travishouze Reviews

Jesus Is King (2019)

"Jesus is King" May Not Reach The Heavens for Everyone

[6/10 · 25 October 2019]

Jesus is King's success for you will solely depend on your honest views of Kanye West himself as the film leans on both sides of praise as well as criticism.

If you like Kanye for his visual presentation, Jesus is King will satisfy that need. There are some stunning wide shots of the Sunday Service group within the art installation Rodden Crater. The choir as well sound amazing together and the IMAX format makes you feel the echoes of the acoustics of where they recorded.

If you don't like Kanye and find his work pretentious with no reason behind it, Jesus is King won't change your mind either. The film lacks any real backstory of Kanye's train of thought in the film, which is severely needed in this era of his. There are many shots that feel like it's leading to a larger narrative, but ultimately don't go anywhere.

Whichever way you may swing with Kanye, it's still worth a watch in IMAX. Maybe you will feel the praise or maybe you won't. It's all open to you as the viewer.

Canal Street (2018)

Nothing Interesting to Talk About on This "Street"

[2/10 · 19 January 2019]

Canal Street

While Canal Street boasts the hope for the audience to look beyond racial views, instead shoves it in your face harder than snowplow. It's a shame since in the age of films like The Hate U Give, BlacKkKlansman and other groundbreaking films like this in 2018, Canal Street lacks any of the emotional weight to hang onto.

The film tells the story of a young black male named Kholi who recently moved to the neighborhood and befriends another male named Brian. After dropping Brian off from a party, he was found dead in the middle of the street and Kholi standing over his body. Then the world will find out in a highly publicized case will another black male fall under the court's decision.

While the inclusion of having well-known radio DJ's sharing their opinions brings a sense of realism to the film, it becomes too repetitive as it cuts back and forth constantly throughout the film.

The biggest problem I have with the film lays with the reveal of how everything came to happen to Brian. When we find out who does it, not only is it very unsatisfying and left me with the belief that none of the characters learned or grew from the situation. There was no changes or growth in the development of how characters see one another.

Canal Street boasts a star-studded cast but doesn't really challenge them as it should have. Nothing was learned, nothing was emotionally felt outside of the status quo and nothing left to say after seeing the movie.

Rating: 2.8 / 10

Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)

"Bohemian Rhapsody" Doesn't Capture the Epicness Queen Deserves

[5/10 · 4 November 2018]

There are a few bands I look back and wished I had the opportunity to see perform live, and Queen is one of them. While I haven't yet journeyed into the deep cuts of their music, I did find myself impressed with what I head from Another One Bites the Dust and Under Pressure. So I was pretty excited to see a Queen biopic, but I found myself complaining about the same things I did about All Eyez on Me. It gets the performances and highlights, but severely lacks connective tissue.

Where the film excels is Rami Malek giving a very solid performance is Freddie Mercury and giving an extremely thrilling finale at their iconic Live Aid performance (which is worth the price of admission alone). The problem the film doesn't develop the other band members at all or even the creative process. And while the film addresses Freddie Mercury's private relationships with men, I feel the movie plays it almost entirely sexually driven and hedonistic with no real thread of intimacy.

Bohemian Rhapsody has some thrills, but ends up being a major disappointment for me as a whole. While it's great to hear Queen's songs on display, it gives little to no context and is quick to move on from the song before the chorus. I just wished the movie rocked as much as the movie did.

Venom (2018)

"Venom" Really Needs Something Better To Sink It's Teeth Into

[3/10 · 15 October 2018]

As a superhero movie fan who grew up in the 1990s, I've seen a lot of ups and downs in the genre. I've seen when it's come into its footing, and I've also seen when it was struggling trying to find what can make the genre special. As the 2010s have brought some of the stronger and genre pushing films, Venom on the other hand brings forth the mediocrity I wish we abandoned in 2002.

The film focuses on Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) as a hard boiled journalist who has reason to believe the Life Foundation is running illegal tests on humans with a alien being known as a "symbiote". After sneaking into the labs, one of the symbiote's attaches itself to Eddie and we realize that alien being is....Venom.

The easiest thing to talk about is the first 40 minutes of the movie that every one agrees is the worst part of the movie and they are absolutely right. For a film that focuses on a head chewing alien, it spends entirely too long setting up the world around it in the most boring and uninteresting way possible. The movie forces you to care about Eddie and his ex-fiance, but there is NO chemistry between them whatsoever.

Even when Venom attaches itself to Eddie, not only does it feel too little too late, it also is never as interesting as it should be. We never get to see Venom until almost an hour into this 110 minute movie and none of the action was worth the wait. The action is shoddily and dimly shot which is shocking given this was by a cinematographer I tend to like Matthew Libatique. It gets even worse when it gets into the finale which is a splash of CGI blobs being smashed together.

There are many people who enjoyed Venom, and personally I'm not one of them. I never found Venom as an interesting anti-hero, but instead just a thing that exists for franchise money. The film obviously is missing 20 minutes of solid character development and the end credits sequence doesn't excite me for a sequel at all. It's not the worst movie I've seen this year, but its one that frustrates me given how far superhero movies have come for films like this to exist.

