Dawn of the Planet of the Apes - Analysis and Review

"Apes, together...STRONG!"

The unexpected hit known as Rise of the Planet of the Apes gave way for the arrival of this film. A powerful story with a powerful character who is not even human.

Plot

It has been 10 years since the Simian Flu has wiped out most of the human race. Caesar (Andy Serkis) and his apes have evolved due to the side effects of the drug that created the Simian flu. They're now a flourishing community that is slowly becoming a highly intelligent species. However when the first humans in two years enter the picture, the gears of war silently begin to turn. And only Caesar and the human Malcolm (Jason Clarke) can hope to stop it.

Analysis

A story is everything. A message is everything. Both need to go hand in hand together. And when it is found in a blockbuster, that is something to truly behold. It is a common belief to think that summer blockbusters just need to be fun with style over substance. That doesn't mean that there is no substance, it just isn't what makes a blockbuster. The Planet of the Apes series is not blockbuster material. I'm talking about the original series. These were hardcore science fiction films dealing with the race issues, the dangers of nuclear weapons, inevitability of the end. It was grim yet had a slight flair of entertainment value that can veer into blockbuster territory. I still believe that the current Apes films are not really summer blockbusters. They are films, promoted as summer blockbusters that deliver enough thrills to make people believe it is a blockbuster when it really isn't. That's not to say none of the Planet of the Apes films have been blockbusters. 

Tim Burton's Planet of the Apes was a blockbuster. Because it had style and no substance. Remember what I said about blockbusters being style over substance? Well, that substance may not be important but it has to be there. Burton's film did not have substance. While it succeeds as a blockbuster in terms of box office, in terms of being intelligent it fails. Why would I want a blockbuster to be intelligent? Especially if Tim Burton was one of my favorite directors? Well, because the movie he was remaking was based on an intelligent movie. A powerful movie. The makeup effects in Burton's film were superior thanks to Rick Baker, but even great makeup can't cover up a movie with no substance. I enjoy the movie as a sci-fi B-movie throwback but since it is a remake of a smart film, one would hope that the film would live up to that intelligence. Luckily this new series begun by Rupert Wyatt and now helmed by Matt Reeeves does just that.

Review

The first thing to get out of the way is Andy Serkis. The man is ridiculously talented and deserves a lot of recognition for what he has done for not only this film but for the industry as a whole. His portrayal of Caesar is amplified not only by his performance but with the thousands of animators who dedicated their time to ensure that we can see his performance merge organically with the chimp leader. His contribution to Motion Capture and how it has grown into a legitimate acting art form cannot be ignored. It shows from how he was able to guide the other actors in this film in how to embrace the technology to become an extension of themselves rather than just a special effect. It shows especially for actor Toby Kebbell who becomes the tragic antagonist Koba in a performance that can even rival the king of motion capture. Their performances as two apes with the same ideals but different ways of going about it really is the drive of the film. There are moment when you forget this they are CGI rigged to actors but rather actual living breathing chimpanzees that can act. It truly is an amazing thing to behold.

The second thing to mention is the story and the theme of the movie. It is very rare for something to be billed as a blockbuster to have an incredible yet simplistic story that makes its theme known but never as something that is hit over the head. The theme being misinformation can lead to disaster. There is good in both apes and humans, but where there is good there is also the potential for evil. Because of that potential, sometimes it overshadows the idea of good for both sides. It is what makes the film compelling in that there is no clear cut apes are good and humans are bad. In this film both sides are to blame for what will eventually lead to one side returning to savagery and the other rising to power. 

As powerful as Caesar and Koba are along with the story that is driven by both of them, they are unfortunately the only strong well rounded characters of the movie supported by one dimensional characters. That's not to say that is a bad thing, because the human cast played by Jason Clarke, Keri Russell, Kodi Smit-McPhee, and Gary Oldman were great with the roles they were given. They served the story naturally and Clarke's Malcolm is a great surrogate for James Franco's character in the previous film. And while there is small hints of other dimensions to their characters, in the end all of them still appear one-dimensional. Which is a shame because they were all fantastic with what they're given. Even the unknown actors who support them.

