Top Ten Favorite Films / Video Games Of 2018

My Top Ten Favorite Films / Video Games Of 2018

The time is here again in the best of times the worst o times.  As always, if something obvious is missing, I haven’t experienced it or enough of it to justify… or I don’t agree. Here it goes:

Top Ten Films Of 2018

1.)Film Of The Year: Avengers: Infinity War: For not only having such a monumental task

ahead of it and high hopes, but for meeting those hopes in ways both intentional and

unintentional in the pinnacle of blockbuster filmcraft.

2.)Isle of Dogs: For being so full of a combination of whimsy, laughs, heart, surreality, and drama.

3.)Mandy: For being such a distinct vision and top notch awesome cage and that soundtrack.

4.)First Man: For its directorial / cinematagraphy and soundtrack taking one to space with some solid

performances within.

5.)Incredibles 2: For being as fun, funny, and colorful as we wanted delivering on the past.

6.)Annhilation: For making one think with a mindbending plot and unique visuals.

7.)Creed 2: For in a way wrapping off the Rocky saga in style.

8.)Deadpool 2: For making us laugh...again with upped drama and meta nature with its cast.

9.)Bad Times at the El Royale: For being filled with dark twists and solid performances in its aesthetic.

10.)Ready Player One: For mostly doing a good job with its adaptation...of spectacle and nostalgia.

Honorable 10-13:

x11.)A Quiet Place(SHHH)

x12.)Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse(META)

x13.)Solo: A Star Wars Story(token star wars slot/lando)

Top Ten Video Games Of 2018

1.)Game Of The Year: God of War (PS4): For not only being what we wanted but even further...beautiful, epic, perfect gameplay , even slightly innovative

pushing the medium.

2.) Super Smash Bros Ultimate: For everyone being here...and more. With pitch perfect gamepaly and tons of single player and online content.

3.) Red Dead Redemption 2: For being massive, beautiful, epic, detailed, immersive and packed with content online and off.

4.) Celeste: For being surprisingly hard, beautiful, with that soundtrack and customizable pitch perfect controls and platforming.

5.) Tetris Effect: For having tight gameplay, beautiful trance enducing visuals and an absolutely incredible soundtrack.

6.) Spider-Man (PS4): For bringing back the cool to Spider-Man with amazing swinging, visuals, combat, and plot feeling like a classic story.

7.) Mario Tennis Aces: For making mario tennis really cool once more with tight gameplay and tons of single player content.

8.) Far Cry 5: For being big and packed with things to do and ways to blow them up with a big world and characters.

9.) Spyro Reignited Trilogy: For being the games we loved wrapped up in a beautiful new crisp bow.

10.) Dragon Ball FighterZ: For being the true MVc4...colorful dbz touch fast gameplay.

Honorables 11-13:

x11.) Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire(classic RPG!)

x12.) A Way Out(co-opFares!)

x13.) Soul Calibur VI(Customs!)

(also shoutout 14 and 15?16? I'm not sure... the Bayonetta 1 and 2 HD Switch ports were great and amazing games I played, Telltale The Walking Dead Episodes1 and 2 were great and almost the end but not a full experience.. full release of Dead Cells quite neat)

ONWARDS

Holmes and Watson Review

Holmes and Watson
Director: Etan Cohen
Cast Headliners: Will Ferrell, John C Reilly, Rebecca Hall, Ralph Fiennes, wasn't too sure who else counts
Original Release Date: December 25, 2018

Will Ferrell and John C Reilly coming together have been comedy events of note every time in the past. Both in Talledega Nights and Step Brothers (with technically even Anchorman 2’s cameo counting) the two legendary comedians made audiences laugh with bizarre insanity and hi-jjinx. Holmes and Watson takes a very special duo to the same place again but for a very public domain parody in Sherlock Holmes. There’s laughs and fun to be had but also many, many, many at times irritating flaws.
After an unnecessary flashback the supposedly famed detective Sherlock Holmes (Will Ferrell) and his partner Dr. John Watson (John C Reilly) are given a mission by the Queen Victoria (Pam Ferris) to stop the nefarious Professor Moriarty (Ralph Fiennes). Along the way the team up or otherwise interact with the likes of mortician Dr.Grace Hart (Rebecca Hall) and her assistant Millie (Lauren Lapkus), Inspector Lestrade(Rob Brydon), or their assistant Hudson(Kelly Macdonald).  Various shenanigans ensue.
That’s about all one needs to know since that’s about all there is. It’s a period piece parody that mostly sticks to Londonion tropes with occasionally clever or occasionally very stupid dips into the meta or modern. Ferrell and Reilly are both great at hamming up their roles. Holmes is the usual big dumb goof he plays with some humorous forays into “deduction”. If most takes are intelligent his is being dumb that others take as smart. It’s typical stuff but leads to some laughs in an otherwise pretty lowbrow silly script. Reilly’s Watson is a bit more effective with his retorts and accent aided by a manic nature. For one looking for more of this duo it delivers on that when it can. Everyone else is just a bit player for a gag whether its Hall’s role per her gender(with some funny stuff in the romantic area if even brief) or Ferris’ Queen being both exposition or the center of some of the best gags. No one else really makes any impact although of course some celebrity guests appear like Steve Coogan as Gustav Klinger, Hugh Laurie as Mycroft Holmes, and WWE star Braun Strowman as .. Braun who  have some gags that should be seen.  Fiennes is barely in the film at all actually although his villainous plots are felt.
“Plot” is a grand word to put on this film. It is perhaps one of the most basic takes on a Holmes mystery ever possible which may be best for what is done. There’s some fun surprises in terms of jokes and mania that feels as surreal and fun as one would want but some may role their heads at how low it is. The production, costumes, music and etc is all typical with “action” being seldom if ever. It’s mainly people talking and doing silly things which fits in director Etan Cohen’s court.
See this movie with some hesitance. Fans of the titular Holmes and Watson actor duo will get some cheap laughs and it’s a dumb silly way to spend an afternoon. But oh boy can it be dumb although the value is at times felt. 6.6 out of 10

Aquaman Review

Aquaman
Director: James Wan
Cast Headliners: Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Patrick Wilson, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, many oceanic others
Original Release Date: December 21, 2018

                There’s a lot of “obscure” characters out there but few have faced the public gentle jabbing as DC Comics’ Aquaman. Decades of the “talks to fish” member of the Justice League have not quite played up his large list of lore from the comics nor has he gotten much of a role in the big screen. The DCEU changed this recently with this Aquaman film giving a full aquatic experience after the brief taste in 2017’s Justice League film. It’s every bit as epic, silly, fun, and unique as one would want if having many flaws. Note that this is from whose had it be a bit of a dream so this may affect things but to anyone it’s not a dull time as a whole.

                Smartly this is nigh-almost-entirely a standalone tale from the rest of the DCEU despite a couple of nouns / references thrown around (and some very minor plot holes / character interactions and depictions compared to the whole). The present tale of Arthur Curry / Aquaman(Jason Momoa) is shown alongside glimpses of his past.  He finds himself becoming re-acquainted with the water-wielding princess Mera of Xebel(Amber Heard) as they go on a quest to stop King Orm from conquering the world as Ocean Master(Patrick Wilson). There’s also the enemy x-factor of the likes of the armored suit using David Kane/ Black Manta(Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) and his father Jesse Kane(Michael Beach). Helping multiple sides of the conflict are undersea figures like King Nereus of Xebel(Dolph Lundgren), advisor Nuidis Vulko(Willem Dafoe), and Aquaman’s parents Atlanna(Nicole Kidman) and Thomas Curry(Temuera Morrison).

