Boss Baby Review

So I finally got to see the surprisingly funny animated comedy titled Boss Baby
 
SPOILER FREE

      Before going into this movie, I will admit first and foremost that I was not drawn to the film at first due to it's poor marketing that didn't appear to catch my eye. I was not happy that the film dethroned Beauty And The Beast from it's box office glory of being the number one after it's first two weeks. Unlike other animated films that came out this year such as Pixar's Cars 3 or Despicable Me 3, I didn't see much appeal in this film until I saw that Alec Baldwin was playing boss baby then I became interested in it. Despite my reservations about the film, I decided to give the movie a chance as I feel true moviegoers would give it the benefit of the doubt before passing judgment which many critics also made the same conscious decision. Having seen Boss Baby, I can say that while the film was not a great animated film by any means, it was a surprisingly decent and often funny flick.

      Boss Baby is charming, clever, witty, and visually stunning as it takes it's talented cast among the likes of Alec Baldwin, Steve Buscemi, Jimmy Kimmel, and Lisa Kudrow, and creates a reasonably satisfying film. The film is a cartoon that looks and feels like an actual cartoon that is given life through it's goofy nature and sheer energy. The film never takes itself too seriously, and it's probably best that it sticks to that strategy of being entertaining without trying to break it's comfort zone. In terms of the films visual style, the animation and special effects are superbly done and constructed that doesn't take away from the movie but adds to it's charm with moments such as the baby's drool falling from it's lips or a close up of its eyes, giving the character and story moments of genuine texture and emotion. In regards to the films message, the movie doesn't say anything other than there is more than enough love to go around in loving families. The films premise fits into this theme as both boss baby and his 7-year old brother fight for the love and affection of their parents while working together to foil the wicked and cruel plot involving the CEO of Puppy Co. With Alec Baldwin's brilliant and comedic performance, he makes the film highly amusing as well as giving boss baby an extremely likeable presence. As a children's film, Boss Baby is simple, sweet, and a good deal of fun if one doesn't it too seriously and just allow it's charming side do the work. Baldwin's performance is not only awesome here but he manages to warm your heart at times with his relationship with his older brother with the story essentially being about sibling rivalry. Despite the movie having genuinely funny moments, they come far in between as the rest of the film rests on a plot that isn't quite the strongest. For that reason, Boss Baby is a decent animated comedy instead of being a great and memorable one.

      As far as family films go, Boss Baby is one of the more unappreciated animated films of the year, as it's much better than what the critics made it out to be as well as the films lackluster marketing. Despite the film having a rather paper thin plot, it's the performance of Baldwin and the rest of the supporting cast that makes the movie entertaining to watch as well as heartwarming with it's message that there is more than enough love to go around for siblings in a family that genuinely loves and cares for each other. For young children as well as adults, they will fall in love with Boss Baby while the adults getting a surprise with the films humor. Boss Baby is a movie that may not satisfy audiences in it's story department, but will entertain and even surprise in it's humor and energy department.

                                                                                                                                     7 out of 10







Cars 3 Review

So I finally got a chance to see the generally loved and significant improvement over the previous installment titled Cars 3

SPOILER FREE

        Let me start by saying prior to going into this film, I enjoyed the first Cars movie and found it to be entertaining for what it was, despite it not being one of my very favorite Pixar films. I thought the concept of the film was fun with Owen Wilson proving to be perfect for the main character. Cars 2 was not only bad but represents the low point for Pixar. Whenever people ask when Pixar as a studio has screwed up movie wise, Cars 2 is immediately the first film that comes to mind although it's just one movie out of dozens. The studio struck cold last summer with Finding Dory's box office success and critical acclaim. One thing that Pixar is a master at outside of crafting good family stories, is they market their films to extreme with full confidence. They know the type of audience their reaching for and so far their strategy has paid off handsomely. Now we fast-forward to 2017 where we have Cars 3 as the studios main template, as well as being one of the summers biggest blockbusters and second biggest animated film next to Despicable 3. Going into it's initial theatrical release, Cars 3 had the tough act of trying to make up for the disappointment audiences felt with Cars 2 and be more of a direct sequel to the first Cars movie, not just in continuity but also box office and social stature. Having seen Cars 3, I can assure fans of the first movie who disliked the second and may be afraid to watch the third for fear that it'll suck that it doesn't.

