Room Preview

Room is the story about 5 year old Jack (Jacob Tremblay) and his mother Ma (Brie Larson)  who are a typical loving mother and energetic son filled with curiosity and imagination in an anything but typical situation.  They are both living, surviving, trapped in a 10 by 10 foot space that Ma has called Room in her best efforts to protect Jack from the absolutely unthinkable nightmare that is the only life he has ever known, a life she isn't sure will ever be anything else.  However, miraculously, through Ma's ingenuity and guts and Jack's courage, one day, they escape.  With their 10 x 10 Room behind them, they face a new world (literally) of hopes, possibilities, challenges and fears.  

I wasn't sure if I wanted to watch Room or Spotlight next with the Oscars upon us, but a good friend of mine, Steve Williams, strongly recommended Room.

Tremblay was the voice of a Smurf in the Smurfs 2 and has done a couple bit roles, mostly in TV, but the preview makes him look quite comfortable in this leading role, like a seasoned professional.  Larson has had supporting roles in Trainwreck, The Gambler and Don Jon along with multiple TV appearances, but this is her first leading role and she also looks right at home.  In fact, her performance has not only earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Actress, but many critics are predicting she will go home with the win.

Room is nominated for Best Picture, though The Revenant is all anyone can talk about as the favorite in that category.   It is unclear from the preview just how Jack and Ma ended up in the Room, nor how long they have been there, though it does seem that is the only reality Jack has ever known.  What is clear is that Ma must daily must up the strength and courage to be brave for Jack and not let him know how hopeless and terrible their life really is.  We already know from the preview that they do eventually escape and are given a chance to have a life outside the Room.  There is some indication that whoever was responsible for their imprisonment might possibly still be out there, as if adjusting to an entire world outside of a 10 x 10 Room wasn't already a daunting task.

Room looks like a touching, heart-warming, intense, gripping, original and well-acted and well-told story that I believe I'll thoroughly enjoy.  I'm predicting a solid 4 stars: worth the money in the theatre, worth watching again, and has a good chance of making it to my home collection.  Am I right?  We shall see.

Straight Outta Compton Review

2.0 Stars

Straight Outta Compton is the story of five black Americans from the mean streets of Compton in Los Angeles, California who formed the rap group NWA in the late 1980's using their rhymes and beats as a way to bring light to the dire situation in America's inner cities.  Gang violence between the Bloods and the Crips was tearing the city apart and the Los Angeles Police Department was under fire for their abuse of power aimed at the black minorities.

If the point of Straight Outta Compton was to tell the story of five young black underprivileged Americans who fought from nothing to have the opportunity to make a difference in the world by raising their voices across the world about the violence and racism plaguing Compton, the movie was a success.  Unfortunately, they squandered the opportunity they were given.  Their graphic lyrics incited more violence from their listeners: both those who supported their work and those who opposed them.  Their voices were heard, but they were not on a mission to actually do anything about it.  They themselves resorted to violence within their own group with disputes over contracts and money.

One of the group members was actually invited to the White House to meet with the President and the movie barely addressed it.  Twice, members of the group were seen watching the beatings of Rodney King by the Los Angeles Police Department, infuriating them, yet not inspiring them to take action to prevent it from happening again.  There is even one scene during the riots that erupted after the police were found not guilty that showed two black men walking towards a line of police, one holding a blue handkerchief and the other a red one (the colors of the rival gangs).  The handkerchiefs were tied together, as if to say, even with their differences, they can agree that what was going on was wrong.  At the same time, NWA was at odds with each other, splitting into different recording labels, hurling insults at each other, having elaborate parties with girls and drugs and alcohol.  

Straight Outta Compton was two hours and twenty-two minutes long and it felt like it.  When I think of movies that run that long, I think of epic movies like Gladiator or Saving Private Ryan.  This movie could have been just as easily told as a VH1 or MTV "where are they now" documentary rather than a full studio production.  I think a more compelling, interesting and infuriating movie would have been one that dealt with the beating of Rodney King and the trial that ultimately found the police innocent of any wrong doing.  I felt no compassion for the characters and it's a shame they were given such a public platform and had the attention of millions, yet they couldn't affect any positive change, in their country, in their city, even in themselves.

I initially predicted a 3 star rating, but I dropped it down to 2 stars.  Maybe this would have been worth a matinee pricing.  It's a decent rental or just wait for it to come out on cable.  For me, once was enough and it will not be in my permanent collection.  So, what movie will be on my mind next?  We shall see.