                It’s a large cast for an attempted epic tale and admittedly most get lost in the shuffle of exposition and various sub, crab, and fish people factions who try to join or survive under Orm.   Through it all Momoa’s Aquaman is a likeable lead mixing brawny surferde swagger with ferocity and charm even if it’s perhaps purposefully to the points. His film gives him much more of a chance to shine and a bit like Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman he mostly works. Heard’s Mera gets more of a chance to shine as well and is very much as competent a combatant as he is although she has some cheese to her delivery. There’s jokes both clever and dumb with emotional heft never quite getting that deep.  Dafoe and Lundgren’s undersea characters amongst others do remain as mere exposition spewers (at times extra cheesified by the echo effect of underwater). Morrison and Kidman have a bit more of a nice bit part focus although they are seldom seen.

                DC films haven’t been on a villain quality streak lately and this continues that trend. Wilson’s Ocean Master Orm is very generically cheesy “meh” with the typical kind of “wants to rule it all” motivation with just perhaps a bit of effective vile royal sneering but that’s a road which many token villians have walked down. This does give some slight personal stake between him and Arthur but slight may be an exaggeration. Luckily the plight of Abdul II’s Black Manta is much more of a focus even if still on the sidelines. His interactions and action scenes are quite fun and vengeance filled even with some hoke.

      This is not quite a movie being best at being small. It’s best when it’s big, crazy, and effects filled as possible which it delivers on highly.  Director James Wan steps into his biggest shoes possible after a career of smaller horror takes. It works very well. One must take note of the fact that this is mainly a CGI generated film in terms of backgrounds and locations. Very few things take place on the surface (nor with characters who come from there). It’s all about crazy varied , unique aesthetics from the neon-lit city of Atlantis to desert temples, dinosaur islands, or sunken ruins.  It can be colorful and awe-inspiring. It can also be very cheesy and seem like some foreign discount film. This seems to vary between the two depending on what’s happening at the time but when it sings true it sings strongly true. There’s some incredibly massive battles and duels which occur with all manner of scary or beautiful creatures and locations.  Sometimes it can be too fast but that’s something the DCEU tends to struggle with when it doesn’t do it well.  Rupert Gregson-Williams score also has some great electro, synth style numbers between sometimes jarring use of pop / rock music (or otherwise fitting).

                “A lot” is word to describe Aquaman. It attempts to fit almost all of the heroes mythology in one film. That makes it epic and varied but also it leads to a very long run time. There’s a ton of that action , whether wanted or not for being gloriously cheesy, yet there’s also a lot of things which can drag too. It’s a lot of movie in the movie (almost 3 hours) which could maybe due to be looked at for a tighter focus although by the end its satisfying.

   In some ways this stands as one of the better DCEU films for being so colorful and fun in its big scale. It’s a simple plot truly which may make the meandering questionable but through this its everything the others are not. This is big, blockbuster film making at its core and while there’s some cheesy and weaker aspects one can’t say that it’s been done very often before or could have been done much different. For Atlantis!  8.03 out of 10  

Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse Review

Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse
Directors: Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, and Rodney Rotham
Cast Headliners: Shameik Moore, Jake Johnson, Hailee Steinfeld, Liev Schreiber, many many others most with web-powers
Original Release Date: December 14th, 2018

Animated superhero films may remind oneself of the Walmart bargain bin. Theatrically they've been limited to the likes of the Incredibles or Megamind or Lego Batman...purely comedy. However the lattermost is what should be taken note of since it showed that these movies can deserve a big budget and big attention. Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse is the first theater-tier animated CGI piece for the web-slinger and it certainly makes the case for it. It's a colorful, wild, reference, heart-filled time that will surprise what it means to be a Spider-Man or Marvel film while being nearly everything one would want in some way or another.

The set-up is something wholly unique to most Spidey films. This is a world where a Spider-Man/Peter Parker(Chris Pine) is, refreshingly, an older veteran and fierce competent fellow at his game. He contends with the likes of the infamous Kingpin/Wilson Fisk(Liev Schrieber), Green Goblin/Norman Osborn(Jorma Taccone), and the seldom seen deep lore Prowler who are up to a nefarious plot. Events soon bring in the young teen Miles Morales(Shameik Moore) to having powers of his own and leaving this Peter out of the picture. This is all very comics accurate but luckily for the film its much more.

Miles finds himself meeting Spider-People from multiple other dimensions in whats one of the best highlight factors. There's the primary part of another, older veteran who failed at his life as Spider-Man/Peter B.Parker(Jake Johnson) who acts as a reluctant mentor to Miles. Joining him is Spider-Woman (in comics “Spider-Gwen/Ghost Spider”)/Gwen Stacy(Hailee Steinfeld) where it wasn't Peter who got bit, the hilariously hard-boiled detective archetype Spider-Man Noir/Peter Parker(Nicolas Cage), anime-visualed Japanese SP//DR mecha using schoolgirl Peni Parker(Kimiko Glenn), and literal spider-pig wacky cartoon animal Spider-Ham/Peter Porker(John Mulaney). Together this crew aims to stop many more villains from tearing the dimensions apart.

The film definitely is at its best when its big, crazy, and varied as possible. It must be noted though that it would have, and does work, as merely a Miles movie too. Miles goes through a nice youth focused arc mirroring Peter and Moore's performance adds to that for the most part. There's some genuinely decent drama with his cop father Jeff(Brian Tyree Henry) and his uncle Aaron(Mahersala Ali who's role must be seen for its semi-depth). Some of the supporting cast gets lost such as his mother Rio(Luna Lauren Velez) or even Mary Jane Watson(Zoe Kravitz) but there's just so much else going on. Luckily this is a bit ridiculously cool Aunt May(Lily Tomlin) who becomes almost like Alfred Pennyworth from DC.

The same lost-in-the-shuffle applies to some of the periphery Spiders as well. Glenn's Peni and Mulaney's Porker have the most jokes from their visually distinct styles adding to some action beats but are very bit players late in the film. Cage's Noir is a perfect role for him with jokes more towards his out-of-time nature although he doesn't get many lines either. Steinfeld's Gwen is more of a central role with a cool drumming, competent angle that adds to the lineup. One perhaps wonders what other spider-people are out there.

One sings true most of all in Johnson's mentor “hobo” Parker. He is perfectly schlubby which adds to the role. He's depressed, chubby, lazy, and broken. This is used to both comedic and emotional effect. Perhaps one of the best arcs of the film is his as he grows. As an audience we're so used to seeing the end of a Peter lifecycle. Here we get the end and its uniquely interesting.

The villainous side is not much of an impact due to the acid trip nature of whats going on. The likes of Taccone's Goblin(here, as many, monstrously different showing the Ultimate Marvel influence), Tombstone/Lincoln Thompson(Krondon), more cyborg than usual Scorpion/Mac Gargan(Joaquin Cosio) and a surprising take on Doctor Octopus are mainly thugs for battle scenes. Prowler brings to mind an evil Black Panther-meets-Deadpool and has some exciting chases with more of a bigger personal stake that are intense. Schreiber's Kingpin goes for more of a generic mafioso accent and take on things although he has some slight sympathy (perhaps borrowed from the Netflix take?) and an entertainingly ridiculous physical strength although in the end he's nothing to write home about.

What ties all these together is the script. It's a very funny, zany and at times epic movie. Although directed by a tag team of Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, and Rodney Rotham it was helped produced by acclaimed animators Phil Lord/Chris Miller. This can be inferred from its meta tone and reference packed. It truly is The Lego Batman Movie of Spider-Man with references to old cartoons and movies from the 60s to Tobey Macguire. However it takes on a bit more of a focused , actual narrative between that.

