Mini-Review - "From Dusk Till Dawn" (1996)

This is an instance of a tale of two movies, where plots that have nothing to do with one another, usually from vastly different genres, come together into one off-kilter film.

"From Dusk Till Dawn" is the second film I've recently seen by Robert Rodriguez, and at times it does have a similar feel to "El Mariachi," as a loner (or in this case, loners) is outnumbered and possibly outgunned, but uses his resourcefulness to outwit the vastly superior group. The difference this time around is that that is only the focus for the second half of the film.

The first half focuses on a couple of dysfunctional brothers (played by George Clooney and Quentin Tarantino) running from police and the Texas Rangers after breaking one of the brothers out of jail, robbing a bank, and killing roughly ten people. Tarantino's character lives in his head, where he thinks he hears women telling him to do sexual activities to them, and is constantly screwed over by his short temper and itchy-tigger finger. While Clooney, in his first starring role, plays the cool one of the group, who makes all the plans and does his best to keep his head around his temperamental brother.

This makes the first half of "From Dusk Till Dawn" the best part of the film, as they make their way from the middle of Texas to the Mexican border, while evading police and causing even more unnecessary trouble. This gives us some great moments between Clooney and Tarantino that shows they're both messed up in the head and just want the best for one another, despite screwing themselves other at every turn.

But the second half takes not just a U-Turn on the plot, but the car turns into a rocket and shoots right at the moon.

Suddenly, there's a plot about vampires taking over a bar in the middle of Mexico, and now the brothers (along with their captives, one being played by Harvey Keitel) have to survive the night without being killed or turned into a child of the night.

This plot turn is not bad, nor is the make-up on the vampires and the creative ways they must fight off the vampires. But it is so jarring to go from a family crime plot with plenty of suspense, to a vampire shoot-em-up story that practically drops everything in favor of its new story.

Overall, "From Dusk Till Dawn" is a fun ride with two different halves that don't mold together. I preferred Clooney and Tarantino arguing about how crazy the other one is while the cops are hot on their tale, but watching a kid turn a Nerf squirt gun into a vampire killing machine is also enjoyable to watch.

Final Grade: B

Movie Review - "Deadpool" (2016)

Your love or hate for this film depends entirely on how you feel about violence, nudity, obscure movie references, and breaking the fourth wall. If any of that sounds appealing to you, "Deadpool" is a firecracker wrapped inside of the best four-dollar taco you’ve ever had. If any of that turns you off, go see "The Revenant" again for a bit less obscene…

…oh wait…

I had a blast watching "Deadpool" because it is the perfect solution to the many trends and themes that have popped up in Marvel movies over the last few years. At times, this film feels like it is kindred spirits with "Guardians Of The Galaxy," and then it kicks Star Lord in the nards while gleefully laughing about how fat Chris Pratt was.

Of course, watching Ryan Reynolds rip apart his own movies, especially "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" and "Green Lantern," is its own reward for sitting through those painful experiences.

Like its titular character, "Deadpool" seems self-aware and completely self-absorbed, down to its opening credit sequence showing title cards like "A Hot Chick" and "Some British Asshole" instead of the actors names. As if this movie was made by Deadpool, a character who not only thinks the sun revolves around him but that he created the sun and faked the moon landing for good measure.

The best way I can describe Deadpool is Bugs Bunny, if Bugs decided to become a mercenary that loved to carve up his victims like a Thanksgiving turkey.
 
Overall, "Deadpool" is exactly what I expected it to be – An R-rated superhero film that took every opportunity to either break the fourth wall and address the audience directly or to overindulge itself in its violent behavior. The film never took itself seriously and never skipped a beat when it came to the comedy, and chose to have fun with a superhero that goes by the nickname of "The Merc With The Mouth."

Final Grade: B+

Movie Review - "Hail, Caesar!" (2016)

I feel like this is a movie tailor-made for me.

Like the Coen Brothers picked my brain, found the things that I love about cinema, all the idiosyncracies that I cannot get enough of, crammed in as many jokes and references that I get, and made a movie that serves as a nod to classic movies and how much Hollywood has changed over the years.

But for other people who aren't into classic cinema, most of "Hail, Caesar!" will go over their heads. Folks who don't know who Esther Williams was, who have never seen a Gene Kelley musical, and have no clue what being blacklisted in Hollywood means, are going to be lost from the first scene.
For those that do appreciate all of this, "Hail, Caesar!" is a treat to watch.

