Jcondic

TOP GUN:MAVERICK is just another reason why Tom Cruise is the last big budget movie star left. This is a film that needs to be seen on the big screen, the plane fight scenes are amazing. Cruise is his typical good self but it’s the supporting cast that helps bring the film to life, Jennifer Connelly, Miles Teller and specifically Glen Powell. I felt like some of the Iceman stuff felt shoved in, and the last act might’ve played it too safe, but other than that the film is pure popcorn entertainment.

THE INNOCENTS is an interesting story, I just wish it built up to something more by the end. The child actors are terrific, especially Sam Ashraf as “Ben” he perfectly portrays the evil kid. Eskil Vogt has some gorgeous shots

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

A compelling documentary about a man whose name has gone beyond him now. He had all the passion, and desire to help people but he couldn’t help himself. As we saw in the recent election the media played a huge part in this story. Might be one of the greatest real life rise and fall stories. And he did it twice… I found the heartache of the film was his wife and how she had to deal with everything. She was torn between her family and career. You can see the agonizing pain she was going through to keep it all together.

A good popcorn film that helps pass the time but where is the danger? It was advertised as a tougher, grittier version in the Star Wars lore but any time things got to serious one of the characters would toss in a joke to ease the tension. As Disney does with their marvel films, the Star Wars universe has fully been Disneyfied, with safe story’s, humour and generic music to set the mood. I found the score felt out of place in a few scenes while watching the movie. The characters felt flat, especially Mikkelson and Mendelsohn both fantastic actors who were wasted. I am a Star Wars fan but after the disappointment of Force Awakens this doesn’t do much to excite me for the upcoming series. On a positive note, seeing Darth Vader fight down that corridor excited the geek in me.

Koreeda has another solid film here. He is always able to observe people living regular lives and then throws a wrench in it. His films are a study of the human spirit, what it actually takes to break it and how we come out on the other side. His last two films “Like Father, Like Son” and “I Wish” showcase this and so does “Our Little Sister”. At the core of all his films is heart, Love is in every frame as honestly as it could be perceived. You really want to see what will happen next in their lives. Another Solid Film by a Master.

Loving is a beautiful film that exams the love between this couple through everything they endure. The whole film is simple with very little dialogue, it doesn’t even show the court room proceedings, Nichols chose to avoid the melodramatic plot points a lesser director would have used to make a generic bio flick. The two lead performances are heartbreaking. The scene where the Life Magazine photographer takes pictures of them on the couch might be one of the most touching scenes of the year. As wary as they are of the man this was a moment where they let their guard down and its beautiful and sad that they couldn’t always be like that. Instead they had to live looking over their shoulder. Jeff Nichols is two for two this year here’s hoping we don’t’ have to wait to long for his next film.

An animated film for more mature kids. That I thought was fantastic, another beautifully animated film by Laika Studios. The one fault I had was that it wrapped things up too quickly at the end. But besides that the film kept my attention with a strong story and a few surprises.

Sky Ladder is a fascinating look at an artist’s drive to fulfill his passion project. I never heard of this guy before but I’m glad I know about him now.

A typical Sundance drama that hits all the usual notes. The ending worked but a lot of the film felt like it was drudging along. I just couldn’t connect to the film.

A smart science fiction film that asks a lot of good questions about artificial intelligence and the dangers it might pose. The Cinematography is gorgeous, the script is spot on and the pacing is superb. Alex Garland’s direction is great. I particularly loved his use of mirrors and reflections throughout.

I’m pretty sure I enjoyed this a lot more when it first came out. But I could not stand Tara Reid’s character. Nothing about her is believable, nothing.

It’s not the best Herzog but I can listen to him talk about grass grow. The best parts are when he talks to the locals who live by and are affected by volcanoes constantly.

As usually Alex Gibney knows how to make a highly informative and compelling documentary. This one really disturbed me, it’s frightening. To think we're so connected to the system in everything we do that one blip can have massive repercussions. Can cyber warfare have the same treaties as Nuclear weapons? The USA/Israel opened a can of worms giving other countries an open playground to retaliate, now how do they close it before it's to late?

The BFG himself is charming and full of heart unfortunately the film itself lacks any connection to that. The film feels very safe and the characters never feel any sense of urgency, even the build-up to the big battle doesn’t feel warranted. Spielberg tries to instill magic but it feels like his youthfulness isn’t there anymore, technically the film is spot on but a younger director might have been able to bring better life to this story. That being said kids might really enjoy the film while the adult in me can’t overlook things. I would have preferred another Tintin.

A charming coming of age drama. First love can be hard to wrap your mind around especially when you’re young and stubborn. The German setting works well for the fish out of water vibe.

Don’t Breathe starts off as a great thriller but the story suffers in the final act mainly that scene with Jane Levy tied up. What drove the character didn’t make sense to me in that scene based on what we’ve seen earlier because Levy had nothing to do with his daughter. I found it unnecessary.

I enjoyed this sequel a lot more than a I expected. The film introduces some very likable new characters while sticking to the typical Pixar themes. It feels like its own beast away from the original but that could be said for Pixar’s other sequels (Monster’s Inc. or Toy Story). Ellen is great but Ed O’Neil was a fantastic choice. Very charming.

Pete’s Dragon is sweet and from the heart. This is an adventure film for the whole family. Oakes Fegley controls the screen. Lowery shows his range as a director and it’s exciting to see.

Kids always seem to make friends easier than adults, but they also find it easier to let go of friends. This is a touching little film and friendship is at the heart of it, I kept waiting for some sort of bigger reveal but it never came the film is as you see you.