Where it also shines as a piece, an art piece really, is the visual experience. The CGI graphics are so colorful, stylized, and perhaps a bit overwhelming. It looks right out of a comic book with sketchy lines used and panels. There's even at times actual Spider-Man comics used! This helps the many humorous “origin stories” that occur. Sometimes the frame rate for this stop motion / comic look can appear odd but it also makes it strongly stand out in the genre. It's a color overload of comic candy. There's also some great music by Daniel Pemberton that's very hip hop and drum inspired between its electro mania. There may be a bit too much pop and rap music but remember this is Sony here who has always done that.

The movie has some lessons about great power and responsibility but “ultimate”ly it keeps things very easy breezy fun. It is a treat for Spider-Man fans who don't mind a bit of twists and alternate takes on the lore. If anything they would know that's some of the truest Marvel out there. It is simple, comic fun for anyone. Of course stick through all the credits for a laugh. 8.65 out of 10

Mortal Engines Review

Mortal Engines
Director: Christian Rivers (Executive Producer Peter Jackson)
Cast Headliners: Hera Hilmar, Robert Sheehan, Hugo Weaving, Stephen Lang, Jihae, some many attempted others
Original Release Date: December 14th, 2018

There was a time when the name “Peter Jackson” meant something very great within films. He was the director who gave us the legendary Lord of The Rings film series of masterpieces with such other things as his take on King Kong and the slightly-less-masterpiece Hobbit prequel series (sounds familiar...).   Now he, or rather his protege Christian Rivers moreso who is actually in the director's seat while he heavily executive produces , are back with an adaptation of the cult hit and acclaimed in their own way Mortal Engines novel series. One must respect more original ideas in this landscape of repeat blockbusters but intention and heart are two different things.
The genre and premise must be noted for being unique. Thousands of years from now planet Earth is nigh-unrecognizable after our descendants ravaged civilization with super weapons alongside a coincidental movement of tectonic plates which dried up oceans and created mountains and lava rifts. The people of the setting now live, for the most part, on “predator cities” which are mobile tank machine fortresses that wander the wastelands. These can range in size from the massive citadel and high society that is London to smaller community craft and raider vessels. Some live in the skies on balloons or planes or stationary as “stagnate settlements” as well. A big part of the conflict seems to be between the predator cities and the “Anti-Tractionist League” who oppose them.  The world building is fascinating but at times only the frontmost elements are explained which perhaps is a sacrifice for the film medium.
Events transpire to where protagonists are found in Hester Shaw(Hera Hilmar) a scarred young woman from the wastes who has a revenge mission in mind as she joins forces with historian Tom Natsworthy (Robert Sheehan).  They oppose the London forces who have leadership in Mayor Magnus Crome(Patrick Malahide) and Head Guild leader Thaddeus Valentine(Hugo Weaving). Elsewhere x-factors exist like Anna Fang(Korean musician Jihae) and the cyborg “resurrected man” Shrike(Stephen Lang voicing a CGI creation).  It's a web of factions and motivations that may seem intriguing but ultimately make a typical plot borrowed from cinematic pieces seen many times before. One wonders what the effect is in the novel as well.
Part of why the plot is typical is due to the characters within. Neither Hilmar's Hester nor Sheehan's Tom bring much charm. Hester is an attempted fierce heroine but comes across as slightly hollow aside her gumption and some emotion through her backstory which wavers between cheesy and effective.  Sheehan as Tom attempts to have humor but none of the humor really lands aside from maybe some no name wastelander interactions. This also applies to his Londonian friends in Leila George as Katherine Valentine(daughter of one of the villians) and apprentice worker Bevis Pod(Ronan Raftery) who barely get any lines or things to do aside a moment of exposition or so.   Some similiarly small to medium impact but a bit of highlight (to an extent) roles are in the cool combat skills and demeanor of Jihae's Anna Fang(who definitely has the highest kill count of the piece) and shop owner Chudleigh Pomeroy(Colin Salmon). 
Luckily the villainous side is much stronger on the memorable front. Hugo Weaving has made a career out of playing bad men and Valentine is no exception. He's cocky, confident, ruthless and egotistical as one would want if coming across as slightly one-dimensional. However he sure can have a menacing look while he's giving orders. Malahide's Crome is in the same ballpark as well although to lesser quality. There's some decent stuff in their leadership bickering.  Lang's Shrike is also really cool feeling intentionally so inhuman. The CGI effects which move him can at times appear less than spectacular but he's also got such a cool look with his glowing eyes and rotting cyber flesh. Imagine the Terminator for a steampunk age. It can become expected but when he shines he shines. As a whole this is a film where very little shining can happen but it does exist.
  What the film lacks for in character and narrative it makes up for in style. The setting is so unique and it's highlights are the machines themselves. They're grindy, smoggy, crunchy battle pieces right out of some futuristic Industrial Revolution. This is one of the most steampunk films to make it to the mainstream in this way although it leans slightly more into fantasy epic which is befitting of the talent behind it.  The visuals and backgrounds are sometimes incredibly impressive and massive but other times melt into a CGI blur. Technically with Jackson in the backseat driving one would blame this on a debut director but one must consider River's primary previous experience was second unit on.... the Hobbit series. It makes sense then that he goes for CGI overload versus practical approaches. This is understandable but it seems that the jumpy direction gives these mixed results between cheese and spectacle. The action can be at times infrequent but also pulse pounding particularly when Mad Max-esque chases begin to occur or the seldom times foot combat or chases happens. It seems a missed opportunity to not have  more city-on-city action since these are like land space or naval ships but apparently that occurs more in the novel and later in the series both things we'll never see. Expect a lot of plane warfare which is very typical but adds to some big explosive spectacle when it isn't overly-glossy.  Some of the music by Tom “Junkie XL” Holkenburg also adds to the excitement (interestingly he worked on Mad Max Fury Road although it is a softer orchestral sort of approach to the guitars of that) but the pieces of note are few and far between.
Mortal Engines could have probably been so much more and one fears for its franchise potential with the box office already in a busy season. In busy seasons a film must be a “must see”. New franchises won't exist until that occurs but this tried. It's a weird, new , big world that has some crazy fantasy realms and action that's dragged down by lacking most of the narrative soul and characters that made Tolkein's work so good. It's not terrible, but it isn't too amazing either. Purely, decently, ok.  7.4 out of 10

Creed II Review

Creed II

Director: Steven Caple Jr

Cast Headliners: Michael B Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Dolph Lundgren, Florian Munteanu, Tessa Thompson

Original Release Date: November 21st, 2018

  The Rocky film series is one of the most iconic of all time. Perhaps its the only boxing and even sports “saga” in existence. Over decades an epic generational tale has been told of the Italian Stallion and his friends, family, and rivals. It's taken various breaks and gone through changes but 2015's Creed was a really good way of being both a reboot and legacy as Apollo's son was trained by Rocky. Creed 2, the eighth overall installment, acts as both a sequel to that but also in a way to Rocky 4 due to a certain soviet involvement. Due to Stallone claiming that this the end of his time as Rocky this may or may not mark the end of the series overall. That makes its legacy extra special and it certainly delivers on that even moreso for fans.

After the last film Adonis Creed (Michael B Jordan) reigns as world boxing heavyweight champion. A short filler fight is witnessed as he defends his title. What any Rocky film is however is who the villain is. The series has had mixed results on this from icons like Apollo Creed and Clubba Lang to misfires like Tommy Gunn and whoever generic actual athletees were fought in the past few modern films. One perhaps stands as the greatest of all in Ivan Drago(Dolph Lundgren) who's take in Rocky IV was menacing as it was a cheesy reflection of the cold war soviet Russian era. He positions his son Viktor(Florian Munteanu, an actual boxer once again) to get revenge on Creed and Rocky Balboa(Sylvester Stallone) after killing Adonis' father many years ago.

