The Lost World: Jurassic Park tries to recapture lightning in a bottle, but goes about it all wrong. Once again Spielberg missteps by taking a sequel down a darker and more violent path. Jeff Goldblum returns and is joined by Julianne Moore and Vince Vaughn in another ill-faded adventure to the Jurassic Park islands. The plot is rather convoluted, and somehow ends with a T-Rex wreaking mayhem in San Diego. There's no wonder or adventure this time, as the story turns into a horror/thriller as the rivers run red with blood. The Lost World is a completely different film from the original Jurassic Park, but it's still a fairly entertaining ride.
"Welcome to Jurassic Park." Director Steven Spielberg was the perfect directing choice to bring this Michael Crichton scientific thriller to life. In perfect Spielbergian style the film teases out the dinosaur park for the first act, then kicks into a full throttle action/adventure. Sam Neill, Richard Attenborough, and Jeff Goldblum all give outstanding performances that draw in the audience. But, what stands out most are the amazing special effects. The dinosaurs are both breathtaking and terrifying; capturing everything that we find fascinating about them. And, John Williams' score brilliantly embodies the majesty and excitement of the material. A wonderful piece of filmmaking, Jurassic Park inspires the imagination.
Richard Kelly's Southland Tales is an insanely bizarre and macabre film with Lynchian undertones. An actor named Boxer Santaros goes on a ride-along with a LAPD cop to research a screenplay that he's writing, but events lead Santaros to believe that his screenplay isn't as fictional as he thought and that reality isn't what it seems. The plot is incoherent; full of meaningless tangents that go nowhere and that don't service the main storyline. However, the film is given a certain level of charisma by all of the rich and interesting characters. Additionally, the casting is exceptional, featuring Dwayne Johnson, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Seann William Scott, Mandy Moore, and Justin Timberlake. But, Kelly's ultraliberal political agenda hijacks the film and makes a mess out of everything. Though there are moments of brilliance, Southland Tales tries to do too many things and ends up doing none of them well.
From writer/director Roland Emmerich comes the exciting sci-fi adventure Independence Day. In the aftermath of a surprise alien attack a ragtag group of military forces and civilians band together to fight back. Starring Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman, and Randy Quaid, the film has a talented cast that gives some good performances. And, the special effects are especially well-done; delivering incredible battle sequences. Additionally, the storytelling is remarkably efficient, and does an impressive job at introducing the characters and moving the plot forward. Still, there are a lot of contrivances and leaps in logic in order to make the story work. And, there are stereotypes aplenty; from the stripper with a heart of gold, to the mad scientist, to the warmongering military commander. But regardless of its problems, Independence Day is tremendously fun and entertaining.
Beirut is an exciting political thriller that’s full of intrigue. The story follows a former US diplomat who’s recruited by the CIA to negotiate a hostage exchange in Beirut, but when internal politics get in the way he’s forced to go outsider of official channels to save the hostage. Starring Jon Hamm, Rosamund Pike, and Mark Pellegrino, the film has a pretty strong cast. And it does a good job at creating tension and suspense. Also, the costumes and sets are especially well-done, creating an authentic look and feel for the time period. However, it can be a little confusing to follow the different political factions and the deals and trades being made. Yet despite a few script problems, Beirut is an intense and gripping drama.
Jason Statham is The Transporter in this adrenaline fueled action film from writer/producer Luc Besson. The story follows a driver who specializes in transporting packages, no questions asked; however he gets more than he bargained for when a "package" turns out to be a kidnapped woman. Statham gives a strong performance, and his stunt work is especially impressive. In fact, all of the fight choreography is exceptionally good; but it's undercut by a mundane and lifeless score that has no energy. Though The Transporter is a stereotypical action film in a lot of ways, Statham's charisma gives it an extra boost.
"Sometimes dead is better." Based on the bestselling Stephen King novel, Pet Sematary is a frightening horror film. The story follows a family that discovers a Pet Cemetery behind their back yard that has mystical properties, which if used, comes with a terrible price. The directing is especially good and brings an impressive amount of tension and suspense to the film. However, there are a few storytelling issues and some of the acting is weak. A faithful adaptation of Stephen King's terrifying thriller, Pet Sematary delivers some chilling scares.
From writer/director Quentin Tarantino comes the cult classic Pulp Fiction. The film tells an anthology of interconnected stories surrounding an LA gangster. John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman, Bruce Willis, and Ving Rhames make up an all-star cast who all give excellent performances. And, Tarantino does a brilliant job using nonlinear storytelling, and writing clever, witty dialog. However, the stories go to some bizarre places and often lingers a bit too long on minutiae. Even though it has a few drawbacks, Pulp Fiction is an immensely entertaining and fascinating film.
