The Planet of the Apes Prequels: Excellent films that show us a more sympathetic side of the primates

Today, I look at the highly-anticipated sequel to 2011's Rise of the Planet of the Apes, and also take a look at that film as well.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes:
In San Francisco, Dr. Will Rodman, a young and optimistic scientist at the Gen-Sys corporation, is testing a new cure for his father's Alzheimer's (ALZ-112) on lab chimpanzees. He takes a uniquely intelligent ape named Caesar (based on the ape leader from the original Planet of the Apes series) home with him, and raises him almost as his own child. He is impressed with Caesar's smarts and complex personality, and Caesar looks up to him as a father. However, things take a turn for the worse when Caesar viciously attacks an irritated neighbor after Will's forgetful father crashes the neighbor's car, mistaking it for his own. Will is forced to turn Caesar over to an ape "sanctuary", run by an abusive father and son. Caesar plans an escape with an intelligent orangutan named Maurice and several other apes, and Will has trouble at work when his greedy and selfish boss begins testing ALZ-112 on other apes without seeing the full array of side-effects, and even orders human trials done. Things begin spiraling out of control when it's revealed that there's a possibility of ALZ-112 being potentially deadly to humans, while giving apes the advantages of more smarts and enhanced strength...
     This movie was pleasant surprise, as the last attempt at reviving the beloved franchise resulted in the abominable 2001 remake by Tim Burton, that tries to out-twist the original and completely fails. The director Rupert Wyatt had only done one film before this one (The Escapist, a well-made and entertaining prison break story), and it's impressive to see what he could accomplish with this second outing. The pace is a little slower than previous Apes films, but it's well worth it.
    James Franco took over for his friend Tobey Maguire after the latter dropped out after some talks with producers, and Franco does a great job as out lead human character Will. He's charismatic, funny, smart, and his growing relationship with Caesar is genuinely heart-warming. Speaking of which, Andy Serkis delivers another mesmerizing motion-capture performance as Caesar, who is a reboot of the ape revolutionary character from the original films. Caesar starts out as innocent, compassionate, and sweet, but grows up throughout the film. While remaining relatively compassionate, he becomes more confident, stronger, and hardens a little bit. Freida Pinto (Slumdog Millionaire) appears as Caroline, a primatologist who is also Will's girlfriend and Caesar's co-caretaker. John Lithgow has a supporting role as Charles Rodman, Will's aging father who suffers from Alzheimer's and must remain in the house, which breaks Will's heart. Brian Cox (Manhunter, X2: X-Men United, The Campaign, Red) and Tom Felton (Harry Potter, Belle) play the father and son John and Dodge Langdon (both of their names are references to astronauts in the original Planet of the Apes), who run the ape sanctuary. Dodge is cruel to the primates and John is indifferent to them; not the people I'd want running an ape shelter. David Oyelowo (The Butler, Lincoln, MI-5, The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, Jack Reacher) has a semi-villainous part as Will's boss and greedy douche Steven Jacobs (his name is a reference to Arthur P. Jacobs, the producer of the original Apes film). Jacobs isn't really the big villain of the movie (there isn't one, really), but he definitely can frustrate you with his arrogance and ruthless business tactics; I sure was pissed at him by the end. Tyler Labine (Reaper, Monsters University, Tucker and Dale vs. Evil) plays Will's buddy and ape handler at Gen-Sys: Robert Franklin. Jamie Harris (Jared Harris' brother) has a small part as Rodney, a kind ape caretaker at the sanctuary who is ridiculed by Dodge for his level of care for the animals. David Hewlett and Chelah Horsdal (both former Stargate actors) have minor roles: the former is Will's agitated neighbor who is attacked by Caesar; the latter is a nurse who cares for Charles. Karin Konoval has a mo-cap part as Maurice the Orangutan (a reference to Maurice Evans, the actor who portrayed orangutan Dr. Zaius in the originals), who is kind to Caesar and becomes his most trusted ally. She also has a part as Birght Eyes (a reference to the nickname given to Charlton Heston in the original), Caesar's mother. Terry Notary and Richard Ridings have parts as Rocket and Buck, two apes (the former is the ex-alpha male, the latter is a gorilla) who join Caesar in his fight against humanity. Both names are references to cast/crew members on the original films (Norman Rockett, the set designer, and Buck Kartalian, an actor who portrayed a gorilla in two of the films). Christopher Gordon has a supporting part in the latter half of the film as Koba, a violent ape who resents all humans for his life in captivity, who is recognizable by his scars from years of experimentation and abuse. He is tested on by Jacobs' men, which increases his intelligence and aggressiveness. Ironically, bonobo apes (the ape type Koba is) are typically peaceful and resolve conflicts through complex sexual behaviors, not fighting. Koba is not a reference to anything withing the film series, but a nickname Joseph Stalin used before Lenin's revolution, which comes into play in the next movie.
    The special effects are remarkable, especially the apes' facial features, which are extremely expressive and detailed. The action sequences aren't half-bad, either, especially the climactic confrontation on the Golden Gate Bridge, featuring apes on horseback and gorillas tackling helicopters out of the sky. Though the ending isn't exactly as exciting as many people would probably like, but it's satisfying, and leaves a lot of possibilities open for the sequel.
    Rise of the Planet of the Apes may be a bit slow for some viewer's tastes, but it's emotionally gratifying and has a great cast, as well as phenomenal special effects and a cool end credits sequence. It's an impressive movie prequel and reboot with a lot of re-watch factor. 4/5 stars.



