Suicide Squad Review

Finally got to watch Suicide Squad. SPOILER FREE

      Let me start by saying before going into this movie, I've always been a fan of the DC universe and always loved characters such as Batman, Superman, Wonderwoman etc but also loved The Joker and Harley Quinn. Despite the many flaws that Zack Snyder's Batman Vs Superman film had, I enjoyed the movie as a piece of entertainment although it's clearly obvious that DC has a lot of work to do if they hope to make their universe expand like Marvels. Like many, I was shocked at the hostile negative reviews that Suicide Squad got prior to it's release as I was hoping for it to not only be a massive improvement over Batman Vs Superman but also to reassure any fears that the DC universe is not in any danger of failing. Going into this, I had no real knowledge do the comics for Suicide Squad prior to this and went in wanting to be surprised by all the characters and plot elements, which is also why I refused to read any reviews for the film prior to watching it to form my own opinion of it. Now that I've seen the film and reviewing it now, I can say that while the movie was not a great picture, it is far better than what the critics gave it credit for.

      Suicide Squad is a solid and entertaining popcorn blockbuster that gets more crap than it deserves as it delivers on providing the fun despite the film needing a directors cut (especially in the case of Jared Leto's character The Joker). Taking place after the events of Batman Vs Superman, Suicide Squad centers around a secret government agency recruiting a group of imprisoned supervillains in hopes of them completing dangerous black ops missions in exchange for clemency, leading to chaos. Suicide Squad does a good job of juggling it's group of colorful characters giving them all moments to shine with the two best performances coming from Will Smith turning in a likeable yet hilarious performance as Deadshot and Margot Robbie (Perfectly casted) making for a stunning Harley Quinn. The most controversial casting choice in the film which paid off nicely despite the actor only being given a limited amount of screen time in the film is Jared Leto in the films most anticipated role as The Joker. Much has been said about Leto's casting choice prior to the films release and after its opening where audiences first complained about the tattoos and gold teeth his character possesses but now the consensus seems to be he wasn't given enough time to truly develop in the film like Harley Quinn's character. Perhaps the filmmakers are saving Leto's Joker for future films and this was merely a setup for future installments, or maybe the filmmakers chose to make this more of Harley Quinn's movie giving brief glimpses into her relationship with The Joker while leaving much to be desired between the two. The marketing and trailers for the film made it seem like his character would have more significance to the plot than what is revealed in the film but the actor still does a good job with what he's given. It's a shame that the filmmakers chose to cut out large portions of scenes that would've given his character a more pivotal part in the films story. I guess the question on many moviegoers minds is does Leto compare with Heath Ledger's Joker and hold his own given the enormous shoes he had to fill? One should not draw a comparison between the two as the universes are completely different as well as the actors and their performances. Whereas Ledger's Joker will probably go down as being the definitive Joker for a long time, Leto's performance is one that gives hope that we can have a strong Joker character in the DC universe so long as the filmmakers give him more to do next round. Viola Davis turns in a solid performance as the head of the agency that enlisted the squad, with Joel Kinnaman and Jay Hernandez turning in strong supporting roles as well.  In terms of the actors performance, everyone in the movie delivers as they bring their A game to the picture, making the chemistry between the team flow naturally and provides a great deal of fun. The whole team looks like they're having a blast here and the audience can clearly see it on the screen.

      In regards to the films technical aspects, Suicide Squad's directorial style from David Ayer feels like a mixture of Guy Ritchie with the hip soundtrack giving it a Guardians Of The Galaxy feel to it. Perhaps this was an effort on the filmmakers and studios part to make the movie less dark and serious than what Batman Vs Superman turned out to be. It's well known that the filmmakers chose to do reshoots soon after the success of Deadpool and critical panning of Zack Snyder's movie to make the movie more fun spirited. Maybe the changes they made to the film hurt it's reception with critics as the movie should've probably remained untouched and came out exactly the way it was, maybe it helped make the film more enjoyable as fans can't truly be sure which of the two turned out to be true. The film moves at a fairly decent pacing not being as painful as the ones for Batman Vs Superman and X-Men Apocalypse, but feels like the story wasn't as rushed as many critics made it out to be. Still, one strongly recommends an extended cut of the movie to be released like the 3 hour cut of Batman Vs Superman to clean up some of the movies padding and story issues. Visually the film looks stunning on the big screen with impressive cinematography and art-set decoration. Despite the movie looking great, it often felt like a combination of a videogame mixed with a music video.

