Netflix Bird Box Is No A Quiet Place Though Still Manages To Be a Solidly Effective Horror Flick

      

      Much has been said about the Netflix recently released Sci-Fi and horror movie Bird Box starring Sandra Bullock and John Malkovich. Released on December 21st 2018, Birdbox became an instant success generating 45 million viewers within the first seven days of premiering on Netflix and quickly garnering comparisons with films such as A Quiet Place and The Happening to The Mist. While the film itself became a phenomenal success in terms of viewership, critics and audiences are split on the film with Rotten Tomatoes currently rating it at 62 percent fresh with the critics and an audience score of 59 percent. It should also be noted that Bird Box is Sandra Bullock's first horror film that she ever starred in, and she has gone on record saying that she hates horror movies because she finds them scary. Upon hearing that quote, one can't help but be curious about why she chose this film specifically to conquer her fears of horror movies and embrace the genre. Perhaps its the intriguing concept that the film utilizes that drew her attention or the strong female character that she felt she could relate to and bring her A game to the part. Whatever the reason was, it was justified as Bird Box despite not being as well crafted and expertly filmed as A Quiet Place, still manages to be entertaining and creepy with its clever concept, strong acting, and effective mood that's chilling.

      The plot for Bird Box focuses on a mysterious force dominating the world's population with only one realization which is if you see the mysterious entity, you end up taking your own life. Five years after the ominous unseen presence drives most of the population to suicide, a mother and her two children make a desperate bid to reach safety. This isn't just any horror movie nor suspense thriller, this one relies heavily on suspense that's motivated by a concept that's ingenious in an era where originality is in extreme short supply. Whereas A Quiet Place dealt with sound being the enemy and the main characters having to go to extreme lengths to not make a noise to alert the evil force terrorizing them, Bird Box deals with vision being the challenge as Sandra Bullocks character as well as the other characters in the movie being faced with the challenge of not looking at the demonic force that's wiping out civilization and having to do everything blindfolded. Two key moments that emphasize the nature of the situation are Bullocks character and her children rowing down a river on a boat blindfolded, unsure of whether they will crash into a shore and puncture their hull or go down a waterfall with the only thing certain is if they remove their blindfolds, they will die. The other key moment in the film is the group of survivors banding together inside a SUV and driving through neighborhoods with the windows painted dark and the GPS leading them to their destination. Apparently the latter scene is so powerful and effective that it was replicated in real-life with a 17-year old imitating the crazy drive sequence blindfolded in Ohio, resulting in her car getting crashed due to oncoming traffic. (Note: None of the insane stunts in this movie should ever dare be replicated in real life as common sense should outweigh stupidity). The bottom line is both these sequences are extremely effective in portraying the urgency of the situation the plot presents and what makes the film standout from other horror movies. It also helps that the clever and noble concept helps to make what could've easily been a typical post-apocalyptic feature become something more than just generic but actually has suspense and a creepiness factor to it.

      As far as the performances go in Bird Box, Sandra Bullock steals the show delivering another commanding performance that's only to be expected from an actress of her caliber with John Malkovich delivering the second best performance in the movie. Bullock owns every moment she's on the screen, creating a character that the audience can sympathize with and want to survive especially given that she has children accompanying her. She is simply terrific and brings her A game to the part, creating a character that's terrified of what's happening around her but can be tough at the same time when she needs to be. Malkovich does a fine job playing a cynical and untrustworthy survivor of the epidemic, who might not immediately come across as being the audience favorite character but may be more logical than others with his motivations as the story unfolds. Trevante Rhodes delivers a strong performance as Tom, helping to give audiences a character that they can connect with as he grows a close relationship with Bullocks character. It was fun to see Li Rey Howery in this film as he stole the show with his hilarious character in Get Out with B.D Wong and Sarah Paulson delivering effective performances as well. Written by Eric Heisserer based off of the 2014 novel, Bird Box has a reasonably decent script that allows room for the main characters to develop while leaving the true origins of the films sinister force mysterious ultimately making it scary for the audience. The logic behind making an effective scary flick is the less explanation you give, the more creepy the person or force turns out to be which isn't proven wrong in this case. The audience doesn't see what's wiping out humanity in the film but the impact it leaves on the characters, particularly the crazy individuals the group of survivors encounter that wish for others to remove their blindfolds so they can see it is more than enough to spook audiences. The films plot isn't the most original but it's concept deserves major props for daring to do something different while managing to be creepy and keep the audience on the edge of their seat during the films two hour running time.