Eddie Mannix (Josh Brolin) is a fixer for Capitol Pictures, as he works 25 hours a day to make sure the many celebrities under the company's spotlight stay out of trouble and not make their way into the gossip columns. Eddie has to deal with swimming beauty DeeAnna Moran (Scarlett Johansson) and her pregnancy with a man she doesn't love, country bumpkin Hobie Doyle (Alden Ehrenreich) being forced to improve his image by performing in a sophisticated picture directed by Laurence Laurentz (Ralph Finnes), and the completion of the studios' biggest picture of the year, starring Baird Whitlock (George Clooney), who goes missing during filming. All the while, Eddie has been offered a high executive position at an airline production company, and is unsure about taking the job, especially when a ransom note arrives saying someone has kidnapped Baird Whitlock.



It should be noted that most of these performances are glorified cameos. Actors like Ralph Finnes, Scarlett Johansson, Jonah Hill, Frances McDormand and Channing Tatum are in the film for one or two scenes and are never heard from again. In fact, Hill and McDormand have less than five shared lines of dialogue.

That being said, "Hail, Caesar!" does so many things that you don't see in any films nowadays, with extensive and elaborate sequences that involve massive choreography and timing. The first is DeeAnna Moran's swimming scene that involves about two dozen swimming beauties to synchronize swim while a live band plays in the background. Their swim suits are multi-colored so even the twists of their torsos must match as their dance takes on a kaleidoscope-feel.



But the scene I'll always remember about "Hail, Caesar!" is the tribute to Gene Kelley and Donald O'Connor, where a group of sailors about to go out to sea sing and dance about being away from beautiful gals for so long. They tap dance on top of tables, swing from the sign of "The Swingin' Dingy" and do all sorts of things that no musical has done since the 1960s. The Coen Brothers had to call in a Broadway choreographer for that sequence, since no one in Hollywood knew how to make a dance number like that. And all while making not-so-casual innuendos about the sailors and their orientation.

Part of the reason I enjoyed "Hail, Caesar!" so much is the light-hearted atmosphere throughout the picture. Although there is a kidnapping and a Communist-related plot, the film never takes itself too seriously.

This film has fun with its premise by covering as many genres of 1950s Hollywood as it can, and turning them on their heads. Watching the simple-minded and kind Hobie Doyle interact with the high-minded Laurence Laurentz, who keeps switching his first and last name, as they attempt and fail to make a sophisticated scene work, was both hilarious and reminiscent of classic Hollywood trying to reinvent the wheel.



It paints of picture of why people loved to go to the movies. One character in the film comments about television taking away Hollywood's business and how cinema would go the way of the dinosaur in a few years. But we watch as this community comes together to create, not just entertainment, but art. Through persistence, passion and timing, we see a group of misfits and alcoholics make something that will last for generations.

"Hail, Caesar!" is not just a love letter to 1950s Hollywood, but a reminder of how powerful movies can be.

Final Grade: A-

Mini-Review - "Mad Max" (1979)

It is fascinating watching the beginning of an apocalypse unfold. Watching our world first give into greed and savagery, while the good people do their best to cope with the destruction and are either slayed or give into the madness, but all too soon the chaos becomes too much and society is overrun by the crazies, to the point that "society" and "normality" are but a myth.

Watching a film like "Mad Max," knowing what will happen to this world in the future with "Mad Max: Fury Road," we begin to see the wheels turning, both physically and metaphorically, of how the world will meet its end. Gasoline is scarce, people are becoming terrified of roaming gangs looking for a good time, the police is constantly overrun with crimes being called that they could never hope to answer, and everyone is holding onto something they hold dearly as tightly as they can.

The apocalypse may not have happened yet, but it is looming on the horizon, like an approaching storm.

"Mad Max," primarily focuses on the titular character (Mel Gibson) as he attempts to maintain order in the world by stopping biker gangs. As he fails to stop more of these terrorizing thugs, and watches the world around him fall apart, his sense of purpose and belonging turns into vengeance. Max tries his best not to become like the people he hunts, but is starting to go crazy like everyone else.

Admittedly, "Mad Max" can be slow, even after a heart-pounding beginning chase sequence on a country road. The film takes its sweet time on scenes with Max interacting with his wife, Jessie (Joanne Samuel), and their vacation out in the middle of nowhere. While a nice bit to show these two desperately clinging to anything they have left, these scenes drag when there is so much high-octane action throughout.

Overall, "Mad Max" is compelling to watch as the end of humanity draws near and we are powerless to stop it. There is a sense of dread throughout, yet also a theme of acceptance from Max. The beginning and final act are intense and set the standards for what we would expect from future installments. This one might seem slow and tame compared to what would come next, but it is certainly worth a watch.

Final Grade: B

Movie Review - "Kung Fu Panda 3" (2016) - Panda Express

Quite a bit different from the first film I reviewed in 2015, "Jupiter Ascending," we have the first great film of 2016 with "Kung Fu Panda 3." I know, I'm as surprised as you are.

