Suicide Squad (2016) review

WARNING: Mild spoilers ahead!!! Read at your own risk.

(7/10)

     Though the critics may bash Suicide Squad for its uneven pacing, lack of addressing necessary character lore, over-flashy effects, and inconsistent script, the movie delivers an action-packed, pulpy, humorous and heart-wrenching adventure into the lives and personalities of some of DC's finest villians.

PLOT: Long after the days superheroes like Superman have vanished and stopped saving the city, a new war arises within the heart of the city. Government expert Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) constructs a plan to take all of the worst and most powerful criminals in history, put them on a team, and force them to do their bidding. These criminals include baddies like former hitman and family man, Deadshot (Will Smith), and the Joker's wife, Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) as well as others like Killer Croc, Captain Boomerang, and Diablo. This team, led by Waller and love-struck soldier, Rick Flagg (Joel Kinnaman), are sent to vanquish a supernatural entity taking residence in the body of Rick's girlfriend, June Moone (Cara Delevingne) and destroying the city. The plot is a good example of an excellent idea squandered by lack of information. The story does its best to explain the origin stories of each of our villains and succeeds in covering the basics, but fails in informing the viewer of important extended universe lore that helps drive the plot forward. Some scenes would make un-informed moviegoers scratch their heads without previous knowledge of past relationships. Otherwise, the plot is driven well and an excellent idea to expand upon for DC.

ACTING: The performances were great among the whole cast. The big name actors, like Will Smith, Margot Robbie, and Jared Leto delivered very amusing, fitting, and badass performances as Deadshot, Harley Quinn, and the Joker. Aside from these three show-stealers, the rest of the cast was just beneath them. Other shining performances would be from Joel Kinnaman as Rick Flagg, Cara Delevingne as June Moone/The Enchantress, Viola Davis as Amanda Weller, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as Killer Croc, and Jay Hernandez as Diablo. Most of the performances were right on the money even when other aspects of the movie weren't. The talented cast I believe is truly what saved the movie from completely sinking.

SCORE/SOUNDTRACK: The soundtrack in the movie was very well chosen and developed. A lot of the better points in the movie were either punctuated by a relateable, classic rock track or a song newly recorded for the movie. With artists ranging from Black Sabbath and The Rolling Stones to Skrillex and Twenty One Pilots, the soundtrack is very diverse and does its best to keep the flow rolling throughout the movie's entire runtime. For the most part, it does a pretty good job of accomplishing that.

EFFECTS: Suicide Squad's special effects are entirely way too flashy and hit-and-miss for the movie's cause. The effects alternate between something that looks really cool and unique to the equivalent of a computer's graphics card vomiting upon the screen. It feels like the makers of this movie sunk so much into special effects that they forget to touch everything else up. They're way too worried about things looking good than the substance needed to put into it.

OTHER CONTENT: Suicide Squad, contrary to popular critics' beliefs, is NOT a bad movie. It does have several issues as a standalone piece of work, but for fans who already know the characters, storyline, and source material beforehand, it's a rather interesting treat to see how the actors, producers, and director portrayed the comic book characters. Some of the problems the movie has that haven't already been covered would be the pacing and some of the scriptwriting. The pacing of the movie is uneven, varying from moving in fast forward to dragging through formulaic Hollywood pizazz like a snail. The movie does succeed in making the audience want more, but to what extent is too far? It seems we were cheated out of what could have been so much more. The script and screenplay aren't necessarily that bad, but some lines and situations would have been better to just be left out when compared to everything else as a whole. Aside all of the problems previously mentioned, Suicide Squad is still a fun and refreshing breath into a once-dead comic book spin-off. The movie is filled with enough action, personality, and neo-pulpy style that comes as close to feeling as if you were watching the zaniness and intensity of a real comic book playing out before you on screen. The movie focused on its characters and rightfully so, as they were the savior of the entire movie, especially watching the heartbreaking love story between Harley and Joker as well as the backstories of our betrayed "heroes". The movie is actually pretty good if one doesn't set his or her standards too high.

     DC's Suicide Squad does have its issues, from pacing issues to lack of information to flashy special effects, but there's so much more at the heart of it. The movie boasts a talented cast, fresh and pulpy action, excellent one-liners, and a heavy emotional impact for the fans. It's a big, lovely mess of mediocre mistakes and emotional impact as crazy yet loveable as Harley Quinn herself.

Deadpool (2016) review

(9/10)

     Deadpool lives up to the hype built for it, easily earning its place as one of the best superhero movies of the year as well as one of the best comedies. With a superb screenplay, rich yet tasteless jokes and gags, a fitting lead, and a surprising amount of story, this film brings its titular hero to life and becomes a little more than your run-of-the-mill modern comedy or superhero flick.

PLOT: Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) is man of little moral sense and a darker outlook on life. He works doing underground jobs as a sort of "hitman" in a shady bar. One day, things start to change for Wade when he meets the love of his life, Vanessa (Morena Baccarin), who is in every aspect like him and dedicated to pleasing him. Though things seem to look good for Wade, his "brief commercial break of happiness" ends when he's diagnosed with a terminal form of cancer. Wilson, in desperation of a cure, takes a shady offer from the bar that promises a cure in the form of becoming a superhero. Wilson regrets this decision when the offer turns out to be a scam that puts him through hours of torture, disfigures him, and makes him invincible. At this moment, Wade Wilson abandons his identity, flees from Vanessa in fear of rejection, and takes on the identity of Deadpool: not a superhero, but an entity that cares about very little with an abundant sense of humor. The movie primarily takes place when Deadpool is hunting for Ajax a. k. a. Frances (Ed Skrein), the man who disfigured him. The plot and the backstory are both extremely excellent, adding a bit more personality and experience to the character of Deadpool. The backstory adds to the overall effect of the movie and establishes itself as more than just the comedy most people expected it to be. They use the story to bring Wilson's character sympathy, empathy, and depth in addition to making him the comedy relief. This adaptation fully succeeds in bringing Deadpool's character to life through story, as assisted by a dedicated lead.