Skyscraper (2018)

If Only "Skyscraper's" Ambitions Were As High As The Building It Takes Place In

[5/10 · 11 July 2018]

It's hard to come across films that feel fresh and original lately. It's even harder to come across a big budget action film that's not based on a superhero trying to save the world. Somehow, Dwayne Johnson got his hands on a big budget action movie that isn't a superhero movie, but at the same time, doesn't feel all that fresh either.

Dwayne Johnson plays Will Sawyer, a security supervisor that is commissioned to over see an over 200 story residential and shopping tower entitled "The Pearl". After expressing concerns over security flaws in the tower, it almost immediately goes under attack by some terrorists in search of the owner of the building. In the middle of it all, Will has to break back into the building to save his family.

I do appreciate the films ambition to call back to 90s style action thriller in terms of pacing. It's almost always moving, but I never really felt on the edge of my seat as much as the film wants me to be. It's mostly because the severely rushed first act doesn't give you time to care for the characters or set pieces don't get enough time to crank up the tension.

Also, my biggest issue with the movie is for a building that boasts how it's over 200 stories high, I never really feel the height of the building. We spend most of the films time in maybe 8 or 9 stories of the building and it could have been written as a super advanced 80 story building and been the exact same movie.

Skyscraper is never a badly made movie, but not enough to leave a strong impression either. While I give it credit for having more action on the go, I found myself questioning a lot of decisions the characters make. I just wished the films ambitions were as high as the building it takes place in.

Rating: 5.6 / 10

Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)

"Ant-Man and the Wasp" just leaves too little of a impact

[6/10 · 8 July 2018]

Ant-Man had a complicated beginning when it first came out in 2015. While it was credited to be one of the lightest and airy of the MCU films, at the same time it suffocated under the shadow of its other game changers the released before it. And after Avengers: Infinity War, I felt like Ant-Man and the Wasp would be a nice time to take a breather after the events of the film.

The film takes place shortly after Captain America: Civil War, where Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) is in house arrest from those events. Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lily) reaches out for him to help them find her mother who they believe is still in the Quantum Realm after many years.

This film made me appreciate Paul Rudd's personality and his charisma that he brings to his character. Hope is given a solid majority of the runtime to show off her range of emotions and ability to fight back and prove her strength. Michael Pena makes a return and brings all the likable things he offered in the original despite not really providing much to the plot like last time.

While after having villains like Killmonger and Thanos proving that better villains were coming to the MCU, Ghost in this movie comes to break that hot streak. While she has interesting powers, her motivation feels a bit too complicated. Also there's another villain unrelated to Ghost that feels more like a road block than a actual threat. There's one impactful moment in the end that feels rushed and never explained how or why it's even possible, which is strange given everything else in the movie is over explained.

The conflicting feeling I have for Ant-Man bled over into Ant-Man and the Wasp. While I credit the film for its smaller scale and breezed tone, I feel like it gets drowned out by just not leaving as much of a emotional impact as they should. It's never a bad film, it just sometimes feels too till you almost don't see it in the bigger picture.

By the way, your REALLY going to want to stay for the mid-Credits scene for this one.

Rating: 6.4 / 10

Sorry to Bother You (2018)

"Sorry to Bother You", But Your Going to Want To Stay on the Line for This

[7/10 · 30 June 2018]

Sorry to Bother You is quite possibly the most insane movie I've seen this year. In a year of films Hereditary, and A Wrinkle in Time, none of the trailers really prepare for the insanity that ensues within the film. Wether it all comes together well or not is up for debate. I'm going to try my best not to spoil much because there's a lot to unpack.

Lakeith Stanfield delivers as the charming Cassius Green, a young down on his luck guy who applies to a telemarketing job and is encouraged to use his "white voice" in order to succeed. During his eventual rise within the company, he begins to see the shady tactics his business entails, but becomes increasingly passive as he benefits, until he finds out the ugliest truths.

One thing the film does great is visually describing the crazy world it takes place within. There are many times the camera would cut to something crazy happening in the background and doesn't take to the time to explain what or why, but instead tells to just go with it. It's ambition alone makes it one of the more refreshing films to come from a person of colors film in the multiplex theater lately.

The double edged sword comes from the last 30-40 minutes of the movie. It's hard to describe and hard to process as the film spends much of your time thinking it's a satire but goes one way that makes it even question how we got to this point. It does make the film feel a bit uneven in what the overall message is of the movie, or if director Boots Riley didn't want you to think too deeply in the first place, which would be commendable.

Sorry to Bother You will make you laugh and make you squeal at the same time. It's takes advantage of what you think it will be about and turn you upside down. While it is uneven, and feels a bit longer than the runtime claims, this is one call you don't want to hang up on too early.

Rating: 7.9 / 10

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018)

Another "Jurassic" Meh.

[5/10 · 21 June 2018]

Jurassic World and it's follow up Fallen Kingdom are both so aggressively "meh" that it amazes me that its become the phenomenon its been lately. The film takes place after the disaster of Jurassic World being overrun by dinosaurs and money hungry men in suits, as they try to retrieve several of the dinosaurs from the park. But to no one's surprise, we find out soon enough the men in suits are using the rescue op as a chance to snatch up the dinosaurs and sell them as predators.

