Note: Minor spoilers throughout, will try to keep them to a minimum. Fair warning.
Cell is a movie based on the book by Stephen King. If you read my reviews of the television show 11/22/63 a few months back, then you already know how big a fan I am of Stephen King. He is my favorite author of all time, and I generally go into his movies a little more optimistic than I should be, as they really have a bit of a hit and miss factor to them over the years. This one went straight to video on demand, so I did go into it with a little less optimism, but I still feel that it has a strong cast in John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson, and it is based on one of my more favorite books by Stephen King.
The movie follows Clay Ridell (played by John Cusack), a graphic novelist who has been having a rocky marriage, but is trying to get his life together. He just gets back from a big deal with one of his books, and is wanting to visit his wife and son, but the wife is reluctant because of their past. His phone goes dead while talking to her, but that turns out to be a good thing, as all of a sudden, the airport he is in goes absolutely crazy, as people start attacking each other. He quickly realizes that it is everyone that was talking on their cell phone, and so he attempts to get out of the airport. He ends up in the subway under the airport, where he meets Tom McCourt (played by Samuel L. Jackson), and they leave together. From there, the movie follows Clay's attempts to get to his family to find out if they are okay.
There are a lot of similarities to the book, but there are also a good bit of differences. I don't remember Tom playing as big of a role in the book as he did in the movie, but since they had Samuel L. Jackson playing him, it made sense to give him more of a prominent role. I did think that both of them did well in their roles in the movie, but the supporting cast was subpart for the most part.
The movie has kind of a B-movie type of feel to it, and I think that was a good thing. It felt a bit campy, but it never really felt absurd in what was going on. You could tell that the budget wasn't huge on the movie, but I don't think the movie suffered because of it. Overall, I felt that the movie was better than most movies that go straight to video on demand or straight to DVD. I wish there had been a bigger budget to it, as I think they could have really done more with the movie, but given the overall script, I don't know that the movie really warranted it.
I do think they accomplished what they wanted to accomplish with the movie, and for the most part, I liked the movie. I was hoping for more, but coming into it with lower expectations than a wider release film, I also wouldn't say I was disappointed. As I said above, I really liked the book, but the big problem I had with the book was the ending. They completely changed the ending in the movie (as they normally do with Stephen King books, for better or worse), and I was happy that there was full resolution, but I don't know if the ending was better off or not. I did feel that the ending was a little bit abrupt, and they should have done a little more with fleshing it out.
My rating for the movie is 6.5/10
Sunday, July 3, 2016
TV Show - Hell on Wheels - "61 Degrees"
Note: Major spoilers for the episode of Hell on Wheels. You have been warned.
With this week's episode, we pick up where last week left off, which is with Cullen and Mei in bed, talking about how what they are doing is dangerous. This would be a pretty common theme throughout the episode, as everything that Cullen is doing at this point is dangerous, and continues to propel him down this spiral that he seems to be destined to be heading down.
In a continuous effort to finish this railroad, apparently no matter the cost, Cullen has found a solution to the mountain problem that they have run into, and that is to used nitroglycerin to blow it up. This is to the dismay of Jim, whom says it is too dangerous, but Huntington realizes that he needs to see progress and now, so he goes along with Cullen. Cullen asks Jim to show him how to mix it, just one batch, and Jim reluctantly agrees. In doing so, we also find out what happened to Jim's eye, as he explains that he lost it in an explosion many years ago.
While setting the charges for the first time, we get to see just how dangerous it can be, as one of the charges doesn't initially blow, and ends up killing three of the men. Jim uses this to show just how dangerous it is, but Cullen says that he will monitor the charges himself, to make sure that nothing bad happens again. Huntington agrees, but says Cullen can't watch it entirely by himself, and so he volunteers Jim to help, but Jim refuses. This ends up causing Jim to lose his job, and he and his family have to leave the railroad. Jim says to Cullen, "I was your only friend," which clearly hits Cullen right in the feels, mainly because he knows that Jim is right.
Later, as Jim is packing his things, Cullen shows up to say that one of the live charges is stuck in the wall. Despite his intents to leave Cullen to his own problems, he gives in and tells Cullen that he needs to drill a hole near the live charge and set up a new charge to blow them both. Cullen and Mei do this task together, and it goes off without a hitch. At this, there is also light showing through from inside the mountain, and it looks like Cullen's plan has worked, and they have made it through the crew on the other side.
Meanwhile, Durant has gotten himself into trouble, as the men he sold land to are upset that Cheyenne is no longer the main depot along the railroad, and so they come looking for their money. They give Durant two days to get the money, and so he sets up a plot to have Mickey hire someone to kidnap Durant and then have the government pay a ransom, which he will use to pay off the angry men. Mickey hires his cousin, which is a stupid idea, and foreshadows how well the scenario is going to go, and so it goes as we expect. Delaney gets killed in the process, Durant is taken, and Louise is left with the ransom note.
To end the episode, we see Cullen and Mei talking, and he gives a very good speech about his leg, saying that everyone he comes in contact with is gone, and all that is left is the scars. I thought this was a well done speech, and really speaks to where Cullen has gotten to in his life. At this point, he really only has Mei and the railroad left, and so that is too much for Cullen to have. And so, we get a knock on Mei's door, and it is Chang. Cullen leaves and tells Mei to get his people in order, to throw off Chang of what is really going on, but it is apparent that Chang is now suspicious. This can only end badly for Cullen and Mei, which is what I've come to expect from the show at this point.
