TOP SEQUELS THAT WERE EQUAL TO OR BETTER THAN THE ORIGINAL FILM

TOP SEQUELS THAT WERE EQUAL TO OR BETTER THAN THE ORIGINAL FILM

1. The Godfather 2
2. Aliens
3. The Bourne Ultimatum
4. Star Trek -The Wrath of Khan
5. Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade
6. Terminator 2: Judgment Day
7. Silence of the Lamb (It’s prior was “Manhunter 1986)
8. Toy Story 2
9. Batman: The Dark Knight
10. Star Wars: The Return of the Jedi
11. Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
12. James Bond - Gold Finger
13. Ocean’s 11
14. Kill Bill: Volume 2
15. 28 Weeks Later
16. Die Hard With A Vengeance
17. The French Connection 2
18. Before Sunset
19. The Bourne Supremacy
20. Lethal Weapon 2
21. Jurassic Park - The Lost World
22. For A Few Dollars More
23. Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
24. The Four Musketeers -  The Revenge of Milady
25. James Bond - Skyfall

1. 
   

The Fault in Our Stars – Review

The Fault in Our Stars – Review

Based on the highly successful book written by John Green and starring Shailene Woodley (The Descendants & The Spectacular Now) as “Hazel” and Ansel Elgort as “Gus”, The Fault in Our Stars is in its basic narrative form is about a young woman fully aware of the fact that she is dying of cancer. What the films story - journey reveals is that it is not a story about a young woman dying of cancer; it’s about love and living to share that love with someone special.

I won’t give any backdrop to the film in that it does not warrant any story development by me for anyone to discern its motive. And while the film started out in the first 30 minutes a bit manipulative it eventually evolved over 2 hours into something that was initially entertaining to something enjoyable to a conclusion that overall I loved.

Now make no mistake about it, this movie wants to make you cry while pushing on all the right buttons to get you there, but what it does not do is let the audience lose its self-respect for the characters by pitying them or to anticipate  any mourning for them. Instead the story of Hazel and Gus and their chance encounter as friends and eventually as two people destined to be linked to one another, gives us the audience honest human performances of two people who are simply nice and who thrive and grow on their romantic connection with each other with every breath they take. And we get through this story with the help of the fine performance of the film’s principle stars, especially Shailene Woodley who manages to keep her Hazel character story grounded even when things start to wander off or threaten to get a bit too melodramatic.

While I don’t think this film reaches Oscar caliber level, Shailene Woodley performance is certain to garner her an Oscar Nomination as Best Actress as she navigate her character’s story with real authentic charm, wit, in the moment gravity, believable strength and human frailty. Her mother played by Laura Dern also has a good chance of her name being announced in the Supporting Actress Category as she too delivered a fine performance of her characters side of the story with displays of genuine Mom like sentiment, indomitable sweetness, love and support to also a Mom living with constant fear, angst and foreboding. With that “The Fault of Our Stars” overall has many good things in it from being wise to sometimes moments of being funny to sometimes delicately reminding us to live and love honestly and fully, to other times a sense of simply not having enough time.

The French have an expression, “Joie de vivre” with its translation to mean, “Joy of living”. “Fault” works very hard for the readers of the book and the viewers of the film to remind, even challenge us, whether we be healthy or not, that as you sit ask “Are you enjoying your life fully?” Probably not. And therefore if not, then why not? We are all on a terminal clock and this story of two young people who are dealing with one of life’s toughest challenges did so with heartfelt earnestness to move past any and all matters of personal inhibitions contrived or real. To move past the needles, the pain, the countless plastic bags of Chemo and constant oxygen tanks in tow. To move past all of the negative reminders of death into something far more noble to where one can compel oneself into simply living and living fully and if you can do it with someone who can openly and honestly love you back than it was a life worth living each minute whether you are from the age of 1 to 92 or if you lived only 1 or to 92.