The film almost exclusively takes place in only 2 locations, the island and this insanely large estate. The moments in the park go by so fast that we are out of the park only 50 minutes into this 2 hour film. For people here to see Jeff Goldblum, he's literally only in the movie for one scene of exposition. His moments are so detached from what else is happening, you could edit him out and the movie wouldn't be affected. There's also a scene involving Chris Pratt outrunning a valance eruption, and it's as ridiculous as it sounds.

Its not all bad, as some of it's horror like tone helps with the of the tension in some moments, particularly one moment that involves reflection and shadows really nicely. There are some moments when Blue, the raptor is fighting with one of the dinosaurs that gets pretty nice to watch. There are some moments where the dinosaurs are attempted to give them distinct personalities and a bit of moral conflict is woven into the plot.

My biggest issue with the Jurassic World franchise so far is it thinks you are more invested with the characters than you really are. This film made me wonder if there is any where else this franchise can even go, as I feel it's told me the same things already. Here's hopes JW3 is more interesting, but so far, the needle in my mind has yet to be moved.

Rating: 4.7 / 10

Ocean's Eight (2018)

"Ocean's 8" Play's it Too Slight

[6/10 · 14 June 2018]

Ocean's 8 follows the legacy of Danny Ocean's con and sleight of hand ways by his estranged sister (Sandra Bullock) taking on a job worth millions and assembles 7 women with unique skills to pull it off. One thing I appreciated about the film is that for a film that introduces 7 new characters, you get a visual sense of how good the film says they are. One that stands out to me is Anne Hathaway who plays the self absorbed celebrity who's use to having her way and you can tell she's having fun in the role.

One of my biggest issues is while the heist is interesting to see how it unravels, I found it a little too "convenient" and neatly wrapped at times. The conflicts that do occur feel no more than stepping over a rock that should feel like trying to hop over a fence. It's just a personal reference to see heist movies where characters have to improvise.

In the end Ocean's 8 is a fine good time for a summer movie. While I like the actresses, I wish there was a little more depth to the characters, and that the heist carried a little more weight. But if you want to beat the heat and see some actresses with great chemistry, give this a shot.

Rating 6.8 / 10

SuperFly (2018)

"Superfly" is Harmless Pulp in a Serious World

[4/10 · 14 June 2018]

If you walk into Superfly with the intention of not taking it seriously....it's actually pretty fun for all the wrong reasons. What makes Superfly work is its jaded views on street credibility and several of the lead actors to bring some much needed levity to what is a rip-off of every crime drama that came before it.

The plot is all you have heard a million times before. The whole "one big score to end it all" after a traumatic moment, corrupt cops, navigating through a Mexican drug cartel, all wrapped into a copy and paste style script. What makes it a little more worth while is the rival gang Snow Patrol, which is gloriously over the top in literally all white everything and filled with actors overacting in ways I haven't seen in a movie in a long time. So it's sad to say that there is a long period where they aren't the focus and the film reverts into familiar cartel territory, which is not investing at all.

Trevor Jackson is okay in the lead role, but is clearly outstaged by his co-star Jason Mitchell, who is having more fun in the role than he is. He plays it pretty straight, but doesn't stretch his range out enough to make him captivating. Also the film runs 20 minutes too long and could have sliced a large amount of the ending to keep it more focused and internal.

Superfly is simply harmless pulp that was close to being a guilty pleasure. In a post-Black Panther world, films like Superfly will have to beef up their reasons for existing by either going all the way absurd, or just asking new questions these characteristics. It's crime isn't its influence, but instead it lacks wings to truly fly.

Rating: 4.5 / 10

True to the Game (2017)

"The Game" Just Isn't Played Well

[2/10 · 24 March 2018]

I'll never be able to explain what keeps me coming back to urban dramas even when I've expressed my occasional distaste for many. Maybe it comes from the hope that as the years go by, there will be one urban drama that shakes up the genre and challenges old concepts and writing. However there are films like True to the Game that makes me believe the genre has gotten too comfortable.

The film, based on the based selling novel by Teri Woods, follows Quadir (Columbus Short), a well established street hustler. He began to have thoughts of stepping out of the game after falling for Gina (Erica Peeples) and receiving threats from others taking over his position.

Usually by this point, I try to say something positive about the movie, but frankly, I just don't have much to say at all about this. It's your typical run of the mill urban drama and no plot point or actor can elevate the material past that. While the movie does have some occasionally nice lighting, it's not long till almost every scenery looks artificial to the eye. The editing is even stranger, when it almost immediately changes scenes after someone is shot or a short time to react from a shooting.

The one thing that bothers me the most about the film is the lack of emotional impact. There's one scene in particular near the end of the film, that's supposed to be a emotional moment, but is so rushed like the rest of the film and the rest of the film slogs even further down a hole it can't crawl out of.

