"Glass" Movie Review

    The moment I found out that “Split” was a secret sequel to “Unbreakable”, I knew I would end up seeing what ended up becoming “Glass”.  Creating a shared universe was perhaps the best twist M. Night Shyamalan has ever pulled off.  After so many failures and bombs, it was sort of nice and refreshing to see M. Night Shyamalan back in the spotlight.  Shyamalan has given us a wide range of films from brilliantly done horror with “The Sixth Sense” to laughably terrible with “The Happening”.  I knew going into “Glass” that it might go either way as far as quality was concerned.

    “Glass” tells the story of David Dunn, the protagonist of “Unbreakable”, as he sets off to free four captive girls and find the man responsible for their capture.  The girls are being held by Kevin Crumb, a man suffering from a form of multi-personality disorder.  Kevin Crumb was the main character in the film “Split”.  When the two finally clash, they are both captured and put into a mental health institution, the same institution in which Elijah Prince is also being held.  Elijah Prince aka Mr. Glass was the man responsible for the deaths of countless lives in his pursuit to find a real life superhero.  When David Dunn and Kevin Crumb arrive at the institution, Elijah puts his greatest plan yet into motion.

    So, let me start by saying I enjoyed “Unbreakable” but I never thought it was a perfect movie.  It had it’s own issues but it was an overall enjoyable movie.  I will admit, I still have yet to see “Split”.  I own it and have had the blu-ray for awhile now but I haven’t watched it yet.  I probably will soon partly because of this film, but we will see.  So, my opinion of “Glass” is about the same as my views on “Unbreakable”.  It is a flawed movie but still fairly enjoyable.  I have a feeling “Split” is probably the best of the trilogy however.

    M. Night Shyamalan made some interesting choices with this film and some of them worked well and others, not so much.  It is hard to get into what works and doesn’t without getting into spoilers which I won’t do but I will say the first half of the movie is extremely good.  There is even a lot of good setups that get paid off later in the film.  My main problem with the film was it’s last act.  It wasn’t terrible and I understand why Shyamalan ended the film the way he did, but I think a more satisfying ending could have been written.  I had a few better ideas myself just based off of other comic books.  I also thought the movie could have benefited greatly with a bit more levity.  The film doesn’t have to be as humor filled as a Marvel movie, but even the darker toned DC films have more lighter moments than “Glass” had.  Real life situations can be humorous.  It’s okay for an audience to enjoy a laugh or two.

    Lastly, I want to discuss the performances real quick.  James McAvoy does such a stellar job as Kevin Crumb/The Beast that it should be an award contender next Oscars.  McAvoy was the main focus of this film and for good reason.  Bruce Willis reprised his role of David Dunn/The Overseer after 19 years and gives one of the better performances he has given since “Unbreakable”.  Unfortunately, he still seemed to be phoning it in a bit and he wasn’t in it as much as I had hoped.  Willis is notoriously hard to work with so perhaps it was best he wasn’t in the film more.  Samuel L. Jackson wasn’t given a lot to work with or much screen time but when he finally gets a chance to shine, he lights it up in a way only he can.  It was also nice to see Anya Taylor-Joy, Spencer Treat Clark, and Charlayne Woodard reprise their roles from the previous films.  Sarah Paulson plays a very key role to the plot and ending and they picked one of the best actresses working now to accomplish this chore.

    “Glass” is a decent film which had the potential to be so much more.  Given a slight rewrite and a slightly more focused story, it could have been seen as one of the best comic book movies ever and set up a future universe for our characters, instead we are left with a decent film which will probably be forgotten by most people in the span of a month.

Grade: B-

"Alien" Movie Review

    Growing up, I may have had a wee bit of an unhealthy obsession with aliens and UFOs.  I would watch shows like “Sightings” and whenever “Unsolved Mysteries” had a UFO special, my fat butt was parked right in front of the television.  The subject matter always fascinated and scared me.  What if aliens do exist?  What if they aren’t so nice?  If we visited an alien world, would we be viewed as peaceful?