ACTING: The acting in this movie is pretty fantastic and well fitting, especially with Ryan Reynolds as the titular lead, Captain Deadp- oh sorry - just Deadpool. Reynolds is a dedicated, fitting, and well-rehearsed actor for the job of Marvel's funniest superhero, or anti-hero, if you do prefer. I don't believe another actor could have shown the role more life or clever care than Reynolds. The rest of the cast is excellent as well, with the best being by Morena Baccarin as Vanessa, Ed Skrein as Ajax/Frances, and T. J. Miller as Weasel. Each part was very well done, keeping Vanessa an interesting love interest, Ajax an intimidating villain, and Weasel awkwardly comedic. All performances were great, even if overshadowed by Ryan Reynolds.

SCORE/SOUNDTRACK: The score seemed to be your standard action movie music for the most part, with the addition of a couple humorous original songs, but the soundtrack is pretty diverse. The soundtrack includes a wide variety from light stuff like Juice Newton, Chicago, and WHAM! to more modern stuff like Flo Rida, DMX, and The Black Keys. The soundtrack is just as familiar to most of the audience as in most Marvel movie soundtracks, which is always a positive in my book. If everyone knows the songs, everyone will buy them or the soundtrack!

EFFECTS: The special effects in this movie were pretty smoothly done. From the painful scene of Wade Wilson's transformation to the smooth metallic look of Colossus, these effects are high quality as they can be for something purely, heroicly fictional. They compliment the action real well too.

OTHER CONTENT: The main aspect that kept the movie afloat was its clever screenplay and script. The jokes are just clever, tasteless, and fourth-wall shattering that a film critic will comment about in on their blog in a positive way. What, can't break the fourth wall on occasion? In all seriousness, the jokes are very well written, dirty yet satisfying and clever yet silly in a way that only Deadpool could pull off. The only problem I seemed to have with the movie (which may actually be what the makers of this movie intended) is that it felt too short. The audience was delivered with a lot of backstory, but the action only last for a short time in comparison. It made the whole movie feel shorter than it should have been, even with its nearly two-hour runtime. However, the filmmakers may have done this to get the audience more ready and in anticipation of the potential next Deadpool movie. Aside from this slight malaise, the movie is a very fitting and respectable film portraying the fourth-wall breaking hero the comic book nerds all love (for the most part).

     The movie we've all been waiting for from our favorite antihero is all we have expected it to be, even though we are left wanting so much more. Ryan Reynolds plays the role better than anyone ever could have, with fantastic support from the rest of the cast. This treat was almost everything the major fans could have dreamed for. I guess we can all keep dreaming for the second one, right?

Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens (2015) review

(Warning: MILD SPOILERS AHEAD)

(8/10)

    The Force Awakens is a film worth the hype built for it. The thrilling action keeps the audience on the edge of their seats, almost making up for the ambiguous backseat given to more specific detail of story. The film is in no way bad, but lacking, if not even separate from, the same spirit of the previous original Star Wars films. The Force Awakens feels more like its own film than an addition to the franchise, recapturing as much of the previous magic as it could through sly references and familiar faces.

PLOT: Without going into too much detail, the plot and story revolve around the First Order (a. k. a. The Empire) searching for BB-8, a droid with the map to the hiding place of legendary hero and Jedi Luke Skywalker. The Resistance (a. k. a. The Rebel Alliance) is the only group of opposition aside from the modern new hope, a scavenger named Ren (Daisy Ridley) and a rebel stormtrooper nicknamed Fin (John Boyega). However, with a new hope comes a new evil: a power-hungry Sith named Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), whose primarily in charge of the new First Order. This is as far as I'll go to prevent spoilers for the desperate fans. The plot's actual story was well intended, but not very well thought out. I was left with so many questions as so many aspects of background development were missing. The audience, like in most Hollywood action films, is dropped in a situation they know nothing about and are expected to pick out the main characters and guess their motives and backstories. The audience is delivered with little character development and explanation, even with the opening credits recapping past events. No one knows or seems to want to explain why things have become the way they are. However, if one neglects the finer details of the story-line and focuses more on the plot's execution (a. k. a. the action and comedy), one will have a more thrilling time indeed. The plot's execution is stellar, with nail-biting action keeping the audience awake and ready for anything and clever references to the previous films keeping the nostalgic viewers laughing. Though lacking in a developing story, the plot finds its saving grace in its enthralling action and well-spread references.

ACTING: The performances in this film are pretty stellar. One aspect where there is little room to be picky in is the casting and performances. The newer lead roles of Daisy Ridley as the intelligent scavenger, Rey, John Boyega as rebel stormtrooper, Fin, and Adam Driver as the evil Sith, Kylo Ren are excellent. Each puts a piece of his or her own self into the role, which is clearly evident by the real, quirky, natural, and serious dispositions of the film's characters. Other shining members of the new cast were Andy Serkis as First Order Supreme Leader Snoke, Oscar Isaac as rebel pilot, Po Dameron, and Domhnall Gleeson as the First Order's chief-in-command, General Hux. Each of these actors portrayed their new roles just as excellently as the main characters. Another positive thing about the cast is the cameos of some of the classic cast, including (SPOILER WARNING) Harrison Ford as Han Solo, Carrie Fisher as Leia Organa, Peter Mayhew as Chewbacca, Anthony Daniels as C-3PO, and a very brief Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker. The old cast feels like a sight for sore eyes, knitting themselves snug into the story just as if they never left, especially Ford and Fisher, who seem just as playful and loving as in the original trilogy.

