's very hit or miss in the film are the visual effects, that can look very believable at times and in some moments obviously computerized. I think that's the result of the budget restrictions but I think that if a production team realizes their budget isn't large enough for a grand action sequences they should probably just nix it. Despite all of this, there are a few positive aspects. One being the action, it's just plain dumb fun action. Despite the impracticality, the action is all very entertaining and awesome to watch. The other pro being the cast, primarily the principal actors. Gerard Butler definitely is the glue that holds everything together. Butler returns as the everyman Secret Service Agent Mike Banning and really nails delivering the cheesy one-liners and is the charm of the film for sure. Aaron Eckhart also returns as President Benjamin Asher with much more charisma this time around. Eckhart gets to pal around with Butler and the two have great buddy-cop type chemistry onscreen. Morgan Freeman is back in the situation room again, this time as the Vice-President, and he's terrific but that can be expected. One downfall is that Alon Moni Aboutboul is such a blatant stereotype as the Middle Eastern villain scheming behind the scenes and isn't even in the film that often. So yes, the film has plenty problems but has some charm in it's action and performances. London Has Fallen aims to be bigger than it's predecessor and certainly is, but bigger doesn't always equal better. London Has Fallen is solid as a dumb action movie that would make a great rental, but beyond that isn't that great.

Film Assessment: D+

'Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice' Review

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is finally here. This film has been surrounded by so much controversy since it's announcement and due to this controversy I will be including a similar prologue as I did in my Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens Review. I must say that I myself had some concerns about the film due to a multitude of things. 

For one, I wasn't dazzled by the first teaser trailer, was caught off guard by the second San Diego Comic Con trailer which I did enjoy, disliked the third trailer, and loved the final trailer. The third trailer was ripped to shreds across the internet for unveiling one of the film's villains, Doomsday, and showing the DC Trinity united and essentially taking the focus away from the conflict between these two titans. I will say that I am in the camp that thought that was a poor decision for the marketing campaign. I think I understand the rationale behind it as Warner Bros. probably wanted to ensure the public knew Batman and Superman would team up, but that was something I know I would have liked to have waited and seen the first time I watched the film. 

However, the marketing campaign quickly got back on track releasing many TV spots and soon a final trailer that brought the focus back to the conflict between the heroes. Another concern of mine was with the cast. I decided I would reserve judgement till I felt I had seen the cast's work, but when Jesse Eisenberg was cast as Lex Luthor, red flags were certainly raised in my mind. 

The casting of Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman also seemed to be a bit odd to me as she was primarily a model before recently becoming an actress and I was curious if she would have the acting chops to do more than look great as Wonder Woman. I never really had a problem with Ben Affleck's casting, but was always curious why Warner Bros. didn't just hang onto Christian Bale for this version of Batman. However, I was sold the instant I saw him running into a cloud of smoke and debris in that second trailer. I totally bought the casting of Jeremy Irons as Alfred and Jason Mamoa as Aquaman because they seemed like interesting creative decisions. 

It didn't help for me to also know that it was coming from the same creative team as Man Of Steel. I wrote this prologue before watching the film to help establish my concerns with no knowledge of whether I loved, liked, or possibly was disappointed by Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Since writing this prologue, the embargo was lifted and surprisingly critics are bashing it and it currently has a 30% on Rotten Tomatoes so be prepared for me to address the film in as honest a way as possible and inform you if the critics are justified or not. 

'Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice' Review

Wednesday evening I attended an early screening of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and there is so much to talk about. It seems that this film is already more divisive than Man Of Steel due to the negative backlash it's receiving from critics and I'm very curious to learn how the general audience perceives it. Many of you are probably biting your nails wondering "Is it good or not?" or "Are the critic's thoughts justified?" and I can say I think it's a solid B-movie comic book movie that has some issues I will delve into and I think critics are just nitpicking the problems rather than relishing in any of the glorious moments, to which the film has a multitude.  

However, I think it should be expressed that this movie despite being PG-13 is not for kids, in fact it would probably bore children and some elements seem too dark to really appeal to children. I recommend that parents see the film ahead of their children if they plan on bringing them and make the call themselves as to whether or not they think their children can handle it. With that out of the way, a majority of the issues I found with the film were almost all creative decisions and not really involving the performances with one exception. 

