Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

4/5

Avengers: Age of Ultron is just another cog in the Marvel moneymaking machine and lacks just about any element of individual charm. It exists entirely within the context of a larger goal and throws everything that might make it unique or memorable by the wayside. Although directed by Joss Whedon, it allows for none of the clever dialogue, unique characters, or genre-defying storytelling that made him who he is. If anything, we see sarcastic side remarks that permeate the background like a whiny kid who doesn't get what he wants. And I wish Whedon could have gotten what he wanted, so he could have turned this unwieldy behemoth into a truly spectacular film.

As the movie started, it felt like there was too much going on and not enough depth to do the story justice. The plot is way too complex and confusing to figure out. But it manages to expand on characters and relationships in ways I didn't expect. For the most part, the movie succeeds. It gets your blood pumping and your heart racing. It's well-paced and thrilling. It's filled with entertainment and laughs.

But it has a large number of problems. The CGI is competent but overwrought. It allows for some cool slo-mo shots and striking visual compositions, but it also turns what should be exciting action scenes into boring, anemic exercises in computer animation. There was no physical action that made Captain America: The Winter Soldier so great. And the overarching plot is just so predictable. We've seen this all before time and time again in all the Marvel movies that preceded it and we'll see it time and time again in all the movies that follow, too. It's just different actors in different suits, but the same things happen every time. Perhaps the biggest problem is that this movie has no heart, just a wallet. I need to learn to stop giving it my cash.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2395427/

Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014)

1/5

Matthew Vaughn's Kingsman is an abhorrent exploitation film masquerading as a delightful action flick. The movie serves as a modern send-up of the British spy movies from the 60's, but it does everything it can to distance itself from James Bond. It trades in dry humor for vulgar jokes, action for violence, and style for looks. It's self-referential in a way that outdoes even the countless satires of the genre. It's funny and fun until it's not. It takes a sharp turn and quickly becomes dark and disturbing. The ultra-violence is grotesque and nauseating, seemingly thrown on screen with gleeful abandon and disregard for taste. It's hard to imagine a world where people enjoy the stomach-churning images and call it entertainment, but the success of this film means that we are apparently living in it right now.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2802144/

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

4.9/5

The Captain America sequel is easily the best superhero movie that Marvel has ever produced. The story follows soon after the events of The Avengers, with Captain America (Evans) still getting used to modern life in DC. I won't bore you with the details of the plot, which has its fair share of fun twists and shocking turns, and will instead leave you to enjoy it when you watch the movie. Surprisingly, one of the film's strongest attributes is its story, which is intelligent in scope and mature in style, delving into themes that feel both timely and timeless. The writing itself won't win any awards, but it's surprisingly competent given the fact that it's drawn using characters from a comic book series. Despite its superheroes and super-villains, it feels more grounded in reality than any of the other Marvel movies.

The action scenes are superb, using mostly midrange shots and avoiding over-editing so you can tell what's going on. The directors took a risk using live-action stunts instead of an overabundance of and over-dependence on CGI, and it pays off. It's a visceral, electrifying movie that gets your blood pumping and keeps your heart racing. The pacing is exquisitely done, maintaining tension from the very beginning to the very end. My only real hang-up with this film is the character of Falcon (Mackie), who feels altogether silly and unnecessary. In other news, the character of Black Widow (Johansson) is becoming much more interesting with every movie she's in, as we learn more about her talents and her past. For my money, Captain America: The Winter Soldier is the pinnacle of Marvel's canon so far.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1843866/

The Sunset Limited (2011)

3/5

Cormac McCarthy's The Sunset Limited, as adapted by Tommy Lee Jones, is an interesting story. White (Jones) is a retired professor who attempts suicide by jumping in front of the titular train. Black (Jackson) is an ex-convict who rescues White from death and brings him back to his apartment. And that's where the movie begins, as they start to talk. It retells the age-old battle between cynicism and hope, atheism and religion. Everything up until the ending seems tried and true, an ancient cliché, but it brings it to a close in a way that seems novel and intriguing.

