"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" stars John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Harrison Ford, and Carrie Fisher. Released on December 18, 2015, The film takes place 30 years after the events of Return of the Jedi, in which a war is brewing between the Resistance and the First Order. The film is directed by J.J. Abrams, who also directed Mission: Impossible III, Star Trek, Super 8, and Star Trek Into Darkness. It is the seventh installment of the Star Wars film series and the first in a sequel trilogy. There's no telling how long we had been waiting for a new Star Wars film ever since Disney bought Lucasfilm Ltd., and now, the wait is finally over. I really like some of Abrams' works, especially Super 8 and Star Trek, and since we found out that he's directing a new Star Wars film, I was highly interested in seeing if he handles it the same way he handled Star Trek. With the mixture of characters old and new and its promising marketing strategy, is this the film that Star Wars fans have been waiting for? I'll try my best not to reveal too much of the film in case you haven't seen it yet. The cast delivered some very good performances, including Boyega as Finn and Ridley as Rey. I am very impressed on how Ridley portrays Rey like an actual human being rather than just a scavenger. She could be one of my favorite characters in the Star Wars universe. Adam Driver portrays the new villain in the universe known as Kylo Ren and the way he handled his role was amazing, although I wouldn't say he's a better villain than Darth Vader (Sorry Ren). Of course, we got some actors from the original trilogy reprising their iconic roles, such as Ford as Han Solo, Fisher as Leia, and Peter Mayhew as the lovable wookie Chewbacca. Ford still delivers the looks and the cockiness of his character, even at the age of 73, and the chemistry between him and the other characters was pure gold without being too forceful (no pun intended). Seeing these characters again on the big screen is like something out of a family reunion. We haven't seen these people in over 30 years and the way Abrams handled their introductions was flawless. The film used both practical effects and backgrounds and CGI effects to create astounding creatures and amazing new places in the Star Wars universe. The way they blended together is like mixing ice cream with root beer and the result is a magnificent treat that's more satisfying to the taste. So basically the film is a root beer float that's remarkably delicious! Abrams did a great job at combining the CGI effects with the practical effects to make the film more lifelike without relying on one thing over the other. So you can say good-bye to the outdated CGI that was used in the prequel trilogy. The action sequences were also well done thanks to its cinematography and direction. There were times where some of the scenes felt a bit rushed, but Abrams was able to give me time to be attached to the characters. Overall, with its impressive performances, amazing action sequences, its strong uses of CGI and practical effects, and its mixture of heart and adventure, "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" is an early Christmas gift from the Disney team to the fans of Star Wars. After months of speculation and anticipation, the film managed to deliver what it promised in more ways than one. This is the type of film that fans have been waiting for since the original trilogy changed the way we look at cinema. I would highly recommend this film to many fans of the original trilogy and many others who are looking for some sci-fi thrills this holiday season. This is more than just a cinematic experience, this…is Star Wars. A
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"Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension" stars Chris J. Murray, Brit Shaw, Dan Gill, and Ivy George. Released on October 23, 2015, the film has a family protecting their daughter from a sinister presence. The film features the directorial debut of Gregory Plotkin, who served as the editor for the past four Paranormal Activity films. It is the sixth and final installment of the franchise and the first to be released in 3D. After six years of being terrified by demonic beings, we have finally come to the end of the activities that started in 2009. This is another film that I was originally planning on seeing in theaters, but couldn't due to Paramount's experimental strategy. So once again, I managed to watch it on video on demand. In case you're wondering, I have seen all of the Paranormal Activity films before this one, which were quite creepy, by the way. Does this installment successfully draw this horror series to a close? Pros: Decent performances throughout. Visual effects looked nice for its 3D version. Solid uses of tension and creepy atmosphere. Cons: The first act felt slow at times. Weak screenplay. The story arc felt too familiar with the other Paranormal Activity films. A couple of cheap jump scares. Failed to capture the long-lasting disturbance and fright that the first film offered. Final thoughts:"Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension" is a bitter and weak conclusion to the six-year-old franchise that failed to capitalize what made Paranormal Activity a scary good time at the movies. While it did have some nice visuals and a creepy atmosphere, it's kind of hard to believe that it took us five sequels to get our questions answered. If you're a fan of of the series, this film may be for you. It is available to watch on Video on Demand, and will be available on DVD and Blu-ray soon. D+"The Ridiculous 6" stars Adam Sandler, Terry Crews, Taylor Lautner, Jorge Garcia, Rob Schneider, and Luke Wilson. Released on Netflix on December 11, 2015, the film has six strangers discovering that they share the same