First off, the film is too long. I can think of at least 20-30 minutes of footage that should have been cut out on the cutting room floor that was left in for some reason. As some of my readers may know, there will be an extended Director's Cut for the BvS Blu-Ray and I don't understand why Zack Snyder didn't just trim out the fat and save it for the Director's Cut. One thing that makes the film feel so long is that it takes an entire 2 hours for Batman and Superman to fight. I completely understand that the conflict required set up, but in a film titled Batman v Superman you would think it would involve more skirmishes between the two. 

Also, the first act of the film seems disjointed due to the way the film is edited. The film jumps back and forth between one story arc to another and they seem unconnected and don't really come together till later on. Snyder takes it upon himself to try to do a lot in this movie, it not only establishes conflict between Batman and Superman, but also tells Batman's origin, directly follows the events of Man Of Steel, follows Lex Luthor's antics, and sets up the DC Extended Universe. 

That's a lot of plot points and one of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice's weaknesses is that it bears the burden of all of these subplots and it seems to be one of the scabs the critics are picking at. It's somewhat similar to the problems that plagued Iron Man 2 and The Amazing Spider-Man 2, where they made the set up of their cinematic universe a priority over the film itself, but nowhere near as bad. I think this is much more tolerable here and flows more naturally. 

The other creative decision that bothered me were these strange dream sequences that come out of nowhere. These dream sequences are plopped in the film and some of them probably should have been saved for the Director's Cut. That's the bulk of my negative thoughts and frankly some of these problems are nitpicking, but I couldn't help but feel there were problems plaguing the film and had to dig further into my viewing experience for some of them. As I stated in my Man Of Steel Review, Zack Snyder tends to implement style over substance in his films and that's once again the case. However, I think Chris Terrio's screenplay is stronger than Man Of Steel's, and I like how he managed to balance these elements to where an audience member won't feel too overwhelmed. I also liked how the film successfully feels like a direct continuation of Man Of Steel. The visuals are gorgeous and seem like they leaped straight out of a comic book at times. All of the visual effects used for the various powers on display looked incredible. 

One nitpick of mine with the effects was the look of Doomsday, that I feel didn't quite do the villain justice and just looked terrible. I'd equate it to a mashup of orcs from The Lord Of The Rings/The Hobbit films and the new versions of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and if you hated it in the trailer, it doesn't really get much better than that. 

I also think it's interesting to note that the movie's surprisingly low on action compared to how it's being marketed, but the action sequences certainly don't disappoint because of the epic scale. The fight between Batman and Superman is awesome to watch and a great homage to The Dark Knight Returns comic by Frank Miller. I couldn't help but feel very giddy watching these two titans clash it out. Another key fight that I enjoyed was the inevitable moment where Wonder Woman, Batman, and Superman fought Doomsday that I'll discuss a bit more in a moment. 

What makes the film so engaging is this incredible cast that has been assembled. I think it's only fair to comment on the two titular heroes first and work my way down through the cast. Ben Affleck is incredible in the role of Batman. All of the Ben Affleck nay-sayers will have to back-track their hate because he is without a doubt the best Batman and Bruce Wayne I've ever seen on screen. Affleck gets to dive to new depths with his more layered version of Bruce Wayne and his edgier Batman and both work incredibly well in this DCEU. 

Everything Batman-related in the film worked wonders for me. I really liked the designs and functionality of the new Batmobile, Batwing, Batsuit, and the high tech Power Suit along with all of the Dark Knight's gadgets and gizmos. Hardcore Batman fans may take issue with one thing regarding this Batman though,

**Minor spoiler** 

I'm pretty sure this Batman murders people in the movie.

**End of minor spoiler**

There's one scene in particular where Batman infiltrates a warehouse and takes down an entire hoard of bad guys that is honestly one of the best cinematic Batman action sequences I've ever seen and when the movie ended I knew that the world needs a Batman solo film that is directed by and stars Ben Affleck, if the rumors are true. 

Henry Cavill is a very solid Superman, but sadly the character is significantly overshadowed in a movie featuring his name in the title. Though, Cavill finally gets to jump into the duality of Clark Kent and Superman and does it masterfully. I think the character of Superman is portrayed in a better light that rectifies the mistakes in Man Of Steel in that he's much more heroic going out of his way to save others and must face that he has become a figure of controversy due to the collateral damage he caused in Man Of Steel. 

Another standout is Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman. Gadot doesn't have that many lines, but she delivers them quite well and there's a big deal of mystery around her character. However, where she really commits and sells herself to the audience is in the Doomsday fight where she kicks butt and takes names. Needless to say, seeing her work here made me stoked for the upcoming Wonder Woman solo movie. 