Jigsaw is back (or is he) in this latest installment of the Saw franchise. When a police informant claims that a new Jigsaw game is underway and bodies start coming in the police find themselves in a race against time to find out who’s running the game and save the captives. Featuring Callum Keith Rennie, Laura Vandervoort, and Tobin Bell, the cast is pretty decent. However, the story kind of muddles up the chronology of the series (making it even more convoluted). Yet the mystery of who’s the new Jigsaw, and the subsequent investigation are fairly intriguing. But what really counts in a Saw film are the traps, and a couple of these are rather clever (others are ridiculously complicated). A mediocre entry in the franchise, Jigsaw more or less follows the series formula and delivers what one would expect.
An atmospheric sci-fi thriller, Blade Runner 2049 is a rather mediocre sequel to Ridley Scott’s cult classic. The story follows a replicant blade runner who discovers that a replicant has given birth, and then attempts to track down the child. Ryan Gosling and Ana de Armas lead the cast and give incredibly strong performances; especial de Armas, who’s extraordinarily compelling as a holographic A.I. that’s trying to exist in the physical world. The visual effects and set designs are also remarkably well-done, creating a rich visual aesthetic that’s a marvel to look at. And the soundtrack by Hans Zimmer and Benjamin Wallfisch brilliantly compliments the scenes and sets a dark and intense mood. But unfortunately there’s not much of a plot, and what little there is isn’t that interesting. Still, while its story may be perfunctory, Blade Runner 2049 is a fascinating visual spectacle.
Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence star in the extraordinary science fiction drama Passengers. When James Preston is awoken prematurely from hibernation on his way to a new colony he's faced with a lifetime of isolation on the ship's 120 year journey and must find a way to survive. Both Pratt and Lawrence give excellent performances and have good onscreen chemistry. And the writing is especially smart, tackling some heavy issues and presenting a fascinating vision of space travel. Also, the special effects are incredibly well-done, really capturing the majesty and vastness of space. Additionally, the score by Thomas Newman is extremely evocative; intensifying the action and the drama. While the material may be a little familiar, Passengers is exceptionally well-crafted and remarkably compelling.
Logan takes a giant sh** on the X-Man franchise, destroying everything fans have come to enjoy. Set in a distant future where mutants are nearly extinct Logan works as a part-time limo driver caring for a mentally ill Charles Xavier, until a nurse informs him of a secret government program that’s genetically engineering new mutants and seeks his help in getting one of them, a little girl, to a safe haven in Canada. The film completely undoes everything Days of Future Past did (which was to create a better, more hopeful future), and presents a rather nihilistic view where nothing the X-Men did amounted to anything. The action scenes are really good, and take advantage of the R rating by not holding back on the blood and violence. And Hugh Jackman gives one of his best performances of the series. But Logan is just too dark and gritty, there’s no fun to it and it casts a shadow over the whole franchise.
Making all of the same mistakes as Alien 3, Alien: Covenant down shifts from high-minded sci-fi to base horror. The story follows a colony ship that diverts off course to investigate a distress call and ends up discovering the remains of the lost Prometheus mission; including a deadly genetically engineered alien. Unfortunately all the ties to Prometheus are cut, Elisabeth Shaw, the Engineers, the quest to find the origins of creation. There are a couple of attempts at a faith vs. science theme, but it doesn’t really go anywhere. Instead, the film devolves into a rote slasher with one-dimensional characters and gratuitous gore. A tonal and thematic shift from the previous film, Alien: Covenant has no greater ambition than to deliver a few shock scares (which it does).
Captain Jack Sparrow sails the high seas in search of adventure once again in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. When Will Turner’s son Henry goes looking for a way to end his father’s curse he teams up with Jack Sparrow to find Poseidon’s Trident, but an old advisory is soon awakened and seeks revenge on Sparrow. Johnny Depp is excellent as always, and brings a lot of charisma to the film. However, Javier Bardem makes for a rather weak villain (perhaps the weakest of the series). And the special effects for the dead crew are incredible poor. There are also some continuity errors with the previous films that are a bit irksome. Still, the action sequences are fun; full of swashbuckling sword fights and thrilling chases. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales is an entertaining ride, but it struggles to deliver something fresh and exciting.
Evil comes home in the horror thriller Annabelle: Creation. The story follows a group of orphaned girls who are taken in by an elderly couple, and before long the girls awaken a demonic spirit that attempts to possess them. The pacing is a little slow until the last act, which then ratchets up the tension and suspense, building to a terrifying climax. And while it follows the series formula, it still does a pretty good job at delivering frightening shocks and scares. Also, the writers are able to work the plot into the larger Conjuring continuity surprising well (avoiding a lot of pitfalls that prequels usually run into). While it has some pacing issues and contradicts some of the previous mythology, Annabelle: Creation is a solid entry into the series.