      Cars 3 is an enjoyable third entry in the popular Cars trilogy, that manages to recapture the heart of the first film while essentially ignoring the second movie altogether. The storyline for Cars 3 centers around Lightning McQueen setting out to prove to a new generation of racers that he still has what it takes to be the best race car in the world. Cars 3 is essentially Rocky lll with the parallels being Lightning McQueen deals with time passing by and wanting to still leave an impact in the racing world. With the help of a female car that helps him train in a style similar to Rocky Balboa and Apollo Creed in the third film, McQueen goes on a rigorous training to prove that he's the best while giving the young female car a chance to prove her own worth after being inspired by him as a racer. The film having heart is one of the most important factors in regards to being a significant improvement over it's predecessor with the story being more consistent and easier to digest. The film feels like part McQueens film, but also carries with it a feminist undertone with yellow car named Cruz Ramirez to help McQueen get back to the top by working together with his training, but also have her moment to prove her own self worth on the track. Stating the obvious, the movie looks great in terms of animation as Pixar always makes their movies look great in regards to animation, while establishing themselves as the top animation studio to beat. Outside of the top notch animation, what makes Cars 3 work as a true sequel to the first film, is the films main story being both poignant and heartfelt with the message basically saying that even if a person can't do something they once were capable of any longer, they can still make a contribution to society. The story about McQueen pushing for himself to be competitive again as well as Cruzs desire to have a chance essentially tells the audience that they should believe in themselves as the bad can be used to turn into something good and a form of motivation. With the type of storyline Cars 3 holds, the once questionable Pixar franchise has not only found it's way back onto the main highway but might have some tread left in regards to being a piece of inspiration to young audiences in regards to it's message. The film erases the mess of the second and gives the third an emotional core that can essentially wrap up it's series on a strong note unless Pixar wishes to continue. As an attempt to reestablish the heart of the franchise, Cars 3 makes a strong attempt to return the series back to the form of the first one, even if the first movie wasn't exactly as strong as some of Pixar's other hits. It is the message of Cars 3, that makes it worthy of being praised with the film saying that there is no plan for growing old but it is up to you if you choose to give up or not.

      Overall Cars 3 is a fairly strong sequel that tries it's hardest to take what originally was a fun storyline that lost it's way and bring it back to it's original form while adding a strong message to the series. Despite the obvious noble efforts of the newest film to inject heart back into the franchise, it does little to change the fact that the Cars franchise as a whole still stands far from being one of Pixar's finest achievements as well as it's best trilogy (That titled proudly is worn by the Toy Story trilogy). Whereas the first Cars movie has charm and the second one is heartless and hollow, the third movie has heart and is a blessing that it ignores the sequel that came in between. Cars 3 remains one of the stronger family films of the year as well as a worthy sequel to the first Cars. If one goes into the third movie accepting it for what it is, they will be satisfied by it. If one is a fan of Cars but was severely disappointed by Cars 2, rest assured they will find enjoyment with Cars 3 as it not only manages to entertain it's audience but leaves a great message behind it.

                                                                                                                                                7.5/10

Sleepless Movie Review

So I finally got to see the completely useless and uninteresting action crime thriller titled Sleepless.

                                     

                                                        

       I originally skipped going to see this film in theaters during its initial theatrical run not because I heard any negative reviews about the film, but mainly because the trailers and marketing for the film didn't catch my eye. The film essentially flew under the radar in theaters and quietly made it to DVD in less than a few months. Now that the film is out on video, I decided to give it a chance as a new release and someone who enjoys a good action movie. Having seen Sleepless now, I can understand exactly why this film underperformed in theaters and why the marketing wasn't very strong for it.  The movie simply isn't very good.