Meanwhile, the film has a strong supporting cast around both heroes. Jeremy Irons makes for a perfect Alfred and is terrific every time he's onscreen. As for the Superman side of things, Amy Adams is once again exceptional as Lois Lane, although she still suffers from the damsel-in-distress trope. Diane Lane returns as Martha Kent to offer Clark guidance and Laurence Fishburne gets to yell a little more as Perry White, but both these actors are great in the capacity used. 

And now what many of you have been waiting for, Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor. It's a very different interpretation of the character and if you liked him in the trailers, you'll like him here, otherwise be open to change if you hope to like his performance. Jesse Eisenberg is a bit eccentric throughout and it just seems very odd and too reminiscent of other roles he's done. Eisenberg does hit all the notes of downright creepy in some scenes and at times is generally scary, but his weak motivations for his actions ultimately hurt the performance even more. 

My readers that have't seen the film yet are probably wondering when I'm going to discuss Ezra Miller's Flash, Jason Mamoa's Aquaman, and Ray Fisher's Cyborg since all three were confirmed to show up. I can't really comment on their performances, because they're all basically cameos, but I can comment on the look of each character. I thought Aquaman and Cyborg looked pretty cool, but I'm not a fan of this interpretation of the Flash's suit. Really the film does a terrific job laying the foundations for the DC Extended Universe. At times, some of it feels a little forced, but all the cameos and easter eggs were pretty exciting to spot. 

In conclusion, I can say that there is a lot of enjoyment to take out of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, but it is by no means perfect, and that's ok because very few movies are. I can definitely recommend seeing it, but temper expectations or you will find yourself a bit disappointed. One things for sure though, Marvel better watch out because I think the future of the DCEU looks pretty bright.

Film Assessment: B- C (Revised)

Throwback Thursday Review: 'Man Of Steel'

This week's Throwback Thursday Review is over Man Of Steel, the film that launched DC's Extended Universe and will be further propelled with this week's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Man Of Steel is an interesting film to review because of the decisively mixed reactions from both critics and the general public and you will soon learn what end of the spectrum I lie on. Just a warning, there will be some spoilers for some major plot points in the film that I feel need to be discussed. Next week I will continue my series of reviews of the Bourne series with the second installment The Bourne Supremacy. In the meantime, I will certainly have a Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice review uploaded very soon.

'Man Of Steel' Review

Man Of Steel is probably one of the most divisive films in recent memory, with critics either hailing it as a masterpiece or labelling it to be a sloppy mess, and the audience's just as evenly split. I'll admit I lie more in the middle ground, as there are elements in Man Of Steel I would consider brilliant and there are portions of the film that irked me, and I feel most problems were with the creative team and not the performances or the technical aspects.

For one, the film has this bleak, dreary, grayscale filter applied for a majority of the lengthy 2 hours and 23 minute runtime that honestly looks like it was ran through some filter on Instagram. Now there is technically "color" in the film of course, but most of the sets, environments, and costumes are in a darker gray, black, or blue color palette that makes the film all the more bleak and dreary. That's another point of discussion altogether, the film attempts to emulate Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy and it's not all too surprising since Nolan produced the project.

Now, I don't mind Warner Bros. trying to emulate their previous success with the Dark Knight Trilogy, which also helps to differ their comic book cinematic universe from Marvel's, but I don't think that everything needs to be so dark and gritty. I think a happy medium of both a dark and light tone would probably work better but Warner Bros. certainly know how to execute a darker, gritty film, and Man Of Steel is that exactly.

Man Of Steel is visually a masterpiece. This is large part to director, Zack Snyder, whose talents mostly lie with visual iconography and not the actual story itself. The cinematography feels very natural and when combined with the editing makes for a smooth viewing experience doing justice to the visual iconography Snyder brilliantly imagined. The film's visual effects are a mixed bag in my opinion. The effects for Superman's powers at times can look very fake, but for the most part seem quite authentic and are well realized. When Superman first gets his suit and flies around for a bit, the effects are remarkable and the cinematography adds to the authenticity incorporating some shaky-cam and gorgeous shots both behind and in front of Superman.

However, there is one brief moment where it is apparently clear a green screen is being utilized. In this brief moment, Superman's flight just seems mismatched with the background and there's a lighting issue where Superman looks darker than the surrounding brighter lighting and it annoys me every time I watch the film. I feel the effects for Superman's strength, heat vision, and X-Ray vision are handled exceptionally well and the sound mixing and editing are also well executed throughout. In particular, Superman's super-hearing and the Krypton technology sound effects are two of the best showcases of the excellent sound design.

