xXx: Return Of Xander Cage Review

So I finally got to see the third installment in the entertaining yet critically lambasted action movie series xXx titled xXx: The Return Of Xander Cage

SPOILER FREE

        Let me start by saying that prior to going into this movie, I enjoyed the first two xXx movies for what they were, brainless action that doesn't require them to be Citizen Kane. The first one appealed to audiences because of the rising stature of Vin Diesel as being an action movie star with this franchise, The Fast And The Furious, and Riddick. The first one was nothing special but was entertaining, hip, and presented what seemed to be a 21st century version of a James Bond type character that appealed to the younger crowd. The second xXx movie replaced Vin Diesel with Ice Cube much to the disappointment of fans, and was both a critical and box office bomb in comparison to the first movie. For all that movies faults, I still enjoyed it but after properly judging it as mindless entertainment that didn't really hold any cinematic value to it. Fast Forward to 2017 and now we have the third installment of the  franchise with Vin Diesel now returning to his other hit franchise in hopes of bringing back the crowd who saw the first movie back in the summer 2002. The filmmakers even made it a point to name the title xXx: The Return Of Xander Cage, so audiences are well aware that this one marks Vin Diesels return to the franchise. Despite what many reviewers and critics say about this one, I actually enjoyed the film on the same level I liked the previous two films which is to view them as being mindless entertainment.

      xXx: The Return Of Xander Cage is by no means a masterpiece nor one of the greatest action movies ever made, but it's sole purpose was to be entertaining and as frustrating as that might be for those reading this review to hear, it did just that but after I completely shut down my brain. Vin Diesel returned in hopes of jump starting this franchise once again and here he proves he's still got what it takes to be the lead, but what brings him down is the script. If you're someone who enjoyed the first two installments, then you should have no problem enjoying this one as it has throwbacks to that one with the return of Ice Cube in a cameo along with Samuel L. Jackson. The newer casting additions such as Toni Collette, Rogue One's Donnie Yen, Nina Dobrev, and Deepika Padukone all work off each other to give effective and likeable performances as Xander's team and nemesis. The problem that this movie has which can also be attributed to every sequel since the first one, is even though the film has great importance placed upon it's action set pieces, the storyline is rather worn out and doesn't take the series in any newer direction other than wanting to bring back Xander Cage in order to appease fans who were disappointed by his absence in the second movie. The movies plot centers around Xander Cage being left for dead after an incident, although he secretly returns to action for a new, tough assignment with his handler Augustus Gibbons played by Samuel L. Jackson. The films action sequences are wild in regards to stunts, especially between middle aged Vin Diesel and martial artist Donnie Yen. The action presented here is Ludacris but will put a smile on any action junkies face regardless of the films story problems. The two best performances in the film belong with Diesel who shows that he is an awesome and charismatic action star in the lead role, and Collette who channels the cold-bloodedness of her part as the films main antagonist. These are pleasures to be had when the action becomes repetitive and the story feels all too familiar. For audiences, The Return Of Xander Cage may appear to be a difficult film to review as one must not be expecting a action movie masterpiece when going into it, and just accept it for what it is. The xXx franchise can almost be summed up as the alternative universe to the Fast And Furious franchise whereas that one focused on fast cars that are exotic looking, xXx focuses on bikes and water skis while trying to give the James Bond formula a modern day and hip makeover.

      In the end The Return Of Xander Cage certainly isn't a film for everyone and those who have been loyal fans of the franchise thus far will get exactly what they need and desire out of this film. As for me, I did not expect this movie to be anything amazing nor groundbreaking going in and found it to be entertaining on the basis of I expected it to be the same type of film the previous two were which is to be brainless entertainment that required popcorn and a cold drink to go with it. If you were one who was greatly disappointed by the second installment largely due to Vin Diesels absence, then you may find slighter satisfaction with this installment knowing that he's back. If you're one of those who liked one and appreciated the second when most people didn't, you'll be happy to hear that the third remains consistent with the previous two and even brings in Darius Stone from the second to help Vin Diesel at a pivotal point in the story. Having said that, the greatest fault of this film that worked against it was it's screenplay which brought nothing new to the table. If you're one that can shut your brain off and just have some fun that pertains to mindless explosions along with being a Vin Diesel fan than The Return Of Xander Cage is the movie for you. However, if you want a film with deeper character development and a more engaging storyline that doesn't just rely around mindless explosions than one should look elsewhere from this franchise as it's sole purpose is to entertain without requiring one to think. Despite Vin Diesels return to the film being a plus, one wishes that if they are to make another installment, they will find a much better script that will allow the franchise to branch out into newer territory otherwise it should be put to bed.

