Star Wars: The Last Jedi 3 1/2 Stars

Star Wars The Last Jedi NON SPOILER REVIEW 

Okay so this review has been pondering my mind ever since the Saturday viewing and I don’t know why. Is it that I enjoyed the film so much that I can’t stop thinking about it? Is it that I thought it wasn’t good enough and that’s why I keep thinking about it? I can’t quite put my finger on it. One of the things that completely took me out of enjoying the film to its fullest is that the audio mix of the film in my theater was not good. The dialogue was way too low to comprehend unless the actors were screaming lines. I felt myself straining to hear what was being said especially during Kylo Ren’s scenes. This hopefully will improve once I see it again. With that being said, I really liked it and I would give it a solid B+ or a 3.5 out of 5 stars. There are so many things I liked/loved about the film but there are still grips as well. I’ve read several “hater” tweets and listened to several podcast reviews about the movie and I understand the issues and have some of the same feelings however NO STAR WARS FILM IS PERFECT and I don’t think any of the issues or concerns give any reason to HATE this film. This film does everything in its power to do something different with the franchise and that can rub some people the wrong way. At first it rubbed me slightly wrong. There is a scene in the beginning of the film that the director lets you know that they are going in a completely different direction and it totally flew over my head and caught me off guard at first! (Send me a DM if you want to know what scene I’m talking about) Not until after I saw the film did I realize and except it. The older generation such as myself should just learn to except this is the new era of the franchise and things can change. I think what this film does is get the audience to talk and debate which is what you want from a film. If it doesn’t spark conversation whether it be good or bad, then you really have lost the point. 

It really did feel like the first true sequel of the original trilogy. The Force Awakens basically re-established the Star Wars franchise by repeating a lot of what happens in A New Hope. This film branches off from Return of the Jedi (while mimicking Return of the Jedi) but adding so much more to continue the franchise. I really liked that they did that. For the last two years I keep waiting for answers to certain questions that The Force Awakens presented. Those answers were given in this film but not necessarily how I wanted them answered. That’s part of the problem that I had with this film. There are so much more deeper approaches to this new Star Wars franchise that this film filled me with joy and surprise. There were so many times that I thought they would go one way and ended going another. Luke and Leia gave the best performances of the film and it was quite possibly the best performance Leia has given of the entire franchise. 

Kylo Ren and Poe Dameron who I loved in The Force Awakens disappointed me the most, along with Supreme Leader Snoke. Snoke really didn’t pay off enough for me. I expected Kylo Ren to be more of a threat and achieve that power or presence that Darth Vader had and his character didn’t do that for me. I’m not sure if it’s Adam Driver’s acting or just the way they have that character portrayed. The three main characters that I care for the most are Rey, Finn and Rose which makes sense because if you think about it the three characters that you care about the most in the original trilogy are Luke, Leia and Han. I look forward to seeing how these new characters continue to carry the franchise moving forward. I thought the special effects of the film were fantastic, the score was amazing and the comedy hit on some accounts. 

All in all it was a great film, I really enjoyed it and can’t wait to see it on multiple viewings. This film is so different from any Star Wars film you have ever seen and it can be a good thing. Who wants to know what is going to happen at every turn. If they had just basically mimicked what happened in Empire Strikes Back (which is what I thought might happen) I would have been disappointed. It’s hard to really talk or review the film without spoilers so if you care to discuss spoilers I would be glad to do so in direct messaging. Go see it and May The Force Be With You!

Go see it! 3 1/2 Stars!!

Wonder Woman - 4 1/2 Stars

*singing* Wonder Woman! Wonder Woman! All the world's waiting for you!
 
I couldn't help but start this review with the original “Wonder Woman” 1970’s theme song. For 75 years the world and myself have all been waiting for Wonder Woman to grace the silver screen in live action. It took a long time but it was definitely well worth it. 
 
I grew up a huge fan of Superman and the Justice League trinity of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman. When the 1970’s TV series “Wonder Woman” with Lynda Carter came out, I was instantly hooked. It was full of cheesy fun, but it's so iconic to the Wonder Woman character we all know. 
 
As you may know I haven't really been a big fan of the latest DC movie universe films. The tone of the universe has just been dark and brooding and the characters' motivations have not inspired me to like them. With this “Wonder Woman” film being the first female lead superhero film ever and being released in this tough political landscape, DC was going to be risking a lot. 
 