One odd sound design choice though was that the weapon utilized by the Kryptonians to attempt to harvest the Earth for a new generation of Kryptonians, the World Engine, sounds like a dub-step cannon. Amidst the subject of sounds, I feel that I must comment on Hans Zimmer's fantastic score. Zimmer manages to create this grand, epic score that seems to be a perfect embodiment of the ideals of Superman but expressed in music.

The performances across the board are quite exceptional, and I have to say that both young actors portraying the younger Clark Kent, Dylan Sprayberry and Cooper Timberline, impressed me in their brief screen time. Henry Cavill makes for a very capable lead as Kal-El (Superman), although he's no Christopher Reeves, but he certainly fills all the requirements I think an actor needs to portray Superman. One thing I think he does remarkably well is his facial emoting, where he really sells that he's struggling or frustrated when using his powers and whatnot. Unfortunately, the film doesn't make time to explore the duality and pressures of balancing his normal life as Clark Kent and his super heroics as Superman but that's one element I can't wait to see explored in these future DC films, whether it be Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice or Justice League.

Amy Adams makes for a solid Lois Lane and actually does quite a bit to drive the story, but unfortunately at times becomes too much of the damsel in distress trope because of her willingness to plunge herself into danger. Aside from those little nitpicks, Lois comes across as a strong, developed female character, whose purpose isn't purely to be a love interest.

Russell Crowe and Kevin Costner both make for great father figures to Kal-El/Clark Kent as Jor-El and Jonathan Kent respectively and you can instantly feel their connection to Kal-El due to the incredible chemistry they have with Cavill and the gravitas of both actors. Diane Lane serves as Kal-El's mother figure as Martha Kent and is terrific in that capacity but she is very much a supporting character that's relegated to a few scenes sprinkled throughout. Laurence Fishburne gets to play Perry White, and I think he was terrific in the small capacity used.

Meanwhile for our antagonists, we have Michael Shannon, who makes for a great villain as General Zod. At times he seems a bit over the top and chews the scenery, not that that's necessarily a bad thing though. I liked that he had a genuinely believable motive and like most great villains believed what he was doing was just. Antje Traue is truly awesome as Zod's lieutenant, Faora, who kicks a lot of butt and is honestly everything the character Captain Phasma should have been in Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens. 

In summary, I think that Zack Snyder certainly presents a film that's very much style over substance, as the first half of the film is phenomenal but it finds itself in a sticky situation with it's grand finale that I will discuss in great detail soon. The scenes that I enjoyed watching were primarily in the first half of the film when Superman is actually saving people or the flashbacks where he's adjusting to life on Earth. I really like how the film stays primarily in the present day and jumps back to flashbacks to fill in for some crucial parts of Superman's origin story instead of wasting an hour on a young Kal-El growing up on Earth. The story is quite lacking in some moments towards the end and there are creative decisions made regarding Superman that seem out of character for the Son of Krypton that I personally see as an abundance of issues.

The action sequences are all grand and epic in scale but while they are quite awesome, I have a number of issues with a few in particular. One really small nit-pick is that these fights use the most blatant, obvious product placement although I don't see how Kryptonians destroying a Sears would convince anyone to shop there? The fights between Superman and the Kryptonians feature copious amounts of collateral damage, that just seems way too excessive. I understand that two people with these powers would destroy tons of property but the fight between Superman and Zod almost levels Metropolis.

What annoyed me to no end regarding this was that throughout the fight, Superman rarely makes any attempts to stop Zod from destroying any buildings or save any civilians, but rather actually even pushed Zod into some of these buildings. This was amidst a fight where buildings were collapsing. I feel that this interpretation of Superman was pretty reckless and there was tons of collateral damage as a result. The one time Superman did save people during this fight was when he snaps Zod's neck to prevent him from using heat vision to kill people. So yes, Zod's death was a necessary evil but it seems even more out character for Superman to kill someone, regardless of what they've done or plan to do, but this version of the hero clearly doesn't take much issue with cracking necks. The screenwriters should have avoiding putting the character of Superman, whose supposed to have a higher morality, in a position where he's forced to kill his villain. In fact, it's kinda hard to even call this interpretation a true hero and I think that is the film's biggest problem. 

Now to sum all of this up, if someone came and asked me to give a one-word review of Man Of Steel, I'd have to say that it's "meh." It's not great, but it certainly isn't terrible either, it's honestly just okay and I feel that Warner Bros. shouldn't accept something that's passable if they ever hope to truly compete with Marvel's Cinematic Universe. 

