The Glass Castle Review

      The Glass Castle is a big screen adaptation of the true story, memoirs of Jeannette Walls and has all the ingredients to be an Oscar contender. Directed by Short Term 12 helmer, Destin Daniel Cretton, the trailers for this movie tug on all the heart strings and had the award season vibe to it. The film stars Academy Award winner Brie Larson and Academy Award Nominee Woody Harrelson. Although the movie has all the ingredients and story elements in place, it ultimately falls flat because of poor execution with character appeal.

     The memoirs of Jeannette Walls (Brie Larson) share the crazy lifestyle that her and her family experienced growing up. Constantly moving around because of her alcoholic father, Rex (Woody Harrelson) and his nonconformist ways, Jeannette will do whatever she can to escape her toxic household.
     I will begin by stating that I have not read the book that this movie is based off so I went in with no expectations except the trailers. The biggest strength of this movie is the cast. Larson and Harrelson especially give a wonderful performance that shows how fantastic of an acting range these two have. If there is anybody from this movie that will receive reward recognition, it'll be Woody Harrelson. The guy can change emotion in the wink of an eye and can do so in such an incredibly powerful manner.
     Although Larson and Harrelson are the most powerful performances, the surrounding characters do a great job as well. Naomie Watts plays Rose Mary, Jennette's mother and has more layers to her then audiences will expect. The movie heavily relies on flashbacks to touch on Jennette's family dynamic and has younger actresses to play the earlier stages of Jennette's life. The younger Jeannettes, played by Ella Anderson and Chandler Head, do a stellar job of bringing Cretton's vision to the big screen. Child actors can be very hit or miss but Cretton does a great job with directing with.
     Where this movie ultimately falls apart is the pacing. The Glass Castle has a runtime of 127 minutes and suffers because of it. They could have trimmed off around 20 minutes of this thing. The pacing also suffers because of the writing. Without getting into spoilers, we are supposed to sympathize for Rex towards the third act of the movie but it'll be difficult for audiences to get on board because of all his prior issues. The direction they went in was totally understandable but unfortunately it was a botched execution.

     I discussed earlier how stellar this cast is however there is one character that'll take people out and that is Jeannette's fiancee, David played by Max Greenfield. Greenfield just feels as though he's playing a character in a different movie. He's the comedic relief of the movie but the timing that his jokes are inserted feel out of place and do not fit the overall tone of the film.
     Although The Glass Castle had the potential to be a great movie it ultimately falls flat because of the pacing and writing. The characters have a rushed development and audiences will have a hard time getting behind them.

Rating: 5.0 out of 10

                                                   

The Dark Tower Review

     "The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed" is a something all Stephen King fans know as the opening line of The Dark Tower series. King himself has described the series as his magnum opus and a live adaptation whether that be through the big screen or the silver screen of television has been sought after for years. After a through obstacles, Sony has finally brought the series to the big screen. I myself have never read the series so I went into the film without prior knowledge of the source material. Although the movie had potential to go into a really neat direction, it completely mishandles the stories and gives the audiences very one dimesional characters.

     When Walter O'Dim (Matthew McConaughey), the man in black, is determined to destroy the dark tower that holds the universe together, it's up the last gunslinger Roland (Idris Elba) and mid-world newcomer Jake Chambers (Tom Taylor) to defeat him.
     King was heavily inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien when The Dark Tower series was released and you can tell there elements of that in this movie. Elba and McConaughey both do an adequate job with the script that is giving them and they set up the conflict between the two characters well. Elba also has a good dynamic with Taylor throughout the film.
     There are some really cool gunplay sequences in the movie with Elba. The backstory of the gunslingers had me very intrigued and they could've definitely dove more into it. The script is ultimately where this movie falls apart.

