Recollection Reflection Review: 'The LEGO Movie'

It's been a while since I last reviewed a non-recent film release, but I wanted to revisit The LEGO Movie before I discuss The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part later this week. The reasoning behind this is that the sequel releases this weekend and the first review I ever shared here was for The LEGO Movie almost five years ago (we're days away from that anniversary where I'll share a 5th-year-anniversary post). In other news, I saw The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part at an advanced screening and hoped to complete and share my review Wednesday, but I may wind up seeing it a second time tonight and just wait till Friday. It really depends on when I finish writing this review.

'The LEGO Movie' Review

Nominated for: Best Original Song "Everything is Awesome."

Recollection- The LEGO Movie Review.

Reflection- I can recall seeing The LEGO Movie with especially low expectations because I figured it would be a feature-length advertisement for LEGOs, but being pleasantly surprised to discover an excellent animated feature brimming with heart, humor, and creativity. My opinion of it honestly hasn't changed much since I first saw it almost five years ago, but I'm excited to share a more in-depth review this time around.

Review-

Synopsis: An ordinary LEGO construction worker, thought to be prophesied as "The Special," is recruited to join a quest to stop an evil tyrant from gluing the LEGO universe into eternal stasis.

Runtime: 100 minutes

MPAA Rating: PG (for mild action and rude humor)

Who should see it? Appropriate for all ages.

Co-written and co-directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, The LEGO Movie is the third feature from the writer-director duo and one of the most unique animated films to emerge in recent years. Moving at a breakneck pace, the brick-built flick is a remarkably kinetic, witty, and self-aware feature that encapsulates the core concept of LEGO better than a commercial ever could. However, the film takes on a much deeper meaning when the central conflict is revealed as an allegory for a struggle between father and son. Rewatching it with that perspective actually reveals layers-upon-layers of subtext about conformity vs. expressive individuality. However, it's very encouraging that a movie about toys which include an instruction manual is endorsing kids to be creative, and more importantly, be themselves.

Lord and Miller take the stock out of Chosen One prophecies by revealing no one in the film to be THE special because everyone is special in their own unique way. What makes you you is what makes you special, and sometimes a simple heart-to-heart conversation is all it takes to cultivate change. Everyone has the potential to be great and the capacity to make a difference in their home life, community, or even the world at large. All that's required of them is self-acceptance and initiative. With the proper motivation, anyone can complete a journey of self-discovery that will maximize their potential and ultimately make the world a better place. Cynics can criticize that optimistic perspective all they'd like, but it doesn't make the message any less meaningful because there's no harm in being yourself.

Stepping down from my soapbox, I must applaud the animators for materializing a brick-built world that's true to the brand. I've said it before, but I'll say it again... The animators captured the stilted, restricted movement of LEGOs so authentically that I often forget The LEGO Movie isn't a stop-motion production while watching it. Additionally, it all takes place within the imaginative mind of a child, so I love the little storytelling flourishes like the casual mixture of various IPs, the incorporation of common household products as mythic objects, and all the lasers, blasters, and weaponry going "pew pew" whenever fired. Each of these subtle details foreshadows the big twist in addition to giving that reveal much more credence. They're nice touches which flesh out the world in a fun, idiosyncratic way. 

As for the stacked voice cast, everyone constructs a memorable min-fig from the pieces of Lord and Miller's script. Chris Pratt provides the ideal excess of optimism and naivety required for the role of Emmet while also selling the character's self-doubt. Opposite Pratt, Elizabeth Banks' Wyldstyle (Lucy) is the sidekick who's clearly a more qualified hero. Banks strikes a wonderful balance juxtaposing Lucy's go-getter attitude with her underlying insecurities. Of course, I'll also never pass a chance to hear Morgan Freeman's voice share sagely wisdom through the mini-fig form of Vitruvius. Amongst the ensemble, Alison Brie's bipolar Unikitty, Charlie Day's space-ship obsessed Benny, and Nick Offerman's swashbuckling body-less pirate captain Metal Beard each serve as effective comic relief.

