Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens

Thirty years after the defeat of Emperor Palpatine, Darth Vader and the Galactic Empire, the galaxy is threatened once again from a far more dangerous enemy: the First Order. Risen from the ashes of the Empire, the First Order seeks to continue the Empire's goal of complete galactic domination. Headed by Supreme Leader Snoke and his Dark Jedi apprentice Kylo Ren, in order to fulfill their destiny as the dominating force the First Order must find all of the separated pieces of a map which could lead to the whereabouts of Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker, who has gone missing for a good portion of the last thirty years. The Resistance races to find the map before the First Order so they can put a stop to the murderous regime.


DISCLAIMER: I WILL DO MY BEST TO STAY AWAY FROM MAJOR SPOILERS FOR THOSE WHO HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO SEE THE MOVIE YET, HOWEVER I MAY HAVE TO GIVE SOME MINOR SPOILER DETAILS IN ORDER TO GIVE MY FULL REVIEW. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.


As a huge Star Wars fan, I was really looking forward to seeing The Force Awakens. I'm not ashamed to admit I was actually counting down the days leading up to its release I was so excited. Coming out of the theater, I can thankfully say that J.J. Abrams effectively recaptured the magic of the original trilogy that was lost in the prequels (not to say the prequels were entirely horrible, they all have their redeeming values, but still...). It's been a long time since I've been in a movie where 2 hours goes by and it feels like only 30 minutes. In some ways I both love and hate this, but Abrams manages to leave more questions than answers - some of which are almost obviously going to be answered in the next installment. 


I've heard people argue that The Force Awakens is basically a remake of A New Hope. I can see where they're coming from, but after thinking about it for a day or two since walking out of the theater, I can honestly say the story itself is different, but J.J. Abrams takes quite a few visual elements from A New Hope. The Starkiller base in which the First Order is located looks a heck of a lot like the Death Stars previously used in the original trilogy, only bigger and more devastating, this time embedded into an entire planet instead of a space station the size of a small moon. Kylo Ren seems to take on a similar role to Darth Vader, and Snoke can possibly be considered as a stand-in for Emperor Palpatine. All the visual cues from previous films evokes a sense of something the audience has seen before, but there's enough there in story, performance, and visuals to stay away from being a complete remake. It was awesome being able to see the old gang back together. I will say though, I am glad Abrams gives the newbies a chance to shine instead of this being a complete fan service film. Daisy Ridley and John Boyega as Rey and Finn respectively were great in each of their roles. In the beginning, Adam Driver as Kylo Ren was great, but there were parts almost reminiscent of Hayden Christiansen as Anakin Skywalker in the prequels where he came off more like a spoiled brat than a true villain. I hope to see more development of his character into a true villain in Episode VIII, because I was left wanting more from him. Same goes for a few other characters, it almost seemed like The Force Awakens was just the beginning and their true character development would be in Episode VIII. Not necessarily a bad thing in the long run, but for me it brought the overall movie down from being the best in the franchise to probably second or third best. 


In the end, I can easily say that longtime Star Wars fans and casual fans alike will without a doubt love The Force Awakens (this is already evident considering there are reports of it already reaching an estimated $120.5 million in its opening day, and projected to be over $200 million by the end of the weekend). I know I sure did. I can already tell you I'm personally going to see it at least 1-2 more times in the theater and then buy once it gets released on DVD.

Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966)

The Grinch hates anything and everything having to do with Christmas. Living next to the little town of Whoville doesn't make things any easier. For 53 years he's put up with the Whos in Whoville participating in their Christmas traditions. He soon has enough, and plans something evil - to stop Christmas from coming to the good people of Whoville. And so he takes a sled and some bags, and goes down to the town to steal all the toys and decorations so the Whos wake up with a frown. But as he makes he makes his way back, his plan falls apart. Could it be that the Grinch is beginning to have a change of heart?

This visual retelling of one of the more popular stories by Dr. Seuss is without a doubt one of the best Christmas specials ever. What makes it so wonderful is not only the narration by the legendary actor Boris Karloff - who also voices the Grinch himself - but the animation itself is very well done. The song Mr. Grinch is also positively evil and yet at the same time a whole lot of fun. It's one of the rare occasions where the TV/film adaptation is just as good, if not better, than the source material. Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966) is one of the few Christmas movies I make sure I see at least once every year during the holidays, I love it that much. I personally would consider it a true Christmas classic.

