INDEPENDENCE DAY RESURGENCE

It's probably been a good 15 years since I've seen INDEPENDENCE DAY. I watched it enough in the late 90's that I really never needed to see it again. But after seeing INDEPENDENCE DAY RESURGENCE I owe it to myself to watch the original again. Not because the 2016 sequel is awesome and I wanna have a nostalgia trip, but because the first film is a masterpiece compared to the crap I just witnessed.

INDEPENDENCE DAY RESURGENCE is on the fast track to becoming one of my least favorite films of 2016. I was mildly on board to begin with. I never felt the desire to see what these characters have been doing the past 20 years (with the exception of Jeff Goldblum of course). What got my attention in the trailers was that Earth ended up integrating the alien technology to make defense systems and vehicles.

The other added interest was some much needed down time for myself, and a summer blockbuster felt like a good idea. I appreciated the escapism, but the film was pretty bland and straight up boring.

It's been 20 years since the events of the first film and now the aliens are back. Back with a vengeance! Citizens of Earth always knew that the aliens would come back and when they did the planet would be ready for them with the Earth Space Defense, or ESD for short. Just not ready enough it turns out. This time around the aliens are sporting a spacecraft 3,000 miles wide (heh)! The saucers from the first film we're only 3 miles wide.

The huge mothership begins to drill into the Earth to reach the planet core. We try and stop them but with only giving you lite spoilers, the aliens set a trap. So it's up to David Levinson (Jeff Goldblum) and others to figure out how to stop them, again. Ticking clock climax within ticking clock climax.

What made the first INDEPENDENCE DAY work so well was it's impressive mash up of a Irwin Allen disaster movie with science fiction action. A lot of movie buffs including myself eye-roll at the mere mention of the film nowadays. Which in my opinion stems from all the cash cow rip offs that came afterwards, including director Roland Emmerich's other movies.

I'm not saying INDEPENDENCE DAY is the best film ever. I'm saying the formula worked. It's a super fun thrill ride. And sadly everything that INDEPENDENCE DAY got right, INDEPENDENCE DAY RESURGENCE got wrong.

I don't like doing the laundry list of what's wrong but I'll name a few anyway.

Poor character development or lack thereof.

Liam Hemsworth is one of the films heroes (top billing if I remember correctly) and here he is about as charismatic a piece of wood.

All the young characters suck in the movie, I was perplexed that I did not like a single one!

The only character I liked was David Levinson, but that's only because Jeff Goldblum is awesome. Bottom line and I never thought I'd say this, but Will Smith should have been in this movie! The charm that his Captain Steven Hiller brought to the first film was sorely missed.

Fox should have just paid Will's price and stuck with the draft where his character doesn't die.

This film had 5 screenwriting credits by the way. And believe me, you can tell.

There are some sub plots that come out of nowhere and with no rhyme or reason all connect with each other in the end. At times it really felt like you were watching several different drafts of the film. And I'm sure the studio thinks nobody will notice because they are distracting you with special effects.

The CGI in INDEPENDENCE DAY RESURGENCE isn't bad per say, but it strangely makes the film look oddly flat at times? Grand wide shots of stuff happening on screen that is clearly computer generated. So maybe the special effects were bad after all! By the climax which is with a gigantic alien queen (sound familiar) and all the ensemble sub-plot characters coming together, I was ready for the movie to be over with.

The last thing I'll complain about admittedly sounds like a nit pick, but the musical score for INDEPENDENCE DAY RESURGENCE was terrible. Nothing memorable about it at all. It sounded like the main theme from the original on a loop, droning on and on and on.

In closing I want to reiterate that I do not hold INDEPENDENCE DAY in some high regard. It's a pretty dumb film peppered with cool fun stuff. It's success is responsible for what seemed like an endless slew of disaster movie crap. But at the time of this review I do think it's a better film (a masterpiece even) than the sequel.

If you loved the first film and are a fan of sci-fi action then you may like INDEPENDENCE DAY RESURGENCE, but I highly doubt it.

BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE

BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE is the most frustrating comic book movie experience I've had in awhile. Frustrating, because I'm so mixed on what I thought of the film. I liked it! that is a fact, but it's got a lot of stupid stuff in it. Real stupid.

As a comic book fan, I really liked the movie. There were times I even loved what I was seeing. But BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE isn't perfect and deserves the criticism it is receiving.

The sequel to MAN OF STEEL picks up 18 months after the world was introduced to Superman. But first we are shown the attack on Metropolis from the point of view of Bruce Wayne. And he is pissed! It's a powerful scene and we get a clear understanding why Bruce hates the last son of Krypton.

But there may just be someone who hates Superman more! The son of Lex Luthor, Alexander. While watching the movie you may have blinked and missed some character development? He basically wants to have some control and order for meta-humans. Apparently Superman isn't the only god among us? Oh, and Alexander is crazy! I have two thoughts on this; one, he is a clone of his dad and two, he is being manipulated by the DC universe villain known as Darkseid. I really believe both of those are correct!

While saving Lois Lane in Africa, Superman is set up by mercenaries for killing some people. A U.S senator wants answers and Luthor gets involved to bend the favor toward his will.

Meanwhile, Bruce is tracking a potential WMA and discovers it's kryptonite. After a terrorist bombing of a Capital building involving Superman, enough is enough and Batman steals the green rock from Lex Corp. He decides Superman is a threat to our world and must be killed.

The plot thickens as it becomes evident that Alexander Luthor is behind the whole thing and forces the two titans to fight to the death. Like any good evil mastermind, Luthor has a back up plan in the form of a General Zod mutated monster. And if you've seen the trailer you know already that DC's holy trinity (Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman) team up to fight the monster.

Man, BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE is a lot to take in! A lot of things in the film don't make sense and it's overstuffed with cinematic universe world building, but I'd be lying if I didn't enjoy this film! While not perfect, this is the DC comic book movie I've been waiting for!

The things I hated. Why do people believe or think that Superman actually killed those “terrorists” in Africa with a gun? Why didn't Superman see the bomb in the Capital building? Why is Bruce Wayne not smart enough to realize he's being punked by Luthor? This is a detective we're talking about here! And last but not least, the appearance of Doomsday was way too soon!