3 – 3/4 Stars

Edge of Tomorrow - Review

Edge of Tomorrow – Review

Starring Tom Cruise as Major William Cage the film “Edge of Tomorrow” takes place in the UK in the not too distance future. Earth has been invaded by an alien species called the Mimic who have come to Earth in a barrage of meteorites to unleash a relentless assault on humanity. Looking like shiny highly animated Octopuses’ the Mimic have undoubtedly come to conquer Earth and use it for their own consumption. They are formidable and seemingly impossible to defeat. But the global allied military believe they have a chance to defeat the invaders by soliciting every able body volunteer worldwide to fight the Mimic in the last unconquered area in the European theater.

Major Cage, who up to that point has had the rather cushy job of garnering the public relation support of getting volunteers to join the cause, suddenly discovers after a briefing on a new strategic plan to defeat the invaders, his desk duties days are over and that he would be part of the first wave of fighters to repel the Mimic. Immediately arrested and thrown forcibly into the European combat zone; Cage is totally untrained and reduced in rank into what looks clear to him as nothing more than a suicide mission.

Confused by the quick turn in events and now listed in rank as Private Cage and draped in a fighting metal highly armed exoskeleton, Cage is dropped into a whirl wind combat zone eerily similar to the opening scene in “Saving Private Ryan”, with Cage completely out of his element. But through a fluke circumstance when is he is killed, he is also transformed physically in a way that his life becomes a “Ground Hog’s Day” recycling of his previous days life. Each and every detail he experienced leading up to the day and moments of his own death are repeated over and over and over and over and over again.

Eventually Private Cage start’s to figure out the odd fact he is reliving his life. But Why? It is only when he meets a female soldier named “Rita Vrataski” played by Emily Blunt he starts to get some answers to this question. She unlike the other combat soldiers is uniquely aware of what is happening to Cage that she solicits Cage to come to speak to her “when he wakes up” just before she and he are killed……………again.

The big mystery to his repeating resurrection is the core plot point to this film. But what is fascinating about this film as a science fiction effort, while highly intricate and complicated to watch, “Edge of Tomorrow” is also cleverly crafted, rousing, thrilling, smart, refreshing, sensational and unexpected to watch. And you will watch it in the same way that I did probably saying to yourself this plot should not work, but it does work over and over and over again. And with each relived life cycle there is a bit more to be revealed as to the specific cause of this effect on Private Cage’s life. Director Doug Liman takes us through 2 hours of fun peeling away pieces of the plot with pulse pounding technical directing, writing and sharp brisk special effects action.   

In addition, Tom Cruise peals back his typical slightly over the top super confident alpha male persona by introducing here a more meek, scared and highly vulnerable male lead while giving equal screen time to his female counter part Emily Blunt, making the overall film have a more balanced story line and balanced sense of concern - caring for both the film’s lead characters.

“Edge of Tomorrow manages to keep you interested in every single second while not insulting your intelligence for one moment, giving the audience huge dividends on their ticket with a surprisingly imaginative action movie that takes you to a place you have never been before. Each 30 minutes of this film gets smarter and more creative up to its fulfilling climax.

Solid supporting acting performances from Bill Paxton as Master Sergeant Farrell and Brendan Gleeson as the dictatorial Allied General Brigharn. One side note and it’s no big deal, I am beginning to believe that Tom Cruise has it in every film contract he signs he has to be seen on a motor cycle even if it’s for one minute. He does not disappoint.

See this.

4 - Stars

A Million Ways To Die In The West - Review

A Million Ways to Die in the West – Review

Director Seth MacFarlane who knocked it out of the park 2 years ago in the hilarious comedic movie “Ted” takes another turn in the Director’s chair to bring his humorous perspective on the old west in “A Million Ways to Die in the West”.

With an all-star cast including MacFarlane, Charlize Theron, Liam Neeson, Neil Patrick Harris, Amanda Seyfried, Sarah Silverman and a few surprising cameos, the movie takes place in a small Arizona town in the year 1882 telling the story of a simple but honest man named “Albert”. “Albert” is a warm and personable man who still lives with his aging parents who also has established a pretty decent working life for himself by raising sheep. He also seemly has the attention of one of the town’s most eligible women named “Amanda”. But early on when “Albert” backs out of a gun fight “Amanda” realizes that she is not ready to settle down to a life with a shy cowardly sheep rancher for a husband. So she decides to break off their relationship to pursue a more dynamic bachelor in town named “Foy” who has a promising career as a mustache wax salesman. Funny!

