Magic Mike XXL Review

I had no idea. Absolutely no idea. Not a clue that buried beneath six packs and crazy dance moves was one of the year's most fun and thoughtful movies. Yepp, Magic Mike XXL was one of the best times I have had at the movies this year, and it was also one of the films that carried a palpable and great message for the crowd that it intended to draw in. In the film, Mike is living as a successful custom furniture maker. However, he reconnects with his fellow male entertainers from the first film and they hop on the road to travel to the entertainer convention and hopefully go out in a blaze of glory and beefcake. Above all, this movie is an absolute blast. Instead of going for the cautionary and serious drama of the first film, this one goes straight for the fun, turning up the crazy dancing and interactions between the guys. Much has been said about this film's lack of plot, and in a sense, it does lack many plot points. In that way, it is very similar to an old Scorsese movie like Raging Bull, where the film let the characters drive the movie rather than the plot. We are re-introduced to all the guys from the first film (Big Dick Richie, Tarzan, Ken, and Tito) and their interactions with each other and Mike lie at the heart of the movie. Along the road, we are introduced to many new characters, each played by a celebrity in a cameo. The two stand outs are Jada Pinkett Smith and Donald Glover, both bringing a phenomenal swagger to their roles and fitting right in with Mike's troupe. From all these wonderful characters and their interactions, the message of the film is conveyed loud and clear. This is a movie that revolves around saying goodbye to your previous self and embracing what makes you who you are. It believes in having the confidence in yourself to achieve what you want and not relying on past ideals that somebody had told you to embrace. It's quite interesting that such a positive and timely message comes from a movie about male strippers, but that is beside the point right now. Another very important message of the movie concerns the treatment of women as well. This is a movie that is all about making the women in your life happy. It really celebrates women as individuals and encourages men to listen to their loved ones and really listen to them instead of just looking at them as objects. Overall, Magic Mike XXL was simply a great movie, one I would never hesitate to watch again. Judge all you want, but I truly loved this movie. It was loads of fun and had a great sense of humor, mixed together with a great message. What more could you ask for?

Magic Mike XXL gets a 9/10

Trainwreck Review

Trainwreck is the new film from up and coming star Amy Schumer, who has become incredibly popular in the past year or so. It stars Schumer, Bill Hader, and a host of celebrities, including the surprisingly funny Lebron James and John Cena. It is also directed by Judd Apatow, making his first movie since 2012's This Is 40. In the film, the main character Amy, played by Schumer, is a pot smoking, heavy drinking magazine writer who was raised to believe that monogamy isn't realistic. This lifestyle is put to the test when she meets Aaron Conners, played by Hader, whom she falls for. This relationship challenges all that she has ever known, and it remains to be seen whether she can make it work. The film is totally the Amy Schumer show, as she wrote the film and her style is felt throughout the entire runtime. Sadly, I didn't find myself laughing as much as I wanted to. I haven't really seen much of her stuff outside of the film, but the material I had viewed didn't really do it for me. The movie didn't make me eager to seek out any more of her material either, which could be seen as a bad thing. Even though she isn't really my cup of tea, that didn't ruin the movie. Luckily, the supporting cast Schumer surrounded herself with are very funny people. Lebron, John Cena, and Bill Hader were all hilarious, and really injected the film with great timing and perfect delivery of their lines. However, since this is a Judd Apatow feature, the comedy co-exists with an emotional angle that is just as important. The problem with this, however, is that the movie feels very overstuffed and unfocused. The story was all over the place, with the focus being the story Amy is writing on Aaron one moment, and then abruptly shifting to Aaron's ability to perform at his job. If the script had been trimmed down and the focus redirected, I believe the film would be a lot stronger. Besides Schumer not really doing it for me, my biggest complaint is that the film is far too long. Clocking in at over two hours long, there were definitely useless scenes of banter between characters that could have been cut out. Overall, this movie wasn't horrible, but it wasn't as good as some of Apatow's other work and it didn't turn me onto to Schumer's style of comedy. It's worth the matinee price of a ticket. If you are a big fan of Schumer, I recommend that you see the movie, as she is the star of the show. If not, I would suggest seeing something else, like the surprisingly fantastic Magic Mike XXL.

