Alita: Battle Angel

Set several centuries in the future, the abandoned Alita is found in the scrapyard of Iron City by Ido, a compassionate cyber-doctor who takes the unconscious cyborg Alita to his clinic. When Alita awakens, she has no memory of who she is, nor does she have any recognition of the world she finds herself in. As Alita learns to navigate her new life and the treacherous streets of Iron City, Ido tries to shield her from her mysterious past.

I'm unfamiliar with the Japanese manga called Gunnm, of which Alita: Battle Angel is based on. I feel like I should have done a little bit of research into the manga in order to maybe have a better understanding of the story, characters, etc. Alita: Battle Angel is light on plot, but heavy in the stylized action. This made for a visually stunning, but somewhat confusing movie. It didn't help that the movie ended on a cliffhanger. I wasn't expecting to have every single detail about the story spelled out over the course of the movie, but I do think there should have been a bit more for the audience to understand, especially those - such as myself - who've never read nor heard of the original source material. For instance, there's a discussion about a war that happened 300 years prior to the movies events unfolding. I would have liked to get just a small amount of info on what that war was about. 

That's not to say I didn't enjoy it. I enjoyed it a lot. However, I do wish more time was spent developing the story and focusing on the world-building instead of on the action and setting the movie up for the next movie. I did enjoy the performances, particularly that of Rosa Salazar as Alita, and Keean Johnson as Hugo. I liked the character of Dr. Ido, played by the masterful Christoph Waltz, but again, I felt there was something missing.

Overall, I would actually still recommend Alita: Battle Angel. It's still a very fun movie. As far as manga/anime live action adaptations go, this was far better than Ghost in the Shell or even the live action Death Note. Also, I unintentionally saw this in 3D (wasn't paying attention to the ticket I bought). I didn't think 3D really added anything to the movie. So far, the only 3D movies I've ever seen where the technology was effectively used was Avatar and Life of Pi. 

The Green Mile

Paul Edgecomb walked the mile with a variety of cons. He had never encountered someone like John Coffey, a massive black man convicted of brutally killing a pair of young sisters. Coffey had the size and strength to kill anyone, but not the demeanor. Beyond his simple, naive nature and a deathly fear of the dark, Coffey seemed to possess a prodigious, supernatural gift. Paul began to question whether Coffey was truly guilty of murdering the two girls.

I can't count how many times I've caught The Green Mile on tv in the middle or at the end of the movie. Up until now I've never had the chance to see the entire thing. I finally got the chance recently when I was up late one night (thank you insomnia!). I've always heard how great it is, and after watching it, it's even better than what I've heard. There's only a handful of movies I'd consider legitimately perfect - The Godfather and Gladiator are two of them - and I'd add The Green Mile to that short list. The entire cast did a phenomenal job, especially Tom Hanks as Paul Edgecomb, but the one performance that really drew me in was Michael Clarke Duncan as John Coffey ("...like the drink, but spelled different..."). His performance as the quiet - though kind of stereotypical - "gentle giant" of sorts is hands down one of the best onscreen performances I've ever seen on film. I've mentioned before how I rarely get truly and fully emotional watching movies, but man, watching Michael as John Coffey during his final long monologue when he's talking to Tom Hank's character named Paul Edgecomb really got to me. Easily one of the best, most emotional scenes I've ever witnessed. When John tells Paul "...I'm tired boss...Mostly I'm tired of people being ugly to each other. I'm tired of all the pain I feel and hear in the world everyday. There's too much of it. It's like pieces of glass in my head all the time...", it's one of those rare instances where I actually felt that emotion hit me like a stab in the heart. I only wish I could have that kind of experience more often.

I should also mention that I was kind of surprised to learn that The Green Mile was first a story written by Stephen King. I knew it was a book, but never knew it was from King. I'm mostly only familiar with King's horror stories (Carrie, IT, The Shining, etc.). Overall I'm not the biggest fan of Stephen King, but watching The Green Mile actually made me want to seek out Stephen King's stories and see what else he's done that's not necessarily in the horror genre. The only other stories I'm currently aware of is The Shawshank Redemption and Stand by Me. 

