Blog Posts

Tomb Raider

4/1/2018

With Indiana Jones in retirement, it seems Hollywood is reluctant to make classic adventure films featuring tropical locations and ancient treasures these days. But Lara Croft has returned to fill the void of old-school adventure films with her latest outing.
But does it break the video game movie curse? It seems like video game based movies cannot be good, no matter how good the talent is. Well I for one enjoyed Tomb Raider. It's got its problems like questionable editing, lack of supporting characters, and a beginning that seems to drag on for way too long (Did we really need to see Lara in a bicycle chase to show that she's desperate for money?). As a fan of the video games, I did find the majority of the film enjoyable.
Alicia Vikander is a lovable Lara. She's hard headed, tough, but also has a lot of heart, which is who Lara has always been, and I'm happy to report the movie focuses on this aspect of the character rather than the...*ahem* "physical prowess" that the Jolie movies seemed to do.
What I greatly appreciate about this movie is that it told it's own story for the most part. To say it's based on the 2013 game of the same name is being generous. Other than the island, the "treasure," and Lara's outfit, it really has nothing to do with the game. This made it more exciting for me, as it left me guessing as to how things would play out. In fact, I loved some of the twists because they weren't in the game, and I didn't expect them to happen. But is it a good story? Well...it has its moments. The beginning is mainly to serve as a way to show how Lara is able to do things later on in the film, and that's fine. But it does drag on, and at one point, I thought to myself, "Are we ever going to get on the island?" When Lara sets off on her voyage, it does pick up, and it's exciting, dangerous, and interesting. The tomb she raids serves as great set pieces, and I want more movies with tombs like it.
Overall, as far as video game movies are concerned, it's not bad. It's not perfect, but I don't think it deserves a 49% on Rotten Tomatoes. I'd give it a high C or low B. It made mistakes, but it didn't fail. It made Lara an interesting character that you could cheer for. I think if they were to do a sequel, they could learn from their mistakes and make a better film. I for one would certainly go on another tomb raiding adventure with Lara Croft.

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Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle

3/8/2018

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Do you like jokes about Dwayne Johnson's muscles? Do you like jokes about Kevin Hart's shortness? Do you like watching Jack Black act like a teenage girl? Then Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is the movie for you! Unlike the original film which is way darker than you remember, this movie is very light in tone and will throw every joke from the joke book at you until something makes you laugh. So if you want to turn off your brain and enjoy for a couple of hours some slapstick humor and silly shenanigans, then dust off that old board game, put on your Guns 'n Roses t-shirt, and enjoy the reimagining of everyone's favorite deadliest game.

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Paul, Apostle of Christ

3/8/2018

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I had the honor of being one of the first people to see Paul, Apostle of Christ, and if the sniffling of noses and tissues wiping away tears along with a standing ovation are any indications, this might be one of the best and one of the most impactful Christian films ever made.
The story takes place during Paul's imprisonment in Rome during the persecutions of Christians. The Christian community is naturally living in fear as they hide from Roman soldiers while also helping anyone they can in the city. Luke, played by Jim Caviezel (The Passion of the Christ, Person of Interest), takes it upon himself to speak to Paul and write letters of encouragement to the Christian communities. However, the Roman prison warden starts picking up on what they're doing, and it then becomes a battle between love and persecution.
The story takes liberty with the biblical account of the famous New Testament writer by adding characters and story elements to make for a better drama, but don't let that turn you away from it. Unlike Noah and Exodus: Gods and Kings, the liberties taken help elaborate the biblical messages of Paul's letters. The movie's overall message is to love your neighbor even when they hate you, and the movie shows how hard that can be. Some Christians want to fight back, and others want to flee. When given the option, Paul choses to stay and love his enemies. He was willing to be beaten and abused because he loved his beaters and abusers. Despite adding extra content to the story, it doesn't detract it from the message of the Bible.
For those not used to lots of dialogue in movies, this film can feel really long, but give it a chance. The story of Paul of Tarsus is still very relevant to today's audience. It's a story of turning away from hatred. It's a story about standing firm in your beliefs. It's a story about love. This is not your typical Christian movie with a happy ending, but it is a movie about facing darkness and showing it Light. And millions around the world could use a movie like this.

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Black Panther

3/8/2018

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Black Panther isn't your typical comic book movie. This is a movie that challenges culture, politics, and even the individual.
As the newly crowned king of the fictional nation of Wakanda, T'Challa must ask himself what he stands for as a leader, and as his father told him, "You are a good man with a good heart, but it is hard for a good man to be king." And this becomes the biggest challenge for T'Challa as he must deal with the sins of his nation's past and lead his people into a new era. There are many easy roads to take for T'Challa, but each one is selfish. He instead, like all of our favorite heroes, finds another way, a better way, even when it's the most difficult.
This isn't just a movie for black people. This isn't just a movie for comic book fans. This is a movie for everyone, as everyone will find something meaningful to take from this story. Its message of "in times of trouble, the wise build bridges while the foolish build barriers" is a powerful lesson to learn, and it shows how important it is to help those that need it, even when it doesn't benefit us. We must all sacrifice and support the needy, and this will, in turn, build bridges towards a better world.