This aspect is one of the strongest of the film. It gives it a sense of legacy and connection to the franchise even more than the first Creed. Lundgren's Drago is as menacing as he was in the 80s even without the backing of the USSR. Just as the palette of the film is its a more modern, gritty real take on the character and it totally works. Munteanu's Viktor is pretty great not just as a huge physique but as a acting performance too especially with his father. Any quality villain has a bit of sympathy and this family has their arc amidst their schemes. One only wishes there was even a bit more of it and confrontation between Rocky / Ivan but it comes in moments.

Stallone's Rocky has even more of a main role this time as well despite that. His rapport with Adonis is great and one would hope for perhaps another Oscar nod. He goes through some inspirational and emotional stuff without ever setting foot in the ring. There's ties to Adrian and his family even moreso than the first (although at times familiar) and he manages to crack in some occasional dry humor too. The script for everyone is great if at times cheesy. That's what one kind of wants however.

Jordan's Adonis Creed is also a highlight again. Through boxing and training he gets immensely battered and has challenges both physical and emotional. He packs some raw emotion that is what he's best at in his performances. There's some fantastic stuff behind the scenes with his marriage and parenting challenges with girlfriend / wife Bianca (Tessa Thompson) . Thompson's Bianca can be artistical and inspiring although she is along with Adonis' mother Mary Anne Creed (Phylicia Rashad) as supporting cast level of involvement that mostly cheers, understandably. There's not many other players although the bit supporters of villainous promoter Buddy Marvell (Russel Hornsby) and Creed's father's trainer's son Little Duke Evers (Wood Harris) have their dramatic moments.

Now acclaimed Ryan Coogler did not direct this or be involved in any way although the person this time Steven Caple Jr does a great impression. There's some fantastic shots especially while boxing with some neat use of first person and slow motion. It feels like one is right in the ring with a modern crisp sheen to everything. The training can get a little ridiculous at times but is visually interesting for the most part. Note must be made for Ludwig Goransson's score as it joins some rap songs. It's emotional, feels filled piano and orchestra with some classic Rocky thrown in at great times. This music takes the drama side of things into truly wonderful territory.

There definitely is a sense of closure to the film if it is Stallone's last take on it. It manages to be a great modernization of the Drago conflict through its revenge and personal stake. There's great boxing, great emotion, great fan tribute and humor. It is long but overall pretty worth it. One must not mind the cheese that exists. That's exactly what it delivers on. Who knows if there's a future but one wouldn't mind and at the same time what a final blow it is . 8.7 out of 10

Ralph Breaks The Internet Review

Ralph Breaks The Internet
Directors: Rich Moore and Phil Johnston
Cast Headliners: John C Reilly, Sarah Silverman, Gal Gadot, Taraji P Henson, many many others
Original Release Date: November 21st, 2018

2012's Wreck It Ralph was not only a great Disney animated CGI film but it finally gave the world what was perhaps one of the best video game movies. That's because it managed to pay tribute , properly, to some classic arcade and retro games in its colorful, heartwarming and funny journey. Ralph Breaks The Internet only dips a bit more into more games(perhaps a bit disappointingly for those who wanted a sequel) and for the most part focuses on a new cyber realm: the modern day internet. On the surface it frightens of something shallow and “meme” filled like some animated peers but actually this book should not be judged by its cover. It's actually a solid followup that goes deeper on the laughs and lessons just as much as the visuals and scope. One must have to buy into the social media and websit conceit however.

It's surprising how much of the worlds of the first film are seen again. Titular hero-and-villain Wreck-It Ralph(John C Reilly) still hangs out in the arcade after dark with the famous likes of Street Fighter's Zangief and Sonic the Hedgehog between seeing friends old in Fix-It Felix(Jack McBrayer) or newer in Vanellope Sweetz(Sarah Silverman) and Sgt.Calhoun(Jane Lynch) at places like Tapper's Root Beer bar, Tron light cycles(!), or the sugary racing land of Sugar Rush. However this idyllic life goes awry once an accident causes the arcade's owner to purchase a replacement part on the arcade's new internet router. Ralph and Vanellope go to this mysterious new world to find the part themselves and adventures ensue.

If the first film and opening and sideline of here are “Video Game Toy Story” this film is of course “Internet Toy Story”. In the colorful, imaginative world of the net are hundreds of millions of avatars representing users in a clever way. There's also personifications and “buildings” of popular services like Amazon, Ebay (or “eboy” as Ralph charmingly calls it) , and social media “Buzztube”. Characters are met like the “Searchbar” librarian Knowsmore (Alan Tudyk villian of the first film here as someone else!), social media empire queen Yassss(Tarji P Henson), spam scammer JP Spamley (Bill Hader), and even another game world in the fierce Slaughter Race with key figure Shank (Gal Gadot) .

Even with the very millenial theme the larger list of world gives some variety in visuals and ambiance. The animated CGI graphics are of course colorful and lush given that its Disney itself with directors Rich Moore and Phil Johnston having some nice bigger shots. It's also neat, and (purposefully used in what's some of the best sequences) that something like Slaughter Race has such a gritty real look even beyond Hero's Duty of the first film. It's entertaining to see a action-movie, “Grand Theft Auto/ massive multiplayer online ” esque game contrasted with the likes of Ralph and friends. The other internet sites are more of a bright futuristic look but the human avatars have a neat almost retro, “Inside Out” type design to them. It is a step forward, to an extent, for these visuals if anything.

The plot has its ups and downs both for twists as well as for quality. It becomes a road trip before being tangled up in drama between a couple locations which reminds of how the last film felt the same way. One could only imagine a world where they tried to go even further. However that may be for good reason as there's some decent stuff in the main Ralph / Vanellope plot that would be detracted by their being too much else going on(and not much does with the arcade folk of Felix, Calhoun, and Sonic getting just some gag lines).

Once again the acting highlight is shared between Reilly's Ralph and Silverman's Vanellope. Ralph has some humor and growth in his dumbness. In turn one thought Vanellope may have reached her closure in the first but she has even more of a journey here. She has a rapport with Gadot's Shank that's very important to the movie although everything's to a relatively simple family level. Gadot's Shank has her charm but ends up being , coincidentally or perhaps not , like her Fast and the Furious work than Wonder Woman but it's all in the ballkpark. Seriously that music number may make it all worth it. Henson's Yass , Hader's Pimley, and Tudyk's Knowsmore have their chuckles but primarily serve exposition. However a new cast is always welcomed. There's also the actually brief appearance of a "Oh My Disney World" with an insane amount of animated, Star Wars, Marvel , and etc logoes and characters mostly used for jokes but that's best reserved for surprises if one hasn't seen the commercials. It must be said that it was very neat to get the original Disney Princesses back from their actresses as brief as they are.  

    That's what the movie is with not much more to say or detract. It's a voyage into a net world filled with some laughs and action with a lot of charm (and the occasional tear) along the way. Nothing is too new or mindblowing but fans of the first would like this or due to its nature even those who haven't seen. Who knows how it will hold up as the decades progress however but seize the zeitgeist parodying moment of it. 8.4 out of 10

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald Review

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald
Director: David Yates
Cast Headliners: Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Ezra Miller, Johnny Depp, Jude Law, too many attempted others
Original Release Date: November 16th, 2018

Get ready for many more of these since it's another 2 years and the first sequel , next installment of the Fantastic Beasts saga (with many more to go...) Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald continues this prequel Harry Potter tale by fully unleashing the villian and taking things to darker, more complicated places while introducing further. It's got the staples fans of the magic will like but it also strongly asks the question “did we need 5 films?”. Prepare for a lot of set up but also a lot of meandering in its own plot.