Dawn of the Planet of the Apes:
Now here's what everyone wants to hear about...
10 years after the outbreak of the Simian Flu (ALZ-112 virus, which enhances apes but kills humans), humanity is on the brink of annihilation. Intelligent ape colonies are flourishing in the countryside, while numbers of human colonies are dwindling. Caesar is the leader of a large and fearsome ape colony near San Francisco, in the Redwood Forest Park. Members of a human group located in the city stumble upon two young apes while scavenging for supplies in the forest, and while things are initially tense between the two factions, they grow to like and respect one another, thanks largely in part to the cooperation of Caesar and a kind human named Malcolm and his son and girlfriend. However, some members of both factions are still bitter towards each other (most notably the abused ape Koba), and begin going behind their respective leaders' backs to accomplish their own goals, while leads to tensions being raised once more, which leads to numerous conflicts, and even an all-out war between the colonies... Will the colonies recover from this mini-war, or will they wipe each other out for good?
    This movie is a lot darker and more intense than the previous film, which is a welcome change of pace. This time around the director is Matt Reeves, and underrated filmmaker whose credits include Cloverfield, TV series Felicity, and vampire remake Let Me In. He does an excellent job with this movie, so I hope this gives his career a much-needed boost and leads to more high-profile projects down the line.
    Andy Serkis gets top-billing this time as Caesar, now a more hardened leader and warrior, with a wife and two sons. He's still compassionate towards humans, but puts apes first now, and can be aggressive and brutal when he needs to be, which is luckily not too often. Caesar's reconciliation with humankind is pretty touching, and Serkis is able to pull off a lot of complex emotions with very little dialogue and has to work through layers of digital makeup. Jason Clarke (Zero Dark Thirty, Lawless, The Great Gatsby) replaces Franco as our human lead: Malcolm, a survivor and an all-around good guy who bonds with Caesar. Gary Oldman has a small role as Dreyfus, the leader of the human colony who wants to reach out to other survivors in the world and who resents apes for the Simian Flu that killed his family. He's not exactly a villain like the trailers painted him, more of a man who holds misguided views because of something that happened to him. Keri Russell (Felicity, August Rush, Mission: Impossible III) has a role as Malcolm's girlfriend Ellie, who was also a nurse before the outbreak. Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Road, Let Me In, ParaNorman, Romulus My Father, Romeo and Juliet) is Alexander, Malcolm's young son, who bonds with Maurice. Kirk Acevedo (Oz, Band of Brothers, Fringe, The Thin Red Line, The Walking Dead) appears in a minor role as Carver, an on-edge survivor who distrusts the primates. Kevin Rankin (Breaking Bad, Trauma, White House Down) has a small part as Dreyfus' friend McVeigh. Toby Kebbell (Dead Man's Shoes, War Horse, RockNRolla) replaces Christopher Gordon as Koba, who shifts from an anti-hero role to a more villainous one, as he undermines Caesar's authority several times during the film, despite starting out as his friend. Karin Konoval reprises her role as Maurice the Orangutan. Judy Greer (Archer, Carrie, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The Descendants, Arrested Development, Married) appears as Cornelia (a reference to the original Apes character Cornelius), Caesar's beloved wife and mother to his sons. Speaking of which, Nick Thurston has a role as Caesar's rebellious son Blue Eyes. Doc Shaw appears as Ash, son of Rocket and Blue Eyes' best friend. Terry Notary reprises his role as Rocket, the former alpha male of the ape community and close ally of Caesar. James Franco "cameos" in video footage from the previous film.
      The special effects are even more stunning than before, and the action set-pieces are epic: the intense opening hunting sequence shows us how evolved and intelligent the apes now are and shows off their hunting skills; the short fight between Caesar and a defiant ape (who I will not name) is bloody and surprisingly raw for an all-CG fight; the climactic gun battle sequence is exhilarating but also tragic and shows the horror of needless war, even if it is with talking apes; and the final battle atop the ruins of the Golden Gate Bridge is epic to say the least.
       Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is not just a fun summer movie, it's the best film I've seen thus far. It's enthralling, dark but also inspiring, and even can make you shed some tears. It tops the first film in ways I didn't know possible, which is the best thing I think I can say about it. 4.5/5 stars.

 (Images: Wikipedia)
     

Deliver Us From Evil: Scott Derrickson's latest horror effort

Today, I look at the new horror film from cult director Scott Derrickson (The Exorcism of Emily Rose, Sinister, The Outer Limits, Marvel's upcoming Dr. Strange) and acclaimed producer Jerry Bruckheimer (The Rock, Bad Boys, Pirates of the Caribbean, CSI, Beverly Hills Cop, Con Air, Black Hawk Down, Flashdance, Top Gun, and many more).