      Directed by Academy-Award winner Susanne Bier, Bird Box is directed in a way in which its meant to spook its audience while not giving too much information away and leaving questions at the end for them to answer themselves. This is not a typical horror flick that relies on violence and gore to scare its audience, this one uses old-fashioned suspense with strong characters the audience grows to care about and a bleak atmosphere that's just downright spooky. Its clear watching this that Bier understands what is needed in order to bring this story to life and doesn't overdo it. Unlike most horror films today, this one relies on its concept and script to do the scaring and by doing so reassures the audience that they aren't off the hook in terms of doing their own thinking in regards to the plot. The best type of horror movies are the ones that force you to have an imagination about what's happening with you filling in the blanks, Bird Box is the type of film that does just that and makes no apologies for doing so. Biers style of directing also manages to bring out the best in her actors as Bullock is on top of her game here with Malkovich and the others feeling as if they truly believe in the story their bringing to life. Bird Box is not just any horror movie one sits down to watch, its an experience both for the characters involved in it's story as well as the viewer.

      Having said that, this film will most certainly not be for everyone as horror fans that rely on gore for measuring what makes a scary film good will be largely disappointed here. Despite being well-made and filmed, Bird Box doesn't have he same kind of pure craftsmanship that went into it's production that A Quiet Place had. Whereas that one was one giant set-piece that was expertly filmed, Bird Box is essentially one long character study of those involved in this bizarre scenario. Although not as good of a movie as A Quiet Place, its a far superior film than The Happening as this one finds itself closer to reaching the stars than that movie. Whether audiences like Bird Box or disapprove of it, the film is bound to leave an impact on the viewer long after its over making them question what they would do in a similar situation or if the actions of the characters in the story were justified. The film is a solid horror flick that's largely carried by Sandra Bullock, John Malkovich, and Trevante Rhodes performances that are accompanied by the films brilliant concept and Bier's steady directing that never feels staged. While it can be debated that the film never truly lives out the full potential of its concept as too many questions go unanswered by the end, one can say that also is what makes a movie like Bird Box such an intriguing and memorable one in the first place. The message behind the film says that people must manage their fears or those fears will destroy them. It can be argued that Bird Box's concept has been done before and better, however its the way that concept is handled and depicted that makes each version standout as both the actors and filmmakers being their own distinct touch to it. This is not a great movie by any means but its definitely not a bad film and deserves major props for trying to be different and creative in an era where both feel as if they're in short supply.

Final Verdict:
Definitely worth a Netflix binge.

How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World Is One Of The Rare Trilogy Cappers That Actually Works

      

      Making a third chapter in a popular franchise is by no means an easy task, especially in live-action filmmaking. Few filmmakers have pulled it off with most cases being the third installment in a series almost always falls below expectations due to intense pressure and expectations placed upon it. In the animation genre, the only trilogy that has remained consistent from start to finish has been Toy Story (It's debatable if a 4th one truly needed to be made but that's a conversation saved for that films review). Toy Story 3 up until now has been the standard of what a third film in an animated franchise should be which is good on it's own right while temporary closing the book on it's story. While last years Cars 3 was good, it had the burden of cleaning up the mess that was Cars 2. Kung Fu Panda 3 was a good finish to it's own series but it can be argued the second film wasn't that strong, same with Return Of Jafar before Aladdin: Prince Of Thieves gave the Aladdin story a decent finish. With the How To Train Your Dragon franchise, the series has remained consistent from start to finish with each film holding the same weight in terms of quality and adding to the storyline while outdoing the previous film. How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World successfully meets the expectations placed upon it to deliver a worthy follow-up to the first two movies, while also giving the story the proper closure it needs to cement itself as one of the rare animated movie franchises that's near perfect. 