A semi-exciting opening sequence(more on this below but action is rare) shows the escape of the titular evil overlord Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp) in 1927 from his confines, lieu-of disguised identity, He flees to Paris, France to begin building his evil army. Meanwhile in Britain the plight of protagonist and creature collector Newt Scamander(Eddie Redmayne) is followed as he faces the consequences of the first film. A larger cast is met as his serious , devoted Auror government agent older brother Theseus (Callum Turner) is met along his fiancee (and Newt's former crush) Leta Lestrange (Zoe Kravitz). Elsewhere familiar heroes have their adventures such as Queenie Goldstein (Alison Sudol) re-uniting with normal, Muggle “No-Maj” love Jacob Kowalski (Dan Fogler) and the investigations of Newt's deuteragonist and possible love Tina Goldstein (Katherine Waterston) into the location of the surviving Credence Barbone (Ezra Miller). There's yet even more characters of some note (which wouldn't be a problem as the Harry Potter films always did it well but were aided by a more straightforward plot than here which is to its moderate detriment) in cursed to be a snake (eventually Voldemort's), were-wolf -style, “Maledictus” Nagini (Claudia Kim) and the mysterious vigilante wildcard Yusuf Kama (William Nadylam) among-st others not even worth mentioning.

These are many names but little impact is felt from them or most things in general. Somehow Redmayne's Newt is even less inspiring or charming in this movie and is perhaps even forgotten with the ruckus of everything else going on around him further than the first film although he has his moments of problem-solving and awkward charm. This “middling and forgotten” nature rubs off on his co-stars in Waterston's Tina and Sudol's Queenie even more with the crew mostly just walking between the expository events of others with only seldom effort gone into making them franchise-defining. Fogler's Jacob is once again a comedic highlight although it's not much we haven't seen before (how many times does he need to yell “AHA!”...it worked in 2016 more..) but although his presence wasn't technically needed due to circumstances it seems he's along for the ride now. Miller's Credence faces even further revelations and personal stake into things but at the same time does even less aside a tense moment or two. He's one of the only ones to really do things with Kim's Nagini as they're from a (visually neat) magical circus. She is a just as and even more tortured outcast but she really doesn't do much either.

It's amongst the other newcomers that “don't really do much” happens the most. Turner's Theseus may be hinted to set up some family drama but as many things it's never really delivered upon. This happens slightly moreso with Kravitz's Leta who actually is a big part of what the movie ends up being about but it has some cheese in its writing that makes one question where Rowling's golden talent has gone in the past few years. It's a lot of explanations and plot holes for things that happened in the past and the audience is attempted to feel sorrow or inspiration but due to the delivery in plot structure it comes across as confusing or dull more than anything. This is not the epic prophecy of the Boy Who Lived, at least not yet with much work to be done to make its saga worthy.

The two highlight performances and aspects are the “big bad” in Grindelwald and the “big good” in the exciting return of a younger Albus Dumbledore(Jude Law). These two characters are so connected in lore and to what this prequel saga will end up being it makes since extra effort was placed into them. Law's Albus may remind viewers of Jude Law being Jude Law but that's not a bad thing as he brings a charming wise presence with some more youthful swagger (reminder that he's got to get 70 years older by the time of Harry Potter). There's a touch of the old man's slow tone to him but otherwise he's a bit of something new but that works. Unfortunately, he's not really involved that much in the plot of this film besides some check-ins. Those check-ins and flashbacks to Hogwarts castle (including with the classic music) will bring much warm feelings of nostalgia and perhaps there could be more of that ahead...or should have been more here either. Depp's Grindelwald himself doesn't have enough screentime either for a movie with his name. However he's another standout being absolutely evil, vile, and as the best villains are he kind of has a speck of a point to him. It's only at times he appears but it's usually a good thing especially when he performs ...crimes. Get ready for that showdown where, like the last and most Potter films, things ramp up in the climax. If he continues like this he may give Voldemort a run for icon status although now it's too hard to say.

While the characters, writing, and plot is all over the place and slightly half-baked the sights, sounds, and fantasy nature mostly deliver on what fans would want. Director David Yate's camera work is solid (although perhaps less so than his Potter peak) and there's some nice production design for the Parisian aesthetic although the fact that it's set there doesn't make much of a difference apart from accents on henchmen and citizens . It's visually an even darker movie than the last one at times being too much so. This is a movie that's a bit less about the “fantastic beast” mythological animals themselves but there is some cool designs and excitement with them. As with many things here there's not enough of them or action in general. At times however the CGI can feel like an overload and to a hollower quality than both the Potter Wizarding World before it and other blockbusters today. This may be due to its handling of entirely greenscreen sets(such as Newt's magical creature box which still is conceptually cool) with it working better with the use of actual sets. Composer James Newton Howard's music fits the magical Potter stereotype although there's an occasional great memorable line to add to the melodrama (even moreso than the first Beasts film). For fans just wanting more wizard adventures it does that for feel and tone even if what's happening in that world can hurt one's mind from trying to comprehend.

As a whole this film takes some steps back or stands its ground for every one that it does upward. It's neat to see the saga go to bigger and darker places but perhaps its trying to be too big at once or instead it's that the places its going so far have mixed landing for excitement. It's a very slow and complex burner of a mystery perhaps taking too much influence from JK Rowling's recent detective novels than her fantasy best. However those small bits of action, humor, and characters make things a bit worth it for fans invested in the Potterverse. Especially those invested in this prequel epoch. Hopefully the future can learn from the mistakes and deliver on the setup done for the REAL crimes next time as there's surely more to be done...and stopped. Don't commit this one again. 7.35 out of 10

First Man Review

First Man
Director: Damien Chazelle
Cast Headliners: Ryan Gosling, Claire Foy, Kyle Chandler, Corey Stoll, Buzz Aldrin, Ciarin Hinds
Original Release Date : October 12, 2018

Space, the final frontier. However this can be truly thought of as the first frontier or for films a well traveled frontier. What Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and all the personnel at NASA achieved is mind blowing to think of for logistics. How can a known figures laugh be made interesting and how does the midas touch of Damien Chazelle carry through. It ends up being what's expected and in some ways something unconventional.
     To call this a biography is a bit misleading since it's not the whole story of former Navy man and astronaut Neil Armstrong (Ryan Gosling) 's life. It's, for the most part, focused on his career leading up to the awe inspiring Moon landing.
        Gosling is a acting highlight of nearly every film he's in and this lives up to that. He sometimes plays to a certain type but if it ain't broke don't fix it.  Again it is a primarily physical role as he takes on the task of being the loyal and perseverant Armstrong. He manages to slip in some occasional emotional breakdowns as even up to and around the NASA days Armstrong had tough personal trials. Due to the plot much of every character's dialogue is delivered through headset and up close but his committed tone is felt.
    The supportive cast, and it very much ends up being that due to the nigh-solitary nature of space, is filled with some high caliber as well working with an as expected solid script.  Claire Foy portrays Janet Shearon who carries equal if not even more emotional weight in the film while also being a civilian angle to the mission at hand. Corey Stoll is Buzz Aldrin, the 'second man' of sorts and thus gets the most screen time compared to many misc other astronauts who are mostly obscured by helmets. He has some quips but like his peers is spouting intense factual science. The same could be said for Jason Clarke's Ed White and Ciarin Hinds's Robert Gilruth. Perhaps of notable other exception is Kyle Chandlers Deke Slayton who offers alot of NASA mission control. Together the cast shares various moments inspiring, slightly humorous, and at times somber.
   Somber it is because this is a very realistic, at times slow, fact based work. It feels almost nothing like director Damien Chazelle's past work. There's no flashy one cuts or fast camera moves. It only possibly reminds of his past due to the quality of the up close cinematography and certain landscape shots (more on that later). But even masking himself with more common techniques he is still solid.  The same applies for Justin Hurwitz score which is much more subdued than usual without a hint of jazz.
    This may be due to a purpose. The way the visuals happen are so immersive and gritty it can be at times claustrophobic and dizzying. That must be commended due to its capture of what space travel is and what was like perhaps more than any other science fiction or fact recently. Then, after a fascinating journey the Moon is reached and things open so much up once they get there. The score becomes majestic and the scenery a surreal beauty. This movie could certainly be described as being redeemed by a few sequences alone amidst it's lengthy runtime.
   It's not going to be for everyone. It's not for the faint of heart in the face of dizziness or those expecting the wacky free tone of Chazelle past work. But those interested in NASA's incredible space work and seeing some of the greatest efforts of human achievement should enjoy. The story, and the man at the center... And the main playing that main along the man filming that man are commendable to be sure. 8.45 out of 10

