FAST & FURIOUS PRESENTS: HOBBS & SHAW (2019) – My rating: 7.5/10

Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (also known as Hobbs & Shaw) is an action film and a spin-off of The Fast and the Furious franchise. The plot follows the unlikely marriage of the Hobbs & Shaw characters introduced in the main series, as they are forced to team up with Shaw’s sister when a genetically-enhanced terrorist and his organization threaten the world with a deadly virus. The film is directed by David Leitch and written by Chris Morgan and Drew Pearce, from a story by Morgan.  For me, this was a must-see but soon became more of the same despite one of my favorite actors at the helm.

A crew of MI6 agents from the terrorist organization, Eteon, attempts to retrieve a virus labeled Snowflake, which can be programmed to decimate millions of people. Brixton Lore (Idris Elba), an Eteon operative with advanced cybernetic implants that allow him to perform superhuman feats, arrives and kills all agents except for their leader, Hattie Shaw, (Vanessa Kirby) who injects Snowflake into herself as a dormant carrier and escapes. Brixton frames Hattie as a traitor who killed her team and stole Snowflake, forcing her to go on the run.
Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) and Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham), Hattie’s brother, are both informed of the missing virus by the CIA and are assigned to work together, against their better judgment, to track it down. Shaw leaves and goes to Hattie’s house, while Hobbs manages to find Hattie; after a brief scuffle, he brings her to the CIA office. Just as Shaw then returns, the office is attacked and Hattie is taken by Brixton, who Shaw recognizes as an old colleague he previously shot and killed before he was resurrected by Eteon. Hobbs and Shaw pursue and rescue Hattie during an ensuing car chase. They manage to escape from Brixton, who falls off his motorcycle and crashes through the second level of a double-decker bus, creating an opportunity for Brixton to frame the three agents. Hobbs, Shaw and Hattie manage to locate Professor Andreiko (Eddie Marsan) Snowflake’s creator, who informs them that to prevent Snowflake from eradicating humanity, Hattie has to either be killed or use an extraction device, which is located within the Eteon factory in Ukraine, an almost impossible mission.

Okay, I’ll admit Edis Elba’s character was a little different but the rest of the film was pretty much the same old stuff.  The special effects and acting were brilliant as was the flow of the story.  But how long can Hollywood keep making these types of movies and keep them fresh and interesting?  While they continue to be entertaining, the clock is ticking, something new has got to give.  Series star and producer Vin Diesel first said in 2015 that possible spin-offs were in early development. Hobbs & Shaw was officially announced in October 2017. Hobbs & Shaw has grossed $437 million worldwide and received praise for “the charisma of Johnson, Statham, and Kirby”, as well as its “visual style and action choreography finesse”, though some critics “had trouble getting past just how much the film was attempting to fit into its two-hour-and-15-minute runtime”. Personally,  if you are still thrilled by the Fast and Furious franchise, you will not be disappointed by Hobbs & Shaw.  The very least I can say is that it’s similar to other movies of this type.  I still recommend it — Check It Out!

AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR (2018) – My rating 9.5/10

Avengers: Infinity War is a Superhero film based on the Marvel Comics Superhero team, the Avengers.  It’s produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Motion Picture Studios. It is the nineteenth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). It’s the sequel to 2012’s The Avengers and 2015’s Avengers: Age of Ultron, while also picking up plot points from many other MCU movies, most notably Captain America: Civil War, Thor: Ragnarok, Doctor Strange, and the two Guardians of the Galaxy films. Infinity War is directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, written by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, and features an ensemble cast.

Avengers: Infinity War opens with Thanos and his henchmen (Ebony Maw, Cull Obsidian, Proxima Midnight and Corvus Glaive), intercepting the ship carrying survivors of Asgard’s destruction.  Thor, Loki, Heimdall and Hulk are powerless to prevent the extraction of the Space Stone from the tesseract (an energy that holds the stone).  The Guardians of the Galaxy respond to a distress call from the Asgardian ship and rescues Thor. Thanos’ goal is to obtain all six Infinity stones (Power, Space, Time, Mind, Reality and Soul), which would make him the most powerful in the universe.  Thanos will be able to snap his fingers to kill, destroy or to achieve anything he wants.  The goal of the Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy, is to stop Thanos from collecting all six Infinity Stones.

Hulk crash-lands at the Sanctum Sanctorum in New York City, reverting to Bruce Banner. He warns Stephen Strange and Wong about Thanos’ plan to kill half of all life in the universe, siting the world has become over populated. In response, Strange recruits Tony Stark to join the team. Two of Thanos’ men, Maw and Obsidian arrive to take the Time Stone from Strange. A battle breaks out, drawing the attention of Peter Parker/Spiderman. Maw is able to capture Strange, but is unable to take the Time Stone due to a spell. Stark and Parker team up and pursue Maw’s spaceship while Banner contacts Steve Rogers/Captain America. Vision offers to sacrifice himself by having Maximoff destroy the Mind Stone in his forehead to keep Thanos from retrieving it. Rogers suggests they travel to Wakanda, which he believes has the resources to remove the stone without destroying Vision.  They surmise Thanos seeks the Reality Stone, which is in the possession of the Collector at Knowhere.  Thanos kidnaps Gamora, his adoptive daughter, who reveals the location of the Soul Stone to save her captive, adoptive sister Nebula from torture.