I have a few more questions and complaints but the rest are extreme nitpicks.

The things I liked/didn't have a problem with. I liked that Luthor had files of other meta-humans in the world. It made sense plot wise. At the beginning of the film he was trying to get government approval to protect the world from these “threats”.

I liked the Knightmare dream sequence, it was so bad ass! Darksied is coming! Someone pinch me, Darksied is coming! And I felt this whole sequence had weight to it for future films. Batman better settle his beef with Superman is all I'm saying.

BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE is a gorgeous looking movie. It's cinematic in every sense of the word!

I loved the music! Especially Wonder Woman's theme! Which brings us to the surprise hit of the film, Diana Prince! Gal Gadot the short amount of time she's on screen made me optimistic about her upcoming stand alone film!

The main event of the film, Batman vs. Superman was adequate with moments of awesomeness. If you're a fan of Frank Miller's THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS then you'll love this fight. It could have gone longer and should have been the climax of the film, but oh well.

Ben Afleck as The Batman (heh) is the best thing about the DC cinematic universe! I have wanted a version of this character since for ever. Cannot wait to see what is in store!

And finally, Superman. I think we're seeing a slow evolution the character, he's not the iconic Boy Scout yet but he's getting there. I have faith that by the time JUSTICE LEAGUE: PART II comes out, he'll be sporting the spit curl.

If you like comic book movies then I recommend BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE. It has it's flaws but we're not talking BATMAN AND ROBIN bad. More like IRON MAN 2 bad.

PEE-WEE'S BIG HOLIDAY

When I first saw the trailer for PEE-WEE'S BIG HOLIDAY I laughed, but not in a good way. My first impressions where that maybe Paul Reubens should have retired the character. And I got the vibe that the new film wasn't going to acknowledge events from previous movies. It has been awhile since those movies and his Saturday Morning television show, so a soft reboot was probably the way to go? So far Netflix's track record for original movies hasn't been a good one. RIDICULOUS 6, while a step in the right direction for a Happy Madison production, the movie still wasn't very good. And CROUCHING TIGER HIDDEN DRAGON: SWORD OF DESTINY, the (pointless) sequel to CROUGHING TIGER HIDDEN DRAGON sadly ended up being a bust.

Thankfully, I can say that PEE-WEE'S BIG HOLIDAY works! While it won't please everyone, the new movie should make fans young and old happy.

Just like in PEE-WEE'S BIG ADVENTURE, the new film opens with a elaborate Rube Goldberg machine. It's not as cool as the set-up in the first movie, but not terrible. Pee-Wee lives in the town of Fairville, a Norman Rockwell place of sorts. In this small town he is a short order cook at the local greasy spoon diner. As expected the townsfolk love Pee-Wee and he loves them, with the exception of a rather persistent lady friend (nice callback to the original) and obnoxious salesman.

One day while working at the diner alone Pee-Wee gets waits on a out of town customer. The fella introduces himself as none other than Joe Maganiello, the actor. What happens next is a pretty funny bit where Joe asks Pee Wee if he recognizes him or has seen any of his films. The MAGIC MIKE reaction is priceless!

Pee Wee shows Joe around town and the two become friends. Before leaving town, Joe invites Pee-Wee to his birthday party in New York City. But if he wants to come Joe insists it has to be a road trip. “It's time you live a little Pee-Wee!”, Joe says.

So PEE-WEE'S BIG HOLIDAY is another road trip movie, which isn't a bad thing. He meets some interesting characters along the way; a gang of switchblade sisters, gag-gift salesman, and a farmer with 9 daughters. These meet and greets are classic Pee Wee, but nothing like Large Marge from PEE-WEE'S BIG ADVENTURE.

I don't know if by the time Pee-Wee made it to New York City the movie had already went over budget? For me it was the weakest part of the film. I was expecting a big chase or something trying to emulate the ending of the original movie? Instead we get our main character stuck in a well? Sort of a let down when the word “Big” is in the title of your movie.

I can understand New York can be expensive to shoot on location and the movie is not a blockbuster budget, so I can be a little forgiving?

I recommend PEE-WEE'S BIG HOLIDAY. Fans won't be disappointed, I think?

It's been a long time since we've seen Paul Reubens as the character, and when you see the movie it's as if time has stopped. With our current culture being obsessed with nostalgia, maybe it is time for Pee-Wee to make a comeback?

For those old fans who are now parents, good luck with that conversation with your kids when they ask, “Why was Pee-Wee Herman gone for so long”?

THE BROTHERS GRIMSBY

There is a scene in THE BROTHERS GRIMSBY that is appalling and yet probably the funniest moment in the movie. Appalling, because I can use the scene as a metaphor to sum up what I thought about the film. And funny, because my potty humor sensibilities (don't judge) got the best of me. At one point in the film our heroes hide from the bad guys inside a female elephants vagina. I almost did a spit take of my Coca-Cola in the theater! And in case you're wondering how far the scene went? Well, it is a Sacha Baron Cohen film, so yeah you've answered your own question. I laughed my butt off but there are just some things once you've watched, cannot be unseen.

There is a reason why I don't review comedies. Comedy is subjective. If someone doesn't think something is funny, you cannot convince them otherwise no matter how hard you try. And when it comes to film and the genre of Comedy, there is no accounting for taste. The humor in Cohen's latest film isn't the reason it sucks, the reason is because a lot of the jokes make the tone of the movie a incoherent mess.

Too many times it felt as if jokes got left on the editing room floor. Meaning things got cut for time or content. Which doesn't make sense because of the elephant scene. So it just goes to show I have no clue what I'm talking about, other than I just didn't like the movie.

MI6 extraordinaire, Sebastian has a syndicate known as Maelstrom in his crosshairs. Nobby, his brother has spent the last 28 years trying to find Sebastian. After hearing about Sebastian's whereabouts , Nobby plans to reunite with his brother. It is during this reunion that Nobby accidentally botches Sebastian's mission. Now a rouge agent, Sebastian must clear his name before MI6 terminates him. Joined by Nobby who desperately wants to reclaim the loving relationship they lost. The two dodge bullets and bad guys all the while trying to work through their issues.

