"The Huntsman: Winter's War" - Review

Oh Please Just Let It Go

Universal Studios really wants to step up their franchise game. The Fast and Furious series has reached record numbers of revenue and their recent revival of the Jurassic Park franchise went beyond that. Where do you go next for a potential new franchise? Naturally you go to Snow White and the Huntsman, a stand alone film that received a somewhat mixed response despite its decent box office grab. Wait, your lead actress was sleeping with the director and is not coming back for this sequel? Well, do it anyway because you've got Thor as part of your cast. You can always hire a double that looks nothing like Kristen Stewart to show her back to the audience for 3 seconds to remind us that Snow White actually exists. Somewhere. Without Snow White as your lead though, what do you do that can be fresh? A prequel movie of course! Not enough room for a full story you say? Well then, let's make it a prequel and a sequel. Both! And let's ditch the somewhat unique dark tone of the original and go for more of a swashbuckling Princess Bride vibe even though the story is wrapped all around the original film. We still need something to bring in audiences though... how about you bring Charlize Theron back from the dead (for two seconds of film) and add another really angry yell-y queen who is basically angry Elsa from Frozen! Got it. Sealed and done. You've got yourself a movie!

'Game of Thrones' - Season 6 Premiere Review: "The Red Woman" (Spoilers)

Game of Thrones is back everybody! And about time too. We finally get some answers (emphasis on "some") after last year's multitude of cliffhangers. Be warned. The night is dark and full of spoilers, so click on the jump at your own discretion. My full thoughts on the episode follows.

"The Invitation" - Review

The Underrated Thriller of the Year (So Far)

Last year, Joel Edgerton took a break from big blockbuster films and directed a small independent project that he also wrote. That movie was The Gift, which starred himself, Jason Bateman, and Rebecca Hall. It turned out to be a refreshing mystery with affecting drama and a great pay off. The movie came out of the blue and under everyone's radar and it turned out to be a wonderful treat to break of the monotony that naturally comes after having several giant explosion heavy superhero movies every year. Do not get me wrong, they are a lot of fun, but sometimes you need a change of pace and The Gift was a wonderful one. This year, it has happened again with The Invitation. Directed by Karyn Kusama, who previously directed the very problematic Aeon Flux and Jennifer's Body, and written by Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi, who also worked on Aeon Flux but also wrote Ride Along 2 and directed Tracy Lett's Bug, this film film feels like it wants to break free on its own terms. It has no studio dictating how it needs to be made. It has nothing to prove and no expectations to fulfill. This is a passion project and it is one that really works. The Invitation is an incredibly affecting mystery/thriller that has an unexpected emotional punch. Just like The Gift last year, The Invitation is a gem that feels fresh and deserves your time.

Note: if you are at all interested in seeing this movie, just do it. Stop reading and go. Like 10 Cloverfield Lane just recently, you will have a much better experience knowing next to nothing about it going in. It is currently in select theaters, but it is also available on every major VOD platform, including YouTube and Google Play. It is only 5-7 bucks to rent. There is no reason why you should not see this movie. Go do it. You will not regret it. If you feel like you need to know more, read on at your own risk. I will not spoil anything intentionally, but you have been warned.

'Better Call Saul' - Season 2 Finale Review: "Klick" (Spoilers)

On this week's season finale of Better Call Saul, Jimmy and Mike have reached their tipping points and choices have to be made. My thoughts are after the jump.

"The Jungle Book" - Review

Forget About Your Worries and Your Strife...

We now have the first of two(!) Jungle Book reboots being released. Andy Serkis is directing Jungle Book (without the the) and it was recently pushed from its 2017 release into 2018. I wonder if the reason why was because Warner Bros. got a bit worried after this weekend. Andy Serkis has his work cut out for him. Jon Favreau's Disney remake of The Jungle Book is here and it is spectacular. It is a visual feast for the senses with a surprisingly tense but fun and insightful script. Along with other technical masterpieces like Avatar and Life of Pi, this is what movie theaters were created for. I can imagine that a good deal of the wonder of this movie would be lost on a smaller living room screen so if you want to experience this movie, and your whole family should, then go see it on the biggest screen possible while you can.