It is a shame to also say that the other apes aren't really given much to work with either. The only big name among the apes that might be known to some is actress Judy Greer who plays Caesar's wife Cornelia. She doesn't do much but her presence adds a lot to the idea of family. But one cannot deny that they are all amazing.

Final Thoughts

This is one of the best movies this summer and definitely a film that is masquerading as a blockbuster. It has heart, it has soul, it has story and it has flaws. The flaws prevent it from being the best of the summer, but there is no denying that this is definitely The Dark Knight of the rebooted Planet of the Apes series.

SCORE: 8.5/10 - HAIL CAESAR!!!

Transformers: Age of Extinction - Analysis and Review

^^This is the only second I liked in this movie^^

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh! What the? What the ****? WHAT THE ****? WHAT THE **** WAS THAT???

The Plot

Five years after the battle of Chicago from Dark of the Moon, wannabe inventor Cade Yaeger (Mark Wahlberg) struggles to make ends meat to support his daughter Tessa (Nicola Peltz). When opportunity comes in the form of a beat up flat nose truck, Cade unknowingly puts himself into a large government conspiracy that is tied into an intergalactic manhunt that is also tied into a plot to cause mass extinction the likes of which have never been experienced since the dinosaurs.

Analysis

I'll just leave this portion to the review.

Review

For a long time I've laughed at G1 fans who protest with signs that say "DAMN YOU MICHAEL BAY FOR RUINING MY CHILDHOOD!" Yes, I was a fan, but even my criticisms of Revenge of the Fallen did not make me want to rally behind them in chanting "Death to Michael Bay!" I've always been the guy who said, yes Revenge is bad and I hate it but there are some things that are enjoyable. I've also been the guy who said I really like Dark of the Moon because the action was clearer and the forced love story is actually more believable. But for this one. The fourth time. You'd think that by the fourth time and a break from these movies would actually make it into something fresh and exciting.

WROOOOOONG!

I really don't like this movie. I really don't. I hate it. I hate the fact that it sucked me in with promises of maybe a more interesting cast of characters played by mostly class actors. The likes of Kelsey Grammer and Stanley Tucci. And yes when he's given good material Mark Wahlberg is an amazing actor. But no. Just no. They all sucked. Their characters sucked. And I'm not going to criticize their acting because I sure as hell know they were directed to act a certain way, and with the direction given them they act accordingly to the material. Which makes them all suck! Because the material they're working with just sucks so much!

You'd think by now that they've done three of these movies already one would think that to get fans to stop complaining about the human story is to make a better story! The fact that the human story in here starts out simple: a father wants to make money to put his daughter to college by whatever means necessary, is a great starting point! But that gets completely derailed the minute the big government black ops guys show up to cause shit to happen leading to other shit to go down and more shit to come. I mean seriously it is obvious that we're suppose to rooting for the poor father, but in the end we don't care. We don't care about the fact that he's about to lose his house or that his daughter can't get any scholarships. We just don't care about them. It tries so hard to make these characters likable. Shia LaBeouf's character and whatever extraordinarily hot piece of ass that's his girlfriend at the moment is more likable than the Yaeger family. 

The Best Way to describe them is annoying and dumb. Particularly Tessa (Peltz) and her boyfriend Shane played by Jack Reynor. There was nothing to make us root for the two of them as a couple. There was nothing remotely likable about their characters. Nicola Peltz gets a lot of flack for her acting as the animation icon Katara in Shamylan's Last Airbender film and while it has vastly improved in Bates Motel her acting in here is back to the horrible acting that was seen in the Shamylan debacle. Her character is pretty much exactly the same as the one played in Bates Motel. The only difference is that while we don't like her character because of what she does, in Age of Extinction we don't like her because we just simply don't like her. Sure, she's having trouble getting scholarships and she cares about her father. The problem is those are literally in only two moment at the beginning of the movie that never really add up to anything else in the movie. And while Reynor's Shane is no way a leading man, because that role is suppose to be filled by Wahlberg, but he is not even a great supporting character. His only purpose is to be the driver. Yes, the driver. His job in the movie is to be the driver. The driver. And there is a lot of driving in this movie. So I guess we need a driver. A driver. A driver who is not brave at all. One would think that maybe Nicola's character would be smart enough to realize who much her boyfriend is pretty much useless in a really horrifying situation. But no, she sees his acts as heroic when the real "heroism" is by her father. 