After the red band trailer I was on board for the genre mash up of a Sacha Baron Cohen farce mixed with a spy action thrill ride. Sad to say it did not work. From the opening we get dizzying first-person action sequences ( Ugh), mixed with somber and hilarious moments with Nobby. This sets up the tone of the film nicely and the contrasts are very interesting.

It's only too bad that this happens for a little bit, and quickly the film turns out to be gag after endless gross-out gag. Again, I'm fully aware that something like this was expected, and now I know never to expect Sacha to grow as a comedian.

I laughed out loud more than just a few times but the gags after endless gags really hurt the story in my opinion. So much so that it feels like a lot of the movie is on the editing room floor. The first thought that crossed my mind was that maybe they cut the film down because of time, and in the process lost some jokes and story along the way. I can't name them all but there have been some recent comedies where I thought the unrated/directors cuts were better than the theatrical versions. It's a rare breed but does happen.

So if a Director's Cut of THE BROTHERS GRIMSBY happens to come out on Blu-ray, I may give the film another watch.

I cannot recommend THE BROTHERS GRIMSBY. This one is definitely for hardcore Sacha Baron Cohen fans only, but I say they're better off watching BORAT again.

10 CLOVERFIELD LANE

10 CLOVERFIELD LANE is a 2016 film directed by Dan Trachtenberg. It is his first feature length movie, and what a debut it is! I loved this film from start to finish. The best part of the experience was not hearing much about the movie till just a couple of months before it hit theaters. And the trailers were great too, because they didn't show every beat of the film.

My biggest pet peeve when it comes to theatrical trailers is when they show you the entire movie in 2 minutes. And in the past 10 years it's only gotten worse! Take for instance the second BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE trailer. It was awful! Not only did it show way too much, the ad insulted moviegoers by showing the beginning, middle, and end of the super hero grudge match! Common sense tells us that the World's Finest make up in the end to fight the greater threat, the MCU.

The third and final trailer ended up way better, so much so that whoever cut that last one was probably fired. And with the (no end in sight) popularity of the comic book movie, do we even need a trailer for a Superman vs. Batman trailer? A teaser at best of punches being thrown and you got yourselves a box office draw!

So what does this have to do with 10 CLOVERFIELD LANE? The marketing genius of J.J. Abrams and his production company Bad Robot. Ever since SUPER 8 their mission statement has basically been “less is more”. To this day, the teaser for 2008's CLOVERFIELD is still one of my favorites. The highlight of seeing TRANSFORMERS that summer for sure.

With all the endless movie news websites how did a “sequel” to CLOVERFIELD surprise us so much? Probably because it had a non-interesting title at first. Here's probably how it went down; Bad Robot buys a script called “The Cellar” they makes some changes, and slap the Cloverfield brand on it. Oh, and call the production “Valencia” that way nobody is the wiser. Great marketing move! It's refreshing not knowing about a movies release until only a couple of months before it comes out. It's just too bad fans are going to be pissed the film is not a sequel! Or is it?

After getting in a car accident, a woman wakes up in a underground shelter held captive by a man who believes the outside world is affected by a widespread chemical attack. Michelle doesn't trust Howard and thinks he's just some crazy pervert. But after some horrific convincing, she starts to think Howard might not be crazy after all?

That's all I can say plot wise about 10 CLOVERFIELD LANE without ruining one of the best thrillers I've seen in years. Dan Trachtenberg has a natural knack for directing. I cannot believe this is his first feature! For a film set in a bomb shelter and only having four maybe six sets, Trachtenberg knows how to keep things interesting. I didn't realize until the move was over just how minimal the production was. That's signs of a talented filmmaker!

The acting is pretty good as well. This might be my favorite performance from Mary Elizabeth Winstead. Great body language, especially in her eyes. It's true when they say actions speak louder than words.

And of course John Goodman does a great job as Howard, the creepy prepper. Just the right amount of crazy to keep the audience guessing. Guessing if he'll ever go full crazy that is! Goodman brings something to the role that makes you almost feel for Howard, almost.

The film has been out for a couple of days and news travels fast, so you've probably heard that 10 CLOVERFIELD LANE is not a direct sequel. This is something that did not bother me in the slightest. The filmmakers have called the film a blood relative, which after seeing the movie I am totally on board for. More Cloverfield anthology films the better in my opinion. And keep the “mystery box” style of marketing going!

Final thoughts. I highly recommend 10 CLOVERFIELD LANE! An impressive indie thriller packaged as a mainstream J.J Abrams production. 2016 has just gotten started but I expect to see the film somewhere on my “Best Of” list come December.

GODS OF EGYPT

From the moment I saw the trailer for GODS OF EGYPT it was apparent from the get go that this film was going to be a bomb. I couldn't believe my eyes, a straight-to-bargain bin Walmart movie was coming soon to theaters?

Holy cow did I have fun with this film! Within the first five minutes, GODS OF EGYPT reminded me of two types of movies. A Roger Corman blockbuster knock-off from the early Eighties, and a Cannon Films production. An attempt to make a Sword & Sandals action epic with “cutting-edge special effects”, but with no budget.

The “adventure” that is GODS OF EGYPT takes place in ancient Egypt of all places. But this Egypt is not of the real world. We're dealing with pure fantasy here. Which works for me because I grew up on Sinbad movies and the original CLASH OF THE TITANS. Just to give you an idea; Ra the sun god, cruises around the realm's (because I'm not 100% it's planet Earth) orbit in a space boat. Hands down the coolest thing in the movie! I'm an easy sell for fantasy like this because I grew up on Sinbad films, BEASTMASTER, KRULL, and CLASH OF THE TITANS (1981).

So as I was saying our adventure takes place in Egypt and king Osiris is about to crown a new ruler, his son Horus. But uncle Set, god of darkness has other plans. After killing Osiris and leaving Horus powerless, Set becomes the new king of Egypt.

Enter our mortal “hero” Aladdin, oops I mean Bek, who is a thief and nuisance to Set. After getting his girlfriend killed and left to wander the afterlife, Bek seeks the aid of Horus to bring her back. The two make a pact with one another and with the aid of Bek, Horus might be able to pull himself together and take back the throne from his uncle.