What I have loved about the "Kung Fu Panda" franchise is how it sneaks up on me and pulls off the unexpected - By taking laughable and ludicrous ideas, like animated animals performing kung-fu and having the lead character be voiced by Jack Black, and turns it around to make a film that is visually pleasing, consistently funny, full of well-coreographed action sequences, surprisingly complex writing, and morals that stay true to their martial art roots while still being important in the real world.

This franchise is the definition of not judging a book by its cover. I would even dare to say that "Kung Fu Panda 2" is one of the greatest animated films in recent memory, and certainly the best animated sequel, as it improves upon the characters and mythology of the first film to give us an emotional tale of learning from the past and the chaotic consequences that come with it.

Which brings us to the most recent entry in this series, after a five-year absence. And while the final product seems rushed at times and lacking in the character department, especially after the last film, there is no denying that it was a blast to watch and is everything I've come to expect from these films.

The Dragon Warrior, Po (Jack Black), and the Furious Five, are given their most recent assignment, when Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) announces that he will not longer be teaching them, and that this duty will be handed over to Po. The panda is surprised by this, as is everyone else, but Shifu says there is a lot more hidden potential within Po that being a teacher would bring out of him. This takes a backseat though when Po's father, Li (Bryan Cranston), shows up and offers to take Po to the hidden village of Pandas.

But a new threat appears in the form of the Spirit-Warrior, Kai (J.K. Simmons), having returned from the spirit world by collecting the chi of every kung-fu master, including Shifu's mentor, Oogway. Kai is intent on gathering the chi of the Dragon Warrior and ruling over China, using his jade minions in the shape of each animal martial arts master.



To be honest, "Kung Fu Panda 3" has the weakest story of the trilogy. While the earlier two films focused on the evolution of Po, from a lowly character lacking self-confidence into someone who had mastered inner peace, this film follows Po's journey passing that knowledge onto others, in particular other pandas who have never seen society before. Most of the new characters are not given much screen time, aside from Li, but we're still given distinct character traits for most of them, like the pandas that love to roll or the ribbon dancer (voiced by Kate Hudson).

Kai is certainly a down-grade in terms of villainy. Admittedly, it would have been impossible to top Gary Oldman's manacle yet elegant Lord Shen from "Kung Fu Panda 2," but Kai is only interested in one thing - power. At least Tai Lung from the first film did everything out of a sense of revenge and showed the depth of Master Shifu's character, while Shen was so blinded by making his own future that he couldn't see his own demise coming. But Kai just wants to rule China because that sounds good to him.

Still, "Kung Fu Panda 3" gives us just enough characterization out of new characters like the pandas and Kai that Po's struggle between finding out who he truly is and where he belongs is an enjoyable ride.



The best character development in this film is, believe it or not, Po's adopted father Mr. Ping (James Hong), who is angered and upset over the arrival of Po's biological father, to the point that he hides in his son's food on his journey to the panda village. But by the end, Mr. Ping realizes that he isn't losing Po, but allowing Po to share his love with Li, who had lost everything he ever cared about and now clings to the hope that his son is alive.

Part of me feels like the minimal characterization does not mean much, since I got exactly what I wanted out of this film either way - Beautiful and fluid martial arts fights set over the colorful China landscape, with enough humor and heart to make the kid and adult in me happy. Like the previous films, this one is visually pleasing from start to finish. From the renovated Jade Palace and its vast halls full of ancient kung-fu artifacts, to the decay spirit realm, to the hidden panda village that lies floating in the mist.



My only other complaint is that the film moves too fast at times. Just when we start to know these new characters, we're thrown right into the final battle with Kai, only a few moments after Kai's last attack. Part of this might be the short hour-and-a-half runtime, but I would have liked to see a bit more of the Panda village and watching Po and Tigress (Angelina Jolie) getting ready for a fight they feel they cannot win. Maybe if the film was 20 or 30 minutes longer, giving more time for atmosphere and tension to build up, that could have been fixed.

Overall, "Kung Fu Panda 3" might have been a downgrade from the previous installments, but this was still a blast to watch. It has everything you've come to expect from this franchise in spades. Every scene has something memorable about it, ranging from the animation, to humor, to character development and fast-paced action sequences. If you liked the first two "Kung Fu Panda" films, then you'll love this one too.

Final Grade: B+

Mini-Review - "Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?" (1966)

Imagine a film like "My Dinner With Andre," except instead of two old friends catching up over dinner, it is a bitter old married couple drinking all night and slowly loosing their minds. Or perhaps they had lost their minds a long time ago, and are just playing games with each other, the couple their sharing the evening with, and themselves.

"Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?" might be the most uncomfortable movie I've had sat through, as two people who clearly loved each other at one time, and still seem to care for one another, deconstruct and demolish one another with bombardments of insults, blaming all of their problems and terrible and seemingly misguided lives on the other. And yet, they both come across as enjoying it. Like this is the only thing that will bring them true joy any more - insulting their other half in front of people who didn't ask for this.

We watch as this nasty and disrespectful couple become monsters in the blink of an eye. Their own need for satisfaction and self-loathing consumes them, to the point that their "game" is all that matters.

This film is driven by the performances of George (Richard Burton) and Martha (Elizabeth Taylor), who were married at the time this film was made and come across as letting off some personal anger on camera. George is quiet at first and intelligent about his word choice, but becomes insistent on ruining the lives of both Martha and the couple they're with as the evening wears on. As if he feels the world would explode if he didn't.

Elizabeth Taylor won her second Academy Award for her performance in this film, as she plays Martha as a woman who has had many regrets in her past and has promised to live life without any more. She refuses to let anything tie her down, including her husband, father and her previous decisions. But she is still haunted by those regrets, those choices that have ruined her life. In her eyes, most of those choices were not her doing. And that is what angers her the most.

Together, these two give a spectacle that is unsettling to watch, but I couldn't take my eyes off of it.
While "Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?" was originally a play, you couldn't tell by watching this, as the camera movement plays with perspective as well as any other movie out at the time. Normally, cinematography and editing is unimpressive in play-to-film adaptations, but here the black-and-white cinematography adds a creepy and unnatural atmosphere, as if we're watching an old Universal horror film.

"Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?" is a mesmerizing horror-film that doesn't claim to be a horror-film. We watch as a marriage is torn to shreds, not with knives or bullets, but with insults, games and repartee. This is unlike anything I have seen before, and probably never will see anything like it again.

Final Grade: A-

Movie Review - "Brooklyn" (2015) - The Irish Downton Abbey

After watching "Brooklyn," I’ve come to a sudden realization – I do not care for romance films.

Perhaps it is because I’ve never truly been in a romance with someone, but I find that love is complicated to perform on-screen. Two people not only have to love each other more than they love themselves, but have to portray months to years of chemistry within a confined amount of time and make us believe that they’re compatible with one another. Usually, the best movies with romance often make it look easy, like in "WALL-E" and "City Lights," or focus solely on that like in "Giant" or "Gone with the Wind."

Most of the time though, romance is portrayed like it is something that happens every day and that it is no big deal, when it is just the opposite. There is a lack of conviction and sincerity in the approach, like the filmmakers don’t truly believe in what they’re talking about. By doing so, it stops being a true cinematic romance and borders a soap opera instead.

At times, "Brooklyn" feels like an episode of "Downton Abbey," as the drama builds upon itself in this period piece to the point where it all must explode, ruining many more lives than it needed to if people were just a little more intelligent about their decisions.

Suffice to say, "Brooklyn" did not do much for me.

In the early 1950s, Eilis Lacey (Saorise Ronan) has been given an opportunity to move from her home in Ireland to Brooklyn, where she will be given a job and a home to live in. This forces Eilis to leave her family, friends and everything she has ever known to a foreign land where she has an opportunity to prosper.



I left "Brooklyn" feeling the same way I did about "Bridge Of Spies," it certainly wasn't a bad experience, but I won't be remembering much about that film either.

Nothing was bad about the film. It was a sufficient tale of a woman immigrating to America while still trying to be herself in the face of this new society. By the time Eilis is given the option of going back to Ireland with what she's accomplished in America and still being near her family, that is when Saorise Ronan's performance shines and we are given a struggle between choosing your roots or your chances at happiness.

But "Brooklyn" is also far too by-the-numbers. We've all heard this story so many times before about immigration, and "Brooklyn" does not do anything to stick out among the others. Aside from Saorise Ronan's role and a few of her friends, especially Emory Cohen as Toni and Domhnall Gleeson as Jim Farrell, there isn't much noteworthy about this one.



Emory Cohen added a much-needed light-hearted touch to the film, as he plays an italian plumber who enjoys Eilis' company. The two don't really have any other reason to be together, other than they're nice to each other, but Cohen certainly has fun being around her and his smile is infectious.

Domhnall Gleeson, coming off his role as General Hux in "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," gives us a man who sees one last opportunity for a good life and takes every chance he can get at it. From the audience's perspective, he plays a tragically-doomed character that will be let down by something out of his control.



Overall, "Brooklyn" was sufficient, but did not provide me with anything substantial. If you enjoy romance or period pieces, then you'll like this one just fine. But if you're hoping for something more than just a pretty looking piece about immigrating to America, don't expect to find it here.

Final Grade: C+