       Sleepless is an uninspired and tired old crime drama, that completely wastes it's talented cast among the likes of Jamie Foxx and Michelle Monaghan, along with its source material that could've been truly compelling had the filmmakers given much more effort to the story. The film is devoid of any real thrills and feels rushed while recycling every tired out clichéd in the book. This is one of those films that either needed to be really good or really bad to leave an impression with audiences as this film comes off as being utterly forgettable. The story centers around a cop with a connection to the criminal underworld scourings a nightclub in search to his son whose been kidnapped by drug dealers, who don't know that he's an undercover cop. In term of performances Foxx and Monaghan do the best job they can with the material given to them, which ultimately results in lame scriptwriting. Sleepless is a action crime drama that feels like a doomed project from the start but is made to be digestible through editing that makes the film move at a fast pace that makes its dullness less torturous for audiences. The script borrows almost every major clichéd from other crime drama films, making it unexciting and not allowing the audience to become emotionally invested in the characters particularly Foxx trying to save his on while evading Monaghan's character. For a subplot that could've been quite powerful had it been given more elaboration and development, it ends up being an afterthought for the audience. The film also lacks truly compelling and sleazy villains that the audience can despise and wasn't to see brought to justice by Foxx's character as he fights to save his son. The subplot involving Michelle Monaghans character trying to pursue Foxx's character thinking he's a dirty cop is poorly fleshed out and comes off as being rather silly than compelling. The films flatness and lack of inspiration from the movies opening scene to the climax leaves the audience thinking and feeling that the director and screenwriter behind the film were simply unenthusiastic about the project, leaving the actors with the work of trying to take a watered down script and make the material at least watchable without transcending the material. With the genre of the film being action and crime, Sleepless comes off as being rather dull, boring, and uninspired. One can only imagine what a passionate director could've done with this concept, and the theme of a child being taken with the father being left with no choice but to save him himself could've gone the action route of films like Taken in regards to edginess. The moral of the story is not to assume that a cop working a high profile case is a dirty one or working with the bad guys, but that message never fully feels like its properly conveyed to the audience.
 
       The greatest crime with the film Sleepless is not that the move itself is poorly done but how forgettable the film is. One will end up watching the movie and will essentially forget everything about the film afterwards as it never leaves an impact on the viewer which is a shame because a crime drama should always leave a moral lesson for the audience to ponder on once the ordeal is finished. With talented actors like Foxx and Monaghan at the helm, one wishes that they had stronger material to work off of and help flesh out the story rather than playing paper-thin characters. As far as 2017 films go, Sleepless is one of the more disappointing and forgettable ones that only makes for passable entertainment if audiences have nothing else to watch, but should discard it immediately after and put on a stronger action and crime drama film with a similar story to see how its actually done. Sleepless is routine and an average journey that lacks excitement, thrills, a gripping emotional core, and never gets the audience fully invested in its scenario. The greatest tragedy is not the film wasting the talents of everyone involved, the tragedy is knowing what could've been had the story been done right with greater care. The film even goes out of its way to set up a sequel that no one is interested in nor will support because of this movies shortcomings and box office failure.
                                                                                                                                   4 out of 10

          

          

          

               

                             

           

                     
           

BayWatch Movie Review

So I finally go to see the unnecessary yet reasonably entertaining live action movie to the classic 90s television show called Baywatch, this time with Dwayne Johnson in the lead.

SPOILER FREE

      Let me start by saying that going into this film, I wasn't a huge fan of the popular television show, only catching glimpses of it occasionally on television. As someone whose a fan of the show reviewing this movie, I am not the most reliable person for a review comparison between the show and the movie. As someone whose a genuine lover of movies and will give different genres of films a chance even raunchy comedies, I will be honest about my feelings towards the film while separating it from the television show I was never a die hard fan of. Upon hearing about the release of a Baywatch movie, I questioned the reasoning behind it as I felt the time had long passed since the show ended and when the movie should've came out. Hearing that Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron are the main leads in the film along with it being Rated R caught my interest even though I was still very hesitant of the final product. Despite the many nasty reviews the film received from critics, I decided to give the film a chance and see for myself whether its really that bad or just a fun and silly film that never should be mistaken as serious filmmaking. Having seen Baywatch now, I can say that the film for the most part is fun, but not necessarily a good movie.
 

