The Duff (2015) - 7/10 I know it's a stupid movie, haha. I just really enjoyed it. Idk if I've just gotten soft or if the movie hit right at the target demographic. Like, I'm totally not considering reading the book after this.
Haven't posted here in a while. Ip Man 3 8/10 Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jckXscMwIOI Regulars have probably seen me harp on about this gentleman before. Donnie Yen is a beast. You'll be seeing a lot more of lead actor/action choreographer/action star/director in Star Wars:Rogue One later this year. In the meantime, get yourself acquainted with the martial arts legend you may not have heard of yet; alternate to the likes of Jackie Chan, and Jet Li. Yes, that is Mike Tyson. SPL 2: A Time For Consequences (a.k.a Killzone 2) - 8/10 Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXh0zf2Qbbc Absurd, operatic, and relentless. If you enjoyed 'The Raid', this one is right up your alley. No need to explore the first one as this is a thematic follow-up and not a direct sequel to the first installment. The first quarter of the film plays out akin to The Dark Knight. The Talented Mr.Ripley - 7/10 Surprisingly twisted and hauntingly dark. Go into the film blind to get the full experience. No trailers, no synopsis. Whiplash - 10/10 Fucking phenomenal. Again, go in blind. Edge of Tomorrow 8/10 Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vw61gCe2oqI Tom Cruise delivers as usual in this sci-fi actioner with a twist. Captain America: Civil War 7/10 This adaptation should have served as a platform for a plethora of opportunities that could have been capitalized on in reference to the comic. The Winter Soldier was a far more intimate and involving take on Cap. This shouldn't have been labeled 'Captain America'. Otherwise, Civil War was a lot of fun.
Pineapple Express (2008) – Hilarious. I'm not sure, though, if to accept its absurdity as part of its charm or to dismiss it as over the top. 7/10
X-Men: Apocalypse - 5.5/10 - Honestly, I'm extremely disappointed, especially after the excellent DOFP & First Class. The cast is still amazing, and they actually go out and develop more than the usual core characters. However, the franchise's problems still persist, like the interchangeability of some characters and the usual "we're so misunderstood" mutant issue. A lot of storylines don't make sense, some character's arcs are moved in the wrong direction than where DOFP left them, a shitload of subplots cloud the movie of what it could be, and a lot of repetitive beats occur. The final fight is a bad CGI slugfest, and Apocalypse could've been so, so much better.
It's a FOX and Singer's film, what do you expect? Prof X turning bald due to Apocalypse is just lazy way. Prof X at the age of 19, he suffered from a condition called Alopecia. The X-MEN franchise needs a HARD REBOOT. It's so unbelievable they have Deadpool (the best in their shared universe) and Singer express in directing X-Force and Kinberg will write the script. Such a mess. Boo!
[thumb]http://www.indiewire.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/the-conjuring-2-nun.jpg?w=780[/thumb] The Conjuring 2 (2016) - 2.5/5 I don't particularly find any of James Wan's films to be that scary. He plays within conventional genre cliches but more often than not he hits those marks competently enough for the movies to enjoyable. The first Conjuring was the best example of it and I found it to be his scariest. This however was not that scary or interesting. It, yet again, plays around with a lot of horror cliches and most of it fell flat for me. He tries to make it feel like a throwback to 70s horror films but resorts back to modern jump scares, loud noises, sleek camera motions and visuals. It's an odd mix and it doesn't help sell the 70s setting. [thumb]http://screenrant.com/wp-content/uploads/nice-guys-movie-review-crowe-gosling-angourie-rice.jpg[/thumb] The Nice Guys (2016) - 2/5 Nowhere near as fun as Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Both Crowe and Gosling were trying but the material wasn't strong enough. The sassy/too smart for her age kid in this movie was borderline maddening. Her character had no business doing what she did in this movie. Most scenes of the main two leads were great... but every time they got going this stupid kid came in and ruined it all.
Ghostbusters (2016) - 8.5/10 So I've had the pleasure of watching this movie twice now. Once at the Red Carpet World Premiere in Hollywood and another at the Chicago Premiere. Without posting spoilers, I will have to say that this movie was a lot of fun. It's not perfect, however the good qualities definitely outweigh the bad. Watching this movie I felt like I was watching a real-life version of a Real Ghostbusters episode. I felt that the jokes were there. The horror/creepy aspect was there. The action was there. The tech is way awesome. The effects looked way better than what was shown in the previews. I also felt that the chemistry of the actors was there. The only thing I wished they did a slightly better job on was some of the character's back stories. That being said, it was undoubtedly a Ghostbusters movie. It felt right, much to the chagrin of the internet's fiercest keyboard warriors. Anyways, on my second viewing, I was able to enjoy it as much, if not more than the first time. Caught a lot more of the dialog and Easter eggs and was really able to enjoy it.