In a post-credits scene, Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) transmits a distress signal using a device that displays a star insignia on a red-and-blue background. UHM!

I found this version of Avengers: Infinity War exciting and well acted.  I loved how all the Superheros came together to fight the good fight.  Each character displayed their talents and never lost who they were.  In a production like this, with so many characters, individual personalities tend to get lost or become a non-entity.  I especially liked the comedic side of this adventure and the attention the director paid to detail.  The surprise ending, everyone is talking about, may or may not leave a very sour taste in your mouth but hang in there viewers, good things are coming.  What I didn’t like was the endless credits at the end before we got to see the very last scene of the movie.  So who did that distress signal go out to?  We can guess but we won’t know for sure until part 2.  Until then, watch this one over and over once it hits DVD / Blu-Ray.  Avengers: Infinity War was brilliant and has the biggest twist ever.  Check it out!

Below are the cast members and who they are. 

• Robert Downey Jr. plays Tony Stark / Iron Man:
  The leader and benefactor of the Avengers who is a self-described genius, billionaire, playboy, and philanthropist with electromechanical suits of armor of his own making.
• Chris Hemsworth plays Thor:
  An Avenger and the king of Asgard based on the Norse mythological deity of the same name.
• Mark Ruffalo plays Bruce Banner / Hulk:
  An Avenger and a genius scientist who, because of exposure to gamma radiation, transforms into a monster when enraged or agitated. 
• Chris Evans plays Steve Rogers / Captain America:
  A fugitive superhero and leader of a faction of Avengers. A World War II veteran, he was enhanced to the peak of human physicality by an experimental serum and frozen in suspended animation before waking up in the modern world.
• Scarlett Johansson plays Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow:
  A highly trained spy, and former Avenger and agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.
• Benedict Cumberbatch plays Stephen Strange:
  A former neurosurgeon who, after a car accident that led to a journey of healing, discovered the hidden world of magic and alternate dimensions and became a Master of the Mystic Arts.
• Don Cheadle plays James”Rhodey” Rhodes/War Machine: A former officer in the U.S. Air Force who operates the War Machine armor and is an Avenger. Following his paralysis during the events of Civil War, Rhodes is given an apparatus by Stark to walk again.
• Tom Holland plays Peter Parker/Spider-Man: A teenager and Stark’s protegé who received spider-like abilities after being bitten by a genetically-modified spider.
• Chadwick Boseman plays T’Challa / Black Panther: The king of the African nation of Wakanda, who gained his enhanced strength by ingesting the Heart-Shaped Herb.
• Paul Bettany plays Vision:
  An android and Avenger created using the artificial intelligence J.A.R.V.I.S., Ultron, and the Mind Stone.
• Elizabeth Olsen plays Wanda Maximoff  /  Scarlet Witch: A member of Rogers’ faction of Avengers, who can harness magic and engage in hypnosis and telekinesis.
• Anthony Mackie plays Sam Wilson / Falcon:
  A member of Rogers’ faction of Avengers and former pararescue man trained by the military in aerial combat using a specially designed wing pack
• Sebastian Stan plays James “Bucky” Barnes/Winter Soldier: An enhanced assassin and Rogers’ ally and best friend.
• Tom Hiddleston as Loki: Thor’s adoptive brother based on the Norse mythological deity of the same name.
• Idris Elba plays Heimdall: The all-seeing, all-hearing Asgardian former sentry of the Bifröst Bridge, based on the Norse mythological deity of the same name.
• Peter Dinklage plays Eitri: King of the Dwarves of Nidavellir, and weaponsmith, based on the Norse mythological deity of the same name.
• Benedict Wong plays Wong: One of the Masters of the Mystic Arts, tasked with protecting some of Kamar-Taj’s most valuable relics and books.
• Pom Klementieff plays Mantis: A member of the Guardians of the Galaxy with empathic powers.
• Karen Gillan plays Nebula: An adopted daughter of Thanos who was raised with Gamora as siblings.
• Dave Bautista plays Drax the Destroyer: A member of the Guardians and warrior in search of vengeance against Thanos for killing his family.
• Zoe Saldana plays Gamora: A member of the Guardians who is an orphan from an alien world who seeks redemption for her past crimes. She was raised by Thanos. Ariana Greenblatt portrays a young Gamora.
• Vin Diesel plays Groot:
  A member of the Guardians who is a tree-like humanoid.
• Bradley Cooper plays Rocket:
  A member of the Guardians who is a genetically-engineered raccoon-based bounty hunter and mercenary and is a master of weapons and battle tactics.
• Gwyneth Paltrow plays Pepper Potts:
  Stark’s fiancée and the CEO of Stark Industries.
• Benicio del Toro plays Taneleer Tivan / The Collector: One of the Elders of the Universe who is an obsessive keeper of the largest collection of interstellar fauna, relics, and species of all manner in the galaxy.
• Josh Brolin plays Thanos:
  An intergalactic despot from Titan who longs to collect all six of the Infinity Stones in order to impose his will on all of reality, wanting to “re-balance the universe”.
• Chris Pratt plays Peter Quill / Star-Lord:
  The half-human, half-Celestial leader of the Guardians who was abducted from Earth as a child and raised by a group of alien thieves and smugglers called the Ravagers.