Watch the trailer here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkcucKDrbOI

      The plot for How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World has the viking leader (voiced by Jay Baruchel). and his dragon ruling happily together. When a new female dragon appears at the same time as a serious threat from dragon poachers, both humans and dragons must travel to a mythic world for a fight to save their freedom. The storyline for the third film allows the audience to see where the characters have ended up since the events of the first two films while fulfilling both individual story arcs. Much like the first two films, The Hidden World retains the heart and charm of those films by introducing new challenges to the characters such as the viking leader Hiccup being pushed to confront his true feelings for Astrid (Voiced by America Ferrera). even going as far as considering marriage. Toothless also has a growing romance with the newer female dragon while dealing with the realization that he isn't the only Night Fury and must seek "The Hidden World," a secret Dragon Utopia before a hired tyrant named Grimmel (Voiced by F. Murray Abraham), finds it first. One of the films most recurring themes is that the main characters have grown up and retained this unique and diverse friendship that's lasted three films even with the main characters experiencing loss (Hiccup still having moments where he hears his father speaking to him voiced by Gerard Butler from the previous two films).

      Another prominent theme in the story is family which both Toothless and Hiccup have grown to become along with Astrid. Responsibility, accepting change, and saying goodbye also also driven home in this final chapter of the How To Train Your Dragon franchise. The main characters are self-aware that they are growing up and that someday they must part ways to meet each others destiny head on whether it's Toothless being with the other dragons or Hiccup handling his own responsibilities and becoming husband to Astrid. The film also tackles themes that have a message behind them regarding discrimination and acceptance in the form of societies views of the dragons, which is portrayed as being unjust and misunderstood. The film also has a strong animal rights message that states that poaching is wrong and selfish whether its dragons or animals in reality. War and genocide play important parts in the story as close friends and comrades are shown to join forces to battle a common enemy. With all the themes covered in the story, the films ultimate message is that part of growing up is allowing loved ones to pursue their own lives and destinies. The story is written so well that the film hits home to the audience being both emotionally affecting while driving home important messages to the young generation regarding friendships, bigotry, discrimination, acceptance, family, and basic hard lessons about growing up.

      As far as voice acting goes, Jay Baruchel does a terrific job playing Hiccup making his character feel older and more reflective on his journey with Toothless along with realizing what's in store for him in his future. America Ferrera does solid as Astrid, Hiccups closest human friend and love interest, one can truly see the love that she holds for Hiccup as she always chooses to stand by his side regardless of the situation. Other notable performances from F. Murray Abraham as the villain Grimmel and Gerard Butler in a limited but significant part as Hiccups father. The films animation is dazzling and should absolutely be seen on the biggest screen possible to get the full experience of seeing the dragon world in all it's glory. Each of the How To Train Your Dragon films manage to successfully push the boundaries of it's technology as the animation gets stronger with each movie with the score by John Powell remaining both cheerful and emotional. There aren't enough words to describe the beauty of the animation as it looks gorgeous and has a magical feel to it that'll enchant both young and older audiences with a powerful story to accompany it.

      Whereas Pixar has the Toy Story trilogy to represent their near perfection in regards to storytelling and visual presentation, Dreamworks now has a great trilogy of their own that they can place right beside it as examples to other franchises on how you properly begin, continue, and end a franchise. The Hidden World is both visually stunning to watch along with being an emotional journey as Hiccup and Toothless story officially comes to an end and does it finish on a note that's bittersweet and uplifting. A noteworthy compliment to the filmmakers of the series, is the growth of the main characters throughout the three films which is perfect. As great as the films visuals are, it's the heart that makes it shine above most trilogy cappers, the finale feels just perfect and not rushed. The third film along with it's predecessors is the perfect example of brilliant animation and well-crafted storytelling merging together flawlessly showing audiences that you can have both in terms of telling a story. The Hidden World is not only the best animated film of the year thus far but also feels like it will be the first serious contender for the Best Animated Film Oscar as it represents a beautiful tale of friendship, leadership, romance, courage, and doing what's right. For fans of the first two movies, this is the finale they've been waiting five years to see as the film not only closes the door on it's story but delivers what's unquestionably one of the best trilogy endings to a movie franchise ever both animated and live action.

Final Verdict:
SEE IT.

