Split Review

So I finally got to see the box office smash and surprising critical resurgence of M Night Shaymalan's career titled Split

 

SPOILER FREE

      Let me start by saying that prior to going into this film, I was very critical of it due to M Night Shaymalan's surprising decline from being one of the great up and coming filmmakers of the 21st Century, someone who was tipped as being the next Spielberg due to early box office and critical smash hits such as The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, and Signs. While the first two films were really good and well done, Signs began to show M Night Shaymalan's decreasing stature as a strong filmmaker. His later films such as The Village, Lady In The Water, The Happening, The Last Airbender, and After Earth ranged from being boring to laughably bad and frustrating. How does one filmmaker begin his career at the top and find himself at the bottom with such a downward trend that kept getting progressively worse? Going into Split, I held out hope that Shaymalan's latest outing would be the beginning of a career resurgence as audiences had generally positive things to say about this film and The Visit. Having seen Split now, I can say that although Split is not the disaster M Night's previous films mentioned turned out to be, it's still far from being among his greatest work such as The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable.

      To get the obvious out of the way, Split is easily Shaymalan's best work since Signs (One hasn't viewed The Visit yet), however that's not saying much when you look at what came in between. Shaymalan is a rather odd filmmaker, that tries to film suspense much in the same style as Hitchcock but ends up confusing and frustrating his audience rather than genuinely exciting them nowadays. When one goes into an M Night Shaymalan film, they not only look at the type of story he presents but immediately are guessing the big plot twist that later is revealed at the end. In the case of Split, Shaymalan reverts back to his earlier roots of trying to engage his audience with solid buildup of suspense with unexpected twists and turns. While M Night's directing is more restrained here due to him having a much lower budget and being grounded in reality, he also still doesn't reach the heights of suspense he created with The Sixth Sense. The first half of Split is well-executed and constructed with genuine intensity and convincing perfomances from the three young women held captive, but the film loses it's momentum in the second half, even with it's surprisingly slick plot twist that ties into one of M Night's previous films such as 2000's Unbreakable. Despite the film losing it's steam in the second half, it works because of one major factor which is James McAvoys charismatic performance in paying multiple characters that easily steal the show. McAvoy is the main attraction of the film and turns in a fantastic performance here as he carries the film solely on his shoulders. While the film isn't terrible, he makes it ultimately worth watching and giving it the elevated tension and suspense it needs. McAvoy is clearly running the show here and M Night keeps the camera pointed at him, garnering the best out of this extremely talented actor. As for the films look and style, the movie tries so hard to want to be a genuinely great thriller but is held back by Shaymalan's artistic directing style. What can best be said about Split in regards to Shaymalan's involvement, is that it's a step in the right direction in regards to returning him to form but he has a long way to go if he wants to ever churn out something as great as The Sixth Sense both in terms of critical acclaim and being a pop culture phenomenon. Despite Split's faults as a film, it shows that he is still capable of telling a creepy and suspenseful storyline but needs others to keep him restrained and focused on the ball. Split's main issue is that its all over the place not just with McAvoy's acting as he plays multiple characters but the film as a whole. More focused and straight forward narrative is needed in M Night's future endeavers as a director desperately trying to bring back his A game.

      Overall Split is not a bad film but it's a movie that struggles with trying to be interesting but is saved mostly through the terrific acting of James McAvoy. McAvoy is the main reason that anyone should check out this film if they are a fan of this actor, but if one is looking for a deeply compelling and suspenseful thriller, then they should probably look elsewhere. Split is not the disaster that M Nights middle portion of his career turned out to be, but its also not one of the main highlights. In regards to turning his career around and putting him back on the map, Split is a good start but much more effort is required as well as more coherence in regards to storytelling. If I had to choose whether audiences should see or skip Split, I lean more towards the side that recommends seeing it but only because of McAvoys incredible performance that's one of the best performances of the year thus far next to Hugh Jackman's turn in Logan. As for Shaymalan, nice try but you have a lot more work to do. Keep it coming though.

                                                                                                                                  7 out of 10

The Lego Batman Movie Review

So I finally got to see The Lego: Batman Movie after hearing so many good things about it.



