Movie Review: Star Wars - The Force Awakens

Movie: Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Starring: Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Harrison Ford

Director: J. J. Abrams

As I'm probably one of the last people on Earth to see this film, this review may contain a few spoilers. Unlike others when they first announced this film I was not excited in the least. After the prequels it seemed to me that the Star Wars universe might be best served by sticking to games, comics, and cartoons. If the original creator of the series couldn't put something worthwhile together, then what chance did Disney have? Then footage from the film starting showing up on the web and it was hard not get excited. The look and feel of the original Star Wars we all loved was back.

Much of Star Wars Episode 7 feels like it was patterned after the first Star Wars film. That isn't to say that the plot is exactly the same but it's very similar. There is a conscious effort to get the old fans back on board. The plot revolves around finding a Droid with sensitive information, a weapon that can destroy planets, and ordinary people who turn into heroes (sound familiar?). Almost all of the original cast is back and the film has many tongue in cheek references to first films. Sometimes it crosses the line, for example when they go to a seedy hideout that is exactly like the Cantina from Episode 4. For the most part though it works and still feels like an original story.

The main purpose of the film is to introduce the new characters and setup what should be a successful trilogy. A passing of the torch from the characters of the original trilogy to those of the new. And the new characters hold their own quite well. Finn (John Boyega), Rey (Daisy Ridley) and Poe (Oscar Isaac) have natural chemistry on screen and the dialogue is well written (unlike the prequels). Finn is interesting in that they have never shown a Stormtrooper as a real person before. They were always mindless drones. The comparisons to Nazi Germany aren't subtle but do add some new themes to the series. The one character that could have been better is the villain Kylo Ren (Adam Driver). He isn't the classic villain that many were expecting and often seems to be a rather weak. Although I believe this will be resolved in the next episodes it still would have been nice to see a true villain in Episode 7.

Now onto the action and special effects, the most important parts of any movie. The special effects team really excelled in the aerial combat sequences. While computer graphics were employed it still had the look and feel of the original Star Wars. It captured the spirit of the first film while adding things that just weren't possible at that time. The alien creatures were somewhat of a mixed bag as some relied on CGI and others on more old school techniques. Having both in the same scene would sometimes throw off the realism a bit. The Lightsaber battles felt a bit muted as they didn't rely on acrobatics as much as the prequels or even the original films.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens isn't a perfect film by any stretch of the imagination. It is not the instant classic that was the original trilogy. It is a fun film for fans though, a nostalgic trip back in time. It may not be the most original but it manages to make one hopeful for what lies in store for Episodes 8 and 9.

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Movie Review: Jurassic World - Expect The Expected

Movie: Jurassic World

Starring: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard

Director: Colin Trevorrow

Jurassic World is set 22 years after the original film. Somehow in that time the dream of first films was realized. The film doesn't explain how this happened we just know that the park is now up and running. Leading the project is Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard) a career focused woman who sees the Dinos at the park as corporate assets instead of living breathing animals. This corporate greed motivates the main story of the film. To keep the park attractive to tourist new Dinos must keep being introduced. Eventually the scientist decide to come up with a creature that never even existed that they call Indominus Rex. Basically Indominus Rex is a bigger, badder version of the T Rex from the original movies. When the Indominus Rex begins exhibiting strange behavior, Owen (Chris Pratt) the park's resident hero and animal expert is called in for consultation. As you may have guessed things soon go terribly wrong.

The main thing lacking in this film is any originality. Most of the films ideas seemed to have been lifted from the other films. They simply try to one up the other films in terms of special effects and action. It's like Jurassic Park 2.0 more than a sequel with it own story and characters. As an example like the first film we again have two children who get lost in the park at exactly the wrong time. This time it is Claire's nephews who are making a visit to the park. In the first film the kids were a little too precocious at times, in this one they are just not very likable at all. They mostly serve as a reason for Claire and Owen to venture into the park together. The only truly likable character is Owen. Basically he gets to be the action star version of Sam Neil and Jeff Goldblum's characters from the first film. He gets to point out when the other characters are being foolish with sarcastic comments and one liners. Bryce Dallas Howard gives a fine performance as Claire but the role is very predictable. Claire goes from closed off career woman to down to earth heroine. Of course she also falls in love.

All the negatives aside though the movie does manage be fun and entertaining. The special effects are quite impressive, bringing to film some spectacular new creatures that fans of the series will enjoy. The tweaked soundtrack is different enough to be interesting while still retaining that nostalgic feeling from the first films. The actions scenes are big and suspenseful but not always logical or realistic.

Jurassic World is exactly what people have come expect from a sequel like this. A slightly different take on story that has already been told. With beefed up special effects and action to satisfy the masses. On those counts Jurassic World delivers.

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Movie Review - Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol

Movie: Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol
Starring: Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg, Jeremy Renner and Paula Patton
Directed by: Brad Bird

After three Mission: Impossible films you pretty much know what your going to get. Lots of high tech gadgets, disguises, car chases, some super secret item that can't fall into the wrong hands. Ghost Protocol gives you all the things that you'd expect but somehow still manages to feel fresh and hold your interest. Tom Cruise returns as Ethan Hunt and does admirably although the character is less than challenging. New addition Simon Pegg as computer expert Benji Dunn brings some comedic relief lighten the film up a bit. The plot here is typical for these type of films and really is of no consequence.There are some nice surprises but if you're expecting mystery and intrigue then this film will surely disappoint.  Only the original film really succeeded in that element.