Metastaze [Metastases] (2009) – Brutally realistic, showing the worst of Croatian society. I loved the film's set-up, but I felt it was kind of lacking at the rear end. 7/10
Ghostbusters (2016) - It isn't as bad as all the haters are saying, but it's not a great movie either. It's uneven, it's weirdly edited, and it has that usual Paul Feig cliched cinematography that I feel was his weakness in his other movies. The third act kinda kills the vibe at times. However, I was surprised that I laughed a lot more than I thought I would've, I enjoyed the cast's chemistry (especially Chris Hemsworth and Kate McKinnon), and I did think the visuals are gorgeous. I also, for some reason, like the cameos here. It's not a great movie, but it's a fun watch. 6/10
Zodiac (2007) This was good(8 out of 10)! I didn't even know those two did a movie together before Avengers (Robert and Mark).
Suicide Squad (2016) - 2.5/5 It isn't as bad as people are saying. It has just enough elements going for itself for me to say that I had fun with it. Most of the banters between the characters work although the bad moments really stick out like a sore thumb. There are a lot of bad dialogs in this movie. They literally pause after certain potential zinger for audience reaction and most of them fall flat. I think Harley Quin was the most guilty of this. Some of her big funny moments were just cringeworthy. Speaking of cringe... the music choice. My God... I get it David Ayer, you wanted your movie to be cool and edgy but Jesus some of the music choices were downright horrible. It was such an overkill. From character design standpoint Enchantress really stole the show for me. It's a unique look and she legitimately looks terrifying. I just wish they'd explored her and Flag's relationship a bit more. That could've added more weight to their arc. Joker was completely wasted and I think he should've been cut from the film. This interpretation of the Joker is part nu-metal and part mob boss and it didn't work for me at all. He felt more like a ratcheted up version Two Face. His sole purpose in this movie was to provide some history/context to Harley Quinn's character. So they really don't spend any time exploring his psyche or his character. Lastly, there are so many moments where the editing looks so choppy that you can't help but think that there were sequences from the reshoot tacked on to the final product.
Suicide Squad - 4/10 - I went inside the theater with high expectations, and came out feeling disappointed. The cast is great, especially Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Viola Davis, Joel Kinnaman and even - gasp - Jai Courtney. Jared Leto was a solid Joker. The problem was everything else. The story starts promisingly, but ends in generic superhero territory. And for a movie about villains, why are they suddenly so nice and compassionate towards the end of the story? This makes most of them indistiguishable, and it sucks seeing their potential squandered. Hell, Amanda Waller is the most terrifying villain in this movie. Cara Delevigne's good in the few movies she's in, but man the Enchantress was a poorly-written character. And they somehow do the mortal sin of wasting Joker. He's like the Civil War Spider-Man: amazing portrayal, but very disposable in this movie. I love David Ayer's movies, but I can't help feeling that he's not a very good choice for this movie. His close-up, kinetic action makes the fight scenes look confusing and dizzying instead of fun, and the editing in this movie is very choppy. The color palette is as bleak as BvS, and the action isn't very fun. And it's clear that Warner Bros. had a big hand in the final movie, which is why it feels like it can't find a right tone. They barrage the film with songs a la GOTG but it overwhelms the movie and makes it obvious that it's a last-minute addition to make the movie more fun compared to BvS. Whatever happened to a score? Batfleck was fun though.
Suicide Squad - 6/10 I thought it was a decent enough movie but I wouldn't watch it again. I just wasn't really feeling the main villian so the whole plot ended up being disappointing for me. I disliked the character of Amanda Waller so much and I barely understood what Killer Croc was saying half of the time although he had like 2 lines... I actually liked The Joker/Harley Quinn stuff. Cara Delevigne looked so damn creepy as the more "witchy" portrayal of the Enchantress. Imagine waking up next to that. Jesus. Needed more Katana.
Spotlight (2015) – An all-around great reality-based film with superb performances from its actors. 9/10
The BFG - 8/10 - So much joy. So much wonder. So much happiness. I couldn't get that freaking smile off my face. It's not for everybody since it's dialogue-heavy and is built around the relationship of the BFG and Sophie, who are wonderfully acted by Mark Rylance and Ruby Barnhill. Steven Spielberg frames every scene gorgeously (even putting a few tracking shots here and there) and it's surprising how a CGI-heavy movie can be so human.
The Hateful Eight (2015) – The movie suffers a bit from practically having just one setting, but still manages to be really captivating all the way through, which is quite a feat. Not one of the best Tarantinos I've seen, though, even if it retains everything he's known for. I particularly enjoyed Quentin's narrator cameo bits; every single character is likeable or at least respectable in one way or another, which is crucial in a film with this little characters where practically all of them carry an important role. Overall, a time-consuming but highly entertaining flick with much to offer, but with less to impress someone already familiar with the famed director's work. 8/10