       Overall, Suicide Squad is a entertaining and ultimately satisfying summer blockbuster flick that doesn't deserve the type of flak it's been getting from the critics, although the film is not without it's flaws. Perhaps there was too many songs thrown into the movie but honestly it doesn't destroy ones experience of watching the movie as ultimately the soundtrack adds to the film making it one of the movies highpoints, even if it feels like they were forcing the Guardians Of The Galaxy tone. If one needs a good reason to go see this movie, it's for Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn and Will Smith as Deadshot, the two work great together. Jared Leto didn't do a bad performance as he was playing his own Joker but the problem is he wasn't given enough time to truly shine as his screen time is greatly limited. Despite the third act of the film being exciting, one can't help but feel that it felt like the filmmakers were ripping off Ghostbusters with how the characters and sequence was set up. One sincerely hopes that the studio decides to release an extended cut of the film down the road to help improve the critical reception the film received as this movie isn't deserving of its criticism despite its flaws. I disagree with the consensus that Suicide Squad has a thin and convulted plot with characters thinly written and directing that's choppy.  I felt the characters were developed well given the films running time and provided more humor than the previous DC universe films combined, but one feels that an extended cut would more than clean up some of the films problems. Thumbs up.

                                                                                                                                                 7.5/10

 P.S. Ben Affleck's cameo in the movie rocks. He's truly an awesome Batman and continues to be a casting choice that ultimately matches and surpasses expectations. One awaits his solo Batman film with great anticipation and interest.