White Christmas

After having served together during World War II, Bob Wallace and Phil Davis pick their lives back up where they left off by joining together as a song-and-dance routine act. Pretty soon the act becomes so popular, they are wanted in venues all across the country. As their fame skyrockets, Phil gets worried that Bob won't settle down and start a family before it's too late. As Phil tries to figure out what to do, he and Bob get a letter from an old Army pal telling them about his two sisters who are trying to make their own way in show business. Their friend asks them for a favor in taking a look at the act and giving some pointers to help out the sisters. As Bob and Phil meet the Haynes sisters, they all get along very well, and Phil gets the bright idea to romantically connect the older sister Betty with Bob. At the same time Phil tries to pull this off, he and Bob run into their former commanding officer, General Waverly. As they catch up, Bob realizes how much the General misses the Army, so he concocts a plan to reconnect the entire 151st Division and have them meet together at the General's business, the Columbia Inn. Things get complicated as the two men attempt to get all this together without the General knowing, all while Phil (and at this point the younger sister Judy as well) still tries to get Bob and Betty together. But, with a little careful planning - and a bit of luck - it just might be a wonderful(ly) "White Christmas" after all.

White Christmas ranks very high on my all time favorite holiday classics. If I had to put a specific rank, I'm not sure if it would make my top 5, but it's safe to say it makes my top 10 overall. It's a classic musical that has songs that are easily recognizable, and fun to sing along to. Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Vera-Ellen, and Rosemary Clooney are all simply wonderful in the lead roles. I'm a huge fan of musicals, and this is one I can't seem to get enough of. It hasn't turned into a tradition yet to make sure I watch it every Christmas, but I'm beginning to think I should do so. For those who love song-and-dance/musicals, and not to mention are Bing Crosby fans, I would highly recommend seeking this one out if you haven't seen it yet. Seriously, I can't recommend it enough.

The Ref

Caroline and Lloyd are a bickering married couple of 15 years who have been trying to get their marriage back on track by going to therapy, though lately it doesn't seem to be working. They're up to their necks in debt to Lloyd's mother, their son - who is in military school - has been blackmailing other cadets over personal indiscretions, and Lloyd's extended family is a bunch of dysfunctional people who frequently attempt to get into their (and everyone else's) business. On one such occasion around Christmas Eve, when everything seems to be going especially wrong, Lloyd and Caroline are kidnapped by a burglar trying to get out of the area before he is apprehended by the authorities. Hilarity ensues as the couple try to act as if everything's fine so no one gets suspicious about their new guest during Christmas.

The Ref is a hilarious, and well done comedy with Kevin Spacey, Denis Leary, and Judy Davis as Lloyd, Gus the burglar, and Caroline, respectively. It does get a bit raunchy at times, so I wouldn't recommend it to the younger crowd, but for the more adult audience it's well worth watching. I'd say The Ref is probably one of my favorite performances by both Kevin Spacey and Denis Leary, each of them had me almost literally doubled over laughing with some of the best jokes. It's a comedy I can easily see myself watching over and over and not get tired of it. If you haven't seen it you should check it out for yourself.

Christmas with the Kranks

Every year, Luther and Nora Krank go all out with their Christmas celebrations. They always get the biggest tree, put up a Frosty the Snowman, and throw a huge party for the neighbors. Not to mention, they always make several donations to charities. This year, however, their daughter Blair joined the Peace Corps, so Luther has the bright idea go on a 10-day cruise to the Caribbean, and in doing so skip their annual Christmas celebrations. This riles up the town, and they try to get Luther and Nora to change their minds and stay home. The Kranks resist until they get a phone call from Blair saying she's coming home for a surprise Christmas visit. Nothing could possibly go wrong...right?

Christmas with the Kranks is a pretty funny comedy with some solid performances from both Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis as Luther and Nora Krank. It's also got some sweet messages about the Christmas spirit and spending the holidays with your loved ones. It's not my favorite holiday comedy, but I still enjoy watching it whenever it shows up on TV, or watching it with friends and/or family. That being said, I'm glad that it didn't really do that well to warrant a sequel. In today's day and age where practically every movie gets a sequel - or, so it feels like it anyways - I'm happy that this one's been left alone. If you haven't seen this one yet, fans of both Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis will assuredly enjoy this holiday comedy. It's no classic, but enjoyable.

Frosty the Snowman (1969)

Ah, winter can be a magical time - just ask Karen. You see, she and the other children were playing out in the first snow of the season (which just happened to fall on the day before Christmas) and so they soon decided to build a snowman. As they built it, they used a corncob pipe, a button nose, and two eyes made out of coal. They then used a hat from Professor Hinkle, a professor moonlighting as a (very bad) magician to place on his head. When they did..well, something magical happened.

Normally, as an adult, when it comes to movies I would prefer something with a little more substance and depth to it. However, there's just something about this Christmas classic that manages to me into the Christmas spirit every time. I've always loved the Christmas season to begin with, and watching this classic every year has become somewhat of a tradition. I always try to catch it when it's on TV during this time of year. I wish there were more like this one that I could consider classic, but these days there's not really anything that quite captures the feeling that Frosty does. If you haven't seen Frosty the Snowman (1969), well then you're missing out on a truly wonderful - and simply magical - classic.