Film Assessment: C+

'10 Cloverfield Lane' Review

In 10 Cloverfield Lane an aspiring fashion designer has a few quibbles with her fiancé and runs away. In her frantic getaway, she is involved in a car accident and awakens in a mysterious underground bunker and supposedly everyone above ground has been killed in an extinction level event. That's the setup for this claustrophobic sci-fi thriller.

10 Cloverfield Lane is very intriguing in the sense that the film remained a secret until about two months before it's release when a surprise trailer splashed online and began trending almost immediately. This was in large part because one of the biggest names associated with the project was the producer, J. J. Abrams, who also produced Cloverfield. J. J. Abrams was quite busy working on Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens and maintaining a secretive marketing campaign for that film as well so people were so concentrated on Star Wars that no-one had any idea this film was happening since it's fake production name gave no indication it would be related to Cloverfield and since a majority of the film takes place in a bunker it was quite easy to film in secret on a closed set. 

First of all, I think it should be clarified that 10 Cloverfield Lane isn't exactly either a sequel or spinoff to and it's very unclear as to how these films are connected, if they are connected at all although it has been labeled as a "blood relative". Therefore if you go into the film expecting a similar film to Cloverfield you will probably be disappointed, because this is first and foremost a suspenseful thriller and none of the film is shot in the found-footage perspective. 

First time director, Dan Trachtenberg, does a phenomenal job building suspense in the drawn-out scenes where character motives become increasingly more questionable and the viewer is drawn closer and closer to the edge of their seat. The suspenseful atmosphere is only amplified thanks to 10 Cloverfield Lane's chilling score written by Bear McCreary. This suspenseful atmosphere makes a perfect stage for the small cast that will knock your socks off. 

Mary Elizabeth Winstead is the more relatable character to the audience as Michelle. She embodies the every day person and her actions are similar to what any one else would do if they woke up handcuffed in an underground bunker. Winstead really stands out in her true moments of fear and terror which she conveys exceptionally well allowing for great juxtaposition with the other two cast members. John Gallagher Jr. is serviceable as Emmet, who came running to Howard and broke his arm trying to get inside the bunker. Emmet is primarily in the film to serve as a bit of comic relief to alleviate some of the tension brewing throughout the film. 

The real star however, is John Goodman. Goodman is exceptional as a twisted, complex character. Howard's very unpredictable and every move will raise some red flags with the other characters and the audience as they begin to question how much of what he says is actually the truth and Goodman owns the creepy vibe his character gives off and pays intricate attention to put every subtle detail in his performance that will leave the audience guessing. 

For those of you who are still skeptical about seeing 10 Cloverfield Lane, be aware that it's completely different from Cloverfield. Don't go in expecting Cloverfield 2 or you will be severely disappointed. If you liked the trailer or like suspenseful thrillers, 10 Cloverfield Lane is perfect for you. In summary, 10 Cloverfield Lane is a perfect matrimony between a exceptionally talented cast and fantastic first time director that manages to deliver a frightening, suspense thriller that will bring you to the edge of your seat.

Film Assessment: A-

Throwback Thursday Review: 'Cloverfield'

My Throwback Thursday Review this week is for Cloverfield as 10 Cloverfield Lane, a spinoff of sorts to Cloverfield, will be released this weekend and I felt it would be ideal timing to review Cloverfield.  I have seen Cloverfield once before, but didn't really remember too much about it so I thought it would be wise to watch it again prior to 10 Cloverfield Lane. Next week I will be reviewing Divergent to correlate with the release of The Divergent Series: Allegiant and I will save The Divergent Series: Insurgent to coincide with the release of the final film.

'Cloverfield' Review

Cloverfield is a found footage film, meaning it is presented in it's entirety from the perspective of a character's camera recording the events as they unfold. Matt Reeves directs and J.J. Abrams produced the film and the two work quite well bringing an intense science fiction thriller. I mention J.J. Abrams not just because of his name-cred but also because you can tell he was very involved in the making of the film despite being a producer and is representative of one of the more engaged producers in Hollywood who remains in touch with his projects.

The production design and visual effects collaborate to bring an authentic perception New York in ruins and the found footage aspect of it certainly enhances them. The film is at time genuinely creepy and has a number of surprise scares that remain spread throughout as soon as the attack on New York begins. The film's monster also measures up with a frightening reveal but don't expect to see it too often.