Deliver Us From Evil:
The film opens in Iraq, following a group of soldiers who stumble upon a mysterious underground shrine while on a mission. We quickly cut to three years later in New York City, following dedicated cop Ralph Sarchie, who investigates a domestic violence call, and discovers the culprit is an ex-soldier whose fingertips are chaffed and bloody. He then investigates a call from the Bronx Zoo, where a woman has seemingly gone insane at random, throwing her child into an empty lion pit (the pit was closed for refurbishments), clawing at bystanders, and running off into unknown parts of the zoo. Sarchie and his partner find her near the carousel, violently hissing and clawing at the ground until her fingertips bleed and scar. Sarchie also investigates a house whose occupants claim the basement is haunted by an evil presence. During these investigations, Sarchie befriends an "undercover" priest who believes these seemingly random and eerie happenings are the work of a demonic presence. Sarchie, a skeptic who "grew out of" his faith, doesn't believe these pretty outrageous claims, but as things get stranger and stranger, Sarchie suspends his disbelief for the sake of solving the case... and protecting his family. What is the real cause of these happenings? If there is a demonic presence (spoiler: there is), what does it want? What does this have to do with that Iraq War scene I mentioned? That's for you to find out.
     I am a fan of Scott Derrickson, as people probably have figured out by now. His 2012 effort Sinister is one of my favorite horror movies of the past 20 years and one of the best films of 2012, in my opinion. His 2005 venture The Exorcism of Emily Rose may be slightly overrated, but it's still an effective and impressive scary movie, especially for a debut feature film. The only major blot on his short filmography is 2008's dull and disappointing The Day The Earth Stood Still, a bland remake of a science fiction masterpiece. So, if you can't tell, I was pretty excited for this new film. I can't really say it disappointed, despite many people criticizing it.
    Eric Bana is an underrated actor, despite his impressive resume (Chopper, Full Frontal, Black Hawk Down, Troy, Hulk, Lone Survivor, Munich, Star Trek, Mary and Max, Funny People, Romulus My Father, Deadfall, Finding Nemo). I felt like he did a good job in this movie. He pulled off the gruff, jaded New York cop role really well. Edgar Ramirez (Carlos, Che, Zero Dark Thirty, Wrath of the Titans) has a prominent role as the priest Mendoza, a man with a dark past who found peace by joining the priesthood. I thought Ramirez was really likable in this movie, and he had a calming presence. Joel McHale (Community, Spider-Man 2, Ted) plays Sarchie's funny and sarcastic partner Butler. He was undoubtedly the best character in the movie. Olivia Munn (Attack of the Show, The Newsroom, Magic Mike) appears in a minor supporting role as Ralph's caring wife Jen, who worries about her stressed husband's state of mind. I don't know why, but in every one of these types of horror movies the main character is portrayed by an underrated actor (Patrick Wilson in Insidious and The Conjuring, Ethan Hawke in Sinister, Eric Bana in this), whose wife is played by an underrated hot actress (Rose Byrne in Insidious, Vera Farmiga in The Conjuring, Juliet Rylance in Sinister, and Olivia Munn in this). It's like a new cliche. Sean Harris (The Borgias, 24 Hour Party People, Red Riding, Brighton Rock, Southcliffe, Prometheus) plays Santino, an ex-soldier with some issues. Chris Coy (Treme, True Blood) has a role as Jimmy, another ex-soldier with some form of PTSD. Overall, the cast does okay, they look genuinely scared throughout the runtime.
   The story isn't exactly original, and it actually takes liberties with the material. It's based on a 2001 book (Beware the Night by Ralph Sarchie and Lisa Collier Cool), which probably means the events in the book took place in the 90's or maybe even earlier, but for sake of the film, they updated the material to 2013. However, Derrickson took his experience on other films and incorporated some elements into this one. For instance, Christopher Young returns as composer from The Exorcism of Emily Rose and Sinister (which had an okay original score, but an amazing soundtrack). The exorcism sequence in the film is pretty intense, and Derrickson probably took hints from not only The Exorcist, but his own film: Emily Rose. There's also a flashback sequence done in a Super 8 filming style, obviously lifted from his previous feature Sinister. Like Sinister, this film has a cool sound design and unique soundtrack for a horror film (although not nearly as unsettling or original as Sinister's was). The film actually employs a lot of music by The Doors, which is a bit laughable at times, but sometimes it worked pretty well, like in a scene in a darkened hallway where suddenly, the song "People Are Strange" begins playing, and it's actually kind of creepy. There's also a visually striking end credits sequence that has "Break On Through (To The Other Side)" accompanying it.
     Deliver Us From Evil may be cliched and filled with jump scares, but it's not terrible. It's not as original or jolting as Sinister was, but I wouldn't bash the movie either. It has some talented actors, a director who knows how to get under my skin, some cool visuals, and is able to frighten but also sort of inspire. However, the spiritual overtone may be a little off-putting to some, especially more skeptical-minded viewers (I consider myself fairly skeptical as well), and I get it. But I still say to give this movie a chance anyway. It's no classic and will probably be forgotten fairly soon, but it's entertaining enough. I actually enjoyed it a lot, and was shocked to see so many people hating on it. I feel like people are giving this movie too much shit. As much as I enjoyed The Conjuring and Insidious: Chapter 2 (as evidenced by me placing them in my favorites of the year list), you have to admit they weren't exactly perfect, either. They had some flaws and laughable moments, as any horror movie does. My point is, don't bash Deliver Us too much. Sure it's unoriginal, but what horror movie isn't nowadays? 3.5/5 stars.

 (Image: Wikipedia)

Transformers-Age of Extinction: Michael Bay's at it again! (Guest reviewer)

This is a review from one of my good friends who wished to share his opinion on a film on my blog. I have not edited it in any way except for changing the font and adding the poster. All typos, spacial problems, etc. are the fault of either the author or the change in formatting when I copied this over from his Google doc. Also: a Spoiler Warning, as I believe he does go into details about the plot at some point. Enjoy!:



Hello folks, I am not Matt Cotter, I am a guest reviewer who strongly urged Matt not to see Transformers: Age of Extinction after seeing it myself. The only reason I saw it was because I figured it would be better than waiting at a walmart in the middle of the desert for several hours while I wait for a ride after my car broke down. I have never been more wrong in my life.
In the fourth (and pray to God that it is the last) installment to the Transformers series Mark Whallberg plays Cade Yeager a highly overbearing father struggling to make something that will define his career as a freelance inventor. The movie opens on alien spaceships killing the dinosaurs, the metallic remains are then found by a lady of ambiguous importance. Next, we join Cade and his partner Lucas, a hippie/surfer/the movie’s comic relief, buying a movie theater that serves no importance to the plot other than the fact that it has the dying truck form of Optimus Prime in it. Seriously though, what is the significance of the theater? It only makes movie-goers curious as to how the hell a giant semi truck made it through the doors of the building. Cade brings the semi home with hopes of restoring it. Cade’s daughter is beginning to lose faith as to whether or not he will be able to put her through college and Lucas is worried about whether or not he will get his last paycheck. A fight sequence tells us that all transformers are being hunted because even though they saved the world, they started the conflict. This doesn’t make much sense right off the bat though because the CIA uses a transformer to kill another one. We then learn that the CIA knows of Cades involvement in the harboring of Optimus Prime and they send the transformer equivalent of the Gestapo to seize him. When they find that Cade’s farm is empty we learn that Lucas ratted him out (even though in the previous scene the CIA said they caught it on a traffic cam or something along those lines). The transformer Gestapo threatens to kill Cades daughter when suddenly her secret boyfriend comes and saved the day. A car chase ensues and Lucas ends up going out like the dinosaurs and the group kind of brushes it off like they lost their favorite pair of sunglasses. Optimus takes them into hiding and Cade hacks a mini drone he stole from the CIA raid. Optimus then reunites the last remaining transformers and they plan to raid KSI, a company that the CIA ships all of the dead transformers to. After the raid it is learned that KSI is using all of the metal dinosaur fossils to make a new element they call transformium (real f**king creative guys…). Transformium can be used to fashion any object in the world, so what does KSI make? MORE TRANSFORMERS. The band of misfit robots break in to save Cade after he gets caught and then go right back into hiding. We learn that the director of the CIA’s operation against transformers is working with an evil transformer who has ulterior motives of releasing a bomb to turn people into transformium over the most populated city, Beijing. So everyone goes to Beijing to try and take this bomb called “The Seed” and KSI’s owner (I will call him Steve Jobs because 1. I forget his name and 2.he is definitely based off him) attempts to get the bomb to a safe place for extraction. During extraction the autobot’s spaceship gets shot down which leads to a battle between them and KSI’s evil transformers. When the group is about to lose hope Optimus calls for reinforcements and some badass dinosaur transformers come. They were only on screen for about 5 minutes so I don’t know why they were on the poster. It seemed like kind of a cheap way to get the protagonists out of a jam and probably made a lot of transformer fans angry (assuming the rest of the film hadn’t already). After the battle, Optimus takes the seed and blasts off into space setting up for a sequel that, if we are lucky, will never come.
Although the general idea for the storyline is pretty good, it has been done a million times and is a rather common formula: Guy meets fugitive, guy chooses to not turn fugitive in, fugitive gets guy into trouble, guy helps clear fugitives name and saves the day. Not only is it overdone but it was also poorly executed, the story had a lot of holes and plot devices that didn’t make sense at times. The visual effects were choppy, blurry, and the frame rates sucked. The CGI was horrendous at times, in a scene where two scientists are playing with transformium it changes from a my little pony to a gun and the 3D model floats and bounces in the guys hand making it look like a five year old was playing with MS paint. It seemed as if the movie was only shot at sunrise and sunset making the sun constantly shining in your eyes taking away from the terrible acting. Not only was the acting dry and forced but the characters were highly cliché and predictable. Going deeper into the bad acting the guy who played he boyfriend did the most Australian sounding Irish accent I have ever heard, correct me if you think otherwise. The bad CGI and frame rates combined with poor acting made the movie seem like an ibuprofen commercial, which brings me to my next point. The film implements product placement so blatantly it may seem like this scene from Waynes World: http://youtu.be/KjB6r-HDDI0 . Mark Whallberg even makes a show of cracking open a bud light and taking a swig after the camera pans across the street littered in bud light bottles. Shame on you Michael Bay.
I would NEVER recommend this movie to anyone, in fact I would put it on my list of movies to never watch ever.
Thank you, hope to do some reviews with you guys in the future.
Anthony

 (Image: Wikipedia)

Jersey Boys: Musical adaptation that's not a musical

Today, I look at Clint Eastwood's adaptation of a popular Broadway show.

Jersey Boys:
Chronicling the journeys of several musicians, this charming film shows us the rise, fall, and subsequent revival of the band Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, a group of young men from New Jersey who struggled to be successful in the music industry in the 50's and 60's.
  Clint Eastwood directs this film with energy and slickness, but to me, it didn't feel as though he was really invested in the project. I could be wrong, but I just felt like his heart wasn't in it. Like J. Edgar, it was entertaining and interesting, but ultimately it was just there. There was nothing particularly moving, memorable, or special about it, which is odd considering Eastwood's impressive body of work. (Unforgiven, Million Dollar Baby, Play Misty for Me, Pale Rider, Invictus, etc.) I guess it just goes to show that sometimes even a great director can churn out a few underwhelming films.
   I was happy that the producers, casting directors, and Eastwood chose to cast relatively unknown actors, who are all pretty talented. John Lloyd Young reprises his role as Frankie Valli from the Broadway production, for which he won the Tony Award. He is excellent in this as well, and captures Valli perfectly, especially in the way he sings. Erich Bergen (from shows like Gossip Girl and Desperate Housewives, who bears a resemblance to Evan Peters) is not too shabby as the supporting character Bob Gaudio, the group's songwriter and keyboardist. Vincent Piazza of Boardwalk Empire and Rocket Science fame is the best character in the film: guitarist and vocalist Tommy DeVito. He's charming and funny, but also douchey and aggressive at times, making him sort of a likable asshole. Michael Lomenda is good as Nick Massi, who has an epic freakout worthy of DiCaprio or Nicholson in the film's latter half. Christopher Walken has an inadvertently funny supporting role as Gyp DeCarlo, a real-life mobster and loanshark tied to Frank Sinatra. It's funny because it's just Walken being Walken: the awkward pronunciation and emphasizing of certain words, the strange pauses in sentences, the unique facial expressions, etc. It's awesome. Mike Doyle (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Rabbit Hole, Green Lantern) has a funny supporting role as record producer Bob Crewe, a successful entrepeneur and songwriter who is the best supporting character. Joey Russo has a funny minor part as Tommy DeVito's good friend Joe Pesci (yes, the actor Joe Pesci). In this movie, Pesci is as energetic and excitable as the characters he portrays in films, only a lot less aggressive and violent. In fact, he gets pushed around by others without much self defense, which I found humorously ironic. I can't say this for a fact, but I believe Pesci's character in Goodfellas is named after his buddy. There's no way that his old friend and (arguably) his most famous character both being named Tommy DeVito is a coincidence.
   The movie, while it has a few musical performances in it, is not, in fact, a musical. There is, however, a cool choreographed musical sequence during the credits that pays homage to the play the film is based on. Another unique aspect of the film is the breaking-the-fourth-wall tactic used in films like Ferris Bueller's Day Off and, more recently, The Wolf of Wall Street, where a character addresses the audience directly by looking into the camera as if they are aware of their presence. You don't see that used too often in movies any more, so I though it was a nice touch. Rick Elice and Marshall Brickman penned the screenplay, based on their book which they wrote for to Broadway production. It's pretty exceptional for this duo, as Elice has never written a screenplay before, and Brickman's only major ones were co-written with Woody Allen, a highly experienced writer and director.
   Despite being slightly underwhelming and not exactly emotionally impactful, Jersey Boys is an acceptable stage adaptation. Not as inventive and visually stimulating as the source material, I got the feeling Eastwood wasn't as invested in this project as he could have been. It seemed like he just wanted to get it over with by the film's latter half, where a moment that should hit hard (like a punch to the gut) gets rushed and feels forced. I would recommend you see it at a matinee at least, if not, then wait for the DVD. I'd say it's good for at least one watch, but nothing more, which is a shame coming from a director as skillful and talented as Eastwood is. 3/5 stars.