                                                                                                                                                  6/10

Alien: Covenant Review

So I finally got to see the much anticipated sequel to the 2012 box office smash yet critical disappointment Prometheus titled Alien: Covenant.

SPOILERS FREE

        Let me stat by saying that I am a fan of the Alien franchise as a whole. Like most fans, I greatly consider Alien and Aliens to be the pinnacle of the whole series in regards to it reaching it's peak as those films not only compliment each other perfectly but can't be duplicated in both their presentation and levels of scares and suspense. Aliens 3 and 4 despite having their moments, never reach the cinematic heights of the previous two films and serve only to drag down the quality of the series. Things got progressively worse once Alien Vs Predator and Requiem became apart of the Alien universes cannon, greatly diminishing the credibility of the franchise. Back in 2012, many audiences wished and hoped for with great anticipation, that Ridley Scott's return to the franchise with his Alien prequel Prometheus would not only restore credibility to the franchise but answer questions that audiences had on their mind for years such as where the Xenomorph's came from and the space jockey at the beginning of Alien. Prometheus despite being a visually stunning film, is a huge disappointment for fans as almost none of their questions got answered, instead more were raised with the film clearly not making up it's mind on whether or not it's an Alien prequel until the final frame which indicated that it is. As a whole, Prometheus was ok but much hope is riding on Ridley Scott's sequel to rectify that movies problems and put the series as a whole back on track. Having now seen Alien: Covenant, one can say that although Covenant is a definite improvement over Prometheus and more pleasing to fans of the series, it still isn't as great as it needed to be to fix the problems of the previous film.

     

       Alien: Covenant is a solid entry in the Alien franchise that marks a strong improvement over it's predecessor, as it attempts to bring the Prometheus universe closer to the Alien one that us fans are familiar with. Covenant is dark and suspenseful with large doses of gore being added to the mix along with blood. The film essentially feels like a modern day remake of Alien except it's mixed with being a Prometheus sequel as well. Michael Fassbender steals the show playing both the new droid Walter along with David from Prometheus reprising his role. The storyline for Alien: Covenant takes place a total of 10 years after the events of Prometheus with the crew of a colony ship that's bound for a remote planet, suddenly discover an uncharted exotic location with a threat that's beyond their imagination, forcing them to attempt a terrifying escape. Understanding that Prometheus left audiences more frustrated and confused rather than excited for the prospect of a sequel, Ridley and the team behind Covenant spend much of their time trying to make amends for the past by making the film as close to the first Alien as they can get with the Xenomorph's being front and center, even in pitch daylight. Covenant's attempts to clean up the mess that was laid out before it are noble, despite the film feeling like it never brings anything truly new to the genre despite rehashing the same formula and scare tactics in order to get audiences excited again about the franchise. For the most part, Covenant succeeds in bringing back that familiarity to audiences as they've craved and missed it with the last one. The performances from the main cast are strong with Fassbender clearly stealing the show and Katherine Waterston delivering a strong female performance with Danny McBride giving a strong supporting performance. Despite the main characters being highly effective in their parts, other key players such as Carmen Ejogo's character show potential but are killed off too early into the story, not leaving enough time for their characters to become fully developed so the audience cares when they meet their fate at the hands of the familiar enemy. James Franco's cameo is also left unexplained and confusing to audiences as the main backstory behind his character appears to be left out. What makes Covenant more appealing towards fans of Alien, is the close quarters and deep space terror that the original two films had as the film feels like a culmination of Alien and Aliens mixed together along with a touch of Prometheus. The problem with the film story is it's ties to Prometheus as Ridley connects both films together nicely but Prometheus ambiguous ideas are never fully explored and it's questions never answered but instead creates more confusion when tied to the events in Covenant. Ridley Scott once famously said when asked why he didn't show the Xenomorph more than he did in the first Alien by stating "Less is more." That line pretty much sums up what made the first Alien film such a classic and effective horror movie because the audience didn't know where the species came from and it was hidden throughout the duration of the film. Ridley trying to explain the Xenomorph's origins with the concept of creation and other religious allegories doesn't add to the suspense and terror of the story but takes away from the mystery behind the iconic creatures that have gone to become some of the most terrifying in film history. The hardest part of watching both Prometheus and Alien: Covenant, is trying to accept the logic that led to the events of Alien and Aliens as one can see the bridge being laid out but also not approving of it's structure.