The cinematography is surprisingly inventive and entertaining, despite taking place in a single room in real time. The editing keeps the pacing tight and, as far as directing goes, Jones does an expert job. But the problem with the movie is that it's overly-talky. I wouldn't expect anything less from Cormac McCarthy, but it's a little excessive in a film. What reads well doesn't always screen well. That is really the problem with The Sunset Limited. Although his technical feats are much appreciated, I would have hoped Jones could have adapted it a little bit better.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1510938/

Jurassic Park (1993)

4/5

Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park is a classic 1990's creature film, and perhaps the most memorable one in history. Based on Crichton's book, it melds science with fiction to create a terrifying but believable alternate world. Entrepreneur John Hammond (Attenborough) extracts dinosaur DNA from ancient mosquitoes to create an amusement park filled with dinosaurs. Before announcing it to the public, he invites experts in the field of paleontology (Neill, Dern) and chaos theory (Goldblum) for a preview showing, along with his grandkids. Unfortunately, things go very wrong when the dinosaurs escape.

What makes this movie so unforgettable is not the special effects, awesome (in the traditional sense of the word) though they may be. The cererbral concept, the thought of creating dinosaurs, is exhilarating and thrilling. Its story is a classic tale of man's hubris leading to destruction, of greed leading to demise, of fear and courage. An epic battle plays out between the kings of old and the kings of new, brawn vs. brains.

Throw in Goldblum's spot-on neuroses and Spielberg's unerring eye for cinema and you get a movie that stands the test of time. It's invigorating and endearing because it puts its story and its characters front and center, allowing the CGI to be eye candy and window dressing. Special effects won't always seem so incredible, but good stories never grow old. And Jurassic Park tells a phenomenal story.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107290/

Django Unchained (2012)

4/5

Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained is an unforgettable film. The plot, which follows the recently-freed slave Django (Foxx) and his bounty hunter partner Dr. Schultz (Waltz), propels itself forward at an almost unstoppable pace. It contains so much forward momentum from simplistic plot devices that, when a sharp turn near the end is revealed, it forces you to stop and catch your breath. The whole heartbeat of the movie skips. And you sit there re-evaluating what exactly it is that you just watched.

I initially left the movie filled with disgust and revulsion. I found it terrifying in every sense of the word: to witness the way that people act, how they treat other human beings, when they feel as if there are no consequences for their actions. Tarantino lays bare the darkest qualities of mankind, and does so in such an entertaining way that we become partners in the filth. How devious of him.

But the more I thought about it, the more compelling I found it. That primary emotional response of horror is intentional; DiCaprio performs a difficult role seemingly effortlessly. He is more charmingly evil than Waltz was in Tarantino's previous Inglourious Basterds, which I never would have thought possible before this movie. He is simply spellbinding.

But what is the point of the movie? Perhaps Tarantino is using his lens to reflect on modern society. Or perhaps it's just an exploitation film about a bygone era. Does there have to be a point? People said the same thing about Pulp Fiction. Is it superficial style or is there something hidden deeper within? I still don't know the answer, to both films. But I believe that, with any movie, you get out what you put in. And the more I think about Django Unchained, the more I am discovering, both about the film and about myself.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1853728/

The Avengers (2012)

4/5

The Avengers is a spectacle in the most gaudy way possible. I suppose that's not entirely unanticipated given the fact that the last six movies put out by Marvel have basically been advertisements for this one. And that this comic book nerd's fantasy has been decades in the making. It had to come out with a bang. And bang it did, with the most profitable opening weekend of all time. And yet, despite all its financial success, I don't feel like this movie will be remembered for very long. It's one of those movies everybody just had to see because everyone else was talking about it, but then it seemed to slowly fade into obscurity.

Iron Man and The Dark Knight were, for me, the two big superhero movies from the last 10 years, each taking wildly divergent paths. The Dark Knight was serious, filled with gritty realism and terrifying villains. Iron Man was humorous, good-natured fun. The Avenger is firmly entrenched in the latter camp; it's the next movie in a line of factory-made films cut from the same cloth as Iron Man aimed to guarantee success with the least risk possible. And it is an entertaining, well-written, well-paced film that probably didn't offend anybody. But it was more of a Marvel movie than a Joss Whedon movie, and I think that's my issue with the film.

Joss Whedon's writing and directing here was relatively uninspired compared to The Cabin in the Woods, Serenity/Firefly, and Dollhouse. There were some clever lines and cool twists in the plot, and Whedon effortlessly balanced five major leads with widely varying characteristics and motivations, but nothing about this movie really impressed me in any way. It's a fine movie; I just expected a lot more given Whedon's involvement. He can--and will--do better.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0848228/

Iron Man 2 (2010)

3/5

Iron Man 2 is not quite as good as Iron Man, mostly because it copied the first one and therefore lost the refreshing originality that distinguished that movie from all the other superhero movies. The plot is fairly simplistic (evil Russian physicist Ivan Vanko has a bone to pick with Tony Stark and creates a suit with electric whips to kill him) but it suffices for the genre. There are a number of dumb/inconsistent plot points that make the movie more preposterous and less believable than it already is (e.g., creating a new element by changing how protons, neutrons, and electrons interact; flashing a warning light 30 seconds before the evil drones are set to explode so that the hero can escape). And the tension during the action sequences was completely deflated because the movie basically turned into a straight-up comedy. Instead of caring that the explosions didn't kill the characters we got attached to, it felt like we were watching a CGI demonstration for July 4.