Trainwreck gets a 6/10.

Ant-Man Review

                                

Well, here I am, eating my words. I posted a piece a few months back about how I was not excited for the new film Ant-Man because I was unhappy with all the creative decisions that were being made behind the scenes of the movie. Not only did the movie succeed in being a fun time, it succeed on standing out amongst the onslaught of superhero films that we have been subjected to in the cinema in the past few years. Not only is Ant-Man arguably better than Avengers: Age Of Ultron, it rivals some of the best that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has had to offer in recent years. The film stars Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, and Evangeline Lily and is an introduction to the characters of Scott Lang and Hank Pym. Pym is the creator of the Ant-Man suit, which can shrink a man down to the size of the insect while increasing his strength. Lang, an ex-con trying to go straight, is recruited by Pym and his daughter Hope to pull off a heist that could have major implications for the world we live in. One of the reasons why I wasn't excited for this movie was because the original director Edgar Wright, director of such films as Hot Fuzz and Shaun Of The Dead, left the project, which had been a passion project of his. Wright is one of the more unique comedic directors working in the industry today and his direction and oddball script would have done wonders in terms of making the Cinematic Universe feel fresh and exciting again. Instead, he left the project and Peyton Reed, director of Bring It On, was brought on to helm the movie and Adam McKay, director/writer of The Other Guys, rewrote parts of Wright's script with star Paul Rudd. I am very happy that most of Wright's script remained in the final product, as there were sequences that could have very easily been featured in any of his other films. His mark on the film is undeniable. What sets the movie apart, however, is just how likable and relatable Paul Rudd is. He is very reminiscent of Chris Pratt in Guardians Of The Galaxy as the guy that you just want to root for. He has great comedic timing and fantastic chemistry with all the characters he interacts with on the screen. Michael Douglas is great as Lang's mentor Pym, Evangeline Lily is good as Pym's daughter, and, surprisingly, Michael Peña almost steals the show with his hilarious performance as one of Pym's thieving buddies. Another very notable aspect of the movie is the effects work of industry giants Industrial Light and Magic. The effects in the movie are flat out fantastic, as I continually was buying into the sequences where Lang shrinks down and interacts with the various ants that Pym has command of. The action sequences were genuinely fun and entertaining, with the camera constantly switching between Lang's shrunken point of view and the point of view of his various normal sized opponents. It was made even more fun by the fact that Lang is constantly shrinking and growing in size during these sequences, making for an unpredictable turn of events. One weak spot in the movie, sadly, lies in Corey Stoll's villain. It's not his performance that is the problem, it's that his character doesn't have unique motivations that we haven't seen in the Marvel movies yet. He exists purely to give Lang an adversary and is written fairly blandly. Stoll is a great actor and his presence elevated what could have easily been a worse villain played by another actor. I am very happy to admit that my initial impressions about the film were wrong. I had a blast watching Ant-Man and I think it is very much worth the price of admission, matinee if possible! It makes up for the disappointing Avengers: Age Of Ultron and introduces a great new hero into the Marvel canon. It's very easy to look at this hero and say "Wow, this is freaking stupid!" I know, the concept is inherently dumb, but so is a boy scout called Captain America. This is a superhero movie that is fun as hell, which is just about all we can ask for as cinema-goers. While the market is becoming over saturated with the superhero movies, it's the oddball ones like Ant-Man that keeps them feeling fresh and exciting. It's a great surprise and sure to be fun for the whole family!