I haven't read the book to True to the Game, but I feel the movie gives me the feeling I'm not missing much at all. While I commend them trying to make material with a very small budget, it doesn't make up for lazy writing, unengaged acting or the lace front beards almost every male has on.

A Wrinkle in Time (2018)

It Has A Few Too Many "Wrinkles"

[5/10 · 11 March 2018]

Children's books will never be easy to adapt for new generations. Not just because of generational gaps of the state of mind when it was written, but also the expectation of holding filmmakers to the standard that a book indirectly sets (even if it doesn't translate to film). While in recent years, Ava DuVernay has established herself directing impressive urban dramas (Selma, Middle of Nowhere) and finds herself stepping into the Disney fantasy land, and while young children can have fun in her world, adults may find a few more wrinkles than expected.

The film follows Meg (Storm Reid) who is at a lost after dealing with the disappearance of her father (Chris Pine). Suddenly Meg's little brother discovers three witches who help Meg, her brother and a close friend try to discover why their father hasn't come home.

Ava DuVernay is very much staging an ambitious world visually, and while it's interesting to view, it doesn't allow enough on the surface or even depth to understand how the "wrinkles" operate. While I'm okay with the idea of the children going into a world unlike their own, I found myself asking "what is anything and why doesn't it click like it should?" We are told many times on screen that Meg and her brother have great minds, but we never really get to see what makes them so brilliant like the film says they are. There's points when Meg's brother becomes the central focus and he goes from over his years to unexplainably odd and it becomes hard to digest on screen. And as for Oprah playing the witch, it just sounds like Oprah talking like Oprah. Take what you can from that.

It's not all bad within the world though. There's enough colorful elements that I could see young children finding enjoyment in the fantasy world. The set pieces have some interesting ideas and surreal moments in visual repetition and ever changing geography.

A Wrinkle in Time sadly has too many wrinkles to give it a recommendation, but I wouldn't tell people run away either. It has interesting ideas, but trouble connecting it altogether. Colorful, but maybe too intense to the eye. The heart and soul is very much seen in Ava's work, but I feel the heart wasn't in the right direction.

Rating: 5.1 / 10

Black Panther (2018)

"Black Panther" Comes With it's Sharpest Claws

[8/10 · 16 February 2018]

There are some movies than mean more than just entertainment or insight in ones life. There are certain films that spark phenomenons for certain cultures in unexplainable ways while still maintaining the intent for enjoyment for others. Black Panther emerged from the Captain America: Civil War film and gave the audience only a feeling of what to expect from the land of Wakanda, but also brought the audience even more than one would expect from a Marvel movie.

The film follows T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman) as he takes the throne as king of Wakanda after the death of his father. As he returns home and settling within his position, he also comes across people who challenge his abilities as a king and the sins of his fathers past.

Ryan Coogler as a director really delivers a gorgeous movie (his third film so far, Creed & Fruitvale Station) and stage Wakanda beautifully from the world building to the eclectic costume design. The characters motivations feel sharper than ever, and never fears making references that make the audiences laugh and snap their fingers. Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan) is one of the few MCU villains that has a believable motivation but a shockingly raw reason to his plan that many might find themselves asking the same thing.

While the cinematography can be really good at times, it can be shaky at moments as well. The very first fight scene takes place in the dark, and with the gunfire and fast cutting, it can be a little shaky on the eyes at times deciphering whats happening. Also the CGI in some points, particularly in a "Coming to America" style christening, I felt a little deja vu from old cutout characters from old video games. And while there's more than enough action to spare in this film, I could have used a little bit of space in between each action scene.

Black Panther nonetheless is still a very rousing kind of superhero movie that takes on a couple interesting themes. There's excitement, and really challenges the power dynamic when the shoe is on the other foot. Find the biggest screen you can and be ready to take a trip that you may not want to come back from.

Fifty Shades Freed (2018)

I Guess We Are "Freed"

[2/10 · 9 February 2018]

It's unfortunate that those living within the BDSM lifestyle have had to explain the misrepresentation of their lifestyle. Even more so during the emergence of the Fifty Shades Trilogy that misrepresents why someone would be interested in the world. Alas, it became a major phenomenon, a profitable film series and now we come to the conclusion of Fifty Shades Freed and all of my concerns of this franchise come to light.

We open with a pretty montage of Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey tieing the knot (no, not that knot, yet) and begin to embark in a happily married life. Meanwhile, Jack Hyde is envious of the couple and plans to seek revenge and do any and everything he can to sabotage their lives.

By this point, I believe most fans know what they're coming into when it comes to this franchise, so even speaking upon the postives or negatives can fall on deaf ears. What I will say about the franchise "positively" is that they have maintained a certain level of consistency in the lazy writing and strange out of no where choices one makes. Christian still gets amazed Ana thinks for herself, the sex scenes still feel weirdly PG or PG-13 in terms of kinkiness and the plot goes into such a strange choices and decisions the characters make.

While there is no helicopter scene, there are a few eyebrow raising scenes that are worth mentioning. One moment when handcuff's are involved in a pretty dramatic scene which turns out pretty funny, and seeing Christian Grey play the piano and sing blues music. But nothing tops a moment when he becomes drunk, and I almost believed it was Jamie Dornan just saying to himself "it's the last day of filming, so I'll try to make it worthwhile."

