As someone who didn't love "Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol" as much as the majority of people, I wasn't particularly pumped to see the latest film in the long-running franchise "Rogue Nation." This film has Tom Cruise's Ethan Hunt on the run to expose the syndicate and bring them down after the IMF is shut down by the CIA. One has to wonder how the action compares to that from "Ghost Protocol" since the stories in all five films are almost identical. Well, the opening scene of this movie, that being the sequence involving Cruise hanging off the side of a plane, is the least ridiculous thing to happen. That should put into perspective how much more ridiculous this movie is compared to the previous one.
The entire cast is a lot of fun here and is clearly having a blast making this flick. Cruise, in particular, shows that he loves this franchise and will risk his life to keep making these movies. Christopher McQuarrie, whose last directorial effort was the 2012 film "Jack Reacher" also starring Cruise, does a solid job here as the movie's director/co-writer. There were jokes and scenarios that fell flat, and the villain wasn't written to be as menacing as he should have been, but McQuarrie's work on the film overall was good. The action sequences, particularly one involving Cruise going underwater, are spectacular to watch, especially in IMAX. The movie isn't as fun and ridiculous a summer blockbuster compared to something like "Jurassic World." Having said that, "Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation" is still a blast to watch and will be enjoyed by those looking for an action-packed, well-paced popcorn flick.
There were two films starring Cobie Smulders that premiered at this year's Sundance Film Festival. The first one,"Results," is a pretty mediocre film overall. There were two films starring Cobie Smulders that premiered at this year's Sundance Film Festival. The second one, "Unexpected," is the exact opposite of that. The story follows a teacher and her student who both become pregnant around the same time and end up bonding because of it. It's a simple narrative with very strong results. Cobie Smulders gives a grounded and incredibly wholesome performance as the lead protagonist, and her chemistry with newcomer Gail Bean is great to watch. The scenes she shares with Anders Holm, her husband in the film, are also really engaging. As a whole the film feels a bit rushed at times, but that doesn't take away from the overall impact this has. Writer/director Kris Swanberg has made a sweet, funny, and dramatic little indie flick that is worth seeking out, especially if you want to see Robin Scherbatsky show off her acting chops. "Unexpected" may be the second film in recent memory involving Smulders getting pregnant, the first one being "Delivery Man," but this is the better one of the two. without a doubt
It's amazing how far actors go to transform themselves into a character they're playing. Actors like Christian Bale have lost significant weight for movies only to gain it back in muscle for other films soon after. Jake Gyllenhaal has done something very similar in the case of his role in "Southpaw." After losing a shocking amount of weight to play the hauntingly charismatic Lou Bloom in last year's "Nightcrawler," Gyllenhaal gained a lot of muscle and pounds to play Billy Hope in this film. Hope is a boxer who has it all until a slew of tragic events cause him to lose it all. This story has been told many times before, making the result pretty predictable. Having said that, it still doesn't change how powerful this movie is in the long run.
Gyllenhaal gives it all as Hope, bringing the emotion and power into his performance. Forest Whitaker also shines as a trainer who helps Billy try to get back on top. The most impressive performance in the film comes from Oona Laurence as Billy's daughter. In every scene she's in, Laurence brings buckets of emotion with her and pulls at the heartstrings a lot. The story and script may not be the most original, but it's the performances, the direction from Antoine Fuqua, editing, and the rap-infused soundtrack that make "Southpaw" a movie worth seeing. From the opening scene of the movie, the grittiness of the film have you engaged with what's on screen, and at 124 minutes it never feels slow. "Southpaw" is a modern day, R-rated, boxing-themed version of "Rudy," and I loved every second of it. If you're a fan of underdog stories, despite them being predictable, then this movie is worth checking out.