There weren't particularly any performances that stood out to me as the cast is serviceable as a group of young adults trying to make their way through New York during a monster attack. The film is quite short but you'll be thankful for the briefness, since the found footage means there's plenty of shaky cam and those of you that have read my review of The Hunger Games will know I'm not fond of the technique when it's used excessively. However, I think it's use in Cloverfield actually services the film because it makes logical sense that a person running through New York with a camera would have a shaky recording of the events.

In summary, I did enjoy Cloverfield but I didn't "love" it. The blend of visual effects, production design, and cinematography make the found-footage feel very genuinely frightening, but the film does have it's flaws with a bland cast, none of which are very charismatic or memorable.

Film Assessment: B

'Zootopia' Review

Nominated For: Best Animated Feature.

Won: Best Animated Feature.

In Zootopia, predator and prey have evolved and now coexist with little tolerance for the other. Zootopia's plot centers on Judy Hopps, a small town rabbit with ambitions to be the first bunny police officer despite all the obstacles in her way. Judy lands the job, but is relegated to be a lowly meter maid. Through a series of events, she's forced to ally herself with Nick Wilde, a sly fox, to solve a case and prove herself to her superiors. Surprisingly, Zootopia is a much more intelligent film than one would suspect, with it's own messages regarding discrimination, stereotypes, and proving one's self. These underlying themes couldn't come at a better time in which we ourselves, humanity, have fallen victim to the same tropes. While, I'm not going to comment too much about this problem in our own society due to it's controversy, I will say that it is indeed an issue and I respect Zootopia all the more for having the audacity to address the problem. I know that one "kid's movie" may not be powerful enough to have much immediate impact, it's great to see that it's teaching children to accept others no matter what preconceived notions you have about the person. Now that I've addressed the elephant in the room, I will say that Zootopia like last year's Inside Out, will cater more towards adults than children as many of the jokes will fly right over their heads. That's not to say the jokes are inappropriate or anything of that nature but rather are more relatable to the older audience members. For example, there's one gag where only sloths work at the DMV that had me laughing hysterically, despite the fact that it was prominently featured in the trailers for the film almost in it's entirety. There are a multitude of references throughout the film, including a direct one to Disney Animation's latest and upcoming work. One of Zootopia's best assets is the tantalizing world building, which leaves the viewer to want to see more and more of the animal's utopia. The creators found clever ways to answer almost any question a viewer could engender utilizing the expansive world. For example, it's possible some may ponder "How can animals of drastically different sizes all use the same public transportation?" to which the film responds with different doors and entry ways for the corresponding animal sizes. Zootopia manages to find room to include the animal equivalents of Apple, Target, and Macy's, to name a few stores we are so familiar with, that are quite amusing to see pop up throughout the film. Zootopia is also very well paced with a compelling mixture of humor, heart, and touching moments and I never lost interest with what was transpiring onscreen, despite this being Disney Animation's longest running animated film to date at an hour and 48 minutes. Zootopia bolsters a very impressive voice cast including the likes of Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba, J.K. Simmons and even Shakira. Ginnifer Goodwin is terrific voicing Judy Hopps injecting plenty of energy and heart into the character as a lovable lead character. Jason Bateman voices the slick con artist fox, Nick Wilde and manages to pack tons of emotion narrating one intense flashback scene that had me on the verge of tears. These two were the lead characters of the film and were definitely my favorite characters upon leaving the film. Idris Elba was also quite great as the temperamental cape buffalo, Chief Bogo and J.K. Simmons as the charming Mayor Lionheart in the dashes of screen time the character had. Zootopia also has quite a few standout supporting characters, who are interjected in the narrative in small doses, including the chubby cheetah Clawhauser, the small rodent crime boss Mr. Big, and the quickest DMV sloth employee Flash (although that isn't saying much since he's a sloth). Maurice LaMarche does a terrific squeaky interpretation of a Marlo Brando Godfather impression as Mr. Big, once you see the film, you will know exactly what I mean. Shakira is essentially relegated to singing the main song "Try Everything" but certainly has a presence throughout since her character Gazelle is a singing gazelle pop star. The song "Try Everything" is catchy for sure, but it quickly will get stuck in your head and drive you crazy after hearing it too much. Kinda like "Let It Go" I guess. In summary, Zootopia is definitely another hit for Disney Animation to follow up their more recent successes that appeals to all ages with cute creatures kids will love and mature sophisticated themes and real world humor for the adults. Forget Frozen 2, lets get a sequel to Zootopia. 