If there's a stand-out of the bunch though, it's undoubtedly Will Arnett's LEGO Batman. Arnett's narcissistic, self-serious take on the Dark Knight is legitimately a stroke of satirical comedic genius. Listening to him brag about his edginess will never cease to make me chuckle. It's no wonder he was the first to get a LEGO Movie spin-off!

Meanwhile, Will Ferrell delightfully chews the scenery as the megalomaniac Lord Business and even explores a more nuanced side to the character towards the film's conclusion. Serving as dual-personality law-enforcement, Liam Neeson quite literally spins his head around between voicing Good Cop and Bad Cop which remains an utter treat.

With plenty of heart, humor, and worthwhile messages to impart, The LEGO Movie proved itself to be much more than an hour and forty-one minutes of product placement. Impeccable animation, a charming voice-cast, distinct direction, and a smart script all worked in tandem to build a solid franchise foundation that likely won't get knocked down any time soon. After all this time, I'm happy to report that everything in The LEGO Movie is still awesome!!!

Film Assessment: A

Throwback Thursday Review: 'The Shawshank Redemption'

Yes, I'm well aware that I still have not posted either my Throwback Thursday Review of Inception or the Triple-R over Interstellar from two weeks ago, but they're coming soon. This review's also a little late because I primarily focused on putting out timely reviews for two of this weekend's major releases The Dark Tower and Detroit. Anyways, this week I kick off my series of reviews over Stephen King adaptations to coincide with the release of both The Dark Tower and It (2017) with my thoughts on The Shawshank Redemption. Fun fact: I have not previously seen The Shawshank Redemption so I'm going in fresh. In case you didn't know, I will be alternating between reviewing Edgar Wright movies and Steven King adaptations for the coming weeks. If you want an idea of what else I'm reviewing for the remainder of August, I intend publishing Throwback Thursday Reviews of Hot Fuzz, Stand By Me, The World's End, The Shining, and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World in addition to reviews of new releases Kidnap, Wind River, The Glass Castle, Logan Lucky, and The Hitman's Bodyguard. 

'The Shawshank Redemption' Review

Nominated For: Best Picture, Best Actor; Morgan Freeman, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Sound, and Best Original Score. 

The Shawshank Redemption sees a wrongfully convicted banker sentenced for life in the Shawshank State Prison for the murder of his wife and her lover. Upon arrival, Andy Dufresne meets Ellis Boyd 'Red' Redding, a pleasant procurer of things and fellow "lifer." The two befriend one another to inevitably find inner peace and redemption over their tenure.

People may not realize it, but The Shawshank Redemption actually has a peculiar history. Today, The Shawshank Redemption is widely regarded as one of the greatest films ever created. However, Columbia Pictures was unsure how to market it at the time of release due to a vague title, so it barely skimmed the surface of the box office. When the Academy Award nominations were announced that year, The Shawshank Redemption was bestowed a startling seven nominations which caught people's attention and allowed The Shawshank Redemption to thrive on home media.

The Shawshank Redemption was written and directed by Frank Darabont, adapting one of Stephen King's novellas Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption from his 1982 short story collection Different Seasons. It may surprise you to learn that The Shawshank Redemption was actually Darabont's feature film directorial debut, although he'd previously dabbled in the realm of television and started off as a production assistant that slowly, but surely learned the ropes and climbed the ranks of Hollywood. Darabont's direction isn't showy, but you can feel his steady presence in the background ensuring everything goes according to plan. Though, Darabont's greatest accomplishment is how he imbues The Shawshank Redemption with the element of the human spirit.

Darabont juxtaposes a despondent environment with glimpses of hope, something that's perfectly paralleled in Roger Deakens' captivating cinematography and Thomas Newman's spectacular score. The surrounding circumstances are bleak and filled with despair, but there's enough optimism in the little things that everything balances out well tonally. 

One of Shawshank's greatest strengths though is the ambiguous storytelling and exceptional editing. Blanks are purposely left in the narrative, but the story flows smoothly enough that you don't notice the gaps till later on when Darabont revisits these moments. Once the viewer has the additional information, the context of those events carry even more weight that I feel will make The Shawshank Redemption ripe for rewatches.