Overall, the episode was fine, but it just feels like the show is cruising into a lackluster finish at this point. There are four more episodes at this point, and it just keeps getting bleaker for our main characters. I can only assume at this point that Cullen will lose Mei, and I'm starting to wonder if he is even going to get to see the railroad finished. If he does lose Mei, and the railroad is all he has left, then I can only guess that in the final episode, Cullen is going to die before he gets to see the end of the line. I don't know how I feel about that, and I guess we will just have to see how the final four episodes play out, but I'm really starting to lose hope in this show. I hope they can recover and give a coherent ending that makes sense, but I am really having my doubts.
My rating for the episode is 6/10
With this week's episode, we pick up where last week left off, which is with Cullen and Mei in bed, talking about how what they are doing is dangerous. This would be a pretty common theme throughout the episode, as everything that Cullen is doing at this point is dangerous, and continues to propel him down this spiral that he seems to be destined to be heading down.
In a continuous effort to finish this railroad, apparently no matter the cost, Cullen has found a solution to the mountain problem that they have run into, and that is to used nitroglycerin to blow it up. This is to the dismay of Jim, whom says it is too dangerous, but Huntington realizes that he needs to see progress and now, so he goes along with Cullen. Cullen asks Jim to show him how to mix it, just one batch, and Jim reluctantly agrees. In doing so, we also find out what happened to Jim's eye, as he explains that he lost it in an explosion many years ago.
While setting the charges for the first time, we get to see just how dangerous it can be, as one of the charges doesn't initially blow, and ends up killing three of the men. Jim uses this to show just how dangerous it is, but Cullen says that he will monitor the charges himself, to make sure that nothing bad happens again. Huntington agrees, but says Cullen can't watch it entirely by himself, and so he volunteers Jim to help, but Jim refuses. This ends up causing Jim to lose his job, and he and his family have to leave the railroad. Jim says to Cullen, "I was your only friend," which clearly hits Cullen right in the feels, mainly because he knows that Jim is right.
Later, as Jim is packing his things, Cullen shows up to say that one of the live charges is stuck in the wall. Despite his intents to leave Cullen to his own problems, he gives in and tells Cullen that he needs to drill a hole near the live charge and set up a new charge to blow them both. Cullen and Mei do this task together, and it goes off without a hitch. At this, there is also light showing through from inside the mountain, and it looks like Cullen's plan has worked, and they have made it through the crew on the other side.
Meanwhile, Durant has gotten himself into trouble, as the men he sold land to are upset that Cheyenne is no longer the main depot along the railroad, and so they come looking for their money. They give Durant two days to get the money, and so he sets up a plot to have Mickey hire someone to kidnap Durant and then have the government pay a ransom, which he will use to pay off the angry men. Mickey hires his cousin, which is a stupid idea, and foreshadows how well the scenario is going to go, and so it goes as we expect. Delaney gets killed in the process, Durant is taken, and Louise is left with the ransom note.
To end the episode, we see Cullen and Mei talking, and he gives a very good speech about his leg, saying that everyone he comes in contact with is gone, and all that is left is the scars. I thought this was a well done speech, and really speaks to where Cullen has gotten to in his life. At this point, he really only has Mei and the railroad left, and so that is too much for Cullen to have. And so, we get a knock on Mei's door, and it is Chang. Cullen leaves and tells Mei to get his people in order, to throw off Chang of what is really going on, but it is apparent that Chang is now suspicious. This can only end badly for Cullen and Mei, which is what I've come to expect from the show at this point.
Overall, the episode was fine, but it just feels like the show is cruising into a lackluster finish at this point. There are four more episodes at this point, and it just keeps getting bleaker for our main characters. I can only assume at this point that Cullen will lose Mei, and I'm starting to wonder if he is even going to get to see the railroad finished. If he does lose Mei, and the railroad is all he has left, then I can only guess that in the final episode, Cullen is going to die before he gets to see the end of the line. I don't know how I feel about that, and I guess we will just have to see how the final four episodes play out, but I'm really starting to lose hope in this show. I hope they can recover and give a coherent ending that makes sense, but I am really having my doubts.
My rating for the episode is 6/10
Friday, June 24, 2016
TV Show - Hell on Wheels - "Two Soldiers" and "Return to the Garden"
Note: Major spoilers incoming for the first two episodes of the last half of the final season of Hell on Wheels. You have been warned.
The moment I have been waiting for and sort of hoping would never come officially happened, and I don't know what my exact feelings are now that the deed is done. I really thought (and still think) that this episode should have been saved for the series finale, but I understand why they wanted to go ahead and get it out of the way and start wrapping up all the other storylines. I just feel like the tension they were going for would have felt much bigger if you didn't know if Cullen was going to come out of the episode as well as the Swede, but that part of the episode was just lacking for me.
So, first we get some back story with Thor Gundersen, and get some extra explanation as to why he is what he is. I don't know that it added a whole lot to the story other than to give you a little more pity towards Thor, despite all the terrible things he has done. He has always been a complicated character, and I guess this did add to that, I just don't know if it was all that necessary to the big picture. Next, we see what is going on at that Hatch farm, and we get to see the demise of Naomi's parents at the hands of Thor. But before Thor can get to Naomi and William, Cullen shows up to save the day.
Naomi and the baby run off to the woods, with Thor right behind them, and Cullen right behind him. This leads to Cullen getting shot, and fighting the Swede in the river. Cullen looks as if he is going to kill the Swede and then thinks better of it and instead decides to take him in so he can stand trial. Cullen is still badly hurt, but he makes the journey anyway.
There are some pretty good scenes along the way, as Thor and Cullen converse back and forth, and we really get the feeling that this battle between these two is finally going to come to an end. Which is exactly why I thought that surely the Swede is going to get out of it, like he seems to always do. But, that was not to be the case this time. Cullen stands by as the Swede is hanged from the neck until he dies. And with that, the best part of the show is no longer with us, and there are still six episodes to go.