Ant-Man gets a score of 8/10

Terminator Genisys Review

Hey, folks! Hope you are all doing well. This is my admittedly late review of the new Terminator film. Terminator Genisys, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Emilia Clarke, and Jason Clarke is the fifth film in the Terminator franchise. It also serves as a sequel/reboot to the earlier films. Quite frankly, I really don't have much to say about this. My initial reaction to the trailer was somewhat mixed, as it literally gave away the biggest plot twist of the entire film. It looked like just another boring reboot that Hollywood was churning out to make some quick money. Much to my surprise, this movie was not a complete mess! The action was fairly well directed, the performances weren't horrible, and the effects were very well done. Frankly, this is just one of those movies where you turn your brain off and just ride along with the proceedings. It is nowhere near as good as the first two movies, even shamelessly re-shooting sequences shot for shot from the first one. However, it isn't a complete train wreck, which is kind of saying something for a reboot of a series that has two films that stand among the greatest action movies ever made. If you are in the mood for something entertaining or love the Terminator series, this is definitely worth the price of a matinee ticket. I just got back from summer camp so it will be a little bit until I can get back in the groove and review more recent films. I am very much looking forward to Minions and the new Amy Winehouse documentary.

Terminator Genisys gets a 6/10.

Inside Out Review

Inside Out is the new movie from Pixar Animation Studios, after a one year break in 2014. This was one of the most anticipated movies of the year for me, one that I have followed during a good portion of its development. I am so joyful to report that this is not only Pixar's best outing since Toy Story 3, it is one of their best movies they have ever released. Seriously. As somebody who literally has grown up with Pixar (Toy Story was the first movie I ever watched), I feel incredibly comfortable saying this is one of their best movies. I rank this alongside the first Toy Story and The Incredibles as some of the best work they have ever done. The runtime absolutely flew by and it reached the point where the theater melted away, leaving us with these wonderful characters and an amazing story. In the movie, the emotions Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger, and Disgust run Riley's mind. Riley is an eleven year old girl who has just moved and has to adjust to her new home and setting. This may sound fairly typical, but we are shown this story from such a unique angle that it feels fresh and exciting. While I won't spoil any details, I'll say that there are two plots happening at the same time. We have Riley adjusting, as well as Joy and Sadness trying to work together and make it back to the center of Riley's mind. What is so interesting about this set up is that it creates a system of cause and effect for the character. We literally see her emotions at play, guiding her through the tumultuous time in her life, responding to events appropriately. It makes sense that Joy would have a hard time existing in her mind during this period in Riley's life, with Sadness growing into a more prominent role. What is also beautiful is just how well this film pulls the heartstrings. It really does confront the pain of growing up, but in such a humane way that it is easily understandable for people of all ages. It really speaks to the audience and helps us to understand just what is going on in our head sometimes. Above all, it distinctly makes the point that it is ok to feel the way you do sometimes. There has to be a balance between all of the emotions running around in your head, as too much of one or too little of the other usually is detrimental. Beyond how it generates the feels, this movie is also hysterical. Since it features the talents of five great comedians, all impeccably cast, working with a wonderful script, the laughs come fast and often. Joy (Amy Poehler) is appropriately bouncy and energetic, Fear (Bill Hader) is meek and concerned, Sadness (Phyllis Smith) is bleak and blue, and Disgust (Mindy Kaling) is sassy and sarcastic. The standouts, for me, were Sadness and Anger, played by Lewis Black. Phyllis Smith did a lovely job voicing this character that could easily have been seen as just a downer by everybody. Instead, she brings a human quality to the voice work, making Sadness eventually seem like an essential part of the team. Lewis Black absolutely nails it though. His delivery is just so perfect that he truly embodies the character. To sum it all up, this movie is simply wonderful. It is one of the best, original ideas that has been seen in the past few months, and a fantastic breath of fresh air from the endless sequels and reboots we are seeing these days. Pixar has done amazing work again, and it feels so great to have them make movies like this again. This movie will be one of the best you view this year, guaranteed. It is just such a great feeling to actually feel for a movie again, to actually care about what is happening to the characters on the screen. It is one of the best movies of the year, alongside Mad Max, and it should  be nominated for Best Picture comes Oscar season. The lovely and hilarious Inside Out gets a 9.5/10.