The performances across the board are outstanding. Tim Robbins communicates a complex portrayal of Andy Dufresne that allows Andy to seem detached from reality, but also approachable as a friend. Meanwhile, Morgan Freeman's able to authenticate Red's shameful tiredness along with the more amiable aspects of Red's personality. William Sadler, Gil Bellows, Clancy Brown, and James Whitmore also throw in some solid supporting turns as Heywood, Tommy, Captain Hadley, and Brooks. Last but not least, Bob Gunton's Warden Norton is the consummate crooked head of Shawshank. Gunton's portrayal projects an outward cleanliness contrary to his inner swindler that fits the character like a glove. 

I'll confess The Shawshank Redemption sat on my shelf of Blu-Rays for many months before I finally watched it for the first time, but I can assure you it won't be too long before I decide to pick it up again and give it a rewatch. I wasn't expecting to admit this, but The Shawshank Redemption actually lived up to the hype. I can't quite say it will join the top of my all-time favorites list, but The Shawshank Redemption is certainly deserving of its classic status nevertheless.

Film Assessment: A+

'Ben-Hur' (2016) Review

Ben-Hur (2016) tells the classic faith based story of Judah Ben-Hur, his descent and betrayal at the hands of his adopted brother and Judah's quest for revenge only to find forgiveness instead. The 2016 adaptation of Ben-Hur is the fifth adaptation of Lew Wallace's novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of Christ, the most famous adaptation being the Best Picture winning Ben-Hur (1959). My primary thought when I watch a remake or reboot or new adaptation of something is "What purpose does this new version serve the original material?" However, this time around I will have to admit to have not ever seeing the 1959 Ben-Hur or any adaptation for that matter, but I am curious despite it's 3 hour 44 minute runtime.

With that being said, it seemed clear that Ben-Hur (2016) was made purely for financial reasons. Ben-Hur fluctuates in quality since the first half of the film is a doldrum but around the midway point the film receives an injection that energizes the material by leaps and bounds leading to an entertaining finale. Director Timur Bekmambetov and cinematographer Oliver Wood frame incomprehensible hand-held shaky close-ups amidst the action and even scenes of straightforward dialogue.

When the film's budget is $100 M, they should be able to afford a camera rig or tripod at the very least but for some reason the minds behind the camera thought handheld would be a better choice. The thing that makes it all the more frustrating is that the chariot racing sequence is exhilarating, well shot and probably the best scene of the entire film. The lead-up to the race slowly raises the quality of story and filmmaking as the film finally finds itself.

The production design and costuming are terrific, exemplifying the essence of what I believe ancient Jerusalem would look like, with one exception, Morgan Freeman's absurd wig. Seeing Freeman walk around with dreadlocks is one of the most ridiculous things I've seen recently but as the film's runtime wore on it didn't stick out as much as it did at the start.

A weak point of the film is without a doubt it's screenplay from writers Keith R. Clarke and John Ridley, because the dialogue is sub-par and frankly the narrative uninteresting for the first half. The reason I found the film boring is not only that it lacked energy. but that the characters are thinly written and I didn't really care about the characters so when tragedy falls I wasn't impacted whatsoever. The duo do however succeed in regards to their overarching messages about forgiveness and that's greatly helped by the inclusion of Jesus. Thanks to the lackluster script though, the actors don't come off as strongly as they could have otherwise.

Jack Huston's Judah Ben-Hur lacks charm making it difficult to sympathize with his character as he endures trials and tribulations but I was impressed with his turn for the second half of the movie. Toby Kebbell comes off a little one-note as Messala, the benevolent brother turned fiendish foe, but he does brandish the persona well thanks to his dynamic opposite Huston's Ben-Hur. Morgan Freeman didn't seem to be putting forth much effort in his portrayal of Ilderim but he's fine in the role, regardless of whether he's in it for the paycheck or not. Rodrigo Santoro paints a compassionate portrayal of Jesus but he has brief screen time, interspersed where he services the story.

For those interested in the film I can promise that the chariot race is entertaining and the message about forgiveness is valuable but there's little else to relish in since it has a sluggish first act, the cinematography is a mess, and the performances do little to elevate the sloppy script. In conclusion, Ben-Hur isn't really worth watching.