With Albert feeling constantly depressed, his spirits are lifted a bit when a mysterious gorgeous woman comes to town who not only helps him feel better about himself, he also discovers he is starting to fall in love with her as well. What he doesn’t know is she is already married to one of the most notorious outlaws in the territory by the name of “Clinch” who has a bad temper and kills anyone who gets in his way. And with that measure of the story, predictably the film goes down the path you can already imagine of where “the good guy who gains his courage back also gets the girl in the end”. Trust me I didn’t ruin the ending; you already knew this was going to be the conclusion when you went into the theater. What is the real question is was the movie good enough for you to see?

Well, “AMWTDITW” has a few moments that were just gut busting hilarious and then there were other scenes that simply were way too contemporary to work its spin in a western film. And while the film is hardly laugh free, MacFarlane the Director seemed at times to rely way too much on crass humor to guide the film’s story with writing that made certain scenes fall flat in its delivery.

Still, there were more than ample enough times to chuckle throughout its 2 hour running time, but in the end “AMWTDITW” was in need of a lot better editing and a little less reliance of over the top one note gags that were feeble attempts of  masquerading a scene as something being smart with biting humor.

On a positive note this film showcased better than any film I have ever seen the area in and around New Mexico, Arizona and specifically Monument Valley. The cinematography in this movie was beyond breath taking; it was 2 hours of the most beautiful examples of the grandeur of nature in its simplest forms. The scenery of the canyons, mountains and desert in this movie are above anything you could imagine. It was simply exquisite to see that part of the country in amazingly rich digital detail. Uhhhhh.

“AMWTDITW” has some good moments, so I can’t say I wasn’t entertained, but if there was ever a time to go see a slightly less than adequate movie for ample enough chuckles and at the same time with a backdrop of sheer exquisite natural beauty, this is the one you drive and buy a ticket to see on that big screen. Uhhhhh.

2 – 3/4 Stars

Godzilla - Review

“Godzilla” - Review    

“Godzilla” maybe the most universally known iconic monster in cinematic history. And in 2014 he makes his triumphant return to the big screen in a nonstop modern special effects film fest with stunning visuals in this reboot to his legendary tale (pardon the pun).

Running just about 2 hours, what I learned early on the film was the name “Godzilla” translates from Japanese to English to mean “Lester is about to waste 2 hours of his precious time”. Oh, you think I am being a bit harsh just because people in the theater clapped when the film was over. Well, let me tell you as much as I can of what this utterly implausible and incoherent plot was actually all about.

Somewhere in the Pacific a mining company is digging for uranium (I believe) where they find a cavern that apparently when exposed to air released something that flies off to parts unknown. They also find something what looks like (I am not lying) a giant dirty human toe nail clipping that apparently glows when it is near radiation. In fact it appears to thrive on radiation (I think).

When the toe nail looking object is moved to a more controlled location in Japan near a nuclear power plant (nope not making this up), the scientists there who are studying it (secretly of course) tragically learn that it may be more of a threat to humans than they had imagine. So as result of this discovery they decide to destroy it. But of course it’s way too late as the toe nail looking object has now hatched to evolve into what can be best described as a giant steely gray looking Chesapeake Bay crab with a turtles mouth and multiple legs and feet in the shape of a crow bar.

At this point it is referred to as the “Moto” and after hatching it precedes to tear up some of Japan’s cities. It also starts to send out a radio wave signal to the other flying creature apparently another “Moto” to meet in San Francisco (I think). Why? Well the “Moto’ that flies is apparently a male “Moto” and the other one that walks is a female “Moto” and she is super horny and she wants to hook up so to speak to lay some eggs. I am not making this up. The only thing missing from this absurdity thus far was the music of Tony Bennett singing “I Left My Heart in San Francisco”. But why SF? More sources of radiation I guess? It’s either that or they want to eat Chicken and Waffles for a change.

