SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE (2018) – My rating: 8/10

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is a computer-animated superhero film, based on the Marvel Comics character Miles Morales, aka Spider-Man.  Morales  becomes one of many Spider-Men as they team up to save New York City from Kingpin.  The film is produced by Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation in association with Marvel, and distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing.  Into the Spider-Verse  is the first animated feature film in the Spider-Man franchise, and is set in a shared multiverse called the “Spider-Verse”, which has alternate universes. The film was directed by Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, and Rodney Rothman from a screenplay by Phil Lord and Rothman.  I had never heard of the Spider-Verse but for good reason, this is the first of the Spider-Verse series.  Judging by the weekend box office of 2/3, $175,424,664 and over $347M worldwide, we will see more.  Actually, I liked this film and am having trouble distinguishing between other animated features as to which is the best one.

Miles Morales / Spider-Man (Shameik Moore) is a teenager who admires Spider-Man. He struggles living up to the expectations of his parents, especially his father, police officer Jefferson Davis (Brian Tyree Henry), who sees Spider-Man as a menace. After school, Miles secretly visits his uncle Aaron Davis / Prowler (Mahershala Ali) , who brings Miles to an abandoned subway station where he can paint graffiti. While there, Miles is unknowingly bitten by a radioactive spider and begins to develop spider-like abilities.  After an embarrassing encounter with a classmate, Miles realizes the changes he is undergoing as a result of the bite. Searching for the spider, Miles returns to the station and unintentionally runs into a particle accelerator built by Wilson Fisk / The Kingpin (Liev Schreiber), who wishes to access parallel universes to find alternative versions of his wife and son who died in a car crash.

****  SPOILERS  ****

Spider-Man / Peter Parker (Chris Pine) of Miles Morales’ universe, whose death inspires Miles to become Spider-Man, is trying to disable the accelerator while fighting off Fisk’s enforcers, Green Goblin / Norman Osborn (Jorma Taccone) and Prowler. Spider-Man also discovers that Miles has abilities similar to his. He vows to teach him how to control his powers, but is gravely wounded by an explosion during the battle that kills Green Goblin. Spider-Man gives Miles a USB drive to disable the accelerator and warns that the machine could destroy the city if turned on again. Miles then watches Fisk kill Spider-Man in horror before fleeing from Prowler.

While attempting to master his new abilities, Miles inadvertently damages the USB drive. At Spider-Man’s grave, Miles meets Peter B. Parker / Spider-Man (Jake Johnson), a depressed and worn-down version of Spider-Man from another dimension. Peter has been brought into Miles’s dimension by the accelerator and needs to return home, so he reluctantly agrees to train Miles in exchange for help stealing data to create a new drive. While breaking into Kingpin’s research facility, they are confronted by Fisk’s chief scientist Olivia “Liv” Octavius / Doctor Octopus  (Kathryn Hahn), who reveals that Peter will deteriorate the longer he stays in their dimension and eventually die.

Being a young person has it’s props.  An adult might get totally lost in this rather hectic story or not!  While I think the plot is excellent, I think you’d better pay attention or else.  I like the message this version of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse sends and I think the cast is outstanding.  There is much more to this story — a must see in order to understand the intensions of the writer.  This animated film is more organized than some of the others I’ve seen this year (2018).  Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is not for everyone, as this is strictly a children’s flick.  Check It Out, it’s worth it!

[Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is Oscar nominated for Best Animated Feature Film]

 

WONDER WOMAN (2017) – My rating: 8.5/10

I had never seen a Wonder Woman movie or read a Wonder Woman comic book before, so this was my first experience and I have to say it was a pretty good one. It was not what I expected. There were a few plot issues but overall, I welcome Wonder Woman to the fold. The movie is set in 1918 and tells the story of Princess Diana, who grows up on the island of Themyscira, sheltered by her mother and aunt. After an American pilot crashes offshore and is rescued by Diana, life as she knows it changes forever. He tells her about the ongoing World War. She then leaves her home in order to end the conflict, becoming Wonder Woman in the process.

Diana Prince/Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) was born and raised on the hidden Amazon island of Themyscira, home to the Amazon race of warrior women, created by the gods of Mount Olympus to protect humankind against the corruption of Ares, the god of war, who slew all his fellow gods.  Zeus, Ares’ father struck down his son after being mortally wounded.  Before Zeus succumbed to his injuries, he left the Amazons a weapon capable of killing his renegade son: the “Godkiller”, which Diana believes to be a ceremonial sword. Queen Hippolyta, (Connie Nielsen) Diana’s mother and queen of the Amazons, believes that Ares will never return therefore disallows Diana from training as a warrior, but Diana and her aunt, General Antiope, (Robin Wright) defy the queen and begin training in secret. Once Hippolya discovers the two, Antiope convinces her to allow Diana’s training to continue.