With all that being said, “Wonder Woman,” knocked it out of the park and checked all the marks I had on my list. Patty Jenkins directed the film with such great care to the character and theme of the story. Gal Gadot was born to play Wonder Woman and be the strong woman superhero that all women and little girls can admire. Chris Pine as Steve Trevor is fantastic and shares great chemistry with Gal Gadot. The movie delivers what all the recent DC films have been missing which is heart, character, humor and optimism which is what the world can use right now. 
 
This reminded me a lot of the 1978 film “Superman.” Superman to me has always been the american boy-scout who cares about humanity more than himself. Wonder Woman makes a huge effort (all most a little too much) to convince you that she cares about humanity and is willing to sacrifice everything to save them. 
 
Wonder Woman is such a strong independent woman in this film as well. There were times during the action sequences when I would yell out "holy crap!!" or "she is so damn strong!" The action scenes pack a mighty punch from the very beginning and you are actually able to see the choreography for a change. 
 
The villain was a little weak in parts and DC along with Marvel need to work on fleshing out their villains. If I had to say anything negative it would be that I would have loved to seen a tournament among the Amazon women to go back with Steve Trevor to the war. I would have spent a little bit more time in Themysica. I would have shortened it by 20 or 30 minutes. And also I would like for Wonder Woman to fly. But those are very minor nitpicks and it's not spoiler territory to jeopardize this review.

Overall the film is very well done and I found it very hard to find things negative about it. I'm just glad that I am alive to finally see this monumental time in film history. I can't wait to see it again!

*UPDATE* - Upon second viewing, the film was better the second time. All the character driven plot still felt welcoming and the humor still hit where it needed to. I still had issues with the villain character and third act in parts but it still didn't take away from my enjoyment of the film.

4 1/2 Stars!

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Review - 4 Stars

This review is pretty much spoiler-free.

We're getting the band back together! Well let's get the band back together but add a couple more things. Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2 is the sequel that I was most anticipating this summer. All the original gang is back with Peter Quill, Drax, Gamora, Rocket Raccoon, Nebula, Yondu and Groot in baby form. The movie picks up right into a battle with the team trying to defeat this large creature to protect some valuable batteries for the Sovereign alien race. The producers of the previous film noticed how popular dancing Groot was so much that they lean on that by having Groot dance throughout the entire battle and opening credits. It was very cute and a fun way to showcase the tone of the film you are about to see. Kurt Russell is introduced in this film as Ego the Living Planet and Peter Quill's father. His role was very well done. I latched on to him in every scene and it made me think of the previous films of Kurt Russell like Big Trouble in Little China and Overboard. I know Overboard is a stretch but when I think Kurt Russell I can't help but think about that movie.

Anyways, this film was a very fun ride. The characters continue with their gags, puns and insults. Especially Drax and Rocket Raccoon. Most of the viewing audience have been falling in love with Baby Groot but Yondu was the standout character in this film for me. His character arc is very well told by Michael Rooker and he plays a very pivotal role in the overall meaning of the film. The space battles were very well done and the color palette was amazing to the eyes. The film overall was very rinse and repeat from the first. It was almost as if James Gunn said "Hey you like it when Drax is very blunt and obvious with his jokes. Let's give him more lines like that." "Hey you like it when Groot is dancing and cute, let's give you more that." It was more of the same. However sometimes that can be a little over saturated. I was a huge fan of the original film. It was fresh. We had never seen these characters portrayed before on the big screen or TV. It had a great team origin story and cohesiveness. This film didn't really have all those elements.

While I enjoyed the humor and action scenes I wasn't a fan of the plot or so called "villain" of the film. The plot lacked depth for me and used the troupe of family to tell the story. As other reviewers have stated it was very much like hearing Vin Diesel talk about family in the Fast and Furious franchise. I understand the point and understand if the director wants to use it as part of driving the narrative but not the main focus. So much so that it's the "villain" of the film? Come on. One of the other issues I had with the film was the soundtrack. In volume one, the soundtrack was basically a character of the film. It played a pivotal role in telling the story. Each song was iconic and was used properly. This volume had maybe like 3 songs that I knew and the rest were filler to just play during battle scenes. Maybe it's just a generational thing but I didn't like the selections. I would equate these two film soundtracks as such, the first was Michael Jackson's Thriller album with hit after hit after hit and the second being Michael Jackson's Dangerous album with a couple of good songs.

Overall the movie is good but it just felt like it was being a little forceful in trying to capture the same feeling of the first. I would have preferred it if the director gave us a proper villain, a better plot and a little less of the same gags as before. 

I still recommend it if you a fan of volume one but just know that the popcorn might get a little stale halfway through. I'm giving it a B.

POWER RANGERS REVIEW!!! - 4 1/2 STARS

BEWARE THERE MAY BE SOME PLOT SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW!!! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!