Glass Shatters Under Its Own Expectations

    

       Most audiences can agree that M. Night Shyamalan has had an unusual career as being both screenwriter and director. Beginning with directing a reasonably decent kids movie with Wide Awake then creating a breakthrough smash with The Sixth Sense and achieving critical acclaim with that film, Unbreakable and Signs, Shyamalan saw his career take a downward spiral with a decrease in quality, acclaim, and box office from films such as The Village to Lady In The Water, The Happening, The Last Airbender, and After Earth. For a moment it seemed like M. Night would never achieve the same kind of acclaim and audience anticipation his films had when he first started his career. Then he directed The Visit and that film was released to much stronger reviews than any of his most recent films prior to it's release. What audiences were hoping for before and after seeing The Visit is somehow Shymalan would return to his roots of doing smaller budget stories that kept him grounded while also allowing him to exercise his creativity rather than go off the rails with his ideas and conjuring the same type of climactic plot twist over and over again. With the release of Split, audiences were once again convinced that M. Night was on his way back to the top as that film not only was a surprise box office smash but was a solid movie overall. The twist that made audiences excited for the release of Glass was the climax of Split revealing it's story to be a sequel to Unbreakable, one of Shymalan's few good films. With that revelation, much anticipation was placed upon Glass being the final film in the Unbreakable trilogy, the belief was that M. Night could finally reestablish himself as being one of Hollywood's strongest filmmakers as well as recapture the glory he achieved upon directing The Sixth Sense. Sadly those hopes and expectations have been shattered as Glass not only proves to be a disappointing final chapter in the acclaimed trilogy, it also halts the momentum that Shymalan was building for himself with a career that was essentially experiencing a major comeback.

Watch the trailer here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95ghQs5AmNk

      The plot for Glass takes place after the events of both Unbreakable and Split with security guard David Dunn played by Bruce Willis, using his supernatural abilities to track down disturbed individual Kevin Wendell Crumb, a kidnapper of young women played by James McAvoy with a total of twenty-four different personalities. Picking up from where Split ended, Shymalan combines the characters Elijah and David from Unbreakable played by Samuel L. Jackson and Willis, with McAvoy's character from Split as well as the only surviving victim of his personality named The Beast with Anya Taylor-Joy reprising her role. Glass has Davids character encountering The Beast personality of Kevin in a series of escalating encounters with their last one ending with both men being placed in a mental asylum with Samuel L. Jacksons character. The presence of Elijah Price in the asylum reveals himself to be an orchestrator of the events in the story while having critical knowledge of both men. The end twist for Unbreakable revealed Jacksons character to be the orchestrator behind several horrific accidents in that film, including the trainwreck that Bruce Willis character survives in that movie in an effort to find a person with superpowers to oppose him. The Unbreakable trilogy is an unusual one in recent memory as it's a trilogy that didn't feel like one from the start as Unbreakables ending felt like an open and closed storyline. That film while not as good as The Sixth Sense, still worked as a quiet suspense film that flirted with the comic book genre. The concept of an everyday person surviving a deadly trainwreck and being told that they have supernatural abilities sounds both intriguing and creative.

      What made Unbreakable work was it's concept though clever, tried to blend together two genres with the same Hitchcock style of directing Shymalan used in The Sixth Sense with Bruce Willis once again in the lead. That film carried a supernatural tone to it while at the same time deconstructed the superhero genre to the point where it couldn't almost be labeled as a superhero movie. As far as the Shymalan and Bruce team up goes.Willis appears to do his best acting when him and M. Night are paired up together on a project. For some unusual reason they manage to bring out the best in each other talent wise as all their collaborations together up until now have been hits. Unbreakable was a very good thriller that brought twist and turns while adding something deeper to the comic book genre which at the time was still trying to find it's mature tone in Cinema. With the plot of Split, it didn't feel like a sequel to Unbreakable at all until it was acknowledged at the end with the presence of Willis character David. Instead of directly continuing the storyline of Unbreakable, Split focuses on three girls being kidnapped by kevin's character, who showcases twenty-three different personalities with them fighting to escape before the emergence of a twenty-fourth. The challenge that Shymalan had with Glass was tying the storylines of both films together to create a film that advances both plots while merging them together to come up with a fitting climax. The problem that arises with doing so is the film finds itself struggling to decide whether it's a sequel to Unbreakable or Split as Bruce Willis characters arc takes a backseat to James McAvoys character who receives more screentime.