SCORE: The score is just as memorable and classic as in the original films, done by none other that the great composer, John Williams. Williams, being a veteran of the Star Wars franchise, weaves a score so perfectly preserved and high-energy that even the most skeptic fans tilt their ear to the sound and smile.

EFFECTS: The special effects are definitely well done. One thing I appreciate about this film in relation to other action and sci-fi films of its time is not strictly using computer graphics for all its visual effects. Aside from the explosions, space fights, and wild creatures, most effects are done with make-up and costume design. The more intelligent aliens look real and just as tangible as they did in the days of the original trilogy. In attempting to preserve the classic film feeling, the directors did right with the special effects.

OTHER CONTENT: The Force Awakens is all a casual film-goer could ask for: nonstop action, clever references, and enough tragedy in the story to drive it. However, this film isn't a hundred percent what the true Star Wars fans could ask for. We have plenty of action, wit, and hype, but it falls not only in the story as I mentioned earlier, but in its structure and intent. The Force Awakens is so caught up in the Hollywood hype that it follows its typical formula: a thrill ride of action with little droplets of story leaking through so the watcher actually comprehends what's going on. The film tries so hard to reconnect with the past movie magic of the original trilogy that it almost falls flat in trying. In fact, the film feels like its own separate entity. In trying to reconnect with sentimentalists of the franchise's magic, the film's makers and writers distance the film so that it feels more different than even the prequels. There are many familiar faces and clever references in the film, but it almost feels self-satirizing, as if this weren't another chapter to the famous franchise but its own spin-off. Even in the film's imagery, showing the classic craft and characters old and dust-covered just symbolizes how this is an entirely new entity. Now don't judge me wrong, the film is nowhere near bad. To increase the emphasis on this point, I'm going to repeat again THE FILM IS NOWHERE NEAR BAD. The driving action, new additions, and clever references are still a breath of fresh air into a franchise once dead. The film isn't all the true Star Wars fan could want, but its just enough for us to be satisfied in our complex fandom. Who really knows though? This could just be the A New Hope to another Empire Strikes Back, which would clarify all we need to know in grave detail.

     Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens is definitely worth the hype, but nothing too much more than that. If one goes for nail-biting action, clever references to the old films, and a simply nostalgic breath of life into the series, one would be greatly satisfied. However, for the picky Star Wars fan, this seems like a tad over subpar to the movie magic in the original trilogy. The character development and inner story is greatly lacking, leaving several questions of why and how and losing them in the monotonous formula for a blockbuster Hollywood film. The new Star Wars is not bad at all. In fact, it's super stellar. The force is with this one, though it is but a padawan, having much to learn.

Monsters University (2013) review

(7/10)

This prequel to the popular Pixar favorite was actually a pretty fun ride through the origins of the popular monsters with college humor laid throughout. However, a lot of cliches and borrowed elements were used to make this movie.

PLOT:Ever since he was little, Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal) has wanted to work as a scarer at Monsters, Inc., the biggest company in their world. So, he goes to the best college in their world for the job, Monsters University. While there, he meets and rooms with a younger and much friendlier Randy Bogg (Steve Buscemi) and forms a rivalry against young Jimmy Sullivan (John Goodman), the slacker with a praised family name in scaring. They enroll in scaring class but due to their weaknesses, Dean Hardscrabble (Helen Mirren) kicks them out. Mike is devastated and Sulley's mad, but then Mike gets the idea to enter the Scare Games, the college's most famous event, and prove himself to the Dean that he can be a scarer. However, Mike must deal with Sulley's attitude and turn his loser sorority, Oozma Kappa, into a winning team. It's a good plot executed very well.



VOICES:The voice acting for the most part was about as good as the first movie. Billy Crystal, John Goodman, and Steve Buscemi all played very great and still-fitting parts of Mike, Sulley, and Randall. The new voices were really good also. Helen Mirren played a great part as the strict Dean Hardscrabble. There really wasn't a bad performance in the movie. The other shiners would be Joel Murray as Don, Sean Hayes as Terri, Dave Foley as Terry, and Charlie Day as Art.

SCORE:The score in this movie is mainly made up of borrowed score from the first Monsters movie. It's still good though, with a few new and cool themes throughout done by the great Randy Newman.

ANIMATION:The animation in this movie is very colorful and pretty detailed for the most part. The animation of the various monsters was pretty cool, especially on the freaky-looking Dean Hardscrabble.



OTHER CONTENT:This movie was a pretty good addition to the Pixar canon of movies and pretty fitting prequel to the older classic, Monsters Inc. This addition added a lot of color, college humor, unique perks, and interesting points as a Pixar movie. I loved some of the dialogue and the big climax near the end; not to mention, the movie was pretty funny by itself. I also enjoyed the references the the first movie this made. However, some of the jokes and plot elements seemed a little cliched at times and it made this seem like just another animated movie at times.

OVERALL,a good Pixar movie with a good plot, good and fitting voice acting, borrowed but good score, colorful and detailed animation, some funny moments, good dialogue and a good climax, but this seems to borrow a lot of familiar cliches and plot elements from past movies.