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Jason Bourne Review

So I finally got to watch Jason Bourne. SPOILER FREE



      Let me start by saying I grew up as a fan of the Jason Bourne trilogy since I saw the first one around the time of The Bourne Supremacy release in theaters. I didn't get to catch the first one in theaters nor did I discover it until the release of the second one in which I watched it before going to see Supremacy. I thought it was a good action movie thriller with a solid concept. The idea of a lead character trying to find his identity while having his memory wiped made for a hero that was both relatable to the audience as well as vulnerable. I didn't love the first movie right away but I dug it. The Bourne Supremacy was a superior movie to The Bourne Identity in my eyes as it took everything great about the first movie and expanded on it with Matt Damon turning in a much stronger and convincing performance that the audience can truly buy this guy as being a trained assassin before his memory was wiped. Paul Greengrass slick camera work and fast pacing made it feel like one endless ride with this character as he fights to figure out who he is. It was essentially Total Recall mixed with the Fugitive. The Bourne Ultimatum to me was a perfect sequel to the Bourne trilogy and really should've been the last installment as it ended everything so nicely. Bourne not only got his memory back and remembered everything but he ended his journey exactly the way it started with him in the ocean evading the authorities compared to the opening scene of the first where the fishermen pull him out of the water. If one looks at the significance of those two scenes they realize that the series was perfect as just three films and really should've been left at that. The idea of continuing the series with a new character wasn't very promising as they did so but kept referencing Jason Bourne throughout that film making audiences care less about the new character and more curious about what Bourne was up to or if he was going to make a cameo at the end which never happened. The Bourne Legacy wasn't a terrible film but it failed to restart the series the way it wanted to with a newer character, because audiences to be brutally honest simply didn't care for a new character and wanted Bourne back on the big screen. Now 9 years after the events of The Bourne Ultimatum, Jason Bourne returns to the big screen after both Matt Damon and Paul Greengrass announced their return to the franchise in hopes of fixing it after the damage Legacy did to it. The question on many audiences minds is whether Matt Damon and Paul Greengrass did just that? The answer is a very disappointing negative.
      Jason Bourne as a whole is a slight improvement over The Bourne Legacy but still comes across as an overall disappointment taken into account the promise it was delivering to fans as well as the potential it carried in regards to bringing back an iconic character and giving him a triumphant return. The story for the new film centers around former operative of the CIA named Jason Bourne whose forced out of hiding to uncover truths about his past which also involves his father and the reasons behind his death. Jason Bourne looks great on film directing and acting wise as everyone did good but it suffers from a really horrible cause of Deja Vu as the storyline is paper thin and feels directly like a remake of The Bourne Supremacy with Bourne once again on the run from an agency that wants to bring him out of hiding with a connection being led to his father from the past. It's not that Jason Bourne isn't exciting this time around as a character as Damon gives another strong performance given the circumstances he's surrounded by, the storyline is terrible and ultimately is what brings the movie down. The audience is once again treated to another story of Bourne on the run recycling the same subplots from previous movies and not daring to do anything new with its story or characters. The true standouts of this movie are Matt Damon as Bourne and Tommy Lee Jones as a sleazy CIA director, who attempts to force Bourne out of hiding. Julia Stiles makes her return as Nicky from the original Bourne trilogy but her character doesn't develop much further from where the audience last sees her and her character is wasted feeling like a setup for Bourne's character to jump back into action. She also looks like she didn't want to be in the film as her physical appearance is much different than the previous films making her look more tired and bored. It's a shame because her character actually comes across as more likeable as the films go once you learn about her association with Bourne. One wishes that the filmmakers elaborated more on her relationship with Bourne which was described as being romantic in a brief reference in The Bourne Ultimatum. Alicia Vikander does a serviceable job playing the new female accomplice to Bourne in this story as she assists him in his mission while having a few secrets of her own. While it's not the actress to blame for the character turning out to be bland but rather a dry script with cardboard new characters.  Damon and Jones carry the film as everything else around them crumbles due to such a poor script. The opening chase sequence involving one of the assassins assigned to kill Bourne played by Vincent Cassel who has a personal score to settle with Bourne, and both Bourne and Nicky riding on a motorcycle from both the antagonist and authorities. While the sequence itself is exciting and well filmed with Greengrass intense directing and never-ending shaky camera style of filming, it serves as a been there and done that familiar tone to it as audiences have seen this sequence before in all the previous Bourne movies. Whereas the movie falls apart in certain places such as the middle portion, John Powells electrifying score picks up the pieces adding to the excitement and intensity of the film. One can almost figure out the filmmakers pattern of making such movies as Bourne goes on the run with female sidekick (which in this case is both Julia Stiles then switches to Alicia Vikander in the latter half of the film as she aids Bourne in his quest) as the general plotline and it's guaranteed that there is always a motorcycle chase and a key hand to hand fight scene that occurs in the movie between Bourne and someone else trying to kill him. I'm not saying that those key scenes don't work in the film, I'm saying that the film feels like the filmmakers seem to find themselves retracing their own steps in regards to choosing where to take the story next with this character. What makes the new film less compelling, is that Bourne no longer feels vulnerable as a character now that he has his memory back and remembers everything. There's no hook to the story or his character to make us truly care about his journey this time as his legacy has already been cemented. If you ask me, his journey was finished with the end of Ultimatum and seeing all the film's that came after that one almost feels that the filmmakers feel the same way but won't admit it. It seemed as if the movie was gasping for straws in regards to telling it's story because the fact that Bourne remembers everything makes his journey complete and him trying to find out information that he never even knew about prior is pointless and shows desperation to milk a franchise that's already past it's prime. Bringing Bourne's father into the mix and having him connected to the same agency as Jason and having him be the reason he was killed is pretty far fetched as none of that information was ever mentioned in the previous three films. I'm not saying that Jason Bourne is a terrible movie but it's a movie that didn't need to happen with a story that's been told and completed to absolute perfection with the original Bourne trilogy. The film does try to tackle themes that pertain to today's world such as the issue of privacy as it suggests the whole world is being watched with other topics being touched upon such as surveillance, advancing technology, CIA tactics, covert operations, assassins, world domination, induced amnesia, manipulation, control, power, greed, living off the grid, patriotism, and moral convictions. While these themes are strong enough to make for a compelling story, one wishes the filmmakers didn't try to repeat past events and pivotal plotlines as Deja Vu is the greatest enemy of this film.
      Overall Jason Bourne is a mildly entertaining yet forgettable entry in the Bourne series that should've ended with The Bourne Ultimatium as the story opened and concluded with Bourne in the water and his journey in between returning to the ocean was him slowly regaining not just his memory back but his humanity as well. The films strong points such as Damon and Jones performance as well as Greengrass intense directing and cinematography aren't enough to make up for the films boring and useless storyline. For Damon and Greengrass alone, the film is only worth watching once if you're a fan of the series but then it should be forgotten about as it doesn't hold up to the first three installments which got progressively better as they went. The message behind the film is that government agencies can use extreme tactics and strategies while harming their own operatives at times. The biggest problem with the series post Ultimatium, is that it gives fans more of what they come to expect and that also ends up being it's weakness because the story does nothing to change the fact that Bourne is consistently running from the authorities in each movie and the film essentially feels like a remake of the original films meshed together especially The Bourne Supremacy. Outside of Damon and Greengrass talents which make the movie bearable (The pacing gets painful in the middle section as the story reveals itself and becomes rather uninteresting), this movie is not really worth watching in theaters outside of a couple of impressive yet too few action sequences and one should pretend that the series finished on a high note with The Bourne Ultimatium. The Bourne series has officially become a case of the studio figuring that they could but didn't stop to think of whether they should. Thumbs down, the best thing that can be said about this sequel is that it pretends as if Bourne Legacy doesn't exist.