Fifty Shades Freed doesn't really feel like it frees anyone except the audience. I still don't buy the romance, and the ending montage makes me realize that nothing is really gained, as it has more so become more vanilla and less interested. But if your invested in the characters, feel free to get tied up one more time.

The Cloverfield Paradox (2018)

Even More a "Paradox" Trying to Make Sense of It All

[6/10 · 5 February 2018]

The films with the smallest amount of details on the surface can be the most fun to speculate, which is exactly why I fell in fascination with the 2008 film Cloverfield. It's unconventional approach to a monster movie told from the average persons point of view, and even inspired one of my own films that same year. The franchise has always maintained a great level of marketing and The Cloverfield Paradox maintains by surprise announcing the release hours before its release.

The film takes place in a space station as scientists try to harvest a powerful amount of energy due to Earth's diminishings resources. While succeeding after months of failed tests, they tore open a paradox that effects those on the station and even more that I refuse to spoil.

As a fan of the franchise, I've always liked the idea the films never really feel similar to one another and show many different perspectives on the same series of events. The film maintains a strong sense of unpredictability as when the paradox kicks in, there's no real sense of where it will take you. Sometimes that paradox aspect works and other times it doesn't as I found myself confused on the rules of how characters are affected. This view nonetheless doesn't make the Cloverfield connection as jammed in like 10 Cloverfield Lane, however, it could have benefited from stronger characters.

The film mostly focuses on Hamilton (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), as she plays a young wife far away from her husband on the mission. While she is given a bit to work with in the first and third acts, the other characters feel slightly flat and lacking emotion for a crew that's around each other for a very long time. Chris O'Dowd is subjected to be a comic relief and not always doesn't his jokes land either.

While The Cloverfield Paradox answers some questions, it makes you ask a ton more. It's fascinating, yet strangely too overwhelming and derivative at the same time. I can understand this film feeling a bit harder to market than the last couple movies, but I think it does what Cloverfield is best known for, making you speculate every single thing on screen.

Rating: 6 / 10

Proud Mary (2018)

I Wish "Mary" Came To the Fight With a Fully Loaded Clip

[5/10 · 12 January 2018]

By this time, we all know what to expect from a Screen Gems Movie. This is the same studio that has made a living producing small budget films to the urban community like Obsessed, No Good Deed, and When the Bough Breaks. While they have all maintained solid profitability, I have found all of their filmmaking and writing severely lacking any thrills and under utilizing their lead actors. So I found myself walking into Proud Mary expecting a familiar feeling, but a slight sense of naive optimism.

Mary (Taraji P. Henson) plays a hitman who learns she kills the parent of a young boy during a assigned hit. Over the year, she oversees his wellness and takes him in and notices the strain it brings between her and her higher up (Danny Glover) and her previous lover (Billy Brown).

While some of the films budget limits can be seen, the film is able to bring some decent performances from Billy Brown and some decent "gun-fu" action. The finale has a fleeting moment of some engaging action, but it feels all too brief and too dimly lit to take in the stunt's Taraji did. There are fleeting moments when the film is able to not take itself so seriously, particularly one scene when the credits begin to roll which I wish the film committed itself to that certain feeling more often.

While I am not surprised the boss subplot is irrelevant, it still amazes me how little we know about Mary as a character. Her backstory is almost inexistent, which is bothersome given she's such a motherly character but still feels too locked to her own thoughts. The villain's also have no gravitas, as they never physically challenge Mary and feel like faceless dummies to show off Taraji's fighting abilities. And the little boy can be very annoying and all over the place at times. One moment he plays as a hardened street kid and the next a whiny child.

Proud Mary thankfully isn't the disaster I was worried it would be, but it's not as committed to the over the top action I wished it was. While the mother-son dynamic allows for a softer criminal, the emotional impact doesn't feel earned. The 70s music choices are on the nose at times, but loosens up the film at points. To put it simply, Proud Mary comes to the fight strapped with a half empty clip.

Rating: 5.0/10

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017)

"Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" Comes Ready to Play

[7/10 · 30 December 2017]

Remaking, rebooting or making a sequel to any 90's family film is almost always deemed sacrilegious. While we have seen some really bad films come from that, we've yet to really see one that put in the time and effort to make it worth while. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle tries to step into the ring and surprisingly keeps a great level of energy even most comedies this year haven't been able to achieve.

The film takes place in modern day as Jumanji the board game has evolved into a shape of a Atari like cartridge console and is discovered by 4 high school students while in detention. The teenagers decide to start the game as a time passer, and soon realize they get sucked into the video game and become the characters they have chosen. So in order to get out the game, they have to take the jewel to a high mountain and not lose all 3 of their lives in the process.

Jumanji takes alot of elements from video game nature, even down to how NPC's (non-playable characters) operate and still able to get the viewer up to speed even if you don't play video games. The film also has a great kinetic energy when it gets into the game mode and never really loses steam. The chemistry between the leads are all really solid, specifically Jack Black playing as the self-centered teenage girl who is even funnier than I would have expected him to be in this kind of role. And for Dwayne Johnson, he's able to carry the uncertain nerd characteristic well, and if you watched him as The Rock during his wrestling days, it makes his "Smoldering Intensity" moments that much funnier.