Getting right down to it, what makes GODS OF EGYPT not so great is the special effects. We're dealing with what looks like 90's CGI and some of the fight scenes are done with old school green screen. One fight scene in particular is so bad that they try to hide the cheapness with clever editing, but it only made matters worse.

Next, the performances in the movie doesn't help matters much either. Thanks to Brenton Thwaites, Bek is one of those characters that you wouldn't mind something terrible happening to them. Like falling into a pit of baby scorpions. Or getting ran over by a chariot!

I liked Jaime Lannister (not even going to try and spell his real name) who played Horus. He did a decent job, but lazy like the rest of the cast.

There's fun to be had only if the movie didn't take itself so seriously. In my opinion there was only one actor who knew what type of film GODS OF EGYPT should have been! Geoffrey Rush, who played the sun god Ra,he was the only actor who understood the tone of the film. His character sells the fantasy universe, it's a shame the rest of the movie did not earn this level of awesomeness.

Do I think that GODS OF EGYPT is getting some unfair press/reviews? Yes. Is the movie good? It's a decent enough B-movie that would be better if it didn't take itself so seriously at times. And the special effects could use some work. But like I said earlier, I did have fun watching GODS OF EGYPT. Suspend your disbelief and have fun in a fantasy Egypt. I'm serious about the Corman and Cannon Films comparison.

With that being said, I cannot recommend GODS OF EGYPT. Unless you've been living under a rock, you've probably heard that a lot of critics hated the film. A select few of their opinions I'd say is valid and worth listening to, the rest are just assholes. Or maybe I'm the delusional one? The entertaining factor that the movie made me think of all the cheesy 80's fantasy movies I watched as a kid may not be the best recommendation for others?

RISEN

There is a cool double feature you can have at your local multiplex this weekend. That is if you have the stomach for it. I'm talking about RISEN and THE WITCH. This double bill wasn't planed at first, it had been awhile since I watched two movies back to back. I had a blast, so I'm glad I did.

When I decided to see RISEN, the new faithploitation film from Affirm Films, the intent was to view it in critic mode. What is critic mode? It's when I go into a movie knowing full well I am probably going to hate it. Similar to having low expectations but the difference being, I might riff on the critic mode selection? I'm shocked to report that with RISEN, no riffing occurred. It turns out that RISEN is pretty good!

Unlike other Affirm Films productions, RISEN doesn't come off as preachy. In fact RISEN plays the sword and sandals genre pretty straight. Thanks in large part to director Kevin Reynolds, most known for the Kevin Costner classic ROBIN HOOD PRINCE OF THIEVES. Or WATERWORLD, depending on your definition of classic? But in all seriousness RISEN is well made. And it is so far my favorite of the faith based films that have become quite popular these past few years.

RISEN takes place days after the crucifixion of Christ. After the third day, Jesus returns just like he said he would. Both Jews and Romans become concerned and Pontius Pilate sends Roman military Tribune, Clavius to find the body of Jesus. During his search in order to disprove the rumors of a risen Messiah, Clavius finds the thing he least expected. The Truth.

The first half of RISEN is the strongest. I was entertained with Clavius and his newly assigned partner Lucius searching and interrogating followers of Christ. I liked how Clavius kept digging for truth. Especially the scenes involving the Roman soldiers assigned to guard the tomb.

The second half is good but not as strong. Mainly because the film starts to drag at this point. But the slow transformation of Clavius is strikingly convincing due in large part to actor Joseph Fiennes.

My experiences with the faith-based genre have never been good. Yes, there have been good stories/messages told now and then, but almost always the production value and acting in these movies are terrible. And I've never been a fan of the mentality that one should support a faith-based film just because they are a Christian? That just sounds ridiculous to me! Hence, my inkling to watch RISEN in critic mode.

So it's a no brainer that the main reason I like RISEN, the main reason why I would recommend RISEN, is because RISEN looks and feels like a real movie. Great production value. And the acting is solid, mostly due to British thespians. And Cliff Curtis plays the role of Jesus. Which he did a fantastic job, tasteful representation in my opinion.

I give RISEN a strong recommendation! It looks good on the big screen, so take in a matinee.

And lastly, I'm kidding about watching RISEN and THE WITCH together. It was a cool double feature, but it's definitely not for the faint of heart!

THE WITCH

THE WITCH is a 2015 film written and directed by Robert Eggers. One of the most talked about films at last years Sundance film festival, is now playing in theaters nationwide. While not for everyone, I am glad a independent film is having a run at the multiplexes.

Man, did I have some trouble with this film at the start! Set in 1630's New England, everything about THE WITCH is spot on. Including the dialogue, which is hard to understand and made the movie difficult to follow sometimes. Luckily, the films horror atmosphere made up for my nit picks in authenticity.

I tend to stay away from horror films that deal with witchcraft and the occult. Things like that are way more terrifying (and real) than monsters, zombies, or Jason Voorhees. But with the rave reviews that THE WITCH has been receiving, I couldn't resist!

The story is simple, a family gets banished from a town for being too religious. Our maybe it's vice versa? Anyways, the family moves and sets up a farm on the edge of the woods. Everything seems hunky dory until the witch of the forest takes their newborn baby. After that, life on the farm isn't so great. The crops start to rot, goats milk blood, and the family starts to unravel at the seems. Fingers are pointed laying blame on who is a witch and who is not.

To reveal more would get into spoilers and ruin some horrific imagery that should be experienced on your own for those interested in seeing the film.

My first impression of THE WITCH after it was over wasn't good. I didn't like the movie. But on the way home from the theater I kept thinking about the mood and atmosphere of the film, and quickly my opinion changed. THE WITCH is a great horror film! In the titles and on the poster it says the movie is “A New England Folktale”. And it very much so feels like one!

Spoilers!

What may upset a lot of moviegoers is that the film has pretty much zero jump scares, and you only see the witch/witches like 3 or 4 times. But with the creepy woods and dreaded atmosphere, I always had this feeling that something evil was always present!

And thinking back, I wonder now if William's family got banished in the first place was because the townsfolk sensed that something was just not right? I bring this up because after the newborn is taken away, there are accusations of witchcraft within the family. And spoiler alert, one of them becomes a witch! Was it witchcraft at play or destiny? THE WITCH never answers questions like these and the film is better off for it.