Also I should point out one idiotic scene from the film. While Optimus Prime is battling new villain, Lockdown, Cade and Shane are separated from Tessa who is unable to run to them because Optimus and Lockdown are in the way. Cade tells Tessa to run into the open fields to get away from the two gigantic robots fighting. Which is the smart thing to do! And she does run! Then runs back to the middle of the fight! And in the middle of the fight she gets into a broken car because movie logic deems that it would protect her while this fight goes on! It was so idiotic! There was not a single moment of believability that she didn't have a chance to run away from the fight. There was not a single moment of believability that there was no way Cade or Shane could go get her! Actually, Cade does go run to get his daughter but gets tackled by Shane because he was afraid he'd get killed. Shane saves the life of the father of his girlfriend instead of actually trying to save his girlfriend who he claims he really really....likes. WHAT THE ****?! It was also an excuse to have the daughter get captured by an alien spaceship! She runs back to the danger instead of the danger just so that the human leads have a reason for wanting to go with the Autobots into the spaceship! BAD WRITING! BAD WRITING EVERYWHERE!

Also the product placement is horrendous. People laughed about the product placement in Man of Steel but in here the product placement is so hilariously and annoyingly obvious. Like literally so obvious and not subtle. There was no subtlety with the product placement. It was just so in your face and so obvious, that I'm repeating myself just so that you know the product placement is obvious.

I'll give ILM and the Autobots their credit though. This film, like the original, actually takes a moment to establish the personalities of the different heroic robots. And that's it. John Goodman plays...the fat bearded jolly robot. Ken Watanabe plays the....Japanese samurai that turns into a German car manufactured in France...why is his car not Japanese? John DiMaggio plays...the gunslinger. And you know who Optimus Prime and Bumblebee are already. 

But then let's talk about the Bad Guys. The idea of Lockdown, the robot bounty hunter who kills Autobots and Decepticons for a higher power, is a really cool one. He's the best villain the series has, but also doesn't do much. All he does is repeat who his character is: "I fight for our creators, and our creators want you." Yeah, this actually brings up the concept that Transformers are manufactured, a question that a lot of people have been wondering. Where do they come from? Well we do see their creators in the prologue. More specifically the hand of one of their creators but not the full reveal. It is obvious this is the idea they wanted to play with for the sequel. The problem is the idea of their creators gets overshadowed by the hot mess of the plot.

Oh, by the way, Galvatron is in the movie. Yeah, Megatron comes back...again. But this time he officially comes back as Galvatron. And is finally voiced by Frank Welker, the original voice actor for Megatron in the cartoons. I'm not going to go into details on his role, because honestly it was just shoved in there just so that he's in there. Just like the Decepticons. They're in the movie too. And how they transform just comes off as cheap. Really cheap. It is not cool and it is not creative. It just comes off as a cheap way to make transformations easier.

Oh, wait, I almost forgot about the Dinobots! The one thing that made me want to see this movie! The one thing that I told myself even if this movie sucked I know they will make this movie worth it!.....They were not worth it. A smile did not come to my face when they finally showed up. I felt nothing. I was annoyed that I had to wait 2 hours and 20 minutes for them to show up conveniently in the last 25 minutes. They may look cool, their designs may be awesome, they may be back for the sequel. But they're not worth putting in all the marketing. Especially if they're not in the movie.

I haven't even touched on the plot of this movie yet. I'll tell you what the plot of this movie should've been and not what it is. It should've been Lockdown is hunting transformers and the government strikes a deal to help him accomplish this. The Autobots and the Decepticons left on the planet have to work together in order to prevent being captured by this menacing machine. Hell, Lockdown could've used the Dinobots as his hunting dogs so they would've been in the whole movie then switched sides to turn their back on Lockdown. But that is not the movie we got. What we got instead is a mixed bag of things that could've worked by themselves as 4 different movies but instead got jammed into one really long movie that feels longer than it should.

Final Thoughts

Apologies to anyone who actually read all that. But to put it simply: I hate this movie. Hate it. I've never been mad about a movie before, even a really bad one, but this one had me seething with anger. I thought that would never happen to me. I thought I would never be like those other hardcore G1 Transformers fans. But now I finally feel their pain and suffering. I finally can say this:

SCORE: 2/10 - You finally ruined my childhood, Michael Bay. Finally.