Love Actually

It's been said how love is hard to find these days. At the same time, it's also no secret how Christmas can be considered as a prime time to find love in even the most awkward and random of places. Set against the backdrop of an old, washed up rocker looking to make a comeback with a holiday re-imagining of his hit song from years ago, nine peoples' stories of love are intertwined. Each person, in the course of four weeks leading up to Christmas Eve, experiences love and romance in a variety of ways.

Love Actually is another one of those films that presents a conundrum for me. On the one hand, I loved the story. It felt genuine without being too much of a gushy, uncomfortably sweet romantic film which would feel more at home on the Hallmark channel rather than a theatrical release. Not to mention, it was surprisingly actually very funny for an R-rated comedy. I haven't seen too many of those lately. On the other hand, there were quite a few scenes where, though partially expected since it is rated R, I felt like the film overall could have been so much better and funnier had it toned down some of the content and had been PG13. For example, one of the characters whose story we watch unfold meets their lover on the set of a porn film. I could think of countless situations that would have been better than that one. I get that the point of Love Actually was how love can be found in the most unexpected places, but as I mentioned, there are a ton of other scenarios which would have been better.

Still, despite these misgivings, I really did enjoy Love Actually overall. I don't know if I will ever watch it again, but I thought it was good seeing it this once. However, I'm still on the fence on whether or not to recommend it.

I'll Be Home for Christmas

Jake Wilkinson is a selfish, spoiled college kid who would rather spend time with his girlfriend Allie rather than his own family. Not only that, he's developed a reputation at school for finding ways to cheat and "help" the jocks keep up their grades. Even though Jake already made plans for Christmas to spend it with Allie on the beach, Jake's father calls him and makes him a deal: if he can make it home before 6 pm on Christmas Eve, Jake will get his father's Porsche as a gift. Jake makes every effort to make it home before 6, but a series of unfortunate events keep getting in the way. Along the trip, Jake meets different people who help him to understand the true meaning of Christmas and gain a better respect and love for those around him.

I'll Be Home for Christmas isn't the greatest comedy I've ever seen - heck, I wouldn't even put it on my top 20. It's got one of the most basic plots of a road trip where things go horribly wrong that has been done more times than I can count. I also found the acting to be a bit wooden as well, though Jonathan Taylor Thomas and Jessica Biel were good. To be honest though, what it lacks in story and acting, it made up for in the *ahem* Christmas spirit. There were times I had to roll my eyes at the obvious moments of emotional awkwardness, but thankfully it was never too much to make me hate it as a whole. I hadn't seen it before, but I've heard quite a bit from others who had seen it, and I'm glad I watched it. It's one of those I probably won't watch every chance I get, but I would still see it multiple times. It's not a Christmas classic, but it is pretty fun.

Home Alone

At some point, every kid entertains the idea of being out on their own. No parents to bother them, they don't have to do chores like making the bed, and they can do/eat/say whatever the heck they want. Few people get the chance to actually live out that fantasy as a kid. Kevin McCallister feels that way about his family. The youngest in a large family, he often feels left out and ignored. After a particularly rough Christmas as the family is preparing for a trip to Paris, Kevin makes that fateful wish that his family was out of his life. Unbeknownst to him, in a rush to get to the airport his family leaves him behind as he sleeps in the attic. Kevin sees this as a golden opportunity, until he comes across two bumbling idiot crooks trying to break into houses around the neighborhood, including Kevin's. Kevin tries to fend off the crooks as his family in Paris realizes he's back home alone and they attempt to make their way back.

Unlike practically every other person my age, I never grew up watching Home Alone. To be honest, it never really looked that good to me, so I never sought it out to watch it. 25 years later I finally sat down to watch it, and I can't see why people like it so much, let alone consider it a holiday classic. To me it was one of the most overrated and over-hyped movies I've ever seen - and that's saying a lot. The initial story was good, but poorly executed. About 20 minutes in I found myself frequently looking at the time wondering when it was going to end. For a comedy, I laughed at most a total of 2-3 times. It just felt like a over-hyped piece of junk. I'll admit, my opinion might have been different if I had seen it as a kid growing up like everyone else I know. However, as it stands, seeing it as an adult felt like a waste of two hours.

Fantastic Four

All his life, Reed Richards has wanted nothing but to do something great for humanity. It doesn't matter much what that thing is, just that it be something to help. Because of this drive, he - along with his best friend Ben Grimm - have worked on a project to come up with the working technology to make matter travel from one place to another without stepping on a train, airplane, or other vehicle (i.e. the mode of transportation used in Star Trek). For years, Reed's figured out how to get matter to one place, but he's never been able to bring that matter back to it's original position. That all changes during their high school senior science fair when Reed and Ben meet Dr. Franklin Storm and his daughter Sue. Dr. Franklin and Sue have been working on the same project for years, but have never gotten as far as Reed and Ben have. Dr. Franklin offers a a chance to work for an organization called the Baxter Foundation to fulfill Reed's lifelong dream of accomplishing something great for humanity. What none of the team realizes is how Reed's invention not only opened up a new way of transportation, but he also opened up a portal into another dimension.

