War Dogs Review

    There is Jonah Hill, weapon smuggling, and endless Scarface references. War Dogs should have it all, right? Although it has comedic elements, it's primarily a drama and is a good next step for director Todd Phillips. This movie has gotten very mixed reviews which makes the viewing experience appealing. Although War Dogs has some problems, it is ultimately a well directed story with very solid performances.
     War Dogs is based on the true story of two weapon smugglers named David Packouz (Miles Teller) and Efraim Diveroli (Jonah Hill). When the duo scores a $300 million contract from the Pentagon, they soon realize that the weapon smuggling business is a crazy ride.

     The directing of this film is something that very much stands out. Phillips style of directing is very reminiscent of Adam McKay's style with The Big Short. Both come from a comedic directing background and their style is very similar. The movie includes lots of freeze frames and jump cuts. The tone and structure is very much like The Wolf of Wall Street that really works for this film. Todd Phillips also directs in a way that exhibits good performances from his actors.
     The actor that stood out the most to me was Miles Teller. When this kids picks the right roles, he really shines. Audiences need him to do more films like Whiplash and War Dogs. His character was the best developed in this entire movie. Jonah Hill very much plays the same character from The Wolf of Wall Street. He does it very well though. Although the character's writing had some problems.
     Jonah Hill's character Efraim is often times very over the top. He does this weird chuckle that is humorous at the beginning but then loses its lust when it's over done. You knew exactly what this character was all about because we've seen it done in film over and over again
     The story for this movie is well directed. However, it is also very predictable at times. Without getting into spoilers, there are often times when you can tell exactly what the character's motivations are going to be. It is very formulaic and just goes through the beats. Even the soundtrack has songs that are constantly overused in films.
     The pacing of this story overall is pretty good. It only has a runtime of 2 hours and 2 minutes. However, the first hour feels like two. It takes awhile to gain momentum. Overall though, I had a fun time with this movie. The story had me entertained and very pleasantly surprised.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Sausage Party Review

     When most people flock to animated movies they are generally hoping to see a fun, family movie that are mainly aimed at the demographic of young children. Well, Sausage Party is the complete opposite of that. The rated R, animated comedy uses the most of its rating in as many different ways as possible.
     Written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, Sausage Party tells the story of a sausage named Frank (Seth Rogen) who seeks the be purchased at the local grocery store due to his belief in "The Great Beyond". When Frank and his buddies discover "The Great Beyond" may just be a lie to keep the groceries in line, they will go through great obstacles to discover the real truth.

      The positives of this comedy are very much evident. The opening scene of this movie slowly escalates into hilarious vulgarity. The first act of this movie is really entertaining and there is tremendous voice talent at work. With talent such as Seth Rogen, Kristen Wiig, Jonah Hill, Michael Cera, Danny McBride, and much more, the comedy almost always hit. Rogen and Goldberg definitely display their abilities to push the boundaries. This film touches on multiple jokes in the realm religion, race, and sex. After watching it, I felt like I needed to attend church.
     What also is admiring about the movie is the direction that the story takes. Without getting into spoilers, this movie definitely took me by surprise by where the film is primarily located. There are a lot more moving parts then anticipated.
     The shining moment of this movie though is the last 20 minutes. There is a certain montage without getting into spoilers that steals the show. It will not only make audiences super uncomfortable but will also have them rolling on the floor laughing. The first and third act of this movie are what really carry the film.
     The biggest struggle with this movie is the second act. There are often jokes that do not quite fall with the audiences and its set up for the third act takes awhile. The jokes often times getting very repetitive and it loses a bit of its taste. There is a taco played by Selma Hayek that almost felt unnecessary to the story. They pretty much played on the same joke with the character over and over again.
     Although Sausage Party is not the best work from Rogen and Goldberg, it definitely has its outstanding moments.  It not the greatest comedy but it's definitely a fun movie. I would recommend seeing it in theaters, especially with a big audience.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Stranger Things Review

     I am aware this is a Netflix exclusive and would fall more into the television spectrum. With that being said though, this episodic story feels like an eight hour movie. With all the talk around it and the great bundle of 1980 references, it was really difficult for me to turn down the opportunity to review this show. So let's get into it!
     When 12 year old Will Byers mysteriously disappears one night, the city of Hawkins, Indiana is not quite what it seems. An unpleasant government agency, a supernatural creature, and a psychokinetic girl all mysteriously stumble into this harmonious, midwestern town. With the help of a desperate mother, a rugged cop, and a group of kids, they'll soon discover that there is something more sinister at hand.