Star Trek: Into Darkness (2013) review

(8/10)

This new installment to the Star Trek franchise is action-packed, visually impressive, and a treat for most Trekkies out there.

PLOT:After an attack on Star Fleet killing off many innocent lives, Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) is sent on a mission, accompanied by his Spock (Zachary Quinto) and the rest of his crew, in the Enterprise to go destroy this madman in enemy territory known only as John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch). However, Kirk and the crew decide to bring this criminal back to Earth for a fair trial and eventfully take him from the planet. This move, however, sparks a rebellion against Star Fleet and an interesting story involving Kahn. It's a great plot executed greatly.



ACTING:The acting in this movie was very good. Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto did a great job reprising the roles of Captain Kirk and Spock. Benedict Cumberbatch also did a fantastic job as (SPOILER) John Harrison/Kahn. There really wasn't a bad performance in the movie, but Quinto's Spock still doesn't hold a candle to the original. The other shiners were Karl Urban as Bones, Zoe Saldana as Uhura, Simon Pegg as Scotty, John Cho as Sulu, Anton Yelchin as Pavel, Alive Eve as Carol Marcus, Bruce Greenwood as Christopher Pike, and Leonard Nimoy as older Spock.

SCORE:The score was very well done by the great Michael Giacchino. Not only did the score match the mood, but it was very intense and intricate. I liked it.

EFFECTS:The visual effects of this movie were very stunning and impressive. From the first scene to the last frame of the movie, the effects were just brilliant. The effects for the foreign planets, big spaceships, eventful dogfights, and futuristic equipment were just sleek and impressive overall. I bet it took a long time just to get the effects right.



OTHER CONTENT:This movie was a really great modern adaptation. There's plenty of action and humor accompanying a familiar story. For the Trekkies who have seen it, you would notice the story is heavily inspired by (SPOILER) "The Wrath of Kahn". However, there are a few drastic changes that throw the movie off for them. Also, the new modernized look for Star Trek may not be agreeable to some of the hardcore Trekkies.

OVERALL,a great movie with a great plot, very good acting, intense score, impressive visual effects, lots of action, some humor, and a well adapted story, but some hardcore Trekkies may not appreciate it as much do to some drastic changes in story and time period.

Oz the Great and Powerful (2013) review

(8/10)

(MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS)

Though the effects are dazzling and the performances are strong, this is a living definition of the phrase all flash, little-to-no substance. Still, Raimi did a pretty good job of this.

PLOT:Oz (James Franco) is a conman, player, and carnival magician in Kansas. After a bad show, he steals a hot air balloon and flies away, running straight into a tornado. This tornado spirals him into the land of Oz, where he meets two witches, Theodora (Mila Kunis) and Evanora (Rachel Weisz). They currently rule over the Emerald City and tell him that he must slay the Wicked Witch to rule over Oz and all of it's riches. So, he sets out on a journey with his new monkey-assistant, Finley (Zach Braff), to kill the Wicked Witch. However, he runs into Glinda the Good (Michelle Williams) and finds out that things aren't always as they seem. He must now figure out which witch is the Wicked Witch and save Oz. It's a good plot executed greatly.



ACTING:The acting in this movie is very great. James Franco plays a great part as Oz, as did Mila Kunis as Theodora/The Wicked Witch of the West. She played a very interesting part as the Wicked Witch. There really wasn't a bad performance in this movie. The other shiners would be Rachel Weisz as Evanora, Michelle Williams as Glinda, Zach Braff as Finley, Bill Cobbs as the Master Tinker, Joey King as the China Girl, and Tony Cox as Knuck, with special cameos by Bruce Campbell, Theresa Tilly, Betsy Baker, and Ellen Sandweiss (All four were the main characters in Rami's original Evil Dead).

SCORE:The score in here is very detailed and magical. The great Danny Elfman supplies his unique sound to the movie, and it sounds just as good.

EFFECTS:The effects in here are dazzling and very detailed. You can see the details from the flying babboons to the emerald flowers. This movie is mainly composed of special effects, but they're really good.



OTHER CONTENT:This was actually pretty great. This was a special prequel to the original. Director Sam Raimi actually attempted his best to keep everything as magical as the original, from the color-changing horses to Kansas being depicted as black-and-white. However, all of these effects and good acting don't make up for the magic lost. This doesn't contain as much free wonder and such as the original does, and a lot of the true cinephile's will dislike it. I, however, think it's a pretty fair attempt at prequeling the original.

OVERALL,a great fantasy with a great plot, very great acting, magical Elfman score, dazzling effects, and a good attempt to keep things even, but it's missing a lot of the old wonder the original had.

Bully (2012) review

(8/10)

I've been looking forward to seeing this for a long time, and now that I have seen it, I have to say that it is a very good documentary and proves its point to its audience with little to no effort.

SUBJECT:The subject of this documentary is based on five different families that have kids that are being bullied in school. They focus on the family of a girl being persecuted because she's lesbian, the family of a son who hung himself at 17 because of his classmates' pressure, the family of a daughter who brought a gun to school to scare her bullies, the family of a son who's picked on everyday because of how he looks, and the family of a boy who also committed suicide and is dedicated to the stopping bullying all over the world. It's very good subject matter executed and explored brilliantly.



PEOPLE:The dedication and heart of the people in and behind this documentary is very strong and touching to the purpose of it all. I appreciate their journey to stop bullying, for I've been in that place before. There are some really good kids out there getting abused.

SCORE:The soundtrack is mainly made up of alternative rock and pop, but is used very well.