    Naturally, as someone already interested in the topic matter, the film “Alien” naturally appealed to me when I first saw the VHS sitting on a video rental store just waiting to be rented (this was before DVDs, Blu-rays, and digital streaming).  I rented it and for the longest time, I didn’t really care for it to be honest.  I was young and I was expected something different.  As you get older, your tastes change a bit and I realize now why I didn’t like the movie.  As a kid, I had heard so much about the franchise that I was expecting more of an action movie, I was expecting “Aliens” as opposed to “Alien”.  The first film focuses more on the horror and science fiction elements and has very little action scenes.  After a few years and realizing why I felt the way I did about the movie, I was able to revisit it with fresh eyes.

    The original “Alien” film is widely considered a classic and for good reason.  The first film in the franchise, as discussed above, was one of the first movies to successfully marry the science fiction and horror genres into an effective feature.  While the sequels went off into many other directions since the first film, “Alien” provided the perfect foundation for the franchise.

    The plot of the movie is simple, the crew of the ship Nostromo encounter an alien life form that ends up terrorizing the crew and it becomes a battle to survive.  The tag line for this film was spot on, “In space, no one can hear you scream” and it perfectly captures the spirit of the movie.

    The cast was stellar and I think they really helped make this movie seem more realistic and frightening.  Ian Holm makes for a menacing threat from within the crew.  John Hurt plays the second in command and unknowing host of the alien.  He gives ‘birth’ to the iconic and terrifying chest buster.  The scene and performance were so iconic that Hurt reprised his role for the spoof “Spaceballs” in which his character has yet another alien pop out from his chest.  Tom Skerritt and Sigourney Weaver co-lead the film but Weaver is the one everyone remembers and has become iconic.  Weaver’s Ripley was one of the first strong female leads in a science fiction film.  She remains a fan favorite staple of the genre even to this day.

    Director Ridley Scott masterfully helms this film and creates an atmosphere of pure despair by the end.  Scott widely used the art of H.R. Giger as the basis of much of the film’s designs, including the alien itself.  All the scares are set to the perfect score by Jerry Goldsmith.  The film also is well known for it’s use of practical visual effects.

    “Alien” is one of the best horror films of all time and a landmark science fiction film.  Needless to say, if you aren’t a fan of a jump scare or two, you should stay away.  If you want a freight, “Alien” does the trick.

Grade: B

Superhero Movie Showdown Round 4

    It’s that time again!  We are heading into uncharted territory as we are pinning fan favorites against fan favorites and some surprising films have fallen by the way side.  Do you agree with what my Instagram followers have picked?  Comment below and let your voice be heard!

"BlacKkKlansman" Movie Review

    I remember seeing the previews for the film “BlacKkKlansman” and being intrigued by the premise.  I wanted to see the movie based on the fact that it was inspired by true events and because it was directed by Spike Lee.  Still, I never got around to seeing this in theaters.  I ended up coming across the movie again at our local movie rental store, Family Video, so I decided to rent it to see how it turned out.

    I have to admit, the previews for “BlacKkKlansman” reminded me a bit of the classic ‘Black White Supremacist’ sketch from “Chappelle’s Show”.  Now, the movie was more serious in tone, but they both shared a similar plot.  That was just my first impression however.

    Now, this film was recently nominated for Best Picture so do I feel it was among the best of the year?  Well, I don’t think I would have personally nominated the film for best picture, but I still think it was very enjoyable.

    “BlacKkKlansman” tells the story of Detective Ron Stallworth (the first African America detective in Colorado Springs) who decides to infiltrate the KKK and uses his partner, Detective Flip Zimmerman, as his public face.  The two start contacting David Duke to gain access to the KKK as part of an under cover investigation in Colorado Springs.

    The film was directed by Spike Lee.  As stated above, I rented this in part because it is a Spike Lee film and I find the director to be fascinating.  Now, that isn’t to say I love all of his films or think he is the best director ever.  Instead, I find him to be a director I very much enjoy but often find myself frustrated with because his movies often get bogged down with a sense of self righteousness in my opinion.  In a movie like “BlacKkKlansman” with a clear sense of right and wrong, it isn’t as much of an issue however.  All that said, I do think he earned his best director Oscar nomination with this film.

    The acting relays heavily on that of John David Washington and Adam Driver.  John David Washington, the son of Denzel Washington, does a solid job.  He isn’t quite on the level of his father yet, but this is a very impressive start and I have no doubt he may end up on his father’s level in no time at all.  To me, Adam Driver stole the movie.  He gives a realistic and conflicted performance that I found to be the most interesting in the film.  Topher Grace plays David Duke and looks the part.  He does a good job in the role but there are limits to playing a character like David Duke that you can get by with.  Topher Grace could have easily been the next Tom Hanks, it’s kind of sad that he fizzled so quickly after “That ‘70s Show”.