 (Image: Wikipedia)

22 Jump Street: Surprisingly satisfying sequel

Today, I look at one of the more anticipated June movies this year, the follow up to the hugely successful 21 Jump Street reboot/parody.

22 Jump Street:
The crime-stopping duo Schmidt and Jenko aren't doing as well with the police work after their success at the end of the previous film. Therefore, their sarcastic superior officer sends them back to Jump Street, this time at the new headquarters in another abandoned church, which is directly across from the Korean church from the last film. They again use their fake identities (the McQuaid brothers) to infiltrate a school to take down a drug dealer, this time at a college. The duo again go through basically a reverse of the plot of the first film, but the movie is smart enough to acknowledge time and time again that it's the same film in a different setting, which is what most action movie sequels are.
     Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill are, again, fantastic as Jenko and Schmidt, respectively. They have excellent chemistry on-screen, and Tatum continually surprises me with how funny he can be. Jonah Hill is basically the same guy he plays in most comedies, but it's a role he pulls off extremely well, so I'm not bothered by it at all. Rob Riggle and Dave Franco reprise their antagonistic roles from the first film in a scene early on, now cell-mates. I know we as the audience are not supposed to like Franco, but I can't help but feel bad for the guy. He was on his way to college and had a whole future planned out and then he was tossed in a jail cell with the crazy gym teacher that Riggle plays. Peter Stormare has a supporting role as the main villain: Ghost, a violent drug dealer. Not the best villain, but because it's a comedy, I'll let the weak villain thing slide; comedies aren't known for their memorable antagonists. Ice Cube is, as always, hilarious as the volatile and angry Captain Dickson. I'm convinced this is just Ice Cube being himself and they just worked him into the movie, because he pulls off this kind of role so well it feels like this is more than just him acting. Amber Stevens fills in for Brie Larson as Schmidt's new love interest: Maya, an art student who is way out of his league. Wyatt Russell plays Zook, Jenko's new friend and star football player, who basically is the Dave Franco of the sequel, just less of a pretentious douche. Jillian Bell (Bridesmaids, The Master) portrays Mercedes, Maya's sarcastic and deadpan roommate that seems to have a negative view on everything. Nick Offerman returns as Deputy Chief Hardy, the self-aware superior of the film's stars. Despite having a very small role, he kills it, nearly every line he has is funny. Marc Evan Jackson has a small role as the odd school psychologist, Dr. Murphy. There are numerous cameos in the film, from big names such as Seth Rogen, Anna Faris, Queen Latifah, Patton Oswalt, Bill Hader, and H. Jon Benjamin (Archer, Bob's Burgers). Similar to how Johnny Depp and Peter DeLuise made cameos in the last film as a nod to their lead roles on 21 Jump Street back in the 80's, Jump Street alum Dustin Nguyen cameos as Vietnamese Jesus and David Grieco reprises his role from the old show in a credits sequence cameo.
     Speaking of which, that end credits sequence was amazing, mocking the endless sequels and spin-offs we see from successful franchises nowadays. Don't miss it, it will not disappoint. The movie is packed with self-deprecating humor and call-backs to the first film. The writing by Michael Bacall and Oren Uziel is fresh and filled to the brim with wit. The direction by the team of Phil Lord and Chris Miller (the guys behind first film, as well as The LEGO Movie, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, and Clone High) is exceptional considering these two have only made a small handful of films, most of them animated children's films.
   22 Jump Street may not be as funny or surprising as the first film (when I say surprising, I mean that no one saw it coming), but it is surprising as it is a sequel that (mostly) lives up to the hype. Self-aware to a fault, it is also refreshingly original for a film that openly says it's the same thing as the first film. I'm not saying it's never been done before, but I don't think I've seen a film like this done with this level of self-parody. 4/5 stars.
 (Image: Wikipedia)

Edge of Tomorrow: Doug Liman's futuristic take on "Groundhog Day"

Today, I take a look at the new science fiction film starring Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt.