All that being said, the movie is quite enjoyable. It is far funnier than I remember the first one being. (That swinging doohickey was comic genius!) The jokes are well-timed and delivered with aplomb. The acting by all parties met my expectations, although Robert Downey Jr.'s smugness is now starting to get on my nerves a little bit. If you liked the first one, you'll surely like this one, but I'm not envisioning it blowing anyone's socks off. Don't be afraid to wait for it on DVD. Btw, don't bother watching the 5 second snippet at the end. Let me save you the trouble. He finds Thor's hammer. Now you can leave 10 minutes earlier without having to sit through the 9 minute 55 second-long credits. You're welcome.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1228705/

The Incredibles (2004)

5/5

When I first saw Brad Bird's The Incredibles, it instantly became my favorite Pixar movie. And seeing it again after 5 years, it remains my favorite Pixar movie. It has everything you could want and more, from humor to tension, from mature themes to childish fun. What struck me the first time I saw this movie was its remarkable breadth of material and motifs. Not since The Rules of the Game had I seen so many topics explored so fully in such a short period of time. The Incredibles brings up the ideas of juggling family life and career life, of being true to yourself when you're not allowed to, of our rampant litigation and torts system, and of doing a needed public service, whether or not it is requested. Being in medical school, it is the last of these many subjects that struck an intimate chord with me this time. What do you do when you take an oath to do good and you find yourself in an opportunity to utilize all the faculties you've harnessed in your training only to have them reject your help?

But what really took my breath away when I saw the movie yesterday was simply how entertaining, engaging, and engrossing it was. On this second viewing, I found myself laughing at different times. I found myself breathlessly waiting for the action sequences' resolutions. I knew everything that was going to happen and it still held me completely in its grasp, as only the best films can do. This movie is far, far more than a movie. It is a brilliant work of art and a foray into human nature, social expectations, and family dysfunction. And it is something that invades your body and warms the cockles of your heart, instantly and tenderly, with levity and empathy. This is not just my favorite Pixar movie, or my favorite cartoon; it is one of my favorite movies of all time.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0317705/

Inglourious Basterds (2009)

4/5

Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds is a stunning film, but it is by no means Tarantino's best. The story follows several tracks that all converge on one night for the premiere of a German propaganda film called Nation's Pride (fake trailer here). The first track is that of a group of merciless Jewish Nazi-killers known as The Basterds, led by Lt. Aldo Raine (Pitt). The second and third tracks concern a young Jewish girl named Shosanna (Laurent), who just barely escapes with her life after SS Col. Hans Landa (Waltz) kills her entire family. There are a few more tracks involving actors and actresses and translators and Hitler as the movie closes in on its explosive finale, but I'll leave that to you to experience when you watch it.

One thing that really irked me was that the intro credits, the musical style, and even the chapter narrative structure are all straight-up stolen from, or at least strongly reminiscent of, Tarantino's last stand-alone project, Kill Bill. The problem is that those aspects weren't even the best part about Kill Bill, which leads me to believe he's running out of creativity. For example, the Samuel L. Jackson narration, which probably seems cool on paper, ultimately feels empty on screen (mostly because he has nothing important to say). Also, while better than most movies, the dialogue in Inglourious Basterds isn't as luscious as I know he's capable of, and I feel the replay value will probably suffer as a result. Despite these disappointments, Tarantino is effective at building tension from simple situations and maintaining it over a 2.5 hour movie through stellar cinematography, lighting, and editing, which are all up to his usual exquisite form. I definitely recommend this movie to Tarantino fans, just understand that there's nothing revolutionary about it. In fact, it sits rather low on my ranking of Tarantino films. But it's still a quality film that's worth watching.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0361748/

1408 (2007)

2/5

Note: This is a review of the director's cut, but I doubt the theatrical version is any better.