SPOILER FREE

       Let me start by saying that prior to seeing this movie, I enjoyed the 2014 Lego movie, finding it both refreshing and surprisingly hilarious and fun to watch. Hearing about the release of Lego Batman, I went into it with great anticipation due to my enjoyment of the Lego movie and being a fan of Batman in general throughout my life. Growing up, I adored the Batman Animated series that aired on FOX, worshipped the Tim Burton and Michael Keaton Batman films, enjoyed Batman Forever at the time and still find it to be a fun movie, and think Batman and Robin is just about the greatest bad movie ever made. The Dark Knight trilogy still stands the test of time as being the definitive comic book trilogy and despite Batman Vs Superman's issues, Afflecks Batman was better than expected. Going into Lego Batman Movie, I knew not to take it seriously as it's nothing more than a fun family film that if it's good, will entertain both young children and adults much like Lego Batman did for audiences. Having seen Lego Batman now, I can honestly say that the film not only entertains young children, but is surprisingly mature with its humor that even adults as well as comic book fans can get a genuine kick out of it.

The Lego: Batman Movie is a charming family film, that never takes itself too seriously and has fun with the title character, with the most shocking plot twist being that it satisfies more as a Batman flick than Batman Vs Superman does. The Lego Batman Movie takes this character and brings him down to a more goofy nature, poking fun at the previous Batman films made with him and The Joker, while creating it's own storyline that manages to become it's own mission for the main character. It's also a real treat to have characters like Superman, Robin, Commissionar Gordon, and Barbara Gordon all appear in this film as well as Alfred whose very funny as Bruce's sarcastic Butler. While dazzling children with its main character and fun storyline involving him and The Joker, adults are entertained through the endless references made in regards to the Batman franchise, as well as the nostalgia it has fun with. The filmmakers behind The Lego Batman Movie understand that audiences have grown tired of the characters ultra serious tone as The Nolan movies made Batman more realistic than previous interpretations showed him as continued by Snyders dark and gloomy direction. What The Lego Batman movie does with the character that makes it a hit with adults, is showing that even though Batman is a dark type of character, he can still be a lot of fun if presented in the right tone for cartoon entertainment. Lego Batman is essentially a love letter to Batman fans, making them remember about what makes the character so awesome inbthe first place. While the film isn't as well written, fresh, nor as clever as the Lego movie, it still remains strong with its humor and abilities to dazzle audiences by loosening up the mood of the caped crusader. The Lego Batman movie is the parody of the Dark Knight that audiences did not ask for, but one that is refreshing, as well as being a genuine surprise at how it shows that Batman can be a very fun character in the Lego world. The film can essentislly be viewed as being a hilarious homage to the enduring pop culture legacy of the caped crusader with references being made to precious Batman outings from Batman The Movie 1966 up until present day. Batman's interactions with the character of Superman in this interpretation are clever, funny, and poke fun at their recent attempts to be brought together on the big screen. The greatest asset that The Lego Batman movie possesses, is the amount of heart the film carries as well as it's ability to dazzle young audiences with its beautiful animation style that's stunning, as well as inserting jokes and references that older audiences will understand and pick up on.

       Overall The Lego Batman Movie is the surprise theatrical experience that one is looking for if they want to see a superhero film that doesn't take itself too seriously, and isn't ashamed to poke fun of itself without losing any form of credibility. It may not be as good as Lego: The Movie but Lego Batman is still brilliant, daring, and mature in its attempts to humor it's audience. The movies ability to make fun of what is while crafting it's own exciting storyline for children, is a true testament to the films strengths. Until something else comes along this year that beats it in the animated film category, Lego Batman is the animated film to beat this year offering audiences a nice change of scenery from the dark and more serious interpretations of the Batman character. Lego Batman never loses sight of the fact that Batman is the main star of the film and is glorified for past achievements on film but finally given a chance to loosen up without going the George Clooney route of camp. His relationship with Robin remains one of the films funniest subplots as well as his on and off relationship with Barbara Gordon. Lego Batman manages to explore Batman's humanity and portray him in a more sympathetic light as he hilariously tries to balance out his normal life and family drama with that of being a caped crusader. The Lego Batman movie is a must see for all fans of the character, as well as serving as a fitting follow up to 2014s surprise smash hit Lego Movie.
                                                                                                                                              8 out of 10

Our characters for this evening:

 



John Wick: Chapter 2 Review

So I finally got around to seeing the much anticipated and electrifying sequel titled John Wick: Chapter 2.