      In terms of acting, writing, and directing, Glass receives high marks in the acting department with all three of it's main stars delivering strong performances, showing their commitment to the story and vision of it's creator which is admirable. Bruce Willis does the best job he can with the material he's given in this film, it's not his fault that his character arc starts off strong then ends up taking a backseat to Kevin and Elijah in the story with David's concluding arc being both highly disappointing and frustrating. Samuel L. Jackson does a solid job playing the character of Elijah, making the character feel as consistent as he was in the previous movie except now Jackson embraces the twist with his character at the end of Unbreakable. Unlike David, Elijah remains an interesting character despite him struggling to receive as much screentime as Kevin played by James McAvoy. Despite the feeling that his character overshadows the other main stars, McAvoy does a terrific job playing his character and being able to switch personalities which was an essential part of what made Split a success. Anya-Taylor-Joy does a good job reprising her role from the previous film with her character trying to reach the one personality of Kevin which still possesses innocence and decency. Sarah Paulson does very well playing Asylum Dr. Ellie Staple, a psychiatrist that tries to convince the main characters that there are no supernatural abilities. The inclusion of young actor Spencer Treat Clark from the first movie as Davids son now as an adult was a noble touch that added nostalgia to the story for die hard fans of Unbreakable.

      Despite the films shortcomings with it's script, the main cast managed to deliver strong performances all around. As far as directing goes, Shymalan creates a dark and mysterious atmosphere that's well-executed and thought out. Here he creates an atmosphere that is both suspenseful and twisted showing that he still has what it takes to create a dark yet compelling tale. The atmosphere is stylized and color-coded to enhance the visuals of the world surrounding the characters in the story. The narrative of the film isn't misguided, it's the juggling of the two different storylines and its characters where the film falls apart and ultimately lets its audience down. The progression of the films story along with Shymalan's attempt to throw every twist and turn at the audience makes them feel as if the story is heading for an explosive climax that never arrives. While that can be considered a noble effort on the directors part to divert from the audiences expectations, it's a major letdown given the actual climactic twist of the story and the slow-pacing of the film up to that point. The movies score also doesn't hit home the way James Newton Howard's score in Unbreakable stuck with audiences, particularly the moments where Bruce Willis character was heroic. It's not a question of whether Glass was a well-shot movie, it's a question of whether the direction that M.Night took the story and characters was the right one which in this case it wasn't because the end result is a mediocre yet disappointing finale.

      Compared to some of the worst films of Shymalan's career, Glass is not a terrible movie by any means nor on the same level as films such as The Happening, The Last Airbender, and After Earth. If one were to rank it within his filmography, it falls somewhere in the middle just above The Village but right below the set of good films on his resume. Glass has moments where it has potential to be the sequel that fans of Unbreakable have been waiting for but overall feels unworthy as a follow-up to that film. It works better as a sequel to Split than it does the original but given that this film is meant to be a trilogy capper, it's not enough to call it a satisfactory conclusion to both movies. Out of all three films, this is the one that will unquestionably split fans of the series or Shymalan as a filmmaker in general. Some of the audience will come out of this one feeling that it's a strong finish to the series and M. Night has reestablished himself as one of the best directors in the business pulling off the ultimate comeback. Others will walk into this one with great anticipation and feel disappointed that while the overall film itself is mediocre at best, it's a huge disappointment given what it could've been and what it was marketed to be which is a suspenseful and action-packed finish with deep psychological thrills. This movie really should be judged by those who've seen both Unbreakable and Split so they are familiar with the characters and storyline of the previous films. Those who haven't seen those films and walk into Glass will be confused about the hype surrounding it and not understand it's place in the Unbreakable cinematic universe. If this is Shymalan's attempt to copy Marvel and create his own timeline of movies within the Unbreakable storyline, then he fails. Fans of the previous two films deserve much better than this especially given that the third act of the film is a major letdown with poor twists and character actions that the film got rightly criticized for. Perhaps someday M. Night Shymalan will make a film that will have an impact with audiences the way his earlier films did but sadly, this is not it. The first big cinematic disappointment of 2019 thus far.

Final Verdict:
Redbox it if you're a fan of Unbreakable and Split, otherwise skip it.

     

Alita: Battle Angel Is Rich In Visuals But Lacks A Strong Script

      

      With the technological progression of visual effects in today's filmmaking, who needs a story anymore to dazzle audiences. It's rare to find filmmakers in today's modern era of filmmaking that successfully manage to balance both visual effects with a strong and compelling story. James Cameron is one of the rare filmmakers that comes to mind in that regard along with Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson. Cameron's career has always been about pushing the boundaries of technology with each film he does, but he also always provides a story and characters that the audience can connect with the visuals (Avatar is debatable if it leaned more towards being a visual piece rather than storytelling). With Alita: Battle Angel, Cameron takes one of his pet projects that's been in development hell for over a decade and gets it off the ground finally both as a producer and co-writer of the films script. Rather than directing it himself, he places the story in the hands of Sin City and visionary filmmaker Robert Rodriguez, to bring it to the screen with the use of scene-stealing technology. Drawing on themes that Cameron utilized in his other screenplays, he writes a script that's an adventure about hope and empowerment. While the film delivers on the visual front proving to be utterly breathtaking to watch on the big screen, the films story struggles to reach the heights of it's technological side.