Last year, director Josh Boone helped author John Green bring his beloved teen novel "The Fault in Our Stars" to the big screen. Teens, audiences, and critics alike all fell for the cancer-centered drama starring Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort. With Fox believing they have struck a gold mine, they decided to adapt another one of Green's novels as a film. That novel comes in the form of "Paper Towns," a story of a boy traveling cross-country to find the girl he's in love with and profess his feelings to her. Considering my love for "The Fault in Our Stars," I can say that I was pretty excited to see what John Green had in store for us next. While the result wasn't as strong as "Fault," there are still a lot of things to like about this movie. Nat Wolff is a solid lead, the film itself is relatable, and the story always had my attention despite some unexplained plot points and some annoying supporting characters. At the end of the day, "Paper Towns" is a step down from Green's previous work, but it's still a good movie overall.
Being a teenager is an incredibly odd and surreal time in one's life. Boys and girls between the ages of 11 and 18 are experiencing new things that they're unfamiliar to, including sex, drugs, and profanity. The main character in the Sundance hit "The Diary of a Teenage Girl," Minnie, is a 15-year-old girl circa 1976 who is just discovering what it's like to have sex with someone. Who better to deflower the sexually curious girl than her mother's boyfriend Monroe, am I right? That's just the beginning of the crazy shenanigans that this girl gets into throughout this movie. To call this film "exploitive" isn't fair because, while it's a graphically depicted story, everything has a purpose to it. Young Minnie is a naive girl who is just trying to grow up a little too fast and doesn't totally understand what she's doing. In a nutshell, this is if the perverted and deviated content presented in "The Wolf of Wall Street" was put into a quirky world reminiscent to that of "Napoleon Dynamite." Replace Jon Heder with Bel Powley in the lead role, and you have yourself this raw, unconfined, relatable, and incredibly well-acted film.
If you're not a fan of Adam Sandler now, then it's doubtful that "Pixels" is going to turn you around. The cheap and stupid jokes scattered all throughout this thing, predictable storyline, and shockingly sexist attitude towards women make this a very easy target for panning. In fact, many haven't been shy to tear this movie to shreds. It's easy to understand why this is getting so much flack from critics, video game fans, and filmgoers alike. Having said that, this is to me what Sandler's hard-R comedy "That's My Boy" was back in 2012: a stupid but entertainingly ridiculous 80s-centric guilty pleasure. There's something about Adam Sandler's films where, despite all of the flaws present, I find a way to enjoy myself and have fun during them. "Pixels" continues this long-running trend in my book, and I'm personally not ashamed to admit that.
Films like "Ten Thousand Saints" come out a lot these days, and yet filmmakers still find ways to make these stories, as predictable as they may be, fresh and relatable. This film tells the story of a boy named Jude who ends up moving to New York City to be with his estranged father. Leaving his hometown, mom, and best friend behind, Jude soon begins to establish a new life for himself. Doing this he befriends such people as Teddy's older brother and the daughter of the woman Jude's father is currently seeing. This film, which comes to us from the filmmakers behind "American Splendor," has the vibe of a "The Breakfast Club" and "Almost Famous" mixture. All of the characters must deal with important issues about growing up while Jude is watching from the center of it all.
Asa Butterfield from "Hugo" and "Ender's Game" plays Jude. While this isn't his best performance, Butterfield delivers on being this rebellious, drug-abusing kid who is just looking for a purpose in life. The character and performance are similar to the 15-year-old version of Mason in "Boyhood." Both boys rebel and get high, and they also are portrayed as being like hipsters. Hailee Steinfeld, who was in "Ender's Game" with Butterfield, plays someone who is both similar and different to Jude on different levels. Her character Eliza likes to party, experiment with narcotics, and have a good time, but at the center of it all she's just a girl trying to mature and find her way in life. Steinfeld also gives a solid performance, though this may be biased saying this due to my strong crush on her. Other actors, such as Emily Mortimer and Avan Jogia, are fine in the film though there's not a whole lot to say about them outside of that.