I didn't see Fantastic Four until it was at the local dollar theater, primarily because of all the bad reviews it received almost universally. I wasn't really all that excited to begin with, I thought the previous two Fantastic Four movies were ok, but I was honestly hoping the rights would revert back to Marvel Studios. Yet again, I'm in the minority with this opinion, but I really didn't think the reboot was that bad. It was nowhere near a great movie like I was hoping, but neither was it boring or hard to follow like some reviews have made it out to  be. Story wise, it was pretty easy to follow, even into the convoluted plot by Dr. Doom in the second half of the film. Character wise, I thought - for the most part, anyways - each of the actors/actresses played their parts well enough. Sure, there were some points where it felt like they were just phoning in their performances so they weren't very convincing, but I thought each of them did well with the material they were given. I really don't understand the hate Fantastic Four received. I even thought Micael B. Jordan did well as the Human Torch/Johnny Storm. I used to be a purist when it came to casting beloved characters so well known, but over the years I've come to the belief that even though I may disagree with who was chosen to play a specific part, if the actor/actress did a good job with the part they were given it shouldn't matter too much whether or not they completely look/sound/act like their comic book/novel counterpart. The movie should be seen as its own stand alone story, rather than constantly viewed through the lens of what the original story was like.

If you haven't seen Fantastic Four yet, I honestly am not sure what to say. I liked it for what it was - an entertaining, but very flawed comic book movie. As evidenced by other reviews, I'm in the minority with that opinion. I do think you should go ahead and see it for yourself, but go in with low expectations.

The latest TV spot and new poster arrives for Creed

After two already intriguing trailers for the upcoming Rocky spinoff Creed, a third TV spot has been released, along with a new poster. The spinoff will star Micael B. Jordan as Adonis Creed, the son of Rocky Balboa's former rival-turned-friend Apollo Creed who tries to follow in his father's footsteps. The third trailer doesn't show as much as the first two, but it is no less intriguing to say the least.

I'm not a huge boxing fan, but I loved the first Rocky, and Creed looks like it could do well in continuing the legacy that Rocky started almost 40 years ago. I also firmly believe this could be another movie to truly showcase Michael B. Jordan's talents as an actor - not to mention get the bad taste of the major flop Fantastic Four out of everyone's mouths. As for the newly released poster, it's not the greatest or coolest poster I've ever seen, but I'm glad it steered away from the stereotypical image of the main character standing with their back turned with an inspirational quote, or even from putting the main character(s) in the middle of the poster with the supporting cast surrounding in a circle, almost like a clock. I have to give it credit though, even though as a whole it could be better, it does feel like it fits the tone of the film. I can't say Creed is one of my most anticipated of the year, but I'm still majorly excited and looking forward to it.

Creed is directed by Ryan Coogler, written by both Coogler and Aaron Covington. It'll make its way into theaters later this year on November 26, 2015.


Source: First Showing

Sony Pictures debuts the first teaser trailer for Angry Birds

In what might amount to one of the most unnecessary (but could admittedly potentially be good...but that feels like a big 'if') adaptations ever, the Angry Birds video game is making the jump to the big screen with Sony Pictures producing, and first-time directors Clay Kaytis and Fergal Reilly at the helm. Both Clay and Fergal had previously worked on numerous animated films in the animation and arts departments before moving on to adapt Angry Birds.

I'll be honest, I enjoyed the Angry Birds iPhone game back when it first came out a few years ago. Well, ok, I was more into the Star Wars I & II spinoffs rather than the original game or any of the other spinoffs. That being said, the first time I heard they were making a feature film about the destructive flying birds and their pig nemeses, I wasn't really sure it was a good idea. The game itself barely has a storyline, if any storyline at all, so to make a movie it would have to do something completely different. The new teaser doesn't do much to ease my concern that it'll turn out to be a good movie. I do hope I'm wrong, but I'm cautious. Hopefully when the next full trailer arrives my concern will subside.

Angry Birds will crash its way into theaters May 20th, 2016.



Source: First Showing

The Peanuts final trailer debuts

Charlie Brown, Snoopy,  and the rest of the Peanuts gang is back in an all-new animated adventure, as 20th Century Fox released the final trailer for Peanuts. Fans of the original Peanuts comic strip, as well as the cartoon specials such as It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown and A Charlie Brown Christmas should rest assured that the latest 3D animation adaptation looks like it will stay faithful to the source material.