Film Assessment: A-

'Eddie the Eagle' Review

Eddie the Eagle tells the story of real life British Winter Olympian, Eddie Edwards, and his drive to participate in the Olympics and prove himself to not only Great Britain but the world. In preparing myself for the film, I did a little research and watched some interviews about the film with the real Eddie Edwards only to learn that there are entire characters created purely for the film along with some of the more tensioned relationships throughout the film, to add more drama to the film of course. I don't really take much issue with this but felt I should inform my readers of some of the inaccuracies in transferring this story to the big screen. Now, at it's surface, Eddie the Eagle may appear to be a typical inspiring sports biopic but it's so much more than that. I typically find these inspiring sports films to be cheesy and a tad lame, while remaining very quality films, but this is certainly not the case with Eddie the Eagle because the film has so much heart. The film's story strays from feeling derivative of other inspirational sports movies since the film's climax doesn't follow the stereotypical trope ending but does a remarkable job putting the audience in Eddie's shoes to show his perspective of his results. (I won't spoil whether he succeeds or not, especially since success can be stretched to a wide array of interpretation). The story's underlying themes and messages also make it quite unique incorporating a stance on bullying, trying your best, and proving yourself. Dexter Fletcher directs and knows just how to bring forward Eddie's feelings through a variety of elements including camera angles, cinematography, and music that manage to bring about suspense and joy. The camerawork is utilized best when Eddie is about to jump but skeptical about the outcome that's expressed perfectly through a first person point of view showing the slops through his eyes. One surprising element that certainly enhanced my experience was the film's score and use of music throughout. The score contains an 80's synth and pop to it that mixes with an inspirational melody to bring about some emotional moments. Music is that key element that helps make the emotional moments work and that's always been the case but it's utilized particularly well in Eddie the Eagle managing to move me to have a sly grin or tears of both joy or sadness. Speaking of which, the film is surprisingly filled with quite a bit of comic relief that I wan't expecting but certainly welcomed with arms wide open. The film's core cast, consisting of Taron Egerton and Hugh Jackman,  
are terrific. Taron Egerton, one of the standouts from last year's Kingsman: The Secret Service, brings his A-game with a remarkably touching transformative performance as Eddie Edwards. Egerton doesn't turn Eddie's mannerisms into a caricature, but rather brings a lovable, innocent, dorky underdog everyone can root for onscreen. Hugh Jackman plays a fictional character created for the film as a former American Olympian, Bronson Peary, who was disgraced from ski-jumping and now a washed up drunk. Peary becomes Eddie's guide, mentor and coach but in reality Eddie didn't have a coach learning from many ski-jumpers as he practiced. Peary is created to make the film more compelling and give Eddie someone to converse with and even butt heads with at times. Jackman is perfect for this role and brings out a bit of his Wolverine persona at times. I was also very surprised to see Christopher Walken in a minor role critical to the narrative and he's pretty great as Peary's former coach. Aside from these three there aren't many other performances that are notable with the remaining characters relegated to smaller roles. The film's wonderful elements amount to a delightful, lighthearted, inspiring sports biopic that I'm sure audiences will love and Eddie the Eagle soars!

Film Assessment: A+

Throwback Thursday Review: 'Olympus Has Fallen'

This week has two big releases with Disney's Zootopia and London Has Fallen. To avoid having to do two Throwback Thursday Reviews today, I reviewed The Lion King last week since it was  Disney film centered on talking animals similar to Zootopia. So this week, I'm reviewing Olympus Has Fallen for a few reasons. First off, I actually haven't seen the film till watching it today to review it but was anticipating it back when it was released and just never got around to watching it. I figured this would be perfect timing and provide a Throwback Thursday Review to coincide with the release of it's sequel 'London Has Fallen' this weekend. I plan to review both Zootopia and London Has Fallen in the near future and am unsure of which I will wind up seeing and reviewing first. Next week's Throwback Thursday Review will be for Cloverfield to correspond with 10 Cloverfield Lane's release. I initially had it planned out to review Divergent but I will save that film for the following week.