Straight Outta Compton Preview

In the 1980's, many were enjoying the thrills of neon colors, big hair, upbeat rock music from Def Leppard and Journey, TV shows like Who's the Boss and Full House, and iconic movies like Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Top Gun.  America was also home to one of the roughest, gang-ridden, violent places in the world: Compton in Los Angeles.  Gang violence was at an all-time high, the tension between black Americans and the Los Angeles Police Department was palpable, and the peaceful demonstrations of Martin Luther King, Jr. from just 20 years ago were lost.  Straight Outta Compton tells the story of a rap group, NWA, who also used their voice, though with a very different tone, to spread awareness of what they had to endure.

Nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, Straight Outta Compton follows the lives of five young men from Compton who were tired of the violence and oppression and were given a voice to speak out, in a very honest and very graphic way.  The group struggled to find success until a white manager Jerry Heller (Paul Giamatti) takes them under his wing and believes they not only have a story that needs to be heard, but a talent for rhymes and beats that will sell.  They rose to fame and found that their message, though successfully bringing to light the dire situation in urban America, served as a catalyst for even more violence as their fans acted out in anger and authorities sought desperately to shut them down.

They were often accused of simply trying to shock their listeners with their graphic lyrics and profanity-laced raps, though they vehemently defended their music as a reflection of their world.  Later, they were accused of letting the fame and fortune get the better of them and losing their focus on their true agenda.  The trailer looks like an interesting look at the forming of this group considered by some to be civil rights leaders.   It also looks very violent and graphic, but that's what it was like for them in the late 80's.  I'm predicting Straight Outta Compton will be a solid 3 stars.  I think it will be a decent movie that is worth the money in the theatres, something I might catch when it makes its way to cable, but other than that would not find a home in my permanent collection.  So, am I right?  We shall see.

Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens Review

5.0 Stars

Thirty years after the defeat of the Galactic Empire, the galaxy faces a new threat from the evil Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and the First Order. When a defector named Finn crash-lands on a desert planet, he meets Rey (Daisy Ridley), a tough scavenger whose droid contains a top-secret map. Together, the young duo joins forces with Han Solo (Harrison Ford) to make sure the Resistance receives the intelligence concerning the whereabouts of Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), the last of the Jedi Knights.

I initially gave Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens a 5 star prediction.  I saw it opening weekend and was blown away from start to finish.  There were so many throw back to the original trilogy, the return of our favorite characters, the introduction to new exciting characters, a great story, stunningly perfect visual effects, and music that moves you from start to finish.  But I had to see it a second time because something was bothering me: was I, at all, in even the slightest way, influenced in my enthusiasm for this movie because of how bad Episodes I through III were?  Would this still be the amazing movie I felt it was had I through III been better, or just not been made at all and we went right from Return of the Jedi to The Force Awakens?

So I watched it again.  And it was even better the second time.   I picked up on a few of what movie fans refer to as Easter Eggs in the movie that I missed the first time.  An Easter Egg is an inside joke or a hidden message that is either delivered by a line, a piece of clothing, or a prop that is usually "hiding in plain sight" that you usually don't see right away.  For example, nearly every Pixar movie will have a reference to A113 in it.  A113 was the classroom number for the graphics design students at California's Institute of the Arts.  The Easter Egg can be a reference to nothing related to the movie, as with A113, or it can be a tribute to previous movies, a foreshadowing of something yet to come, or something that can have a double meaning.  The very first line of The Force Awakens is "This will begin to make things right."  This is easily explained as the missing piece of a map to Luke Skywalker's whereabouts and that finding him will help the Rebellion to take down the newly formed dark side faction called the First Order.  But some fans are taking it as a jab at George Lucas and his defiling of Episodes I-III with his over-use of computer graphics.  Regardless of how it was intended, or how you took it, JJ Abrams has brought Star Wars back in a big way.

There are many things reminiscent to the original trilogy in this movie.  Without giving too much away, it starts on a remote desert planet with an orphaned character named Rey who mysteriously is very strong with the force and, so far, inexplicably has a very strong connection to Luke Skywalker.  The New Order has built a planet-sized space station that trumps the Death Star but still has one weak spot much like their old weapon.  The Millennium Falcon is back.  There is a scene in a bar that is much like the Cantina at Mos Eisley.  Rey has an experience with the force much like Luke had on Dagobah with Yoda.  There is so much smart and appropriate humor.  There is action.  There are twists.  There are questions left unanswered making fans already anxious for Episode VIII.  And the special effects were flawless.  The scenes of X-wing Fighters, the Millennium Falcon, the Tie Fighters in aerial battles were breath-taking and so well done.  