     Where to even begin with the positives of this show? The whole writing of this show is freaking superb. Never have I watched a show with only eight, one hour episodes that developed all of its characters so beautifully. There are so many moving parts to this story that writers, Matt and Ross Duffer, executed it in spectacular fashion. I read an article that stated its a Steven King script meets a Stephen Spielberg movie and that is very much evident. There are so many unique nods to the 80's that it feels like The Goonies, Star Wars, Poltergeist, The Thing, and much more bundled up into one epic story. A lot of shows/movies have tried to replicate the 80's but I am not sure any brought you there quite like this show. Plus there are some rad 80's tunes involved.
     The characters are written so magnificently. However, they are really brought to life by the performances of the show. While there are so many great performances in the show I am only going to highlight on a couple that really stood out to me.
     David Harbour plays the rough, police chief named Jim Hopper and I would be very surprised if studios are not lining up to land this guy in an upcoming film. He is very much the Han Solo like character of this series but we get this very heartbreaking backstory that helps to understand why he is so engulfed in searching for Will. Another sensational performances comes from Gaten Matarazzo who plays Dustin. Matarazzo's character is very much the comedic relief of this show but man does the kid hit it out of the park. His timing not only great but he can also be very intelligent when it is called upon the character. All the kids actors elevate this show to the next level but he is the one that really resonated with me.
     The soundtrack for this show is something that is very much in the forefront and very much should be. The creative choice by the Duffers to use synthesizers to add suspense gives it an unnerving feel very much resembling Jaws or the original Halloween score. We are also given awesome 80's jam that include The Clash, Toto, and Modern English that will make you want to go out to buy this soundtrack.
     I can honestly say there are hardly any negatives to this gorgeously crafted show. There is one nitpick and that comes from Winona Ryder who plays Will's mother, Joyce Byers. The first two or so episodes it feels like she is overacting at times. However, once her story gets into motion, she is phenomenal. So I wouldn't even consider her much of complaint.
     I can not highly recommend this show enough. I promise you that you will binge watch this show and it won't bore you for a second. It's a love letter to 80's cinema but it never feels overbearing. Please go watch this when you get the chance!

Rating: 10 out of 10

Suicide Squad Review

     The second film of the DCEU is the longly awaited Suicide Squad. After Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice was a disappointment to critics and a fair number of fans, movie goers have been incredibly intrigued to see what the reception would be for the next film in DC's playbook. Suicide Squad presents us with a government assembled team of supervillains in order to take down a bigger threat in exchange for time off their prison sentence. Well audiences have the opportunity to finally see Suicide Squad this weekend. The potential for this movie is evident when watching but it doesn't quite hit the target. While this film fantastically introduces and develops new characters of the DCEU, its plot is too chaotic and the villain is a huge setback.

      The biggest positive of this movie is some of the character writing and performances. Will Smith brings his A game as Deadshot. Going in to the film, it was a worry that Smith was going to take over the film with screen time. However his character gets a fair amount of screen time and beautifully delivers when he's up to bat. Another performer that goes above and beyond for her role is Margo Robbie as Harley Quinn. Her comedic chops were on point and she did great when action was needed. I felt like I was watching the 90's Batman cartoon portrayal of Harley Quinn. The range for her was incredible. Furthermore, the most talked about role going into this movie was Jared Leto as The Joker. I will say the sample size we get in this movie is way too small to compare him to Heath Ledger's performance. However Leto is creepy as hell in this iconic role. The writing for this character is definitely going in a different direction then any other on-screen Joker. It's a shame we did not get more scenes with him.
     Another huge positive was the chemistry with the members of the team. Most of the characters in the squad interact very well and it feels very authentic. We understand a lot of the characters motivations especially when dealing with a far more evil puppet master with Amanda Waller played by Viola Davis.
     Now we get to the negatives. The largest negative of this film is the plot. Once the squad actually starts on their mission, this movie lacks in a lot of aspects. The plot is often times very chaotic and the pacing does not allow for the scenes to develop. Its never really evident to the audiences as to what threat the squad is trying to stop in the city. Its plot is what very much makes this movie forgettable at times.
     The writing for this movie struggles a lot. The dialogue ultimately falls flat at times. Some might even think cringe worthy. There were heavy rumors that David Ayer only had 6 weeks to write this screenplay and after seeing this film it would not surprise me if this was true.
     The villain for this movie is also a huge mistake. I don't want to get into spoilers. However the villain's motivations are never stated and the performance is ultimately dull. It is very much just a stereotypical villain that wants world domination...Except we never know why she's evil, which is much worse.
     This is one of the most anticipated movies of the summer and I know people that actually really enjoyed this movie. So I cannot encourage you enough to go this movie and go decide for yourself. I run this blog not to drill you with my opinion and have you regurgitate it. My purpose running this is to communicate my ideas. When you see the film I want you to look at my views and be like "I see where's he coming from yet I disagree" or "I see where he's coming from and I actually really agree with his statements". When I state in all my posts whether or not you should see it, that's my personal opinion. So for Suicide Squad, I would say go see it because this is a very divisive movie that you should witness in the theater and develop your own opinion. However it didn't quite land for me.

Rating: 5.0 out of 10