For a review of the previous film, CLICK HERE

Transformers: Dark of the Moon - Analysis and Review

The action gets better and the story gets longer

After the revelation of actually analyzing Revenge of the Fallen, my expectations for the next film were quickly set on low. However when the first trailers popped up all of a sudden my expectations were high and the new addition of Rosie Huntington Whitely (who I predicted probably can't act but would like more than Megan Fox after what happened in the last movie) so like last time: myself and 7 of my other friends (not the unusually large number of 14 like last time) decide to go see the movie. And again, even though we all showed up really really really really early to the premier showing, we still wound up in the front row. So was the reaction exactly the same as my experience with Revenge of the Fallen? Well...

The Plot

Despite being awarded by the President for his heroic acts in the last film and meeting a new girl (Rosie Huntington Whitely) after Mikaela breaks up with him, Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) is having a hard time finding a job. Lucky for him he does get one while at the same time the Autobots led by Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen) discover that there is an ancient secret hidden on the moon. That secret? Their long lost leader Sentinel Prime (Leonard Nimoy) who has a device that can save their home world of Cybertron. Unfortunately for them a battle scarred Megatron (Hugo Weaving) and his Decepticons forces are once again after this device, leading all plot points to collide in Chicago.

Analysis

Just in case you didn't read my review on Revenge of the Fallen, particularly the Analysis portion, I'll just summarize it for this one. Its better to watch this movie with a crowd of rowdy fans on opening night than to see this a week later or home alone. Because watching this movie alone and not surrounded by rowdy fans will result into a startling revelation: the movie is shit. Well for me personally not complete shit but I liked it enough to say that I still enjoy it but I'm not going to deny that it is still bad.

Review

There is a pattern I'd like to point out. Strange Prologue. Sam is down on his luck. Something gets discovered. Autobots enter the picture. Government enters the picture. Decepticons show up. Confront the villain. Make out with hot girlfriend who is way out of Sam's league. That seems to be the pattern that these movies are going at. It worked well for the first movie because... that's the first movie. It didn't work well for the second movie because the writers tried to hide that it is the same movie by adding a bunch of other stuff that does a poor stuff of hiding the sameness. Then there is this movie that once again adds a lot of stuff that is not really necessary. However this time around all that other stuff is actually characters this time. That's right, this time more characters that I don't remember their names are added in order to give this movie a more ensemble feel than the long drawn out epic feel they were going for from the last one. However like I said I don't remember most of the new characters. And if I do, I'm trying to understand why do they have to be in the movie.

The biggest addition that should be noted is Patrick Dempsey as..... Dylan Gould. Had to look that up for a moment. He plays Sam's new girlfriend's boss who also happens to be in an alliance with the Decepticons. Why? Uh.... I don't really know why. Other than the fact that he'll be spared from whatever it is the Decepticons planned to do with humanity, just know that he's evil. This could've been a great role for Dempsey who at the time was only known as McDreamy from Grey's Anatomy. It is obvious that he wanted to use this role to break away from the mold, but it doesn't really help him because the character was not really well thought out other than he's good looking and he's evil.

Then let's talk about the obvious. Megan Fox is gone after having a dispute with Michael Bay. So she was written out and replaced by a character straight from the cartoons called Carly. And who did they get to play this character from the G1 show? A Victoria's Secret Model that Bay worked with on one of the lingerie empire's commercials. Oh yeah, and because she's British the character is now British. Rosie Huntington Whitely does offer something fresh despite having no great acting skills and not a very good range. Unlike the relationship between Mikaela and Sam in the previous two films there was something genuinely real about the relationship between Carly and Sam in this film. Again, I'm going to stress that she's not that great. And critics expecting her to wow them were really harsh. But then again that's what we do. But the thing is she was more believable as someone who genuinely likes Sam rather than Fox's Mikaela character. And if the goal was to make the relationship believable, then by all means it worked. Could they have gotten a real actress and made it better? Honestly no, because even a talented actress like Gemma Arterton (who was in the running before Whitely) would not have been able to save a poorly written role. The only thing that saved it was the way she is around LaBeouf's Sam. And frankly that's all I could ask from her really. Plus her character does a really ballsy move in the movie that automatically makes her better than Mikaela.