However, what the movie does excel at is the action which begins at the opening credits and doesn't stop for a minute. Director Brad Bird does an excellent job of setting up the different action sequences so that while being rather implausible you stay with them. It would be easy for a film like this to cross the line into eye roll inducing action movie ridiculousness but it manages to stay right behind the line. The action scenes also make good use of some exotic locales that have not been seen on film before like the tallest building in the world in Dubai or a parking garage where in  Mumbai where a machine parks the cars automatically moving them up and down the many levels. The scene in Dubai is particularly spectacular for it's real sense of danger and use of great heights. Many of the gadgets are interesting as well and not too beyond believability. Like a screen that displays whatever is behind it at just the right angle to create a 3-D illusion. Or contacts that take pictures when you blink (in the first film they were glasses so fake technology is progressing).

Ghost Protocol inserts just the right level of wit and humor without detracting from the action or making the film feel like one of those buddy cop movies. Simon Pegg does a wonderful job as the Computer Expert on the team who has never really had much experience in real life missions. Jeremy Renner's Agent Brandt is good counter balance to Cruise's character as well. This is also chance to add a human element to the film and resolve some issues about what exactly happened between MI:III and Ghost Protocol. Which is all wrapped up neatly in the final scene which also sets up the possibility of a MI:5.

If you like action films or to have fun at the movies then Ghost Protocol is far superior to any of the summer movies that came out this year or the past couple of years even.      

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Movie Review: The Green Hornet - Unexplainable

Green Hornet Poster

Movie: The Green Hornet (2011)
Starring: Seth Rogen, Jay Chou, Cameron Diaz
Director: Michel Gondry

The Green Hornet is a movie that defies explanation. It simply doesn't make sense. There is no reason why this movie was made. Not many people were clamoring for a remake of the 1960's Green Hornet TV show. Beyond that this action/comedy is directed by Michel Gondry whose previous works include "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" and many documentaries. Not that he's a bad director but a strange choice for an action/comedy. Then there is Seth Rogen in the lead role. Really? Seth Rogen as a hero? Seth Rogen carrying a film? It just doesn't add up.  The setup is also weak and strange. Brett Reid (Seth Rogen) is the spoiled son of a newspaper tycoon who resents his dad for never paying much attention to him. We are supposed to feel sorry for him but he comes off as a very unlikable person. When his dad unexpectedly dies Brett must take over his father's newspaper The Daily Sentinel. He has no interest in the paper and fires all his dad's previous workers. After he misses his daily coffee he finds out that he fired his dad's coffee maker and mechanic Kato (Jay Chou). It turns out he was armoring his dad's car and that he also is an expert at Karate. This illogically leads to the two of them creating Black Beauty and driving around fighting crime. Why? No one in the film is quite sure why they are doing this except that it is "cool".

The movie doesn't get any better from there the plot wanders aimlessly from one random action scene to another. The duo take on many random criminals for little to no reason at all. All of this is interspersed with unfunny male bonding scenes where Brett goes on and on about how cool it is to be a super hero.

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Movie Review: Red

Red is an American action-comedy film loosely inspired by the three-issue comic book limited series of the same name created by Warren Ellis and Cully Hamner. Frank Moses (Willis), a former black-ops CIA agent, is now living a quiet life in retirement. However, he begins to feel lonely and often chats on the phone with Sarah (Parker), a customer service agent working for Frank's pension office in Kansas City.His life is disrupted when a hit squad raids his house in the middle of the night. Frank kills the assassins and, knowing they would have tapped his phone, goes to Kansas City to protect Sarah. She becomes Frank's reluctant companion while he tries to find out who is trying to kill him, and track down his old black ops team for help. Meanwhile, CIA agent William Cooper (Urban) is assigned to hunt and kill Frank (Wikipedia).

Overall, Red is an easy watch. The plot doesn't matter that much in the long run - the humor and action make up for any minor holes (or utter nonsense). To be honest, I had to look up the plot even after viewing the movie in order to remember what it was about.

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Movie Review: Sherlock Holmes 2009 - Sherlock Holmes is...fun?

Movie: Sherlock Holmes 2009
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Rachel McAdams & Mark Strong.
Director: Guy Ritchie

Before I start this review I must state something right upfront. I have never read a Sherlock Holmes novel in my entire life. My knowledge of the character is limited to made for TV movies, Masterpiece Theatre and the version used on the Holodeck from Star Trek: The Next Generation. So this movie will not be judged according to it's accuracy but rather to how entertaining I feel that it is.

Surprisingly, the movie is quite entertaining in many different ways. The writers and director have avoided all of the pitfalls that come along with remaking a classic character such as Sherlock Holmes. They neither made Sherlock too boring and stodgy for modern audiences nor did they dumb down the characters or story to appeal to the movie goers who have no idea who or what Sherlock Holmes is supposed to be.  The story revolves around Sherlock (Robert Downey Jr.) and Watson's (Jude Law) investigation of a case in which the suspect has seemingly risen from the dead. Lord Blackwood (Mark Strong) claims to have supernatural powers and promises to kill again. Things are further complicated when Irene Adler (Rachel McAdams) Sherlock's old flame who happens to be a criminal suddenly appears with a job for him.  Sherlock must stop Lord Blackwood before his plan unfolds.

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