Jurassic World Review

    Well, it's been twenty-two years since the original Jurassic Park rampaged through our cinemas and created a new cultural phenomenon. Now, Jurassic World comes to us hoping to do the same, creating a new sense of love for dinosaurs among the youth of today. Thankfully, this movie largely succeeds. I went in with an indifference to this movie, as I did not grow up with the original films, only viewing them the summer before I went to college for the first time. I am a big fan of the first movie, while the other two are just fine. So admittedly, I turned my brain off right before I sat down to watch this one. Not surprisingly, this movie is a lot of fun to watch.
    In the film, John Hammond's vision has come alive, as the theme park Jurassic World is hugely successful and continually draws massive crowds. However, since kids grew up with dinosaurs as the norm, the people in charge need to come up with new ideas to continue to entertain their audiences. They create a genetically modified dinosaur with enhanced intelligence. She escapes her containment unit, and it's up to Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, and a few others to save the people in the park. This set up is very simple and allows for the filmmakers to create a number of thrilling moments with their dinosaurs, mostly using these moments to try and recapture the magic of the first movie. The CGI in the movie is fantastic, but a little overused. Also, the performances of the cast are well done, lending a believability to the proceedings. Other than that, I really don't have much to say about the movie. It is a true popcorn summer flick, one where you can just sit back and enjoy the ride. I really recommend this film, as it could be a great point for a new generation of fans to be introduced to the magic of the Jurassic Park movie franchise. Jurassic World gets a 7/10.

Ruminations On The Road Of Dreams: A Look At Mulholland Drive

It's been about a year since I first viewed David Lynch's Mulholland Drive for the very first time. It was the second of his films that I had seen, the first being his 1986 film, Blue Velvet. While I wasn't new to the idea of surrealism and bizarre creations (Being John Malkovich is still the most bizarre thing I have ever seen in my life), it was still fairly new to the mind of Lynch. While Lynch is a surrealist through and through, he also incorporates interesting aspects of American culture. Our concerning obsession with celebrities and fame, the feelings of small town community, and the idea that everything has a dark side are his most common themes. One could even call them lens to look at the world through. However, I believe Lynch's greatest skill is to grab a hold of the emotion of his audiences and never let go. That is where I believe this movie goes. Mulholland Drive is well known as a film that does not really make sense on a first viewing, maybe not even making sense on repeat ones either. After having seen the movie about five times and calling it one of my top ten favorites, I just wanted to share some thoughts on why I love the movie and why I think it is so compelling. Many a post have been written trying to piece together the plot with the assistance of ten clues that Lynch provided with the DVD. That doesn't interest me particularly, because I feel like the movie is best left a mystery to be solved for the viewer themselves. A definitive explanation of the timeline of events would just take the mood away from the movie and turn it into something very run of the mill with surreal elements. I don't believe that was Lynch's idea when he completed this movie. The film openly invites various interpretations, finally letting the modern audience think for itself.

At the heart of it all, this is a movie about emotions. Emotions of the characters, emotions of the audience, and the emotions that those two parties can share together during the experience. A wide range of these are felt during the film, including happiness, anger, fear, disappointment, and, perhaps most prevalent, sadness. This is a truly sad film, as it deals (supposedly) with the failings of a hopeful, young woman who has found love in the city of dreams. Naomi Watts, in one of the greatest performances of all time (not kidding), expertly helps the audience to empathize with her character(s). This allows us to really participate in Lynch's movie, whose images he has crafted specifically based on ideas aroused by emotions. Even the tagline of the film, "A Love Story In The City Of Dreams," specifically mentions the most powerful emotion of all. There are a few notable instances where Lynch extracts specific emotions from the characters, whom the audience empathize with. The first of these is when we see the man behind Winkie's Diner. The scene is set up with two men, Dan and Herb, talking in the diner, where Dan describes his nightmare to Herb. In the nightmare, there is a horrible man behind the diner who is the source of immense fear and doubt. In order to rid himself of the fear, Dan  convinces his friend to go behind the diner and check, just to be certain that the horrible man isn't real. As soon as we come upon the corner, the man reveals himself, and Dan apparently dies on the spot from a fear induced heart attack.