Shia LaBeouf does what Shia LaBeouf does... play Sam Witwicky. And yup. He's still Sam Witwicky.

Then of course lets get to the big villain of the story: Leonard Nimoy's Sentinel Prime. PLOT TWIST! Okay I know I shouldn't spoil it, but the movie has been out for a long time by now and even when you see the movie you kinda see it coming. Because first of all the Marketing and Official Plot Synopsis released by the studio makes it seem like Shockwave (the cyclops robot riding the gigantic metal worm squid thing) is the main villain. The thing is in the trailers you never see this supposed villain do anything except for one shot pose to cock his gun. So it leads one to wonder is he really the bad guy? Then of course when Sentinel comes in one immediately knows that there is going to be a twist that he's the bad guy. And why is he the bad guy? "The Needs of the Many, outweigh the Needs of the Few." Good way to quote Spock, Mr. Nimoy. So really his motivations don't exactly make sense about bringing an entire dying planet next to a live planet when the device that can teleport things could've easily just teleported human slaves to their planet if that was the plan. What was the point of teleporting the entire planet if they can just do that? It doesn't make sense!

Yes, the action in this movie is a lot better than the previous two combined. Things can be seen clearly and we can easily tell who is fighting who. This is mainly attributed to director Michael Bay adjusting to IMAX 3D cameras which forces him to shoot this way. And thankfully for those of us who just want to watch a movie where giant robots kill giant robots, it is a blessing. However the action does get dragged out. And I mean really dragged out. The Third Act usually consists of the last 30 minutes of a movie while this one it seems to consist of the last hour of a movie. And to top it all of the beginning did kind of drag as well. But at least it didn't drag to the point where things got boring. It was still fun and the action is exciting to watch. And even though the action is clearer, it seems like one could care less about the safety of the heroic Autobots against the slew of nameless Decepticons.

Also, yes, the final three way battle between Optimus Prime, Sentinel Prime and Megatron (remember him?) was not as great as the rest of the action. And too bad that once that battle ends, it is the end of the movie. Literally.

Final Thoughts

This was a lot better than the last movie, yet still not as good as the first. It definitely could've used a trim on the running time and it probably would've been at least equal to the first movie. At least I can still watch it and find it enjoyable. Just pure fun dumb enjoyment. But then again, nothing beats seeing this film with rowdy fans on opening night.

SCORE: 6.5/10 - The best action in the trilogy

For a review of the previous film, CLICK HERE
For a review of the next film, CLICK HERE

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen - Analysis and Review

When the Hate started coming in... and Rightfully So

The hotly anticipated sequel to the 2007 unexpected (though not really if one were to think about) smash hit goes for bigger and broader in scope. And the expectations of many were so high for the cast and crew to improve on the very fixable mistakes that were made in the first one as well as enhance what was good in the first one. Does it do that? Well...

The Plot

When Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) triggers a map to a new source of power that gets embedded in his mind, he is once again thrusted into the war between the noble Autobots and evil Decepticons. With his girlfriend, Mikaela Banes (Megan Fox), and his college roommate, Leo Spitz (Ramon Rodriguez), they must trek across the globe to not only find this source of power before the Decepticons do but also hope that it may save the life of Autobot leader: Optimus Prime.

Analysis

It is actually amazing how much watching a movie on the day of release with a massive audience can make one's perception of a movie very murky. I remember it very clearly that while my group of 14 friends and I showed up really early to our screening we still wound up being stuck in the front row. It got crowded really quick, to the point where some people were willing to sit on the steps. Of course that didn't fly well for the ushers, but some refused to move.

But back to my point. I remember having an incredibly fun movie going experience watching this movie. The crow was laughing and cheering and just full of this overwhelming excitement that was intoxicating. My friends and I were caught up in all this energy that it just made the experience a thousand times more enjoyable.

However when we walked out of the theater and had dinner at the sushi establishment across the street...we never talked about whether or not we liked the movie. Which was weird because that is something we always do after seeing a movie. 

It wasn't until I bought the movie on special edition DVD (damn you blu-ray for ruining my chances of having a complete special edition DVD set) that I discovered why we didn't talk about the movie.