                                                                                                                                                    6/10
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BFG Review

So I finally got to see BFG. SPOILER FREE

      Let me start by saying I am a fan of Steven Spielberg's work and consider him to be one of the greatest directors of all time. Movies like Jurassic Park, Jaws, Raiders Of ThebLost Ark, Last Crusade, Always, Lincoln, Schindler's List, ET, Hook, Minority Report, Amistad, AI, and War Of The Worlds not only entertained me greatly but also had a profound impact on me growing up as a lover of film. Spielberg is so consistent of a filmmaker in regards to his quality of work that you know what to expect when you see his name attached to a movie. When you see a trailer for a movie that says from director Steven Spielberg, you know what kind of film you're getting as its going to be both an emotional piece as well as a visual spectacle with a grand production. His movies are the kinds of film's that feel like they carry magic when you watch them as well as being the kinds of film's you go to film school to learn from if one aspires to be a filmmaker or simply if they want to know about what makes a  movie great.  His movies carry a great ounce of humanity to them while also making you feel like a kid again whose watching a magic trick. Nothing can ever replace the feeling I felt upon watching the dinosaurs appear in Jurassic Park for the first time. Before watching this movie, I must confess that I have never read the book BFG as a child but the trailers impressed me with its visual style as well as Spielberg's involvement which drew me in. Having not read the book however gave me no hesitation in going into this movie as I know Spielberg was going to present to me a journey that makes one feel like they were a child again. I mean how could Spielberg fail when he has made so many great film's under his belt. While that answer is he most def can as he is human like everyone else and has his dark horse moments such as making film's like 1941, The Lost World Jurassic Park and Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull but those moments are so uncommon with Spielberg it's a rarity that he misses the mark. Having now watched BFG and being able to comment on its quality, I can most definitely say with ease that Spielberg did not mess this movie up but it's also doesn't rank among being one of his best works as a filmmaker.