Written by Peanuts comic strip creator Charles Schultz's sons Craig and Bryan Schultz, and directed by Steve Martino (Ice Age: Continental Drift, Horton Hears a Who), Peanuts will follow Charlie Brown as he clumsily attempts to impress the new girl who just moved into the neighborhood. 20th Century Fox will produce the film alongside Blue Sky Animation, and will make its way into theaters on November 6, just in time for the 65th anniversary of the original comic strip, as well as the 50th anniversary of A Charlie Brown Christmas. I grew up reading Peanuts, and watching each of the specials as they appeared on TV, so I'm very excited to see it come to life for a new generation. It looks like it will be a very fun, and faithful, adaptation.

Source: First Showing

Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials

Ever since Thomas and his friends escaped the Glade, they've been trying to find out why they were put in the Glade and why. As it turns out, an organization called W.C.K.D is behind their entrapment, and the teens soon find out that they are being used as experiments to find a cure for a disease, which appeared during a world-wide catastrophe, called the Flare. They eventually escape the Glade and, with the help of some local soldiers who come to their rescue, they make their way to an underground facility to recover. Unfortunately, they soon realize they cannot trust anyone when they discover W.C.K.D. is in control of the facility, and this is just another test. To avoid the clutches of W.C.K.D. Thomas and his friends escape the facility and out into the desert, and must navigate their way to mountains nearby if they want to survive.

When I saw the first Maze Runner back in 2014, I thought it was a fantastic action thriller based on a young adult series. The Scorch Trials is no different - it's fast paced, full of action and suspense, with an interesting story to go along with it. I can't say how well either one sticks to the books, I haven't read them yet, but for what it's worth the movies are well done. For once, when certain characters die or get hurt I actually got attached to them, rather than feeling nothing. As far as sequels go, The Scorch Trials isn't quite as good as The Maze Runner, but it's still very entertaining. I was on the edge of my seat for a lot of the film waiting to see what unfolds. It makes me want to go and read the books now. The Scorch Trials is a great action-packed end of the summer blockbuster that is a whole lot of fun.

War Room

When war is mentioned, people's minds tend to turn to physical fighting, like World War I and II. Some might even think of the Cold War, where the battles were fought by countries racing to build up their arms cache first. But there is another type of war which is not fought through physical means, but rather with words. Prayer, to be exact.

Elizabeth and Tony Jordan have a rocky marriage. Tony is a successful pharmaceutical sales rep who doesn't miss an opportunity to remind his wife just how successful he is at providing for their family. Elizabeth works for a real estate company, and makes good money on her own, but pales in comparison to Tony. Elizabeth also has a brother-in-law who lost his job, so her sister asks Elizabeth to help for a bit while her husband searches for a job. Elizabeth and Tony argue about whether or not to help them out, among other issues, which drive them further and further from each other. In the midst of this is 10 year old Danielle, who just wants her parents back and for their family to be like it used to.

When Elizabeth and Tony's marriage is at its darkest, Elizabeth meets a client named Clara, who initially wants Elizabeth's help in selling her house. As time passes, however, Clara and Elizabeth develop a deep friendship that turns into more of a discipleship relationship as Clara helps Elizabeth renew her faith in God and fall on his guidance through prayer, mainly through the use of a quiet space Clara dubs the "war room". Elizabeth is resistant at first, but soon she fully embraces the concept and creates her own "war room". As she does she sees some pretty impressive improvements, not only in herself, but in her marriage as well.

To give a review of War Room, I'm going to have to recall some things I mentioned in my review of Courageous . I previously mentioned how people have argued that they wished Christian filmmakers would give more attention to the overall production of their films so that they are on the same level as mainstream Hollywood, while others have argued how Christian films tend to not fully portray real life very well. There are still others who have said you can easily watch a mainstream Hollywood film and get the same 'Christian' elements without it outright being 'preachy'. I won't go into too much detail in my thoughts on these, as I already did so in my review of Courageous. What I will say, is War Room is a step in the right direction, and while some will still not like War Room for the reasons I stated above, I feel like others should be satisfied with the effort War Room makes. It's nowhere near perfect, of course, but I left the theater completely happy with the result.

For me personally, I absolutely loved War Room. It has what I found to be a pretty compelling story, with interesting (and funny) characters. It's interesting, but the main characters - Elizabeth and Tony Jordan - actually aren't the most interesting characters. I was able to be invested in their story unfolding onscreen, but not as much as I would have liked. It's Ms. Clara who steals the show in War Room. She felt like the most genuine and honest character out of everyone onscreen. I won't go into too much detail, but towards the end Clara goes into a powerful and moving dialogue meant to be an earnest prayer towards God. To me that is one of the things that made the movie great.

As mentioned above, not everyone will find War Room good. But for those who want something different that what mainstream Hollywood has to offer, it is a wonderfully done alternative.

Man from U.N.C.L.E.