Captain Steve Trevor, (Chris Pine) a pilot with the American Expeditionary Forces crashes in his plane off the coast of Themyscira. The island is invaded by the landing party of a German cruiser pursuing Steve. Diana, now a young woman, rescues Steve as the Amazons engage and kill all the German sailors, but Diana’s Aunt and General Antiope dies intercepting a German bullet meant for Diana. By using a famous Wonder Woman weapon to interrogate the pilot, (The Lasso of Truth) Steve is forced to reveal that World War I is raging in the outside world, and that he is an Allied spy. He stole a notebook from the Spanish chief chemist Isabel Maru / “Doctor Poison”(Elena Anaya), who is attempting to engineer a deadlier form of mustard gas under the orders of General Erich Ludendorff, (Danny Huston) who is an ambitious and iron fisted-general of the German Army during World War I. Believing Ares is responsible for the war, Diana arms herself with the ceremonial sword and leaves Themyscira with Steve to find and destroy Ares.

After the two arrive in London and deliver Maru’s notebook to Steve’s superiors, including Sir Patrick Morgan, (David Thewlis) who is trying to negotiate an armistice with Germany, the journey begins. Diana translates Maru’s notes and reveals that the Germans plan to release their deadly gas at the war front. Sir Patrick secretly sponsors Steve, Diana and 3 recruits: Sameer, (Saïd Taghmaoui) who is a French Moroccan con-artist and secret agent, marksman Charlie, (Ewen Bremner) a heavy-drinking Scottish former sharpshooter who can no longer shoot due to PTSD from a previous tour of duty and Chief, (Eugene Brave Rock) a Native American smuggler who trades with both sides of the war and knows how to get people across front lines.   Steve becomes Diana’s love interest and they all share a small victory thus taking a group picture, that is presented at the beginning of the movie.

The movie is pretty good up until this point.  Wonder Woman is where she wants to be, realizing her goal to save the world and achieve peace.  I thought it was hilarious watching her perform smack dab in the middle of a World War as a super being, scantly dressed, jumping over hills, displaying strength unknown to man, yet being treated as normal as any other soldier fighting a war.  She was so out of place, due to the time frame and her gender, plus it was extremely cold — maybe her outfit was heated.  This was the only time I felt things got a little corny.  Overall, I really enjoyed Wonder Woman and look forward to seeing the next sequel.  The rest of the story was decent and I think you will like it as well. Check it out!

 

STAR TREK BEYOND (2016) – My rating: 9/10

Finding new adventures for the Star Trek series can’t be easy after so many years of TV episodes and the many versions produced on the big screen. Star Trek Beyond is the 13th sequel of the Star Trek franchise and the 3rd reboot.  I’m amazed how well these stories are written. Aside from the fact that I’m a big Star Trek fan, I believe these stories have a lot to offer everyone. This time around, a deceitful survivor and Krall’s henchwoman, Kalara / Jessica Wolff  (Lydia Wilson) lures the USS Enterprise into an ambush as Captain James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) and crew respond to a distress signal to rescue her ship stranded on Altamid, a planet within the nebula.  Upon entering Altamid, The Enterprise is attacked and torn apart.  An alien commander called Krall, (Idris Elba) and his crew board the Enterprise searching for an Abronath that Kirk obtained on an older mission many years ago.  Unable to find the Abronath, Krall captures many of the Enterprise crew.  Still, as the ship continues to break apart, the saucer section hurtles towards the planet Altamid.  The remaining survivors abandon the ship in escape pods.

At this point, most of the Enterprise crew is captured by Krall and in his possession, the rest is either scattered around the planet hurt, dead or just stranded without resources. Without giving away too much, I will reveal a wounded Commander Spock, (Zachary Quinto) first officer and science officer and Lieutenant Commander Leonard McCoy M.D., (Karl Urban) end up together searching for other survivors.  Also a new character, Jaylah (Sofia Boutella) is introduced, she is an alien scavenger who previously escaped Krall’s encampment. She lives in her own makeshift home, the grounded USS Franklin, an early Starfleet vessel that went missing over a hundred years ago. Meanwhile, we learn that the Abronath is the missing half of an ancient bioweapon, created by the planet’s original inhabitants, that can instantaneously disintegrate a humanoid. Krall is ruthless and has a plan to match.

There’s no doubt that Star Trek Beyond is a great movie, well acted with an excellent story and fantastic special effects.  So to get answers to the following questions, you have to go see the movie or look it up on line!

** Some Mild Spoilers Below**

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Spock – 1) Will Spock and Uhura get back together?  2) Will Spock leave Starfleet and return to New Vulcan to work in his father’s foot steps?  3) Does it make since to leave his relationship with Uhura since Spock is half human and cannot make 100% Vulcan babies anyway?