Film Assessment: D

Throwback Thursday Review: 'The Dark Knight'

This week I'm reviewing The Dark Knight to tie in with the release of this weekend heavily anticipated Suicide Squad since both feature incarnations of the Joker and I wanted to review the Dark Knight Trilogy which I already began with my review of Batman Begins and I'll finish it out when I review The Dark Knight Rises in three weeks. In between then and now expect Throwback Thursday reviews on Disney's older Pete's Dragon with the release of the new live action version followed by the beginning of my series of Harry Potter reviews with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone where I will be rereading the books and reviewing each Harry Potter film every two weeks till the release of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. New reviews you can expect in the next two weeks include Suicide Squad, a review I've already writen that will be posted immediately after this review is uploaded, Pete's Dragon (2016), Sausage Party, and 

Florence Foster Jenkins.

'The Dark Knight' Review

Nominated For: Best Supporting Actor; Heath Ledger, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Art Direction, Best Makeup, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, and Best Visual Effects. 
Won: Best Supporting Actor; Heath Ledger and Best Sound Editing.

The Dark Knight picks up after Batman Begins. Batman's tidied up the streets of Gotham, but Joker has arrived to wreck havoc and unleash chaos. The Dark Knight is the summit of Christopher Nolan's exceptional Dark Knight Trilogy, and what a glorious peak it is! In the Dark Knight Trilogy, Nolan continues to transcend the superhero genre with a hyper-realized take on the Batman including complex messages and themes that explore the very meaning of Batman and Joker's ideologies. 

Nolan again takes up the responsibility of directing in addition to writing the screenplay alongside his brother Jonathan Nolan and working on the story with David Goyer. The trio craft a story that brings out an interesting message that darkness is hidden within all of us and that even the best of us can steep into darkness if molded correctly. Nolan, cinematographer Wally Pfizer,  and editor Lee Smith brilliantly fabricate suspense, raise tension prior to big twists and turns, and the gorgeous scenery is all cut together seamlessly. 

The practicality Nolan focused on in Batman Begins continues as he introduces the Bat-Pod, a new vehicle in Batman's arsenal, and plenty of new gadgets for his utility belt. The practicality help make the action sequences more exhilarating and believable as they are marvelous to watch. Other remarkable technical elements include the costuming, makeup, and visual effects that look phenomenal. The Dark Knight not only look great but sounds awesome as well thanks to a tremendous score composed by Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard. 

Even better are the performances with Christian Bale once again delivering a solid dual-portrayal of billionaire Bruce Wayne and vigilante Batman. Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman are both great as Alfred Pennyworth and Lucius Fox respectively. Gary Oldman remains to be a terrific Jim Gordon and this time around gets to delve into some more emotional ground. 

Maggie Gyllenhaal's Rachel is an improvement over Katie Holmes' depiction, serving less as a damsel in distress, but an important character in this story relative to her relationship with Bruce Wayne. 

Aaron Eckhart's Harvey Dent is commonly overlooked, but his performance is truly something! Eckhart is a bright spot of the trilogy as we see him morph into Two-Face and watch his descent into darkness, proving the best of humanity can be corrupted.

Heath Ledger brings the best depiction of the Joker onscreen, as a brilliant strategist intent on unleashing hell and anarchy to prove his point. It's tragic that Ledger died shortly after, as the role took it's toll on him and caused him to eventually overdose, considering it's one of the best villainous performances in recent memory. The entire cast deliver in spades and beyond in some cases.

In summary, The Dark Knight is a cinematic masterpiece thanks to technical precision, talent in-front-of and behind-the-camera, a rousing score, and an intelligent story with sophisticated themes about the truth of humanity. The Dark Knight is easily one of the best comic book films-to-date. 

Film Assessment: A+

'Now You See Me 2' Review

Now You See Me 2 picks up a year after the original, although the film seemed unclear on that citing the time difference as 18 months and another point 2 years. Just a small nitpick that I felt the need to address that would have seemed random had I waited to discuss it. Anyways, the Horseman are the protagonists this time around with a few minor shakeups in regards to the cast, Isla Fisher's Henley has been replaced with Lizzy Caplan's Lula, the stakes are higher, the tricks are grander, and the action's even bigger. So yes, Now You See Me 2 should be diagnosed with sequelitis as it aspires to be bigger and better than the first. 