If you're a fan of horror movies and are tired (like I am) of teeny-bopper PG-13 jump scare crap, then I highly recommend THE WITCH. And as a bonus you'll probably see the trailer for THE CONJURING 2 which was amazing, but will probably suck because it's a sequel.

DEADPOOL

There is something wonderful happening at the box office this weekend. The weekend of Valentine's Day 2016. A Hard R comic book movie is making major bank! And the best part is, the movie is actually pretty darn great. The cherry on top is because of the success of DEADPOOL, we could get a sub-genre of Hard R mutant superhero movies, like X-FORCE!

They say third times a charm, and actor Ryan Reynolds has finally hit superhero gold. And for those keeping score, I'm not counting BLADE TRINITY. But thanks for playing! I had low expectations with DEADPOOL. Something about the marketing and fan anticipation bothered me. Guess I'm getting too old to get excited for dick and fart jokes? Nah, that's a lie. But the constant reminding that the movie is going to be raunchy got old real fast.

Ryan Reynolds plays ex-Special Forces Wade Wilson, a low life scumbag, who goes after worse low life scumbags. One day he meets Vanessa (Morena Baccarin) his soul mate. They fall in love and get engaged. Shortly thereafter, Wade gets diagnosed with cancer. A lot of cancer. Low on hope for a cure, Wade opts for a rouge treatment. The experiment gets rid of the cancer and leaves him with accelerated healing powers, but also disfigures his whole body.

Vowing revenge on the ones who left him this way, Wade Wilson becomes Deadpool, the merc with a mouth.

To give a fresh spin on the tiresome origin story that every comic book movie does nowadays, DEADPOOL changes it up a couple of different ways. For starters, the source material is known for being meta and the movie wastes no time with it's main character constantly breaking the 4th wall. This sounds like it could get old, but trust me it doesn't. I cannot tell you enough how great this aspect of the movie is!

Secondly, DEADPOOL is told non-liner. We start in the middle with that awesome freeway action scene you've all seen in the trailers. Don't worry, the previews haven't spoiled a thing! In-between the action on the freeway we are shown how Wade and Vanessa meet and fall in love. Deadpool has his target dead to rights, but Colossus of the X-Men ruins the chances of that. Wounded, Wade tells us the rest of his origin while he heals. So it's middle, beginning, and finally epic conclusion!

These two aspects brought a uniqueness to the film that I enjoyed quite a bit. I'm happy that I chose to see DEADPOOL. And I hope to see great things because of it's success, like edgier comic book movies. Particularity of a mainstream nature. My dream would be if Marvel Studios had a go with some R rated comic book movies! But we know that would never happen. At least we are getting some great Marvel Knights type material with the Netflix television shows!

My only complaint about the DEADPOOL movie was the portrayal of X-Men's Colossus. It's not that I thought the movie got the character all wrong, it's just the character felt rushed and could have been better. His sidekick, Negasonic Teenage Warhead on the other hand was awesome!

If you like your comic book movies with a little more KICK ASS and less X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE, then I highly recommend DEADPOOL.

Happy Valentine's Day!

MAD MAX FURY ROAD

MAD MAX FURY ROAD is a 2015 film directed by George Miller. It is nominated for several academy awards this year including Best Picture. And MAD MAX FURY ROAD should win all of them!

THE HATEFUL EIGHT is my favorite film of 2015, but tomorrow is a new day so that means MAD MAX FURY ROAD will probably become my favorite. By weeks end it'll be STAR WARS THE FORCE AWAKENS. That's how much I loved those films last year! But in all seriousness, MAD MAX FURY ROAD was the best film of 2015.

Ever since MAD MAX 2, otherwise known as THE ROAD WARRIOR the plot of the films have pretty much always been the same. Max starts out only looking after numero uno, himself. But eventually he always comes across of folks that could use some help. He winds up doing only the bare minimum, at first. Then trouble comes along and he can't help but to always give the oppressed a helping hand.

The biggest thing I heard from people was how does MAD MAX FURY ROAD fit in with the other films? The answer is simple, it doesn't. All the sequels to MAD MAX are essentially the same movie. Each film is it's own myth about the legend of a man named Max Rockatansky, road warrior of the Wasteland.

In this latest tale, Max is taken prisoner and used as a blood bag in the Citadel. The ruler of the Citadel is the nefarious Immortan Joe. On a routine trip to Gas Town, Immortan Joe sends his most trusted lieutenant, Imperator Furiosa. She has plans of her own and travels off course in the Wastland. Immediately, Joe send his Warboys after her. Warboys are radiated soldiers willing to die for their king.

Max is a blood bag for a Warboy named Nux. After some of the best car stunts and straight up action I've seen in years, Max and Nux end up helping Furiosa with her mission. Freeing the wives of Immortan Joe.

Things heat up when Furiosa's secret rendezvous has dried up, literally. All hope seems lost until Max suggests going back the way they came. Back the way they came? It's crazy! With three factions chasing them down, and Max says they should go back and take over the Citadel. Furiosa decides to go back. The film isn't titled FURY ROAD for nothing!

Early on I knew director George Miller made something special. There is something old school about his film. I noticed what I would consider homages to METROPOLIS and the Westerns of John Ford. And be still my heart, the use of practical effects! Real cars smashing into real things, and dumb people driving them to! Stunt people aren't really dumb, they are probably as professional as you can get, but it does take a little bit of crazy to do what they do.

Which leads me to saying that MAD MAX FURY ROAD deserves to win every nomination it received at the Oscars this year.

There may be more Mad Max films on the way? Which I'm all for, only if Warner Bros lets George Miller have final cut. But if this was the last one, I'm okay with that as well. I'm just glad I got to see another adventure with Mad Max in the Wasteland.