GO GO POWER RANGERS!!! Here we are with the newly vitalized movie franchise for the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. It's been 20 years since we last saw the Power Rangers on the big screen. Most people are familiar with the franchise from the 1993 TV series on the Fox Kids afternoon block hour. At least that's how I remember the Rangers. There have been many iterations of the Rangers after that series including Ninjas, Aliens, Zeo, Space, Dino, etc. This film definitely gets inspiration from the film Chronicle while giving us hints of a nostalgic tone to the 1993 version of the Rangers with a few alterations. Like for instance, Zack (The Black Ranger) is played by an asian character while Billy (The Blue Ranger) is played by an african american character. Also Trini (The Yellow Ranger) is an "openly" gay character in this film.

I'm not going to spend too much time on the plot of the film but if you don't know or understand the history of the Rangers, it's about 5 "misguided or delinquent" teenagers who are given superpowers (such as strength, speed and martial arts) through a mystical power coin and led by the leader of the Power Rangers lair, Zordon. After receiving these powers they must come together to defeat the villain Rita Repulsa who is trying to find the crystal hidden in the Earth that will give her the power to destroy it. 

This movie delivers everything that a fan of the original series expects and should provide joy to the newcomers to this franchise. It has great character development by allowing us to get a glimpse into each character's backstory as to why they act the way they do. It's not a lot of backstory into each character but enough to get you attached to each one. It's action lives up to all the other big budget summer blockbuster films that are seen these days. Even when you watching the film and you see the typical cliche things start to happen, they put a spin on things to change it up unexpectedly. There were several times when I thought I knew what was going to happen but it didn't. Things I liked about it the most were the great callbacks or nodes to the original series. You get Alpha 5 and his catchphrase "Aye Yai Yai". You get Jason say "Let's get em". You get Jason delivering the line "It's Morphin' Time." You get double kick moves and silly tag team moves when the Rangers are fighting. You get Rita Repulsa saying "Make my monster grow." AND THEY USE THE ORIGINAL GO GO POWER RANGERS SONG AT THE PERFECT TIME!!! All the subtle hints even with each Ranger wearing the same color clothes that their Rangers are and the way Billy claps when he gets happy about something scientific. There are more and a great wink to the audience at the end.

The film is really great camp fun. Yeah it has it's plot holes, choppy editing and some bad direction but because the characters are so likable you manage to forgive those mishaps. The film really does a great job of delivering home the message that they need to work as a team to accomplish the task at hand. That's how the Power Rangers succeed. The show was the same way. Even though some people are being critical about the pacing of the film I think it works extremely well. Most people wanted the Rangers to form into the suits earlier than they did but I think it was paced so well to allow the audience to fall in the love with the characters. Billy (The Blue Ranger) played by RJ Cyler was the standout character and stole the movie while Jason (The Red Ranger) played by Dacre Montgomery was a close second for me. When I was growing up and watching the original series, I always felt like I was supposed to connect with Zack (The Black Ranger) because he represented my culture but in the back of my mind I more connected with Billy (the Blue Ranger) because he was the nerd of the group. Now with this film I get to be both. The one character that I didn't really care for was Rita Repulsa played by Elizabeth Banks. It's not necessarily that she was bad but she just wasn't the Rita i liked from the series. She seemed to be playing a character that should have been in a horror movie like the Grudge. I understand the tone to make it more adult and dark for the villain but it just wasn't what i was expecting and it didn't mesh well with the Rangers. My other gripe was the "openly" gay portrayal of Trini. I would say she was closeted gay. Look I'm tired of these films just allowing the audience to guess at what the director is telling us about the character versus just blurting it out. Yes it's a PG-13 film and targeted to a younger audience but you can say the word gay without causing a stir. Or at least I wish you could. It's like Disney saying they have an openly gay character in the new Beauty and the Beast film but not openly saying it. Subtle hints in the film but then the director claiming "openly and obvious" terms in interviews or marketing doesn't work for me.

Overall the film is great and just a fun time. It bothers me that I can't get this same style of filmmaking from Transformers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, DC Films or Fantastic Four for instance. This very well could be like the Transformers films where this first installment in the franchise is the best and the rest suck but at least they knocked it out of the park in the beginning!!! It's takes a campy cheesy 1990 series (that doesn't hold up today) to deliver the fun action for fans and newcomers alike. By the way if you ever want to see what it's like for a MegaZord to do a suplex (yes i said suplex) so great that only Adrian Armour (look him up) can deliver, go see this movie!!!

I'm giving this film 4/2 Stars!! It's not perfect but it morphs into so much goodness!!!