But it does show a lot of just how powerful the theater going experience is. Watching this movie alone is not fun. Watching this movie during matinee would not be fun either. Watching it with a crowd of people who loves this movie no matter what? That is truly something magical. 

But now that the magic doesn't follow me to home viewing, lets talk about this piece of ****.

Review

There was a lot going on in this movie. And I do mean a lot. First there is LaBeouf's Sam having to deal with college and being away from his girlfriend. Then there's the horny conspiracy theory roommate who serves one purpose in the movie: being the conspiracy theorist. Then of course the villain from the first movie is brought back to life to kill the number one reason why people want to see this movie (Optimus Prime) so that it would really tie in to another plot of the movie. Then there's the globe trotting to get to the climax and the third act of the film. Okay that doesn't sound like a lot is going on, in fact it all goes together quite nicely on paper. The problem is a good idea on paper may not look good on screen.

As I mentioned the plot seems to be about bringing Optimus Prime back to life after getting killed by a revived Megatron. Oh, is that a spoiler? Well with all out honesty the plot of the film is marketed as an ancient Decepticon wants to harvest the sun's energy....because he wants to harvest the sun's energy. The title Revenge of the Fallen suggests that the titular Fallen (the ancient Decepticon voiced by Tony Todd) wants revenge on someone. Though as the opening prologue states: the ones he wants revenge on have been dead for thousands of years. So...there really is no revenge factor. If anyone should be getting revenge it should be Megatron (voiced by Hugo Weaving) because he was killed in the first movie. The title would've fit perfectly if that was the case because he has indeed fallen and come back to life. But no he does not seek to kill Optimus for revenge, he seeks to kill Optimus because his master The Fallen can only be killed by someone with Prime in their name. So in a sense the character who should get revenge doesn't actually get revenge on the character who would give cause for revenge but instead does things because he was told to do so. Makes sense?

Anyway this film could've gone a lot differently had it been marketed as what it is: we need to bring Optimus Prime back to life. That is the plot of the movie. But the problem is they had to make it so complex yet at the same time so convenient that a world ending device could also be the key to bringing Optimus back to life. So many moving parts for something that should really just be straight forward. Yet that plot gets mixed in with other plots that get dragged out unnecessarily. Especially with the nonexistent presence of this new villain because although he shows off that he is powerful he doesn't really do much to justify his place in the movie. Let alone justify why his name should be in the title.

The acting was just over the top. I'm not going to name names specifically because lets face it everyone was acting over the top in this movie. Even in the emotional scenes it seemed too heightened for what it should be. The one who I was paying attention to was Isabel Lucas who plays the robot disguised as a human named Alice. The reason was mainly due to her being pointed as the next big thing, and a fine actress. Unfortunately the role she was given in this movie was not a really nice display of her acting range. Which is sad because I've seen her in The Pacific and she's great. 

And the action of seeing robots fight other robots is completely ruined by not knowing who is fighting who. A lot of new hero robots are introduced, including female robots, and a lot of new villain robots are introduced, but in the end unless one is really paying attention very very very carefully (like me) you would have no idea who is who or who is fighting what. This was a minor problem in the previous one but at least there were multiple times when the fights were clear. In this one the only fight that was clear and well done was the one with Optimus battling Megatron and two other Decepticons at the same time. Other than that one part, all the other action in the movie is terrible. And this is suppose to be coming from action auteur, Michael Bay.

I should probably talk about those two idiot robots in the movie but I'm not going to waste internet space for that.

Final Thoughts

I wish I can relive that movie theater experience of seeing this movie with a crowd of blind excited fans because the movie I remembered seeing on the big screen was not the same one I saw when I watched it at home alone. And after seeing the third one that's when it dawned on me that seeing a Transformers movie with a crowd of Transformer movie fans is the best way to see the movie. You will get lost in the energy and feel like it is the greatest movie ever! But sadly it is not.

SCORE: 4/10 - A movie to enjoy only at a midnight screening with hardcore fans of the series

For a review of the previous film, CLICK HERE
For a review of the next film, CLICK HERE

How to Train Your Dragon 2 - Analysis and Review

And Dreamworks steps up their game once again

How to Train Your Dragon was not a film that was on my radar. Then when I decided to rent the movie and watch it, my mind was blown. It was definitely one of the best animated films I've seen as well as being the most beautiful animated film I've seen at that time. So when the sequel was announced and that first trailer of seeing Hiccup and Toothless flying together first came out I knew this was a movie I had to watch!