The supernatural horror movie 1408, based on a short story by Stephen King, has quite possibly the worst pacing I've seen in a single movie. There are about 5 endings, each more ridiculous than the previous ones, with the first starting about 30 minutes before the movie actually ends. Yeah. The last 4 endings and 29 minutes are excruciating. The plot follows John Cusack as Mike Enslin, an unappreciated author of "non-fiction" horror novels who makes it his mission to spend the night in supposed haunted hotel rooms and write about how scary they are. The trailer would have us believe that he does this because of his dead daughter and lack of faith in God, however, it is never explained. (I have been informed by the trustworthy IMDb forum posters that the movie is very different from the original story. For starters, there is no ex-wife and dead daughter.) There are additional unexplained motivations and side stories, but they don't make the movie any better.

What is good about the movie is the cinematography. The editing, on the other hand, totally ruins it. It is so rapid-fire that it's too jarring to pay attention to anything. And all the good shots are shown for a split second. I can't say much about the acting because I didn't really pay attention to it, but I will say that most of the dialogue is the opposite of realistic. I did like the mood created throughout the film, but it's just not enough to make the movie good. Oh. And also, it's too long. Don't bother with it.

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0450385/

Eve's Bayou (1997)

4/5

Eve's Bayou is a lost gem about a black Louisiana family during one explosively eventful summer, although most of the characters don't seem to consider it anything but typical. The film starts off with a voice-over narration in which the main character, 10-year-old Eve Batiste, tells us that this was the summer she killed her father. With masterful direction, Kasi Lemmons draws us ever closer into the lives of this family: their problems, their triumphs, and their love for each other. The best parts about this movie were the cinematography, the dialogue, and the sheer power of emotions. The bayou is filled with astonishing beauty, the words are wonderfully written, and there are three powerful scenes that truly hit me when I saw them.

Despite all that, the movie has its flaws. I absolutely hated the child acting. The fact that the children were at the center of so much emotional turmoil only made the poor acting more pointedly obvious. The acting by the rest of the cast was fantastic, but the two main protagonists being as awful as they were really lowered my opinion of the piece. The story got off to a wobbly start, although it turned out to be exceptional in the end. Also, there were several scenes that I felt really had no point. At all. I literally asked myself after one of them, Why was that there? and realized there was no answer. Then I laughed at it. I also laughed at some of the bad acting. I'm not perfect, so sue me, but this is an excellent movie that I very much recommend.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119080/

Do the Right Thing (1989)

4.9/5

Do the Right Thing approaches racism from the opposite end from what we are all used to. It doesn't show the good that's present in all races, but rather the inescapable mistakes we all make when hatred clouds our thoughts and actions. This gives the audience a more visceral and memorable experience. We side with those we're biased towards and find the actions of those we're biased against unfair and excessive. We become involved; the film reaches inside us and pulls out or own hidden prejudices. Just like In the Heat of the Night, Do the Right Thing succeeds because it shows how everybody errs, not how everybody is perfect.

Watching this movie again, I was struck by how naturally the day proceeded, thanks to the editing. It didn't feel scripted or forced. What also impressed me was the depth and breadth of the characters in this neighborhood. Like The Rules of the Game, the audience recognizes and remembers every person who shows up on screen despite the extensive cast list. The script is also stellar. There are scenes of remarkable tension, incredible warmth, and biting humor.

I'll be honest, the clothes, language, and music are extremely dated; they are laughably bad. Also, what was with that intro kickbox dancing segment with the funky colors? Seriously, what is that? I found a lot of the camera angles to be both unflattering and distorting, shedding off some of the film's realism without adding to the message or tone. However, the few exceptional shots there were stood out even brighter in comparison. Also, most of the acting was pretty mediocre, except for John Turturro and Danny Aiello. Taken as a whole though, this piece is exceptional story-telling that will imprint itself in the memory of anyone who sees it.

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0097216/

Snakes on a Plane (2006)

4/5

Finally, a movie that respects its audience! It fulfills and perhaps even surpasses all of its target viewer's expectations; it has thrills, it has laughs, it has boobs, it has cheesy lines, it even has "snakes on crack." Consistently. From start to finish. It's incredible. See it immediately, while people who are excited to see it are still watching it in theaters. This may be one of the only movies I've seen to live up to its hype.

The nachos I spent $7.30 on were bland. The fake leather seats were crappy. The girls behind me were annoying. Other than that, great movie. But this is the kind of movie where you can't separate the film from the experience, so I feel justified in mentioning these as negatives. And even though I'm never gonna see this again, I recommend you see it!

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0417148/