The first part of the scene is here, coupled with the second part of the scene
Watch closely. Lynch sets up this scene to get the ultimate emotional response out of his audience. In the first part, the camera never stops moving, but its movements are very subtle, creating an unnerving tension in the viewer. Why is the camera acting so oddly? One could even assume that the camera movement indicates that we are, at this moment in the film, occupying a dream itself. Another aspect that helps build to the response is Dan's description of the dream. While we obviously can't see it, his description is so vague, yet delivered with so much nervousness that we know the horrible man must a force to be reckoned with. During this scene, we really empathize with Herb, the person hearing this crazy dream and not really knowing how to respond to it. In a way, we also agree to go with Dan behind the alley to show him that there is nothing to be afraid of. All of this leads into the actual revelation, which is, admittedly, quite a frightening moment. The man's appearance is quite horrific, which, to me at least, calls into question whether we are in a dream or not. Lynch uses this scene to set up one of the emotional tentpoles of the movie, which is fear itself. This is a fear that is lurking, ominous, and lingering. We can't quite get the image of the man out of our heads for the rest of the movie, pondering just how he plays into the story of Betty and Rita, the two main characters.

Another important scene of the movie that sets up one of the emotional tentpoles is where Betty and Rita travel to Club Silencio, hoping to find answers to some of the questions they have about Rita's identity. In this club, a woman comes out onto the stage and begins singing a rendition of the song "Crying" by Roy Orbison. Her delivery is so pure and beautiful that Rita and Betty both begin breaking down, nestling their heads together. This scene illustrates two things. First, and most importantly, it illustrates the love that Rita and Betty have for each other, despite the adversity that they have face in the movie up until this point. This includes the night that they slept together, which is the ultimate sign of affection, in this film anyways. The second aspect illustrated here is just how sad the current situation of the girls is. At this point in the movie, the singer collapses while the song continues, showing that she was miming the whole time. Even earlier in the scene, a man on stage continually yelled about how it was "all an illusion." This scene is usually cited as being evidence that Betty, Naomi Watts' character, has created a fantasy dream world where she gets all that she wants. We as viewers have taken this journey with her, the same one that she met the amnesiac Rita on. We have watched the two grow closer and closer, seen them really develop a loving relationship. At this point in the movie, Betty realizes that it is all a dream and she can't be with Rita, despite the love they once shared. This is all interpretation, of course, but that one makes the most logical sense. I can't imagine anything being as heartbreaking as realizing that you have lost the one you cared for the most, the one that you would absolutely die for. That is what I believe Lynch was trying to create with this scene, that sense of the ultimate loss of love and just how sad and painful that can be.

At the conclusion of the above scene, the movie shifts its narrative to something completely different. Rita pulls out a blue box from her purse, along with a key to the box. Unlocking it, the camera zooms into it, revealing a new world to us. The acting changes, some of the characters have different names, the music becomes more alternative and guitar driven as opposed to the typical orchestral pieces heard in the first half, and the camera focuses more intensely on the faces of the characters. It is difficult to discuss/describe this shift in the form of the film, as it plays in stark contrast to how the movie felt and appeared in the first half. It is within this last piece of the movie where Lynch presents us with a final reminder of fear, realized fully within the mind of our main character. It is assumed that Betty, now being called Diane, is a failed actress that fell in love with Rita, now being called Camilla, who made it big time. Due to their separation, Diane fell into a deep depression (possibly even drugs), and hired a hit man to murder her former lover out of jealousy. The final scene of this film brings back the horrible man from behind the diner and an elderly couple that had met Betty/Diane when she initially arrived in Los Angeles. Using these characters again, Lynch creates perhaps the most frightening scene in the movie.