OTHER CONTENT:This documentary really sheds light on the world of bullying and the effect it has on students and entire towns. I appreciate the goal behind it all, but I have a questionable problem with the documentary. The documentary has caught kids bullying other kids on camera via the camera crew, but I believe that had an impact on the kids on tape. What if the kids only acted up this way because they were on camera? What if they never did it until now? I find that questionable.

OVERALL,a great documentary with a brilliantly explored subject matter, very strong dedication and heart, score used very well, and a needed light shed on the world of bullying, but I wonder if the camera had an impression on how the kids acted or not and how accurate it all actually was.

Frankenweenie (2012) review

(8/10)

Tim Burton has done it again in this charming tale based on his live-action short film from the 80s.

PLOT:In the strange little town of New Holland, Victor Frankenstein (Charlie Tahan) abides with his parents (Catherine O'Hara and Martin Short) and his beloved dog, Sparky. Sparky is pretty much Vic's best friend and they act very inseparable. However, Sparky is hit by a car and killed one tragic day, leaving Victor in his despair. Inspired by the new science teacher (Martin Landau), Victor pulls a classic move and brings his beloved dog back to life with wind and lightning. Now, Victor must try to keep this big breakthrough a secret from his peers and parents. It's a good plot executed greatly.



VOICES:The voice acting in here is pretty good. Charlie Tahan is fairly okay as young Victor Frankenstein, but he doesn't really steal the show. The voice that stole the show belongs to Martin Landau as Mr. Ryzkruski. He did a truly chilling performance of the creepy new science teacher. The other shiners would be Catherine O'Hara as Mrs. Frankenstein, the weird girl, and the gym teacher, Martin Short as Mr. Frankenstein and Mr. Burgemeister, and Winona Ryder as Elsa Van Helsing. A lot of the Tim Burton usuals are in here.

SCORE:The score in here is very charming and done well by the great, Burton favorite, Danny Elfman. The themes are very soft, fitting, and clean.

ANIMATION:The animation in here is one of the best things about this movie. The animation in here is of Burton's usual brand and is done beautifully. The movements are smooth and the design is unique and artful. I appreciate Burton for this.



OTHER CONTENT:Tim Burton revitalized his animation skill in this little movie. This movie is mainly built on charm and entertaining twists, which get it by fine, but it's actually quite scary. It's scarier than I imagined it being. There are jumps and creepy visuals to give you scares. Burton takes the classic Frankenstein story and adds a bunch to it to make it a quirky adventure for kids and family alike. However, there are few points for originality. Though class shows through the way it's shot, the Frankenstein genre has nearly been done to death; not to mention that there are several cliches located throughout the movie.

OVERALL,a great movie with a good plot, pretty good voice acting, charming Elfman score, beautiful animation, lots of charm, entertaining twists, a good bit of scares, and class, but it's not that original and fairly cliched.

Taxi Driver (1976) review

(9/10)

I had been putting off seeing this one for the longest time for absolutely no reason. Now, I'm glad I saw it and wondering why I put it off so long. It's a hard-hitting, smooth, and truthful film on the dark streets of the world.

PLOT:Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro) has just gotten a job as a taxi driver in the streets of New York. He's smooth, quiet, and hates most of the rabble of the streets. However, he meets a beautiful blonde working in office named Betsy (Cybill Shepherd) and falls in love. It doesn't last long, though, until he makes a big mistake and scares her way. No matter how much he tries to re-kindle things with her, she always turns him away, which forces him to snap. He then comes up with an idea to kill the candidate in office this girl is working for. Meanwhile, he's trying to help a 12-year-old prostitute named Iris (Jodie Foster) escape from her pimp, Sport (Harvey Keitel), and go back to her parents. It's a good plot executed greatly.



ACTING:The acting in here was very great. Robert De Niro did an excellent job of playing our lead, Travis Bickle. I think it was a very memorable performance, Another performance worthy of note is the young Jodie Foster as 12-year-old hooker, Iris. Even at this young age, she was a very talented actress. The other shiners would be Harvey Keitel as Sport, Cybill Shepherd as Betsy, Peter Boyle as Wizard and Martin Scorsese himself in a cameo as the weird, vengeful passenger.

SCORE:The score in here is very smooth and smoky sounding, like a crime mystery in a bar. It fits the mood of the film very well.

EFFECTS:The blood in here flows pretty freely for an action flick. There are a lot of kills, and blood to accompany. The blood effects in here look pretty realistic and detailed as gunshots are fired and knifes are used.



OTHER CONTENT:This film is a very interesting look at the decline of society today. The exaggerated realism of it all shocks you and puts the urban world into what I believe to be its place. The performances lead the plot through with great direction by the beloved Martin Scorsese. However, this film had a plot issue for me. Though the plot was very well thought-out, it wasn't completely solid. You couldn't sit down and tell me the plot without telling me all the twists in it first, like Dazed and Confused. It makes the film open to suprises, but a little complicated to follow for some.

OVERALL,an awesome film with a good plot, very great performances, smooth score, realistic blood effects, shocking realism, and great direction, but the plot wasn't completely solid

ParaNorman (2012) review

(8/10)

I was really looking forward to seeing this one this past year, and I have to say that I got everything I expected and a little more.

PLOT:Norman (Kodi Smit-McPhee) isn't like the other kids; he can talk to ghosts. All the other kids pick on him at school and even his family ignores him and labels him as crazy. However, he is one day visited by his uncle (John Goodman) who tells him that he is now in charge of keeping the witch's curse under control and keeping her from coming back to haunt the town. Norman tries, but fails to keep the witch under control, which in turn raises the dead and trashes the town! Now it's up to Norman, his sister (Anna Kendrick), his best friend, Neil (Tucker Abrizzi), Neil's brother, Mitch (Casey Affleck), and Norman's bully, Alvin (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) to save the town and stop the witch's curse. It's a really good plot executed greatly.