During the peak of the Cold War in the 1960's, C.I.A. agent Napoleon Solo is a former con artist forced to work with the C.I.A. when he gets caught in a heist gone bad. While on a mission in Germany to get a scientist's daughter named Gaby out from behind the Berlin Wall, Solo runs into a man named Illya Kuryakin, a Russian spy who has a penchant for shooting first and asking questions later, as well as some possible deep-rooted father issues. Solo escapes from Berlin with Gaby, only to meet up with his superiors later to find out they have teamed up with the Russians to find a weapons dealer who has several dirty bombs. Solo and Kuryakin have a hard road ahead of them with both the mission and working out their distrust with each other. 

Man from U.N.C.L.E. is based on a TV show that aired way before my time (I was born in the 1990's and the show aired during the '60's), so I wasn't as familiar with the concept going in as I probably should have been. That being said, before I saw the movie I had heard mixed reviews - mostly bad. It's not the best comedy I've ever seen, of course, but it is totally worth seeing. I disagree with the bad reviews it's received so far. It would have been better if it had not had a stereotypical action story that's been done thousands of times, but for what it's worth Henry Cavill and Armie Hammer are able to make a so-so script totally enjoyable. So far this year has been kind of a bust for me as far as finding good movies, which is disappointing as there have been many I was looking forward to seeing; but thankfully Man from U.N.C.L.E. is one of the good ones.

Fox Searchlight Pictures debuts new trailer and poster for Youth

Fox Searchlight Pictures released their official U.S. trailer for Youth, the latest film by Paolo Sorrentino. Starring Michael Caine, the film follows an elderly retired composer who goes on a retreat in the Swiss Alps with his old friend (Harvey Keitel), who is a filmmaker. While there, they get into some interesting - sometimes existential - conversations with the other local patrons at the retreat.

Just from the 2-3  minute trailer, I'm very interested in seeing Youth when it comes out. I've loved every movie I've seen Michael Caine and Harvey Keitel in, not to mention that they are joined by a strong supporting cast: Rachel Weisz, Paul Dano, Jane Fonda, and Ed Stoppard. Youth looks to be a pretty funny, yet sweet film sure to be a hit during awards season.



Youth will first make an appearance at the Cannes Film Festival, and then be released in a limited engagement on December 4, 2015.

Source: First Showing

Disney has hired Jurassic World's Colin Trevorrow to direct Star Wars IX

Jurassic World's director, Colin Trevorrow, has found his next project with Star Wars: Episode IX. It had been previously rumored for quite some time that he was being considered by Disney and Lucasfilm to direct, but it was confirmed earlier this year during the D23 Expo in California. In an official press release by Disney on the Star Wars website, "...While production won’t begin for a few years, Trevorrow is heading to Lucasfilm this year to begin working with artists and his fellow Star Wars directors."

Also as part of the press release, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy stated that "...Colin is someone I’ve been interested in working with ever since I saw Safety Not Guaranteed...The power of that film paired with the enormous success of Jurassic World speaks volumes about his abilities both as a storyteller and skilled filmmaker. We are thrilled to have such an incredible talent as Colin join our family and step into the Star Wars universe."

Colin himself seemed pretty excited to enter into the Star Wars universe: “This is not a job or an assignment. It is a seat at a campfire, surrounded by an extraordinary group of storytellers, filmmakers, artists and craftspeople. We’ve been charged with telling new stories for a younger generation because they deserve what we all had—a mythology to call their own. We will do this by channeling something George Lucas instilled in all of us: boundless creativity, pure invention and hope.”

Now that Colin is directing Episode IX, all but two Star Wars films have a director attached. Josh Trank was going to direct a second Star Wars spin off, but with his Fantastic Four adaptation drastically failing at the box office, he has stepped away from the project. As of now, the lineup of directors is: J.J. Abrams (Star Wars: Episode VII), Rian Johnson (Episode VIII), Colin Trevorrow (Episode IX), Gareth Edwards (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story). A Han Solo origin film is planned but is being pushed back until 2018, and since Josh Trank left his project, there is not a new director attached.

I haven't seen Safety Not Guaranteed, but I did see Jurassic World (which you can read my review here), and despite not being that big of a fan overall, I do have to give Colin credit for making a very entertaining movie. While I am a bit skeptical, I'm willing to give him a chance to see what he can bring to the Star Wars universe.

Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens will arrive in theaters December 18, 2015; Episode VIII will arrive May 26, 2017; Episode IX will come out two years later in 2019 on a currently unknown date; Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is due out December 16, 2016.



Source: First Showing and Star Wars

Mad Max: Fury Road

In the bleak and dry dystopian desert of Australia, things like water and fuel are more precious than even diamonds or gold. Control water and fuel, and you can control the masses. Immortan Joe built an empire by accomplishing this. In a stone citadel he hoards water, only letting his people receive a small portion per day. The fuel he steals from other clans during raiding missions, using it to power his war machines. During one such raid, Immortan Joe is betrayed by one of his generals from his makeshift army named Imperator Furiosa. Furiosa escapes with several of Immortan Joe's concubines, and attempts to flee across the Australian wasteland in search of a place rumored to be green with life. Along the way Furiosa comes across a lone drifter named Max, who helps them escape from Immortan Joe and his army. 

