“Assassin’s Creed” stars Michael Fassbender, Marion Cotillard, Jeremy Irons, Brendan Gleeson, and Charlotte Rampling. Released on December 21, 2016, the film is about a criminal who is forced to relive the memories of his ancestor, an assassin who fights for peace with free will. The film is directed by Justin Kurzel, who also directed Snowtown, The Turning, and Macbeth, and it is based on the popular video game franchise of the same name created by Ubisoft. 2016 has been a mixed bag in terms of video game based movies. On the down side, Ratchet & Clank bombed very hard worldwide due to the success of The Jungle Book; and Warcraft failed to score some big domestic box office numbers compared to the international box office. On the plus side, however, The Angry Birds Movie managed to perform very well at the box office despite its mixed reception from critics and is now looking at a possible sequel for Sony. We’re now down to the last video game based film before the year is over and done with. I’m only familiar with the Assassin’s Creed games, but haven’t actually played them. So it’ll be interesting to see if I can enjoy it while trying to learn about certain elements that are from the games. The bigger test is to see whether it will impress not only fans of the source material, but also those who aren’t familiar with it. In case you’re not familiar with the video game series, it takes place during several historical events, where a group known as the Assassins battle against the menacing Templars, who seek peace through control. The film features an original story that’s set in the same universe as the games, while introducing some new characters as well as familiar characters from certain installments. If you’re a fan of the video game franchise, there may be some elements that you might enjoy, such as the Animus and the signature “Leap of Faith” jump. The story, in my opinion, was pretty interesting, but I don’t think it’s going to win an award for “Best Story in a Video Game Movie”. Some of the performances in the film were passable, such as Fassbender as both Callum Lynch and Aguilar, Cal’s ancestor. Marion Cotillard was fine as Sophia Rikkin, a leading scientist of the Animus project, but at some points, her acting fell a bit flat. Another thing that I enjoyed was the action. These are probably my favorite parts out of the entire film because of the exhilarating stunts that they performed. My only problem was that some of the close-up shots were a bit hard for me to see what’s going on. I also enjoyed the set pieces that resemble the time of the Spanish Inquisition, even though they weren’t on the high levels of epicness. While the story does its job at respecting the source material, I do feel that there should be more exploration for certain movie-goers, especially the characters. Some of them in their supportive roles felt one-dimensional. Most notably, Aguilar. I know that the film focuses on Cal, but I think it would be more believable if we would actually learn more about his ancestor, both on and off the battlefield. Overall, it wasn’t able to break the “bad video game-based movie” curse, but “Assassin’s Creed” works as a popcorn-inducing action film as well as a respectable addition to the franchise. Despite its inability to explore certain characters and its typical, yet interesting, story, I found this latest addition in a series of films based on popular video games to be pretty entertaining. Fans of the Assassin’s Creed franchise might like the film because of the elements shown, while those who are looking for some action throughout the holiday season might enjoy it as a whole, but not as much as Rogue One. C+
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“Spectral” stars James Badge Dale, Emily Mortimer, Max Martini, and Bruce Greenwood. Released on Netflix on December 9, 2016, the film is about a scientist who teams up with a special-ops team to battle supernatural threats that are able to kill almost instantly. The film features the directorial debut of Nic Mathieu. Originally, this film was set for a theatrical release in August 2016 with Universal Pictures handling the distribution rights. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out, so they let Netflix handle it instead. Clearly, Netflix likes to get all of the interesting films. I just got off of work today, so I needed to watch and possibly review something on Netflix before I go to bed. For those who haven’t heard of this film, it’s best described as a supernatural version of Black Hawk Down. For those who are curious about whether the film is good or not, well, here you go. Pros: The performances were decent. The visual effects were very impressive. Nic Mathieu’s direction was passable. The action was enjoyable. Cons: The characters weren’t that strong or memorable. The story’s a bit predictable. Not enough emotional depth. Final thoughts: With its decent performances from the cast, some enjoyable action sequences, and plenty of stunning visuals, “Spectral” is one of the more entertaining films that you can watch at the comfort of your own home. This film could’ve gone in either direction depending on its execution, and from the looks of it, it does its job well despite its flaws. If you’re looking for a decent original film from Netflix, try giving this one a shot. C+“Manchester by the Sea” stars Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams, Kyle Chandler, Lucas Hedges, and Gretchen Mol. Released in limited theaters on November 18, 2016, followed by a wide release on December 16, 2016, the film is about an uncle who becomes a guardian to his nephew after his brother passed away. The film is directed by Kenneth Lonergan, who also directed You Can Count On Me and Margaret. It has been nominated for five Golden Globe awards, including Best Director, Best Actor for Affleck, and Best Screenplay. I have been hearing a lot of great things about this film, especially since it won a few awards at this year’s Critics’ Choice Awards. The weather outside prevented me from visiting other cinemas to see La La Land and/or Jackie, so I decided to go with this since it’s playing at my closest cinema. Let’s just say I’m pretty glad that I did. Based on what I saw, the film deals with the grief of a family member’s passing as well as the complicated relationship between Lee Chandler (played by Casey Affleck) and his nephew Patrick (played by Hedges). During certain points, it shows flashbacks that explain why these two characters are so strained not just from themselves, but also from each other. A story like this can be depressing, but it’s like that for a reason. There’s plenty of people who went through something like this, and Kenneth Lonergan made sure that it translates well onto film, and I thought it worked almost perfectly. Casey Affleck’s brilliant performance as Lee serves as a strong competitor for the Golden Globes as well as the Oscars, while Hedges tries to make a huge name for himself as Patrick and succeeds with ease. Michelle Williams was also terrific as Lee’s ex-wife, Randi. The first half of the film took a little while to offer something interesting, and as soon as it did, it never lets that go to waste. Despite being over two hours long and a little slow, the film actually grabbed my attention as soon as Lee enters Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts. The film was portrayed like I was watching real life. The characters felt real, the situations felt real, heck, even the town where they shot the film felt real. It’s like the film is actually real life itself. Also, kudos to the film’s score for adding more depth around the characters. Overall, “Manchester by the Sea” is a smart, depressing film about grief thanks to its strong performances and Lonergan’s remarkable direction. People who dealt with this situation before will find it very relatable. However, I wouldn’t say it’s for everybody. The film’s pacing, as well as its depressing concept, may become an issue for those who aren’t into this kind of stuff, especially when they’re looking for some escapism like...oh, I don’t know, Rogue One. But if you don’t mind any of that, then it’s worth checking out. A-“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” stars Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Ben Mendelsohn, Donnie Yen, Mads Mikkelsen, Alan Tudyk, and Forest Whitaker. Released on December 16, 2016, the film is about a young woman who is sent on a mission to retrieve the plans of the Galactic Empire’s superweapon, the Death Star. The film is directed by Gareth Edwards, who also directed Monsters and the 2014 Godzilla reboot, and it is the first film in the Star Wars Anthology series. This has been on my highly anticipated films list for a whole year. Why? Because it’s flipping Star Wars. How can you not be excited for something that is Star Wars related? While this isn’t the continuation of the Star Wars Sequel trilogy (that comes out next December), we do get to see the events that happened before Luke Skywalker sets out to fight the forces of evil. The film also marks a test to see whether or not people want to see more stories beyond the Star Wars universe. The story takes place before the events of A New Hope, where the Galactic Empire is building a deadly weapon that can annihilate planets in mere seconds. Felicity Jones plays Jyn Erso, a rogue maverick who sets out to find her father, the weapon’s designer, played by Mads Mikkelsen. She is accompanied by the Rebels, who plan on