Movie Reviews

Sicario

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Sicario
  • IMDb: link

Sicario

How far are you willing to go to achieve justice? At want point do you draw a line you will never cross? And what happens when you are forced over that line by forces beyond you control? These questions are all at the heart of Sicario, a drama from director Denis Villeneuve and screenwriter Taylor Sheridan that stars Emily Blunt as idealistic FBI Agent Kate Macer stationed in Arizona. Kate volunteers for a joint DEA task force after the discovery of dozens of corpses in Chandler, Arizona, all tied to a Mexican drug cartel in a house rigged with explosives that takes the lives of two fellow officers.

Completely unaware of what she’s getting herself into, and lied from the beginning by the head of the task force (Josh Brolin) and his mysterious consultant (Benicio Del Toro), Kate follows the pair down the rabbit hole leading to a kidnapping in Juarez, Mexico (where she has no authority) and the torture of Mexican citizen, as she struggles with the end game of finding drug lord Fausto Alarcón (Julio Cedillo). Along the way she will discover the power of the Mexican cartel and their reach which extends into law enforcement on her side of the border.

…

SicarioRead More »

Sicario Read More »

Brooklyn

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Brooklyn
  • IMDb: link

BrooklynBased on Colm Tóibín‘s novel, Brooklyn is an old fashioned immigrant story following the wide-eyed Ellis Lacey (Saoirse Ronan) from her small Irish town to New York where her life slowly begins to change. When the pull of home beckons, however, she will be forced to make hard decisions regarding her future, the man she loves, and which side of the Atlantic Ocean she truly wants to call home.

The film quickly becomes more romance-driven than historical drama and features a ponderously-paced first half-hour. That said, once Ellis’ life in Brooklyn truly begins the film opens up a bit, is able to breathe, and Ronan is allowed to shine. The film’s star is without doubt the movie’s biggest strength smoothing over the film’s rougher edges when it drifts dangerously close to melodrama.

The supporting cast is solid throughout highlighted by Jim Broadbent as the preacher and family friend who helps Ellis in America, Fiona Glascott as Ellis’ sister Rose, and Emory Cohen as Ellis’ suitor. Arrow fans will also take note of Emily Bett Rickards as one of the women from the Brooklyn boarding house.

…

BrooklynRead More »

Brooklyn Read More »

Creed

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Creed
  • IMDb: link

CreedNine years after Rocky Balboa allowed Philadelphia’s favorite son to step into the ring one last time comes an unexpected sequel in Creed. Written and directed by Ryan Coogler (Fruitvale Station), the new film hearkens back to the themes of the original Rocky while putting a fresh take on the tale of an underdog boxer overcoming the odds to earn his big chance. Creed is as close to a reboot as you could get without recasting the Italian Stallion as a young man and not only pays tribute to the original series but sets the stage or any number of possible sequels. It may not be as good as the original, but it stands up well in comparison to any of the Rocky sequels.

With the aging Rocky (Sylvester Stallone) taking on the Burgess Meredith role of mentor and reluctant trainer, Creed‘s star is Adonis “Donnie” Johnson (Michael B. Jordan). The bastard son of Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers), Donnie’s love for fighting and need to prove himself inside the square circle leads him from a desk job in Los Angeles, and underground boxing in Mexico, to Philly. His first step is to convince his father’s friend to give Donnie the training and help he needs to make it to the big time.

…

CreedRead More »

Creed Read More »

Straight Outta Compton

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Straight Outta Compton
  • IMDb: link

Straight Outta ComptonStraight Outta Compton is pretty straightforward as far as music biopics go. Produced by members of the band, who at this point have long put aside the differences that produce much of the conflict over the movie’s 147-minute running time, Straight Outta Compton does deliver on an inside look at the rise and implosion of N.W.A. and the individual careers the breakthrough group launched. However, it also takes a bit too much care to make sure no one (with the exception of California law enforcement) comes off too poorly once all is said and done. I get the feeling had the film been made when emotions were at their peak the movie might more resemble the group’s music and be more emotionally raw offering audiences a starker look at life behind-the-scenes.

One of the biggest strengths of director F. Gary Gray‘s film is the cast (O’Shea Jackson, Jr. as Ice Cube, Corey Hawkins as Dr. Dre, Jason Mitchell as Eazy-E, Aldis Hodge as MC Ren, Neil Brown, Jr. as DJ Yella, R. Marcos Taylor as Suge Knight, and Paul Giamatti as Jerry Heller) most of whom bare a striking resemblance to their real-world counterparts and sell us on the complicated relationships of the group and their musical ability.

…

Straight Outta ComptonRead More »

Straight Outta Compton Read More »

Mockingjay Part 2

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2
  • IMDb: link

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 concludes the adventures of Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), a dead-eyed girl from District 12 whose only heroic action over the course of the series took place near the beginning of the first film. I don’t know if the original books on which the movies were based are any good, but the films themselves are one (small) step above torture porn with the least-interesting love triangle ever conceived thrown in for good measure. Do we care who Katniss ends up with? Not really. And because the movies have shown her to be largely unimportant as anything more than a symbol it’s hard to invest any emotion in her journey or its outcome.

Picking up immediately following the events of the last film, Katniss licks her wounds and plans her revenge against President Snow (Donald Sutherland) for turning one of the men she kinda, sorta, loves (i.e. leads on) into a brainwashed killing machine. The fact that Snow is the head of a corrupt government with the blood of thousands on his hands isn’t much of a concern for our heroine who has decided murdering an old man with her own hands is the only form of justice she is willing to accept.

…

Mockingjay Part 2Read More »

Mockingjay Part 2 Read More »