Bad Times At The El Royale Review

Bad Times At The El Royale
Director: Drew Goddard
Cast Headliners: Jeff Bridges, Cynthia Erivo, Jon Hamm, Chris Hemsworth, Dakota Johnson, others
Original Release Date: October 12, 2018

 Strangers in a stranger place with mysterious circumstances make for a typical but always interesting premise. Bad Times At The El Royale isn't breaking much new ground but it doesn't need to. It's cast of A list gems shines in between a story that's best to know as little as as possible.. It's groovy and dark and well long but with value
      The year is 1969 and it sure does feel it. The production design breathes the groovy pre-disco era through every bit of color in its furniture and clothing while including some great pop tunes of the day. At the foreboding California-Nevada border residing El Royale Hotel a group of customers checks in for a night that will change their lives forever.
   It can't be stressed enough how good it is to not know who's really who. At surface level there's kindly pastor Father Flynn(Jeff Bridges with his usual beard and western accent), hurried everyperson Darlene Sweet (Cynthia Erivo), cornfried southern businessman Seymour Sullivan (Jon Hamm), and aloof roamer Emily Summerspring (Dakota Johnson) all checking in on the same day for their apparently seperate stories. Around they meet shy bellhop Miles Miller (Lewis Pullman), charismatic hippie Billy Lee (Chris Hemsworth), and troubled youth Ross (Cailee Spaeny).  Soon enough things get crazy .
  Drew Goddard the director  is an incredibly interesting talent due to his genre bending The Cabin In The Woods. Just as that appeared to be horror but was more comedy satire this appears to be funky shoot them up but is much more mystery and nuance filled. There's some great camera work along the mentioned production design. The hotel has its own visual and spoken lore that's hints at far more than what's seen. There's also clever uses of title cards for acts and flashbacks and alternative perspectives. That's how this movie bends its format and it might not be for everyone but it makes it mostly stand apart from its competition.
  However the long runtime must be mentioned. At almost over two and a half hours it's not a light watch. There's heavy brutality but also heavier impact of twists .. Spaced far apart.  The highlight performances from stern yet goofy Bridges to determined Erivo and more than meets the eye Hamm and Hemsworth are good but the long runtime makes each use mixed .
   With some trimmed content it could have been more snappier (especially some flashbacks and setting changes that range from effective to questionable . Any cast not mentioned is just kind of there as well. However when it's good it's some dark mysterious funky fun if one has the long time. 8 out of 10

Venom Review

Venom
Director: Ruben Fleischer
Cast Headliners: Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams, Riz Ahmed, Jenny Slate
Original Release Date: October 5th, 2018

   This is really surreal to see.... After decades of existing in comic books, cartoons, and a somewhat lackluster turn in Macguire's Spiderman 3 the villian Venom now has a starring role. But it's a new cinematic Sony universe without Spiderman. Does that work out, does the tale of man and symbiote work in a vacuum.... Some of it does .

      It's immediately felt through the setting that exists amongst more mundane craft. Investigative journalist Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) juggles his justice motives with his relationship with attorney Anne Weying (Michelle Williams). Events concerning the mysterious Life Foundation and its CEO Carlton Drake (Riz Ahmed) cause complications escalating with the arrival of the alien symbiotes and the powers they give .
        Any comic book movie that introduces a universe is driven by its lead. Tom Hardy is an exciting pitch for that role but unfortunately results heavily vary. As Brock he has some attempted quips and ferocity but neither quite hits the mark they or his talent needs. What becomes quite interesting is the abilities granted by the symbiote suit Venom (also Hardy). This pile of black goo has a mind of its own and weapons to spare. This leads to some genuinely entertaining moments of bickering and growth between them or of brutal violent threats. This, as all the writing, can also be childish in a way with dumb toilet humor and simplicity. The audio effects for him, and his counterpart Riot (who's performer matches who that becomes) can be cool.
   What is not cool are the visual effects for them. The movie attempts some frenetic action but the CGI feels like something from a lower budget, bygone era .. Aside their comic accuracy. Fleischers directing varies between closer up almost fine crafted and hollow. However it has its dumb moments of fine and chaos especially for a fan waiting for this to come to the big screen.
      This dialogue which almost itself seems like an alien wrote it carries through to a mostly lackluster supporting cast. William's Anne is stereotypical 'ride along innocent bystander' but gets her moments. This applies to possible ally Dr. Skirth (Jenny Slate) who provides some cheesy exposition along various henchmen and hobos not even worth describing.. The human element this movie has not

    As a whole this could have been so much more. It's a lot of slightly but not quite passing . The symbiote struggle and lore is neat along some laughs and woahs and darkness and comic shout outs but it's missing a certain web slinger and the touch that other company brings. For the dedicate only with some caution for quality. 6.7 out of 10

Mandy Review

Mandy
Director: Panos Cosmatos
Cast Headliners: Nicolas Cage, Andrea Riseborough, Linus Roache
Original Release Date: September 13th (limited), 2018

One shouldn't go into Mandy without both knowing what to expect within... and finding it potentially appealing. That applies to any movie but especially here. This is maxed out Nicolas Cage, surreal director Panos Cosmatos, neo-80s horror revenge mania. Mandy is a movie of extreme in all the best and at times disturbing ways. Yet through it all there's some genuine quality craft and heart within as well. It sure is something memorable.

It is likely with purpose that the film's two halfs are in some ways very distinct yet connected by being soaked in its stylized 1983 setting aesthetics. One part a slow trippy art burn and the other part a crazy bloodpacked ride. It sometimes makes sense in how it goes down . It makes the viewer go from saying “what the heck is this” to “heck yes!!!” in due time.

In what essence can be gained from (for what is actually a fairly predictable and if not even just bit more than the right amount of schlock of ) the plot a logger Red(Nicolas Cage) lives deep in the Shadow Mountains of California with his girlfriend the titular Mandy (Andrea Riseborough). Their mundane if even rugged lives are interspersed with visions that are occasionally horrific or surreal which are no doubt affected by their heavy metal and fantasy media they surround themselves with (this movie is classically “metal” as can be with even some small references here and there to other stalwarts of similar genres).

They soon find themselves dealing with a satanic cult of rednecks and their demonoid friends led by Jeremiah Sand(Linus Roache). One might infer that horror and mayhem follow , and it's not for the blood averse. Although due to its surreal nature it's also... different, a word describing so many aspects of what's taking place.