Based on Stephen King’s seminal horror novel, It is a chilling monster movie. The story follows a group of school kids who band together to combat an ancient evil that masquerades as a clown in order to lure children to their deaths. It’s a rather loose adaptation that only covers part of the novel and attempts to modernize it. And in this it's partly successful; in that it creates a nostalgic 1980s horror tone. However, Bill Skarsgard, while doing a fair job at playing Pennywise (aka the clown), pales in comparison to Tim Curry and is really only here to provide jump scares; as the character isn't developed much beyond that. Still, the scares are pretty well-done and are full of suspense. While It is a fairly solid horror film, it’s a bit underwhelming and doesn’t quite live up to the novel’s reputation.
The crew of the Milano get into more wild and crazy adventures in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. After a job gone wrong the Guardians end up on the run from the Sovereign and are rescued by a celestial being named Ego who claims to be Peter Quill’s real father and takes him to his home world so the two can reconnect, however Gamora suspect that Ego isn’t telling them the whole truth; meanwhile Rocket and Groot fend off an attack by the Ravagers. Kurt Russell joins the cast and delivers a really good performance. And there are a dozen of fun cameos and Easter eggs that fans are sure to enjoy. Additionally, director James Gunn keeps the tone lighthearted, just like the first film, and the action is incredibly exciting. The soundtrack is also especially well-done and does a good job at complimenting the scenes. It doesn’t quite reach the highs of the original, but Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is a solid sequel that’s extremely entertaining.
The Fast and Furious franchise begins a new phase with The Fate of the Furious, an explosive high-adrenaline action film. When an international terrorist blackmails Dom he’s forced to turn on his team, leading them to hunt him down as he carries out a series of attacks. Charlize Theron joins the cast, but proves to be a fairly stereotypical and disappointing villain. However, Jason Statham’s switch to being on the good guys team works especially well and allows Statham to shine (doing some extraordinary fight scenes). Still, the writing is really bad; full of ridiculous leaps in logic and tired clichés. Yet the car chases are incredibly fun and exciting. The Fate of the Furious is kind of a mess, but it’s an entertaining one.
"You thought this was gonna be a street fight? You're goddamn right it is!" Exciting and action-packed, Furious Seven delivers an over-the-top, supercharged adventure. When rogue mercenary Deckard Shaw comes after Dominic Toretto and his crew they seek the help of a shadow government agency in order to get the upper hand. Jason Statham and Kurt Russell join the series and deliver strong performances. And the action scenes are insane, featuring some unbelievable stunts. Additionally, the film does a good job at handling the death of Paul Walker, and gives his character a nice send off. Furious Seven is a little silly and goes off the rails at times, but it's still wildly entertaining and incredibly fun.
A Private War is gritty and raw character drama about Sunday Times journalist Marie Colvin. The film follows the last ten years of Colvin’s life reporting on conflicts in Sri Lonka, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria, along with her struggles with PTSD and substance abuse. Rosamund Pike gives an incredible performance, really transforming herself into her character. However, the script is rather weak and doesn’t do a particularly good job at getting at what drove her to do the work she did, or chose the places she did, or what made her voice unique from others. Yet while it has some weaknesses, A Private War is a powerful and provocative film about the life of a war correspondent.
Mediocre and formulaic, Twinsanity is a timid psychological thriller that lacks grit. When Leeann finds her twin sister pulling away and asserting her independence by ending their business partnership, she goes to extremes to get her back. The two leads Karissa and Katie Strain work well enough, but don’t really have a lot of range. And the plot is rather thin and seems to be stretching to fill the runtime. Additionally, the film is constantly holding back: not taking Leeann full villain until the very end. There’s a bit of intrigue and suspense, but overall Twinsanity is pretty underwhelming.
All Light Will End is a poorly made and confounding horror film. When a young writer who’s plagued by disturbing dreams returns home for her brother’s graduation a terrible secret from her past is unearthed. Lead actress Ashley Pereira is really bad and the weak script doesn’t help any. The directing isn’t that good either, doing little to ratchet up the tension and suspense. Additionally, the cheap, spartan sets just scream low-budget schlock. Incredibly dull and uninspired, All Light Will End is an ineffective psychological thriller that’s not very engaging.