All of that to say, if you haven't had the pleasure to experience the epitome of storytelling magic that is The Green Mile, then do yourself a favor and seek it out. Without a doubt I'd consider it one of the greatest movies ever made.

Donnie Darko

During the presidential election of 1988, a teenager named Donnie Darko sleepwalks out of his house one night and sees a giant, demonic-looking rabbit named Frank, who tells him the world will end in 28 days. When Donnie returns home, he finds that a jet engine has crashed into his bedroom. Is Donnie living in a parallel universe, is he suffering from mental illness - or will the world really end?

Donnie Darko is one of those movie's I've heard so much about, yet never got around to seeing it until just recently. After watching it...well, for once I'm not sure exactly sure how I feel about it. It touches on so many subjects, from schizophrenia/mental illness to time travel and alternate dimensions. There's so much to unpack that it'll probably take me watching it multiple times to really understand. What I can say, from the time travel/alternate dimension angle, is whenever I see a movie or tv show have a story involving it I get pretty worried. It's far too easy to tackle such a subject and get so lost in its own ideas that it's almost like a chicken running around with its head cut off. With Donnie Darko, I'm going to have to watch it multiple times before I can determine whether or not that happens here.

As far as everything else, I love practically every role Jake Gyllenhaal takes on, but I believe he's at his best when he takes on these dark, mysterious roles. His best role to date is his turn as an unhinged freelance reporter in Nightcrawler, but for me Donnie Darko is up there among his best. I might have been confused with the rest of the movie, but that is one thing I'm sure of.

I can't really give a true "I recommend it" or "I don't recommend it" just yet, but if you enjoy darker tales, or ones that tackle subjects such as schizophrenia/mental illness or time travel/alternate dimensions, chances are you might like this one.

Mutiny on the Bounty (1935)

As the cruel captain of the HMS Bounty, a ship bound for Tahiti, William Bligh wins few friends. When the crew members finally tire of his abuse, Fletcher Christian leads a mutiny, resulting in Bligh's unceremonious removal from the ship. While Christian and the remaining crew sail on to Tahiti, Bligh becomes intent on exacting revenge, and he targets Roger Byam, a sailor who had actually tried to stop the mutiny.

An adaptation of the book of the same name, the 1935 version of Mutiny on the Bounty is great for the most part, with the personality of screen legend Clark Gable's calm and collected character of Fletcher Christian perfectly balanced in contrast to the ruthless, brash personality of Charles Laughton's Captain William Bligh.

The only thing that keeps me from saying "I loved it" is how much the story drags in the middle once the actual mutiny occurs and the mutinous crew head to Tahiti to live among the natives. Some of the scenes - though they were important in order to convey some growing animosity between Fletcher Christian and one or two crew members who didn't take part in the mutiny yet stayed on the ship as pseudo "captives" - in my eyes didn't quite get that feeling across very well, and as such they felt forced. Thankfully, it was only a couple of scenes, so by the time the story came close to the end where (MILD SPOILERS) a handful of the mutinous crew were caught and put on trial for their crime, everything feels more natural and effective overall in creating a good story.

It's been a long time since I've read the book version of the Mutiny on the Bounty, but from what I can remember this film adaptation is a quite good adaptation. I would definitely recommend people seek it out if you get the chance.

Rampage

Primatologist Davis (Dwayne Johnson) shares an unshakable bond with George, an extraordinarily intelligent silverback gorilla who has been in his care since he was young. When a greed-fueled corporation's genetic experiment goes awry, George and other animals across the country are mutated into aggressive supercreatures who destroy everything in their path. In this adrenaline-filled ride, Davis tries to find an antidote, not only to halt a global catastrophe but also to save the fearsome creature who was once his friend.