As for any setbacks, the villain as about as memorable as any other video game villain. He doesn't have any interesting backstory and doesn't give the characters much of a challenge either. Also while all the other characters are able to play their counterparts well, Kevin Hart feels like he is playing Kevin Hart, despite his teenage character not sharing that similarity.

In many ways, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is a studio mandated cash-in on a familiar property, but at the same time, is able to have fun with itself. The energy is the right mix of dumb and fun, even at the same time and it's able to be a better video game adaptation than a lot of the one's we've gotten in recent history. This might not be a film remembered 10-20 years from now, but it will definitely suck you in as soon as you press Start.

Bright (I) (2017)

"Bright" Doesn't Shine the Way It Thinks

[4/10 · 23 December 2017]

Diversity is a theme that has become very prominent over the last few years in film, not only in actors, but also in the central themes of the movie. If done right, it can serve a great way to handle to approaching people unlike ourselves and aware of our differences. And Netflix's big budget movie Bright has that ambition, but loses focus of that ambition pretty quickly.

In the movie Will Smith is a cop in present day LA with Orcs, Elves, and Fairy's. His distrust for Orcs even lies with his second in command (Joel Edgerton) gets him shot off duty and tension begins between the two of them. Meanwhile, they bust a case where Elf wand is being sought after by a mysterious woman and threatens to bring back the Dark Lord.

The idea of mixing humans and Orc's and Humans wasn't a bad idea in concept. To get a feeling of two totally different species and the way they live on paper. The makeup on the Orc's are pretty good as well, as Joel is pretty much unrecognizable on screen and the close ups allow to see the great detail on the characters.

The films biggest issue is that it takes on entirely more than it can chew. As a fantasy film that explores adventure esque elements, and trying to bring social commentary of racism and discrimination, it doesn't do well juggling all of those elements. The film tries so hard in the first act to make Will Smith unlikable making statements about how he doesn't trust Orc's and speaks derogatory statements about them to their face. Also, the fantasy plot aspect is so hard to follow at times, as they are trying to make this world feel so big and expensive, as it's hard trying to digest all in a 2 hour movie.

Bright is not the worst film this year, but wastes alot of potential. The jokes don't land and come in strange times, the plot is messy and the character development is inexistent. Maybe some people might be able to find some enjoyment, but for me, Bright doesn't shine anywhere near as much as it thinks it does.

Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017)

The Force is Still Strong in "The Last Jedi"

[8/10 · 15 December 2017]

Well, usually I like to give my usual speech about the film, but I don't want anyone to think I'll spoil anything, so I might as well jump into my thoughts on one of the biggest films of 2017, Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

So the film takes place shorty after The Force Awakens, and Rey has found Luke Skywalker, who has abandoned himself to a remote island. Meanwhile, The First Order is closing in on the Resistance and Kylo Ren's emotional conflict grows even stronger under Snoke's command.

One thing i really enjoyed is the original cast Mark Hamil and Carrie Fisher really deliver some great performances in their respective roles. You feel the sense they have both gone through some tough experiences over this time and it weighs on their roles well. I was a defender of Kylo Ren's inexperience in The Force Awakens and i feel it's paying off as his conflict makes him more interesting to watch as a villain to see where he goes. And there are some really rousing and exciting space fights and lightsaber battles throughout this movie with some great cinematography to compliment the action.

As time progresses, i did notice that the film does rely on humor that comes in at the wrong time at points in the midst of a big moment. Also, there is a subplot that involves Finn and Rose that just isn't sharply written enough to buy into, and becomes hard to be invested despite the film giving it a lot of time on screen. And there's one scene.... I don't want to go to detail, but I'll just simply say "I have so many questions!"

Star Wars: The Last Jedi shows it's not afraid to take some risks with well beloved characters. The action is still fun and more refined, and is able to keep you curious for the future. It does have some narrative flaws, but the force is still strong with this one.

PS: to anyone complaining that Disney wanted to put jokes in this film to be "kid-friendly", just remember Return of the Jedi and The Phantom Menace were considered kid friendly at the time also, and we've never really seen a really dark Star Wars movie and probably never will.

The Disaster Artist (2017)

Far From a "Disaster"

[9/10 · 30 November 2017]

Tommy Wiseau's move The Room holds a special spot in my heart. Not because it was a cinematic masterpiece, but instead i was able to find entertainment in a constant mess of a movie. Over the years, I've learned a lot of quotes from the movie, all the hidden details and as many behind the scenes info as possible. I was filled with excitement for seeing The Disaster Artist come to life as a The Room fan but even the curiosity of a solid comedy.

Greg (Dave Franco) is a young timid actor trying to find his footing as a actor, and becomes fascinated by the fearless actor in his class Tommy (James Franco). They grow a personal brotherly bond and Tommy influences Greg to go off to Los Angeles with him to be big stars. As they begin to feel every door closed in their face, they begin to create their own movie with Tommy's bottomless account. And it wouldn't be long until the movie spirals into chaos and turns into something they never expected.