SEVERAL OTHER ACTORS REPRISED THEIR MCU ROLES:
Danai Gurira is Okoye, the head of the Dora Milaje;
Letitia Wright is T’Challa’s sister Shuri;
William Hurt is Thaddeus Ross, the Secretary of State;
Kerry Condon is the voice of Stark’s A.I. F.R.I.D.A.Y.;
Winston Duke is M’Baku, leader of Wakanda’s mountain tribe, The Jabari; Florence Kasumba is Ayo, a member of the Dora Milaje;
Jacob Batalon is Ned, Parker’s friend;
Isabella Amara is Parker’s classmate Sally;
Tiffany Espensen is Parker’s classmate Cindy;
Ethan Dizon is Parker’s classmate Tiny.

 

MOLLY’S GAME (2017) – My rating: 8.5/10

Molly’s Game is a crime drama written and directed by Aaron Sorkin (in his directorial debut), based on the memoir, Molly’s Game: From Hollywood’s Elite to Wall Street’s Billionaire Boys Club, My High-Stakes Adventure in the World of Underground Poker by Molly Bloom.  This film is based on a true story and is truly captivating.

Her first accident didn’t stop her but after her Olympic dreams are shattered by a second accident during a qualifying run, world-class skier Molly Bloom (Jessica Chastain) has to rethink her future and skiing isn’t in it. Not feeling like she wants to go straight into law school as originally planned, she instead heads to Las Vegas and finds herself assisting in the production of a high-end underground poker game. Discovering she’s got a knack for this sort of operation, she moves the action to New York and goes into business for herself.  Eventually, a young Molly Bloom ran the world’s most exclusive high-stakes poker game in Los Angeles and New York City, for nearly a decade, before being arrested by the FBI. Her players included Hollywood celebrities, athletes, business titans and the Russian mob. With the help of her straight-laced defense attorney, Charlie Jaffey (Idris Elba) Molly faced stiff federal charges all while keeping the integrity her clients.

After Molly’s skiing career ended, her father Larry Bloom (Kevin Costner) maintained a distance from his daughter allowing her to find her own way.

I thoroughly enjoyed Molly’s Game.  The acting was brilliant and I found the movie entertaining, charming and enjoyable.  At the 75th Golden Globe Awards, Molley’s Game received two nominations, Best Screenplay and Best Actress – Drama for Chastain. Sorkin also earned nominations for his script at the Writers Guild of America and BAFTA Awards.  Check it out — I think you’ll enjoy it!

[Molly’s Game received an Oscar nomination for Adapted Screenplay]

 

THOR: RAGNAROK (2017) – My rating: 9/10

Thor: Ragnarok is a superhero action film based on the Marvel Comics character Thor and is the sequel to 2013’s Thor: The Dark World. The film is directed by Taika Waititi from a screenplay by Eric Pearson and the writing team of Craig Kyle and Christopher Yost.  It is my humble opinion that Thor: Ragnarok is the best of the Thor trilogy.  It’s well written with an excellent plot and an enjoyable host of characters, new and old.  As of late, we’ve been bombarded with super heroes and gods from other planets as well as AFI, cyborgs, robots and transforming machines that come to save or destroy the world, in abundance.  Not that Thor is not more of the aforementioned group, it’s just more relatable and pleasant in terms of the human aspect.

Thor opens two years after the Battle of Sokovia with Thor (Chris Hemsworth) imprisoned by the fire demon Surtur (Clancy Brown (voice)) on the alien planet of Sakaar.  Surtur reveals that Thor’s father, Odin (Anthony Hopkins) is no longer on Asgard and that the realm will soon be destroyed in the prophesied Ragnarök once he successfully unites his crown with the Eternal Flame that burns beneath the city.  Thor manages to break loose and defeat Surtur, confiscating the crown and stopping the impending Ragnarök.