I felt that the episode was very strong, and it really felt more to me like how I envisioned the series coming to an end, but the decision to put it right in the middle of the final season just feels weird to me. Like, I'm trying to think about what I look forward to at this point, and I can't figure out just what I want to see happen. Do I want Cullen to go back to work for Durant and finish the railroad? Do I want him to go be with his family and live happily? I really don't know, so I guess I will have to let the show tell me over the course of the next six episodes.
The next episode picks up with Cullen getting back to the Hatch homestead, where he discovers that Naomi has fallen in love with another man, and they have made vows to each other, as she thought that Cullen was gone for good. He explains that he left the railroad and was trying to find her, but she says it is too late now. He decides to help them go back to Brigham Young's community, and see if he will take them back in.
We also get to see a little bit of what is going on with the rest of the cast, which feels like it has been forever since we have even seen them. Eva is dreaming of something bigger than running the whore house in town, Mickey is looking to get out of the bar ownership business, and Durant is just trying to finish the railroad and be done with it. Once again, not sure how much I care about the rest of the cast and where they end up, as the focus has been off of them so long now, that it almost feels like a completely different show when they are on screen.
As Cullen and the others arrive at Brigham Young's community, he speaks with the Mormon leader and convinces him to take Naomi and her family in. Brigham also tells Cullen that if he doesn't find love, he will die alone and a wretched thing. Seems like some foreshadowing, but guess we will see about that. Naomi decides to tell Cullen that she has been lying and wants him to take her away and they can be together. However, this time, Cullen is the one that has decided that they would be better off without him, and so he tells his family goodbye and leaves to go back to the railroad.
He arrives back at town, and everyone looks on at the returning Cullen, almost in disbelief that he has returned. We also got a little bit of a look inside Mei's life since Cullen left and her father died. She has been miserable, but when Cullen returns, she seems to light back up a bit. She goes to his house and she disrobes and they look to do the business as the episode ends.
I really just don't know what to say about this episode. I felt like it was all over the place a bit, didn't really fit in with all the characters as we have come to know them, as they were all sort of going against their normal behavior. Cullen spending all that time to get back to his family, Naomi saying that she wanted to be with him, and him just leaving was very strange to me. Maybe best to have left it at her lying to him so he didn't know her true feelings, but I guess it was done to show that Cullen has lost pretty much everything and destroys everything he comes in contact with, as Thor told him, and as Brigham told him. What does that mean for the railroad? I assume he will still finish it, but maybe he won't quite get there either. Seems like they are headed down a dark path for the ending to this series, and maybe Cullen is going to really lose everything by the end. Sadly, I'm kind of interested, but at the same time, not sure if I really care anymore. This show has been up and down for me over the years it's been on, so I guess it's fitting that it's going to do it all the way down to the wire.
My rating for the episodes are 7.5/10 and 6/10
The moment I have been waiting for and sort of hoping would never come officially happened, and I don't know what my exact feelings are now that the deed is done. I really thought (and still think) that this episode should have been saved for the series finale, but I understand why they wanted to go ahead and get it out of the way and start wrapping up all the other storylines. I just feel like the tension they were going for would have felt much bigger if you didn't know if Cullen was going to come out of the episode as well as the Swede, but that part of the episode was just lacking for me.
So, first we get some back story with Thor Gundersen, and get some extra explanation as to why he is what he is. I don't know that it added a whole lot to the story other than to give you a little more pity towards Thor, despite all the terrible things he has done. He has always been a complicated character, and I guess this did add to that, I just don't know if it was all that necessary to the big picture. Next, we see what is going on at that Hatch farm, and we get to see the demise of Naomi's parents at the hands of Thor. But before Thor can get to Naomi and William, Cullen shows up to save the day.
Naomi and the baby run off to the woods, with Thor right behind them, and Cullen right behind him. This leads to Cullen getting shot, and fighting the Swede in the river. Cullen looks as if he is going to kill the Swede and then thinks better of it and instead decides to take him in so he can stand trial. Cullen is still badly hurt, but he makes the journey anyway.
There are some pretty good scenes along the way, as Thor and Cullen converse back and forth, and we really get the feeling that this battle between these two is finally going to come to an end. Which is exactly why I thought that surely the Swede is going to get out of it, like he seems to always do. But, that was not to be the case this time. Cullen stands by as the Swede is hanged from the neck until he dies. And with that, the best part of the show is no longer with us, and there are still six episodes to go.
I felt that the episode was very strong, and it really felt more to me like how I envisioned the series coming to an end, but the decision to put it right in the middle of the final season just feels weird to me. Like, I'm trying to think about what I look forward to at this point, and I can't figure out just what I want to see happen. Do I want Cullen to go back to work for Durant and finish the railroad? Do I want him to go be with his family and live happily? I really don't know, so I guess I will have to let the show tell me over the course of the next six episodes.
The next episode picks up with Cullen getting back to the Hatch homestead, where he discovers that Naomi has fallen in love with another man, and they have made vows to each other, as she thought that Cullen was gone for good. He explains that he left the railroad and was trying to find her, but she says it is too late now. He decides to help them go back to Brigham Young's community, and see if he will take them back in.
We also get to see a little bit of what is going on with the rest of the cast, which feels like it has been forever since we have even seen them. Eva is dreaming of something bigger than running the whore house in town, Mickey is looking to get out of the bar ownership business, and Durant is just trying to finish the railroad and be done with it. Once again, not sure how much I care about the rest of the cast and where they end up, as the focus has been off of them so long now, that it almost feels like a completely different show when they are on screen.