SPOILER FREE

       Let me start by saying that before this movie came out, I thoroughly enjoyed the first John Wick for what it was. It was a fast-paced, gutsy, well-filmed and brutal action flick, that's right up there with the first Taken in regards to how it gets straight to the point with its plot and doesn't waste time with pointless exposition, but instead gives audiences exactly what they want which is kinetic action with a lead character they can connect with and enemies they can grow to hate. What the audience wanted from the first one was just pure and relentless action with no bars holding it back along with a main character that audiences can relate to and care about as he exacts his revenge upon his former employer. With the character of John Wick played surprisingly well by Keanu Reeves (Whose perfect in the lead role) in both movies (Did Reeves discover some hidden acting skills over the last decade?), audiences find that character they can connect with as well as find him compelling when he goes on his own personal revenge rampage against those who did wrong to him and his dog. The first John Wick was a solid action movie, that was entertaining and delivered exactly on its promises to audiences in regards to being intense and action-packed. Fast-forward three years later and we are now at the release of John Wick: Chapter ll. Not only is John Wick ll a highly satisfying sequel to the first movie, but it's also an expertly crafted action movie that exceeds expectations while pushing the boundaries of action movies in today's generation. 

John Wick: Chapter ll is more of what fans of the first movie loved except it's given to them in higher doses, especially pertaining to the action. The violence and gore is way more excessive in this film in comparison to the original, and the filmmakers do a damn fine job of weaving the violence into the story. In an era where many action films go the PG-13 route, it's nice to see the John Wick production team stand by their convictions and shock audiences with how much further they push the envelope in regards to the action and gore factor. The sequel doesn't just beat the first film in terms of action, it completely obliterates it in that department, while using newer camera techniques to capture the realism and intensity of each action sequence. For those who enjoyed the first movie and feared that the filmmakers might've pushed back on the violence for the sequel, it's the exact opposite which is admirable because the increased action never gets in the way of the story, with the latter always remaining front and center from start to finish. With the action being much better than the first film, almost making that one seem like PG-13 action in comparison, the storyline for John Wick is expanded making it feel much more like an actual part ll to the first films story and not feeling tacked on like Taken 2 did with Taken. John Wick: Chapter ll has Reeves character returning to the criminal underworld to repay a debt, but while doing so discovers that a large bounty has been placed on his life from his actions from the first movie. As far as sequels go, Chapter 2 of John Wick does exactly what its meant to do, which is to continue the main characters journey while doubling down on the impressive, expertly choreographed action that made its predecessor such a fun experience with audiences. Reeves is simply awesome as John Wick, representing perfect casting as well as demonstrating that he's greatly matured as an actor since the days of The Matrix and is more comfortable with his persona. Speaking of The Matrix, his reunion with Laurence Fishburne in this film with leave audiences having goosebumps while being genuinely happy to see the two reunite together on the big screen. John Lequizamo, Common, and Ian McShane deliver strong supporting performances as associates of John Wick with Common and Reeves sharing some impressive action set-pieces and tension together, especially during their big fight scene and Subway shootout sequence.  The best thing that can be said about the storyline for John Wick: Chapter ll is how it ties up the loose ends of the first film, while expanding on the criminal world introduced in that film. As far as the stories go when being paired together side by side, the first movies plot is easier to digest and more straight forward than the second movies. Whereas the first one had Wick recently losing his wife to an illness, being robbed by his bosses son and his dog murdered with him going on a mission for revenge, the sequel opens up more doors to explore the type of criminal world that Reeves character was associated with. While giving audiences more answers to questions posed in the first film isn't a bad thing, it can also come off as being rather confusing for others. Luckily the story remains mostly consistent and builds upon what was established previously rather than creating a convulted mess. With the sequel, audiences really get to know Wick on a more personal level, but still get a genuine kick out of seeing him turn into his badass action mode.

