"Jurassic World" Review
This summer, dinosaurs came roaring back onto the big screen in Universal’s highly anticipated latest entry in the Jurassic franchise, Jurassic World. So far the Chris Pratt led film is shattering all kinds of box-office records and has proven to be the highlight of Universal studios’ monster year. With hits like Pitch Perfect 2 and Furious 7 already making 2015 a success for the studio, the latest Jurassic movie is on pace to be their biggest hit ever. There was never any doubt that this movie would make money, but I myself did not expect the absurd amount of success this movie is experiencing. I guess it just goes to show that the luster of the ‘93 classic Jurassic Park was enough of a draw for moviegoers to revisit the famous island, despite two hugely disappointing sequels.
To my surprise, Jurassic World succeeded in capturing just enough of the original's magic to become a success. There is no doubt that it is a flawed movie, which I will highlight later, but Jurassic World is a very thrilling and exciting movie, that owes a lions share of its appeal to leading man Chris Pratt. His charisma and starpower help propel the movie to new heights of excitement, and the scenes with him are undoubtedly the most interesting. His character, Owen, is the head velociraptor trainer at the reopened and revamped park, and his relationship with the raptors is one of the better plotlines in the movie, as it touches on the man vs. nature themes that were prevalent in Jurassic Park. Speaking of plotlines, an over abundance of these proved to be the movies achilles heel. Jurassic World had somewhat of a meandering plot, always shifting from what’s actually stimulating, to pointless backstory between two kids that never really goes anywhere. Their lives are needlessly fleshed out in detail, details that never become relevant again. These two brothers, Zach and Grey Mitchell (played by Nick Robinson and Ty Simpkins, respectively) are not lame characters persee, but they are somewhat distracting at times, as their relationship sometimes comes to the forefront too often for a summer monster movie. Another distracting plotline is that of Vic Hoskins, played by Vincent D'onofrio. Hoskins wants to try and weaponize the raptors for the military, and yes that idea is so stupid it hurts. Unfortunately this nonsensical idea happens to be a big part of the story, as Hoskins’ militaristic plans are just another problem on top of the violent dinosaur on the loose. There are, as I expected, moments that are unbearably cheesy and unrealistic, but hey, two kids could easily start up a car with no gas that has been abandoned for a very long time in just two minutes of movie time, this is true.
Up to this point I have probably made Jurassic World seem like a bad movie. That is not true, as this movie does have some strengths. For one, the main antagonist, the Indominus rex, is a very scary and very entertaining dinosaur that proves to be a more than worthy adversary. This along with very well done action sequences and constant thrill make Jurassic World a thoroughly entertaining ride. I am not the biggest fanboy of the Jurassic franchise, but I still found this movie fun. The first 20 minutes or so are pretty tedious to be honest, but this movie is rescued by a very exhilarating final act and solid lead performances from Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard.
B
Mad Max: Fury Road Review
Let me start by saying that I was probably overly critical of this movie in my summer preview piece, and let me also add that I was wrong about how this movie would play out. Though I wasn’t completely off about the movie’s excessiveness and “f*ck all” nature, I was truly wrong in predicting that this movie wouldn’t be interesting or entertaining. I was initially led to believe that these traits would result in an overblown, Michael Bay-esque, explosion filled clusterstorm. And to a certain extent it was, but it was riddled with details and was made immensely exciting by its vibrant cinematography and thrilling action.