As Cullen and the others arrive at Brigham Young's community, he speaks with the Mormon leader and convinces him to take Naomi and her family in. Brigham also tells Cullen that if he doesn't find love, he will die alone and a wretched thing. Seems like some foreshadowing, but guess we will see about that. Naomi decides to tell Cullen that she has been lying and wants him to take her away and they can be together. However, this time, Cullen is the one that has decided that they would be better off without him, and so he tells his family goodbye and leaves to go back to the railroad.
He arrives back at town, and everyone looks on at the returning Cullen, almost in disbelief that he has returned. We also got a little bit of a look inside Mei's life since Cullen left and her father died. She has been miserable, but when Cullen returns, she seems to light back up a bit. She goes to his house and she disrobes and they look to do the business as the episode ends.
I really just don't know what to say about this episode. I felt like it was all over the place a bit, didn't really fit in with all the characters as we have come to know them, as they were all sort of going against their normal behavior. Cullen spending all that time to get back to his family, Naomi saying that she wanted to be with him, and him just leaving was very strange to me. Maybe best to have left it at her lying to him so he didn't know her true feelings, but I guess it was done to show that Cullen has lost pretty much everything and destroys everything he comes in contact with, as Thor told him, and as Brigham told him. What does that mean for the railroad? I assume he will still finish it, but maybe he won't quite get there either. Seems like they are headed down a dark path for the ending to this series, and maybe Cullen is going to really lose everything by the end. Sadly, I'm kind of interested, but at the same time, not sure if I really care anymore. This show has been up and down for me over the years it's been on, so I guess it's fitting that it's going to do it all the way down to the wire.
My rating for the episodes are 7.5/10 and 6/10
Wednesday, June 22, 2016
Movie - Popstar:Never Stop Never Stopping
Note: There may be minor spoilers throughout, but with a movie like this, does that matter that much anyway? Anywho, you have been warned.
I want to preface this with my love for the Lonely Island, which may cause at least some bias towards this movie. But at the end of the day, this movie is really just the Lonely Island by a different name anyway, so if I didn't already like the Lonely Island, then I don't know that I would have even watched the movie to begin with. And I'm guessing that most people that watch the movie are at least familiar with the group, so I would say that most people already have an opinion of the movie before they even walk into it. That either works completely in the movie's favor, or completely against it, and I don't know that Andy Samberg and the boys would have it any other way.
The premise of the movie is that there is a film crew following this fictitious band (by the name of Style Boyz), and chronicling the career of the one member that has gone solo after the band broke up (Conner4Real, played by Samberg). The other two members are of course played by Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone, the other two members of Lonely Island. The movie is basically making fun of all the music documentaries that have come out over the last several years, following around the likes of Justin Bieber and Katy Perry. The movie picks up right before the release of Conner's second album, where he has gone completely out on his own and is trying to do his own thing, which results in the album release being a total failure. The movie then follows the fall of this once very popular artist as he tries to wrestle with failure, and tries to recapture the success he once had.
The beauty of the movie is how accurate it feels to the source material it is making fun of, if not blown completely out of proportion to up the humor in the movie. Lonely Island is known for taking absurd things and amping them up to an 11, and this movie is no different. Conner and the other members of the Style Boyz are over the top characters, but at the same time, you can still relate to them in some of the things you see in real celebrities in the media these days. The thing about Andy, Jorma, and Akiva is that they can see the absurd in things, but still find a way to make it relate to the average person that is watching the movie or listening to their music.
As much as I enjoyed the movie, I also find it hard to think of who in my personal life I can actually recommend the movie to. It's one of those types of movies that not everyone is going to get into, and so for me to go out and tell everyone they need to see it is just not something I can do. If you have seen other things by the Lonely Island in the past and haven't enjoyed it, then there is nothing in Popstar that is going to change your mind. Heck, even if you have enjoyed some things by Lonely Island in the past, this hour and a half trip into the minds of these three may be too much for most people. I think the most likely people to enjoy the movie are those of us that have had some of their albums in the past, or enjoy over the top, raunchy comedies such as the Hangover movies or Bridesmaids.
Overall, the movie is a nice 90 minute escape from the daily routine to make fun of the ridiculousness of celebrity and the general public's seemingly obsession with people that we know nothing about. It stays true to the source material it is making fun of, while providing their own specific brand of humor, and for that I applaud whoever green lit this movie knowing that it was going to only appeal to a certain group of people. I like it when a movie knows what it wants to be, does it no matter what others are going to think, and then doesn't apologize for itself, and Popstar is exactly that.
My rating for the movie is 7/10
I want to preface this with my love for the Lonely Island, which may cause at least some bias towards this movie. But at the end of the day, this movie is really just the Lonely Island by a different name anyway, so if I didn't already like the Lonely Island, then I don't know that I would have even watched the movie to begin with. And I'm guessing that most people that watch the movie are at least familiar with the group, so I would say that most people already have an opinion of the movie before they even walk into it. That either works completely in the movie's favor, or completely against it, and I don't know that Andy Samberg and the boys would have it any other way.
The premise of the movie is that there is a film crew following this fictitious band (by the name of Style Boyz), and chronicling the career of the one member that has gone solo after the band broke up (Conner4Real, played by Samberg). The other two members are of course played by Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone, the other two members of Lonely Island. The movie is basically making fun of all the music documentaries that have come out over the last several years, following around the likes of Justin Bieber and Katy Perry. The movie picks up right before the release of Conner's second album, where he has gone completely out on his own and is trying to do his own thing, which results in the album release being a total failure. The movie then follows the fall of this once very popular artist as he tries to wrestle with failure, and tries to recapture the success he once had.
The beauty of the movie is how accurate it feels to the source material it is making fun of, if not blown completely out of proportion to up the humor in the movie. Lonely Island is known for taking absurd things and amping them up to an 11, and this movie is no different. Conner and the other members of the Style Boyz are over the top characters, but at the same time, you can still relate to them in some of the things you see in real celebrities in the media these days. The thing about Andy, Jorma, and Akiva is that they can see the absurd in things, but still find a way to make it relate to the average person that is watching the movie or listening to their music.