      Overall John Wick: Chapter 2 is more of the same ingredients that made the first movie such a surprise hit with audiences, although the most shocking part about the sequel, is it's quality and how consistent it is with the first film. The sequel works so well that it truly does earn the title of being Chapter 2 of the series unlike Taken's sequel, which is a major stepdown from the first film. In terms of action, the second film is much better than the first but story goes to the first film. In comparison to all the big budget Hollywood CGI blockbusters that come out today, John Wick 2 shows that you don't need special effects to leave an impact on audiences as the film contains crazy doses of thrills. If one is a pure action fanatic going into this movie, they will be pleasantly surprised with how much the bar is pushed with this sequel in terms of the violence and gore department. In this day and age of moviemaking, it's hard to find an action film that is well-constructed in both storytelling and action while sticking to it's guns of being old-school action that dares to push the boundaries of what action movies should be like in today's climate of filmmaking, but John Wick 2 becomes that movie. It's the action film that pleases fans of the first movie, while giving older moviegoers a taste of the level of violence that's been missing from action flicks these days. John Wick: Chapter 2 is further proof that one does not need impressive explosions and endless amounts of special effects to make a good sequel. One of the stronger films of 2017 thus far as well as being a strong sequel to it's smash hit predecessor. Here's hoping that a third film is made and turns out just as good so Wick gets to have a consistent action trilogy that starts off strong and ends on a powerful note. The final scene of Wick 2 is bound to give audiences goosebumps as they leave the theater richly satisfied with this installment but find themselves begging the question of what comes next while craving for more.

                                                                                                                                                 8.5/10



Power Rangers Review

So I finally got to see the 2017 modernized reboot of the hit 90's kid show that aired on FOX titled Power Rangers (Or as fans of the show would remember the proper name being Mighty Morphin Power Rangers).



SPOILER FREE

      Let me start by saying growing up as a child during the 90's, The original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers show became a huge part of my childhood and helped mold me into the fanboy I am today of the Power Rangers team. The original show was cheesy but larger than life when you're watching it from a kids perspective. Although the show went through many different changes after Mighty going from Power Rangers Zeo, to Power Rangers Turbo, Power Rangers In Space, and Power Rangers: Lost Galaxy, I enjoyed them all and kept watching with great anticipation until I outgrew the show and moved on with my life. At first when I heard that they were making a new Power Rangers movie that's a reboot of the series, I was highly skeptical at first feeling that the filmmakers couldn't get it right in today's world. As hokey and silly the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers movie was, I enjoyed it as a child and still find it entertaining today given how awesome of a villain Ivan Ooze is. Going into this movie, I realized that the only way a Power Rangers movie would work in today's culture, is if it doesn't take itself too seriously, pays respect to the past, while retelling the story for a newer generation. In other words it needed to do its own thing while acknowledging the past. Now that I have seen Power Rangers, I can proudly say that the filmmakers not only achieved all those feats, but exceeded expectations by surprising audiences with the films quality.

