I'd like to start off by stating that I am not a big horror fan. I am a coward and I jump at nearly everything thrown at the audience. Also, I find most of the genre to be very lazy and repetitive at times. You hardly ever get good horror films with big theatrical releases. However when The Conjuring came out in 2013, it was a bit of a shocker. Warner Brothers took a risk with this summer horror film and boy did it pay off. Not only was the film received very well from the fans but critics very much enjoyed the movie as well. I had a chance to see it once it came out on Blu-Ray and although I nearly wet my pants multiple times while watching, as a whole the film is very good. The director, James Wan, writes very well fleshed out characters. When the audiences sees them being haunted, you are actually invested and concerned for them. So when the news was released James Wan was returning to direct the sequel, I was very ecstatic and I finally got a chance to see the film. Although this film is not better then the first one, it still has plenty of scares, a very compelling story, and beautifully developed characters. The Conjuring 2 is supposedly based off the true story of the famous Enfield Poltergeist in north London during 1977. Paranormal investigators Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga) travel to London to help a single mother and her four children from a mysterious spirit that lingers within the house.
There are two aspects of the film that stand out in a glorious fashion. The first is the direction. James Wan is one of the best horror directors out there and this is evident in this film. Wan uses long tracking shots and visual misdirections to really tantalize the audience. Wan also gives some terrifying moments with a demon nun. The second standout is the characters of Ed and Lorraine Warren. Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga have such spectacular chemistry and play off each other so well. You really buy into this relationship. Although this is primarily a horror film, there's also a love story at its core. Wan blends the two genres in a delightful manner. It very much enhances the story.
Some other standouts is Madison Wolfe who plays Janet Hodgson. Janet is the daughter who has the most interactions with the demon in their house and Wan, much like the first Conjuring, does a stellar job of working with younger actors. Wan uses the family dynamic to help the audience be more invested in the characters and it works fantastically.
There are very little complaints with this movie. One of them is the pacing. They probably could have cut a good chunk out of the second act. Another complaint is this film uses a little too much jump scares. What I loved about the first movie is the building tension and how to toys with your head. This one uses some jump scares which seems like a little bit of a cop out. However the jump scares are really terrifying.
Although this film is not as good as the first when it comes to the film as a whole, it might be the scarier of the two. There are some really great scenes that I believe can really get a scare out of you. I highly suggest going to it the theaters with a big audience.
Lonely Island is one of the better comedic bands out right now. So when I discovered they were making a movie, I was very eager to see what could come from it. We got Andy Samberg and Jorma Taccone in Hot Rod, however Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping is actually a story focused around a band with all three of the Lonely Island members. Although this film loses it momentum in the third act, it's full of great songs and hilarious moments.
Popstar focuses around world celebrity Conner (Andy Samberg) and his solo after falling out with his group. When the solo life doesn't pan out quite the way he expected, Conner will do whatever he can to reunite with his bandmates to resurrect not only his but their careers as well.
This movie has been noted this generation's This Is Spinal Tap and that is a fair comparison. It pulls off the music mockumentary with well placed cameos and hilarious problems that linger in music industry today. It's mostly pokes fun at Justin Bieber but there are many other antics that are a head nod to musicians in the industry today.
The first two acts of this movie are very funny... Like gut-busting funny. Andy Samberg fits the role very well and comedically the dude does not disappoint. The chemistry between him, Taccone, and the third member, Akiva Schaffer, is phenomenal. All three of them play off each other so well. However I think one of the unsung heroes of this film is the manager, Harry, played by Tim Meadows. He is fantastic as the fickle, sleazy manager that so often surrounds the music industry.
Another stand out of this movie is the soundtrack. Although there's one song in particular that's is underwhelming in the context of the film (which I will touch on later), a good majority of the songs are catchy and funny as hell. If you cannot get around to seeing the film, do yourself a favor and listen to this soundtrack. It has some great tracks.
There are some duds with this movie. The main one is the third act. The momentum slows down drastically and the final song to throw the group back into the mainstream audience is very underwhelming compared to the rest of this soundtrack. Although the runtime of this movie is only 87 minutes, they could have easily lost around 20 minutes and it would have enhanced the movie.
Although the third act drags and does not quite land, this is one of the better comedies I've seen this year. The first two acts are full of laughs, brilliant cameos, and catchy songs. This is not a particular film you have to see in theaters but if you get the chance then you should because there's some really funny moments.
Superhero films are the hottest genre in Hollywood right now. Earlier this year audiences got to DC's Batman v. Superman and Marvel's Captain America: Civil War. However one could point out that the superhero movement ultimately started with the first X-Men (2000) movie and Fox continues to churn out films from this franchise. Although they hit some duds along the way (sorry X-Men: Last Stand and X-Men Origins: Wolverine), it ultimately regained its stride with X-Men First Class and X-Men: Days of Future Past. When we were teased with Apocalypse in the post credits scene of Days of Future Past, fans were very delighted to see a silver screen adaptation of the popular villain. Well the film has received its theatrical release and while there are some glaring issues with the movie, there are also some really excellent qualities.