As much as I enjoyed the movie, I also find it hard to think of who in my personal life I can actually recommend the movie to. It's one of those types of movies that not everyone is going to get into, and so for me to go out and tell everyone they need to see it is just not something I can do. If you have seen other things by the Lonely Island in the past and haven't enjoyed it, then there is nothing in Popstar that is going to change your mind. Heck, even if you have enjoyed some things by Lonely Island in the past, this hour and a half trip into the minds of these three may be too much for most people. I think the most likely people to enjoy the movie are those of us that have had some of their albums in the past, or enjoy over the top, raunchy comedies such as the Hangover movies or Bridesmaids.
Overall, the movie is a nice 90 minute escape from the daily routine to make fun of the ridiculousness of celebrity and the general public's seemingly obsession with people that we know nothing about. It stays true to the source material it is making fun of, while providing their own specific brand of humor, and for that I applaud whoever green lit this movie knowing that it was going to only appeal to a certain group of people. I like it when a movie knows what it wants to be, does it no matter what others are going to think, and then doesn't apologize for itself, and Popstar is exactly that.
My rating for the movie is 7/10
Friday, May 6, 2016
Movie - Captain America: Civil War
Note: There may be minor spoilers, but I will try to limit them to only what is necessary.
Captain America: Civil War is the third Captain America movie, and obviously another huge Marvel tentpole movie to start off the summer season, which has become a yearly event. There has been so much build to the movie, and a relentless marketing campaign, and as usual, Marvel doesn't disappoint. The movie is everything that it bills itself to be, and is what we have come to expect from a Marvel movie, but that would end up being my biggest complaint about the movie as well. Marvel has gotten into a rhythm, and while that rhythm certainly pays the bills plus some, it also makes things predictable and doesn't allow the movie to be different enough to differentiate itself from all the other Marvel movies released in the last few years.
The premise of the film is that the Avengers have been going around causing a lot of damage and causing a lot of innocent people to die as they attempt to stop the bad guys. Never mind the fact that they have saved the world on more occasions to count, the focus has now turned to all the recklessness and collateral damage that is being caused. And so, the government wants to put something in place, called the Sokovia Accords, that will put oversight in place to make sure that the Avengers are not overstepping their boundaries, and putting a system in place to dictate when and where they are allowed to operate. Tony and several of the others think this is a good idea, while Steve and the rest of the group think it's a bad idea. This sets up the inevitable fight between the two sides for later in the movie, which has been the major focus of the marketing campaign.
Meanwhile, as a meeting is set up to have all the different countries sign the accords, there is an attack which kills several world leaders, including the new character Black Panther's father, and the attack is blamed on Bucky, aka the Winter Soldier. Captain America decides that he should be the one to bring Bucky in, and so he goes rogue now that the accords have been signed so that he can bring Bucky in alive and can get the answers he has been seeking since the last Captain America movie.
And so the rest of the movie plays out pretty much how you think it will play out from there, as we get a "bad guy" that is running the show from behind the scenes and we spend most of the movie trying to figure out why he is doing it. I won't ruin the answer to that scenario, as it is a very pivotal moment not only in this movie, but in the whole Marvel Cinematic Universe, and it should be experienced as it is laid out instead of being ruined by me in a review. I say "bad guy" above because Marvel has become known for having some of the most terrible enemies in their movies, and this one really takes the cake. Once again, not to ruin anything, when we finally get the answers, it just feels kind of cheap and is only just a reason to justify the rest of the movie instead of being something that lives up to the "super" in superhero movie.
But other than that, the new characters that are brought in are well done, of which the obvious highlight is Spider-Man. However, I felt just as strongly about Black Panther as I did about Spider-Man, so I thought that both of them really brought something new and different to the movie, and that was a good thing. I definitely worried about how they were going to handle Spider-Man, but I can honestly say that they did the character right, and it even makes me look forward to the reboot that is in the works.
The big showdown between the two sides is well done, the acting by the ever growing cast is strong as always, and the storyline is solid, if even a bit uninspired. That is a win in my book. I wouldn't go so far as to say this is in the top three Marvel movies that have been made, but it definitely fits in around the middle of the pack, and probably on the higher end of the middle ground as opposed to the lower end. When the movie went off, I felt like there should have maybe been a little more, but I may have just been setting my expectations too high. Or maybe I just thought that Marvel would try to amp it up a little bit and give something truly exciting and maybe even a little bit controversial, but in the end they stuck to the same formula that has been working for the last eight years or so. I guess if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
My rating for the movie is 8/10
Captain America: Civil War is the third Captain America movie, and obviously another huge Marvel tentpole movie to start off the summer season, which has become a yearly event. There has been so much build to the movie, and a relentless marketing campaign, and as usual, Marvel doesn't disappoint. The movie is everything that it bills itself to be, and is what we have come to expect from a Marvel movie, but that would end up being my biggest complaint about the movie as well. Marvel has gotten into a rhythm, and while that rhythm certainly pays the bills plus some, it also makes things predictable and doesn't allow the movie to be different enough to differentiate itself from all the other Marvel movies released in the last few years.
The premise of the film is that the Avengers have been going around causing a lot of damage and causing a lot of innocent people to die as they attempt to stop the bad guys. Never mind the fact that they have saved the world on more occasions to count, the focus has now turned to all the recklessness and collateral damage that is being caused. And so, the government wants to put something in place, called the Sokovia Accords, that will put oversight in place to make sure that the Avengers are not overstepping their boundaries, and putting a system in place to dictate when and where they are allowed to operate. Tony and several of the others think this is a good idea, while Steve and the rest of the group think it's a bad idea. This sets up the inevitable fight between the two sides for later in the movie, which has been the major focus of the marketing campaign.