      BFG is a visually spectacular film that looks great cinematically and even comes across as being a decent fast paced movie for children but it also feels like Spielberg phoned it in as it relies on much sentimentality to tell it's story. The story centers around a young girl who befriends a big friendly giant individual, who seems intimidating at first but turns out to be a harmless and kind person, who was outcast by the other giants for his refusal to eat children. One could almost say that this is Spielberg's attempt at creating another unique friendship movie much like his classic ET as the film feels childish with a family adventure feel to it. The relationship between the young girl and the giant is the heart of the film making the audience become intrigued by its story and ultimately caring about the giant in the end. The scenes with BFG visiting the Queen are among the film's main highlights as they carry charm and project the audiences feeling of awe as the characters in the movie Marvel at the giant creature as we do. The music by John Williams is standard with no true tune shining through this time and the editing moving at a decent pace. Despite the movie looking great visually and overall being worthy of a watch, the problem lies within the fact that the film isn't very memorably long after its over. It doesn't have the long lasting appeal to it that other Spielberg film's have and feels like he directed the picture out of curiosity in terms of how he would handle the story but didn't helm it with his full heart. The film almost feels like him giving us the long awaited sequel to ET that we never got except the second time around isn't as amazing as the first and everything feels as if it's going through the motions. I'm not saying that Spielberg phoned this one in, it's more of a statement and acknowledgement that even though he crafted a solid pictures there's been much better film's on his resume that stuck out more and had a deeper impact. On a visual scale, Spielberg remains one of film's greatest visionary filmmakers as he always tries to break new ground with his work in regards to technology and storytelling. Here he tries no different but wants audiences to care deeply about these characters and become invested in its story but the problem is unless you are someone who grew up falling in love with this book and adore it you're going to most likely agree that Spielberg's latest effort is worthy of a recommendation but isn't the great cinematic experience it couldve been. For a film that has a dark theme such as giants eating children, the film feels a bit mushy and Teddy best like as if Spielberg deliberately left out all the dark aspects of the book. Perhaps he felt it would ultimately be too frightening for children or too intense for families, but one wishes he balanced both the light and the dark with this story. 

Overall BFG is a film that is worth a watch once it hits Blu Ray and DVD shelves since it's theatrical run was short-lived due to lack of strong marketing and hype surrounding the film. One has to wonder with it flopping if Steven Spielberg is losing his mojo both as an emotional visionary storyteller and also as a box office draw. With how Bridge Of Spies, War Horse and Lincoln turned out in the last several years including The Adventures of Tin Tin, Id say Spielberg hasn't lost his touch at making strong film's but rather the material wasn't strong enough for him to turn it into something great outside of giving it his usual sentimental trademark along with some impressive visuals. Big Friendly Giant ,is a sweet movie for lovers of Roald Dahls book to watch along with the cartoon and provides for being a solid film for regular moviegoers to watch but it doesn't rank as being one of Spielberg's finest achievements. The heart of the film lies within the friendship between the giant played nicely by Mark Rylance and the young girl played equally good by Ruby Barnhill. Those two together carry the film and make it what it is such as being an empowering children's tale with light and dark thrown into the mix with the twist being a redemption story as this one giant refuses to do what every other giants around him participates in ritual wise such as eating the children. A story like this sounds like it would be something truly remarkable but one can't help while watching the movie that it's missing some magic to really let it take off from the ground. I guess Spielberg was overdue for another dark horse on his resume but given how much more disappointing and lackluster it couldve been, this one actually stands as being one of his stronger disappointments as it feels too short and not as gripping as it couldve been had Spielberg not evaded going darker with the story as he's shown time and time again he's great at balancing both the light and dark tones of a story. It's worth a watch though especially for fans of the book.

                                                    

                                                        7.5 out of 10              

           

             

        

Star Trek Beyond Review

So I just got back from seeing Star Trek Beyond. SPOILER FREE



      Let me start by saying that I always liked the Star Trek universe since I was a kid but found myself more of a Star Wars fan due to obtaining the originals on VHS as a kid and falling in love with them instantly. My first experience with Star Trek as a kid was watching the film Generations on television as a kid and instantly becoming hooked, especially seeing Capt Picard and Kirk team up along with the Enterprise crashing and Kirk's death. Those moments as a kid had a profound impact on me, and it also benefitted that I grew up in a family that were Star Trek fans. With Generations being my first encounter with the Star Trek universe, I went backwards and watched all the William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy Trek films as I got older and became more of a Star Trek fan. While the first Star Trek movie wasn't necessarily great, it was Wrath Of Khan through The Voyage Home that caught my eye with the Kirk team and Undiscovered Country (Final Frontier sucked). All the Capt Picard movies outside of Nemesis were solid films with Generations holding a special place in my heart but the best Picard film going to First Contact hands down. A lot has been said about the new Star Trek series of films made by JJ Abrams starring Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto with general moviegoers greatly enjoying the films while the purists of the original movies and televisions shows despise them for their abandoning of the slower paced and more character and plot driven narratives in exchange for faster paced and intense action. I personally found both Abrams Star Trek movies to be extremely well made films particularly his 2009 Star Trek movie that received large amounts of praise as well as criticism for establishing a new timeline that wipes out the original one pissing off many of the Trek fans from the earlier era. Star Trek Into Darkness while quite entertaining as a summer blockbuster suffered from relying alittle too hard on past events to drive it's storyline such as essentially redoing the Wrath Of Khan storyline but swapping the characters fates at the end of each movie that actually comes off as being a beautiful parallel. Going into Star Trek Beyond, I was still excited for it but sad that the studio didn't wait for JJ Abrams to complete Star Wars: Force Awakens for him to return to direct this movie but having seen the film now and reviewing it, I can say my worst fears of switching directors as it usually turns out to be a decision leading to disastrous results has been proven wrong as Star Trek Beyond not only lives up to being one of the best movies of the summer but also an improvement over it's predecessor placing it right behind the 2009 Star Trek movie as being the top titans in the new batch of movies.