    A trait that most Spike Lee ‘joints’ have in my opinion are tone issues and this movie certainly continues that same pattern.  The film is presented as both a drama based on actual events and a comedy because those events are so outlandish.  It isn’t an easy balance and very few movies strike the right note when trying to balance drama with comedy but it is part of what kept the movie from being a masterpiece in my opinion.

    All that being said, “BlacKkKlansman” is an important movie to watch to remind us how toxic our current political climate is.  Perhaps a lot more work needs to be done to get our country as a whole to a more tolerant place.  It’s sad to realize that a man as terrible as David Duke was a key political figurehead in the past Presidential election.

    “BlacKkKlansman” isn’t a perfect film but it is still very good.  While I don’t think it was quite Oscar worthy, I can certainly see the argument that can be made that it was.

Grade: B+

"Lost in Space" Movie Review

    In the 1960s and into the 1970s, science fiction films and television shows were popping up all the time but one of the first hit shows to come out of the sci-fi boom was “Lost in Space”.  The show was based on the classic book “The Swiss Family Robinson” but with a sci-fi twist.  The show lasted for three years and developed a loyal fanbase over the years.  Who to this day hasn’t heard “Danger!  Danger Will Robinson!” at least once in their life?  “Lost in Space” is now enjoying a successful second life thanks to the new Netflix series but this wasn’t the first attempt at a reboot for the franchise.  This blog is going to focus on the most ambitious remake attempt at the time for this property, the 1998 “Lost in Space” film.

    The movie version of “Lost in Space” was basically a remake of the pilot of the tv show.  The Robinson family launches into space to colonize a new home but Dr. Smith sabotages their ship (and ends up getting stuck on the ship as well) so they are thrown off course into uncharted space.  They are literally lost in space.  In the film, the Robinson family, Major West (their pilot), and Dr. West must work together as they come across a time bubble which they end up getting stuck in.  The reason for the time bubble is somewhat of a twist so I won’t discuss it here (although the movie is over two decades old at this point).

    The casting of this movie rages from perfection to what were they thinking.  William Hurt and Mimi Rogers didn’t hurt the film nor did their performances add much.  The two gave rather bland performances but it could have been worse.  Case in point, Matt LeBlanc as Major West.  He was cast solely on the popularity of the show “Friends” and it was a terrible mistake.  He had no sense of authority and cracked unfunny quips because, well, he’s Matt LeBlanc.  Then you have Gary Oldman as Dr. Smith.  Oldman gives it his all in a performance that would almost garner Oscar talk if it were any other film besides “Lost in Space”.  Heather Graham was cast because of her looks and adds very little to the film.  Jack Johnson was extremely good as Will Robinson and was far better than your average child actor.  As you can tell, the cast was a very mixed bag.

    I very much enjoyed the film’s nods to the original tv show as well as the cameos from the original cast members.  It was fun and it wasn’t distracting like in some other remakes.  “Lost in Space” the movie has it’s own style and introduces the concept of time manipulation.  It would have been interesting to see the planned sequel because we would have found out that the Jupiter 2 never escaped the time bubble so the sequel would have essentially been “Lost in Time”.

    “Lost in Space” was an average film based on the revolutionary tv show.  People expected more from this movie, perhaps too much.  I enjoyed the movie quite a bit as a kid because I thought it was fun, which is an opinion I still have.

Grade: C+

"The Predator" Movie Review

    The original Arnold Schwarzenegger led “Predator” film is among many people’s favorite movies.  It is a unique blend of action and science fiction with elements of horror that all worked.  After a few sequels as well as a few Alien crossovers that didn’t live up to the original, news that Shane Black was going to helm a new sequel was met with enthusiasm from the fanbase.

    “The Predator” tells the story of an alien Predator who crashes down on Earth and is captured by the Government after a Captain named Quinn McKenna fights him and the Predator kills his men.  McKenna manages to escape and steal some alien technology which he sends home where his son Rory begins to explore the technology.  McKenna is captured and is deemed insane by the military and is shipped off on a bus with other former soldiers with varying mental health issues.  Along the way, the men must bond and join forces to fight off the alien Predator.