My conclusion after seeing The Force Awakens a second time is that this movie not only stands up to its own hype, not only makes you forget about the disappointment of Episodes I-III, but is the perfect continuation of the Star Wars saga after Return of the Jedi.  I've seen it twice and I will definitely own this when it comes out.  But the big question is, when do I buy it?  It will surely come out on its own.  Then there will most likely be a Trilogy available of VII - IX.  And eventually a box set of all nine movies.  I might just wait for all nine.  Who knows, with the success of these new ones, maybe someone will go back through I - VI and "fix" some of the things that were previously "fixed" that many feel were more detrimental than enhancements.  Regardless of when, I know I will own this movie.  And for only the second time in my movie review career, I'm giving a perfect 5.0 rating.  Only Saving Mr. Banks got that rating before.  So, Oscar season is right around the corner, so I'll be focusing on those movies next.  Which one will be on my mind first?  We shall see.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens Preview

Thirty years after the defeat of the Galactic Empire, the galaxy faces a new threat from the evil Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and the First Order. When a defector named Finn crash-lands on a desert planet, he meets Rey (Daisy Ridley), a tough scavenger whose droid contains a top-secret map. Together, the young duo joins forces with Han Solo (Harrison Ford) to make sure the Resistance receives the intelligence concerning the whereabouts of Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), the last of the Jedi Knights.

On May 25, 1977, George Lucas unveiled to the world a ground-breaking movie that would span generations and revolutionize movie-making.  That movie, of course, was Star Wars: A New Hope (Episode IV).  He had to create new special effects to even come close to the amazing things that were happening in his mind.  For the first time ever, a film had a musical score accompanying the entire movie.  While no one was quite sure what to expect when they lined up to see the movie, or even what they just saw when the final credits rolled, most were confident they just witnessed history in the making.  Star Wars went on to win 7 of its 10 Oscar nominations and quickly passed Jaws as the highest grossing film of all-time.  The success of Star Wars continued with The Empire Strikes Back in 1980 and Return of the Jedi in 1983.  

It would be 16 years before Episode I would be released, the first of a trilogy of movies that were set just years before A New Hope.  I remember waiting in line anxiously with other Star Wars fans opening night for Episode I: The Phantom Menace; I remember the cheers from the audience as the familiar drum roll and opening score echoed in the theatre before the iconic yellow lettering against the black space backdrop scrolled up the screen; and I also remember how the excitement turned to disappointment less than half an hour into the movie.  While computer animation and technology had advanced light years since the original trilogy, it still wasn't perfect for what Lucas envisioned.  Lucas seemed to think it was good enough and went overboard with his use of computer graphics, something fans were given a clue might happen with his questionable edits of Episodes IV - VI.  Scenes including Greedo shooting at Han first in the Cantina at Mos Eisley, Han stepping on Jabba the Hutt's tail, and an extended musical performance at Jabba's Palace are just a few of the additions that left fans wondering what Lucas was thinking.

One of fans' biggest complaints was a Gungan named Jar Jar Binks introduced in Episode I.  He was designed to be a clumsy entertaining character, but he was annoying and disruptive.  What bothered me the most was that he was a computer animation.  And as good of an animation he was, he was still clearly an animation and it took you out of the story and reminded you that it was all fake.  There were scenes of Jar Jar flipping through the air into the water, Qui Gon catching his tongue, his tongue getting stuck in a podracer; scenes that only served the purpose of showing off how far computer animation has come, but they were more of a reminder that the technology wasn't so good that it could be undetectable.  At the end of Episode I, the Gungans have an epic battle with an army of battle droids, not unlike the Ewok battle against the Storm Troopers on Endor in Return of the Jedi.  When an Ewok died, you felt bad.  When a Trooper died, you cheered.  However, in the battle between the Gungans and Droids ensued, I found myself not caring either way because they were all clearly computer animations.  As annoying as Jar Jar was, I would have found him exponentially more tolerable if it was a man in a costume.  

Lucas continued to disappoint his fans with Episode II: Attack of the Clones.  The message seemed to hit home with Lucas and many felt he made a significant effort to right many of the wrongs with his final installment of Episode III: Revenge of the Sith; however, the debate among Star Wars fans as to which trilogy was the better was overwhelmingly one-sided, unlike those who debate who made the better Batman: Michael Keaton or Christian Bale.  While arguments can be made for both Dark Knights, there is no question for any Star Wars fan which trilogy is clearly superior in every way.

And that's why fans are so excited, myself included, for the release of Episode VII: The Force Awakens.  If you've never seen any of the previous six movies and heard nothing about them, watching the trailer for Ep VII would probably make no sense at all.  There is no plot, there is no context.  There are soldiers in white and black suits of plastic armor.  There are people fighting with glowing swords.  And there are futuristic looking ships flying through the sky.  That's really it.  But for Star Wars fans, the previews say it all: Star Wars is back after ten years, and it looks awesome.  