After 100s of years of entrapment, the first mutant, Apocalypse re-awakens. When Apocalypse hopes to cleanse the earth from humans with the help of his Four Horseman, it'll be up to the X-Men to stop them.
There are some very positive aspects to this movie. An evident strength is the new cast for the younger X-Men that were set up. The big three Cyclops (Tye Sheridan), Jean Grey (Sophie Turner), and Nightcrawler (Kodi Smit-McPhee), all fit very well into their new roles and hopefully Fox is working on a film that focuses on these new, younger characters. Another character that was developed even more from Days of Future Past was Quicksilver (Evan Peters). The first Quicksilver slo-mo scene in Days of Future Past was spectacular because the audiences were not expecting it. While the slo-mo scene in Apocalypse is shoehorned in and not as entertaining as the first one, it is still very charming and shot beautifully. He is not my favorite character in this film though.
My favorite character in this is Magneto (Michael Fassbender). I was very curious going into see how they would go about having Magneto joining Apocalypse to be one of his Four Horseman and it was done perfectly. Without going into spoilers, Magneto is at his lowest of low when he joins Apocalypse and audiences will see his brokenness. The development for this character over the past three movies has been done brilliantly, especially the relationship between him and Charles Xavier (James McAvoy). Fassbender has embraced and encompassed this role in an incredible way. The first half of this film with the new X-Men and Magneto's story is very well done.
There are issues with some of the characters in this movie. The most obvious ones are the other Four Horseman besides Magneto. Storm (Alexandra Shipp), Angel (Ben Hardy), and Psylocke (Olivia Munn), are very under utilized and there was not a whole lot of logic set up for them joining Apocalypse. I understood why Apocalypse pursues them but I did not understand their side very well.
My biggest issue with this movie is Mystique played by Jennifer Lawrence. I understand this is an alternate timeline since Days of Future Past so Mystique can be on the side of the X-Men. Unfortunately though it feels like Fox is just trying to throw Lawrence's star power in front us just to appeal to a wide market. This is not the only issue. Her performance as Mystique in this movie is not good. This felt like a cash grab for Lawrence just to show up and mail her performance in. She has stated this will probably be her last X-Men film and I certainly hope so. She's a fantastic actress but this role is not for her.
Another issue in the film is the visual effects. I was not huge on the looks of Apocalypse and Psylocke. While I feel Oscar Isaac did well in the role, the look was off-setting. The same goes with Psylocke. I understand they were going for the comic book look. However that does not always translate well to the big screen. This movie also relied heavily on CGI and while there is nothing wrong with that if the CGI is well done, often times the shots were very repetitive. Lots of destruction shots with buildings rising which we've seen in superhero movies time after time. Also, the end scene is a bit anti-climatic and very cliched for superhero movies. I was hoping to see a bit more fighting between all the characters but it was ultimately underwhelming.
While this movie has some issues, the first half of the film and the setup for the new X-Men is very well done. It's not as good as First Class or Days of Future Past but Apocalypse serves to the story and is an entertaining addition to this newer X-Men trilogy.
Good directors put a stamp on their films. Often when watching prestigious directors such as Spielberg or Kubrick, you recognize the technical and tonal elements that they incorporate into their movies. Shane Black is one of those directors. While his first film, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang not only critically but with the fans as well, while Iron Man 3 had very mixed reviews. Fortunately, Black certainly picked up from where he left off in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang with his newest film, The Nice Guys. The Nice Guys is a thrilling story and a great homage to the 1970's L.A. crime drama genre. The Nice Guys tells the story of an unlikely pair of P.I.'s, played by Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe, investigating the mysterious death of a diminishing porn star. When the death is not all it seems, they will learn that there is much more at hand in this particular case.
The Nice Guys makes the city of Los Angeles feel like its own character. It's a great throwback to the time and visually the cinematography looks very good. However a setting is only as good with the characters that surround it and The Nice Guys provides great character performances. Holland March (Ryan Gosling) is a single father who struggles with alcoholism and Gosling pulls off the character perfectly. Much like Robert Downey Jr. in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Gosling bumbles his way through this mysterious case but in a well articulated matter. Although he shows up to job often intoxicated, he's actually very cunning and is way more then meets the eye. It's difficult not to applaud Shane Black and his co-writer, Angourie Rice, on this script and these well developed characters.
Gosling's surrounding cast is very good. Crowe plays Jackson Healy, a physical brute who is just as strong as he is smart. It's been awhile since audiences have seen Crowe in the lead role of a big feature film but he fits the role very well. Him and Gosling work very well together and you will definitely enjoy the chemistry they bring on screen.
The story for this film is intriguing. In an age where franchise films or sequels almost completely dominate the wide release market, it's refreshing to see an original idea and pulled off so well. The only struggle this film might have is the pacing at times. Sometimes you'll be very drawn in and really enjoying the comedy, while other times can be a bit of a miss. It could have had some more gut busting moments. These are very small nitpicks.
However I can honestly say this is in my Top 3 films of the year so far. The performances by Gosling and Crowe with this very intriguing neo-noir homage to 1970s Los Angeles, is one that I highly recommend going to see in theaters, especially since we do not get a whole ton of original ideas with a wide release.