VOICES:The voice acting in here was pretty good. Kodi Smit-McPhee actually played a pretty good part as the young Norman. I say that in this tone because the child actors usually aren't that good. The other shiners would be John Goodman as Mr. Prenderghast, Jeff Garlin as Perry (Norman's dad), Casey Affleck as Mitch, Anna Kendrick as Courtney, Elaine Stritch as Grandma, and Tempestt Bledsoe as the Sheriff. However, some of these performances weren't all that great, or they couldn't live in a live action movie as they did in here.

SCORE:The score was pretty good. It wasn't anything spectacular, but it really went along with the mood of the movie with a nice finishing song from The White Stripes.

ANIMATION:The animation had to be the best part of the movie along with the plot. The animation is from the creators of the great "Coraline", so you can imagine it's going to be really good. The animation in here is very detailed, both in motions and design. I loved how they made everything movie with ease in beautiful claymation, as well as semi-realistic characters.



OTHER CONTENT:This movie was a real treat for not only the horror fan but also the kid in me. This claymation treat seamelessly blends zombie horrors with a child's innocence and comes out with a product worth being made. It's clever, meaningful, intense, and funny. However, aside from the one-track acting, it also has a sense of a familiar formula, like if you had combined "Chicken Little" with a zombie/premonition movie. It's still a great treat overall anyway.

OVERALL,a great claymation movie with a really good plot, pretty good voice acting, fitting score, beautiful claymation animation and design, cleverness, meaning, intensity, fun, and a well-done combination of innocence and horror, but the acting would probably only work for this movie and the formula seems very familiar.

The Hunger Games (2012) review

(8/10)

I've read the book in the past, and this is a pretty decent film adaptation. It misses some of the story's best moments and points and has some editing problems though.

PLOT:In the future dystopia of Panem, a competition is held each year with two teens from each of the twelve districts. These randomly-chosen teens must compete in a battle to the death known as the Hunger Games. This year, young hunter Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), volunteers herself to take her sister, Prim's, place. Along with her, the baker's son, Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson). They go through training with the help of the previous winner, Haymitch (Woody Harrelson), the uptight Effie Trinket (Elizabeth Banks), and the fashion stylist, Cinna (Lenny Kravitz). Katniss must win over sponsors and keep herself alive in the games all while looking out for Peeta. It's a good plot executed fairly well.



ACTING:The performances are mainly what carried this movie along. Jennifer Lawrence played a great part as Katniss. Her performance carried the movie, along with Josh Hutcherson as Peeta. I'd say he's improved from his past works. The cast is all-star, so there are a lot of great performances. The other shiners would be Woody Harrelson as Haymitch, Elizabth Banks as Effie Trinket, Lenny Kravitz as Cinna, Liam Hemsworth as Gale, Stanely Tucci as Caesar Flickerman, Donald Sutherland as President Snow, Wes Bentley as Seneca, Amandla Stenberg as Rue, and Isabelle Fuhrman as Clove.

SCORE:The score was pretty good as well. It was dramatic and kept the feeling of intensity going throughout the movie. The soundtrack was also pretty good, for it had at least one good song on it.



EFFECTS:The effects in this weren't actually that bad. The effects had their good and bad moments, but it was pretty great for the most part. The bloody moments didn't happen to much on screen, but what was there looked pretty realistic. The effects used on the tracker jackers didn't looke extravagant, but also realistic. The stand-out effects would have to be the monster dogs near the end of the movie; they were very well animated. I expected them to look more wicked, but they still looked pretty cool. I liked the fire effects too.

CAMERAWORK:This is what I was referring to in "editing problems". The camera in here is so shaky that you can barely see the action go down. That bugs me for the most of the movie, so I hope the second one has better.



OTHER CONTENT:For the most part, this followed the book pretty well among main plot twists. From the arrow-in-the-apple, to the tracker jackers, and even to the dog monsters, it stayed pretty reliable. However, it had a few backstory and character development problems. It tried to make up for lost time in minor flashbacks throughout the movie, but everything just ends up getting jumbled up. For this reason, the movie loses some of its meaning of why this is happening and what is being symbolized. It's really pretty sad. Otherwise, the movie was action-packed, reliable, and well-acted.

OVERALL,a great movie with a good plot, great acting, intense score and a good soundtrack, great effects, main reliability to the book,and lots of action, but it lost some of its meaning and backstory in the screen production.

Marley (2012) review

(10/10)

This insightful look into the life of reggae's best star covers everything from childhood, to religion, to reggae origin, and to death.

PLOT/SUBJECT:This insightful documenary is on the life of reggae's greatest star, Bob Marley, and how he defined the genre and inspired peace among everyone. This contains all kinds of photos, concert footage, interviews from friends and relatives, and even past interviews he attended, and it covers everything, from his childhood, to his religion, to an explaination of reggae, to his rise to fame, to his efforts at making world peace, and to his troubles all the way up to his death in the '80s. It's a very great subject to make a documentary on, and it's executed brilliantly.



PEOPLE:The kinds of people we get to hear from that associated with Marley include associates from his record companies, government officials he worked with, relatives of his own, his wife, former members of The Wailers, and even close friends. Each has a different, interesting story or feeling to express about Bob Marley and his life.

SCORE:The soundtrack is made up of nothing less than all Bob Marley songs, from rare concert recordings, to first tapes, to original recordings, and even to his early stuff. All is either upbeat or beautiful, but either way, it's pure, unfiltered reggae that could simmer anybody down.