        Overall Alien: Covenant despite it's share of problems in regards to being too repetitive of the first film and not offering anything new to the franchise, still manages to entertain and thrill audiences as it's a much more satisfying entry in the franchise than it's predecessor. One can clearly tell watching it that Ridley Scott tried very hard to make up for Prometheus shortcomings while bringing the storyline closer to Alien. On a technical aspect of the film, Ridley proves that he's still as master filmmaker in regards to creating fantastic visuals as the film looks stunning with brilliant cinematography, art-set decoration, and costume design with an effective score. One of the films most effective sequences directing wise, is the quarantine moment that will instantly give audiences flashbacks to Ash's infamous dinner scene in Alien when the audience didn't know what to expect but could feel the suspense building the longer the scene went. As a monster movie, Covenant is effective yet conventional as it misses the true suspense of both Alien and Aliens. It's lack of true terror is not a reason to dismiss it entirely as the film manages to stay true to the franchises brand while attempting to balance out some of the concepts tossed around with both this film and Prometheus. One certainly hopes that if a third movie is made to tie the Prometheus franchise into the Alien one, Ridley Scott will have a much stronger script and slow the pacing down even further to develop minor characters so when they are picked off by the alien creatures, the audience feels it. While the scientists presented in the film are not as frustrating than the ones presented in Prometheus (One still doesn't understand why they don't wear space suits or masks in an unfamiliar planet), the need for a strong central female character among the likes of Ellen Ripley is needed as Waterston's character was interesting but not as strong nor memorable of a character. Whether you liked or disliked Prometheus, it succeeded as a revamp of the series due to it's box office success despite dividing audiences up, but what Covenant does and deserves credit for is bringing the franchise a little closer back home as it stands as being a fun ride that falls in between Prometheus and it's two superior masterpieces

                                                                                                                                         7.5/10

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Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol 2 Review

So I finally got to watch the much anticipated and very strong sequel to the summer 2014 surprise box office smash Guardians Of The Galaxy titled Guardians Of The Galaxy 2.

SPOILER FREE

 

      Let me start by saying that going into this sequel I enjoyed the first film and caught it in theaters upon it's initial box office run. Before seeing the first Guardians Of The Galaxy film, I had no prior knowledge of this comic book story and went in blind due to the enormous success of the first movie. I found that film to not only be charming but also energetic, funny, and channeling the sense of space adventure that was present in JJ Abrams Star Trek movies and even the original Star Wars trilogy. Guardians Of The Galaxy was not only dazzling but exciting with striking visuals and had an appealing cast that consist of newcomer Chris Pratt, Star Trek's Zoe Saldana, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Michael Rooker, and Glenn Close. What was most striking about Guardians, is how fresh it felt along with the amount of heart it possessed along with being a visually stunning experience. Going into Guardians Of The Galaxy 2, the expectations for the sequel were set high as the first film was such a breakthrough film, that the sequel needed to not only be as good as the first one but surpass it while bringing something new to the table. Having now seen Guardians Of The Galaxy 2, I can now say that the sequel while not exactly matching the heights set by it's predecessor, is a very strong sequel that does it justice along with continuing the storyline set up by the first movie.

 