I'm just going to come right out and say it - Mad Max: Fury Road has earned a spot on my top 5 worst movies to come out this year. About 20 minutes in I was very seriously considering walking out of the theater - and I probably should have - but I decided to finish it and give it a chance. I waited to see it until it was at the local dollar theater, and even then I thought it was a waste of money. There aren't very many movies that make me feel that strongly. There was barely any story to tell, the acting all around sucked, and even Mad Max who was supposed to be the main character was barely in the movie. I was excited to see it beforehand due to all the hype from friends and other people who had seen it and loved it, as well as the fact that I had seen the first Mad Max with Mel Gibson and enjoyed it. Unfortunately, Fury Road was nowhere near worth it. For the people who are adrenaline junkies and love movies with literally nonstop action from start to finish, then I guess you would actually like it. For the rest of you, it's better if you skip it. It's not even worth a rental in my opinion.

Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation

If there's anything to be said about Ethan Hunt, it should be noted that he is the go-to guy for getting the job done, no matter the cost. Sure, a building - or two - might be reduced to rubble in the process, or the bad guy might see a grave instead of the inside of a jail cell, but at least Ethan saves the day in the end. After almost 20 years, however, it seems the U.S. government has had enough of Hunt's escapades and proceeds to try and shut him and the rest of the Impossible Missions Force (IMF) down for good. In the world of spies, "shutting down" basically boils down to "kill or be killed". Never mind the lingering issue of a rogue spy network trying to eliminate the IMF and take over the world, Ethan Hunt now has to watch his every step to avoid his own government from catching him. It's a mission that on the outside seems...impossible.

I'm a huge fan of the Mission: Impossible series, and before I saw Rogue Nation, I considered Mission Impossible 2 to be the best in the series. After seeing Rogue Nation, I had to go back and watch the rest in the series to see how each holds up after not seeing any of them for so long. Since then, I think I would have to change my order of favorites. From most favorite to least, I think I'd have to put them in the following order: Ghost Protocol, Rogue Nation,  MI:3, Mission: Impossible, and MI:2. Looking back I'm not sure what I saw in MI:2 to make it my favorite, but whatever it was, I must have either forgotten it, or saw something different when watching it after a few years that made me like it less. I do still love the entire series though. I've heard Tom Cruise is already working on a sixth Mission: Impossible. I'm looking forward to seeing what he can come up with next. Oh, and not to mention, I am seriously hoping Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, and Jeremy Renner all return for the next film.

Inside Out

Change can be a scary thing, especially when that change involves moving away from home to a whole new place. 11 year old Riley knows the feeling all too well - she and her parents moved from her home in Minnesota to San Francisco to start a new life when Riley's dad begins a new job. Deep within the recesses of her brain at the main control center, Riley's core emotions - Joy, Sadness, Anger, Disgust, and Fear - try to help her cope with the change. Things seem to go well until Sadness gets ahold of some core memories and makes Riley fall into a pretty deep depression. In an attempt to fix the damage, Joy and Sadness are separated from the others and must navigate their way back into the main control center if they want to help Riley get over her depression and cope with her new surroundings.

The one thing I've always loved about Pixar is their ability to make movies geared towards kids, but have adult messages and content so that parents can enjoy them as well. It's no different with Inside Out. Inside Out goes into some pretty deep stuff with the concept of emotions and dealing with change, but also keeps its child-like spirit at heart with the humor and colorful characters Pixar is known for. Going in, I wasn't exactly sure what to expect - the trailers made it look funny, but also one geared more towards younger kids than kids of all ages. Thankfully, that wasn't the case. However, I found Inside Out to be slightly overrated, to be honest. It was funny, had an engaging story and all that, but to me the emotional depth wasn't anywhere near as strong as other Pixar films such as Toy Story 3, Monster's Inc., or even Up. Some of the sad parts meant to make a tear come to your eye felt forced. I ended up enjoying Inside Out, but I also left the theater wanting something more. I wanted to be more emotionally attached, but I wasn't. That was probably the most disappointing thing to realize.

Avengers: Age of Ultron

Since the events in New York involving Loki and the Chitauri, the Avengers have tried to keep the peace around the world. While things have been quiet for some time, the thought on everyone's mind is when the next big attack is coming. To combat these feelings and get ready for whatever big threat is coming Tony Stark, a.k.a. Iron Man, comes across an old artificial intelligence program called the Ultron program and decides to implement it into his own Iron Legion so that the Avengers can protect the world without actually being there. Bruce Banner, a.k.a. The Incredible Hulk, gets wind of Tony's plan and warns him that they don't understand the program enough to even consider using it as a defense program. Stark doesn't listen, and as a result he resurrects an artificial intelligence that becomes powerful and bent on the destruction of the human race. Iron Man, the Hulk, and the rest of the Avengers must now work together to somehow defeat an enemy far stronger, faster, and smarter than any of them have ever faced.