     The script is ultimately where this movie falls apart. This movie is very formulaic but does not set up the mythology of the world at all. It's understandable that this series has a rich mythology but the script does not even crack into it. The plot is incredibly muddled and confusing. There are rumors of a potential TV show going forward with this cast and I am actually all for it because this content would probably play better on a 10 episode arc. This movie attempts to cram a lot within 95 minutes and it will leave audiences questioning a lot of aspects of the film.
     There's really not too much to say about this movie because it's certainly not the worst movie of the summer. The story tends to take a halt in multiple sections which hinders it greatly. This is definitely one you can wait on.

Rating: 4.5 out of 10

Atomic Blonde Review

     Atomic Blonde is the newest film from David Lietch, the co-director of John Wick and soon to be helmer of Deadpool 2. We're still well in the heat of summer blockbuster season and this movie was certainly marketed as a fast paced, action film in which many people commented on it being the female version of John Wick. While this movie has John Wick-esque elements and spectacular work from Charlize Theron, the film ultimately is underwhelming due to a draining story that is quite frankly a mess.

     Lorraine Broughton (Charlize Theron) plays an undercover MI6 agent that is sent to Berlin in order to obtain a lost list of agents, as well as uncover the murder of another agent. Along the way, she will quickly discover that everyone around her is working on their own agenda.
     The biggest M.V.P. of this movie is Charlize Theron hands own. The marketing for this film heavily focused on the action and Theron kicks so much butt in the scenes that require action. Audiences will definitely be able to identify the work she has put in to these scenes and the fight choreography she is given is fantastic. There's a particular scene that involves a stairway that might be one of the best directed scenes of the year. Unfortunately the movie falls apart significantly in other areas.
     There are not quite as many action sequences as the marketing suggests. This movie relies heavily on its story. That's not a problem for me, however the story is all over the place. It's the same stereotypes that we always see in spy movies and quite confusing at times. This film attempts to bite more then it can chew and drags on unnecessarily. The motives of particular characters, without getting into spoilers, just did not make sense and was inconsistent throughout the movie.

     The soundtrack for this movie is good but it often feels forced at times. This movie takes place in 1980's in the last fews days of the Cold War and plays a lot of great 80's jam. Unfortunately, the placement of the songs makes it feel much like Suicide Squad where it is just put in and feels very quick cut, music video like. They try to stuff a lot of songs in this movie and it's often overbearing.
     Maybe it was because I had different expectations going into this film but ultimately Atomic Blonde was a disappointment for me. Although Theron carries this movie, it's not enough to cancel out its wearing storyline. You can definitely wait for the Blu Ray release of this movie.

Rating: 4.8 out of 10

Dunkirk Review

     Dunkirk is the newest film from the creative mind of Christopher Nolan. While I was not the biggest fan of his two most recent releases, The Dark Knight Rises and Interstellar, the anticipation leading up to Dunkirk had me really intrigued. This is a more grounded story that is based on actual events during World War II. Although Dunkirk is not quite what audiences will expect as far as characters go, this movie works brilliantly because of the tension and directing that Christopher Nolan brings on screen.
     When allied soldiers consisting of Belgians, Britons, and the French are entrapped and surrounded by German forces, they must risk their lives in order to find a way off the beach. The film has three separate storylines. They tell of one week on the beach, one day on the sea, and one hour in the air.

     What stands out the most about this movie is the tension that Nolan manages to create and direct. There are a handful of scenes in this movie that are beautifully crafted and suspenseful. Nolan used IMAX cameras to shoot a good majority of this movie and the scenes are so immersive. The cinematography was done by Hoyte van Hoytema who worked with Nolan on Interstellar. This is a different take on a war film but is executed incredibly well. If there is a film that needs to been seen in the theater this summer, it is Dunkirk because you feel like you're smack down in the action with these characters.
     One aspect of Christopher Nolan's movies that audiences can always look forward to is the score from Hans Zimmer and Dunkirk continues that trend. The scores' forefront is a clock ticking but Zimmer uses this as an excellent pacing device and constructs the rest of the score around it. It's really enticing and beautifully adds to the tension.
     The way this story plays out is really well done. Nolan is famously known for his unique way of using a non-linear narrative. Memento is a phenomenal use of this device. This is done in Dunkirk as well and serves the story very well.