James Franco does a great job as Tommy. A character like Tommy is virtually impossible to play by many people, but he gets as many of his mannerisms, laughs and off beat personality down. As a director, James never lets the movie laugh at Tommy all the time, but he does still inject some empathy for Tommy's bond with Greg, and when the world pointing at his incompetence. He's not afraid to call out Tommy either for his questionable decisions on set and how he treated his crew. There was one great line of dialogue said that the actor believes that Tommy's movie is about "how the universe betrayed him", and it actually opened my view of The Room after 5 years knowing this movie.

As for any setbacks, they mostly fall in a bit of a checklist feel. While it was great seeing iconic moments in the movie played out, a couple moments don't really connect to the plot as well as others. Also the third act has a bit of a "Hollywood" slight sappy moment that feels a little rushed in emotion.

The Disaster Artist is far from a disaster and I'm happy as The Room fan to say. It's insanely hilarious, it's hearts in the right place and shows how sometimes our art can take us in places we don't expect.

Rating: 9.6 / 10

Justice League (2017)

"Justice" is Still Not Served

[5/10 · 16 November 2017]

I'm not a DC hater, nor am I a Marvel fanboy, and it's sad i have to start my review like this. I want DC to give Marvel some healthy competition while carving out their own identity, however Man of Steel, Batman v Superman, and Suicide Squad haven't given me hope. I had a good time with Wonder Woman but Justice League will be the deciding factor of it was one lucky shot or the beginning of correcting old faults.

Justice League takes place after the death of Superman as the world mourns, despite 70% of the world hating him how i remembered. A strange being by the name of Steppenwolf emerges and searches for three Mother Boxes that can bring a extreme level of destruction to the world. Bruce Wayne and Diana realize they can't do it all alone, so they bring a team together to fight and save the world.

As this is was a first time introduction to Cyborg, Aquaman and The Flash, the film does show they have some good chemistry back and forth with the team as they all individually show off their powers to help in a fight. Ezra Miller as The Flash in particular brings a lot of personality and Wonder Woman brings a sense of big sister keeping the little brothers together. Yes, we do get a moment with Superman and does lead to a fairly rousing moment.

But how does the villain feel on screen, well, honestly, STEPPENWOLF IS BORING. There is no character no clear motivation to why he is doing the things he is and proves that super villains just don't translate to live action (see X-Men: Apocalypse as a example). Also Cyborg, is interesting as his backstory seems, we never see it all come to play. The visuals are very much Zack Snyder, and at the same time there is a strangely over sexualized tone to Wonder Woman in how she is filmed (with occasional upskirt shots, and a lot of focus on her back) and poses the argument of the "male gaze" on several occasions.

To me, applauding Justice League for not sucking as much is like applauding a D student for getting a C on a final test. While there are moments of fun, some solid chemistry between the leads, i still feel like we still are a far distance for Justice to be truly served for the DC Extended Universe.

Also, there is a couple post credits scenes. One of them is a kind light hearted moment, and the other.....well go see and find out.

Texas Voodoo Zombies (2016)

'Zombies' Has No Soul

[2/10 · 13 November 2017]

Making a B-grade film is hard to achieve successfully and having the audience on board with its lunacy. When it doesn't work, the film crashes and burns, but could turn into a entertaining train wreck. Then there are films like Texas Voodoo Zombies, where it starts like it could be laughably bad, but migrates into a misogynistic unfunny horror comedy.

The film follows Doobie Jones, a man on parole trying to find employment to avoid jail time. He decides to bring friends over for a party when he "accidentally" drops a entire box of rat poison in some food for the guests. Soon, the guests turn into zombies and they must stop them from a "Zombie Hoodpocalypse".

The sad thing is the only 2 funny things in the movie is a picture in a frame that randomly changes reactions and a ridiculous moment involving the Michael Jackson Thriller dance, however that doesn't make up for the fact these moments happen over a hour into a 97 minute movie.

The films biggest fault is the director thinks everything Doobie says it's funny, but instead he comes off as a immature man child that makes him almost unbearable to watch at times. What makes it worse is almost every scene has Doobie in the film, so that weighs the films fun factor down HARD. Literally every female character is Also the dialogue is riddled with unnecessary exposition every time people talk to one another, and topped with wooden acting from every single character on screen. All of the female characters have no characterization other than sexualized almost portrayed as objects for Doobie and the other males.

Texas Voodoo Zombies has one isolated funny moment but doesn't make up for the other 96 frustrating minutes. The dialogue is awful and the acting is even worse and has a very sexist mindset. To put it simply, this film is dead on arrival with no soul in sight.

Rating: 1.7 / 10

Lady Bird (2017)

'Lady Bird' Spreads Her Wings

[9/10 · 10 November 2017]

Portraying a likable rebel is a hard thing to do on screen. You would have to set up why they are the way they are, and still be able to give them fleeting moments of empathy or just go all the way with no regrets. Lady Bird takes a stab at finding the balance from first time director Greta Gerwig in a relatively conservative scenery but does a lot to make her stand out in this hilarious coming of age story.