Meanwhile, as a meeting is set up to have all the different countries sign the accords, there is an attack which kills several world leaders, including the new character Black Panther's father, and the attack is blamed on Bucky, aka the Winter Soldier. Captain America decides that he should be the one to bring Bucky in, and so he goes rogue now that the accords have been signed so that he can bring Bucky in alive and can get the answers he has been seeking since the last Captain America movie.
And so the rest of the movie plays out pretty much how you think it will play out from there, as we get a "bad guy" that is running the show from behind the scenes and we spend most of the movie trying to figure out why he is doing it. I won't ruin the answer to that scenario, as it is a very pivotal moment not only in this movie, but in the whole Marvel Cinematic Universe, and it should be experienced as it is laid out instead of being ruined by me in a review. I say "bad guy" above because Marvel has become known for having some of the most terrible enemies in their movies, and this one really takes the cake. Once again, not to ruin anything, when we finally get the answers, it just feels kind of cheap and is only just a reason to justify the rest of the movie instead of being something that lives up to the "super" in superhero movie.
But other than that, the new characters that are brought in are well done, of which the obvious highlight is Spider-Man. However, I felt just as strongly about Black Panther as I did about Spider-Man, so I thought that both of them really brought something new and different to the movie, and that was a good thing. I definitely worried about how they were going to handle Spider-Man, but I can honestly say that they did the character right, and it even makes me look forward to the reboot that is in the works.
The big showdown between the two sides is well done, the acting by the ever growing cast is strong as always, and the storyline is solid, if even a bit uninspired. That is a win in my book. I wouldn't go so far as to say this is in the top three Marvel movies that have been made, but it definitely fits in around the middle of the pack, and probably on the higher end of the middle ground as opposed to the lower end. When the movie went off, I felt like there should have maybe been a little more, but I may have just been setting my expectations too high. Or maybe I just thought that Marvel would try to amp it up a little bit and give something truly exciting and maybe even a little bit controversial, but in the end they stuck to the same formula that has been working for the last eight years or so. I guess if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
My rating for the movie is 8/10
Saturday, April 30, 2016
Movie - Hardcore Henry
Note: May be minor spoilers for the movie, but will keep them as limited as possible.
I went into this movie with some pretty low expectations, just due to the nature of the movie and how unique of a movie it is in premise alone, and I can say that I was pleasantly surprised by the outcome. It's a pretty frantic, all over the place movie, and I think that is what makes it more unique than even the POV style of the film. Just based on the title of the movie alone, the action scenes needed to deliver, and I felt that, except for a few weak points, the action in the movie was very well done and felt different than most other movies just based on the fact that you are watching everything from a first person perspective.
For those that don't know, the premise to the movie is that the entire movie is told from the first person perspective of the protagonist, Henry. He wakes up and his wife is attaching parts to his body, and we find out that most of Henry's body has been replaced by robotic parts. We don't really get much explanation as to what happened, and we get little tidbits of that as the movie plays on, and I think that adds to the intrigue of the film. Considering this premise, I felt that it would be hard to keep any sort of narrative rolling, but something as simple as not explaining just what happened to Henry before waking up was enough to keep things interesting for a bit, while filling in the empty spots with a bunch of action scenes.
In the opening bit, we get to see the main antagonist, Akan, who is very over-the-top right from the outset, as he breaks in to the facility where Henry is being set up with his new robotic body parts. Things go wrong quickly, as we learn that Akan is trying to create an army of "engineered" robots similar to what Henry has now become, and Henry and his wife are able to escape the facility, if only briefly. Henry's wife gets taken, and Henry is saved by a man named Jimmy, played by Sharlto Copley. As the only bigger named actor in the film, Sharlto Copley does most of the heavy lifting throughout the film (especially since we never see Henry), and he does a fantastic job with what he is given. He is the comic relief, the main device to keep the plot rolling, and he even plays multiple roles (which I won't fully get into, as I think it would take away from the movie).
If the above explanation seems a bit strange, or doesn't make a lot of sense, than I think you are starting to get an idea of what this movie is really all about. It's not a conventional movie, and I think that is what makes it good. The storyline is pretty basic, although there are a few twists that are well done, but overall, the story isn't what the movie is all about. They went all in on the first person perspective aspect, and tried to make the movie revolve around that, and for the most part, it is well done. There are a handful of moments where the shaky camera work doesn't really show what is going on, but I felt that most of the time, it felt like it was supposed to feel. You are supposed to be Henry in the movie, and it's supposed to make it more immersive, similar to a video game even. While I don't think it fully accomplishes that goal, it does accomplish being something different than everything else that is being released, and I applaud the filmmakers for at least attempting it. There are not a lot of movie studios out there that would even try, and so for that alone, I have to the give the movie its due.
One big thing I would like to point out that I felt while watching the movie is that it knew what it was and never once tried to take itself seriously. It was meant to be over-the-top, and it 100% embraced that throughout the whole movie. If it ever started to take itself seriously, it would make sure that it did something so big and ridiculous, that it would bring it back into perspective and make you realize that you are just watching a distraction of a movie, not something that was trying to win any awards or be something that was going to make you think too hard. It was an action movie, similar even to movies in the 80's that were big and cheesy and just went for it, no matter how silly the end result was.
I don't want to say that this was the best movie I have ever seen or anything like that, but I do think that the movie was a brave choice and was executed well for what it was trying to do. It's not a movie that is for everyone, but I also think that if you go into it knowing what you are getting, it will go a long ways to helping you enjoy the movie more. It is a big, in your face action movie, that relies on its first person perspective and non-flinching filmmaking. If you want to experience something different from anything else released this year, than Hardcore Henry is for you. If you are looking for something that is going to make you think long after the movie is over, than you probably want to steer clear.