Performances are not always a must of this horror / thriller / (sci-fi / fantasy?) genre. However there's a couple decent things of note. Cage's Red is him at some of his most gloriously “Cageness” as he's ever been. He's hamming it up, he's being awesome, he's feeling pain and sorrow in all the right ways as he goes through it all. It's not a script with a lot of lines but he delivers on just the sheer fact of who he is and the way he emotes and does action. It's nothing that's not been totally undone before (Mr. Ash Williams would be proud) but it decently works. Riseborough's Mandy says about the same things but they have some melancholy moments together and does ok in her nature in what occurs. Bill Duke also has a memorable bit part in weapon seller Caruthers (and in a bit less regard Richard Brake as The Chemist) offering some plot additions and lore. To rival Cage in outlandishness is the almost reverend-like (yet still a hippie) cult leader in Roache's Jeremiah. He's delusional , bizarre, and threatening in ways one expects.

What sticks with the viewer and what will haunt and delight them far beyond the viewing of the experience are the things that make up “experience”. The atmosphere, aesthetics, ambiance, mood are all almost indescribable . They set things apart from similar genre equivalents. It's a mash of “killers in the wilderness” with an overwhelming 80s neon red and oranges and blacks look that's twisted through the surreal lens of the director Cosmatos. Colors make shots pop and terrify along with practical effects. The demons particularly have some great costumes and props in thrilling brutal (if short) action scenes. Lots of blood and liquids happening. There's also some very unique animated pieces and painting-like skybox backgrounds. Various other things add to the mix of frights, chuckles, and cheers that end up occurring if one “gets it”. There's also some interesting use of title cards and sequences in classic high form film style.

One should remember music when being “neon-80s” . Mandy delivers on this outstandingly. The synth and metal soundtrack helps to immerse greatly. Lush soundscapes range from pulse pounding to emotional or relaxing. Surreal and terror states are both achieved. This is aided by impeccable if at times unsettling sound design for both actions … and conversations. It's one of the last scores composed by the late Johan Johansson and his commendations are well deserved.

Nicolas Cage is in a lot of truly bad and silly movies. There comes times when he's in exactly the right kind of outlandish that turns out to be almost a masterpiece. Mandy is on the upper tier of that due to his involvement in the actions that occur around him. This is all set in that lush audiovisual journey of darkness that makes it feel like a classic and yet something on the cutting edge of the medium. If one can handle its approach, a wild ride. 8.71 out of 10

The Happytime Murders Review

The Happytime Murders
Director: Brian Henson
 Cast Headliners: Bill Barretta, Melissa Mccarthy , Leslie David Baker, Maya Rudolph, literal puppets
Original Release Date: August 24th, 2018

One can't help but be intrigued by the premise and approach of The Happytime Murders. A very hard R-rated, adult crime comedy...about Muppets (including being directed by Brian Henson of The Henson Company itself!) … or rather, “puppets” and “Henson Alternative” producing to perhaps not steer families wrong into this. This mix of an innocent exterior and an extremely dark interior is where the most successes happen. Just as others may feel on it and to that point don't judge a puppet by its cover.

This world's fascinating conceit is that humanity and puppets live side by side. Allegories to race and class lie between specialized buildings , bigotry, and amusing things like sugar standing in for cocaine, glitter for feces, and fluff for carnage. The latter few may also hint at what height the brow is for most of this humor.

Yet it's also an attempt at a hard-boiled world. Detective Phil Phillips (Bill Barretta who like essentially all of the other puppet cast is both maneuvered and voiced by Muppet experts..one may know him as the legendary Swedish Chef, Rowlf the Dog, and Pepe the Prawn) finds himself investigating a case for Sandra Jakoby (Dorien Davies) that may go down a much deeper literal rabbit hole then he'd imagine. This soon leads him to start again with his ex-cop partner in human Detective Edwards (Melissa Mccarthy) which leads to many fierce words and jokes given the bias and past.

This movie is really, really adult. One may imagine that it was on intent given what the audience may want since may as well be as edgy as possible. That means most of the humor relies upon this contrast in ways both good and bad. Expect plenty of shootouts, murder, sex (oh so much of it..), and drugs filtered through a felt lense. The writing and script are a mixed bag which often repeats things which are hilarious the first time but a bit less so the second or fifth. However the rapport of characters remains a decent if not stellar element.

These shine through those puppets. Phillips is as grumpy as they get (including a token narrating track) but has his charms. Most puppet people involved in the plot involve the old “The Happytime Gang” sitcom stars (which may evoke memories, aside the setting , of Who Framed Roger Rabbit? In addition to Death To Smoochy). These include playboy Larry Shenangins (Victor Yerrid), drug-dealing Lyle (Kevin Clash), and whatever Goofer (Drew Massey) is. All give that trademark Henson sense of zaniness here feeling surreal in a gritty place.

The strong puppeteer element lies in both their acting as well as their literal movement. Brian Henson's direction is actually quite solid with shots intricately following characters and locations. They make momentary action scenes a bit of riveting (When they're not silly) and conversations feel grounded. If this was entirely a puppet murder mystery it could have been respected even further as a use of the medium. However, its ironic that the parts that feel most real drag it down.

The use of human actors is something of a tradition for these films. Mccarthy's Edwards handles the most of this. Her work tends to be very hit or miss with more landing in the “miss” end to this author. However, here she is slightly “not as generic” due to the situation around her. She is truly a mean-spirited character and this adds to her comebacks. This is not to mention when she does dip to her trademark mania which works in moments here. Together with Phillips they're a decent team together. Other humans such as girly proper secretary Bubbles (Maya Rudolph), gritty FBI Agent Campbell (Joel Mchale), and stripper Jenny (Elizabeth Banks) don't do much aside a joke or two (another Henson tradition..) Of possible exception is their Lieutenant Banning (Leslie David Baker better known as “Stanley from The Office TV series”) who has some quality dry responses.

The plot is not much that hasn't been done before and technically neither is the whole movie. However it's been awhile and not exactly like this. For one willing to handle its crudeness and amount of puppet (And specifically still somehow, muppetness) it's a decent silly time. 7.75 out of 10

Ant-man and the Wasp Review

Ant-Man and the Wasp
Director: Peyton Reed
 Cast Headliners: Paul Rudd,  Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, Michelle Pfeiffer, Michael Pena, others
Original Release Date: July 6th, 2018Seen: Mid July 2018

        The Marvel Cinematic Universe has reached it's peak and most epic possible heights. Just a few months ago Infinity War brought it all together to its darkest and largest limits yet reached or possibly that ever will be. What's next … well, something that in comparison is literally the smallest possible. Ant-Man and the Wasp brings back a street-level criminal silly corner of the MCU into something that can be viewed or mood whiplash with everything that's been going on lately. Maybe some simple joy is what's needed however.

Besides some references to his appearance in 2016's Captain America: Civil War, the movie picks up with the only main tie to the past in that Scott Lang / Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) is under house arrest from his past actions. It really is more about ties into the first 2015 Ant-Man film which is the foremost helpful viewing although as with most superhero films its enjoyable standalone as well. He spends his time loitering , heart-warmingly entertaining with imagination games his daughter Cassie (Abby Ryder Fortson) when she's not being watched by her mom Maggie (Judy Greer) or step-father Jim (Bobby Cannavale, delightfully wackily cheery after the last film's events) or otherwise dealing with the investigations of FBI parole officer Agent Woo (Randall Park). Events of course transpire to bring him back into the micro-world of the original Ant-man Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) , his daughter Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) and crew.

Paul Rudd becomes even more of a highlight as Scott in this film. The writing can sometimes be dumb quips but often times causing a smile and much of it is through him. This is helped by the wacky situations he's put in including some surprising twists on how he is disguised as well as now-familiar Giant-Man shenanigans included amidst being small. Whether it's goofing off at home, teaming up with Hope on the field, or talking to his friends and family he offers charisma often.