      Guardians Of The Galaxy 2 is a sequel that follows the first film closely and places heavier emphasis on the characters, further developing them while emphasizing the family aspect of the storyline. With Guardians 2, Peter Quill's family is explored with Kurt Russell being introduced as his father figure with Quill's true parentage being revealed in this one. Whereas the first one showed Peter's group of friends coming together to form a family, the sequel shows Peter and his family struggling to stick together as they battle a new enemy. Guardians 2 brings back many of the same ingredients that made the first film such a hit with audiences such as having an action-packed plot, stunning visual effects, great soundtrack, irreverent humor, and large doses of heart. Who doesn't get a kick out of Baby Groot in this one.  As far as sequels go, Guardians is one of the more consistent ones as it doesn't surpass the first film, but it sticks close to it even if it's missing some of the freshness of it's predecessor. The main faults that can be said about Guardians 2, is the lack of a true villain as the film focuses more on Peter's family than being a space journey like it's predecessor. Chris Pratt and Zoe Saldana once again give strong performances in the main roles with Bradley Cooper, Michael Rooker, and Dave Bautista giving strong supporting performances. Sylvester Stallone surprises in his small cameo role and Kurt Russell delivers a strong performance as Peter's questionable father figure. The combination of both Russell and Pratt in the roles of father and son prove to be a perfect pairing as Pratt's character gives off the vibe of being a young and spirited Russell from Big Trouble In Little China. What many sequels end up doing which either works in their favor or against them, is to repeat many of the same tricks of their predecessors while being surprising with newer ones. Guardians 2 repeats many of it's predecessors tricks with director James Gunn sticking close to the same formulas while being surprising with the family aspect of the film being put front and center, making the film feel more personal for the audience with its characters. As far as Marvel franchise sequels go, Guardians 2 is one of the finest to be made within their universe while also serving as a benchmark of how Marvel sequels should be executed. It's genuinely a more exciting and satisfying sequel than say Avengers 2: Age Of Ultron but still not as great of a sequel as Civil War. Galaxy 2 works because it gives audiences exactly what to expect from it which is action and adventure mixed with comedy, romance, and a family dynamic that speaks to it's audience which can allow them to find relatability with it. The films technical aspects such as it's art-set decoration, make up, and costume design are all top notch with a killer soundtrack. Despite all the things that work in Guardians favor, the movie ultimately feels bloated as if Marvel was forcing James Gunn to add more Easter eggs for future installments in their universe. While that isn't necessarily a bad thing, one also questions the need for so many after credit sequences and subplots that distract from the actual plot which is Peter trying to learn of his family heritage. The storyline for the sequel isn't as well structured as the first film as the narrative appears to be a bit uneven at times and the plot isn't as well explained but it serves to build up the characters and story from where the audience left off with these characters previously. The film plays out more like one big group therapy session than an actual adventure, which gives hope that Guardians 3 will take notice of this one fault in the story and bring back some of the excitement that the first movie possesses that's missing here.

 

      Overall, Guardians Of The Galaxy 2 is the summer blockbuster entertainment that many audiences will find great entertainment with and along with absolute pleasure from many fans of the first movie. Despite the strong effort to make a sequel that lives up to the legacy of the first film, Guardians 2 falls short but also isn't far behind from where it needs to be. As great as Marvel is at mapping out their own universes, they need to learn to not try and give out too many teasers for what's to come and to just focus on the story and film at hand, letting the plot and characters develop on their own. Audiences know what's coming and what to expect with the next phase of Marvel films, so there's no need to cram it down audiences throats like say Iron Man 2 did (That's not the case with this movie but nearly five teaser trailers is a bit excessive). The film is still loads of fun and action-packed for audiences with a great deal of humor, heart, and visual display to behold. For fans of Chris Pratt and Kurt Russell, they will not be disappointed here and will even take surprise delight in Michael Rooker's characters advancement in both screen time and character development with one of the films best lines being "I'm Mary Poppins y'all". Guardians Of The Galaxy 2 is a strong sequel that deserves to be seen and enjoyed by Marvel audiences alike, but they also must expect that as good as this sequel is to the first one, it's not necessarily better as the first one still remains the more fresh and energetic film.

                                                                                                                                              8.5/10







The Fate Of The Furious Review

Finally got to see the blockbuster 8th installment in the popular yet excessively long Fast And Furious series titled The Fate Of The Furious.