Lady Bird (Saoirse Ronan) is Catherine McPherson's given alias when she becomes bored living her familiar life while in a Catholic High School in Sacramento. Her new persona makes her become more wandering and naturally gravitating to many different things around her like boys, new female friends and the dream of finding more like herself in a east coast college away from home.

Saoirse Ronan does a great job as a rebellious yet empathetic teenager as her angst does feel like it comes from a genuine place. What I've always had issues in the past from coming of age films is they make the teenagers problems feel self inflicted, but instead her character is coming more from a place of needing to explore more in life. The director also gives a lot of great snappy dialogue with all the characters and having some truly hilarious moments (there's a scene where the kids are slow dancing to Bone Thugs n Harmony's The Crossroads that has me screaming).

As for faults, there aren't too many, but are more so nitpicks within this films wings. While the film has a great first and third act, the second act has a couple of dragging moments. It's not often or super noticeable, but some of the films strongest points are around the outer shell.

Lady Bird doesn't reinvent the wheel of coming of age stories, however it does move with a lot of charm. Saoirse is great in he lead role, a really strong script and has you on a ride with a character learning from their mistakes and understanding how their actions affect others. Rating: 9.3 / 10

Imprisoned by Love (2013)

"Imprisoned" Makes You Long for Greener Grass

[3/10 · 3 November 2017]

Watching a film centering on domestic abuse from a spouse or family member has never been easy to watch as many of these films draw inspiration from true events one goes through. However, films like this I understand can tap into a certain relatablity that could help someone find the courage to find a way out of this abusive scenario. The film Imprisoned by Love opens the door of how to address a abusive marriage, but slowly merges from a heartfelt idea to a problematic melodrama that goes borderline goofball.

Tracey is a woman married to her husband Troy of 17 years living with their two daughters. When we are introduced to the couple, we find out early on that this is not the first time Tracey has been beaten by her husband and her closest family and friends try to help out of this marriage before it becomes deadly.

One thing I can admit is the films heart is in the right place, but the problem is it never gives solid solutions. The biggest issue I have is there is no real established relationship for the couple prior to the abuse. Had the film established the couples relationship, I would feel the devastation of the husbands actions, but instead we are left with one dimensional characters with no real sense of who they are and how they make their decisions in the sake of their marriage.

The husband is easily the worst thing about this movie. Not just in the sense of him being a abuser, but the way he is written and acted. Imagine every abuser cliché (controlling, eye twitching, and mean one second and I'm sorry the other) all rolled into one. The dialogue is so strangely disconnected from feeling believable as some of the characters talk like they are speaking to the audience in a unconvincing form and don't feel like they are speaking to each other. In a film where the the parents are the center of the story, it's said that the children actors seem better even with the stiled dialogue. And the tone is all over the place with even having one emotional scene happen in the second half, and seconds later cut to those same characters laughing together and this happens more than once.

If Imprisoned by Love taught me anything, it's that good intentions doesn't equal to good storytelling. It's technically sloppy, and the acting ranges from a mixed bag to outright unengaged. Hopefully it touched someone out there, but for those unfamiliar, there's better out there.

Rating: 3.3 / 10

Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

Thor is a Colorful Ride Through the Cosmos

[7/10 · 3 November 2017]

While the Marvel Cinematic Universe has created some great blockbuster highs, it has has its share of lows as well. The one superhero out of all the members who tends to get the short end of the stick is the God of Thunder himself Thor. While his debut film wasn't bad, it was filled with hit and miss cinematography and frankly a love story that was just unnecessary. And Thor: The Dark World...... i just act like that movie didn't happen at all. So Thor: Ragnarok had to inject some needed energy to catch up to his fellow peers.

In this film, we find Thor (Chris Helmsworth) searching for his father Odin (Anthony Hopkins), and comes across the Goddess of Death Hela (Cate Blanchett) who threatens Thor's homeland Asgard of Ragnarok, which means the extinction of their land. Most of the time Thor is exiled to Sakaar, a very eccentric land and comes across Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) and Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) as they find a way back home.

One thing I will admit is this is the first time a Thor movie put this much effort to keep you entertained. Tessa Thompson delivers a energized performance and I'm happy to see her getting recognition. Jeff Goldblum is just as lively who just bleeds a "Yas Queen" kind of personality every time he's on screen. Thor has a a character seems more relaxed and less like the macho character we got used to him being.

However, the film isn't without flaws. While there are moments where the cinematography can have great visual moments, there are certain shots that look very rushed blue screen edit. The villain, while she has a interesting backstory, doesn't really bring too much of a lasting impact like most Marvel movies tends to be. Also there's a relatively big thing in the 3rd act that happens ( i won't spoil i swear), but it happens so fast and the film rushes by it, that it doesn't feel as important as it feels like it should be.

Thor Ragnarok is a colorful cosmic ride, but still misses some lasting impact on certain points. If you have seen enough Marvel Cinematic Universe films, you know what to expect walking in and shouldn't be disappointed.

Rating: 7.4 / 10