    Going into this film, I had high hopes for this sequel.  The trailer looked like it might be a return to form and I found some enjoyment from the other sequels.  Unfortunately, this didn’t live up to my expectations.  Shane Black co-wrote and directed this film and it is filled with his sense of humor.  Black co-starred in the first film and did some script doctoring.

    Boyd Holbrook plays the lead role of Captain Quinn McKenna and does a decent job.  Holbrook doesn’t exactly have the commanding presence a Ranger Captain should have however.  The highlight as far as acting is the pair of Keegan Michael-Key and Thomas Jane.  Jane’s character has Tourette syndrome and they play that for laughs and it works mostly due to Thomas Jane’s delivery.  I feel like the movie would have benefited from Boyd Holbrook and Thomas Jane switching roles.  Jane is older with a leadership quality.  Sterling K. Brown is also pretty entertaining in the film.

    The movie suffered from a fair amount of controversy due to Olivia Munn sharing a scene with an actor who happened to be a registered sex offender.  Olivia Munn was angry she wasn’t informed of that fact while filming.  The film also tried to make autism a key plot point to the ending which can be viewed as insensitive even though Shane Black intended it to be a positive thing.

    The film is cgi heavy but the cgi isn’t exactly up to snuff.  The predator dogs were done decently but most of the fights involving the Predator and the Super Predator looked very dated for 2018 standards.

    “The Predator” tried for a more grounded approach than “Predators” but I have to admit I enjoyed the Robert Rodriguez predecessor more.  The concept was decent but it was just a case of the movie not quite working for various reasons.  It wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t a classic like the original by a far stretch either.

Grade: C

"A Dog's Way Home" Movie Review

    I am sure most people who know me would assume that I have spent my whole life around dogs and adoring them all.  I wouldn’t blame them if they did, I am a huge dog person now but that wasn’t always the case.  I never grew up around dogs.  The first dog my parents got was a Siberian Husky named Demon Flash Bandit when I was around 18 years old.  Before then, I was actually afraid of dogs due to an incident in which I was attacked as a kid.  I didn’t understand dogs then, but Demon (and later his adopted sister Angel) helped me understand and adore dogs.

    So, after all that has been said, naturally a movie entitled “A Dog’s Way Home” would be on my radar.  The film is based on a book by W. Bruce Cameron (author of “A Dog’s Purpose”) and tells the story of a dog named Bella who becomes separated from her owner and sets off on a long adventure to reunite with him.  It’s a simple story much in the same vain as “Homeward Bound”.  Throughout her journey home, Bella risks many dangers and gives up comfortable living alternatives in order to find Lucas, the human she loves and her owner.

    The film wasn’t reliant on human performances, instead focusing mainly on the dog Bella.  Bryce Dallas Howard voices Bella’s inner monologue.  Howard provides warmth and innocence to her voice work and helps you feel what Bella is going through.  I was surprised to Ashley Judd as the mother in the movie.  It seemed like yesterday in which she was the lead actress in many romantic comedies.  I must be getting old.  A standout performance in the movie, although brief, was that of Edward James Olmos.  Olmos gives so much to even small roles that he becomes easily one of the most complex characters in the movie, making the audience both hate him and feel a great deal of sympathy for him.

    “A Dog’s Way Home” isn’t for everyone of course.  It has a relatively simple story so anyone going to the theater to watch a film which creates a moral debate such as “Vice” should probably steer clear of this movie.  Also, if you don’t like dogs, you definitely should avoid this movie.  The core of this movie is based on the love humans and dogs share between each other.

    The film isn’t without some fault.  Now, this isn’t the movie’s fault per say, more the marketing department’s screw up, but too much was shown in the trailer for the movie.  It spoiled some elements that definitely could have been more surprising such as the relationship Bella forms with the cougar she meets.  The trailer also all but confirmed that Bella would be reunited with Lucas.  While that seemed like a given anyway, showcasing the scene to cap off the trailer seemed like massive overkill.  I have overheard a few people say that after watching the trailer, they felt like they watched the movie and they aren’t far off.  “A Dog’s Way Home” is still definitely worth seeing, but the marketing just seemed very counter productive.

    This film achieves it’s goals by delivering an overall cute film that showcases the bond humans and dogs have.  While it is easy to dismiss this crowd pleasing film complete with a predictable feel good ending as fluff, isn’t that part of the reason we go to movies?  Escapism is the main job of entertainment, to help make you forget your troubles for a few hours and make you feel warm and happy for a change.  Seeing characters go through struggles but overcome them helps give us motivation.