      Baywatch is a film that exists for one specific purpose which is to entertain it's audience by providing raunchy and edgy laughs for fans of the show or those who are fans of both lead actors. Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron, are a fun pair that work very well together chemistry wise while providing a solid rivalry turned partnership. One of the things that I noticed from the old show while catching glimpses of it is as campy and cheesy as the show came off as being, it was full of charm and heart. Both are severely absent from the movie and the film is replaced with raunchy humor that's either hit or miss as it can be genuinely funny or too forced. Baywatch as a film doesn't offer audiences anything in regards to being deep-thinking or philosophical except some decent laughs with Dwayne Johnson carrying the film on his shoulders as being the films main selling point with Zac Efron coming in a close second with a likeable performance as the brash new recruit butting heads with Johnsons character. Together the two uncover a criminal plot that ultimately puts the future of the bay at risk. Baywatch embraces camp and utilizes its R rating to full advantage presenting obnoxious characters with Johnson making his character work through his charismatic performance, although it never quite has the charm of its TV show that made it both amusing and successful in the first place. What makes both the show and the movie so appealing to audiences, is both recognizing themselves as being a parody of what generally is a silly concept that allows for the actors to have fun with the material. When the movie becomes excessive with its humor, it works as a piece of entertainment, although one can feel that the directing and story weren't given their full push, leaving it up to the appealing cast to carry the film from its shortcomings. There's something genuinely fun about the concept of lifeguards playing detective that is so cheesy and ridiculous that it makes for an entertaining comedic story, even if the final product never reaches that level of entertainment that the story poses potentially

       Overall Baywatch is a mildly entertaining yet forgettable comedy, that brings the concept of the show up to speed in modern setting with the humor being raunchy and excessive to blend with todays style of humor. If one goes into Baywatch and doesn't take it seriously then the will find reasonable amounts of entertainment with it before discarding the film from memory. It is Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron that carry the film on their shoulders and save it from being a complete disaster as the script and directing never fully do the concept of the film its total justice as being fun entertainment. For fans of the show, they will either love the film or they will hate it, feeling the movie doesn't quite capture the charm and heart of the show, even with attempts to bridge the two together by having cameos with the main stage such as Knight Riders David Hasselhoff and Pamela Anderson. For regular movie-goers who look for an entertaining comedy, that is completely ridiculous and doesn't make you think about any thing else other than which beach you want to vacation at this summer then Baywatch is worth watching to get in the summer spirit but should be quickly forgotten about right after as its quality doesn't offer much else than harmless fun mixed with some crude humor
 
                                                                                                                    6 out of 10

            

                     

The Mummy 2017 Review

So I finally got to see the critically reviled and not too great start to what's supposed to be the beginning of the dark universe titled The Mummy starring Tom Cruise.

SPOILER FREE

 

      Let me start by saying that prior to going into this film, I was a fan of both The Mummy and The Mummy Returns as a young moviegoer in the early 90's and early 2000 era. The Mummy worked as being a great adventure and mystery thriller, that was slow-paced yet exciting while paying homage to the original monster movie classic from the 1930s. The Mummy Returns, although not as good as The Mummy, is more of a wall to wall action adventure that does it's best interpretation of Indiana Jones while continuing the storyline from the first movie. What makes both Mummy films work so well and why they resonated with audiences (Tomb Of The Dragon Emperor does not apply here, it ruined what could've been a strong action-adventure trilogy), is not only the movies being highly entertaining, but how much you care about the characters and connect with them. All the explosions and special effects in the world are meaningless unless you have characters the audience becomes connected with, and want to experience their adventures with, With both films, the characters of Rick O Connor and Evie played by both Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz are well played and acted with Imhotep being an effective movie villain played by Arnold Vosloo. While the third Mummy film was viewed as being the critical dud of the original trilogy, it was clear the Mummy franchise was burnt out and in need of a reset button. Fast-Forward to 2017, the filmmakers behind Tom Cruise's The Mummy hope to use the film as an introduction for their dark universe of monster movies taking place in a modern day timeline. A lot is riding on this movies success in order for that to happen which makes the critical and box office reception of the film even more gut wrenching to those hoping for the universe to expand. The new Mummy film is darker and more serious toned than the Stephen Sommers films, ditching the camp and fun-spirit of those films. Having seen the new Mummy film, I can say that while the film is not as disastrous as many reviewers make it out to be, the film also misses some of the key essential things that made audiences connect with the earlier Mummy predecessor films before it with one in particular being that it lacks the heart of those films.