THE HATEFUL EIGHT

THE HATEFUL EIGHT is the 8th film from writer and director Quentin Tarantino. It is his second western and his most Tarantino-esque movie since DEATH PROOF. His two previous films INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS and DJANGO UNCHAINED have QT written all over them, but those are part of his revisionist trilogy. THE HATEFUL EIGHT doesn't feel like it belongs in that group. Or maybe it does?*

Ever since it was announced that Quentin's next film was going to be another western, I couldn't have been more excited. DJANGO UNCHAINED was such a beautiful film, that I wanted more. And it's rare that Tarantino repeats himself. Two westerns in a row? But like I suspected, THE HATEFUL EIGHT is nothing like his previous film. It is indeed a western, but the look and feel is something else entirely.

Bounty hunter John “The Hangman” Ruth is on his way into Red Rock to see his bounty hang. One Daisy Domergue, wanted dead or alive for $10,000. And when John the Hangman catches you, you hang. The road to Red Rock is a treacherous one. You see, Ruth and his prize are aboard a six-horse carriage racing to beat a massive snow storm. They aren't going to make it, so stopping at Minnie's Haberdashery is the destination for now.

Along the way to Minnie's the stagecoach picks up two more passengers, bounty hunter Major Marquis Warren and Chris Mannix, the new sheriff (allegedly) of Red Rock.

When they arrive to Minnie's they are greeted by unfamiliar faces; Bob, who is taking care of the place while Minnie is away. There is Oswalso Mobray, a hangman, along with Joe Gage, just your regular cow puncher. And finally we have confederate general Sanford Smithers.

From the get go John Ruth doesn't trust any of these strangers, and lets it be known in a manner of speaking. The Major himself has his suspicions. Tensions become high as the eight begin to wonder who is going to make it till morning, if any of them at all!

DJANGO UNCHAINED was a fairy-tale like Spaghetti Western. Django, the films protagonist goes through proverbial hell-fire to save his wife Broomhilda. Taking place under the backdrop of a Sergio Corbucci style Spaghetti Western. Which tend to be more politically charged and violent than the more popular Leone westerns.

While definitely having the classic trademarks of a Spaghetti Western, THE HATEFUL EIGHT is different. For starters it has this grandiose 1960's feel to it. Unfortunately I was unable to see the film in glorious 70mm. But even in the multiplex version you can sense that Tarantino was influenced by 60's cinema. And not only cinema, but 1960's television as well.

That's only half of what makes THE HATEFUL EIGHT unique. The rest is made up of two other genres. The first being the thriller genre. Quentin has his own TEN LITTLE INDIANS going on here. And the final ingredient, is a dash of horror. Yes, THE HATEFUL EIGHT could be considered Tarantino's take on JOHN CARPENTER'S THE THING. The proof is on the screen. You've got Kurt Russell, snow, isolation, claustrophobia, and trust issues. The film even has unused score music from Carpenter's film! How cool is that!

Okay, I apparently suck at math because two halves make a whole but I'm not done talking about what else makes this movie amazing. The cast and just how well most if not all of them sing Tarantino's wonderful dialogue! Everyone is great but in my opinion it's Jennifer Jason Leigh, Walton Goggins, and Samuel L. Jackson who really shine here. Walton is on the fast track to becoming my favorite actor working today!

THE HATEFUL EIGHT is very much like a play, and reads like one as well. I've thumbed through the screenplay while drinking coffee at the bookstore and breeze through my favorite monologues over and over again. Once you find that rhythm of the dialogue, it truly becomes like music. And it's the “bad notes” in the dialogue that keeps things interesting and original.

I'll admit, just then I was trying to sound all smart and cool, but probably came off as sounding crazy or weird. I'd be better off just saying Tarantino writes his dialogue extremely rhythmically and leave it at that.

Three of my favorite films of last year; STAR WARS THE FORCE AWAKENS, MAD MAX FURY ROAD, and THE HATEFUL EIGHT have all been at one time my number 1 film of 2015. Yesterday it was THE FORCE AWAKENS, but today it's HE HATEFUL EIGHT.

*THE HATEFUL EIGHT started out as Book One in a series of Django paperbacks that Tarantino was going to write. He thought that the story he was writing did not fit the Django character, so scraped the idea and altered into the screenplay/movie we know today. I really hope he writes those Django paperbacks one day, I cannot wait for something like that!

"Best" Of 2015

I didn't get to see all the movies I wanted to this year. And I missed some pretty high profile releases like BRIDGE OF SPIES, JOY, and STEVE JOBS. One that I really wanted to see this year but can't because it is in limited release is THE REVENANT. Oh well, you can't see them all I guess! Anyway here is my Top 10 of 2015. These are my favorite films of the year that I saw. If a movie isn't on the list it's because I didn't see it or I didn't like it.

Before we get started, here are some honorable mentions.

THE BIG SHORT

INSIDE OUT

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE 5: ROUGE NATION

Okay, here we go!

10. THE MARTIAN

I was worried at first about this one. A man alone on Mars, and sad-face Matt Damon. I can't wait! Thankfully that wasn't the case! THE MARTIAN turned out to be lighthearted with some serious moments. And, it was funny. It was nice to see director Ridley Scott back in top form. And this was one of my favorite Matt Damon performances in a long time.

9. CRIMSON PEAK

This year I started watching the films of Mario Bava. I love the directors use of color and penchant for Gothic horror. So in a weird way, I was ready for this film. Audiences did not take to this one due to false advertising. But I think over time it'll will get the respect it deserves thanks to home video.

There is an atmosphere to CRIMSON PEAK, and the best way to watch the film is let visuals wash over you. The plot is secondary. One of the most beautiful films of the year!

8. SICARIO

Probably the most intense film I saw this year. There were moments were I could not breathe, or move for that matter! I cannot wait to watch this again!

7. KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE

The best James Bond 007 movie this year wasn't SPECTRE, it was KINGSMAN.

6. EX MACHINA

Screenwriter of great films such as 28 DAYS LATER and DREDD, come Alex Garland's directorial debut EX MACHINA. And what a debut it is! Now, I am not an expert when in comes to hard science fiction. I like it, but I'm also more of a Star Wars kid. All in all, EX MACHINA is the best science fiction film I've seen in a long time.

5. IT FOLLOWS

I can't remember the last time I loved a horror movie this much. More importantly, a horror movie with layers. IT FOLLOWS is about so much more than a sex monster. And the soundtrack is killer!

