Since getting under way in 2008, the movie series from Marvel Studios has included films with genres that stray away from the typical super hero origins. “Captain America: Winter Soldier” was a spy thriller and “Guardians of the Galaxy” was a space opera comedy.
Marvel once again does this for its latest picture “Black Panther.” Instead of telling a super hero centric story, “Black Panther” is a story of nationalism, politics and a monarchy.
The 15:17 to Paris” dramatizes the real life story of a group of men who prevented a terrorist attack on a train in 2015. But, while the actions taken by these people were heroic and deserve recognition, the story’s translation to the big screen had poor execution.
The movie follows the three American men who were integral to stopping the attack before there could be loss of life. Those men were Spencer Stone, Alek Skarlatos and Anthony Sadler. Each of those men reprise their roles in the film, portraying themselves.
The picture showcases how the three met in their youth, Spencer and Alek enlisting in the U.S. military and the three friends going on a trip to Europe. This leads into their time on the train during the attack.
Continue reading “REVIEW: Inexperienced Acting, Weak Script Ruin ’15:17 To Paris’”
The honeymoon appears to be over with the new “Star Wars” trilogy, at least from this reviewer’s perspective.
The latest film in the saga is “The Last Jedi” and it takes place shortly after the events of “The Force Awakens.” The Resistance, a military branch that was created to defend the peaceful republic government, is on the ropes to The First Order, a faction of Imperial remnants. The movie begins with the Resistance evacuating their base and getting chased by large spacecraft from The First Order.
Meanwhile, in another sector of the galaxy, new force user Rey (Daisy Ridley) is pleading with the Jedi Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) for training. The problem, though, is that Luke is more or less retired now. As Rey tries to connect with Skywalker, members of the Resistance Finn (John Boyega) and Rose (Kelly Marie Tran) go on a special mission to help their faction escape. However, the two are on the clock because the last Resistance ships are being chased by larger crafts from the First Order.
Continue reading “REVIEW: Despite Some Good Moments, ‘The Last Jedi’ As A Whole Is Largely Flawed”
If “Justice League” had come out roughly 10 to 15 years ago, it may be considered a better super hero film.
However, with the existence of the Marvel series, the Nolan “Batman” films and even attempts such as what FOX has done with “Logan” and “Deadpool,” “Justice League” largely pales in comparison.
For a bit of a refresher, “Justice League” comes after the events of “Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice.” Superman is now dead and as a result, Batman (Ben Affleck) begins noticing an uptick in strange creatures causing havoc. It’s soon discovered that these creatures are appearing because of Steppenwolf, an ancient alien with conquest on his mind.
Continue reading “REVIEW: ‘Justice League’ Never Rises Above Average”
It’s no secret, I wasn’t really a fan of the first two “Thor” movies. That’s not the case with the latest installment, though, as “Thor: Ragnarok” fires on all cylinders.
“Ragnarok” begins with the titular character Thor (Chris Hemsworth) searching for the mystical Infinity Stones and defeating monsters that have been rising up across the galaxy lately. The reason for the monsters returning is that Thor’s father is no longer in control of his homeland Asgard. Instead, it’s Thor’s brother Loki (Tom Hiddlleston) who took charge of the land.
After Thor calls out Loki for what he’s done, the two agree to find their father Odin (Anthony Hopkins). Unfortunately, Odin dies shortly after the two brothers find him. Making matters worse, Odin’s death allows his daughter Hela (Cate Blanchett) to escape an ancient prison and seek the throne of Asgard for herself.
There have been a lot of sequels lately that have revisited properties that were long left dormant, including “Jurassic World,” “Mad Max: Fury Road” and “Creed.” This sequel to the 80s cult classic “Blade Runner,” though, might be the best one yet.
The new “Blade Runner” takes place 30 years after the original, hence the title. Replicants, the bioengineered humans that were featured in the original, are once again present in the movie and this time more integrated into society. The main example of this is the movie’s protagonist, K (Ryan Gosling). K is a replicant who works for the Los Angeles Police Department and is tasked with hunting down older replicant models.
In his latest investigation, K discovers a clue that relates to events in the first film. As a result, K is sent down a rabbit hole where he finds out information that could change the entire world.
Continue reading “REVIEW: ‘Blade Runner’s’ Return Is Remarkable”
“Kingsman: The Secret Service,” one of the more fun and fresh action flicks in the past few years, got a sequel this weekend. However, while there’s a lot to like in this part 2, dubbed “The Golden Circle,” it doesn’t live up to the first picture
In this entry, helmed by returning director Matthew Vaughn, the lead character Eggsy (Taron Egerton) is now a full fledged Kingsman and is hard at work in his role with the secret spy organization. Trouble begins to mount, though, when a new enemy emerges in the form of a drug lord named Poppy (Julianne Moore), who manages to find and destroy their headquarters.
As a result, Eggsy, together with the Kingsman tech expert Merlin (Mark Strong), have to travel to the United States to meet with their agency’s American counterpart, Statesman. Together, the spies start a joint effort to take down Poppy before she can complete a plan that would result in the deaths of millions.
Continue reading “REVIEW: ‘Kingsman’ Sequel Isn’t Golden, But It’s Still Pretty Good”
Stop me if you’ve heard this one, a guy who’s more by the books has to team up with a loose cannon to do something resulting in an action comedy.
Yes, the Hitman’s Bodyguard is your basic buddy comedy, albeit one carrying a hard ‘R’ rating. The movie follows Michael (Ryan Reynolds), a bodyguard who’s extremely skilled, but has been disgraced after a job went wrong.
He’s forced into protecting a hitman, Darius (Samuel L. Jackson), who’s supposed to give a testimony against a brutal leader charged with war crimes. The two of course don’t get along but end up having to work together to make it through alive.
Taylor Sheridan, who wrote two the great “Sicario” in 2015 and the superb “Hell or High Water” last year, returned to write a third movie and this time he directed, too.
The film is “Wind River” and the name is based on the Wind River Indian Reservation in Wyoming, where the picture takes place. The movie tells the story of Cory Lambert (Jeremy Renner), a tracker and hunter working for the Bureau of Land Management who comes across the body of a murdered woman on the reservation.
As a result, Lambert gets in contact with the Tribal Police Chief Ben (Graham Greene) who in turn gets assistance from an FBI agent named Jane (Elizabeth Olsen). As the three conduct the joint investigation, Lambert’s background is expanded upon and the audience learns that he lost a daughter and she was discovered similarly to the woman that he found.
Continue reading “REVIEW: ‘Wind River’ Works As Crime Drama And An Emotional Character Piece”
Like Director Christopher Nolan’s other films, “Dunkirk” is a well crafted film. However, it’s not on the same level of his other great pictures.
As the title implies, “Dunkirk” is about the evacuation of British forces in early World War II after Germany invades France. The film opens with British troops preparing to evacuate across the English Channel before the German military has a chance to reach them. As this is taking place, the film also gives its focus to members of the Royal Air Force who did battle with the Luftwaffe to help the escape as well as a group of citizens who assisted in the rescue of soldiers from the battle field with their private vessel.
The picture develops by showing the hardships of the soldiers who were constantly under threat of the Luftwaffe while also displaying the bravery of citizens who helped the soldiers with their own ships.
Continue reading “REVIEW: ‘Dunkirk’ Is Technically Marvelous, But Lacking In Other Areas”
Matthew Liedke on Film 