dad. The film is directed by Frank Coraci, who also directed films such as The Wedding Singer, The Waterboy, Click, and Blended, and it is a satire of western films, including The Magnificent Seven. This film is a part of the four-picture deal between Netflix and Happy Madison Productions. So far this year, Adam Sandler and his misfit friends delivered two films that provided middling results: Pixels (doesn't deserve the hate) and Hotel Transylvania 2 (decent animated sequel). Now they're taking their comedic skills from the big screen to the computer screen with this western comedy. I managed to watch it on Netflix thanks to my sister for setting our accounts up, and I got to say, the title itself does sum up the entire film. Pros: Some OK performances. Sandler was decent as Tommy and Lautner was impressive as Lil Pete. Some of its humor, while silly and forced, was pretty hysterical. Cons: Weak screenplay. Some of the serious moments and the dialogue felt forced. The dumb humor shown may not work for those who are into smarter comedies. The narrative flow felt rushed at times. Final thoughts: With its so-so performances, weak screenplay, and dumb humor, "The Ridiculous 6" is indeed, ridiculous. However, it works because I was honestly laughing at the stupidity that Sandler and his friends delivered. The only problem is that it tried a little too hard to be ridiculous and funny that it winds up being a live-action cartoon. I guess if you're a fan of laughing at something stupid, then this film is for you. Otherwise, you're better off watching Daredevil or Jessica Jones on Netflix. D"In the Heart of the Sea" stars Chris Hemsworth, Benjamin Walker, Tom Holland, Ben Whishaw, and Brendan Gleeson. Released on December 11, 2015, the film has the crew of the whaling ship Essex struggling to survive the dangerous waters after their ship got destroyed by a large sperm whale. The film is directed by Ron Howard, who also directed films such as Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind, and Rush. It is based on the non-fiction book of the same name by Nathaniel Philbrick, that inspired the tale of Moby Dick. It was originally going to be released in March 2015, but then got moved to this weekend, possibly to avoid competition. What got me interested in this film is the concept and its director. The last film I saw that was directed by Howard was Rush, which was one of my favorite films of 2013, so it would be interesting to see how he's going to handle a film that inspired the great white whale. Turns out it wasn't the type of voyage that's considered Oscar-worthy, but it's still worth a watch. The film is set in the 1820s and is told by Thomas Nickerson, played by Brendan Gleeson, with his younger self being portrayed by Tom Holland, the next Spider-Man. Both of these actors delivered some very good performances, along with Chris Hemsworth as Owen Chase, the First Mate of the Essex. Glesson is probably the best part of the film because of how he portrays his character's sensitive side after the tragedy. The visual effects were the big highlight of the film as it captures the feeling of being out into the ocean, along with bringing the large sperm whale to life. I mean, come on, that thing was HUGE! Ron Howard did a nice job at capturing the emotion of these characters as they were stranded on open waters, but the development of them being hopelessly lost felt rushed. The pacing in the film was consistent and never drags. The story is the weakest point of the film, compared to Howard's other films. The narrative flow seemed a little off balanced at times, leaving little to no depth in the characters. I also felt that the film's tone is a bit too gloomy at times. There were a couple amounts of humor in there, but not enough to capture the adventurous side of the film. Overall, despite its unbalanced narrative and gloomy tone, "In the Heart of the Sea" is a visual splendor from beginning to end. Even though I enjoyed it for what it is, I felt that this is one of Howard's weaker films of his career in terms of story and depth. Still, I would recommend it to those who are interested in the tale that inspired Moby Dick. B-"Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse" stars Tye Sheridan, Logan Miller, Joey Morgan, Sarah Dumont, and David Koechner. Released on October 30, 2015, the film has three scouts fighting to save their town from a zombie outbreak. The film is directed by Christopher B. Landon, who also directed Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones and Burning Palms. He is also known for writing films such as Disturbia and Paranormal Activity 2, 3, and 4. I was originally planning on seeing this film at my closest cinema, but due to Paramount's experimental strategy on releasing their movies 17 days after they drop to less than 300 theaters, my cinema decided not to show it, along with Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension. I was really upset because the marketing made it look interesting. Luckily, I managed to catch it on video on demand today. Let's just say you definitely need to bring some protection for this one. Pros: Decent performances throughout. The effects were pretty good. Some great uses of humor, although some were a bit forced. Consistent pacing. Cons: Weak screenplay. The editing's a bit choppy at times. Ridiculous dialogue. Final thoughts: It may sound dumb on paper, but "Scouts Guide" is a fun, yet ridiculous, tool for surviving the zombie apocalypse, even though its script and some forced humor prevented it from being a cheesy horror comedy masterpiece. If you liked certain horror comedies, then this might be for you. The film is now available to watch on Digital HD and On Demand, and it will be available on DVD and Blu-ray sometime next month. C |
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