Like Now You See Me, this film hasn't been too well received by critics as both hold rotten critic tomato-meter scores on Rotten Tomatoes, but I enjoyed both regardless and still acknowledge their flaws which I will discuss in a moment. It's relatively rare that I find myself disagreeing with a majority of critics, although this year I feel they've been particularly harsh on quite a few blockbusters and I think this film found itself in the midst of that and it probably didn't help that critics weren't a fan of the execution of the magical Robin Hoods to begin with. 

Critics are primarily poking holes in Now You See Me 2's reliance on a sense of disbelief to wow the audience with magic spectacle, and while that is indeed true, I think that's not too farfetched considering the film is about magic and Fast and Furious gets away with ridiculousness all the time. 

Another weakness being pried at is the screenplay penned by Ed Solomon. The script doesn't really service all of the characters in regards to providing more character depth as some characters earn more focus that was certainly warranted while others remain supporting players and the writers had to factor in new additions to the story. The sequel also doesn't have as many twists and turns as the original, and unfortunately some were a tad predictable. I did enjoy the explanations behind the tricks like done in the predecessor and I was glad that element was carried over. 

Jon Chu takes over the director's chair from Louis Leterrier and brings a flashier visual aesthetic and high energy action. The editing kept a quick pace and allowed for some clean quick cuts that showcased some swanky cinematography. I liked the visual effects work as it looked believable when used, although in some cases the magic tricks they were accompanied with seemed outright impractical. While unfeasible, the magic sequences were quite enjoyable with some nifty tricks ranging from bonkers to amazing. 

The standout sequence in my mind, which wasn't a "trick" per say, but a practical sequence where the Horseman must exchange a card amongst the group. The scene delivered a nice balance of amazement, humor, and suspense. I must commend the action sequences that are vastly improved from the first with some claustrophobic fight choreography that was very cool and incorporated some nice feats by the various Horseman.

The talented cast from Now You See Me return, with a few exceptions, and I feel they elevated their performances for the most part. Mark Ruffalo's role is beefed up providing more for the actor to do as the Horseman's leader Dylan Rhodes and I felt he was the most relatable and sympathetic character this time around. Rhodes gets a cool action chase sequence in China and his character's backstory is more fleshed out with a meaty more well rounded role that allowed for some nice emotional beats. Ruffalo is a terrific actor and I think he was one of the standouts once again as the role cultivates nice ground for Ruffalo to showcase his talents. 

Jesse Eisenberg gets an intriguing arc as J. Daniel Atlas focusing on the qualities of his character, stepping on the toes of others as his ego encourages him to strive towards Dylan's position as leader of the Horseman. I felt Eisenberg did a nice job bringing out the cocky nature of his character and straying away from the awkwardness he exhibited earlier this year in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. 

Woody Harrelson plays two roles, and it was so awkward. Harrelson plays both twin hypnotists Merritt, returning Horseman, and Chase McKinney and I liked the comedic relief he brought with Merritt, but found his twin brother to be completely unnecessary and just plain weird. 

Dave Franco is charming as Jack Wilder, but his character once again felt flat. Franco has nice moments, but never felt like a rounded character as opposed to the other Horseman. 

Lizzy Caplan was a very welcome addition as Lula. I liked how her character acknowledged she was the only female in the group and her quirky, fun personality made for a nice shakeup among the group. Caplan exhibited great comedic timing and line delivery and I actually felt while watching that she would have been a great contender for a better female Ghostbusters cast (My issues with that will be reserved for my review of that next month). 

Caplan and Franco exhibit some nice chemistry as a potential romantic pairing and the Horseman cohesively once again carried charisma that made the proceedings all the more enjoyable. 

Daniel Radcliffe made for a delightful young methodical antagonist as Walter Mabry that just felt compulsory to explain the steps of his grand tricks completely foiling the illusion. Radcliffe isn't given significant depth like many of his fellow cast members but makes for an engaging presence onscreen. 

Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman return and I actually liked their inclusion as the continuation of their respective character arcs injected some surprise into the proceedings. A few nice additions in the supporting department are Sanaa Lathan as the FBI's Deputy Director Natalie Austin and Jay Chou's Li.