'Olympus Has Fallen' Review

The premise of Olympus Has Fallen involves a North Korean terrorist group taking down one of America's most secure locations, the White House. The internet has dubbed the film to essentially be "Die Hard in the White House"and that's probably the most apt description so if that intrigues you in the slightest, you will love Olympus Has Fallen. Olympus Has Fallen is a very entertaining film that has moments ranging from excessively destructive to just plain awesome. The film has flaws, including a rocky start that was irrelevant to the plot, setting up character relationships that were unfortunately not explored in any further depth. However, much like the Fast and Furious films, you can't watch this film and expect to take it seriously but it's more of a "popcorn flick" that's essentially dumb action followed by even more ridiculously construed action sequences. Not only are the action scenes awesome, but they are lended more credibility thanks to some spectacular special effects. Also the film bolsters a cast with some great acting chops and gravitas to help realize the film. The standout is Gerard Butler, who plays an ex-secret serviceman Mike Banning who must stop this terrorist group, and he makes for a great "John McClain" stand-in as the everyman hero everyone will root for. Butler is very believable as a highly trained agent and is the most interesting character in the narrative thanks to his previous failure that's shown in the beginning of the film. Aaron Eckhart is serviceable as the President but lacks the charisma or charm to really invest the audience in his character. Morgan Freeman is great as always, in the role of Speaker of the House. The antagonist portrayed by Rick Yune is a brilliant, villainous mastermind, who is as bright as he is intimidating. Yune makes for a fantastic villain and definitely one of the better performances. The remaining cast is primarily one-note stereotypes, who aren't given much screen time. The film is super predictable throughout and there are a few stretches of doldrums, where I lost interest in the story but overall, Olympus Has Fallen is certainly a solid action film. Unfortunately, it doesn't traverse new roads and seems very derivative of previous action films but I can recommend it for anyone who at least is interested in the premise and enjoys action films.

Film Assessment: C+

Recollection Reflection Review: 'Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue Of Ignorance)'

Surprise! I'm introducing a new form of review today called a "Recollection Reflection Review" or a "Triple R". Since I've started my reviews, I've continually grown in my ability to analyze film and recently I've wanted to develop an interesting way to go back and revisit some of these reviews to properly assess the film hence the creation of "Triple R". As the title of these reviews suggest, I will Recollect how I initially felt about the film, reflect on if my opinion changed over time and properly review the film. "Triple R" will work a little differently than Throwback Thursday Reviews because there won't be a set day that I do a "Triple R" as it will be a bit spontaneous but always relate to either a new film release or some current event. "Triple R" also won't be a weekly installment but rather about once or twice a month. "Triple R" will always be of a film I've previously reviewed as older films I haven't reviewed are more reserved for Throwback Thursday Reviews. This "Triple R" is for Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue Of Ignorance) because the Oscars were this week and felt it would be a perfect opportunity to revisit last year's Best Picture winter that's one of my favorite films.

'Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue Of Ignorance)' Review

Nominated for: Best Picture, Best Director; Alejandro González Iñárritu, Best Actor; Michael Keaton, Best Supporting Actor; Edward Norton, Best Supporting Actress; Emma Stone, Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Sound Editing, and Best Sound Mixing.
Won: Best Picture, Best Director; Alejandro González Iñárritu, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Cinematography.

Recollection- Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue Of Ignorance) Review
Reflection- My opinion of Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue Of Ignorance) hasn't really changed since I've seen it and I don't expect it to since I have a vast mount of respect for the filmmaking behind it as well as the film itself.
Review- Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue Of Ignorance) tells the fictional story of Riggan Thomson, a former blockbuster star best remembered for portraying the superhero Birdman, who now looks to direct, write, and star in his own Broadway show to prove he's not a washed up celebrity. Alejandro González Iñárritu, who won his first Best Director Academy Award for this film, stretches the boundaries of filmmaking by creating a film that's scenes are stitched together seamlessly as though it was all filmed in one continuous take. Iñárritu's vision made for what seems like a two hour long tracking shot thanks to such clear editing and camerawork. This was brought to life thanks to Iñárritu's collaboration with cinematographer, Emmanuel Lubezki. The sequences not only appear to be one long take, but also involve a lot of camera movement. This movement manages to simultaneously maintain focus on the story and allow for some gorgeous shots. The film not only has stunning cinematography, terrific direction, but also has a fantastic story and spectacular performances. The talented A-list cast is lead by Keaton, who is just exceptional. Keaton gets to demonstrate a full range playing a conflicted man in Riggan Thomson, whose past is constantly haunting him, where Keaton as Birdman makes a few hallucinatory appearances. Keaton is supported by Emma Stone and Edward Norton, who both are given rich characters with their own respective baggage. Other notable performances included Zach Galifianakis as Keaton's manager and Naomi Watts as one of Thomson's cast members in the production who both are serviceable in their capacity but by no means scene-stealers. All of these elements weave together to make a spectacular film and Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue Of Ignorance) certainly held up to how I remembered it and I still feel it was deserving of its Best Picture victory last year.

Film Assessment: A+