Out of all the movies in the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), there's really only been three I thought were good, yet probably wouldn't ever watch again: Iron Man 3, Thor 2, and Age of Ultron. Funny thing is, all three seem to have the same problem of focusing more on humor and setting up future MCU movies rather than focusing on setting up its own stand alone story. To its credit, out of all three movies Age of Ultron had the least amount of issues of setting up the upcoming Captain America: Civil War and Infinity War part 1 & 2, and failing to craft a good story around it. I did appreciate how the audience got to see more of Hawkeye's background, so his character was a bit more fleshed out than in the first Avengers movie; the same goes for Black Widow's character.  I can only hope the things being set up for future movies are worth sitting through Age of Ultron. Otherwise I'll be even more disappointed than I originally was. Not to say Age of Ultron was completely bad, but I was expecting so much more.

Jurassic World

20 years ago, John Hammond captivated people around the world by creating a theme park built to house real, live dinosaurs, not just props or animatronics. His dream was to use the park as an educational experience, as well as a scientific facility. That dream turned into a nightmare when one of the dinosaurs escaped and wreaked havoc on the park, leaving it to a paleontologist to save the day. Fast forward to the present, and a new park has been opened, and all of the mistakes previously made have been taken care of and the new park has been running smoothly. So smoothly, in fact, that business has stagnated, so investors demand new advances in attractions in order to bump up the numbers. As a result, the scientists in charge of the park have worked hard to both resurrect previously extinct dinosaurs, as well as new variations created by combining DNA of different species into one dinosaur. The result of these experiments ends up being a massive dinosaur called the Indominus Rex. Hoping to be the next big attraction, the park's staff release the Indominus Rex onto the island. Nothing can go wrong. With all of their precautions it's not like this new creation can break out of its cage and start terrorizing the island. Or can it?

I'll be honest, unlike the majority of my generation who grew up with Jurassic Park, I was never *that* big of a fan. I mean, I liked it of course, but it's nowhere near my top 10 films ever. Quite frankly, I'm not even sure if I'd put it in my top 20. With that said, I wasn't necessarily looking forward to watching Jurassic World when it was announced. I waited about a week after it was released to go see it, unlike everyone else I know who went opening night. After seeing it,  I will say that it was more entertaining than I was expecting, but I also still think it's a bit overrated. If anything, I thought it didn't really bring much new to the table that Jurassic Park hadn't 20+ years ago. Being the fourth in the franchise, I'm actually really surprised it's lasted this long. Granted, I haven't actually seen the second or third films, but everything I've heard is that they were the same stories except with different dinosaurs used, as well as being on different islands. If this series continues they're going to have to get really creative on setting up future installments, because the same "create park, fill it with dinosaurs, have them escape and wreak havoc" concept is getting old pretty fast. That might be just me who thinks that, but I can't help but wonder how this series can continue past maybe one more installment. Even that is pushing it to me. It also makes me wonder if Jurassic World would have been such a big box office smash if it had been the first in the franchise instead of the fourth. I don't doubt it would have been a box office hit, but I'd be willing to bet money it would not have been anywhere near as high. Time will tell if this dino-monster series can keep the entertainment value high on the next installment or two.

Rambo: Last Blood will begin shooting after Rocky spinoff

After a few years of unconfirmed rumors of a fifth Rambo heading to theaters, it seems as though the project is finally coming to fruition. Last summer Sylvester Stallone hinted at his return to the franchise with the foreign film company Splendid Film buying the rights to Rambo 5, as well as hiring Conan the Barbarian writer Sean Hood to write the screenplay. A few weeks ago in December, Stallone officially confirmed on Twitter that he would be heading to Philadelphia to work on Creed (the spin-off of Rocky), and once he was finished he would move on to the next Rambo installment - officially titled Rambo: Last Blood. Sylvester Stallone also confirmed that he would be working on a gangster movie titled Scarpa, based on the real life gangster Greg Scarpa.

There is little else known about the next installment in the Rambo franchise, except for confirmation that rumors of the story being a sci-fi military film are false, and Splendid Film saying that "....with Rambo V, Sylvester Stallone returns in his iconic role. This time he goes up against a Mexican cartel. Stallone describes the new Rambo as his version of No Country for Old Men.” So far there is no indication on whether or not Sean Hood's version of the script will be used, or if there will be additional rewrites. Personally, I kind of hope his version gets used, there were rumors that his script would return the tone to that of First Blood. First Blood has been my favorite so far in the franchise. As production wraps up on Creed, there should be more information on a release date, as well as who else besides Stallone is attached to the project.


Source: First Showing