      Star Trek Beyond has much of what made people fall in love with Star Trek in the first place long before JJ Abrams movies came into play with his newly makeover films for the franchise. Whereas the last two Star Trek movies moved at a quick pace with lots of intense action while making the characters appear more hip and likeable to non fans, Beyond takes the story and characters to a more personal level slowing the pace down and allowing for more personal moments between the main characters to be exchanged along with characters and the plot being more fleshed out. The film also feels like a homage to the 50 year history of Star Trek, particularly the older Kirk films that starred William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy. One of the best decisions for this sequel is the writers and director Justin Lin taking the helm after Abrams left to do Force Awakens returning to the roots of what made the older films so appealing to fans as well as the television show. The film regains the feel of an epic Scfi adventure while slowing the pacing down and giving each character in the film moments to truly shine. The film is more emotional in comparison to the previous two films in the new set of movies as this one shows Spock's reaction upon hearing the death of Ambassador Spock played in the previous two films by Leonard Nimoy, and him coping with that loss. It also shows Kirk being emotional about his birthday as it represents the day his father also dying heroically saving the lives of everyone on his ship including him and his mother. The film also deals with the breakup between Spock and Uhura  while showing the two still caring about each other very much. The problem with Star Trek Into Darkness is despite it being a solid sequel to the 2009 film, it was too much like Wrath Of Khan in regards to borrowing the general plotline whereas this one brings back the freshness of the 2009 movie while taking things to a more personal level with the characters. Perhaps the replacing of Into Darkness writers Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, and Damon Lindelof with costar Simon Pegg, and Doug Jung was a smart move as the script feels more fleshed out and not as rushed as the previous installment did, even the climax is more satisfying than the ending of Into Darkness where Spock punches Khan and Kirk automatically is brought back to life with little to no trouble. Beyond centers it's plot within it's 5 year journey where the crew of the USS Enterprise find themselves put to the ultimate test when their Enterprise ship is attacked and ultimately destroyed by a new ruthless enemy who places them and the Federation at stake.