One of the most important aspects that went into making this movie truly exhilarating was the overall insanity and craziness of what our world has become in Max’s life. The sense of chaos in post-apocalyptic Australia amongst the scavengers and road warriors are what make the setting so horrifying and supply a lions share of the suspense and thrill. While the action happening on screen is without a doubt thrilling, it is the sense of dread over what is going on around the action that makes the action that much more exciting. “Our world had been reduced to a single entity, Survive...”, says Max in the film’s opening moments, and this sets the tone for one heck of a ride. The desperation in each character's eyes helps paint the picture of a truly destroyed world, and this raises the stakes to a whole new level, and with it the movie itself. Mad Max: Fury Road is a world that shows the darkest sides of humanity. It is a commentary on humanity's “worst case scenario” when it isn’t an epic car chase-filled thrill ride. The extensive world building and attention to detail George Miller applied to this move are what helped propel it into great status and not just good. The War Boys and their crazy rituals and the use of random house objects on their war machines help show what once was, and as a result help keep the characters personally connected with the audience. If this movie was just an explosion filled action/popcorn flick it would no doubt still be entertaining due to its visual merits alone, but the small details go a long way in immersing the viewer into this hectic world. A lot of the action movies today, be it Transformers or the Avengers, lack crucial elements that hold them back from being great. They feature robots, superheroes, and beings that seemingly lack physical weakness, and while they may be charismatic, they are at the end of the day always going to win and save the day. The heroes always will end up saving the world from some invasion or whatever and that will be the end of it. These are known qualities of the movie that the audience knew before they stepped in the theatre, but that is not the case with Mad Max. During the entirety of the movie, the audience is kept guessing, with their breath being held, wondering about whether or not the heroes will actually win. In this wasteland nothing is guaranteed, not even the lives of the ones we are supposed to root for. This world is so crazy that the audience is forced to be terrified of what happens next, and it is this ambiguity that makes us root for Max and Furiosa that much harder. What happens if they fail? How horrible will their death be? What will humanity succumb to next? The characters in Mad Max: Fury Road are the subject of these questions, unlike the godlike figures in The Avengers or Transformers, because we know Thor and Optimus Prime will always save New York or L.A. from being physically destroyed. They are more powerful heroes and they have the task of saving lives. This still makes for a fun time at the movies, but doesn’t quite capture the emotional distress of the heroes in Mad Max: Fury Road, because the heroes of the wasteland are weaker and more emotionally connected to the viewers, and they are fighting for an abstract ideal much harder to defend: hope.
Even if you don’t read as deeply into the themes of this movie as I did, you can still appreciate the awesome car chase sequences and the refreshing lack of CGI. Mad Max: Fury Road is filled to the brim with breathtaking visuals and savvy practical effects, and also boasts a very sinister villain just to up the stakes even more. The music is fantastic and the pacing is high octane yet nuanced, making for one of the better movies so far this year. While the plot is somewhat one-dimensional, the movie is, opposite to what I said in my preview, unlike anything in theatres today.
A
"Birdman" review
"Birdman (or The Unexpected virtue of Ignorance)" is the story of a washed up actor named Riggan Thompson, played by Michael Keaton, who was best known for his blockbuster roles as an iconic superhero known as "Birdman". 20 years later he has lost the majority of his fans and the respect of his rebellious daughter, played by Emma Stone. Riggan begins his quest to regain the spotlight and display his artistic capabilities through a Raymond Carver adapted play called "What We Talk About When We Talk About Love", which he ambitiously decides to write, direct and star in. However, Riggan's play faces multiple acting changes and disastrous previews along the way, and he must balance the inflated ego of his unpredictable co-star Mike Shiner(Edward Norton), while repairing his relationship with his daughter. But it is Riggan's internal demons, coming in the form of his comic book character, that truly haunt him. Michael Keaton gives a best actor worthy performance as an unpredictable and insanely stressed actor desperately searching for validation while on the precipice of self destruction. Keaton portrays a character committed to giving his career meaning and earning respect on a critical rather than commercial level.