Thor returns to Asgard to find his adopted brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) posing as his father. Thor forces Loki to help him find their father and with directions from Dr. Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) on Earth, they locate Odin in Norway. Odin explains that he is dying, and that his passing will allow his firstborn child, Hela (Cate Blanchett), to escape from a prison she was sealed in long ago. Hela had been the leader of Asgard’s armies, and had conquered the Nine Realms with Odin, but had been imprisoned and written out of history after her ambitions became too great. Odin dies, and Hela appears. She destroys Thor’s hammer Mjolnir, and when Thor and Loki attempt to flee through the Bifröst Bridge, she pursues them and forces them out into space to die. Hela arrives in Asgard, destroying its army and the Warriors Three; resurrects the ancient dead who once fought with her, including her giant wolf Fenris; and appoints the Asgardian Skurge (Karl Urban) as her executioner. She plans to use the Bifröst to expand Asgard’s empire, but Heimdall (Idris Elba) covertly steals the sword that controls the Bridge, and hides away with the rest of Asgard’s citizens.

Thor crash-lands on Sakaar, a garbage planet surrounded by wormholes. He is captured by a bounty hunter named Scrapper 142 / Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), and taken to serve as a gladiator for the planet’s ruler, the Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum), with whom Loki has already become ingratiated. Thor recognizes 142 as one of the Valkyrior, a legendary force of female fighters who were killed defending Asgard from Hela long ago. Thor is forced to compete in the Grandmaster’s Contest of Champions, facing his old friend the Hulk / Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo).

As you can see, Thor: Ragnarok has extensive content.  This is just an introduction into a brilliant story of survival, love and leadership with loads of action and fantasy.  There are more twist and turns than I can count and I promise, you won’t be bored.  I loved all the character revivals and introductions.  Good job, good message, good movie and brilliant acting.

I’ve provided some additional history into a few of the characters, compliments of : Kevin Feige, Taika Waititi and the cast of Thor: Ragnarok at the 2017 San Diego Comic-Con

WARNING — LOTS OF SPOILERS BELOW:

• Chris Hemsworth as Thor:
  The crown prince of Asgard based on the Norse mythological deity of the same name, who has become a “lone gunslinger” searching for the Infinity Stones. Hemsworth had become “a bit bored” with the character after portraying Thor four times previously, and wanted to take some risks and experiment: the character has shorter hair in the film, wears a different outfit, his hammer Mjolnir is destroyed and he loses an eye. Director Taika Waititi added that “stripping” the character down like this allowed him to become a refugee at the end of the film. Waititi also wanted to use more of Hemsworth’s comedic talents showcased in films like Vacation (2015) and Ghostbusters (2016), and cited Kurt Russell’s portrayal of Jack Burton from Big Trouble in Little China as an influence on the character.
• Tom Hiddleston as Loki:
  Thor’s adoptive brother and nemesis based on the deity of the same name.  Hiddleston was interested in how Loki’s attitude has changed, saying, “he is always a trickster. It is trying to find new ways for him to be mischievous”. As the ruler of Asgard since the end of Thor: The Dark World, Hiddleston notes that “Loki has devoted most of his efforts to narcissistic self-glorification. Not so much on good governance.” He also added that “the idea that Thor might be indifferent to Loki is troubling for him, because that’s a defining feature of his character … ‘My brother doesn’t love me; I hate my brother.’ And the idea his brother’s like, yeah, whatever, it’s an interesting development.”
• Cate Blanchett as Hela:
  Odin’s first born child and the goddess of death, based on the deity Hel, who is inadvertently released from her prison. Blanchett noted the difficulty of playing the role in a motion capture suit rather than costume, feeling the character’s headdress is “such a huge part of when she comes into the height of her powers in the film”. Hela’s design was taken from Thor: God of Thunder by Jason Aaron, while the character Gorr from that comic, who has the ability “to manifest an infinite number of weapons”, inspired a similar ability for Hela. Blanchett worked with stuntwoman Zoë Bell, Hemsworth’s personal trainer Luke Zocchi, and studied capoeira for the role.
• Idris Elba as Heimdall:
  The all-seeing, all-hearing Asgardian sentry of the Bifröst Bridge, based on the deity of the same name, who has gone into self-imposed exile during Loki’s reign. After Hela invades Asgard, he helps to hide its vulnerable citizens. Describing Heimdall’s character arc in the film, Winderbaum says, “he’s gone from this elder statesmen, the gatekeeper to Asgard, to this badass warrior-wizard character who lives in the hills and kicks a lot of ass throughout the entire film.”
• Jeff Goldblum as Grandmaster:
  One of the Elders of the Universe who rules the planet Sakaar, and enjoys manipulating lesser life-forms. Goldblum described the character as “a hedonist, a pleasure-seeker, an enjoyer of life and tastes and smells”. He also said that Waititi encouraged improvisation in order for Goldblum to “make [the character his] own”. Waititi explained that Grandmaster does not have blue skin in the film as the character does in the comics, because Goldblum had already played a blue-colored character in Earth Girls Are Easy, and because Waititi did not want to detract from Goldblum’s personality by concealing his appearance. Grandmaster is the brother of Benicio del Toro’s Collector from Guardians of the Galaxy, and producer Kevin Feige expressed interest in seeing the two together in a future film.
• Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie:
  A tough, hard-drinking Asgardian bounty hunter, based on the mythological being Brynhildr, who was once a legendary warrior of the Valkyrior and now works for the Grandmaster under the designation “Scrapper 142”. Thompson said the various versions of the character from the comics “left us a lot of leeway” in creating the film version.^[20] Waititi “wanted to make sure we weren’t making a female character that was boring and pretty” and Feige said Marvel wanted to pair Thor with a love interest more his equal than Jane Foster. Thompson was inspired by pictures of Linda Hamilton as Sarah Connor in Terminator 2: Judgment Day while training for the role and worked with dialect coach Andrew Jack to create an Asgardian-sounding accent that was different enough to sound like she had been away from there for a long time. Thompson will appear in future MCU films.
• Karl Urban as Skurge:
  An Asgardian warrior, who guards the Bifröst Bridge in Heimdall’s absence and chooses to join Hela to survive. Urban shaved his head for the role, and worked out to “get into the zone and feel” the part even though his body is hidden under a costume. Urban said Skurge “makes a deal with the devil” and becomes Hela’s “henchman. He does the dirty jobs. And that sort of is something he has to—it plays on his conscience.”
• Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner / Hulk:
  A genius scientist who, because of exposure to gamma radiation, transforms into a monster when enraged or agitated. He becomes a successful and popular gladiator on Sakaar. He is in “perma-Hulk mode”, having suppressed the Banner side for a few years, and forming the vocabulary “of a toddler” with the level of Hulk’s speech being “a big conversation” between Waititi and Marvel since it was taking into account future appearances for the character. Ragnarok begins an arc for the character that continues in Avengers: Infinity War and its untitled sequel, stemming from discussions Ruffalo had with Feige.  Ruffalo felt Hulk was “much more of a character than the green rage machine you’ve seen in the Avengers movies. He’s got a swagger.” Waititi provided additional motion capture for the Hulk after Ruffalo had completed his scenes.
• Anthony Hopkins as Odin:
  The king of Asgard, father of Thor, and adoptive father of Loki, based on the deity of the same name. The character is in exile on Earth, and was originally intended to be a “crazy-looking” hobo on the streets of New York City, but Waititi ultimately felt that this was tragic rather than funny given the character’s death during the sequence. The sequence was changed to take place in Norway, to “honor” the character’s past and be more authentic to his role as a king of Asgard. Waititi was surprised by the improvisational ability of Hopkins after he was told “to be funny and to really destroy what’s come before [with the role] and recreate it.”

Additionally, Tadanobu Asano, Ray Stevenson, and Zachary Levi reprise their roles as Hogun, Volstagg, and Fandral, respectively, members of the Warriors Three.  They are all killed early in the film, which Feige called “noble ends” that served to establish the threat of Hela and the danger she poses to the main characters. Benedict Cumberbatch reprises his role as Stephen Strange from the film Doctor Strange. Rachel House, who has appeared in several of Waititi’s films, plays Topaz, the Grandmaster’s bodyguard, while Waititi portrays Korg, a gladiator who befriends Thor. Waititi provided a motion-capture performance for the character, who is made of rocks, and wanted to do something different by having the character be soft-spoken, ultimately basing Korg’s voice on that of Polynesian bouncers. Waititi also provided the motion-capture performance for the fire demon Surtur, based on the mythological being Surtr, with Clancy Brown providing the voice for that character. Thor co-creator Stan Lee makes a cameo appearance as a man on Sakaar who cuts Thor’s hair. There are also several cameos in a sequence where Asgardian actors perform a play based on the events of The Dark World: Sam Neill, who Waititi previously worked with on Hunt for the Wilderpeople, plays the Odin actor; Luke Hemsworth, brother of Chris, plays the Thor actor; and Matt Damon plays the Loki actor.

THE MOUNTAIN BETWEEN US (2017) – My rating: 8/10

The Mountain Between Us is an adventurous love story written by Chris Weitz and J. Mills Goodloe, based on a novel written by Chris Weitz and directed by Hany Abu-Assad. Played by two very popular, seasoned actors from different backgrounds whose characters are in a situation that otherwise would have taken them in very different directions. The story became a suspense thriller because of the situation in which they found themselves. The audience were involved in the couple’s survival even more than their potential love affair. I loved the story, especially the outcome.