    I should also add that “A Dog’s Way Home” provides a much needed family fare alternative to some of the other movies currently in theaters.  It is also a pretty ideal movie to watch on a date if both individuals are dog lovers.  Why drag your girlfriend to a superhero movie she doesn’t want to see or drag your boyfriend to a romantic comedy he doesn’t want to see when you both could be happy seeing this movie.

Grade: B

"Roma" Movie Review

    Well, it’s Oscar season again and to many people’s surprise, Netflix actually had some pretty serious contenders this year and one film, “Roma”, became a critical favorite and managed to garner ten Oscar nominations this year.  I actually watched the movie a few days before the nominations were announced but I unfortunately have not been able to share my thoughts on the film until now.  So, let me share my thoughts on this critical darling.

    “Roma” tells the story of a young live-in servant named Cleo in Mexico during the 70’s.  The film was written and directed by acclaimed filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón and it is inspired by his own upbringing.  During the film, Cleo ends up getting pregnant just as the marriage of her employers is falling apart.  Sofia, the matriarch of the family, has to deal with the fact that her husband has left her while finding some purpose in helping Cleo during her pregnancy.  The bond between the two women grow as the film progresses and their relationship changes as life changes them.

    The film is filled with some surprisingly effective comedic moments as well as heart breaking scenes that leave you in near tears.  While these elements are played beautifully well, I feel the film drug in quite a few places.  The runtime felt long to me for a rather simple story to tell.  I am in the minority here among critics, but that is how I feel.

    The actors all did a stellar job in this film.  Both Yalitza Aparicio and Marina de Tavira deliver brilliant performances that showcase them at their lowest and makes you believe they could still get back up after all the things both women have gone through.

    Alfonso Cuarón delivers a beautifully shot film and choosing to make this black and white helps put you in the 70s. The film has no English spoken throughout since it is set in Mexico.  Spanish and Mixtec are the only languages spoken in the film, however there are English subtitles.

    I feel like “Roma” was made for a certain audience and I am just not in their wheelhouse.  That isn’t to say that I feel like “Roma” is a bad film, it is just not a film made for me.  That being said, it is also hard to totally ignore the creative choices made in this film.

Grade: C

“Bumblebee” Movie Review

    As a child, I grew up in a family very invested in toy culture.  My dad was a big toy collector and I spent a lot of my childhood in toy stores and going to various toy shows.  Now, keep in mind, at the age of 33, I grew up in an era before the internet and the birth of E-Bay.  Needless to say, I was very aware of Transformers toys as a kid.  Ironically, I actually had less Transformers toys than your average kid.  I remember I had a Beast Wars Transformers but I believe that might have been my only Transformer toy despite liking them.  I think they might have been a little too expensive for my parents though and I had plenty of other toys interests including Power Rangers.

    When Michael Bay made a big screen version of Transformers, I was keen to see what the movie would be like.  Despite being divisive, I remember enjoying the first “Transformers” quite a bit.  At the time, I also watched the original cartoon “Transformers: The Movie” but I had a harder time getting into it probably because I never watched the cartoon as a kid.  For better or worse, I found the Bay version more accessible.

    As much as I liked the first “Transformers” movie, I didn’t enjoy the sequels quiet as much.  The first two sequels had some fun moments and I didn’t hate them, but they weren’t as good as the first movie.  Then by the time Mark Wahlberg took over the lead in the fourth and fifth film, it just felt like three hours of explosions and cgi garbage thrown of screen.  The Transformers movie became less enjoyable to watch and more of a chore.

    Now, all that being said, I wasn’t super eager to see “Bumblebee”.  I was pretty much done seeing Transformers movies in the theaters.  I skipped The Last Knight in theaters and still have not watched all of it yet.  That being said, I kept reading good reviews and more importantly for me, good word of mouth so I managed to drag my poor girlfriend to go see it with me.  (I swear she is an angel for letting me indulge in all my nerdy movies and going to see them with me).  We left the movie both really enjoying the movie more than we expected we would!