        Directed by Justin Lin who helmed the middle sequels to the popular Fast And Furious franchise most notably Fast 4,5, and 6, Lin's directing style remains similar to that of JJ Abrams with the previous two films in regards to juggling the films giant action set pieces such as the destruction of the Enterprise. That sequence although running a tad long is spectacular to watch on the big screen and ultimately devastating to witness as someone who've grown to know these characters and their journeys on the ship. Chris Pine once again turns in a fine performance as a young but wise James T. Kirk, making him feel like a perfect choice to play a young William Shatner. The Kirk in this film compared to the previous two has molded into a great and experiences Captain, who cares deeply for his crew and will fight for them as he views them as more than just his friends but his family ultimately. Zachary Quinto does a fantastic job playing a young Spock as one feels his grief in realizing that Ambassador Spock whose his older self has died. That subplot is beautiful because it shows the filmmakers paying their last respects to Leonard Nimoy as the actor passed in real life a year before this movie's release. The bromance between Spock and Kirk is in full effect here as their friendship arc was completed at the end of Into Darkness when Spock finally realized what the true meaning of friendship meant when Kirk died saving the crew including Spock's own life. Zoe Saldana does a nice job once again as Uhura giving the film a strong female character to Kirks crew as well as filling the roles of being both the damsel in distress along with being a complex for Spock. Karl Urban unquestionably steals the show as Bones boasting some of the films best lines as well as having a much more significant part in this entry compared to the previous two films. Simon Pegg brings the wit and humor to the film as Scotty, providing the laughs while adding a dose of humanity to the script with his off screen co-writing credits along with John Cho doing his thing as Sulu. Idris Elba does a very nice job playing the films antagonist making him feel bigger than Eric Bana's character Nero from Star Trek 2009, and right behind Benedict Cumberbatch's performance as Khan. Anton Yelchin shines once again as Chekov, making audiences happy to see him yet sad as this will be the final performance audiences will see him deliver as the iconic character due to the actor passing tragically last month. The soundtrack by Michael Giacchino once again shines and adds to the excitement of the movie (I get a kick out of that opening music everytime), with the bringing back of the song Sabotage from the films first opening is a nice throwback to that film making the entire trilogy come full circle despite reports of a fourth movie coming.

      Overall Star Trek Beyond is an exciting entry in the popular Star Trek franchise that honors a 50 year legacy of a popular cultural franchise while not shying away from the blockbuster action that made the last two resonate so strongly with mainstream audiences. If you are someone who grew up watching the 1960s television show along with the original Kirk and Spock movies, then you will find comfort in knowing that this movie takes it's time with the plot in comparison to the previous two films while giving each character their own personal moments to shine such as the scene between Bones and Kirk where they are discussing Kirks birthday, his fathers death, and why he chose to join Starfleet along with Spock mourning over the loss of Ambassador Spock in a beautiful tribute to Leonard Nimoy. It's quiet moments like this which will go a long way to warm the hearts of the older Trek fans who found the new trilogy underwhelming in the story and character development department. The film maintains the same kind of style and insane action which made the newer films popular but chooses to slow things down a bit to feel more like the old days (perhaps as a strategy to please the purists this time). If you are someone who got brought into this universe through the newer films produced and directed by Abrams then you will still remain a fan after watching this movie as it delivers on the action but also gives you more of an emotional connection with these characters that audiences have grown to know for the past 50 years. Beyond not only works as a beautiful wrap up to a strong trilogy of films but it also feels like it was a film that was made for the purists giving them more of what they want to see from these new films. If there was one main criticism i would give rhe movie its that it ran alittle slow at times in the middle but beyond that it moved at a pretty steady pace and some of the cinematography was weird with the 180 degree frames. As much as I would have liked to see JJ Abrams in the directing chair, Justin Lin taking the reigns wasn't a bad decision as he juggled both the ensemble of characters with the action perfectly. The film is most def worth seeing in theaters especially on IMAX with the large scale action sequences it contains. Once again, Paramount does it again and gives another worthy film to add to the popular Star Trek universe and one that will probably win over a few detractors this time. Thumbs up.