Spock learns from New Vulcan that Ambassador Spock has passed away.  Spock and Lieutenant Nyota Uhura (Zoe Saldana) communications officer, amicably end their relationship.  Spock also confesses that the only reason he broke up with Uhura, is because of the shortage of Vulcans. He wants to do his part to repopulate.   Captain Kirk recommends Spock as the future new captain of the Enterprise.

Captain Kirk and Yorktown – 1) Will Captain Kirk Leave StarFleet?  2) What is Yorktown?

Captain James Kirk has applied for a promotion to Vice Admiral and commanding officer of Yorktown.

Starbase Yorktown is a massive space station for resupply and shore leave for her tired crew.

Krall -1) Who is Krall?  2) What is Krall’s plan?

Krall was Captain Balthazar Edison, former commander of USS Franklin who became a powerful mutated alien creature under the alias of Krall.

Krall plans to destroy the Federation starting with Yorktown.

Jaylah: Does Jaylah join Star Fleet?

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In Loving Memory:

The film pays tribute to Leonard Nimoy who died a year before it’s release.

Star Trek Beyond marked one of the final film performances of Anton Yelchin who died in a car-related incident on June 19, 2016, a month before release.

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Other Crew Members of Star Trek:
(Simon Pegg) as Lieutenant Commander Montgomery Scott, second officer and chief engineer
(John Cho) as Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu, third officer and helmsman
(Anton Yelchin) as Ensign Pavel Chekov, the ship’s main navigator. This is the final Chekov performance from Yelchin, as he died on June 19, 2016.

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THE FINEST HOURS (2016) – My rating: 8/10

The Finest Hours is the first movie released in 2016 that I’ve reviewed. It is also one of many new movies  based on a true story, which I found to be pretty good. If you enjoyed “The Perfect Storm”, then chances are, you’ll also like “The Finest Hours”. Handsome Chris Pine plays Bernard “Bernie” Webber, who falls in love with Miriam Pentinen Webber (Holliday Grainger).  Bernie is a crewman at the Coast Guard station in Chatham, MA on Cape Cod.  The new Chief Warrant Officer, Daniel Cluff (Eric Bana) is new to the station and is making questionable decisions.  After learning that an oil tanker was split in half somewhere off the Chatham coast, as a result of the current nor’ easter, Daniel sends Bernie and his crew out on a suicide mission to rescue the damaged oil tanker (SS Pendleton). After picking his crew, Engineman Third Class: Andrew Fitzgerald (Kyle Gallner), Seaman: Ervin Maske (John Magaro) and Seaman: Richard P. Livesey (Ben Foster), they head off into one of the worse storms they’ve encountered as a rescue team.  Adding to an already bad situation, Bernie’s lifeboat (CG 36500) was not adequate to make it over the bar in the current storm or large enough to rescue the oil tanker.

The Finest Hours is an emotional thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat with tears rolling with the waves and a new respect for the coast guard.  The year was 1952 and technology was not what it is today.  On the way to the rescue, the CG 36500 lost it’s compass, making it almost impossible to find anything.  I loved the way the movie was filmed, showing the problems on each side of the rescue, simultaneously.  Many of the scenes focused on Ray Sybert (Casey Affleck) who was so devoted to the SS Pendleton, he was able to keep it afloat despite one half of the ship was missing.  There are many lessons to be learned, both on land and at sea.  Of course there were a lot more problems than mentioned in this review but as usual, I don’t want to spoil the movie by telling all.  I recommend The Finest Hours and think you’ll enjoy it whether you elect to see it in 3D or 2D/standard format.  BTW:  The real Bernie Webber and his crew received the Gold Lifesaving Medal for their rescue efforts, which was a great honor.

 

HORRIBLE BOSSES 2 (2014) – My rating: 6/10

Horrible Bosses 2 is more like a horrible movie too.  While I’m not a fan of slap stick comedy, I did like the first Horrible Bosses.  The sequel however, makes Dumb and Dumber look Smart and Smarter.  The concept was good, the cast was good but the movie was silly and over the top stupid.   What’s funny is how the cast from the previous Horrible Bosses is what saved this sequel as much as it could be saved.  The jokes and routines were just plain stupid and really got on my nerves.  I really don’t enjoy people looking, acting and sounding stupid, which I endured for almost 2 hours.  If I had to crown someone funny and clever, Jennifer Aniston, Jamie Foxx and Kevin Spacey, who reprised their original roles as Dr. Julia Harris, D. D. S., Dean “MF” Jones  and Dave Harken, respectively, would win that award.  I can sometimes excuse stupidity for a laugh but I found few laughs and too much stupid.  I wish I had waited for the DVD.  I couldn’t wait for Horrible Bosses 2 to be over.  I actually developed a headache watching it.  Chris Pine, who played  Rex Hanson was at least fantastic eye candy that made me stay to the end.  Their decision to become bosses was ridiculous from the beginning because  they were too dumb.  In conclusion, save your money unless you like dumb and stupid slap stick movies.