preventing the weapon from being completed. What I liked about the story was that it ties everything together, leading up to the events of the first Star Wars film that was released back in 1977. It still has that unique Star Wars quality that we know and love, but at the same time, it felt like any other war film I’ve seen before it. There were some moments that weren’t quite as emotional nor deep as I thought it would be, but watching these ordinary people come together to do something extraordinary still reminds me why I need to hold on to hope, even in our darkest times. The characters were remarkably portrayed by several great actors. My favorites out of them would have to be K-2SO (Tudyk) and Chirrut Imwe (Donnie Yen). Let’s just say that K-2SO is like the Baymax of Star Wars. As for Chirrut, he beats Stormtroopers up with a staff. That’s how cool this character is. If you haven’t heard of Donnie Yen, watch the Ip Man trilogy. Really good movies. Edwards did a really good job at making these characters likable as well as giving them some development. My only issue with this was that they could’ve expand the relationship between Jyn and Saw Gerrera (played by Forest Whitaker) a bit more. Another thing that I would like to address is the first half of the film. It started out nice, but the build-up with Jyn joining the Rebels felt a bit rushed. The visual effects in the film were marvelous as always, especially the likeness of Peter Cushing as Grand Moff Tarkin and the motion capture work on K-2SO. Oh, I almost forgot to mention that the one and only Darth Vader has finally made his big-screen return. We’ve been waiting for this moment for more than ten years, and it was worth it. His introduction in “Rogue One” was one of the best film introductions I have ever seen. It’s creepy and menacing. Those who love Darth Vader in the original trilogy will not be disappointed with this. Overall, “Rogue One” puts the emphasis of “war” in Star Wars. While not as deeply emotional as it could’ve been, the film relies on the strength of likable characters, incredible visuals, and good storytelling to rebel against its easy-to-spot flaws. Not only that, but it also shows some strong signs that Disney and Lucasfilm Ltd. are going to have a bright future together in terms of expanding the Star Wars universe. If you’re a fan of the Star Wars movies, then I suggest you go check it out, but you better do it fast because the tickets are still going by fast. B+“Miss Sloane” stars Jessica Chastain, Mark Strong, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Michael Stuhlbarg, Alison Pill, Jake Lacy, Sam Waterston, and John Lithgow. Released on November 25, 2016, followed by a wide release on December 9, 2016, the film is about a lobbyist who takes on the Gun Lobby. The film is directed by John Madden, who also directed films such as Golden Gate, Shakespeare in Love, The Debt, and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. If you guys want to know how I did with my Critics Choice Award predictions on Sunday, let’s just say that I got robbed big time. So, as usual, I watched a couple of films this week in order to cheer myself up, including this one. In case you haven’t noticed, the Golden Globe nominations were announced on Monday, and “Miss Sloane” managed to receive just one nomination, and it was for Jessica Chastain’s performance as the title character. That’s pretty much one of the only reasons why I went to check this film out. The other reason was the rest of the cast. The film’s distributer, EuropaCorp, hasn’t been making a lot of bank at the box office with their last few films, so maybe their latest film might turn things around... Pros: Jessica Chastain shines with ease as the title character. John Madden’s direction was solid. Cons: The second act was dull. The story offered an interesting concept about the gun control debate, but its execution on-screen was so-so. Could’ve been shorter. There were a couple of thrilling moments, but didn’t leave that much impact. Final thoughts: “Miss Sloane” is a dialogue-driven political film that makes itself feel important, but the journey towards that importance can be a challenge to sit through. To me, Jessica Chastain’s remarkable portrayal as a lobbyist with an obsession of winning is one of the redeeming qualities of this mediocre thriller. I can see this film being suitable for those who are majoring into politics in terms of Madden’s direction and Jonathan Perera’s screenplay, but it doesn’t do much for those who aren’t due to its slow pacing and some dialogue-heavy scenes. It’s not something that I would watch again, but I am glad that Chastain’s performance was recognized by the Golden Globes. C- |
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