Of course the “Motos” moving on their separate paths over and under the ocean eventually make it to the West Coast where the American Navy and Army are waiting. But after much failure and destruction in battling them conventionally the decision is made to use a nuclear bomb to kill them. Why? Because the intense radiation signature of the device will draw the “Motos” as a food source and lure them eventually out to sea to detonate the bomb hopefully killing them both in the process. Again, not making this up. So, what ensues from this point is to place this doomsday plan into operation with endless scenes of carnage, rampage and destruction of cities, building, bridges and iconic hotels.

Huh? You say where is Godzilla in all of this story? Again, not making this up. Apparently the military and scientist always knew Godzilla existed and he and humans have had a cool relationship with each other all these many years since the 1950s. He gets to eat all the Krill he wants in the Pacific Ocean buffet and the humans don’t bother him (I made that part up). But well into an hour of this movie apparently somehow (I am not sure how) Godzilla gets wind of the “Motos” causing havoc all over place to find the proper place to have sex, which apparently is more than Godzilla can bare. So he takes out after them both to do battle. Why? How the hell do I know at this point, I guess maybe it’s because they are just not the right kind of monsters Godzilla wants to associate with in his peaceful Pacific Ocean neighborhood. Wow, who figured this story out; Godzilla as the savor to all of humanity.

Godzilla the actor in this movie is less the feature headliner and more like a Marlon Brando-esque “Apocalypse Now” supporting role character. Or think of it as a huge aging rock star sitting in the stands of a high school football game who makes a sudden cameo appearance on the field to sing one of his hit songs with the high school marching band at half time.

I guess if you still want to see this movie you can and if you have read this I probably have given too much of the plot away. Of course in my mind I am saving you, in that this film while visually stunning as I stated before, everyone in this film and I mean everyone are nothing but the equivalent of a 50 story building bore. The humans are like robotic stick figures reciting lines any 12 year old could recite and the technical lavish battles scenes seem to offer less in excitement and more in the way of eye fatigue in that for some mysterious reason the Director shot most of the monster battles and general action sequences at night. Leaving the theater I thought the monsters appeared to look more like muddy, slimy and shadowy figures instead of real monsters with real discernable horrifying features.

Godzilla does have a few entertaining moments, but overall from a screenplay and directing stand point it is lazy, corny and vacuous and ultimately in the end an inconsequential multimillion dollar disappointment.

2 – 1/2 Stars 

Belle - Review

“Belle” – Review

“Belle” is the true story of Dido Elizabeth Belle, played luminously wonderful by newcomer actor Gugu Mbatha-Raw, and her real life accounts as an illegitimate bi-racial child raised in the upper crusts of England’s aristocracy during the late 1700’s. The story largely revolves around the difficulties of the established Mansfield’s family headed by Belle’s great uncle Lord Mansfield played equally wonderfully by British actor Tom Wilkinson to raise Dido as a proper English lady through the films subplot prism of England being the world’s leader in the human slave trade at that time.

“Belle” the movie is many things. On one hand it is foremost a touching and tender story of her eventual acceptance by her white biological family and their unwavering adulation and respect for her, adorning her fully of all the benefits of wealth and privilege her Mansfield’s name has achieved from many generations. It also at times a story of the scarlet shame the Dido’s family had to bare raising her as an equal and yet stumbling in the process through the occasional unfortunate need for adherence to long established social protocols and traditions, resulting in keeping Dido hidden and diminished away from public display.

Also what transpires over the 95 minute running time is a rather revealing story of the all too many political intricacies certain established English families would calculatingly maneuver within to make sure that proper marriages were arranged in order to secure future wealth, property and social standing. With Dido being assured of securing a tidy inheritance from her father, she under normal circumstances would be seen by most suitors as a highly viable candidate as a bride for the right English gentleman. Only in Dido’s case she has the unique misfortune to being born both with status and “exotically black”.