After the cancellation of their flight, due to an incoming major storm, Dr. Ben Bass (Idris Elba) and photojournalist Alex Martin (Kate Winslet) solicit a local pilot, Walter (Beau Bridges) in order to get to Alex’s wedding and Ben’s scheduled surgery of a 10 year old child the next day. They board an uncharted flight with Walter and his dog. During the flight, the pilot (Walter) suffers a stroke. Unable to save Walter, the plane crashes on top of a mountain in the High Uintas Wilderness with Ben, Alex and the dog surviving with injuries and harsh weather conditions. Ben tends to Alex’s wounds and realizes they must come down from the mountaintop for any hope of survival. Alex asks Ben to leave her behind as he has a better chance of surviving to which Ben refuses. Instead, he climbs a peak in order to see if there are any structures nearby. On his descent he nearly falls off a cliff.  While Ben was away, Alex and the dog are discovered and attacked by a cougar.  The dog tries to defend Alex but is no match for the cougar and is wounded as the cougar enters the plane wreckage with bigger prey in mind. Fortunately, Alex fires a flare into the cougar before it attacks her. Ben returns to find a blood trail. Realizing Alex is in danger, he rushes towards the plane and finds Alex and the dog alive. He provides medical attention to the dog and later retrieves the body of the cougar which he uses as food. Stranded alone together for days and with little food, they find strength in each other to keep pressing forward in the freezing cold and snow. Realizing help is not coming Alex and Ben get into a heated argument about the best way to proceed.   She wants to move forward and he wants to stay with the wreckage for protection.  She ends up leaving with the dog at first daylight.  Once Ben awakens and discovers Alex is gone, he has to make a decision.

From here the journey continues, does Ben go after Alex and the dog?  Do they ever name the dog, do they fall in love, do they die or do they get rescued?  Does Alex marry her fiancé, Mark (Dermot Mulroney), whom she talks about constantly during their ordeal or do Ben and Alex get married?  How does it all end?  Check it out, all questions will be answered — it’s really a good love story, right to the last scene!

 

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THE DARK TOWER (2017) – My rating: 8/10

The Dark Tower is a science-fiction/fantasy/western adaptation of a Stephen King novel of the same name.  I usually don’t fancy Stephen King novels but I love Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey, as well as a love for fantasy and science-fiction movies. I didn’t hear good things about The Dark Tower, so my expectations of the film were pretty low, yet I was pleasantly surprised. This is why I critique movies from the perspective of the standard viewer rather than the critic’s point-of-view. I ask myself basic questions as part of my analysis that falls into three separate areas: 1) Was I entertained?  (Did the movie make me laugh, cry, shout in anger or make me want my money back?)  2) Did the movie send a message or did I learn anything? (Did the movie teach me something about myself or the world at-large or do I now know something profound about history that makes a difference to me?)  3)  Was the story brilliant or was the plot dull, offensive or ambiguous?  (could the plot be life changing for someone, including myself, does the way they faced adversity have a logical conclusion or was this just a big waste of time?)  While all three of these situations may not necessarily apply to every movie I see, at least two out of three do. My mission is not to analyze films for their literary content or even ones acting abilities. Yet, entertainment value and relevancy has to exist for me to label a movie as a good film.

Based on my formula, The Dark Tower falls under two of my three areas for analysis.The Dark Tower is about a mythical structure/tower that supports all realities.  Walter Padick / The Man in Black (Matthew McConaughey) and his nemesis, Roland Deschain / The Last Gunslinger (Idris Elba) are on opposing sides of the tower. An 11-year old boy, Jake Chambers (Tom Taylor) has visions of a man in black who seeks to destroy a tower that protects many worlds, including Earth.  He also dreams of a gunslinger who opposes the man in black. Jake’s mother Laurie Chambers (Katheryn Winnick), stepfather and psychiatrist Dr. Hotchkiss (José Zúñiga) dismiss Jake’s dreams as trauma, resulting from the death of his father (Karl Thaning) the previous year.

Given Jake’s strange behavior, his school suggested that he be temporarily admitted into a psychiatric facility where he would be rehabilitated. At his home in New York City, a group of workers from the facility appear to take Jake away but he recognizes them from his visions as monsters disguised as human, and flees. Jake tracks down an abandoned house that he recognizes from one of his visions and discovers a high-tech portal, which allows him to travel to a post-apocalyptic world called Mid-World.  Once in Mid-World, Jake encounters the last Gunslinger, Roland Deschain from his visions. Roland is pursuing Walter Padick, the Man in Black who had also appeared in his dreams across a desert, seeking to kill him in revenge for the murder of his father, Steven (Dennis Haysbert). He explains that Walter has been abducting psychic children, and is attempting to use their powers to destroy The Dark Tower, a fabled structure located at the center of the universe; this will allow monsters from outside of the universe to invade and destroy the worlds that the tower protects. Roland takes Jake to a village to have his visions interpreted by a seer. Learning of Jake’s escape and journey to Mid-World, Walter investigates, and realizes that Jake has enough psychic potential to destroy the Tower without any help from other children.