    “Bumblebee” is a prequel to the Michael Bay “Transformers” movies.  It tells the story of how Bumblebee arrived on Earth and his mission to protect Earth in order to set up a new base for the Autobots.  Upon arriving on Earth, he accidentally crosses paths and makes an enemy in the form of Agent Burns.  After escaping the clutches of Agent Burns and the Decepticons, he is picked up by a young girl named Charlie. The two bond and continue to evade the pursuits of Agent Burns, the military and the Decepticons while Bumblebee continues his mission to keep the Earth secure.

    The movie itself is very sweet.  The movie showcases the relationship between Charlie and Bumblebee much like the relationship a person has with their pet so it’s easy to connect and relate to.  It also helps that they made Bumblebee extremely lovable in this film.  The movie is also very funny at times.  I found myself laughing out loud quite a few times.

    The movie stars Hailee Steinfeld as Charlie and she really carries the movie.  It isn’t easy alongside a non existent co-star but she manages to make you feel like Bumblebee is always there and interacting with her on set.  John Cena plays Agent Burns and does a good job in the film.  Cena continues to be interesting to see on film and I am still curious to see if he can break out in the same way Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson did.  Cena essentially plays a version of himself in this movie so you can tell he was comfortable with the role.  Dwayne Johnson usually picks roles suited to his personality as well so it’s clear he is taking a cue from his playbook.

    This is the first live action Transformers movie not directed by Michael Bay and it shows.  Travis Knight took over the directing duties and he focuses the script more of the characters over the action set pieces.  This was also one of the first Transformers movies in which I could tell what was going on during the action sequences.  It didn’t look like cgi diarrhea.  Transformers fans will also appreciate the Generation One toy line influence including Bumblebee being a Volkswagen Beetle over a Chevy Camaro as depicted in the Michael Bay films.

    “Bumblebee” is ultimately a film that turned out better than I expected (and ultimately better than it had a right to be).  It resparked my interest in the Transformers films and I would gladly go see another adventure if it was made with this tone.  “Bumblebee” is the rare sequel/prequel that exceeds it’s predecessors and delivers a fun movie going experience.  It isn’t a deep film, but it will have you leaving the theater happy.

Grade: B+

Superhero Movie Showdown Round 3

    As C-3PO once said, “Here we go again.”  Yes, here are the results for the third round of my superhero movie instagram poll.  Once again, there are some upsets and some underdog wins!

"Bad Times at the El Royale" Movie Review

    I think it is very clear on this blog that I am obsessed with movies and the art of filmmaking.  As such, there are writers and directors that I tend to follow or consider more ‘bankable’ than the star of a movie.  After all, the behind the scenes crew is very much the bank bone of a movie.  No amounts of stellar acting can salvage a rubbish premise or script.  So, when I saw Drew Goddard had a new film out, I was pretty excited.

    “Bad Times at the El Royale” tells the story of several people who’s paths cross at the El Royale hotel.  It is a period piece with lots of Motown music to set the mood and environment.  The El Royale itself is an interesting set piece because the hotel is on the dividing line of Nevada and California.  While the El Royale is a fictional hotel, it was based on a hotel with a similar gimmick that was owned by Frank Sinatra.

    Drew Goddard tells the story in an interesting way by essentially showing each character’s point of view as a framing device.  It is a unique style and a less confusing way to tell a non linear story.

    The film is packed with solid performances.  Jeff Bridges and Chris Hemsworth are among the standouts of the film but the movie also showcases some up and coming talent such as Cailee Spaeny and Lewis Pullman.  Dakota Johnson, who was often panned for her role in the Fifty Shades franchise, was also very good in this film.

    Now, for all that praise, it’s a shame the movie only proved to be okay at best.  I have seen far worse films in my life, but this film was definitely a disappointment.  In some small defense, the film’s marketing did this movie no favors.  The marketing department wanted to sell this in the vain of Goddard’s “The Cabin in the Woods” when it shares more elements of a movie like “Vacancy” or “Identity”.

    Now, a lot of critics have compared “Bad Times at the El Royale” to a Quentin Tarantino film as far as the overall feeling of the film but I personally don’t share their feelings.  While the non linear story could easily service a Tarantino film, “Bad Times at the El Royale” doesn’t share the grit and profanity of your average Tarantino film.  While the film does have it’s share of violence, it still seems very polished and stylized.  In that sense, it feels more of a hybrid of Tarantino and Joss Whedon.