What I like most about “Belle” is that on the surface it is a relative small slice of life story that evolves from its initially diminutive tale to a story that played a very important and huge role in the dismantling and eventual abolishment of the commercial slave trade around the world. Also, Belle is an exquisitely pristine and flawlessly rich looking film to watch. It’s cinematography, from horse drawn carriages, finely tailored dresses and jewels, manicured streets and grounds, showcases Belle as a very stately and beautiful film to watch as well.

My only major complaint is the screenplay of melding Dido’s unique standing as bi-racial woman of status through the backdrop of the height of slavery was at time executed a bit clunky, choppy and at times with some confusing transitions from scene to scene leaving me wondering the relevance.  

In the end “Belle” is about romance and race; status and politics. It is also a fabulously entertaining and sophisticated effort of a strong willed woman surviving somewhat isolated and away from others who looked like her, exhibiting and executing her own life’s path as best she could with an abundance of grace, elegance, dignity, compassion and strength. I found “Belle’ to be obviously beautiful, but also enduringly moving and uplifting.

3 – 3/4 Stars     

        

Locke – Review

Locke – Review

“Locke” is the best movie I have seen for 2014. Starring Tom Hardy, more known as the gravelly voiced - crab claw masked villain “Bain” in “Batman – The Dark Knight Rises”, British actor Hardy gives the film “Locke” a Best Actor Oscar worthy and charismatic nominating performance in what initially is a minimalist and somewhat subdued tale of a solitary man behind the wheel of his car that turns into one of this year’s most powerful cinematic emotional efforts.

“Locke” masterful reminds us that great stories – great movie stories begin and end with the written word. And it’s the use of the written word throughout “Locke” that grabs hold both of our imagination and our thoughts tapping into mature universal themes that are all too familiar to us as viewers. It relies not on technical pyrotechnics, racing cars or flashy explosions, but instead adroitly showcases very cleverly the unpredictable and sometime volcanic quality of human emotions to thrill and mesmerize us.

The principle and only visible human character we see in the entire 90 minute film is a construction site manager named Ivan Locke who is in charge of a lucrative project north of London. As he leaves work late one evening, we see him with a somewhat somber look on his face. As Locke gets into his BMW SUV we are lead to presume his somber mood is a reflection that he is simply tired and is heading home to get some much needed rest after a long hard day at work preparing for the critically complex and preparatory task of pouring reinforced concrete for the building’s foundation the next day. But what we discover early on as Locke starts to drive away is that he is not heading home, but rather is making an unexpected mad dash to London. What happens for the remainder of the film is an ingenuous soloist tale of Locke managing three separate phone calls in his car. One call from his home involving his wife and son, another phone call from an assistant at his construction work site and another call from an acquaintance in London that he is rushing to see.

We the viewers watch this movie and listen to these phone calls not simply as a fly on the wall but more as a curious voyeur in the other front seat of his car, as theses three separate phone calls go from being separate and sublime; seemingly having no relation and connection to one another and instead turn into a more redeveloped, more revealing and more fascinating connected conversational story of their symbiotic interdependence to one another as we see Locke’s’ spiral downward into an inextricable entanglement of raw emotions, embarrassing stress, contemporary intrigue and human angst.

I can’t say much more here about the plot, but I will say that come next January when the Oscar nominations come out, Tom Hardy will probably be forgotten for this stellar performance as the Academy has shown to have the unfortunate propensity to remember only those films that come out only after Labor Day. The same applies to the Director Steven Knight who also wrote the screenplay to “Locke” that from my perspective is a uniquely imaginative modern story about a contemporary man forced to handle personal matters from both the cocoon isolation of his car and through the impersonal connectivity of modern wireless phones. “Locke” reminds us as that technology both helps and hurts when we have the urgent need to interact with one another especially with the people we care about and love

I loved “Locke” because it’s smart, creative and thought provoking. It made me think what if William Shakespeare and Alfred Hitchcock came up with an idea for a film what would it be like. I have no doubt it would be a one man play like “Locke”.

4 Stars