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Justice League

11/22/2017

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Ok, so here's the deal with Justice League: there were moments where I enjoyed the movie. The inner child in me got giddy with excitement to see my favorite heroes come together on the big screen and to see their world come to life. HOWEVER, those moments of enjoyment were separated by long sections of exposition and bad filmmaking.
Get ready for the majority of the first act having you sit through not one and not two but three seemingly separate stories GETTING STARTED instead of actually setting up the plot of one story LIKE IT WAS SUPPOSED TO DO. I just don't get the logic of introducing and explaining three absolutely different characters in one film. Honestly, if DC had just made movies for Flash, Aquaman, and Cyborg, we wouldn't have to spend so long learning about them and trying to get emotionally connected with them. "Hey, guys, you think we should show what makes each hero special by giving them their own story arc and standalone film before we make Justice League?" "Nope! We'll introduce Flash and his parent problems along with the speedforce, Aquaman and his mommy issues and his deal with Atlantis, and Cyborg's struggles with being a robot and coming to terms with who he is--all in one movie!" It was information overload.
Oh, and Wonder Woman had to literally tell us who Steppenwolfe is, what he's after, and what Mother Boxes are, instead of just--oh I don't know--showing us, LIKE MOVIES ARE SUPPOSED TO DO! I mean, it seriously irritates the snot out of me how bad the scripts and edits are for these films. (There's a guy who somehow follows Batman from rooftop to rooftop in 2.5 seconds just to name one continuity mistake.) And the pacing of the film doesn't flow like it should because they spend the majority of the three acts explaining EVERYTHING. I literally wanted to yell, "Stop talking and do something!"
The first rule of storytelling is "show don't tell," and the film is great when the heroes are actually doing heroic things. I just wanted to hand the producers a copy of the book Save the Cat! in the hopes that they learn how scripts are suppose to be written. The book talks about "double mumbo jumbo," where a movie introduces multiple origins of "magic." For instance, the movie Signs asks "us to balance in our minds...a debate about whether or not God and little green men exist" (p. 128). The author argues that having both science fiction and religion in one movie introduces us to two completely different types of "magic," and it gets confusing. I suppose Justice League has "quadruple mumbo jumbo" according to the book, though I believe multiple myths and magics can coexist only if they have their own individual stories before they collide in a crossover film.
Sadly, the film separates the good parts in long strides with so much boring exposition. In fact, movies originally didn't talk, and they told great and emotional stories through their moving pictures. Apparently, Warner Bros forgot what makes movies special--that they tell stories visually not verbally. On top of all of that, they spend another good chunk of the film trying to fix the mistakes of the movie Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and it slows down the story even more.
Like I said, there were some good parts, but overall, this is another clunky execution to catch up with Marvel. At this point, I'm afraid these movies still reek from the stench of Batman v Superman's garbage that the only hope DC has for the future is to burn their franchise to the ground and begin from scratch.

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Dunkirk

7/23/2017

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Rarely will I see a movie that I believe should only be experienced in IMAX. Dunkirk is one of them. The shots make you feel as though you're on the beach with the men, and when they're cramped in ships, you feel claustrophobic, which was already apparent being surrounded by a room full of viewers. The overwhelming stereo at an IMAX makes every gunfire and bomb drop impactful. You feel the intensity of the trapped men because it feels like you're experiencing it with them.
As soon as the first bullet is fired, you don't get a moment to rest. You're always wondering when the next attack will come. And interestingly, you don't get a chance to know any of the soldiers, but you know enough. They're young, they're scared, and they want to go home.
Dunkirk isn't just a movie. It's an experience. It puts you on the beach, in the boats, and in the cockpit. You'll get scared. You'll cry. You'll celebrate and cheer.

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WONDER WOMAN

6/4/2017

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After a rocky start with the divisive Man of Steel and two of the worst movies of 2016, I was very disappointed in DC Comics' approach to a cinematic universe. In fact, I swore that if Wonder Woman wasn't any good then I wouldn't bother recognizing the Justice League movie's existence. After all, DC's new movies were treating the heroes I looked up to as a kid--who I wanted to be--as depressed, homicidal, vengeful vigilantes who didn't care about who they hurt or helping others to begin with. Superman only saved the day because Lois or MARTHA!!! told him to, and Batman took the lives of henchmen who probably were unaware of what they were doing, taking the law into his own hands instead of serving justice. These once proud legends were no longer heroes, and it broke my heart. But I am so thankful for giving DC one last chance, because Wonder Woman is one of the best superhero movies ever made.
The film is hopeful, inspirational, and showcases true heroism amidst the terrors of the world. Seeing Diana lead soldiers across No Man's Land made me smile because, for the first time in a while, I saw a hero doing what others were fearful to do--the right thing. Not because someone told them to or they were out on a revengeful quest to quench their bloodlust, she did the right thing because she wanted to. She is a hero to look up to, to admire, to follow.
With all of the attacks happening in London and probably more to come elsewhere, it can be a scary time, but Wonder Woman shows us that through love our fears can be conquered, enemies can become allies, and a better tomorrow is only a day away. This is a movie we need now. Wonder Woman is a symbol for a better world.

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Forward>>

SORA AT THE CINEMA

Tomb Raider

Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle

Paul, Apostle of Christ

Black Panther

Justice League

Dunkirk

WONDER WOMAN