The two actors who stand out amongst their costars in the film are Ethan Hawke and Emile Hirsch. They may play characters who are opposites from one another, but the commitment they have to their roles draw viewers in and help give them a break from their grim and dark setting. Hawke's role as Jude's estranged father Les is full of energy. In every scene, he's in he manages to make at least one laugh come out of the audiences' mouths. Les is a free-spirited, cannabis-selling individual who doesn't fully understand what it takes to be a father. Emile Hirsch's Johnny, while also a free-spirit, is a much calmer guy who believes in spirituality and exploring the wonders of life. Hirsch gives some of the finest work in his career mainly due to how charismatic, chill, and down-to-earth he is. These guys continue to impress with great performances, and their work here is no exception.
As good as this film is, there are some problems that should be addressed. The beginning of the film has Jude being this stoner-esque guy with his best friend Teddy, which is fine. The problem with this is how repetitive Jude's lines are, and how there's no depth to him whatsoever. There could be a drinking game to the number of times he says "oh s**t" during the first 25 minutes of the movie. The character luckily started to get more interesting, and the dialogue for him got better once the film got rolling. The movie also happens to drag at times, which isn't very good. While the pace of the movie is fine, there are certain scenes here that feel like overstay their welcome. As a viewer, these types of moments are harder to get through, especially when the rest of the movie is really good. Luckily these are just small problems and don't fully affect the overall quality of the movie.
The story and characters in "Ten Thousand Saints" may feel familiar, but Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini bring a unique spin on the coming of age genre. They manage to write empathetic and entertaining characters along with an intriguing story that holds onto the audience's attention. Throughout this journey, we feel like Jude, just taking everything in and hoping things are good in the end. Without spoiling anything, the movie does go down some surprisingly realistic and dark roads that are, for lack of a better term, refreshing. There's no sugar-coating present here, and that helps the movie as a whole stand out from other movies about teen angst. It may be predictable, and it may not be perfect, but "Ten Thousand Saints" at the end of the day is a sweet and honest little indie movie that's worth seeking out.
In case you didn't know, "Ant-Man" is the latest superhero to get the film treatment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Before the first "Iron Man" came out, director/writer Edgar Wright wrote a screenplay with his friend Joe Cornish, who also co-wrote "The Adventures of Tintin" with him. Once "Iron Man" became a massive success, producer Kevin Feige began to expand the universe and introduce other heroes like "Thor" and "Captain America" before finally making "The Avengers." Once Wright and Feige were able to find the time to make this film since both men were very busy, they didn't seem to have the same vision for the film. Because Feige is the man with more power and more creative control, Wright left the project with the script rewritten by Paul Rudd and Adam McKay. Considering Wright is one of my favorite filmmakers out there now, the news of his departure from the movie left me feeling very sour towards Marvel.
Going into the finished project, now directed by Peyton Reed of "Bring it On" and "Yes Man" fame, I will admit I was skeptical and ready to rip it to shreds. Cut to two hours later, and I emerged from the dark auditorium I was in with a grin on my face, a pep in my step, and a strong feeling of satisfaction. This is the first Marvel movie that didn't feel like a Marvel movie to me. That means that the film never felt like it was trying to be made solely to be a part of this universe. People say that "Guardians of the Galaxy" and "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" feel less like Marvel films, but I disagree with them. This has a flare and groove that makes it stand out amongst the rest. It might not have been what Edgar Wright fully envisioned, but I'm happy that his style managed to sneak itself into it. "Ant-Man" is a funny, energetic, self-aware, and well-acted movie that also happens to be Marvel's best standalone superhero film since the original "Iron Man."
Humans, like any other mammal roaming this planet, crave sex almost as much as they have the desire to eat food and go to the bathroom. It's a natural occurrence, and in days long ago it was considered normal for people to have many suitors so their seeds can be carried out for generations to come. In today's age, that still somewhat exists, but in the end we're still expected to become monogamous, settle down, and raise a family. Amy Schumer's character in "Trainwreck," also named Amy, doesn't want to settle down just yet. She's having a bang up time sleeping around and not committing to anything serious. At least, not until she meets Bill Hader's Aaron Conners. It should be obvious to expect that their romance doesn't take off at first. They would have a period of being mad at each other somewhere in the middle of the film only to profess their love to one another and kiss as the credits begin to roll. What's to be admired so much about this Judd Apatow-directed, Amy Schumer-written film is that it has a lot more meat on its bones than one would expect.