    Considering how secretive this project was even among those in the industry, there is little to no pay off for people being so hush hush about this project.  That seems to be the biggest twist to this project, there isn’t really one despite all the hints it was filled with them.

    “Bad Times at the El Royale” is a decent film but nothing that will blow you away.  With no twists and a morally ambiguous plot, there is very little to take away from the movie aside from some excellent performances.  Perhaps “Blah Times at the El Royale” would have been a more fitting title.

Grade: C

Binge Watch: “Dogs on the Job”

    Sometimes I wonder how anyone could not love a dog.  Even when my dogs are driving me nuts, I still love them to death.  Now I realistically know people have their reasons, so I am kidding a bit, but I adore dogs and view my dogs as furry family members.  I watch a great deal of dog movies and tv shows as a result.  When I saw that Mill Creek Entertainment was releasing a DVD documentary set called “Dogs on the Job”, I had to check it out.  Mill Creek Entertainment generously provided me a review copy for me.

    “Dogs on the Job” is a seven part series with each episode focusing on different jobs that dogs still do to this day.  From police dogs to sled dogs, our furry best friends still provide a great deal of services for us.

    The documentary series goes into what each job consists of as well as some vital history about the importance of dogs doing the job.  For instance, the chapter entitled “Herding and Mushing” not only deals with why dogs still mush, it also tells the story of the 1925 diphtheria serum run to Nome, Alaska which saved countless lives.

    I focused on the episode “Herding and Mushing” because I happen to have two Siberian Huskies named Demon and Angel.  Both dogs were very popular on Dogster when it was still around and had their own loyal following.

    What I liked about the documentary is that it takes time to tell you what each job entails as well as showcasing information from people who actually do the jobs along with the animals (such as a ranch hand or musher) to get their expert insight.  It is easy to give information off but the interviews help give the jobs some real world context.  All and all, this DVD set is worth getting if you are a dog lover!

Buy “Dogs on the Job” on DVD!!

"Superman Returns" Movie Review

    After Christopher Reeve was tragically left paralyzed following a horse riding mishap, it seemed like Warner Bros. could only remake a film version of Superman.  Indeed, plans for a remake were in various stages for a number of years at Warner Bros. with everyone from Tim Burton to McG to J.J. Abrams attached at various stages of development.  It wasn’t until Bryan Singer took the director’s chair that things finally started seeing progress.  Singer was fresh off of two highly successful X-Men films and sought to reintroduce Superman to the world.

    “Superman Returns” follows the events of the first two Superman films while ignoring what transpired in the last two Reeve Superman films.  Erasing only two films from continuity while still acting as a sequel to the first two films proved to be a confusing and needlessly confusing move.

    The plot was simple enough, acting as a character piece with some romance and a little action sprinkled in.  Superman had left the Earth before the events of this film to search for any remaining life from Krypton.  Upon returning to Earth, Superman has to find his place in a world that has moved on without him.  While trying to find purpose, Superman must stop a new real estate scam from Lex Luther that could kill numerous people.

    “Superman Returns” serves as Singer’s love letter to the Richard Donner and Christopher Reeve Superman films.  Unfortunately, the Donner Superman films balanced the humor, action, and romance better.  Donner’s Superman film was set up into a three act play with act one taking place on Krypton, act two taking place in Smallville, while the final act takes place in Metropolis.  Singer’s Superman film is a little more all over the place.  It is also about thirty minutes too long which definitely effects it’s pacing.

    Now, this isn’t to say the film is bad, it is still a pretty darn good movie.  It’s just it could have been a masterpiece with a few tweaks.  The easiest move for the movie would have been to add a few more action pieces.  The few action scenes that Singer filmed will leave you dropping your jaw.  The airplane rescue scene is beyond amazing.

    As far as the cast goes, Brandon Routh makes for a fantastic Superman.  He really embodies the big blue boy scout of the comics.  I would say that I personally preferred the performance of Routh over Henry Cavill.  Kate Bosworth added little as Lois Lane and makes you long for Margot Kidder.  Now, for the elephant in the room, Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor.  If you can divorce yourself from all the gossip and all the terrible allegations surrounding Kevin Spacey, I thought his performance was fantastic.  Out of all the actors to have played Lex Luthor on the big screen, Spacey is my favorite.  The film also uses archive footage of Marlon Brando as Jor-El.  Seeing Brando once again added a sense of continuity to the film.