My rating for the movie is 7.5/10
I went into this movie with some pretty low expectations, just due to the nature of the movie and how unique of a movie it is in premise alone, and I can say that I was pleasantly surprised by the outcome. It's a pretty frantic, all over the place movie, and I think that is what makes it more unique than even the POV style of the film. Just based on the title of the movie alone, the action scenes needed to deliver, and I felt that, except for a few weak points, the action in the movie was very well done and felt different than most other movies just based on the fact that you are watching everything from a first person perspective.
For those that don't know, the premise to the movie is that the entire movie is told from the first person perspective of the protagonist, Henry. He wakes up and his wife is attaching parts to his body, and we find out that most of Henry's body has been replaced by robotic parts. We don't really get much explanation as to what happened, and we get little tidbits of that as the movie plays on, and I think that adds to the intrigue of the film. Considering this premise, I felt that it would be hard to keep any sort of narrative rolling, but something as simple as not explaining just what happened to Henry before waking up was enough to keep things interesting for a bit, while filling in the empty spots with a bunch of action scenes.
In the opening bit, we get to see the main antagonist, Akan, who is very over-the-top right from the outset, as he breaks in to the facility where Henry is being set up with his new robotic body parts. Things go wrong quickly, as we learn that Akan is trying to create an army of "engineered" robots similar to what Henry has now become, and Henry and his wife are able to escape the facility, if only briefly. Henry's wife gets taken, and Henry is saved by a man named Jimmy, played by Sharlto Copley. As the only bigger named actor in the film, Sharlto Copley does most of the heavy lifting throughout the film (especially since we never see Henry), and he does a fantastic job with what he is given. He is the comic relief, the main device to keep the plot rolling, and he even plays multiple roles (which I won't fully get into, as I think it would take away from the movie).
If the above explanation seems a bit strange, or doesn't make a lot of sense, than I think you are starting to get an idea of what this movie is really all about. It's not a conventional movie, and I think that is what makes it good. The storyline is pretty basic, although there are a few twists that are well done, but overall, the story isn't what the movie is all about. They went all in on the first person perspective aspect, and tried to make the movie revolve around that, and for the most part, it is well done. There are a handful of moments where the shaky camera work doesn't really show what is going on, but I felt that most of the time, it felt like it was supposed to feel. You are supposed to be Henry in the movie, and it's supposed to make it more immersive, similar to a video game even. While I don't think it fully accomplishes that goal, it does accomplish being something different than everything else that is being released, and I applaud the filmmakers for at least attempting it. There are not a lot of movie studios out there that would even try, and so for that alone, I have to the give the movie its due.
One big thing I would like to point out that I felt while watching the movie is that it knew what it was and never once tried to take itself seriously. It was meant to be over-the-top, and it 100% embraced that throughout the whole movie. If it ever started to take itself seriously, it would make sure that it did something so big and ridiculous, that it would bring it back into perspective and make you realize that you are just watching a distraction of a movie, not something that was trying to win any awards or be something that was going to make you think too hard. It was an action movie, similar even to movies in the 80's that were big and cheesy and just went for it, no matter how silly the end result was.
I don't want to say that this was the best movie I have ever seen or anything like that, but I do think that the movie was a brave choice and was executed well for what it was trying to do. It's not a movie that is for everyone, but I also think that if you go into it knowing what you are getting, it will go a long ways to helping you enjoy the movie more. It is a big, in your face action movie, that relies on its first person perspective and non-flinching filmmaking. If you want to experience something different from anything else released this year, than Hardcore Henry is for you. If you are looking for something that is going to make you think long after the movie is over, than you probably want to steer clear.
My rating for the movie is 7.5/10
Friday, April 15, 2016
TV Show - Bates Motel - "Refraction"
Note: Major spoilers for the episode of Bates Motel. You have been warned.
It's been a few weeks since I wrote about Bates Motel, and instead of trying to recap all the episodes since then, I have decided to just write about the most recent episode, with maybe some insight on the couple of episodes preceding it. I don't think I'm going to give a full on recap of the episode either, just going to hit on some of the highlights and give my thoughts.
In the last episode, Norman finally came to grips with the fact that he can't quite distinguish between what is real and what is fake. He now wants help, and he has asked Dr. Edwards to help him sort it out. He is doing better about opening up to Edwards, but he still is a bit guarded and doesn't want to give up too many personal details, especially about his father. But it still looks like he is headed in the right direction...until he decides to make a phone call to his mother.
He leaves her a message, and then when he is in the yard later that day, Norma comes to visit him. As the viewer, we know she is not really there, but Norman thinks the whole thing is real, and even expresses later that he knows it is real, because she hugged him, and he felt it. He tells this to Edwards after he is confronted about the phone call and then the supposed time he spent with his mother. The doctor tells Norman that is wasn't real, and this causes Norman to panic and try to leave. Edwards blocks the door and that is when the magic happens. Norman turns into his mother right before the doctor's eyes, and he quickly assesses the situation and starts talking to "Norma" about her son.
I can't commend Freddie Highmore enough on his portrayal of Norman. It is a complicated character to pull off, and I have a hard time believing that anyone else could pull it off quite like Freddie does. The subtle changes he makes right at the time of the "switch" to his mother is done so well, that they didn't even have to show Norma this time for us to know right when it happened. The way that Freddie pulls off the small little nuances that Vera Farmiga does in her portrayal of Norma is so well done. I'm afraid that since this show has not really gotten much attention since it started, that Mr. Highmore is not going to be nominated for any awards come award season, but I have a hard time thinking of any other character on television right now that is so well portrayed.