Edge of Tomorrow:
Major William Cage is part of an international military that recruits from all over the world to fight against Mimics, a race of robotic aliens that have been fighting humans for at least a few years now. Cage is railroaded by his superiors when he attempts to blackmail his commanding officer. With no combat experience, Cage is a highly inadequate soldier. Cage is dropped into a massive and bloody battle of Omaha Beach in Normandy, France (France has been occupied and destroyed by the Mimics). However, the battle (supposed to be a surprise strike on the aliens) goes horribly wrong when the Mimics somehow become aware of the strike before it happens and effectively slaughter the entire fleet of soldiers. Cage dies horrifically in the battle, but then wakes back up, alive but with complete knowledge of the battle, and begins living the same day over and over again, waking up every time he perishes. He then meets a hardened female soldier: Sergeant Rita Vrataski (nicknamed "The Angel of Verdun" and "Full Metal Bitch"), who has knowledge of his abilities and trains him in how to control them and use them to defeat the Mimics and save humanity. Although not the most original concept (it's very similar to the Bill Murray classic Groundhog Day), the film shocked me with how entertaining and investing it was. I'm not saying it's something I'm dying to see again, but after last spring's underwhelming and dull Oblivion, I was pleasantly surprised.
     Tom Cruise plays his typical role: a man who appears oridnary and even weak, but ultimately rises up to face the challenges he's presented with and beocmes an action hero. Cruise also did his own stunts, which were very physcially demanding, another thing he's famous for. Emily Blunt was very good in her portrayal of the jaded and highly-skilled soldier Vrataski. The bad-ass heroine isn't something she usually does, so it was a welcome change of pace and I'd like to see her do more stuff like this in the future. Both her and Cruise had to actually walk around in heavy metal suits, which was physically exhausting, and she trained for weeks to be physically fit enough to play the experienced soldier. Bill Paxton (cast here due to his famous role in Aliens) plays the kind of douchey Master Sergeant Farrell, who belittles Cage from the moment he arrives at the military base the day before the disastrous battle. Paxton, as always, does a great job protraying a cocky and slightly stupid military officer. Brendan Gleeson (Harry Potter, 28 Days Later, Gangs of New York) has a small supporting role as Cage's superior, General Brigham. Kick Gurry, Dragomir Mrsic, Charlotte Riley, Jonas Armstrong, Franz Drameh, Masayoshi Haneda, and Tony Way (known for his recurring role as Dontos Hollard on Game of Thrones) play "J-Squad", a group of inexperienced and rough soldiers who Cage must befriend in order to be successful in the army. They are underdogs, much like Cage, so I really wanted to see them succeed and get the respect they deserve. Noah Taylor (another reucrring Game of Thrones actor, known for his role as the sadistic mercenary Locke) appears in a minor role as Vrataski's colleague, a scientist by the name of Dr. Carter, who has a revolutionary idea about how to defeat the Mimics. The cast are actually very good, especially considering many of them are not very famous or are only just gaining fame.
      Daniel Liman (Swingers, The Bourne Identity, Mr. and Mrs. Smith) is no stranger to action films, and is able to deliver a lot of thrills in this movie. The visual effects and costumes are also very cool, and the design of the aliens isn't the most original, but they still carried a menacing presence whenver they appeared on-screen. The movie actually has a fair deal of gruesome deaths in it, with minimal blood, which I was surprised by, but also I got to give the movie credit for having the balls to push the boundaries of the PG-13 rating a bit.
      Christopher McQuarrie, Jez Butterworth, and John-Henry Butterworth pen a pretty entertaining script, despite it obviously taking a lot from other films. I've never read Hiroshi Sakurazaka's All You Need Is Kill, so I can't say how well the movie adapts it, but from what I've read, they actually did a fairly good job.
      Edge of Tomorrow isn't the best sci-fi/military action film; it doesn't have the scathing satire of Starship Troopers or the classic moments of Aliens, but it gets the job done. The cast deliver pretty great performances for an action film, the visual effects are excellent, the action scenes are brief but they are fast-paced and sometimes emotionally engrossing (one scene in the French countryside in particular comes to mind), and the script is faithful to the source material while also adding elements to make it more entertaining to a Western audience. 3.5/5 stars.

  (Image: Wikipedia)

Top 50 Movies of All Time: Volume 3

Sorry for this installment being so late. Despite not seeing many movies this month and mostly updating this blog with stuff like "R.I.P. Tributes" and a Frozen review follow-up, I was very busy with other things (i.e. meetings, schoolwork, tests, family gatherings, Game of Thrones watching and HBO watching in general, etc.) However, I do intend to be updating more frequently, despite the impending and often dreaded/stressful end-of-the-year finals. So yeah, I couldn't quite keep on my promise to update this series every month, but what can I say, sometimes things don't go quite according to plan. I hope you all enjoyed my reviews of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Despite my opinions on the latter being the polar opposite of my opinions on the former (which got me plenty of scoldings from my peers), I did put a lot of thought and effort into those two. If you notice, anytime I cover something that's really big in pop culture right now (such as superhero films, particularly Marvel, or Frozen or Game of Thrones), I put a lot of effort into writing those reviews. Not just because they're popular, but because I'm actually passionate about those things (well, two of those things, because Frozen is just not something I'm as passionate about as everyone else is), and am a fan of those franchises. So, agree or disagree, I hope you guys enjoyed reading them and I encourage people who disagree to post their thoughts in the comments if they want to, as long as the discussion can remain civil and not resort to just telling people to fuck off for not agreeing with you, we have enough of that on other websites. But enough about that, here's another top ten of my favorite movies, counting down from 30-21.