Diane is sitting at home, knowing that her former lover has been murdered by her order. There comes an intense knocking at the door, presumably detectives. Lightning is flashing and thunder is booming. The camera cuts to the man behind the diner, sitting ominously over a fire. He is revealed to be a simple hobo who lives behind the diner. He is fondling the blue box from earlier, the same one that transported the audience into the new world. Upon putting the box down, microscopic versions of the elderly couple almost float out of the box, surreally moving towards the screen. We cut back to Diane, who has a look of pure horror on her face. The elderly couple, still microscopic, crawls into her home beneath her door as the thunder grows even louder, along with the banging. Diane jumps up from the couch to find the couple chasing her down a hallway, laughing hysterically while she shrieks uncontrollably. This scene is one of pure horror and fear. I honestly can't remember a time when I have been so afraid in a movie. I believe that the scene is so frightening because of how Lynch uses common elements to change normal ideas into frightening ones. We know that an elderly couple is hardly scary, especially if they're your grandparents or parents. By having them laugh manically and move malevolently, he turns them into forces of horror, chasing Diane down the hall. The scene also uses the crack of the thunder and the constant flashing of blue lightning to create a sense of urgency and tension. Will the noises stop if Diane makes it to her room? Will her nightmare be all over? I also believe that the scene works so well because we have empathized with Betty/Diane for almost the whole film. Seeing her shriek uncontrollably and in a state of such absolute fear, we are afraid along with her. There are many metaphorical meanings to this scene, but it interested me more to dissect just why it was so frightening. With this final scene, Lynch finishes up his last trick in the film, showing that Diane's world was built on a lurking fear of something.

These scenes interested me mostly because of how they are able to wring emotions out of the viewer. All three illustrate just how Lynch built his movie around the very idea of emotions and how they can affect the viewing experience. Are they the sole reason why I adore this film? Of course not. The film is a beautiful neo-noir, shot very much like the noir films of the 1940s. It even includes story elements of those movies as well, such as a mysterious woman with no identity, a purse full of money and a blue box, and the film industry. All of that aside, the movie is just so different. We are so desensitized to explosions, simple stories, generic plots, and quick cuts that I am kind of bored of modern movies. Mulholland Drive changes all of these up and constructs an absolute enigma of a movie. Each image is a puzzle piece that may or may not fit together with another one. This lack of logical plot progression, I believe, was Lynch's way of utilizing his images to invest the viewer, based on how they feel about what they are seeing. Who was Rita? Why does the movie shift in the middle? Where does the money come from? Who was the hit man? None of this really matters in the end. What matters is that we, as viewers, responded to the emotions of the characters and empathized with their plight. On another level, the viewers experience unique emotions, such as when the movie shifts and we begin trying to work out the chain of events for ourselves. There is an aura of mystery and intrigue that envelopes this film, one that I find absolutely fascinating. This is a movie I highly recommend because it is just so different. I can't get it out of my head, and it will end up becoming one of my primary influences in whatever I end up creating on the road ahead. It is currently airing on HBO as well as streaming on HBO GO/HBO NOW and it is really a movie that deserves to be seen. I am eagerly awaiting a Blu-ray release of the film, which has been hinted at by The Criterion Collection. In the meantime, I will continue to drive down the road of dreams, pondering just what happened to Betty and Rita. Was their plight a warning against the dangers of love or against the dangers of Hollywood? One may never know. Don't ask Lynch, as he respects the audience enough to let them figure out their own interpretation. All that matters to him, presumably, is how you felt while viewing the images that came alive in his mind. So grab a drink, turn your phone off, and just let go of logic. Really immerse yourself in the movie and I believe that you will find one of the most unique viewing experiences that cinema has to offer. I hope you enjoy my discussion of the film and I hope you can find the time to watch it and hopefully enjoy it as much as I continue to do. Take care and thanks for reading!