The Plot

5 years after the events of the first film, Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) and his dragon Toothless discover the existence of a powerful enemy to dragons. Wanting to keep the peace that he worked so hard to establish in his homeland between vikings and dragons, Hiccup ventures off to confront this threat only to discover that he may not know everything there is to know about dragons. 

Analysis

When Dreamworks Animation made their way into the CG realm to compete with Disney's Pixar, with the excepting of Shrek they tended to make films that either complimented Pixar's work or were just plain lackluster. However a huge shift occurred when Kung Fu Panda emerged. It still had the almost jokey/pop culture referencing nature that the other Dreamworks films had, yet there seems to be a sense of seriousness and legitimate care for the story happening. It was the first sign of a shift. A shift that would amplify to a whole other level with How to Train Your Dragon. It is fascinating that most of my non-film oriented friends would confuse Dragon as a Pixar film. And it it obvious why they would. The movie has been lauded as the first Dreamworks film to be of Pixar caliber, so it is no surprise that people would be in disbelief that Pixar didn't make it. Those two films were responsible for letting the world know that they are definitely a force in the animation world.

Review

This is the most beautiful animated film I've seen so far. It is also the best animated film I've seen this year. There is so much this film does right that it outweighs the wrongs by a ton. This is definitely a true cinematic experience. The voice talents of Jay Baruchel as Hiccup, America Ferrara as Astrid, Jonah Hill as Snotlout, Christopher Mintz-Plasse as Fishlegs, TJ Miller as Tuffnut, Kristen Wiig as Ruffnut, Gerard Butler as Stoick, and Craig Ferguson as Gobber round out the original cast while also bringing out the delicate balance between kids film flair and dramatic nuance. Newcomers Cate Blanchett as Valka (the lost mother of Hiccup), Kit Harrington as the dragon hunter Erit, and Djimon Hounsou as Drago are welcomed editions to the brilliant fantasy film. The development of Hiccup's character from lost mature young man to a confident incredible leader is definitely the major story arc in the film. And it plays well by not only allowing the characters to age from a teenager to a young man, but by challenging him with a situation that is complex enough to put his beliefs to the test. 

The story definitely has shades of various great sequels that have come before. But in every sequel to a genre film, means that there has to be a powerful new villain. That is where Housou's Drago comes into the mix. He definitely has the makings of a typical cartoon villain. And while he is pretty much the embodiment of evil in the film, the attempts to humanize him didn't actually fall through. He was definitely a weak part of the story in terms of he would've been better suited as pure menacing grim evil rather than an evil that is misunderstood. Had they found a way to make the humanizing aspect of his character work, then it would've made the movie a lot stronger in terms of having great characters on both sides. But seeing as how they never bridged the gap between pure evil and misunderstood, it doesn't come off strong enough. But he will be memorable by what he does, rather than who he is.

The creators of the film, and I do mean everyone, have to be commended for taking the story seriously without sugar coating it. This is a family film, however a lot of adult themes are explored in the movie such as death and the concept of war. However the one thing that stood out to me was the interaction of Butler's Stoick and Blanchet's Valka. How the creators handled the reunion of the lost lovers was beautiful and touching without being one filled with resentment. It is always good to see films where the creators know who their audience is but knows they are smart enough to understand or handle what they are being shown. It is what elevates this film higher than its predecessor. Not only that, but like I said, the animation and design of this film is incredible. Each frame is such a beautiful image with the detail being more extreme than any of the previous Dreamworks films I've seen. This is truly a great experience to behold for the whole family.

Final Thoughts

There is that question of is it too dark for my kids? If your children are capable of handling The Lion King then they are strong enough to understand and handle this movie. It is important to know that this movie is about grown ups who have to deal with the realities of the harsh world around them. And the execution of how they do so is powerful. This is an incredible animated film.