"Midnight Special" - Review

Ever-Loving Light

The title Midnight Special very likely refers to an old folk song from the South, an area that director Jeff Nichols has a deep love for. This love shows throughout every single one of his past films and continues here. The song refers to a train that passes by slaves and prisoners; a train with an ever-loving light. If you are caught in the light, you will soon be free. In Midnight Special, light literally shines from a boy's eyes, but it is a frightening ordeal. It is not until he is able to embrace the light that he understands it and what makes him so different. We see this through a father's eyes as he strives to protect his incredibly special son from the horrors that are out to get him. He soon learns that love is about making the toughest choices and the sacrifices that have to be made to fulfill it. His son is the prisoner and he needs to be freed.

Through sustained tension and wonder, Midnight Special examines the mysteries of this love and becomes an excellent exercise in tone that will enlighten you as much as it intrigues.

'The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story' - Season Finale Review: "The Verdict" (Spoilers)

This week on American Crime Story, we reach our inevitable end and learn "The Verdict". My thoughts on the season finale are after the jump.

"Hardcore Henry" - Early Review

Unstoppable Mayhem

Coming off the success of the similarly filmed music videos "The Stampede" and "Bad Motherfucker" (Excuse my French. There is a lot of those sort of words coming up in your future if you are going to see this movie.), director Ilya Naishuller has made his first feature film and unleashed it upon the world. Filmed in a completely first person perspective to evoke modern FPS genre video games, the project is an ambitious technical feat. Does it all work? Absolutely. Hardcore Henry is a relentless burst of adrenaline and technical creativity that will most definitely achieve cult status and will be inspiring more action movies to come. You may also come away surprised by how how generously it embraces gamer culture and tropes while also being cheeky about it and tweaking its nose a bit. The above photograph is an accurate depiction. This movie going experience is not for everyone, especially not for the easily offended, but if this all sounds like fun to you, it will be one of the most original and exciting times you will have at the theater this year.

'The Walking Dead' - Season Finale Review: "Last Day On Earth" (Spoilers)

On tonight's season finale of The Walking Dead, our group meandered in the woods again and then came face to face with Negan and his friend Lucille. My thoughts on the episode are after the jump.

'The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story' - Review: "Manna From Heaven" (Spoilers)

On this week's American Crime Story, the groundbreaking drama that was the Fuhrman Tapes is unleashed. My thoughts on the episode are after the jump.

"Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice" - Review

Zack Snyder is a Martyr

I have defended Zack Snyder a great deal in the past. He works in an area of near arthouse geeky blockbuster that I find completely fascinating. Many accuse him of being flash over style, which is not helped by the fact that others often write mediocre screenplays for him, but I am surprised by how much depth I often find in his films. I think the director's cut of Watchmen is a near masterpiece of craft and graphic novel adaptation, only held back by a couple of lackluster performances that fail to do some of the side characters of the novel justice. I really enjoyed Man of Steel as well. The first two-thirds of the film were beautifully realized in how the flashbacks were conceived and it often felt poetic in its editing and transitions. The last third is where it faltered a bit when it turned into complete chaos mode. My biggest defense of Zack Snyder is actually with Sucker Punch, a film that many see as complete garbage. I see it as a misunderstood gem of gender politics and biting satire aimed toward the very audience seeing the film. I will have to write another piece on it later but I see it as one of the greatest and most effecting practical jokes in Hollywood history in the best of ways. It acknowledges your expectations and then crumples them up and tosses them in your face before it decides to show you the dark cynical side of your very urges. It is one of the ballsiest films in recent memory. So, going into Batman v. Superman I was intrigued by how he would approach the material, knowing that the studio was definitely going to get their hands into the production process so they can set up their future sequels. What I got was a good film. Not a great film, but a good one. There are some amazing moments that have a great artsy beauty to them, notably the opening sequence. The movie is even edited in a strange dream-like fashion as it jumps to event to event completely separated by each other. Zack Snyder did the very best he could and it often shows on screen in spectacular fashion. The reason why Batman v. Superman is such a disappointing mess is that Warner Bros. got greedy and impatient. Frankly, they blew their load too early. They got their hands into the film to force sequel baiting elements into it and it turned BvS into a bloated mess. But when the movie shines, it truly does.