In the episode, we also get to see Dylan and Emma, as Emma is getting to come home from the hospital. The scenes between these two characters are also very well done, and with as well as things are going for them, including Dylan looking like he is going to get a job in Seattle so he can move there when Emma and her father move, I can't help but think that something is going to go terribly wrong soon. If (when?) it does go wrong, I think I'm going to be really upset. They have done such a good job of slowly creating this relationship between these two characters, and they have mainly stayed away from the rest of the cast for the most of this season. Which just makes me think even more that something has to go wrong soon. I think it would be great for them to all move to Seattle, and not be around when it all hits the fan with Norman after he gets out of the hospital, but I just have a hard time believing that it will turn out that way.
Lastly, we see the after effects of the break-in at Norma's house, and Sheriff Romero trying to clean up the mess and make sure it doesn't happen again. While he is taking care of that, Chick introduces himself to Norma, saying he can fix her window that was broken during the break-in, just so he can get close to her and try to find out where Caleb has gone. When he finally reveals himself for what he is, a very interesting scene plays out where Norma asks him if he is going to kill Caleb, and he asks if that is what she wants. I thought it was the highlight of this storyline, but I really wasn't that into the whole situation. Maybe it will play out better than I think, but I think it is going to just be a way to tie up all the loose ends with Caleb before the next season, as I don't think he will play much of a part.
Overall, I thought it was another solid episode, as every episode has been so far this season. Each new episode keeps pulling us closer and closer to end, and it seems like the show runners are upping the stakes every week. With only a couple more episodes left, I would think that Norman would be getting out of the hospital soon, but he seems to be getting so much worse, that I don't see where he has an out. Maybe they will wait until next season to get him out of there, but I would think they would want to tie this all up, and make the last season all about finishing up the storyline with Norma and Norman, but maybe they have other plans. Either way, I'm excited to see what happens next, as I think that they are really honed in on where they are going, and that is going to make the rest of the series a fun ride.
My rating for the episode is 8.5/10
It's been a few weeks since I wrote about Bates Motel, and instead of trying to recap all the episodes since then, I have decided to just write about the most recent episode, with maybe some insight on the couple of episodes preceding it. I don't think I'm going to give a full on recap of the episode either, just going to hit on some of the highlights and give my thoughts.
In the last episode, Norman finally came to grips with the fact that he can't quite distinguish between what is real and what is fake. He now wants help, and he has asked Dr. Edwards to help him sort it out. He is doing better about opening up to Edwards, but he still is a bit guarded and doesn't want to give up too many personal details, especially about his father. But it still looks like he is headed in the right direction...until he decides to make a phone call to his mother.
He leaves her a message, and then when he is in the yard later that day, Norma comes to visit him. As the viewer, we know she is not really there, but Norman thinks the whole thing is real, and even expresses later that he knows it is real, because she hugged him, and he felt it. He tells this to Edwards after he is confronted about the phone call and then the supposed time he spent with his mother. The doctor tells Norman that is wasn't real, and this causes Norman to panic and try to leave. Edwards blocks the door and that is when the magic happens. Norman turns into his mother right before the doctor's eyes, and he quickly assesses the situation and starts talking to "Norma" about her son.
I can't commend Freddie Highmore enough on his portrayal of Norman. It is a complicated character to pull off, and I have a hard time believing that anyone else could pull it off quite like Freddie does. The subtle changes he makes right at the time of the "switch" to his mother is done so well, that they didn't even have to show Norma this time for us to know right when it happened. The way that Freddie pulls off the small little nuances that Vera Farmiga does in her portrayal of Norma is so well done. I'm afraid that since this show has not really gotten much attention since it started, that Mr. Highmore is not going to be nominated for any awards come award season, but I have a hard time thinking of any other character on television right now that is so well portrayed.
In the episode, we also get to see Dylan and Emma, as Emma is getting to come home from the hospital. The scenes between these two characters are also very well done, and with as well as things are going for them, including Dylan looking like he is going to get a job in Seattle so he can move there when Emma and her father move, I can't help but think that something is going to go terribly wrong soon. If (when?) it does go wrong, I think I'm going to be really upset. They have done such a good job of slowly creating this relationship between these two characters, and they have mainly stayed away from the rest of the cast for the most of this season. Which just makes me think even more that something has to go wrong soon. I think it would be great for them to all move to Seattle, and not be around when it all hits the fan with Norman after he gets out of the hospital, but I just have a hard time believing that it will turn out that way.
Lastly, we see the after effects of the break-in at Norma's house, and Sheriff Romero trying to clean up the mess and make sure it doesn't happen again. While he is taking care of that, Chick introduces himself to Norma, saying he can fix her window that was broken during the break-in, just so he can get close to her and try to find out where Caleb has gone. When he finally reveals himself for what he is, a very interesting scene plays out where Norma asks him if he is going to kill Caleb, and he asks if that is what she wants. I thought it was the highlight of this storyline, but I really wasn't that into the whole situation. Maybe it will play out better than I think, but I think it is going to just be a way to tie up all the loose ends with Caleb before the next season, as I don't think he will play much of a part.
Overall, I thought it was another solid episode, as every episode has been so far this season. Each new episode keeps pulling us closer and closer to end, and it seems like the show runners are upping the stakes every week. With only a couple more episodes left, I would think that Norman would be getting out of the hospital soon, but he seems to be getting so much worse, that I don't see where he has an out. Maybe they will wait until next season to get him out of there, but I would think they would want to tie this all up, and make the last season all about finishing up the storyline with Norma and Norman, but maybe they have other plans. Either way, I'm excited to see what happens next, as I think that they are really honed in on where they are going, and that is going to make the rest of the series a fun ride.
My rating for the episode is 8.5/10
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