4. CREED

I've always been a big Sylvester Stallone fan, and I love the Rocky franchise. So It came as no surprise that I was going to see the seventh installment, CREED. What I did not realize however, was how much I like the film. I love this movie! It's the second best in the series and Stallone delivers my favorite Rocky Balboa performance!

3. THE HATEFUL EIGHT

My favorite director has done it again! THE HATEFUL EIGHT is a superb film. The 167 min runtime flew by in the blink of an eye. I just got done seeing this tonight. I wanna give it the number 1 spot, but that would be kinda premature and bias. Expect a review real soon!

2. MAD MAX FURY ROAD

This film is Rock n' Roll, plain and simple!

1. STAR WARS THE FORCE AWAKENS

Yep, you saw this coming a mile away. But I don't care. I've waited 32 years for a sequel to RETURN OF THE JEDI and THE FORCE AWAKENS delivered the goods! It's all in my review. Star Wars is back! Forever...

Well, there you have it! 2015 was such a great year for movies. Thanks for reading and expect more posts and reviews in 2016!

Happy New Year!

"Close But No Cigar" of 2015

These films are not movies that I hated this year. In fact I liked them but thought that they could be better. This year I may get an eye roll or two, especially for one film in particular. My picks for “Close But No Cigar” are not ranked in anyway. Here we go!

SPOTLIGHT

This is the one I may get the most flack for because it is a good film and you're going to see it on a lot of “Best Of” lists, but the movie just fell short for me. It lacked a certain cinematic edge to it. The buzz surrounding SPOTLIGHT had my expectations at a ALL THE PRESIDENTS MEN level. And it reached at those heights a few times, but too often it felt like I was watching television.

TOMORROWLAND

What a great and fun movie! This film had me all the way up to the end which was weak. This may appear on some “Worst Of” lists which maybe is right? But I totally dug the imagination behind the film.

THE FINAL GIRLS

I might be blamed for being too picky on this one. When I fist saw THE FINAL GIRLS I loved it so much that I watched it twice! Yep, twice. Immediately destined to be my favorite film of 2015. But I slept on the idea. Then I slept on it some more, a lot more. Something was bugging me about the film. And that was, how can you have a movie set inside a 80's slasher film and not have it be a boob and blood fest?

The lack of gore puzzles me but I've come to the conclusion that the film was made for the SCREAM generation, not for the FRIDAY THE 13TH kids. But still, overall THE FINAL GIRLS is one heck of an entertaining movie! The killers mask; however, has got to go. Super lame.

STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON

Probably one of the most overrated films of the year. Again, like JURASSIC WORLD , STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON suffers from nostalgia goggles. The film also suffers from typical Biography Drama troupes. And like me if you only know about N.W.A. through MTV and VH1, then you already know the story? Yes, STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON feels like a Cliff Notes version of the groups story. But remember it's awesome, because “I remember that”!

With that being said; the actor who played Eazy-E, Jason Mitchell did an outstanding job and his performance is worth the price of admission alone!

A MOST VIOLENT YEAR

This is technically a 2014 release but opened to wide release on New Year's Day. This film could have been the next GODFATHER, but it was missing one tiny element. It wasn't violent enough! Everything about the movie is good but the story drags a little bit. What an opportune time for some mafia action to jolt the audience. And by no means does it have to be exploitation, just a little something? Please!

AVENGERS AGE OF ULTRON

More times than I'd like to admit, hype gets the best of me. If you read my review of AVENGERS AGE OF ULTRON it doesn't make sense why the movie is on this list? I need to correct something. This sequel is not better than MARVEL'S THE AVENGERS. It's still a good movie but I hyped my review way too much. Upon my fourth viewing the cool "comic book movie" moments don't feel earned like they did in the first Avengers movie. And I'm afraid it's no where near GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY coolness. Which was my favorite film of last year.

"Worst" Of 2015

For the past couple of years I haven't put out a “Worst Of” list because quite frankly I felt like I didn't see enough bad versus good to justify a list. But this year I saw some really really disappointing movies. So here is a list of what I consider the worst of what I saw in 2015.

I am not going to rank these in numerical order but rather list them best to worst. So here we go!

SPECTRE

What happened here? Hot off the heals of SKYFALL I expected SPECTRE to fall short, but nothing prepared me for how disappointing the 4th Daniel Craig Bond film would be. Don't get me wrong, there are far worse 007 movies, but this was definitely a turd.

The action did not disappoint. But everything else felt wrong. The end of SKYFALL wrapped up everything since casino CASINO ROYALE nicely. But the plot of SPECTRE ruined that and made everything convoluted and dumb.

AMERICAN ULTRA

Boring, boring, boring, and more boring. I almost put AMERICAN ULTRA in the “Close But No Cigar” category but it's on this list because I just didn't care about what was happening. If the movie hits Netflix I might give it another chance but I doubt it. Too many annoying and unbelievable characters.

JUPITER ASCENDING

JUPITER ASCENDING is not a good movie. But I like watching it, the film has elements that I like about it. It's the performance by Mila Kunis that puts the movie on this list.

JURASSIC WORLD

Everything that's dangerous about liking a movie purely based on nostalgia is JURASSIC WORLD. I thought the film was just okay with a few horrendous aspects. Like the terrible CGI, constant self- referencing JURASSIC PARK, and parent shaming. What I mean about that last one is throughout the movie they continuously shame a main character for not having kids/wanting to be a parent. Like, your life is missing something if you don't want to be a mommy or daddy. What a load of crap!

PIXELS and THE RIDICULOUS 6 (tie)

By now Adam Sandler films have become an easy target for harsh criticism. For the past 10 years his Happy Madison movie have just gotten worse and worse. His latest two films, PIXELS and THE RIDICULOUS 6 are steps in the right direction. But there is just one problem, it's too late.

TERMINATOR: GENISYS

But talk about your remake/sequel that makes you wish you were watching the original TERMINATOR and TERMINATOR 2: JUDGEMENT DAY!

FANTASTIC FOUR

Not the worst comic book movie ever made, but knowing what could have been of 2015's FANTASTIC FOUR, is all more the reason it's on the list.