The Walt Disney Company bought the rights to make the movies and hired JJ Abrams to direct them.  Abrams is an accomplished director but fans are most excited because of the work he has done with the recent Star Trek films.  No, I'm not comparing Star Wars to Star Trek.  Everyone knows that's a cardinal sin to confuse or equate the two.  But seeing what Abrams has done with the latest Treks, gives an insight as to where he would be going with Star Wars.  You can tell already from the brief previews that Abrams shows the restraint in using computer animation that Lucas completely lost his grip on in the Prequels.  You also see familiar faces like the Wookie Chewbacca and the soundrel Han Solo.  

I've never given a 5.0 star prediction before, but I'm going all out and anticipating that this will live up to all the hype that Episode I was supposed to deliver while reminding fans of the joy and wonder they felt when they first watched the Original Trilogy.  I believe Episode VII: The Force Awakens will be the film that has audiences cheering from the moment the lights in the theatre dim to the final notes of the closing credits.  Will this live up to the hype and my anticipation?  Or will it be just a great sequel?  Or worse, will it be a disappointment?  We shall see.

Bridge of Spies Review

3.5 Stars

Set in the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States, Bridge of Spies is based on the true story of New York lawyer James Donovan (Tom Hanks) who is called upon by the CIA to try to negotiate a prisoner trade.  The Americans have a prisoner Rudolf Abel who is a convicted Soviet spy that they are willing to exchange for the release of pilot Francis Gary Powers who was shot down and captured while spying on the Soviets.  The reason why Donovan would be the logical choice for the assignment: he defended the Soviet Abel in court.

This is the fourth collaboration between Hanks and director Stephen Spielberg.  Previously, the two worked on Catch Me If You Can, The Terminal and Saving Private Ryan.  Spielberg won Best Director and Best Picture Oscars and Hanks won Best Actor for Saving Private Ryan and all the early speculation says these two are front-runners for another sweep when it comes to handing out trophies.

Well, I predicted 4.5 stars based on previous collaborations between Hanks and Spielberg.  I knocked it down a full star, not because I didn't enjoy the movie, not because I thought Hanks didn't perform well, but because I was underwhelmed and it's one of those "once is enough" kind of movies. It was an interesting story, well told, but it tended to drag and Hanks was Hanks.  What I mean by that is he was absolutely brilliant, but he was himself.  In Saving Mr. Banks, I didn't see Tom Hanks, I saw Walt Disney.  In Captain Phillips, I saw the Captain of a captive ship.  In Bridge of Spies, I saw Hanks as James Donovan.  He was great, but he was himself.  Now, Mark Rylance (who played the Russian Spy Rudolf Abel) was absolutely endearing and entertaining and completely deserves an Oscar Nomination for Best Supporting Actor.  However, if he doesn't get one, don't be surprised if he's not upset.  If you ask him why, he'll simply ask you in return, "Would it help?"  You'll get it when you see the movie, which I recommend renting or waiting until it's on TV, but I doubt it will make it to my home collection.  So, what movie will be on my mind next?  We shall see.

Bridge of Spies Preview

Set in the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States, Bridge of Spies is based on the true story of New York lawyer James Donovan (Tom Hanks) who is called upon by the CIA to try to negotiate a prisoner trade.  The Americans have a prisoner Rudolf Abel who is a convicted Soviet spy that they are willing to exchange for the release of pilot Francis Gary Powers who was shot down and captured while spying on the Soviets.  The reason why Donovan would be the logical choice for the assignment: he defended the Soviet Abel in court.

This is the fourth collaboration between Hanks and director Stephen Spielberg.  Previously, the two worked on Catch Me If You Can, The Terminal and Saving Private Ryan.  Spielberg won Best Director and Best Picture Oscars and Hanks won Best Actor for Saving Private Ryan and all the early speculation says these two are front-runners for another sweep when it comes to handing out trophies.

While there does not appear to be a lot of action in the movie, the performances alone look to be riveting and entrancing to hold audiences captive throughout.  Hanks was most recently snubbed by the Oscars for his roles in both Saving Mr. Banks where he played Walt Disney in the story of Mary Poppins, and in Captain Phillips as he bravely surrendered himself to Somali pirates.  Matthew McConaughey won Best Actor for his role in Dallas Buyers' Club.  I'm not disagreeing with who won, but most everyone felt it wrong that Hanks did not even get nominated for either role.  I don't think that will be a problem this year.  I'm predicted another Oscar-worthy performance from Hanks and another Oscar-worthy film from Spielberg and am predicting 4.5 stars.  Am I right?  We shall see.