Criteria:
Personal opinion
No TV movies or miniseries
I can tie two films or have an entire series or trilogy in one slot

30. Alice in Wonderland: Despite this one being pretty old and dated, I still like it. It's one of those timeless movies that will be loved by each new generation who sees it (even though when it was first released it did poorly at the box office and received critical scorn, especially from book fans). Most people have at least one Disney movie in their top 50 of all time list, and this is mine. I like it partly for the animation and story, and partly because it's one of the few Disney films to actually give people the creeps. It's just a really weird, surreal, and demented kid's movie filled with weird imagery and crazy characters, and we as the audience basically become Alice: the everyday person just kind of witnessing the madness and chaos that is Wonderland. Even though I don't care for the songs in this film, and there quite a few of them, I can still appreciate the other aspects: the colorful design, the art direction, etc. If you haven't seen it yet, then check it out, it's a must-see.



29. The Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy: Taking it's name from both the ice cream company Cornetto and the Three Colors film trilogy, this British comedy series is from the minds of Edgar Wright (writer and director) and duo Simon Pegg and Nick Frost (lead actors). The trilogy encompasses the zombie comedy Shaun of the Dead, the mystery/police drama parody Hot Fuzz, and the alien/apocalypse farce The World's End. Each is similar in style, but also unique: in each film, Frost and Pegg play completely different characters from the last. In Shaun, Pegg plays a slacker torn between maintaining a friendship and being more mature and taking responsibility, and Frost plays a dumb, lazy man who is said slacker's best friend. In Fuzz, Pegg plays an over-serious and highly over-qualified Inspector in London, who is transferred to a sleepy and seemingly perfect village in the English countryside because he is too good for his job in London, and was making other Inspectors look bad; and Frost plays a simple-minded, buddy cop film-obsessed police officer who is partnered with Pegg. And finally in World's End, Pegg plays a manipulative, selfish, and man-child-ish guy in his late 30's who is trying to relive the glory days of his high school years, and Frost plays his former best mate who is trying to move on with his life and who, like their other friends, tries to convince Pegg that their best days are behind them and to just move on. Each of these characters are quirky and weird, but also relatable to some extent, which is really hard to pull off from a writing standpoint. The films are also very funny, but shockingly violent and gruesome (with the exception of World's End, where almost all the gore is cartoonish blue alien blood), so if you're not a fan of gore or bloodshed, maybe steer clear of these movies. But personally, I don't mind it as much, so I was able to enjoy all of these films equally.



28. Spider-Man: Sam Raimi's box office record-breaking and critically praised superhero film may have some dated CGI and some cheesy acting at times, but it's one of my favorite movies because of two things: one, it's genuinely a great movie, and two, the nostalgia factor. The movie has some exceptional acting for a summer blockbuster (Willem Dafoe, J.K. Simmons, and Cliff Robertson are particularly good), and some really memorable action set-pieces, like the battle in Times Square during a block party, or the chase scene with Uncle Ben's killer, or the final fight on the Queensboro Bridge. Tobey Maguire is still my favorite Spider-Man, despite many fans criticizing him for not being emotional enough. This also marks one of Stan Lee's first cameos, which is very brief compared to his cameos nowadays. It's kind of a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment. Danny Elfman's score is also really well done, one of the most iconic superhero movie scores. After being in development hell for years and years, many were skeptical of how good this movie was going to be, considering tons of directors and writers had been signed on and then booted off the project again and again. Luckily, it all turned out okay and the movie was excellent. The nostalgia factor for me is that every time I see it, it brings me back to when I saw in in theaters when I was very young, it's kind of a profound effect, and it really makes me wish Raimi had just made a fourth film rather than have Sony reboot it with Marc Webb.



27. Natural Born Killers: Oliver Stone's crazy acid trip of a movie is a classic 90's films, and is one of the best of 1994 (along with Pulp Fiction and Leon: The Professional). Following the story of two mass murderers/lovers (Mickey and Mallory, played by Woody Harrelson and Juliette Lewis, respectively), who are viewed as a modern-day Bonnie and Clyde and pop culture heroes by the public and mass media, this film is a poignant social satire about how we as a society view celebrities and our obsession with real-life violence. Using a script originally penned by Quentin Tarantino, Stone makes this movie all his own, mixing a plethora of styles (fast-paced action/thriller, crime drama, trippy arthouse film, cinéma vérité, animated sequences, even classic sitcom format) as well as constantly shifting from bright and flashy colors to stark black-and-white. The film is also notorious for it's use of ultra-violence, and was named by Entertainment Weekly as being one of the top 10 most controversial films of all time. Not a movie for everyone, but if you like crazy 90's crime movies in the vein of Quentin Tarantino and Luc Besson, or violent character studies, or are a fan of Oliver Stone, check this one out.



26. Gattaca: Andrew Niccol's powerful dystopian film is not only a classic science fiction drama, but also a cautionary tale of what society could be like if we tamper with genetics too much. Taking it's title from out genetic code, the film focuses on Vincent, a man who is genetically imperfect (people born naturally), posing as Jerome, a highly skilled and wealthy man who is in the upper-class segment of society simply because he was born genetically perfect (or a genetically modified birth). Vincent's struggle against society and the oppression he faces is endearing, and also thrilling considering if he's caught the consequences could be dire. I've always liked Ethan Hawke; much like Eric Bana, Edward Norton, and Matthew McConaughey, I think he's an exceptional and highly underrated actor. But let's not forget the excellent supporting cast: Uma Thurman, Alan Arkin, Jude Law, Loren Dean, Tony Shaloub, and Xander Berkeley all give great performances, especially Jude Law, who plays a tragic character who befriends Vincent. There's also some minor roles/cameos from Elias Koteas, Maya Rudolph, Gore Vidal, Ernest Borgnine, and Breaking Bad's Dean Norris. This is one of my favorite science fiction films, and one of the more realistic ones. Definitely an emotionally gratifying and believable film that everyone should see at least once.