UNFRIENDED

If UNFRIENDED is the worst film I saw in 2015, then I'm doing pretty good. But this movie annoyed the heck out of me!

There you have it! Now I know this list isn't no where near close to the worst films of 2015. Hence no MORTDECAI, which I'm sure is terrible. Probably worse than anything on my list. So next year I promise to do better!

STAR WARS THE FORCE AWAKENS

When I first saw RETURN OF THE JEDI in 1983 I really didn't care that there was never going to be anymore Star Wars movies. I was 6 years old at the time and had many other distractions. He-Man and the Masters of the Universe being one of them. That Christmas I remember it being He-Man toys or Star Wars toys. I got the essential JEDI action figures, but that year Masters of the Universe ruled all.

I don't think it was until I got the original trilogy on VHS that I truly wondered about Episode VII? George Lucas said it would never happen. But as years went by, never happen changed to maybe in the future? And we all know what became of that don't we. Before the prequels, fans did actually get a sequel to RETURN OF THE JEDI, but it was in the form of a book and not a movie.

These new Star Wars books were cool, but something was missing? They weren't movies, and the experience just wasn't the same. And I completely wrote off Expanded Universe stuff once I heard about a dumb novel about Boba Fett surviving the Scarlac Pit.

Well, the wait is finally over! 32 years I've waited, and tonight Star Wars fans got something I thought we'd never see, a sequel to RETURN OF THE JEDI. And the wait was worth it! Gosh, I'm so happy that Disney listened to J.J and kept the marketing for STAR WARS THE FORCE AWAKENS spoiler free. Which this review isn't going to be, so you've been warned.

Seriously, if you do not want to know what happens in STAR WARS THE FORCE AWAKENS stop reading now.

When the second teaser trailer for the movie hit, I was on board 110%! But something bugged me, I kept wondering where is Luke Skywalker? Oh, okay. He'll be in the next and probably final trailer, that is understandable. I started to get nervous because there was slight rumor talk that Luke would appear at the end of STAR WARS THE FORCE AWAKENS, as a cliffhanger? What! Man, I really hope not!

The last trailer hit the same night as advanced tickets went on sale and lo and behold, still no Luke Skywalker? Fine, whatever. I'm sure there is a good reason to why Luke Skywalker is not in any of the trailers.* Turns out there is a reason, a pretty big reason. And if you're still reading this and haven't seen the movie, your loss.

The major plot point in STAR WARS THE FORCE AWAKENS is that Luke Skywalker is missing! This information is the literal first sentence in the films opening crawl. When I saw this I had to refrain from laughing, because I was thinking “no shit he's been missing”!

Now that that's out of the way, it's time to fall in love and delight in Star Wars again, like the filmmakers had promised. And they did. The Star Wars I grew up with and loved is back!

Like I said earlier, Luke Skywalker is missing. But come to find out it's more of a self exile. He tried to train a new group of Jedi but one of them became seduced by the dark side of the Force and murdered some of the others. Because of this Luke decided to leave because he was doing more harm than good.

There is a new threat. Out of the ashes of The Empire rises The First Order. They want Luke Skywalker dead and the Jedi destroyed forever. His sister, General Organa Solo learns of this and sends Poe Dameron, her best pilot on a mission to the planet Jakku to recover the map. The First Order know of this map as well, so the race is on! Think opening of Episode IV and you get the gist of it. Poe even hides the secret map data in a droid before going off to help villagers fight off Stormtroopers.

The First Order is hot on the trail as well. And instead of Darth Vader we have Kylo Ren, leader of The Knights of Ren. Like the First Order he is a Empire sympathizer and hell bent on the destruction of the New Republic. He is also a Darth Vader wannabe. Ren is well versed in the ways of the Dark Side, but he is no Vader, yet.

The droid BB-8 comes across the aid of Jakku scavenger Rey. And thus begins the delight that is STAR WARS THE FORCE AWAKENS!

I think that is enough of the plot. I mean if you read my blog then chances are you've seen the movie. Or are going to the first chance you get. So from here on out without too many spoilers I wanna talk about the things I loved and a few nitpicks I have.

Let me say this one last time. I love that Star Wars is back! So what's the thing I love most about this new film? Right now it's the practical effects. Everything is back to looking lived-in again. No telling what kind of creature it was, maybe a Dewback? But whatever, there was this creature that had AT-ST armor as a helmet. How freaking cool is that! There is CGI of course, but unlike the prequels it isn't the whole damn movie.

My second favorite thing was the acting and characters. Yes, characters have returned to the franchise! You find yourself caring about each and every character in this film. Rey is my favorite! And she'll be yours as well once you see the end of the film. The last scene of STAR WARS THE FORCE AWAKENS is my second favorite shot in the film. It would be my favorite but that belongs to Rey using a lightsaber for the first time! Holy cow, that music cue!

Next up is Poe Dameron, the new Han Solo of this trilogy. I could be wrong? But I don't think so! Cannot wait to see what's in store for this character.

I have others, but time to move on and talk about the return of Han Solo! A risky move but Harrison Ford pulled it off! I've missed this character since THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, so I'm glad he's back.

The last and final thing I loved about STAR WARS THE FORCE AWAKENS is the tone of the film. The entire movie is one huge love letter to the original trilogy. A remix of Episode IV with I'd say 20% of V tossed in there. All the while being something different. Paving the way for Episode VIII being something entirely new! How exciting!

I did not mind the call backs to STAR WARS one bit, with the exception of the Starkiller base. But it was still cool and I wouldn't change a thing!

Overall the reactions to STAR WARS THE FORCE AWAKENS have been positive. There are a few movie news site bloggers saying the film is good but not great. I say half of them are lying, just so they don't come across as fanboys. Which that's all they are, just a bunch of glorified fanboys. Enjoy your TANGERINE and THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY fellas! Hey, all in good jest people. What ever floats your boat!

Final thoughts, I thought the film was great. I've seen the movie twice now and the entire film works for me. The only thing that I think is tiresome is the Starkiller base. It's a third Death Star! Time for something new guys.

I got more to say, a lot more to say! So maybe when the movie hits home video I will discuss more!

May the Force be with you, always.

* I realize that is Luke's hand in the trailer.