Watch the trailer here:
                                   https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=w7pYhpJaJW8

      The plot for Alita: Battle Angel centers around a deactivated female cyborg being revived with no memories of who she was prior, setting her off on a journey to rediscover who she is. While doing so, she becomes a lethal and dangerous being. It's ironic that Alita is playing in theaters the same time that Captain Marvel is playing which also deals with a main female character trying to rediscover her past through memories she has of her life prior with both possessing great strength both physically and mentally. Both movies are empowering films for women due to the arc of their female counterparts whether human or machine, further driving home the belief that women are the key to Hollywoods future. Alita's story is not one that's original or innovative, this story has been told before and done over by other filmmakers much like Cameron's Avatar can be compared with ten other films with the same exact plot. Given that James Cameron has a tendency to go further with his characters and plots than most action directors, it's a bit disappointing to see what's essentially an intriguing yet underdeveloped concept being used to service impressive visual effects which were always meant to be the true focus of the film. While the visual effects are quite impressive to borderline groundbreaking, they aren't enough to overcome the shallowness of the script that becomes noticeable as the story progresses. Despite the stories shortcomings, what it does right is deliver a strong and likeable female heroine to the audience that is tough with a sympathetic storyline surrounding her. Cameron excels with taking stories surrounding broken women and building them up throughout the course of the film to make them warriors by the end, He makes no exception here with Alita, she also learns to love along the process with her relationship with the character Hugo played by Keean Jonson. The film was always intended to be eye candy and manages to be just that with it's visual effects that's backed by a strong performance from Rosa Salazar as Alita.

      As far as acting, writing, and directing goes, Alita works because of the strong performance from it's main actress whose backed by a strong supporting cast. Rosa Salazar is the soul of the film and delivers a strong and believable performance as the confused yet determined female android. Christoph Waltz does a strong job playing Dr. Dyson Ido, a compassionate doctor who knows that deep down inside the shell of the abandoned cyborg is a heart and soul of a young girl with a remarkable past, whose also is the one being that can break the cycle of death and destruction left behind from Tiphares. Waltz's part in the film is minimal but the performance he gives makes him comes across as a futuristic Geppetto. Mahershala Ali does a solid job playing the films main antagonist who rigs Motorball combat matches despite his character coming across as being a generic one-dimensional villain. Jennifer Connolly does a likeable job though her character suffers the same issue as Ali's in terms of being underdeveloped. In terms of directing, Robert Rodriguez pushes the boundaries of technology and delivers what's easily the most visually impressive film of his directing career. It also manages to be his biggest budget to date with $175-200 million put on the screen to appeal to international audiences in compensation for the film most likely failing to make back it's budget domestically. Rodriguez has proven to be a visionary filmmaker himself over the years with Sin City showcasing a distinct style the director has in terms of the way his films look. Written by James Cameron and Shutter Island's Laeta Kalogridis, Alita has the outline of a strong and powerful emotional story about a female andriod who simply wants to remember her past, it lacks the depth to truly expand on what is clearly an interesting and intriguing concept. The film tackles themes such as memories, love, morality, technological advancements, war, and greed. These are themes that Cameron has thrived on as a screenwriter since the beginning of his career with The Terminator. The film's ultimate message says that who one really is can be found in their heart.

      On the films technical side, the visual effects make the film worth watching with cinematography that further delivers the impact the visuals have on the audience. First announced in 2003, production on the film was halted due to Cameron's work on Avatar and it's sequels. Using the same kind of technology that Cameron used for Avatar, Alita is brought to life in a way which makes her stunning to be a complete CGI character. The kiss scene between Alita and Hugo is one of the best moments of the film both emotional and visually appealing. The films score is good with the film moving at a brisk pace taking audiences on a ride that ultimately proves to be a visual spectacle while never feeling too slow. With the character of Alita, Cameron manages to once again erase the dark notion and stereotype that machines are evil and humans are good. He takes the two roles and reverses them delivering a heroine that audiences can get behind and cheer for, while hoping for the films success to give her more sequels. Hopefully if those sequels ever get made, they will contain stronger scripts that go more in depth with the story and characters.

