Tag: cinema

REVIEW: ‘Sicario’ sequel is a (mostly) satisfying follow-up

I don’t know if anyone was really asking for a “Sicario” sequel, but I sure as hell won’t complain.

Denis Villeneuve, who directed the first picture, didn’t helm “Day of the Soldado.” Instead, Stefano Sollima enters the director role and did solid work in crafting a crime thriller. The movie picks up sometime after the events of the previous one, with tensions along the U.S.-Mexico border reaching a boiling point.

The reason for such intensity is because some cartels have allegedly started smuggling terrorists over the border. Following a terrorist attack in the heartland of America, federal agent Matt Graver (Josh Brolin) is recruited because of his experience on the border and is sent to throw the cartel system into chaos, and subsequently ruin their drug empires. To help, Graver once again teams up with the mercenary Alejandro (Benicio Del Toro).

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Monday Movie Report: Studio signing cast for ‘It’ sequel

New Line Cinema is rounding out the cast for the conclusion of the “It” story.

According to Variety, the studio announced recently that Teach Grant and Jess Weixler are attached to the project, titled “It: Chapter Two.” Variety reports that Grant will portray the former bully Henry (played by Nicholas Hamilton in the original) and Weixler will perform as the character Bill’s wife.

Weixler’s credits include work on the television series “The Son” as well as films “Chained for Life,” “Who We Are Now” and “Entanglement.” Grant, meanwhile, has had work in TV series including “The Bletchley Circle: San Francisco,” “Altered Carbon” and “Damnation.”

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REVIEW: It’s more like ‘Jurassic World’ Fallen Franchise

Coming from someone who loved “Jursasic World,” I have to say, this was a real disappointment.

This entry, bringing the series to a total of five films, begins a few years after the incident that destroyed the “Jurassic World” theme park and left the island as a jungle, home only to dinosaurs. The island’s fate comes back into focus, though, as early in the first act, the audience learns that the long dormant volcano on the island is now active, and when it erupts, it will cause the “re-extinction” of the dinosaurs.

With that in mind, a man in charge of a billion-dollar estate named Eli Mills (Rafe Spall) hires raptor handler Owen (Chris Pratt) and the manager of “Jurassic World” Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard) to lead a rescue expedition. Upon arriving, though, the protagonists uncover that the mission is more than just providing aid to a species.

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Enjoy ‘Deadpool?’ Hyped For ‘DP2?’ Cool, Then You’ll Love ‘Kick-Ass’

A main character dressed as a superhero fights crime, narrates his own story and in some moments breaks the fourth wall.

Think I’m talking about “Deadpool?” Nope. I’m talking about “Kick-Ass,” the 2010 action comedy adaptation of the comic book. In just a few days “Deadpool 2” will be released, with the first one coming to theaters in early 2016.

Despite both of these films having a great number of similarities to “Kick-Ass,” though, people seem to have forgotten the movie that’s now nearly a decade old. But the fact is that “Kick-Ass” deserves to be remembered and recognized because of how it raised the bar, especially in this period of time where we have the “Deadpool” films coming out.

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A Look At How ‘Mystery Men’ And ‘Unbreakable’ Were Ahead Of Their Time

“Avengers: Infinity War” continues to dominate the box office, now reaching a total of nearly $1.2 billion.

The theater tickets sold, as well as the great feedback from audiences and critics, is the latest example that we are in the superhero movie golden age. Since 2000, when the original “X-Men” came out and was followed by “Spider-Man” a few years later, the genre has been on an incredible upward trend.

“Infinity War” is just the latest highlight in a series of milestones that includes great films such as “The Dark Knight” and “Captain America: Winter Soldier.” Even comedy films based around the genre have popped up over the years to some solid success.

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REVIEW: ‘Life of the Party’

Melissa McCarthy is a talented individual but there’s no doubt her track record with movies hasn’t been perfect. As a result, there is only cautious optimism when I walk into one of her features, such as “Life of the Party.” Fortunately, this one was actually a pleasant surprise.

McCarthy’s latest starring role is playing Deanna, a housewife who didn’t finish her college degree and is suddenly met with divorce papers from her husband. As she weighs her options, Deanna sees this life-changing event as an opportunity to go back to college and complete her archaeology degree.

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REVIEW: ‘Isle Of Dogs’ Is A Witty, Funny Stop-Motion Animation Venture

Nearly a decade after producing the stop-motion feature “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” Director Wes Anderson is back with another film using the same animation style, this time with “Isle of Dogs.” Like his previous animated feature as well as his other live action films, Anderson adds his own flair in both the visuals and writing.

“Isle of Dogs” takes place in a completely fantastical world. The movie is set in the city of Megasaki, located in Japan. The city seems to be a thriving metropolis except for one problem, the canines living there are infected with “dog flu” and have become a nuisance for their owners.

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REVIEW: Third ‘Avengers’ Is A Stunningly Well Made Feature

In 2012, the folks behind Marvel managed to put together numerous superheroes in one film and made it all work in “The Avengers.” This time around, in “Infinity War,” they use a lot of that same formula on a much bigger scale and even though there’s so much more going on, it still fires on all cylinders.

The latest “Avengers” takes place directly after the events of last year’s movie “Thor: Ragnarok.” In fact, the opening of “Infinity War” was even teased in “Ragnarok.” We soon find out that Thor (Chris Hemsworth), along with his brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) are under siege by the powerful character Thanos (Josh Brolin).

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REVIEW: Clumsy Execution Of Premise, Weak Humor Sink ‘I Feel Pretty’

“I Feel Pretty” is the type of film that has good ideas and even a concept that could work, but unfortunately, the execution is really rough.

The film follows the character Renee (Amy Schumer), a woman who’s insecure and is having difficulty in both her career and love life. However, after a fall during an exercise routine, Renee wakes up with the belief that she’s suddenly become seemingly more beautiful than before. This is despite her appearance not changing.

As a result, Renee becomes significantly more confident than before and she has success in many aspects of her life, starting a relationship with a guy named Ethan (Rory Scovel) and advancing her career with a promotion.

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