Since The Dark Tower is derived from a comic book series, which I’ve never heard of, this is my first encounter with this story and its characters.  I mention this because many fans are disappointed that this adaptation does not follow the comic book series closely.  My critique is strictly from a new viewer’s perspective, with no prior knowledge of The Dark Tower.  As usual, I am stopping here because I do not want to give away any more of the story, which has a lot more twist and turns.  I really enjoyed the film, “what you see is what you get”.  It was suspenseful and entertaining and had a good message.  I think it’s worth checking out and the acting was excellent!  I understand there are 2 sequels in the works.

 

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ZOOTOPIA (2016) – My rating: 8/10

I’m beginning to like cartoons more and more.  Zootopia is a great animated story that sends a great message to all ages.  It has a large diverse cast that ventures into a few hairy situations from time to time.  In the world of Zootopia, mammals, predators as well as prey peacefully coexist.  An Optimistic European rabbit from rural Bunnyburrow, Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) realizes her dream of becoming a police officer in urban Zootopia.  You might notice these mammals have been anthropomorphized so they are representing the same issues of discrimination as though they were human.  So, despite being the police academy valedictorian, Judy is relegated to parking duty by Chief Bogo (Idris Elba), an African buffalo, who doubts her potential because she is a rabbit. On her first day, she is hustled by Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) and Finnick (Tom Lister Jr.), a con artist duo of foxes.

Day two on the job, Judy abandons her parking duty to arrest a thief named Duke Weaselton (Alan Tudyk) who stole plant bulbs. As Chief Bogo begins to reprimand Judy, an otter named Mrs. Otterton (Octavia Spencer) enters his office pleading for someone to find her husband Emmitt, one of fourteen predators who have gone missing. When Judy volunteers and Assistant Mayor Dawn Bellwether (Jenny Slate) praises the assignment, Bogo reluctantly gives her 48 hours to find Otterton on the condition that she resigns if she fails.

After determining Nick was the last one to see Otterton, Judy blackmails him into assisting her by covertly recording his confession to tax evasion. They track Otterton to a limousine owned by crime boss, Mr. Big (Maurice LaMarche) who reveals that Otterton, his florist, went “savage” – reverted to a feral state – and attacked his chauffeur, Manchas (Jesse Corti). At his home, Manchas mentions that Otterton had been yelling about “night howlers.” Moments later, Manchas himself turns savage and chases the pair. Judy saves Nick by trapping Manchas and calls the Zootopia Police Department (ZPD) for help. When Bogo and other police arrive, Manchas has vanished. Bogo demands Judy’s resignation, but Nick reminds Bogo she still has 10 hours to solve the case. As they leave, Nick shares his childhood story with Judy that he was bullied as a child for being a fox. Deciding there was no use in fighting prejudiced ideas about fox behavior, he became a con artist.

From this point, the story gets better as the search intensifies.  More characters enter the picture and more lessons are learned.  This clever tale is truly worth every child’s attention.  Of course I have to stop here so I don’t spoil the rest of the story in case you intend to see it.  Zootopia is on DVD/Blu-Ray and is definitely a worthy piece of animation with a profound message — check it out!

[ZOOTOPIA WON the 89th ANNUAL OSCAR AWARD for Best Animated Film]

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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 JUNGLE BOOK (2016) – My rating: 9.2/10

Disney has done it again. What a brilliant movie about a young boy, Mowgli, (Neel Sethi) forced to grow up in the jungle, raised by animals who view him as their own. When Mowgli’s human family was killed, he was saved by a panther called Bagheera (Ben Kingsley) and given to a pack of wolves to be raise. The mother of the pack, Rakasha (Lupita  Nyong’o) and their Leader, Akela (Giancario Esposito) taught Mowgli to be fast and efficient but would always remind him that he was human, not a wolf or any other animal, thereby having limitations with regards to the animals he ran with.  However, Mowgli was referred to as “the Man Cub” throughout the animal kingdom.  Mowgli was loved and protected by all except the most feared animal by all the others in their region of the jungle, a Bengal tiger called Shere Khan (Idris Elba).  When Mowgli was a baby, Shere Khan was scarred by the “red flower” (wild fire) as he attacked and killed Mowgli’s village including his father (Ritesh Rajan).  Bitter and angry about his scars, the tiger took to threatening the animals in the village where Mowgli lived, every chance he got.  After realizing Shere Khan was not going to leave the animals in peace, Mowgli decides it’s best to leave the pack.  After much thought, Bagheera the panther, agrees and decides to take Mowgli to the “Man Village”, where he would be protected and safe.  While in route, Shere Khan ambushes them and injures Bagheera, but Mowgli manages to escape, thanks to a herd of water buffalo.  Bagheera and Mowgli were separated during the struggle.  Mowgli looked for the panther but moves on when he doesn’t find Bagheera.  Next Mowgli encounters Kaa, an Indian Paython (Scarlett Johansson) who captivates him, placing him under her spell where he learns about his village and how he came to live with the animals.  While under her spell, Kaa tries to devour him but his life is saved by Baloo a sloth bear (Bill Murray) who befriends Mowgli.  From this point on, things get pretty adventurous.  Mowgli and Baloo’s new relationship allows Mowgli to perform human tricks that Bagheera and the rest of the animals always reprimanded him for using.  Being on his own, Mowgli was now left to fend for himself.   There is lots more trouble on the way as Mowgli is kidnapped and turned over to King Louie (Christopher Walken).