Yet at times he's not the main protagonist anymore. In what is a first for Marvel a woman gets top billing in the title and one of the more increased roles in a film (all respect to Black Widow and Gamora and the like beforehand). Lilly's Hope gets the chance to step out of the training room this time to many places as she uses the teased Wasp suit. In many ways Wasp outdoes Ant-Man himself since she can fly and shoot energy blasts aside shrinking down. She brings her own charisma and dramatic moments as well, particularly with the arc around her family. Put together with Scott Lang it's twice the superheroics. She still feels limited in some ways in her humor and involvement with Lilly doing the best with what's given but it's good for her to have a role and one hopes for even some more in the future.

The friendly supporters don't usually astound but there's some good bit stuff. It usually comes from the new characters like jerkish, slightly odd and committed Park as Woo or the former colleague of Pym's Bill Foster (Laurence Fishburne). Fishburne's jump into THIS superhero universe is surprisingly great as he offers some quips and wise morals along his scientific grudges. Douglas' Pym even has a bit of an increased role (heck doesn't everyone) as he searches for his missing wife Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer). He brings back the wisdom and ant powers along some more emotion. Pfeiffer's Janet's whereabouts are best seen firsthand but via flashbacks (old re-used footage and new) and perhaps the present she brings grace , kindness, and her own sleek capabilities with wisdom. One can also expect the “Xcon” criminal friends to tag along at a point including spunky Dave (TI), mysterious Kurt (David Dastmalchian) and most of all Luis (Michael Pena) with his silly recap stories. It's a mix of been there done that yet also growing in entertaining new directions at times.

For all the general strengths in easy-breezy heart and humor the actual plot and villainous angles are a bit less fleshed out which is not to be unexpected for these films. There's certainly value however. The plot attempts to wrangle a lot of its own layers over its long runtime in ways that feel both attempted deep (landing on the mark at times) yet rushed / shallow in others. Aside the house arrest / search for Janet material there's the Quantum Realm-afflicted Ghost / Ava Starr (Hannah John-Kammen) with her reality shifting warp suit. She has an awesome design and fierce capabilities in-combat although that can trend generic. Outside of it, she ends up having some quality emotional feels and moral angles with her connections to other characters but it sometimes gets lost in the tapestry. Far more grounded of a threat are the generic mercenary thugs led by Sonny Burch (Walton Goggins) who have their own stake in the events. Goggins offers his charisma and laughs seen as ever in his ther film roles but this isn't his best stuff ever while his presence can sometimes be seen as a pointless nag along the ride.

Thrown all together it can be an exciting ride however. The action doesn't accomplish much new ground that hasn't been seen in prior films but director Peyton Reed does some fun stuff with the big and small ruckus at play, particularly whenever Wasp does things or there's a car chase involved. It's fast , snappy, and grounded but however in today's age one may want more grandoise experiences. For some of that, there's some incredible colorful CGI visuals in the Quantum Realm (seen even more than the first film... or perhaps its been elsewhere in other MCU before..) Christophe Beck's musical score is also punky pumping with some surprising areas it goes as well.

That sums up the experience as a whole. One knows what to expect, it's more of the same..but that's not an entirely bad thing. It's ANOTHER dose of a lightweight silly fun superhero snack between the bigger fare that's coming. Sprinkled throughout this is some more depth and chances for existing characters to shine while mostly smartly weaving in some new ones. For one so small, it packs plenty of fun at the end of the day. Not too bad of a use of summer blockbuster time by any means, never is wrong with Paul Rudd and crew. 8.35 out of 10

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom Review

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
Director: J.A Bayona
 Cast Headliners: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Rafe Spall, others
Original Release Date: June 22nd, 2018


How many ways can you skin a cat, or rather, how many ways can you make a Jurassic Park / World / what have you film. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom comes out after 2015's Jurassic World brought back the franchise for a more modern era with its own attempts. There is a sense that this is a true trilogy, more than Spielberg's own ones were. However what's inside is a range of excitement from the fascinating to the silly. However there's definitely some strides forward for every stumble back.

Picking up after the collapse of the functioning park in the last film, a situation arises on Isla Nublar when a volcano is erupting that threatens to destroy all of the dinosaurs on the island along itself. Previous heroes Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard) and Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) are recruited by friends of the older film's Hammond in Sir Benjamin Lockwood (James Cromwell) and Eli Mills (Rafe Spall) to go to the island and rescue as many possible..including the last trained velociraptor Blue. They're joined by hip young recruits in technician Franklin Webb (Justice Smith) and Dr.Zia Rodriguez (Daniella Pineda) along head of security Ken Wheatley (Ted Levine).

To the film's credit, it does attempt to do some different things with the formula. Yes there's an island of these prehistoric giant lizards escaping containment as has been seen 4+ times before. But there are some exciting sequences involving escaping the lava. It's pure mania of natural disaster, running dinosaurs , and multiple ridiculous moments that all the heroes due. This film, even more than the last one, throws some of the “realism” out the window and goes for the extreme. There's cool visuals in the creatures and environments yet there's also some CGI special effects that are rough looking to the point of almost shame. For every cool creature, there's almost as much something cheesy. It's unknown how much this is due to J.A Bayona being in the director chair for this is a bit different to his more dramatic, smaller scale work before.

However, his horror film influence is felt by a strong point (when it appears). This movie brings back some of that literal , night-time rainy darkness that was missing from the last one. There's some true jump scares and creepy moments delivered of course through a soft PG-13 lense. The other deviation is that, in one of several things borrowed from Jurassic Park 2 The Lost World , a large part of this movie leaves the island behind. It has to be seen firsthand but be prepared for some surburbia and laboratories and a criminal human element that's almost nothing like what has been seen before. The action impresses although it does drag at times but when it's fresh it's fresh (get ready for yet another genetic variant dinosaur in the Indoraptor..). Michael Giacchino's score continues his June trend to both effective and melodramatic effects. There may even be some moments of emotion with these beasts, particularly when they suffer.

The scientific , dino elements are more of the same which is fine enough especially when it's fun. Where things are a bit more shaky is within the cast itself. Pratt's Owen and Howard's Claire have a nice rapport again although this time their relationship takes a bit of a step back to the shenanigans at play. It's more of the same.. whether Pratt with his Star-Lord-esque swashbuckling machismo or Howard with her courage and caring. Pratt, when he's not pulling off unbelievable jumps or rolling around for a laugh (you'll see) does have some slight deeper stuff with his connection to Blue the raptor... be ready for some baby flashbacks that may warm one's heart. The younger recruits in Smith's Franklin and Pineada's Rodriguez attempt comic relief but more often annoy. Cromwell gives an alright performance to share a franchise connection and sincerity but isn't around much. Spall's Mill's does what he needs to do but ends up coming off as cheesy in his own way once the context furthers. On that prior note, trailers showed the return of Dr.Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) from the old films. It's unfortunate that he does not have much more than minutes of screentime contrary to what one may think. He has some greatly deep and slightly odd lines that may or may not be ad-libs but these sentences may amount to more than what he has. The more gruff personnel like Levine's Wheatley, Dr.Wu (B.D Wong) , and an eccentric auctioneer Gunnar (Toby Jones..such a unique actor …) do little more than add momentary cheese and exposition to the plot. Some of this stuff even feels just like 2015 again to an extent. What young Maisie Lockwood (Isabella Sermon) , the Sir's granddaughter, brings to the film and beyond may also land to a mixed reaction. 

This movie definitely delivers some more same old dinosaur, jungle fun amidst its sea of lava and cheese. Somehow a human element that's both increased to better and worse off amounts occurs. It could have tapped into its themes more, and shown us less or more truthful things before release, but it just about delivers on what one would want. Here's hoping the next one has even more steps forward than back... and is further fresh without being too derivative. 7.7 out of 10