Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising Review

     Comedy sequels are one of the hardest obstacles to pull off in Hollywood. Not only do you have to live up the first film, but you also have to make sure that you don't get repetitive with the same jokes from the first one. While Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising sometimes relies on the same gags, this is a very much different yet enjoyable movie.
     Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising picks up with Mac (Seth Rogen) and Kelly (Rose Byrne) not only trying to expand their family, but trying to sell their house as well. When a rowdy sorority led by Shelby (Chloe Grace Moretz) moves next door, they will do whatever it takes to push them out, even team up with a former neighbor/enemy, Teddy (Zac Efron).
     This film has some really enjoyable components to it. Including the chemistry between Mac, Kelly, and Teddy. This was one aspect that made the very first movie so amusing and the director, Nicholas Stoller, picks right up from where he left off in the first movie. There's a scene in particular, without getting into spoilers, that really showcases their chemistry. Teddy is now struggling with finding his true call in life so Mac and Kelly take him in. While the heart between Mac and Teddy is not as evident as the first movie, there are still some funny and tinder moments. The chemistry is one of many gratifying elements of the film.

     Another really pleasant aspect is the story of this movie. A worry going into the film is how it could differentiate itself from the first movie and does so in very well made manner. The first film juggled with the difficulties that lie once you graduate college. This film is much more concerned with the role of women in sororities and the standards they have to live up to compared to fraternities. This is an unexpected yet very intriguing piece of the movie.
     There are also some segments of the movie that do not perform quite well. One of those is the characters of Shelby (Chloe Grace Moretz), although the sections of the film with her and her friends established a good character dynamic, Moretz did not quite fit the role for me. I've enjoyed many of her former films but she just felt a little out of place to me in this role. Although she was not particularly poor in the role, the casting did not quite fit like it should have. I also wish the film had a bit more gut busting laugh moments. The first one had a few scenes that had me laughing my ass off. Where as this film just has some well paced chuckles.
     Overall Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising is a justifiable sequel to this series which is rare in the comedy genre. While I wish there were more hilarious moments like the first and better casting at times, this is a fun movie that even if you do not catch it in theaters, you should check it out whenever it is distributed for home release.

Rating: 6.5 out of 10

Captain America Civil War Review

     Captain America: Civil War is one of the most prestigious comic books written today.  Mark Millar's epic, all Marvel crossover took the nerd world by storm in 2006. People were very curious to see how such a high stakes yet dangerous event could be pulled off and they were not disappointed. Upon release though, the comic was very highly praised. So when the Marvel Cinematic Universe decided to adapt it for the silver screen, people were just as cautious. Captain America: Winter Soldier was very well received among audiences and critics. So when the Russo brothers came back to direct the third film of the Captain America trilogy, the anticipation escalated and boy did they not disappoint with this movie. Although it is much different then the comic, Captain America: Civil War is a brilliantly crafted movie.
     Captain America: Civil War shows our favorite superheroes pitted against each other after governmental bill proposing that superheroes be registered and kept in check. While Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) believes this bill could ultimately bring justice for the world, Captain America (Chris Evans) is strongly opposed to the idea after the recent events of Winter Soldier. Tension rises and rises until finally our favorite heroes go toe to toe in an all out brawl.
     This film delivers in a lot of beautiful ways. The first aspect that stands out is the action choreography of this film. I can confidently say this has the best fighting scenes out of any comic book movies to this date. There's an airport scene in particular that I won't get into the spoilers of (if you haven't seen it by now) that is around 18 minutes of pure enjoyment. There are around 12 characters fighting in this massive scene and it's executed fantastically. However there are many other fighting scenes that will keep the audience fully focused in this movie. From start to finish we see some awesome fight choreography.
     Another great aspect of this movie is how well flushed out and development they make Cap and Iron Man. I went in with the attitude that I was team Cap but half way through the film I found my views identified with Iron Man's more. They excellently showed both point of views for these characters and their intentions.

     This is pretty much Avengers 2.5 and there are a lot of moving parts to this movie. They even had to introduce us to two new characters. The first was Black Panther played by Chadwick Boseman. From the second Boseman appears on screen, he kills it. The guy has such a powerful on screen presence in this film that his solo film is one of my most anticipated in the future of the MCU. From the beginning you should buy into his motivations for joining in on this fight. Another character we are introduced to is our brand new Spider-Man played by Tom Holland. First off, Spider-Man is my favorite Marvel character of all time. I was personally a big fan of Andrew Garfield's portrayal of the character even if it was more like the Peter Parker of the Ultimate Spider-Man comics. However I think Holland has the potential to beat that in his solo film slated for July 2017. It was too small of a sample size for me to say he's the best Spidey just off seeing Civil War. Although, what I saw I really enjoyed. Holland beautifully pulls off Parker in and out of the costume.
     There was only one minor complaint I had with this movie and that was the villain, Zemo (Daniel Bruhl). I had no problem with the Bruhl's portrayal of Zemo but like many other MCU films, it was a very forgettable villain. It seemed to me that he was very much a mustache twirling villain that just worked from behind the scenes and prayed everything went exactly as planned. I never really bought into this character.
     After my first viewing, I was thinking this could be my favorite comic book adaption to the big screen. However after the second viewing, I still think Winter Soldier is my favorite film of the MCU with this not far behind. I have very, very few complaints with this movie. I highly recommend going to see it in theaters if you have not already done so.

Rating: 9.8 out of 10