MINOR SPOILERS

       Let me start by saying that prior to going into Fate Of The Furious, I enjoyed the Fast And Furious series overall as a whole. I found the first movie to be a fun Street racing film with a touch of Point Break to it plot wise with an undercover cop befriending a criminal. I didn't particularly care much for 2 Fast 2 Furious and Tokyo Drift as I found them more to be throwaway entertainment then actually being good films. The series for me really began to improve once Vin Diesel returned for the 4th sequel and since then, each of the films has gotten progressively better quality wise in regards to action and the filmmakers attempting to present more of a story to the audience rather than it just being about the cars. The concept of family, friendship, and brotherhood is introduced in great depth with these films. Like many fans, I found Furious 7 to not only be a fitting end to the story arc of Paul Walker playing Brian due to his sudden and untimely passing, but also felt that the series could've and should've ended with how Furious 7 concluded as a whole. Apparently the filmmakers didn't agree with me as they chose to carry on the series insisting that Paul Walker would've wanted another Furious film made regardless, and to make it a full ten films total in the series. Having seen the early previews for The Fate Of The Furious, one is confused at the idea of Vin Diesels character becoming a villain and turning against his own crew with Charlize Theron's character pushing him to do so. Having seen Fate Of The Furious now, things make more sense however one carries mixed feelings towards this entry given how they felt the last one should've been the end for the franchise as a whole.

        The Fate Of The Furious is not a bad action flick by any means as it serves its purpose of continuing the franchise properly after Brian's exit from the series along with entertaining it's audience, it's a question of whether the new installment was needed in the series to continue after Furious 7 wrapped things up beautifully. Fate feels like a sequel that is guilty pleasure for those who love the action aspect of the series but at the same time feels unnecessary and only serves to draw the series out further for the sake of profit. All of the main characters from the last several Furious films are back particularly Vin Diesel in the title role, remaining just as exciting to watch as the main star of the film with Charlize Theron making an effective protagonist. Dwayne Johnson does well as Dominic's sidekick turned rivalry in this one with Michelle Rodriguez, Ludacris, Tyrese Gibson, and Kurt Russell delivering strong supporting roles with Jason Statham making his return in this one being forced to help Torettos team fight against Dom's new enemy. Action wise, Fate remains as outrageous and over the top as the previous installments, throwing logic out the window. The film comes with twists and turns that fans of the series will be shocked and enjoy such as the revelation that Toretto has a son from Dwayne Johnson's partner whom he became connected with in the 5th and 6th installments. What makes this franchise work is the amount of chemistry that the main cast has together as a whole as it's both compelling and a great deal of fun to witness. As for Paul Walkers absence, one does feel his absence as there is a clear missing link in the film when one watches it but director F. Gary Gray more than compensates for that factor with lots of action and humor from the main characters, not to mention a fitting tribute to the character at the end. Having previously worked with an ensemble cast the size of Furious with the 2001 remake of The Italian Job, Gray makes the old members of the team shine as well as the newer ones such as Kurt Russell Jason Statham who goes from being an enemy of Toretto's team in the previous installment to becoming an ally, and the inclusion of Scott Eastwood's character who feels like the replacement for Brian O Connor. In regards to whether Fate Of The Furious is successful in prolonging the series with an additional set of films while establishing itself as a sequel and mini reboot, it succeeds ultimately while feeling unnecessary at the same time, giving the impression that the teams missions are complete as well as their Street racing days now fully behind them. If one goes into this series with just an interest in the action then they won't care how much h further the series goes, but if one cares about the characters and story then they'll agree that the ending of Furious 7 should've been the official sound off for the series as it not only was perfect but bittersweet for both Dom and Brian's characters. With the latter's absence, the series is missing the brotherhood angle as well as the cop and criminal becoming great friends arc that was a significant part of the series as a whole. The rest of the series looks to focus primarily on Dom's adventures and his newfound revelation as being a father figure now. While that isn't necessarily a bad thing for the expansion of the series the question still persists of whether it was truly necessary.

Overall The Fate Of The Furious achieves what it sets out to do which is to be entertaining while delivering the heavy doses of over the top action with the same infectious chemistry between the characters that got audiences hooked on the series in the first place. Fate is an entry in the series that comes with mixed emotions as one finds it to be decent but unnecessarily expanding the series further out than it needed to go. Fate gives audiences exactly what they come to expect from the franchise but perhaps this time it feels a tad stale as the film clearly misses the presence of its other screen star who passed, and the movie now focuses on Dominic's adventures. It's not a question for the filmmakers behind Fate Of The Furious on whether they could but whether they should. The film is worth watching if you're a longtime fan of the series of want to see the same insane action delivered to you like the previous installments but one will also feel that it's unnecessary to let the series continue after how brilliantly the ending of Furious 7 was.

                                                                                                                                           7.5 out of 10