                                                                                                                                            8.5/10



Legend Of Tarzan Review

So I finally got to see Legend Of Tarzan. SPOILER FREE

     Let me start by saying I always enjoyed the Tarzan storyline although I find it similar to that of The Jungle Book with the main differences being one deals with a little boy and other with a boy who grows into a full blown man who lives in the Jungle. Growing up, I enjoyed the 1999 Disney epic although I found Phil Collins music to be more iconic and memorable than the rest of the movie which was good but not on the same level as the music. One cannot ever forget the sheer power of the Oscar winning song You'll Be In My Heart upon first hearing it. Viewing the trailers for this movie before it's release, part of me thought that it did look like a solid retelling of the story, but the other part said we really didn't need to see another adaptation of the Tarzan storyline brought to the big screen once again as it's already been retold with Christopher Lambert and Casper Van Dien. What makes this version appealing is not just that it looks like Peter Jackson's King Kong visually but it also boasts a strong cast among the likes of Alexander Skarsgard, Margot Robbie, Samuel Jackson, and Christolph Waltz. Going into the movie, I expected nothing but to get a solid old fashioned popcorn flick that looks great visually and would give me some decent thrills to make it through it's 2 hour running time which feels a bit slow paced at times. Coming out of the movie, I felt the film did just that despite having its share of problems.
      Legend Of Tarzan is a reasonably satisfying action adventure flick that brings nothing new to the genre but provides a good dose of fun in regards to it's jungle man formula. The film for the most part is well acted and looks rich in terms of background scope, art-set decoration, and costume design, but tends to run a bit slow at times while having flashbacks showing us Tarzan and Jane's relationship prior and their first encounter which straight up feels like it's been lifted from Phil Collins Tarzan movie. Its almost like there was a film before this one that we didn't get to see and are getting glimpse, perhaps as a homage to that film. One also could almost look at this film as being an undisclosed sequel to that one except whereas that one is animated and had a kickass soundtrack, this movie is live action and more intense with it's story. The story centers around Tarzan, having adjusted to life in London, finds himself being called back to his former home in the jungle to investigate the questionable activities at a mining encampment. Putting aside the obvious joking that it could be viewed as a sequel to the 1999 Disney film, the main issue with this movies storyline is it doesn't come off as being quite compelling in regards to the story of Tarzan. Christolph Waltz does a very good job at playing a sleazy character but one feels he wasn't developed fully enough to make the audience truly despise him as a villain, though he brings his A game to the part. Margot Robbie does a solid job as Jane but she feels a bit underused in this movie coming off as being a typical damsel in distress. Samuel Jackson does a great job playing Tarzan's sidekick and even has some funny moments he shares with the lead character such as their gorilla encounter. As for Alex Skarsgard, one could say he physically looks the part but he wasn't really given enough material to truly take that role and expand on it in the movie as his acting is passable but not amazing. Personally I would've picked someone else for the part as Alex wouldn't be my first choice as his acting comes off as being awkward, but look wise he has the part down. I also felt the whole subplot involving Tarzan living in England wasn't that important and couldve been dropped for a more faster paced story. They could've sped up that subplot a lot quicker to get him back to the Jungle where the heart of the story is at. The filmmakers however deserve points for being creative with it and trying to do something different than present a typical origin story revolving around Tarzan. The two key things that make this movie work besides its strong cast is the action and the stunning cinematography the film boasts. Tarzan has an epic scene where he fights a gorilla which shows both as being true beasts lashing out as well as becoming one of the marketing's defining moments in the trailers.

      Despite my criticisms of the movie, I found Legend Of Tarzan to be good summer popcorn entertainment that looks great visually and carries with it a good dose of excitement and more importantly, it has heart. The CGI though couldve been touched up in certain places especially when showing the gorillas but it's not terrible to the point where it becomes majorly distracting. The film does move at a slow pace at times especially within the first half but once Tarzan returns to the jungle, the movie truly comes to life. If one goes into this movie expecting an origin tale like say the 1999 Disney movie then they are going to be disappointed. If you go in expecting a different retelling of the story that takes some risks then you'll be surprised and may find the experience rewarding. Despite my dissatisfaction with some of the story elements, they did a decent job trying to present a different kind of Tarzan story to the big screen as well as being a more realistic one. The story of Tarzan first and foremost is the story of a man whose driven by the love and commitment of his mate but also the will and determination to succeed in rescuing her. The filmmakers deserve commending for bringing this character back to the big screen in a way where he can captivate young audiences while introducing them to the story. Despite its flaws, movie looks as if it was handled with care and excitement for bringing it back to the big screen. Strong performances, compelling action, and awesome cinematography make this one worth watching on the big screen although one felt it couldve been better ultimately. Overall, Legend of Tarzan is a good movie, it's just not a great one but actors like Christolph Waltz and Samuel Jackson carry the film when the ball drops along with the cinematography. Perhaps it's main issue was it was missing Phil Collins music (that's a joke), actually it has more to do with the script than anything else as characters like Christolph Walt'z character lacks true development to become a true menacing villain. Its a fun movie just not a great one but in terms of visual style, it's one of the best looking Tarzan movies ever put on film and more realistic.
                                                     
                                                                                                                                        7.5 out of 10

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