OTHER CONTENT:This documentary truly does shine light into the late reggae star's life and how he helped thousands of people experience reggae, freedom, and peace. This film tells a lot of facts people may not have known about Bob, from his father being a different color to his experiences with women. It truly captures his personality and vision as it was and still is nowadays. Like Michael Jackson, his legacy will live on in the hearts of all peace-loving reggae fans. One part in particular I really liked was that they showed the entire funeral from his services to his loading into the truck. It was truly a heart-breaking moment for those all-around.

OVERALL,an epic documentary with a brilliantly-executed subject, interesting people, upbeat reggae soundtrack from the king of reggae, many revealing facts, a living legacy, and touching coverage of his funeral.

R.I.P. Bob Marley, The King of Reggae

The Dark Knight Rises (2012) review

(9/10)

The much-anticipated conclusion to Nolan's Batman trilogy is almost all the fans could want, but it lacks a concrete ending.

PLOT:It's been about eight years since Batman's last appearance and also since Harvey Dent's death, and Gotham City has been pretty much in peace since his criminal act has been put to action. Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale), meanwhile, has holed himself up in his mansion with only Alfred (Michael Caine) being his outside contact. One day, things start to spark back up when a "cat-burgling" spy named Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway) robs Wayne in order to obtain a special weapon that could erase the background behind any person in seconds. Also, a new villian named Bane (Tom Hardy) is beginning to let himself be known in Gotham and setting special plans in place to control Gotham City for good. Obviously, these two new threats are connected in some way. Now, Bruce Wayne must come out of retirement and once again don the Batman suit, if he can regain the spirit he once had, with his only true allies being the police detective, John Blake (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman), Comissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman), and a new ally in charge of Bruce Wayne's enterprises named Miranda Tate (Marion Cotillard). However, Bane is a strong enemy who's been trained by Batman's old mentor in the past, and there is also another secret spy on Bane's side that no one knows about. How will this all turn out? I'll leave you there. It's a great plot executed brilliantly.



ACTING:The acting is great as well. There isn't a dry performance in here. Every character is played with the most emotion possible for them. Christian Bale's reprised role as Bruce Wayne/Batman is still as mysterious and well done as ever. Tom Hardy does a brilliant job of playing the new, misunderstood villain of Bane. He really tries to be as wicked and evil as he possibly can, while still being mysterious. Anne Hathaway's role as Selina Kyle/Catwoman is also very well played and also very sexy, as she plays it with the top priority of keeping mysterious. The other shiners besides these three are Michael Caine as Alfred, Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Detective John Blake, Gary Oldman as Comissioner Gordon, Morgan Freeman as Lucious Fox, Marion Cotillard as Miranda Tate, and Liam Neeson with his cameo as Ra's al Ghul (Batman's trainer). Each of the old roles come back as strong as ever and each new one shines some new light into the final installment of the Batman trilogy.

SCORE:The score was made up of many different, beautiful themes done by the great Hans Zimmer, along with a haunting rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner". I really liked it.

EFFECTS:The effects of the machines, the explosions, and all of the action looked great and realistic to say the least.



OTHER CONTENT:This final installment to Nolan's great Batman trilogy is just as suspenseful, thrilling, intense, and violent as the last with some more stacked up on the side. This film comes off as a very great ending to brilliant superhero trilogy. There are even a few scenes in which I can find a great bit of underlying beauty only a true cinephile could spot. The only flaw I could really find in this is the end. I'm not going to spoil it, but it can come off as confusing to some and it doesn't seem to completely tie off the trilogy for good. It almost spoiled a good bit of the film for some. However, this is still a great film, and Batman will live forever in the hearts of those everywhere.

OVERALL,an awesome Batman film with a brilliantly executed plot, great acting, beautiful score, realistic effects, some underlyingly beautiful scenes, and almost just as much suspense, thrills, intensity and violence as the last one, but the ending ruined it a little for me.

(P.S.: I'd like to give my condolences and respects to the victims and families of those who were killed and injured in the Colorada shootings during this film. God rest their souls in hope something of this type may never happen again.)

My Thoughts on the Upcoming Animated Films

There are a lot of interesting animated films coming out later this year and possibly next. I'm only doing the ones which have already had a trailer released. We have more from Pixar in the future and even some stop motion from the likes of Tim Burton. So, without further ado, here's my thoughts on the future animations.

PARANORMAN
Release Date: August 17th
Directed by: Chris Butler

This movie from the creators of Coraline (one of my favorites) is about a boy named Norman. He's always been the weird kid in school, but there's a reason for that. Norman has the spectacular power to see ghosts and the dead. One day when he's warned by one of the dead that something bad's going to happen, he must band with a few unlikely heroes to save the town from an evil witch. This one looks like it's going to be pretty good. The animation looks just as good as it did in Coraline, but it may be better. It looks like it might be a little more juvenile, however. I have high hopes for it, considering the fact I loved Coraline.

HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA
Release Date: September 28
Directed by: Genndy Tartakovsky

In this creature-themed movie, we learn that all monsters, from Frankenstein to the Wolfman, all go to one place to rest up and that's Hotel Transylvania, owned by Count Dracula (played by Adam Sandler). On this particular night, it happens to be a celebration for the daugther of Dracula, Mavis's (played by Selena Gomez) 118th birthday. However, the unlikely happens and a human wanders into the castle. To keep things cool, Dracula tries to give the human room and board, as promised. Yet, the human starts to fall in love with Mavis. Obviously, things don't go too well. This looks ok. It really is a great idea, but it looks like a hit-or-miss, especially with Adam Sandler doing the voice of our lead. Along with the two I mention, the other celebrity voice talents are Kevin James, Fran Drescher, David Spade, Cee-Lo Green, Steve Buscemi, Molly Shannon, Andy Samberg, and David Koechner. If the all-star cast can't make up for the mistakes this might make, than it's obviously doomed. However, I still have some high hopes for this one as well.