 

      The Mummy is a average at best retelling of the classic Mummy story except modernized to fit in todays society with an ancient princess being awakened from her tomb beneath the desert, bringing with her malevolence grown over millennia, as well as terror that defies human comprehension. It becomes up to Tom Cruise and his female partner and love interest played by Annabelle Wallis to put the Mummy to rest and undo her awakening and path of terror. The Mummy tries very hard to be it's own definitive telling of the classic tale but it's problem lies in the fact that it lives in the shadow of it's 1999 predecessor with the film lifting essential plot elements from that movie such as the Mummy being awakened in the desert or Cruise's character having a partner in the desert who turns against him much like Rick O Connor and his shady partner Bennie, who begins with being O Connors Wingman before going over to the Mummy's court. Cruise's character feels like an attempt to recapture the awesomeness of Fraser's character despite coming off as being Tom Cruise essentially, who just happens to go toe to toe with a Mummy. One is never convinced that Cruise truly becomes the character he's playing in this one, with his female counterpart played by Annabelle Wallis, delivering a much stronger performance even if she comes off as an attempt at being a modern day Evie type character. The performance of the female Mummy played by Sofia Boutella is effective and carries the film when the story stumbles, although she isn't as memorable of an antagonist as Arnold Vosloo's Imhotep. One of the things that made Vosloo's character so compelling as a villain is you understood his motivation for wanting to take over humanity because of his desire to bring back his love/mistress from the grave so they can rule humanity together. The thing about The Mummy is even though you cared about Rick and Evie, you also wanted Imhotep to succeed in his mission as he was too cool of a villain to not care about and love. The problem with the new Mummy film is rather than the character being the central focus of the movie, the character of Ahmanet takes a backseat in the film as Cruise is the main focus on the movie. The film comes off as being Tom Cruise fighting Mummies rather than the audience fully grasping the nature of this character. Russell Crowe is one of the films saving graces in a brief role as Dr. Jerkel and Mr. Hyde, delivering an effective scene stealing cameo that is a tad awkward but leaves the door open for future dark universe stories to tell as he feels like this universes version of Nick Fury. It's not that The Mummy is a terrible movie nor a boring one, it's that the film lacks a true soul for audiences to become connected with. It wants so desperately to achieve the same kind of legacy that Brendan Frasers 1999 film achieved in pop culture but never dares to reach further than it's grasp which it feels confined to. The relationship between Cruise's character and Annabelle's, feels like a mediocre version of Rick and Evies romance, and the movie lacks true thrilling moments that made the first one work such as the airplane trying to evade the sand storm created by the Mummy in Frasers film. The scene in the new film in which a similar sequence is shown involving a city draws clear inspiration from that film but isn't quite as memorable. It's not that Cruise's film provides no clear competition to go up against Sommers work, it's that the film lacks true charm and is too serious with it's type of story. Given that the movie boasts some of the more popular screenwriters in the business such as Jurassic Park's writer David Koepp and The Usual Suspects writer Christopher McQuairre, one looks at the final product and wonders where all the talent and effort went in the story department as the film literally feels like a remake rather than being an actual telling of The Mummy story.

 

      Overall, The Mummy despite it's major flaws that weigh it down, is a mildly entertaining Tom Cruise ride, that offers reasonable amounts of entertainment, despite the film never truly achieving a soul of it's own. It lacks the heart of the Brendan Fraser films, that made audiences fall in love with the first two films as well as the fun and campy nature. Perhaps the film would've worked if a less demanding actor was able to take over the lead role, allowing audiences to become more acquainted with the films main antagonist rather than have her in the background as second to Cruise's screen presence. One feels that he was clearly trying to create a serviceable vehicle for him to move from action to try his hand at monster movies, but the film struggles with giving him the spotlight while laying out the groundwork for the rest of the dark universe. The film does have moments where it channels the feels of the original classics, which also becomes the films main highlights, but the movie never rises above being just average entertainment that isn't quite sure what it wants to be as it's main actor is the primary focus. As for the film being destroyed by critics, the picture doesn't deserve the excessive bashing it received on rottentomatoes putting it at just 16 percent in approval, but it's also not worthy of the nostalgia that Stephen Sommer's first two Mummy films have on audiences. As being the door that opens up the rest of the dark universe stories that are set to come, the film is a rocky start that gets the door cracked but never fully opens it as audiences are not yet sold on the new universe of films, giving the next batch of filmmakers for the dark universe extra pressure in hopes of getting them hooked on what's being mapped out for them. As a Tom Cruise flick, it's entertaining but as a dark universe monster flick, the film is at best ok but leaves much room for improvement.