     This movie is not heavily relied upon by the characters. Most films that bothers me however Nolan creates audiences' loyalty with characters through the intense situations that we find them in. This movie does not have a whole lot of A list stars besides Tom Hardy but even he does not get a lot of screen time. This is the acting debut for One Direction member, Harry Styles and he does a serviceable job. This movie does not rely too much on dialogue so it's difficult to tell how good he really is but he did really well with his physicality, as well as the rest of the cast.
     Although I could have used a little more character development, Nolan's direction makes complete sense and he creates audience attachment through the situations at hand. The action is so phenomenal in this movie that it NEEDS to be seen in theaters like Nolan intended for it to be.

Rating: 9.5 out of 10

War for the Planet of the Apes Review

     The rebooted Planet of the Apes trilogy is one of the most underrated franchise in Hollywood today. The first two films, Rise of the Planet of the Apes and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, have been a great success not only with the box office but with critics as well. While the first film was helmed by Rupert Wyatt, Matt Reeves has since taken over in the director's chair and greatly built upon what Wyatt introduced to audiences in the first movie. These films take a unique angle in which they frame the apes as the protagonists and it works incredibly. War for the Planet of the Apes is a bit different from what audiences will expect but is an amazing finish to very well developed trilogy.

     After Caesar (Andy Serkis) and his colony of apes are targeted by a militia group led by The Colonel (Woody Harrelson), the apes will go to great lengths to find the base and avenge his colony. It's difficult to really get into this without spoilers but that's the gist of it.
     This movie falls on the shoulders of the character, Caesar. When people gripe about there being too much CGI in movies, I automatically point to these films because the visual effects are flawless. Andy Serkis is the king of motion capture and seriously deserves to be in Oscar consideration because if he does not deliver then this movie falls apart from the get-go. I cannot praise the work of the visual effects artists and Andy Serkis enough in these films.
     Serkis is not the only standout when it comes to motion capture though. Steve Zahn plays the character Bad Ape and beautifully brings humor and charm to an incredibly dark story. The comedic timing in this is very well done and does so in a manner that will not take audiences out of the film. His character truly goes on a journey and audiences will love watching him on-screen.
     The story is a lot different then I was anticipating but it works on many levels because of our attachment to the characters from prior films. This movie begins with action and is greatly paced. The first act is probably the strongest of the film but that does not take from the remaining acts that are memorizing to watch.

     There is a bit of a story arc with The Colonel that has been done time and time again but that does not take away from Harrelson's performance. He is very intimidating figure and has a great build up. Due to great visual effects and performances, War for the Planet of the Apes is a wonderful cherry on top with this franchise. Although I did not enjoy it quite as much as Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, it's still a fun time in the theaters.

Rating: 9.0 out of 10

Spider-Man: Homecoming Review

    If there's one franchise that Hollywood loves to reboot it's Spider-Man. He's arguably the most iconic superhero on Marvel's roster but we have not really had a great Spidey move since 2004 with Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 2. Although Marc Webb's The Amazing Spider-Man films had good qualities, it overall did not land with audiences. Fortunately for movie and comic book fans, Sony and Marvel Studios struck up a deal that would have the young, web slinger officially become part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We got a glimpse of Tom Holland's interpretation in Captain America: Civil War but it was only a short sample of the character. Although this is the third reboot in recent memory for the beloved web crawler, Spider-Man: Homecoming is a wonderful addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and also greatly shines as a coming of age film.

