Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice Review

     When Batman v. Superman was announced at the 2012 San Diego Comic Con nerds everywhere rejoiced in celebration. They had finally gotten what they wanted. We've been waiting years and years to see Batman and Superman on the big screen together. Well it's finally been released and nerds everywhere still might be rejoicing but if so then their cries are much weaker. While this film has its moments of glory, it ultimately struggles.

     Batman v. Superman begins with quite a thriller of an introduction. The film opens with us once again seeing Thomas (Jeffery Dean Morgan) and Martha Wayne (Maggie Grace) being shot while young Bruce must stand by and witness this pivotal massacre. While the murder of Bruce's parents has been done over and over again, it is essential to be shown here because it serves to the brutal Batman (Ben Affleck) introduced in this movie. Affleck was the best aspect of this movie and shuts out all the hate he received upon the announcement of him being cast. If you're a fan of Frank Miller's Batman adaptations then Affleck will be right up your alley. This is by far the most brutal Batman that we've ever seen on the big screen. However he can also turn on the Bruce Wayne charm when necessary. The scenes between him and Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) are executed very well Gadot was the real pleasant surprise of this movie. Although she didn't have a lot of dialogue, she handled herself very well and captured the character. This component of the movie gives me hope that she'll be able to hold her own in her future solo movie slated for 2017.
     The director, Zack Snyder, is well known for his films being visually breathtaking and Batman v. Superman certainly has its moments. The end fight sequence is beautifully choreographed and I have to give Snyder credit where it's due. It's apparent that Snyder thinks shot by shot on what he wants. He also takes quite a bold move in how a certain factor of the film unfolds and it's difficult not to admire this risk presented before the audience. Unfortunately he lacks in other aspects.
     Snyder's biggest problem is his lack of storytelling. Often times in this movie, Snyder leaves many events unexplained. I don't want to tread into spoiler territory but it's quite recognizable upon seeing the film. Often times he does not hit the mark on where the tone of this film should go. This is not Synder's only problem though. This movie is very weirdly edited. There are many moving parts to this story and this is ultimately Snyder's downfall. There were moments when they would cut back to a particular character and I would have to remind myself what that character was doing because it had been so long since we had visited them.
     There is also the character of Lex Luthor (Jessie Eisenberg). While I see what Snyder was going for, the character of Lex often felt over the top and cartoonish. There were glimmers of evil but it would quickly be defused by another gimmicky act.
     Another of Snyder's dilemma that hinders the potential of this movie is the fact they are trying to set up for the Justice League movie. DC is taking quite the opposite approach compared to Marvel. Instead of a bunch of solo films focusing on a single hero, they are taking the route of giving us the Justice League movie quite early in their slate. Unfortunately this puts a lot more pressure on Snyder and his introduction to the other heroes just seemed like a shoe in.
     While this movie has some really fantastically choreographed action scenes, it lacks very much in story and character development. Overall for me the bad barely outweighs the good. However I would recommend going to see this in theaters because we've waited years to see Batman and Superman on the big screen together. The potential is there if DC would reach out and take a hold of it. However DC has to take great strides if it wishes to catch up with the critical success of Marvel.

Rating: 5.9 out of 10

Zootopia Review

     Because who doesn't love animals running around in clothes and doing human activities? Not only does Disney's Zootopia look great but this story also has a lot of heart at its core. This is one of those animated features that will not only capture the hearts of kids but adults as well.
     Zootopia tells the story of Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin), a young bunny that has just joined the police corp of Zootopia. With the help of a con artist fox named Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman), Hopps hopes to uncover the mystery of all the strange disappearances within the city.
   

     There are many positive aspects of this film. Lets start off with the look of the film. I am not very knowledgable when it comes to the animated realm but the shot selection in this movie is very intriguing for an animated film. Directors Byron Howard, Rich Moore, and Jared Bush did a phenomenal job with making this animation feel like a cinematic live action film. They also beautifully draw from other movies and TV shows. There's a scene that's a complete parody of The Godfather that will have you laughing your ass off.
     The characters in this film were very well drawn out. Jason Bateman is the perfect fit for the voice of Nick Wilde and plays the character in a beautifully, maniacal manner. While at the beginning of the movie he's a bit of a sleaze, the audience sees his transformation into a good hearted fox. This movie is full of other stars as well including JK Simmons, Idris Elba, Bonnie Hunt, and Shakira.
 

     I can only think of a few negative aspects of this movie. At times this movie gets a little predictable and goes off of what we've seen from other animated feature films. We know from the get-go as soon as Hopps enters the city of Zootopia and we see all the different regions of the city that Hopps will go to each one in her investigation. It felt much like Pixar's Inside Out and seeing Joy travel all around the mind of her human. Another complaint would probably be the humor. While there are a lot of scenes in this movie that will have you laughing, the pacing of the humor could have been better executed instead of us having to wait around so long for the next laugh out loud scene.
     Zootopia is a fun movie that highly recommend taking the family to see. Not only will the kids laugh but there are certain scenes where the adults will really enjoy. It will definitely bring a smile to your face.

Rating: 8.3 out of 10

10 Cloverfield Lane Review

     Is it a sequel? Is it a prequel? Well...it's neither, really. 10 Cloverfield Lane takes place in the same universe as the original Cloverfield with a whole new set of characters.

     10 Cloverfield Lane tells the story of Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) who mysteriously wakes up in the doomsday shelter of Howard (John Goodman) after a nearly fatal car crash. Michelle is reassured by Howard that she is safe from a widespread chemical attack that has contaminated the air outside the shelter. When Michelle finds out that things aren't quite adding up to Howard's story, she looks to uncover the mysterious situation, with the help of another shelter member by the name of Emmett (John Gallagher Jr.).

 
     This film primarily takes place in the same setting and acts like a small, independent movie in many aspects. We really only get three characters with Michelle, Howard, and Emmett. However the performances of all three keep the audience very much enticed. The standout performance to me was from John Goodman. Seeing him as this creepy yet sympathetic man that you would most likely see on Doomsday Preppers, made the film very entertaining. He nails the role. John Gallagher Jr and Mary Elizabeth Winstead's performances are not far behind though. Winstead's performance felt very much like Sigourney Weaver's performance as Ripley in the first Alien movie but worked perfectly for this story.
     This was first full length feature film of Dan Trachtenberg's career and what a way to kick it off. Often times you will find that good directors get good performances out of their actors and Trachtenberg really got the most out of these three performers. There's also really well done editing and transitions that help the audience to feel just as confined in the doomsday shelter as the characters.
     The score was composed by Bear McCreary and it beautifully adds to the tension within the shelter. It is often times within the forefront of the scene and helps enhance the progression of the story.

      Although the storyline is predictable at times like many thrillers, it is very intriguing for the most part. This film tends to fall apart a tad bit in the third act. Once Michelle escapes the shelter (not a spoiler if you watched the trailer), the ending feels a bit rushed and it seems as though they tried to cram in a blockbuster action sequence when the movie felt small beforehand. The tone just didn't seem to match within the third act. They could have had her escape a bit early and develop the outside world a little more.
     This is just a minor problem with the film and Trachtenberg does a fantastic job directing for his first feature film. The performances are outstanding and this is definitely a film that you should see in theaters.

Rating: 9.1 out of 10