The entire cast delivers fantastic performances, and Alejandro González Iñárritu directs a taut yet out of control film depicting a man's career, and life in shambles. "Birdman" also uses Riggan's career to comment on the current state of Hollywood. Riggan's "Birdman" in his head constantly tries to convince him to "sell out" and give the people what they want, but not what is actually artistic, constantly convincing him to be an explosive box-office actor and not utilizing his talents. This is not only an interesting parallel on Keaton's real-life acting career, which the filmmakers claim to be coincidental, but also a critique on the films that modern production companies make, and how willing the average movie goer is to see it. "Birdman" points out that people are drawn to more explosions and "smoke and mirrors" that true talent and art. While Riggan himself may not actually be a great actor, he is frantic in his quest to prove it. The cinematography and the score reflect this, as the all erratic drumming based score matches Riggans instability, and the overall nature of the out of control play. Thanks to Emmanuel Lubezki's fantastic work with the camera, and some slick editing, "Birdman" appears to be filmed all in one continuous shot, and rarely leaves the dark hallways of the theatre. This highlights the fantastic performances and heightens the emotional tension. Oh and one more thing, Riggan may, or may not, actually contain super powers. This is heavily up for debate, as each theory has conflicting clues, but nonetheless either scenario provides an interesting layer to the story.
The back and forth between Riggan and Shiner is one of the most interesting aspects of the movie. Shiner's acting talent and overall craziness constantly keep Riggan on the edge and adds yet another layer of emotional distress. It is during these moments where Riggan doubts himself and becomes vulnerable to his alter ego, or evil conscience. Riggan's demon is a source of temptation to throw him off his path of achieving sincere artistry for the first time in his career. This film also pits Broadway vs Hollywood, and takes a critical stance on critics themselves, giving the viewer a deeper look on their reasoning and bias. Overall, this is a very well crafted look on an actor's internal ballad between artistic integrity and the blockbuster spotlight, and the destruction his mind will endure as a result. "Birdman" was easily the most thought provoking and multidimensional films I have seen all year. The direction and cinematography were spot on, but the ensemble acting effort is what made this film truly shine. One of the most interesting and original films you will see this year. Keaton delivers the best performance of his career, while Norton and Emma Stone thrive in their roles. In smaller but still crucial roles, Naomi Watts, Zach Galifinakis and Amy Ryan all deliver. Iñárritu submits his finest work to date and takes a huge risk in this movie, luckily it pays off in dividends and gives the viewer a richly engrossing black dramedy.
A
"American Sniper" Review
in Review
This weekend I went to see the Clint Eastwood directed “American Sniper”, which features the unrecognizable Bradley Cooper playing the title role. This film is based on the memoir of the same name, written by America’s most deadly sniper in history, Chris Kyle. I was skeptical at first when entering the theatre because, while Eastwood is one of Hollywood’s finest directors, his films have had a recent dip in form (ie “Jersey Boys” and “J. Edgar”). Nonetheless, I had high hopes for a gripping war epic that boasted a trailer this good. The 2014 oscar nominations were released just over a week ago and “American Sniper” was heavily featured, with Cooper nabbing a best actor nod. At this point I knew I had to witness the hype for myself, as Cooper earned a nomination over David Oyelowo’s fantastic portrayal of the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. in “Selma”. But at the end of the movie, I knew I had just seen a welcome return to form for Clint Eastwood. This film interweaves Kyle’s personal life with his brutal four tours in Iraq, creating a multilayered and intense story about honor and family. This film does a great job showing the emotional toll Kyle’s actions have on him, and while Cooper seems fine, the guilt and horror of his experiences in the war slowly creep beneath surface and haunt him. When Kyle returns home to his wife Taya, played by Sienna Miller, he struggles to settle in to normal family life as his comrades are still fighting and risking their lives. Cooper does a fantastic job of portraying a humble and subdued, yet tortured warrior who is trying to balance his family life with his undying desire to serve his country. “American Sniper” features intense and nail-biting action sequences that show off Eastwood’s directing chops and also portray a very serious, and very relevant issue in the Middle East. This movie is easily one of my favorite of the year, but is not for the faint of heart. I would recommend it to anyone who is able to handle an emotionally stressful and riveting war drama.
Cooper gives the performance of a lifetime but this film does not feature an ensemble effort out side of Cooper and Sienna Miller. Eastwood provides a gritty and emotionally resonant look into the war and Kyle's life without being flashy and over the top, and the adaptation by Jason Hall of Kyle's memoir translates Kyle's story to the big-screen without altering the source material for hollywood effect.