    Speaking of elephants in the room, Bryan Singer did an amazing job directing this film.  Yes, there are flaws and the film needed some of the filler trimmed, but the visuals are incredible and the character study of Superman was an interesting approach.

    It’s a shame that “Superman Returns” didn’t receive a sequel because it could be argued that this film was as good or better than the Zack Snyder remake “Man of Steel”.  The film isn’t perfect but deserves to be seen by true comic book fans.

Grade: B+

"Supergirl" Movie Review

    Following up a successful franchise is never an easy task.  Sequels are hit or miss in terms of successfulness and spin-offs tend to fail more often than sequels.  Still, the notion of a “Supergirl” film had (and still has) promise.  Supergirl has always been one of the most interesting characters in the Superman mythology and has had numerous successful solo comic book runs.  Plus, The CW has a hit in their own “Supergirl” show currently so clearly a movie could easily be a run away classic.

    Unfortunately, “Supergirl” doesn’t fly to the heights of it’s potential.  The film follows the events of the Christopher Reeve Superman films and features Marc McClure reprising his role of Jimmy Olsen.  McClure is the only returning cast member which is a shame since a cameo from Christopher Reeve could have went a long way.  Reeve was actually going to film a cameo at one point but bowed out before production began.  A scene was written which would have featured Supergirl having to rescue an ill Superman from the clutches of the film’s villain.

    The film remains a landmark because it was the first mainstream superhero movie to feature a female lead.  Before “Wonder Woman”, “Captain Marvel”, or even “Catwoman”, “Supergirl” was the first out of the gates. It’s just a shame that it wasn’t a better film.

    The movie follows Kara as she journeys to Earth in order to recover the power source for the Kryptonian community of Argo City.  Upon arriving to Earth, she adopts the mantle of Supergirl and follows in her cousin’s footsteps in fighting crime while on the planet.  The power source is found by a witch named Selena who uses it to perform “real” magic.  In order to recover the power source and protect the Earth, Supergirl must stop Selena.

    Helen Slater is a delightful Supergirl.  It’s a shame that she wasn’t in more films after starring in this because she had a real presence.  The rest of the cast doesn’t deserve the same acclaim however.  Faye Dunaway plays Selena and she is easily the worst part of the film.  Dunaway is typically a very good actress but she just seemed out of her element in this project.

    The film is rather dull and feels like a less enjoyable version of the previous Superman films.  As a huge Superman fan, I had high hopes for this film upon rewatching it and I remember really enjoying this as a kid so I was disappointed to revisit it only to be mildly enjoyed.  That being said, there are worse ways to spend a few hours.

Grade: D

"Alien Abduction: Incident in Lake County" Movie Review

    I have always been interested in the subject matter of the paranormal even as a kid.  I found the stories interesting and frightening all at the same time, especially if the subject matter involved aliens.  Just seeing pictures of aliens used to scare me but for some reason, I felt drawn to the subject matter.  I read about incidents both famous and not so well known and watched countless shows and documentaries.

    One such special aired on the now defunct UPN channel.  The special was called “Alien Abduction: Incident in Lake County”.  The special is also known as “Alien Abduction: The McPherson Tape” since the family in the video was supposedly the McPherson family.  As I later found out, it was a remake of a video known as “The McPherson Tape”.

    The film focuses on the McPherson family as they enjoy a family gathering (a Birthday party).  Things quickly turn topsy turvy as members of the family explore the woods outside and find a UFO complete with alien occupants.  The family than had to fight off the aliens as they try to abduct the family.

    The film was presented on UPN as genuine footage (even though they clearly knew it wasn’t real).  This misrepresentation caused a great deal of controversy.  I remember seeing this and thinking it might be real as a kid.  I won’t lie, it scared the heck out of me. This was a time before the internet was widely available so fact checking footage like this was difficult.  Interestingly enough, one of the actors later appeared in “Battlestar Galactica” during the Pegasus episodes.

    The film remains scary to this day due to the fact that it feels real.  It is a found footage film in the vain of “The Blair Witch Project” but with aliens.  During the night, watching this in the dark, it’s hard not to be frightened and the film still holds up as a result.

Grade: B

Superhero Movie Showdown Round 2

    So, here are the results from the second round of the superhero movie challenge from my instagram account.  There were definitely some surprises but that is what makes this poll so fun!