In my opinions one of the greatest bands of their time and one of my favourites. Their moment came and went like many other artists. The fact they look back upon it and realize it was a moment and don’t show regret is astonishing. They appreciate their moment. Some try too hard to recreate moments they once had (Madonna) and others are fine with where they’re at. There is no reunion tour for a cash grab they just move forward and I respect that. I’m glad I got to see them live once before they broke up.

Mel Gibson knows how to make a brutal movie; the violence is in your face. Showing how violent the battle was only amplifying the courage Doss had to go into this without a gun. I for one could not. Though the film seems like two different movies the impact of the second half would not be possible without the first. Everyone involved is on top of their game. Andrew Garfield continues to prove why he’s one of the best young actors in the business. Shy of a few scenes that felt out of place the film is great, but seeing Doss in archival footage at the end and hearing the story added to the impact of this man’s actions.

I felt the disdain he had for his father just wasn’t merited from what was seen on screen. The film has some great creative choices and looks great, but the story was lacking and becomes predictable at times.

Still suspenseful after all these years. It’s been some 20 years since I last saw the film. I forgot Jeff Daniels was in it. But once I started watching I remembered why I enjoyed it so much. The idea might be more ridiculous for me today than when I was a kid but its shot and edited perfectly. This is a better action film then any fast and furious film.

As a Marvel movie it doesn’t stray far from their typical formula. Humour, drama and action all mixed in safely. As usually the villain feels under developed with the exception of Loki and Bucky in previous marvel films. The Sequel should have a better villain with Mordo. The film is entertaining and the visuals are fantastic but everything is safe and you always know it will turn out okay. The fact that Strange can turn back time and reset worries me for future marvel films where if they decided to kill a character, strange will reverse with marvel having a big “Gotcha” moment. In the end Strange is on the upper end of Marvel films with Winter Soldier and Guardians of the Galaxy. But if the marvel films don’t start evolving and taking risks it’ll be safe to say they will become more and more forgettable.

The film is not perfect but the performances are top notch. Viggo is solid as the patriarch of this family which has been raised away from modern society. The children are all charming, and you get moments with each of them that connects. The ending lands perfect when the family finally gets to say goodbye to their mother.

Quirky and Fun. This is a unique film and its definitely not for everyone. I enjoyed the film especially the performances, but I didn’t find the same love others have been finding with it. I felt the emotional impact of their friendship misses the mark and it doesn’t bring it together at the end.

The Ivory game marks the second documentary between Netflix and Leonardo DiCaprio’s Appian Way. Virunga really brought the issue of protecting species vs. monetary value and how the hunger for money with the locals and greed from big corporations puts the gorillas and their habitat at risk. Now the Ivory Game comes at you like a thriller, and again showing the battle between corruption and greed vs. Protecting a species from extinction. Unlike Virunga where they wanted to kill the animals to get to the oil under the jungle. Ivory game discusses how it is beneficial for them to have less elephants because the value of Ivory rises. I found the documentary had a sense of urgency about it but it also showed the sacrifice of the people trying to protecting the animals and like in Virunga they are fighting a losing battle. They need more help to turn the tables. For me the shots of the elephants when they are scared, or find a dead elephant are the most powerful, you can’t help but feel their pain. They understand loss and it’s not easy to take in.

For anyone who has no idea what “Black Lives Matter” stands for this is the film to see. Everything you need to know is given to you. The film has an electrifying pulse as it moves from decade to decade. For me the first half of the documentary felt like a rehash of things I’ve already seen in other documentaries or essays I’ve read. Yet I’ve never seen them grouped together so well in one place. The second half is where I found the biggest punch especially when we get to the last 10 years or so. This is a powerful documentary but to understand where we’ve gotten you have to see how the issue has been evolving underneath our noses.

Whenever I think of Star Trek now I always think of Roger Ebert’s Review of the 2009 film. “The Gene Roddenberry years, when stories might play with questions of science, ideals or philosophy, have been replaced by stories reduced to loud and colorful action. Like so many franchises, it’s more concerned with repeating a successful formula than going boldly where no “Star Trek” has gone before.” Star trek should be more than a spectacle yet it’s not, and though this film is better than the second one in the rebooted series it is still a film you can turn your brain off and watch. I wish the film would have been more about science and discovery, learning about new civilizations, merging peace amongst races etc. instead we get another film where one race wants to destroy everyone else with limited reasoning. Peace isn’t created without completely destroying the enemy. Roger ended his review with the following “The new movie essentially intends to reboot the franchise with younger characters and carry on as before. The movie deals with narrative housekeeping. Perhaps the next one will engage these characters in a more challenging and devious story, one more about testing their personalities than re-establishing them.” I got to say the film is entertaining to a point but the characters are the same through three films now. ****/reviews/star-trek-2009

Bad Moms is the type of film that you roll your eyes at but after you watch it you’re surprised at how good it actually is. The film is a thoroughly enjoyable, a few good laughs and good direction. I loved all the times the film would go into slow motion (Especially the Grocery Store) The film isn’t perfect; at times it feels like you’ve seen this plot before, but you go with it anyways. Unfortunately, they are already planning a sequel and spin off (Bad Dads), totally unnecessary, but typical Hollywood lets go for the money grab (Neighbours 2) Sometimes a simple concept should stay contained in one film, go make something else original, not double and triple dipping in the well (Hangover series)

Where “Only God Forgives” was all about aesthetic and showing off his style, “The Neon Demon” Comes with a lot more meat and a return to form in my opinion. At times the film is captivating and at times it is jarring but never dull. Refn is an exciting filmmaker, who makes films his way. As an Auteur is does not bend to make his films more accessible to the mainstream.