These animals were so life like, I kept wondering if they were actually real.  I found out that Disney used green screens and an advanced CGI to create these lifelike animals, which was only the tip of the iceberg.  The Jungle Book was shot entirely on a sound stage in downtown Los Angeles.  The technology combined a sort of hybrid “Avatar” and “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” (one Human surrounded by animated creatures).  In case you didn’t know, the tiger in “Life of Pi” was not real, but created using CGI.  Oscar winning Visual Effects Director, Rob Legato, who also oversaw “Avatar”, created a new standard for realistic CGI.  During the filming of The Jungle Book, Humans mimicked animals for Neel (who plays Mowgli) to talk to, this allowed an eye-line between Neel and the animals to be created.  The only time real animals were used was when puppies were brought in to give Neel an opportunity to cuddle and play with them.  The puppies would be replaced with the CGI wolves that were the same size.  Software such as Pixar’s Renderman, was used for shading and lighting.  MPC was used to allow more ray tracing, which is very expensive because it takes an enormous amount of computational power to figure out every pixel of light.  Peter Jackson’s WETA was used on scenes with King Louie, the gigantic ape.  Between surrounding grass and the hair on just 5 to 15 animals, you’re talking a tremendous amount of computing power.  While the software and technology developed and used to make these remarkable films are expensive, powerful and require passion and knowledge beyond the norm, the end results are absolutely astonishing.

The Jungle Book is an old family story for children and it’s very well told.  It has a profound message for all.  We live in a wonderful time of technology and can take advantage of all life has to offer on modernizing motion pictures like The Jungle Book.  It’s worth seeing what we’re able to do these days and escaping some of the horrific news of the day through the hard work and clever creations of the “Big Screen” productions like “The Jungle Book”.  I highly recommend seeing this one — it’s a real work of art!

[THE JUNGLE BOOK won the 89th ANNUAL OSCAR AWARD for Visual Effects]

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AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON (2015) – My rating: 9/10

Wow! What a roller coaster ride. The gangs all back in full force. They have brought along their woes and brainstorms too. Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downing, Jr.) and Bruce Banner/Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) lock minds to perfect peaceful software into man’s dream of a safe and peaceful environment from aliens and bad humans, alike. Of course the whole thing backfires making Age of Ultron one of the most profitable films of the Avenger series. Ultron gets a body as well as a voice (James Spader) plus endless power to fight and destroy all Tony and Bruce has worked for, including the ever so faithful, J.A.R.V.I.S. After all is said and done, two new super powers are created. One reasonably good and one pure evil, bent on destroying all of mankind. We learn in this sequel, Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Scarlett Johannson) and The Hulk are attracted to one another but for obvious reasons, he is reluctant to persue a relationship.
It all started when the team encountered the twins, Quicksilver (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) aka, Pietro and Wanda Maximoff, respectively. They have been experimented on by Wolfgang Von Stucker at a Hydra outpost. Pietro has superhuman speed and Wanda can manipulate minds and project energy. From this encounter, Stark and Banner discover an artificial intelligence (AI) inside the scepter gem they recovered and used it to complete Ultron, Stark’s secret Global Defense Program. Once completed, Ultron destroys J.A.R.V.I.S., Stark’s current AI and attacks the Avengers, believing in order to save Earth, all mankind must be eliminated. Ultron continues to reek havoc, creating himself a body, building an army of robot drones and destroying people and cities. The twins started off as allies of Ultron but learn of his plans to destroy all mankind and quickly switched sides. Many agents of Shield, as well as Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), Heimdall (Idris Elba) and Agent Carter (Hayley Atwell), make appearances. If you seek action, you’ve come to the right flick. You’ll be on the edge of your seat right up until the very end, common with the Avenger series. James Spader really does a fantastic job as the voice of Ultron. The special effects are spot-on and the story is decent. I understand there’s going to be two more sequels: Infinity War, Part 1 to be released May 4th, 2018 and Part 2, May 3rd, 2019.  James Brolin is expected to play Thanos, who was introduced briefly in this sequel. If you see Avengers: Age of Ultron, make sure you stay for the credits.