There are several jokes in this movie that are hilarious when they are either shown on screen or spew out of the mouths of one of the characters we're coming to know and love. From Schumer's bullet-fast references to Tilda Swinton making fun of her employees to macho superstars John Cena and LeBron James even making jokes at themselves. Each character has at least one moment where they bring a laugh out of the audience watching the movie. The best way to make a comedy funny is to time a joke well, and Schumer knows how to do this. She shows this both in her screenplay and in her consistently hilarious sketches on her Comedy Central show "Inside Amy Schumer." What was the most surprising about this movie was the amount of drama it had in it.
It's one thing for a movie to have drama in it, as most comedies tend to have that dramatic "misunderstanding" moment about two-thirds of the way through it. In the case of this movie, Schumer and Apatow together managed to not only have a consistent amount of drama all the way through the film, but they also made it feel real and authentic. In case you couldn't tell by the poster, the two leads are going to end up with one another by the time the movie ends. What may be harder to see is that these two not only fall for one another, but the audience gets to see their relationship blossom and have moments of ups and downs. Just like relationships in the real world. The chemistry between Hader and Schumer helps to make their relationship not only more realistic, but also easier to feel empathetic. They never feel like characters in a movie, rather they feel like two real people who would happen to end up falling for one another. It's relieving that studios and filmmakers are taking a chance on making films like this. While they may be predictable, they have an element of realism and authenticity that helps audiences to connect with it more.
As great as certain elements in the film were, there were other things that made the film dwindle in quality. The character of Amy is made out to be a very unlikable character, and before anyone says anything about it being ok to have unlikable leads in a movie, that's not the problem being mentioned here. While Amy managed to be unlikable and great to watch at the same time, the character itself got a little too overbearing at times. There are moments in the film where the audience sees that she's unlikable, and the point's made. Unfortunately, the scene keeps going on and on, and the fact that she's unlikable gets shoved down the throats of people watching, almost to the point where it got annoying. These scenes also attribute to the fact that Judd Apatow's movies tend to overstay their welcome in terms of running time. The movie, clocking in at 122 minutes, tends to drag at times and feel a little too slow. It's fine for movies to have slow moments, but this one had a few too many of those. Had the editor taken out maybe 10-15 minutes of excessive material, the movie would have benefitted by having its scenes feel tighter and, frankly, a bit stronger.
At the end of the day, "Trainwreck" is a film that manages to be just as funny as it is dramatic. Those expecting something along the lines of a sketch from "Inside Amy Schumer" may be disappointed despite the film being very funny as a whole. The first half of the film manages to be more of a comedy while the second half substitutes the laughs for a more dramatic approach. To be honest, though, it's the drama in the movie that makes it more fascinating to watch. The reason for this is because we get to see reasons for why characters act certain ways, and how their actions lead them down the roads they travel here. Comparing this to his other works, this is neither Judd Apatow's best or worst film to date. It's a stronger film than "Funny People," but not as effective as "The 40 Year Old Virgin" and "Knocked Up" are. As for "This is 40," well, I never got around to seeing it, so I can't compare it. On its own, though, "Trainwreck" is a well-made film that stands out from most romantic comedies these days.
The life of Amy Winehouse is a tragic one despite the amount of success she managed to receive during her short time on Earth. In her 27 years, Winehouse managed to find success in self-written songs that were based on personal experiences of hers. These songs, including "Rehab" and "Back to Black," managed to strike a chord with audiences around the world, allowing her to win many accolades including the Album of the Year award at the 2007 Grammys. Behind all of her success was a lot of tragedy and sorrow, and Asif Kapadia's "Amy" shows that without sugar coating anything. This is a raw and heart-wrenching film that, despite being a bit slow at times, is a must see for anyone who loved Amy Winehouse's music, those who are fans of music and/or the culture of tabloids, and for anyone who may be second guessing life. "Amy" may be the most frightening movie I've seen all year and one of the most important films to see in 2015.