       Power Rangers despite what audiences may think going into it (Believe me, I had the same fears and anxieties towards it leading up to its release), is not just surprisingly good, it's awesome. This film knows what the audience wants, and gives it to them while reestablishing the core storyline of the Rangers, and bringing in familiar characters or newer people with the same names of the original trilogy such as Jason, Billy, Zack, etc. The characters that do reappear from the show that leave the most impact on the audience nostalgic wise, is Rita Repulsa played brilliantly and surprisingly well by Elizabeth Banks, the Rangers lovable and reliable droid Alpha, whose a newer and more upgraded version of the droid that was present in the original show, and Zordon played this time by Breaking Bads Bryan Cranston. Cranston's casting as Zordon is not only perfect but he gives the Rangers a leader, who expects them to work hard for the task he's laying down with them, but also genuinely cares about the team and wants them to succeed. This Zordon is more Stern than the previous as he puts the Rangers to work for their chance to don the suits, and the payoff is highly rewarding when that moment comes. One of the more important things about the new Rangers movie, is the need for the audience to become connected with and care about the new Rangers team. If audiences can't find a connection with the the new Rangers then the action, the suits, and potential set up for the new series of movies is all pointless. Luckily that's not the case here as audiences not only become connected with the Rangers as regular teenagers, but totally buy into them being their own team that's destined to carry on the Power Rangers legacy. The casting of each different Ranger is perfect with the Blue Ranger played by RJ Cyler, stealing the show along with Red Ranger played by Dacre Montgomery. The Pink Ranger played by Naomi Scott is a strong and effective female character in this film, that will capture the attention of young teenage boys much like how Amy Joe Johnson did for the original Power Rangers show in the same role. The Yellow Ranger played by Becky G is also a strong female character, that has a revelation that provides a fitting change for the main characters as these versions of the Rangers team are designed to fit into today's demographic of teenagers. What makes Power Rangers 2017 a striking reboot of the series, is how much care the filmmakers take with retelling the story by placing heavier emphasis on storytelling and character development rather than the action. Almost two thirds of the film are devoted to establishing the characters and the main plot of the Power Rangers coming together as a team with the third act being the payoff seeing the whole gang working together as the new powerhouse team with their impressive Zords. At first I was highly pessimistic of how the new Megazord looked as I grew up loving the original designs from the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers show, but the newer Megazord grew on me once I got to catch a glance of it on the big screen. It's bigger, it's more realistic, and its a brute force against the monsters that enable it to be used. Technology wise, the visual effects are stunning along with the cinematography and Tron like score that kicks in once the team assumes their roles as being the new Rangers. If there's one criticism that can be drawn towards the main monster in the film, it's that while he looks visually spot on with how he appeared in the original show, his facial features could've been more enhanced ( SPOILER Goldar). Power Rangers 2017 is a combination of The Breakfast Club in regards to showing how the team formed as one as well as their attempts to adapt to their new abilities while living out normal High School lives, Chronicle 2012 in how these young teens discover a force of great power, that gives them abilities they never knew existed and opportunity to do something amazing with them, and the original Power Rangers in maintaining the cheese factor of the show, while taking a more darker and mature approach to it. In an era where everything is more serious, darker, and bleak, a more upgraded and mature approach to the Power Rangers timeline is more than welcome, especially if it gives audiences a shock of their childhood nostalgia and has a sense of fun popcorn entertainment to it. Examples of true moments where the movie works in regards to evoking strong nostalgic emotions, are seeing the Rangers walking together in their full-blown outfits for the first time along with the 1995 Mighty Morphin Power Rangers movie theme playing in the background at one point, giving the audience goosebumps while making them cheer, and seeing the Megazord go toe to toe with the films main monster. While audiences know beforehand that they can never expect to get the feel of the 1990s show ever again as that was two decades prior to this new reincarnation, the new reboot does the most admirable service of paying have to the past while bringing the story into the new generation and appears to have much fun doing so.

        Overall Power Rangers 2017 is very much the reboot that die hard fans of the original television show are looking for. This movies greatest asset is the amount of heart it possesses as well as it's courage to make the action take a backseat to solid storytelling and character development thats essential to making the new Rangers team work. No matter how impressive explosions and the Megazord look, if the audience doesn't care about the characters then it's all pointless and boring. Thankfully here, that's not the case as these characters not only hold your attention but you actually care about them and find them relatable. Where many reboots try but fail to revive their series, Power Rangers succeeds in the most wonderful way which is to make the audience feel the way they did two decades prior watching them on FOX. Power Rangers is a great continuation of the franchise that will not only please older fans but win over newer ones. This movies full of charm, wit, excitement, genuine thrills, and a powerful dose of nostalgia that will have audiences thinking about the new Rangers long after the credits finish. One surely hopes that the new Rangers franchise gets off the ground and continues with a sequel because the new team has so much more story and adventures awaiting them and they deserve to have their chance to shine. The only other request I would've asked the filmmakers is including more cameos from the original Rangers team like the original Red Ranger actor playing the father of the new Red Ranger and the original Billy playing a teacher or professor at the kids High School. Whereas Paul Feigs Ghostbusters 2016 had nearly all of the original cast making cameos in the reboot, it wouldve been equally fitting to see the original Rangers actors do the same here. If you haven't seen the new Power Rangers movie, do yourself a favor and go check it out. You will not be disappointed. In a year thus far of strong quality films, Power Rangers is a nice surprise as well as being a reminder that not everything has to be 100 percent serious and dark but can still be mature, fun, and badass at the same time. Rangers is a must see
                                                                                                                                           8.5 out of 10