A bizarre sci-fi/road trip film, Kin doesn’t seem to know what it wants to be. The story follows a young boy who finds an alien gun while collecting scrap metal and then takes off on a road trip with his older brother when their father is killed during a robbery by a crime lord that the older brother is in debt to. There’s three different plots going on here and none of them are served very well; the alien one in particular seems almost completely disconnected from the rest of the film. Also, it’s kind of hard to root for the brothers as the older one corrupts the younger, taking him to a strip club, using him to pull off a robbery, and then taking him to a casino. And the few good actors that there are in the cast, Dennis Quaid, James Franco, and Zoë Kravitz, are completely wasted in underdeveloped supporting roles. While it has a few exciting moments and some intrigue, Kin is a mess.
From director Rob Cohen comes the fun, high-adrenaline action film The Hurricane Heist. The story follows a meteorologist who attempts to rescue his estranged brother from a group of mercenaries who are using a hurricane to cover their robbing of a Federal Reverse bank. It’s a pretty ridiculous and formulaic plot, but that doesn’t really matter as it’s all about the action. And the action sequences are incredibly exciting. The mix of practice effects and CGI make for some extraordinary chases and fight scenes. Also, the score does a good job at heightening the tension and suspense. The Hurricane Heist is an entertaining popcorn film that, while silly and over-the-top, is also a lot of fun.
A stereotypical but well-made war film, Flyboys tells a thrilling tale of daring high-flying adventure. Inspired by real events, the story follows a group of recruits who join the Lafayette Escadrile, a core of voluntary American fighter pilots who serviced in the French Air Service during World War I. The special effects are fairly good, though the CGI is noticeable at times. However, the directing does a great job at capturing the energy and excitement of aerial combat. But the story's weak and is full of clichés, and the acting's not much better. Yet despite its shortcomings, Flyboys is an entertaining action film about a fascinating chapter of World War I history.
We Were Soldiers is a powerful and gritty war film from writer/director Randall Wallace. Based on a memoir, the story follows the Army's 7th Cavalry as they engage in the first major conflict between American and North Vietnamese forces. The writing is especially good, and does an excellent job at keeping track of the battle and at developing the characters. Featuring an all-star cast that includes Mel Gibson, Sam Elliott, Barry Pepper, Madeleine Stowe, and Keri Russell, the performances are quite impressive. And, Wallace does an outstanding job at capturing the brutality of war; giving a remarkably realistic depiction of combat conditions. Additionally, the score perfectly complements the film.
"Ride or Die." Furious 6 puts the pedal to the metal to deliver a supercharged, adrenaline fueled action film that's incredibly entertaining. Dominic Toretto reunites his crew once again, this time to help DSS agent Luke Hobbs take down a mercury group that's stealing military hardware. The action is incredibly well-done, and is full of high-energy fight and chase sequences. And the actors have great chemistry together, making for some really good character dynamics. Though it goes way over-the-top, Furious 6 is so enjoyable to watch that it doesn't matter.
Based on a bestselling memoir, Backstabbing for Beginners reveals the remarkable story behind one of the biggest modern political scandals. The film follows a young idealistic UN diplomat who’s assigned to assist in the Iraq Oil for Food program, but he soon discovers that there’s wide scale corruption. Starring Theo James and Ben Kingsley, the film has a pretty good cast that delivers strong performances. James and Kingsley have especially good chemistry, particularly in their tête-à-têtes about the realities of politics and diplomacy, which also speaks to the strength of the script in how it discusses the types of corruption that were going on and the moral compromises that were being made for “the greater good.” However, at times it is a little vague about the deals being struck and who’s on which side. Yet despite some problems, Backstabbing for Beginners is a compelling true life story.
The Fast and Furious universe is brought together in the high-octane thrill ride Fast Five, which only gets more action-packed in the Extended Edition. On the run from the law O'Conner and Toretto pull a train job in Brazil, but when they're betrayed they put a crew together in order to bankrupt the crime boss that set them up. The cast has incredible chemistry (The Rock especially), making for some really interesting character dynamics; which are enhanced by the added scenes. And, the action sequences are extraordinarily well-staged and exciting. The Fast Five: Extended Edition kicks the series into high-gear and doesn't let up.
A terrible film (if it can be called that) by Clint Eastwood, The 15:17 to Paris tells the real life story of a thwarted 2015 terrorist attack. More of a re-enactment than a film, it follows the lives of three best friends (played by the actual people) leading up to a European vacation in which they encounter an Islamic terrorist intent on carrying out a mass shooting aboard a train to Paris. The storytelling is really piss-poor; there’s no real plot, just random episodes of three guy’s lives, and it’s pretty clear that they don’t have much acting talent. The 15:17 to Paris is a poorly made film that fails to find a compelling story behind this extraordinary event of heroism and bravery.