Based on the video game of the same name, Rampage fully lives up to its name by bringing non-stop high-octane action and excitement. I remember playing the game a few times as a kid, and the movie brings back those fond memories in full force. There are, of course, some changes from the game to the movie, but none of the changes take away from the overall experience. For instance, one of the biggest changes is that in the game, the monsters that wreak havoc on cities are actually people who were transformed by an energy drink (and if I'm not mistaken, in later games it changed to some sort of diet pill) gone wrong. In the movie, the monsters are animals whose DNA has been infused with other species through genetic editing in order to breed more dangerous cross-species (Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom anyone?). Other than that, it's still the same stylized action & mayhem as seen in the game. Dwayne Johnson's been busy lately, with audiences already seeing him this year with the excellent action thriller Skyscraper, and last year had three movies (Moana, Fate of the Furious, and Baywatch) all come out. Not to mention starring in his own TV show Ballers. As long as he comes out with more projects like Skyscraper and Moana, then I say more the merrier.

Rampage is simply your stereotypical summer blockbuster popcorn flick, and for those who can turn their brain off for a couple of hours and enjoy some good action, it's not a bad way to do so. Same goes for fans of the video game(s). I'm not sure I personally would ever watch it again, unless it was on tv and I was bored, but I enjoyed it for what it was.

Grand Hotel (1932)

At a luxurious Berlin hotel between both World Wars, the once-wealthy Baron Felix von Gaigern supports himself as a thief and gambler. The baron romances one of his marks, the aging ballerina Grusinskaya, and teams with dying accountant Otto Kringelein against his former boss, crooked industrialist Preysing, and his ambitious stenographer, Flaemmchen.

It is quite a feat to take a popular Broadway play and turn it into a successful feature film, especially one which won the Academy Award for Best Picture. Grand Hotel does a great job at balancing humorous moments with more serious, somber moments. When a film has more than two or three main characters, it can be difficult to balance the intersecting stories, and keep the flow of the overall story consistent. Fortunately, Grand Hotel succeeds in this regard. There's a line stated by a doctor staying at the hotel, Dr. Otternschlag, which helps to set up the pacing of the film: "Grand Hotel...always the same. People come, people go. Nothing ever happens."

At first glance, Grand Hotel comes off as cheesy, with several of the characters acting in a much more grandiose scale than what is normally seen, especially from a film made early on in the 1930's. Part of the reason is most likely due to the time period still being so close to when silent films were popular, when actors relied on actions and facial expressions to tell a story instead of dialogue. If one takes a deeper look however, then Grand Hotel can - and should - be considered a classic, plain and simple. In some ways it is a little dated, yet it still retains a certain charm seen even to this day.

Skyscraper

Will Sawyer is a former FBI agent and U.S. war veteran who now assesses security for skyscrapers. While he's on assignment in China, the world's tallest and safest building catches on fire -- and he gets framed for it. Now a wanted man and on the run, he must find those responsible, clear his name and somehow rescue his family members when they become trapped inside the inferno.

Gotta say, I've been hoping for a long time that there would be a new generation of actors & actresses who would be full-blown action stars similar to how it was in the '80's and '90's with the likes of Wesley Snipes, Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sigourney Weaver, etc. As it turns out, I'm beginning to think that time has come in the form of Dwayne Johnson. I've said this before, but he's come a heck of a long way since making his official film debut back in 2001 as the Scorpion King. I'd still need to see him in a more dramatic role before I can say for myself that he's a great actor, but it's difficult to deny that the man is certainly charismatic and gives his all in just about every role he's in (I also haven't seen Gridiron Gang yet, so my opinion might change once I do). So far my favorite role of his has been as Hobbes in the Fast and Furious franchise, but after seeing Skyscraper, his portrayal as Will Sawyer is a close second. There's not an intricate plot, or deep characters to speak of, but in this particular case, it's ok. Skyscraper plays out more like an homage to classic action flicks, rather than trying to take itself seriously. Specifically, Skyscraper is more of a homage to Die Hard, with a little bit of Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol thrown in.

There's not much else to say, other than if you're a fan of the classic action flicks such as the ones mentioned above, well, then this movie's for you. I certainly (and surprisingly) enjoyed the heck out of it.