      It's not that Alita: Battle Angel is a bad movie, its a decent one just not great. It lacks the further story and character expansion to make it a great and memorable film outside of it's outer look. Cameron and Rodriguez deserve credit for showcasing their visionary talents by giving audiences a new type of android that both kicks ass and is relatable. Alita in herself is a visual achievement to behold, its the film and characters that surround her which come across as feeling rather empty and shallow. One can't look at this film and wonder what it would've turned out like if the script was more polished. Perhaps if James Cameron himself directed the film, it would be much longer and more fleshed out instead of the story feeling like a rack that showcases the newest clothing styles in a department store. For those looking for a deep Sci-Fi storyline with impressive visuals, this is not worth the time as it's script will leave you wanting more elaboration. If one goes into this with reasonable expectations and expecting nothing but eye candy with an intriguing female lead who has potential to become something incredible in future sequels, then this movie is worth your time on the big screen. It works better as visual entertainment than a deep philosophical storyline and for those who are hardcore Sci-fi  futuristic action fans, that might just be enough for them.

Final Verdict:
If you want a visual ride, this is the one to see. If you want deep storytelling, skip it and wait for Redbox.

Captain Marvel Triumphs Over Its Trolls And Delivers

   

      Much has been said about the release of Captain Marvel, the latest entry in the MCU as well as being the first major comic book film of the year thus far. Not only is it the first film in the universe that places a female character front and center in the story, but it also has battled it's own form of controversy regarding numerous internet trolls in a failed attempt to lower it's Rotten Tomatoes and IMDB scores much in the same way trolls attacked Star Wars: The Last Jedi and Marvel's Black Panther before they were even released. What began with over 4,500 negative reviews directed at the film and a sabotaged Rotten Tomatoes score of 36 percent, the promotion of the film quickly became a battle between the film and it's stars vs the trolls attempting to destroy the films reputation upon it's release in an effort to lower it's box office intake to promote their own agenda. Now that the film has been released, the Rotten Tomatoes score has rebounded and currently sits at a reasonable 62 percent with a 79 percent score from the critics and a 7.1 out of 10 on IMDB. The question on audiences minds however, is whether the film is actually any good as well as being a worthy entry in the ever expanding MCU. As Marvel's first female driven installment as well as being their response to DCEU's Wonder Woman (Which came out first, the only achievement they currently hold over Marvel thus far), Captain Marvel manages to successfully rise above its sad base of trolls and manages to be a solid and worthwhile popcorn blockbuster.

Watch the trailer here:
                                          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1BCujX3pw8

      The plot for Captain Marvel centers around Carol Danvers on her journey towards becoming Captain Marvel, one of the universe's most powerful heroes when the Earth is caught in the center of a galactic conflict between two alien worlds. The movie's general storyline is pretty standard within the realm of the Marvel universe with the main female character making it standout as well as being set in a previously unseen timeline with the film taking place in the mid 1990's with moments of flashbacks in the air force in the 1980's giving the film a Top Gun feel to it. The timeline is evident with moments that are bound to provide nostalgia for the audience such as the scene where Danvers character ends up inside a Blockbuster Video store. The scene is sure to transform the audience back to that time period while evoking their own memories of that store with Captain Marvel intentionally or unintentionally (You decide), blowing the head of then mega-star Arnold Schwarzenegger with his True Lies poster. The 90's setting is also shown by the de-aging of Agents Nick Fury and Coulson played by Samuel L. Jackson and Clark Gregg. The plot revolving around Danvers haunted by dreams of a lost life she doesn't remember, becomes the heart and soul of the film with the audience becoming sympathetic to her character as well as rooting for her to become the heroine she always wanted to be. The parts where the story becomes a bit confusing as well as messy for audiences is the intergalactic war between the two alien worlds, which surrounds Carols story as the filmmakers weave that element into the story with the flashbacks from the past being distributed throughout the story making the narrative feel rather uneven at times. She discovers that she must team up with de-aged Samuel L. Jackson in order to prevent the main antagonist Skrulls from retrieving a war ending weapon believed to be on a hidden planet.