FRANKENWEENIE
Release Date: October 5th
Directed by: Tim Burton

Tim Burton decides to revisit his days of animation in this adventure about a young boy who develops a friendship with his dog. However, one day the dog dies, and he's left sad. He gets an idea later on to try a Frankenstein move and bring his dog back to life. He succeeds and now he must keep it secret from his friends and neighbors. Of course, somebody finds out and everything goes wrong. This one looks very retro in its looks, for it's all in black and white and the trailer advertised it as that of a midnight horror movie in the '50s. The voice talents are laced with some of Burton's usuals: Winon Ryder and Catherine O'Hara. However, there are a couple newer faces, such as Martin Landou and Martin Short. The animation brings back the feeling of the Corpse Bride and Nightmare Before Christmas quite well, for Burton's animation is quite distinctive. I believe this one is a true hit-or-miss, but with all the retro-hype surrounding it, and the seemingly-improved animation, I expect it to be loved by a good audience.

WRECK-IT RALPH
Release Date: November 2nd
Directed by: Rich Moore

Disney tries again with their own brand of computer animation with this tale about a classic '80s, video game villain, Wreck-It Ralph (John C. Reilly), getting tired of always being the villain in the game and not being loved by the kids who play these games. So, he sets out game-jumping to find a game he can stay in and be the hero. However, this is not easy with today's games, considering he gets stuck in a kind of war game that's completely new to him. It sounds like a great plot idea, and it looks like it's going to be pretty clever from the trailer. In the trailer, we see villain-cameos from that of Bowser (Super Mario), Dr. Eggman (Sonic the Hedgehog), and the ghost from Pac-Man as well as others. Besides Reilly, we also have voice talents from Jane Lynch and Sarah Silverman. The animation actually looks pretty good too. I have high hopes for this one, but I'm a little worried about it considering that Disney's last new idea for a new animated film, Mars Needs Moms, fell flat. I still am looking forward to this one greatly.

RISE OF THE GUARDIANS
Release Date: November 21st
Directed by: William Joyce & Peter Ramsey

In this animated film, the beloved guardians of childhood, Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, Jack Frost, and the Sandman, all band together to protect the children of the world from the nightmarish ways of the boogeyman known as Pitch. It's a very good idea for a plot, but it could easily fall flat on its face. However, with voice talents of Alec Baldwin, Jude Law, Isla Fisher, Hugh Jackman, and Chris Pine and with Guillermo Del Toro producing it, I believe it's going to be quite epic. The trailers are making it out to look epic anyhow. The animation looks pretty stunning just from looking at the trailer, also considering they gave some of the childhood icons a new look. I'm looking forward to it, but who knows how good it's going to be? It's still a DreamWorks movie.

MONSTERS UNIVERSITY
Release Date: 2013
Directed by: Dan Scanlon

The much-awaited sequel for the 2003 hit, Monsters Inc., has finally arrived. However, it's not in fact a sequel, but a prequel. This movie documents Mike and Sully's college days: how they met, how they became friends, and how they became the top scarers they are today. This one is another true hit-or-miss. I don't think a prequel would've worked as well as a sequel. You had more to do with a sequel than you would with a prequel to the original Monsters. Of course, we still have our two lead voices coming back to reprise their roles as Mike and Sully, Billy Crystal and John Goodman, and we also have Steve Buscemi, Dave Foley, Jennifer Tilly, Frank Oz, and (of course) John Ratzenberger. If they do this right, it could be a pretty good sequel. However, this could suck a lot if they don't put in the right amount of spirit as they did in the last one. Come on, Pixar, let's do this right!

EPIC
Release Date: May 2013
Directed by: Chris Wedge

This is the one I know the least about, for I only saw the trailer in the new Ice Age movie, but from what I've gathered, it's about a herd of bugs that have summoned these small people called Leaf Men to protect them from an evil spider queen. This one, like Rise of the Guardians, was based on a book series written by William Joyce. The animation looks quite dazzling to say the least, but is it going to be good? Well, it's from the makers of Ice Age and Rio, so it's another hit-or-miss. It's really hard to tell how this one's going to be, but I predict that it's going to be quite magical. The voice talents in here are pretty diverse, including Beyonce, Colin Farrell, Josh Hutcherson, Amanda Seyfried, Johnny Knoxville, Aziz Ansari, Pitbull, Jason Sudeikis, and even Steven Tyler. With that voice cast, what could go wrong? Lots, if used wrong.

FINDING NEMO 3D
Release Date: September 14th
Directed by: Andrew Stanton

This one's really not new, I just wanted to include it because I'm also looking forward to it. I saw the 2D version in theaters when I was a little kid and I always wonder what it'd look like in dazzling 3D, with all the colorful reefs, menacing sharks, a sharp-toothed barracuda, and even a scary anglerfish. The animation has and always will be magical, stunning, and brilliant, but in 3D, unless the go all digital wash-out on it, it'll be even better. Those are my hopes, at least.

...And there you have it. Those are my thoughts on the upcoming animated films in this year and early next year. I hope you enjoyed reading my thoughts on each. Thanks for reading and stayed tuned for reviews!