SCORE: 9.5/10 - The Best Animated Film of 2014 so far (7/14)

22 Jump Street - Analysis and Review

It just keeps getting better and better

21 Jump Street took a lot of people by surprise. There were many who believed the fact that it exists as a cash grab. At the time, the announcement of casting Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum as the lead roles even had more people rolling their eyes. But then when it did finally came to the big screen, magic happened. Self-aware magic that made 21 Jump Street a really special film. It also proved that animation directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller can be a formidable force with live action films as well. They have been on a roll with their slate, and The Lego Movie proves that they know what they are doing. But can they match up to the movie that made them the powerhouses they are now?

The Plot

Undercover Officers Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) are once again thrown into the same exact scenario as the last movie because apparently the department believes that they only excel if they do the same thing. And they do the same thing. They infiltrate a school as students in order to hunt down a drug dealer who is supplying a new kind of drug. The difference? They're in college.

Analysis

Comedy sequels are really hard to do. The Hangover Part II was pretty much exactly the same as the first one. And just like I stated in the plot synopsis, 22 Jump Street is pretty much the same exact thing. Or at least it claims to be. But that is the difficulty about creating a good comedy sequel. They are extremely rare and when they do happen it usually comes off as, "Is this really necessary?" For the most part no one needed a sequel to The Hangover but it happened, and it was the exact same thing. 22 Jump Street however acknowledges and beats it over your head that this movie is exactly the same thing as the last one. But then again not really. But at least with this film they acknowledge and poke fun of not just the fact that they're doing a sequel but also make fun of sequels in general. The audience will probably understand the jokes about the Hollywood system when it comes to franchises, but probably won't even realize how much of a satire it is on franchises in general. This is a smart sequel to an already smart movie. And I'm talking about a comedy. The best comedies are smart, but a comedy sequel that is just as smart and just as funny as the previous is truly something special.

Review

It may be the exact same thing, but I also have to stress that there are enough twists and turns to make it not seem like it is. But to be fair it does feel like the same exact story. But to the genius that is directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller, it doesn't matter that its the same. This movie is ****ing hilarious! Incredibly so that one could easily look past the reused plot. Which is very easy to look past given the fact that it is a running joke in the movie that they are doing the same thing as the last one because it was successful. And it definitely is.

Jonah Hill has already established himself as a force in comedy and has gone on to prove that he can be great in the dramatic department. But if there is one person that has to be given praise it has to be Channing Tatum. Unlike some models turned actors, he actually improved over the years that he has been in the game. 21 Jump Street was definitely his breakout role despite having already been around and in the people's radar for many years prior. With the upcoming film Foxcatcher he shows that he is now capable of being a genuine dramatic actor from just a few seconds seen in a trailer. And this film proves that he has definitely become a force to be reckoned with in comedy. Tatum is amazing in this film. Everyone from the first film stepped up their game, but Tatum goes through the roof. He even has the best scene in the entire movie. When you see it, you'll know which one it is because you won't be able to stop laughing even after its over. Ice Cube plays an integral part in making that scene the best scene, but he definitely had some of the best moments in the film as well. 

The new supporting cast does well in the movie. Wyatt Russell plays Zook, a frat boy and kindred spirit to Tatum's Jenko. Their bromance just added more to the humor as it plays it up as a "love triangle" between Hill, Russell, and Tatum. Then there's the incredibly beautiful Amber Stevens as Maya, Hill's new love interest in the film who plays an integral part in Hill's development as a character as well as an integral part to the hilarious scene in the movie. Jillian Bell plays Maya's roommate and does become a one note joke in the movie, but when it escalates it escalates well. Peter Stormare plays the drug lord that Jenko and Schmidt are after, though it feels as though an actor of his caliber is underutilized for the role of the villain. Or wasn't really given enough to have a standout performance. Regardless, they all contributed into making this film hilarious and that is where it all really matters.

Final Thoughts

Yes, it is the same thing. Yes, it is a little bit different. Yes, Channing Tatum is now a full fledged actor. Yes, this movie will keep you laughing for a long time. It is the comedy sequel that equals or outshines the previous movie in almost every single way, Yes there was Austin Powers the Spy Who Shagged Me, but then there is also The Hangover Part II. Luckily for this sequel, it does not compare to either of those movies. To put things in perspective, I gave the previous movie an 8. For this...

SCORE: 8.5/10 - But for the hilarious factor the movie feels like a 9/10