One thing to keep in mind if you plan on seeing Now You See Me 2 I would highly recommend either watching or rewatching Now You See Me as the film begins expecting the audience has seen the first film. This wasn't an issue for me since I rewatched it last week for a Throwback Thursday Review. 

In summation, Now You See Me 2 is without a doubt bigger than it's predecessor, and I personally feel that it was indeed better, but I can acknowledge the story flaws, lack of character depth, and over reliance on disbelief as weaknesses. However, the film's entertainment value is amplified thanks to Chu's extravagant aesthetic, cooler action sequences, and the talented cast making it a slightly more enjoyable experience in my mind.

Film Assessment: B

Throwback Thursday Review: 'Now You See Me'

This week I will be reviewing Now You See Me to coincide with the release of it's sequel this weekend. I recall being surprisingly blown away by the film as I went in with somewhat tempered low expectations based on the mediocre marketing put forth for the film and came out really enjoying it. This weekend there are three wide releases like last weekend and I anticipate at least reviewing Warcraft and Now You See Me 2 within the next week or so. I did end up seeing Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping yesterday and found it to be funny but not worth reviewing, I had a similar case with Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising as typically I don't think there's enough elements to discuss in comedies. The remaining Throwback Thursday Reviews I have planned for June include Finding Nemo, Independence Day, Tarzan, and E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial to correlate with the releases of Finding Dory, Independence Day: Resurgence, The Legend of Tarzan, and The BFG.

'Now You See Me' Review

Now You See Me can best be described as a mystery crime thriller that finds four illusionists called the Four Horseman (not to be confused with Apocalypse's Horseman found in X-Men: Apocalypse) performing a series of bank heists as acts of their stage show and the FBI's pursuit of the aforementioned magicians.

Louis Leterrier directs the sleight of hand heist flick and cultivates a quirky energy thanks to the awe and wonder commonly found with magic tricks that succeeds in maintaining audience interest, especially on the first viewing as there's a plethora of unpredictable twists and turns. Speaking of magic, there's plenty to be found behind the scenes with a riveting screenplay written by Ed Solomon, Boaz Yakin, and Edward Ricourt that caught me off guard with it's clever reveals that explain the logic and reasoning behind each of the film's big twists.

The cinematography looks great throughout with some gorgeous shots to be found in the two hour magic trick heist bonanza and Now You See Me also boasts big splendorous visuals due to the nature of magic created both practically and through CGI. While Now You See Me's action sequences aren't particularly memorable, it relishes in plot. The film entices the viewer with seemingly meaningless cheap tricks that turn out to be more vital with additional inspection that the film purposely downplays to outsmart the viewer.

Additionally, the film's cast brings quite a bit of energetic charisma to the table and there's no weak link to be found. Jesse Eisenberg seemingly leads the pack of Four Horseman as the cocky yet charming illusionist, J. Daniel Atlas with washed up hypnotist Merritt McKinney played by Woody Harrelson, former assistant turned solo act Henley Reeves brought by Isla Fisher, and sleight of hand pickpocket Jack Wilder portrayed by Dave Franco.

The four illusionists carried such great chemistry amongst their group that serviced the plot and made the mind games all the more fun, but these characters unfortunately weren't fully realized beyond their one note personalities. Not to say the performances were any less enjoyable, as all four actors give likable turns as the delinquent magicians.

Mark Ruffalo and Mélanie Laurent made for interesting protagonists as FBI investigator Dylan Rhodes and French Interpol agent Alma Dray and the two paired well off one another bringing out the best in the other's performance. Ruffalo and Laurent's characters' unique relationship allowed for some insightful verbal exchanges diving into their respective characters.

It was also nice to see seasoned actors in the cast with Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman both bringing great supporting performances as the stately elder gentlemen that are surprisingly quite integral to the plot.

In conclusion, Now You See Me makes for one of the more charming original summer blockbusters in recent years and actually held up quite nicely to repetitive viewing despite it's reliance on surprise for awe and wonder. To sum it up, Now You See Me is a fun mind game with lots of twists and turns, great visuals, and an all star cast that does however have some story weaknesses but these ultimately don't detract from the entertainment provided.

Film Assessment: B-