     Spider-Man: Homecoming picks up almost immediately after the events of Captain America: Civil War. Peter Parker (Tom Holland) must learn to juggle the everyday obstacles of not only fighting crime in New York City as Spider-Man but also the struggles that come while trying to get through high school.
     Spider-Man is my favorite superhero from Marvel. What makes the character so likable is how relatable he is. All of us were in high school at one time and experienced the awkward situations that come with it. Marvel discussed prior to release of this movie that they want to combine a John Hughes feel with a superhero movie and they did just that. The dynamic between Parker and his best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon) is incredibly humorous. The diversity in this movie is also a big aspect that stand outs that other movies down the road could benefit from.

     One of the weaker points in most Marvel movies is the villain. Besides Loki, we have not really got a good antagonist in the MCU. Luckily, they went out and got Michael Keaton to play Vulture in Spider-Man: Homecoming and he knocks it out of the park. Every time he's on screen he is incredibly menacing but you understand where his character is coming from. He's a blue collar worker that is down on his luck because of the New York City attacks in the first Avengers movie. Him and Holland seem to work off each other very well.
     Holland is the stand out of this movie. For most people Tobey MacGuire is their favorite Peter Parker while Andrew Garfield was the better Spider-Man. Holland has them both beat in my opinion. Marvel going after a younger actor to play the title character was a wise decision and having the movie primarily take place in high school was a splendid idea. Audiences will be able to tell how much fun Holland is having as the character.
     This is not like the previous five Spider-Man movies. Although there's a fair amount action, the movie does not heavily rely on action set pieces. There are some really well done sequences but it's not quite the Raimi movies and that's where I think audiences will be let down.
     Overall Spider-Man: Homecoming is wonderful addition to the MCU and a fresh take on the character. It is a movie that benefits from being seen in theaters because the few action pieces it has are very well done. Audiences will have a lot of fun with this movie!

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Baby Driver Review

     After the buzz from early screenings at SXSW, Baby Driver has been one of the most anticipated movies of the summer. Directed by Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz helmer, Edgar Wright, this had all the hype to be an incredibly fun flick. The film has a star studded cast with actors such as Ansel Elgort, Lily James, Kevin Spacey, Jon Hamm, Jamie Foxx, and many others. The results are exactly what audiences should expect. Baby Driver might not only be the best movie of the summer so far but could be the best movie of the year.

     When getaway driver, Baby (Ansel Elgort) finds a way out of his life of crime and develops a romantic relationship with Debora (Lily James), everything seems to be going swell in his once hectic life. Unfortunately, crime boss Doc (Kevin Spacey) has different plans for Baby and brings him out of retirement for their biggest job yet.
     This movie is phenomenal on almost all fronts but the one that stands out the most is the directing from Edgar Wright. The action sequences are incredibly well crafted and help to display the beautiful stunt work that has been put into this film. The opening scene of this movie feels very reminiscent 2011's Drive. The crucial difference though is Baby Driver is much more action oriented, whereas Drive is more character driven. That does not take away from Baby Driver though. Wright writes these characters so well and audiences will greatly attach to them. All of these characters are well rounded and not one dimensional which is typically the case with action oriented movies.

     This whole cast does a wonderful job of bringing these characters to life but the standout is Ansel Elgort. Going into this film audiences will most likely know him because of The Fault In Our Stars but soon change their tune after seeing this. Elgort shows excellent range in this movie and does excellent being the leading man. The relationship between Baby and Debora also feels very genuine. Elgort and James just seem to radiate chemistry when the two are on screen together.
     Another standout within the film of Baby Driver is the music. The music is essentially its own character in this movie and Wright perfectly flaunts it to the audience. All the sequences are greatly enhanced because of the soundtrack. Wright also uses the music as a mechanism of humor and it works in an outstanding matter. Wright beautifully blends humor with action to make for a really fun movie that has quite an unpredictable script. This story takes directions that is quite unexpected and it really payoffs.
     There are no negative aspects from me when it comes to this movie. I have a few nitpicks but overarching problems are not existent in this movie. Edgar Wright has struck gold and this is a movie that NEEDS to be seen in theaters. I cannot recommend Baby Driver enough. It is my favorite of the year so far.

Rating: 10 out of 10