25. Fight Club: David Fincher's first big movie is also a modern classic. With a fast-paced plot, memorable dialogue and characters, and a fourth-wall-breaking narrator/lead hero, Fight Club is in a league of it's own. The cool score by the Dust Brothers and great ending song ("Where Is My Mind" by The Pixies) add to the atmosphere of the film, and the clever writing and interesting editing also make the film feel very different from any other. The character of Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt) is one of the most charismatic and crazy characters in any movie, and has over the years been praised by critics and heralded as one of the best in cinema history. Fincher's unique and slick directing style were a perfect fit for the tone of the movie, and to this day it remains a beloved cult movie.



24. Pulp Fiction: Quentin Tarantino's second venture into film is arguably his best and most acclaimed. The all-star ensemble features John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis, Uma Thurman, Ving Rhames, Christopher Walken, and many others. In fact, this is the film that reinvigorated Travolta and Willis' careers, which had been gradually dying down in the years prior. The movie, chock-full of cinema references, long talks about pop culture, and accompanied by an amazing soundtrack, encompasses the very essence of a Tarantino film. Not to mention the funny quips characters throw at each other during said long talks are extremely quotable and the fact that these long dialogue scenes are juxtaposed with ultraviolence. The movie is a genuine masterpiece, as it takes real skill to make a bunch of dialogue scenes about everyday life and pop culture into an entertaining piece of art; and the content of the film really fits the name: it really is like a modern-day pulp magazine, only instead of text on a page it's moving pictures on a screen. This is not only a great movie, it was a cultural phenomenon upon it's release and has gone on to become one of the highest-rated films ever made.



23. The Crow: Alex Proyas' dark and visually unique Gothic superhero film was Brandon Lee's breakout movie. Or it would have been, had he not tragically died during an on-set accident with a prop gun. Aside from that tragedy, everything about this movie is awesome. The costume designs, set design, score (by Graeme Revell) and soundtrack (which includes acts like The Cure, Stone Temple Pilots, Nine Inch Nails, and Rage Against the Machine), and acting are all above-average for a 90's superhero film, especially when considering your only competition is Batman Forever, Spawn, and Steel. A dark but somehow also uplifting revenge/ghost story, The Crow is a cult classic for a reason: it's touching, exciting, and brutal, sometimes back-to-back. It's a unique mix of action thriller, Gothic horror, revenge tale, and love story, and those things, which in the wrong hands could clash and make the film feel uneven, actually play off each other really well and make the movie enjoyable every time you watch it.



22. The Silence of the Lambs: Jonathan Demme's disturbing and nearly perfect psychological crime-thriller/horror film surprised everyone when it beat Disney's Beauty and the Beast at the 1992 Oscars, where it won Best Picture and several other awards. Anthony Hopkins' eerie and iconic performance as Hannibal "The Cannibal" Lecter made the character one of the most memorable movie villains as well as one of the greatest horror characters of all time, and earned him the Best Actor Oscar, despite only having 17 minutes of screen-time, making it the shortest role to win the award. The film also garnered the Best Actress award for Jodie Foster in one of her first big roles (her other was in 1988's The Accused), as well as Best Adapted Screenplay for Ted Tally and Best Director for Jonathan Demme. All these awards for a horror/crime movie should tell you how great it is, but if those don't convince you, look at it's score on Rotten Tomatoes, which collects not just critics' opinions, but casual viewers as well: 94%. I, having read nearly all the Hannibal Lecter novels, can say this film captures the tone of the source novel perfectly, and may even top the novel, which says a lot, as Thomas Harris is a terrific author. The film is also very realistic in it's depiction of how the FBI handles cases, as Harris was formerly a crime reporter before turning to fiction, and the film is directed brilliantly by Demme, who is mostly known for his more straightforward dramas like Philadelphia. Overall, this movie can be considered the ultimate serial killer thriller, as it packs in a ton of suspense while also functioning as a complex and intriguing three-way character study between Clarice Starling (our leading lady), Hannibal Lecter (the supporting bad guy who gets under your skin), and the film's unsettling villain Buffalo Bill (the only character in the film scarier than Lecter).



21. Memento: Christopher Nolan's twisty and very original psychological thriller stars Guy Pearce as a man suffering from anterograde amnesia, a condition which makes it impossible for him to form new memories, which he got from being attacked by a masked assailant who knocked him out before proceeding to rape and murder his wife. The man, named Leonard Shelby, spends the film trying to solve the mystery of who the man is (his only clue to the identity of the rapist is "John G.") so he can exact his revenge; but how does one solve a mystery when he keeps forgetting clues? Shelby must solve the case while also unraveling the enigma that is his own mind. The film is made more clever and unique by the way it's structured. The film is told by two interchanging sets of scenes: color sequences which are shown in reverse chronological order, and black-and-white scenes shown in chronological order, these two sets of scenes converge at the climax to reveal how they relate to one another. The way the film is structured made it as confusing to audience members as day-to-day life is to our leading character, which I think was the point. Because of this, the film was received well critically and was also a major success at the box office, because it drew people in with it's originality, great acting, complicated writing, interesting editing, and mind-blowing ending. But, the DVD also includes a cut shown in chronological order to clear things up for viewers who were still left puzzled. I prefer the more "confusing" version because if you watch the film chronologically it spoils the ending and also might leave viewers underwhelmed. The theatrical cut, however, is something really special.



Runner-ups: Gremlins, The Goonies, American History X, Kill Bill, Unforgiven, Million Dollar Baby, True Grit, Fargo, Mulholland Drive, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Unbreakable.

(Images: Wikipedia)