      As far as acting, writing, and directing goes, Captain Marvel is directed with an extreme dose of high-level fun and energy which translates beautifully on the big screen. One can tell that the cast and crew were having a blast making this movie particularly Brie Larson and Samuel L. Jackson in the main roles. Brie Larson's performance as Carol Danvers is the heart and soul of the film while providing a female Buzz Lightyear scenario for the audience. Larson brings the right dose of wit and emotion to the part which makes her appealing to audiences. Samuel L. Jackson works great off Larson as Nick Fury turning in one of his strongest performances as the iconic former head of S.H.I.E.L.D. Larson and Jackson's chemistry in the film shines though as audiences can clearly feel a genuine friendship between the two people on as well as off the screen. Clark Gregg is great to see again as Coulson in the MCU film timeline despite the setting of the film taking place a decade before the events of the first Avengers film. Other notable performances are Jude Law playing Danvers friend turned enemy Yon-Rogg in the film giving the film a Batman Begins style relationship between the main character and its trainer whose later revealed to be the films main antagonist, one could almost say Jude Law is the Liam Neeson/Ra's Al Ghoul of this film. Ben Mendelsohn does a fine job playing the alien Talos, a misunderstood antagonist to Danvers and Fury who means well in order to protect both his family and race from extinction. Annette Bening shines through with the small role he has and Lashana Lynch as Danvers best friend/Air Force pilot. Her moments with Danvers in which she tries to convince Carol of her past in the present are effective and powerful. As far as performances go, the main cast all did stellar performances and brought a genuine sense of excitement and fun to their roles. In terms of directing, the film carries the same style of action, humor, and visual thrills that has made all the previous Marvel films a success with their audiences. These films are made purely to entertain with little moments of maturity presented along with serious messages that comes across as inspiring for comic book fans. Within Captain Marvel's fun and games, the film carries themes regarding family, powers, honor, trust, memories, and heroes. The message behind the film says that it's important to rediscover one's past and roots as the past can mold the person into who they become today. As far as the intergalactic aspect of the story, the film says that Wars are confusing and it's not always clear whose on the right side.

    The films technical achievements worth noting are the visual style of the film which is groundbreaking though that's nothing new for the MCU and the films attempt to make the 90's look as authentic as possible with the inserting of Blockbuster and a Gameboy in the mix. The films intergalactic worlds are appealing and visually stunning but they don't have the same kind of impact that lets say Wakanda had on audiences a year ago with Black Panther. A lot has been said about the films first half as some reviews criticized the films buildup of characters and plot. Personally the first half of the film was done as handled fairly well given all the information and characters it was delivering to the audience. The establishing of the Kree empire as well as the ongoing war with the Skrull was presented as fairly balanced as possible with Danvers character being introduced in the present before ended up in the previous timeline. The films pacing moves steadily making the film feel like it doesn't move too fast nor too slow. As confusing as the the films narrative may come across at times, it's flashbacks give what's essentially a standard plot substance and elevates it over the majority of Marvel entries. When the story is focused on Danvers character, the film truly shines and makes it worth watching, especially seeing her character and Jackson's go back and forth in a battle of wits and swagger. It's one of the more unusual pairing of actors in a film that proves to be a pleasant surprise. The true standout of the film happens to be the main character Goose, a cat that manages to have a few surprises of his own.

      Is Captain Marvel a perfect film? No, it has narrative and story issues that make it feel uneven at times along with falling into the generic traps of a typical Marvel storyline, but it rises above most due to the heart of the story which is the character of Captain Marvel. She represents Marvels Wonder Woman (Sorry Blackcat), and their attempt to top that films success on the DCEU side. Did Marvel do a better job at presenting their first female character compared to Patty Jenkins Wonder Woman? No, that film is still superior as it's writing, directing, and acting are stronger but the impact and appeal that Captain Marvel has on it's audience thus far since it's release makes her a worthy contrast. While that should not be an invitation for people to begin tearing the other film apart, rather they both should be celebrated for portraying female heroines in a light that's both positive and mature. Moments such as Captain Marvel being shown to overcome the adversities of her life with the moving score in the background is touching and one of the most powerful moments in the movie that basically defines her character as well as represents the soul of the story. Despite it's faults, Captain Marvel is a solid and enjoyable Marvel flick, that manages to both entertain it's audience while making the case along with Wonder Woman that future female-oriented comic book films are the pathway to both universes success.

Final Verdict:
Ignore the trolls and SEE IT

Stay after the credits though for a special scene involving Captain Marvel that builds up hype for Avengers: Endgame.