 

                                                                                                                                       6 out of 10



 



The Great Wall Review

So I finally got to see the critically panned and terribly mediocre Matt Damon action and historical flick titled The Great Wall.

                                       

SPOILER FREE

       Let me start by saying that going into this film, I originally avoided it's theatrical release and waited for DVD mainly due to largely unimpressive trailers and what feels like Hollywood white washing of a significant event in Chinese history mixed with fiction. As big of a Matt Damon fan that I come off as being, I honestly felt that he was miscast here due to his surprisingly wooden performance, and that he wouldn't be able to prevent the film from ultimately flopping at the box office. Unfortunately my feelings and suspicions about the movie tanking both critically and financially came true, as the film was one of 2017s first major box office bombs and easily got passed up by American audiences. Having now gotten the chance to sit down and view the film on DVD, I can confirm with ease that the movie deserved it's fate domestically.

       The Great Wall is a mess of a movie, that is uninspired and lacks true excitement to make audiences care about its plot. The story of the film centers around European mercenaries searching for a black powder that leads them to become embroiled in the defense of the Great Wall of China against a horde of monstrous creatures. To put it bluntly, The Great Wall is all over the place stylistically and lacks genuine heart to make audiences care. With the image of Matt Damon and William Dafoe battling ancient monsters, the overall final product is never as entertaining nor exciting as it could've been. The Great Wall feels less of an epic and more of a B- level creature film with the attempt to deliver a unique yet questionable storyline appearing to be a noble intent but ultimately poorly executed. The characters are poorly developed to the point where you dont become emotionally connected with anyone including Damon and Dafoe characters. The concept allows for large numbers of cheese to plague the script which doesn't necessarily mean it's a bad thing but given the story presented here, it's not in a good way. The action is over the top with its striking visuals, but even its impressive set pieces can't make amends for lackluster storytelling and poor character development. For a film that's titled The Great Wall, nothing about the movie truly rings as being great because the final product though ambitious falls completely flat on its face. For the narrative being centered around a Westerner, who shifts his own perspective from being a self-centered character to someone who demonstrates self-sacrificing tendencies by the film's climax, one can't help but feel underwhelmed by the potential that arc could've presented had it been handled with greater care. Outside of the film's battle scenes being well-choreographed, The Great Wall in the grand scale of things is a huge disappointment and ultimately terrible movie that audiences should avoid like a nasty plague.
 
        Given the film is the most expensive film in Chinese history with the first major co production between an American film studio and a Chinese-owned studio with Matt Damon riding the project as the main star, audiences deserved so much better than what they got with The Great Wall. The film is so poorly done and uninspired that it never lives up to its name and will leave audiences bored and frustrated rather than excited and inspired. The film could've been a great blend of entertaining over the top action, that best represents Asian cinema along with good old fashioned American banter but what audiences got in the end was a mess of a film both story wise. What could've been an epic image of a row of soldiers mixed with rains of spears and surging forces along the likes of something out of the battle of Helms Deep in Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers, ultimately feels like a wasted opportunity to give audiences something amazing on the big screen, but instead settles for horrific mediocrity. Its not that the film was white washed for American audiences, as it could've been a terrific film even with its story that gives flashbacks to The Last Samurai, its that the filmmakers look like they didn't try to give their all with a film that signifies an important piece of Chinese history mixed with fiction and two historical film fronts coming together in delivering what shouldve been grand scale filmmaking. The film couldn't decide on whether itnwated to be an epic action movie drama or a cheesy monster flick. For Hollywood taking a risk by telling this story, it shouldve been much more.

                                                                                                                        4 out of 10