“Bright” stars Will Smith, Joel Edgerton, Noomi Rapace, Lucy Fry, and Edgar Ramirez. Released on Netflix on December 22, 2017, the film is about a human cop and an Orc cop who discover a powerful artifact and a villainous threat that could destroy their world. The film is directed by David Ayer, who also directed films such as Street Kings, End of Watch, Fury, and Suicide Squad. After making a full recovery from the disappointment that is “Little Evil”, it’s time for me to look at another Netflix movie, which is something that I was looking forward to for quite some time. This is the latest collaboration between Will Smith and director David Ayer after working together in Suicide Squad last year. That fact alone was one of the many reasons why I was interested in seeing it, along with its concept and the soundtrack. Will they be enough to meet my expectations? Let’s find out. The story is set in an alternate reality where humans co-exist with mythical creatures, such as Orcs, Elves, and Fairies. While it sounds like it could come from any fantasy film for families, it is actually a gritty cop thriller that blends fantasy elements with social commentaries like racial issues. In other words, don’t watch it with your kids. This concept alone had the possibility of being something special if they had the right tools and the right people. From my personal perspective, they definitely had the right people, but not the right tools. However, I was able to find some enjoyment regardless. The story had a few buddy cop cliches, with Will Smith’s character partnering with an Orc cop, as well as some fantasy elements that somehow overshadow its social themes during the second and third acts. The way they portray this world and its themes is exactly how I envisioned our world in terms of how different people treat one another. Even though they only made brief references to its themes, I thought David Ayer did a nice job at bringing this violent world to life with a fantasy twist. Will Smith delivered a solid performance as Daryl Ward as well as Joel Edgerton as Jakoby, an Orc rookie cop. The chemistry between the two main actors were pretty amusing, although it would be more affective if they focused a bit more on some parts of their relationship. The film also gets huge props for using practical makeup to make the Orcs and the Elves look and feel realistic instead of using CGI or motion capture. I always have that feeling that David Ayer likes to keep things modern and real in his movies, and that using CGI could ruin his own image. I really like that he’s sticking with that type of strategy, and I hope he keeps doing it in films like this. Overall, “Bright” does hit a few low points in terms of representing its social commentaries, but as a typical, gritty, buddy-cop fantasy film, it’s an enjoyable watch for those who are into this type of genre. While there are plenty of things that could’ve been explored more, I did manage to enjoy the chemistry between Smith and Edgerton as well as its splendid use of practical makeup and the action. Not a huge loss for David Ayer, but not his personal best, either. C+
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“Father Figures” stars Owen Wilson, Ed Helms, Glenn Close, J. K. Simmons, Terry Bradshaw, Christopher Walken, and Ving Rhames. Released on December 22, 2017, the film has two brothers going on a road trip to find their real father. The film features the directorial debut of Lawrence Sher, who serves as a cinematographer for films such as Garden State, The Hangover, and The Dictator. Chances are that you didn’t know this was coming out or you just didn’t care about it when you saw the trailer for it for the first time. Either way, it’s here, and I’m talking about it. The film was supposed to be released in 2016 with the original title “Bastards” before moving it to a 2017 release a couple of times. They also changed the movie title because obviously Hollywood couldn’t sell the movie with a curse word in the title. I mean, imagine the type of reception this film will get if they stuck with the original title. Prepare to create the “Angry Parent E-mail” folder. Anyway, this is the latest project that is competing at the box office this Christmas weekend, and since I wasn’t able to get to Pitch Perfect 3 until Saturday, my mother and I decided to check this one out instead. Sorry, A Cappella fans. So, what’s my verdict on this latest R-rated comedy? Well, let’s just say that it wasn’t what I was expected, but it’s tolerable for what it’s trying to do. Owen Wilson and Ed Helms lead the film’s recognizable cast as Kyle and Peter Reynolds, respectively. Kyle and Peter are twin brothers who found out that their father is still alive somewhere. Unfortunately, their mother, played by Glenn Close, has no clue who their real father is since she slept with a lot of guys in her young age. So the brothers decided to go on a cross-country road trip to search for him. First off, I thought the cast did a decent job with their performances. There were times where the chemistry between Wilson and Helms felt a bit rough around the edges, but their efforts in making the film entertaining was meaningful. The marketing describes the film as a typical R-rated comedy filled with some adult language and sexual references. It does offer some laughs, but it also provided a few dramatic moments in the process, especially during the third act. Lawrence Sher was attempting to mix those two together throughout the whole movie, but it just didn’t click for me. I did find a few scenes that were funny, and the third act took me by surprise, but everything else was a bit disappointing. Not as disappointing as Just Getting Started, but still disappointing. A lot of the humorous moments that are in the film were either forced or overstayed its welcome. The pacing didn’t help much either, with some scenes feeling a bit uneven compared to the other R-rated comedies. I think everyone who is looking for a raunchy laugh-fest might feel the same way, but for what Sher is trying to do story-wise, it’s a passable effort. Overall, “Father Figures” offers a few enjoyable moments due to its cast, but the spark between comedy and drama is just as sour as its humor. I wouldn’t mind watching this again on television because I appreciate the effort of what the director is attempting to do, even though the final result is a mixed bag. If you like some of the actors that are in the film, I would say that it’s worth a watch at a matinee price. Otherwise, it's a rental. C“The Greatest Showman” stars Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron, Michelle Williams, Rebecca Ferguson, and Zendaya. Released on December 20, 2017, the film is about a showman who started a circus filled with performers with bizarre differences. The film is directed by Michael Gracey, who is known for directing commercials and serving as a visual effects artist. The next film I’ll be reviewing is something that offers a magical experience besides film: the circus. What’s the catch? It is deemed as a musical. The holiday season is no stranger to live-action movie musicals, of course, with Les Miserables and last year’s La La Land being the main examples. While I do enjoy the animated musicals that Disney created, the live-action ones have been known for impressing me with their glorious choreography and some toe-tapping songs. Will this one be the latest to fit into that list? The movie is inspired by a true story that shows how the Barnum & Bailey Circus came to be. Not only that, but it also showcases the life of its founder, P. T. Barnum (played by Hugh Jackman), in a more family-friendly matter. With the film’s PG rating, the final result could go in two different ways. It can be a dazzling and heart-felt musical event with timeless messages or it can be a musical event that’s heavy on the dazzle and very light on the storytelling. For me, in this case, it lands somewhere towards the middle, with the needle heading slightly towards the latter. However, in terms of its concept, the film did a very nice job at expressing the true purpose of the circus: celebrating humanity. Hugh Jackman delivered a very likable performance as Barnum as well as Efron and Williams as Phillip Carlyle and Charity Barnum, respectively. After starring in a few R-rated comedies, it’s nice to see Efron get into some family-friendly fare, especially a movie musical. Zendaya was also pretty good as Anne Wheeler, one of the acrobats in Barnum’s circus as well as the obvious love interest of Phillip. The musical aspect in the film might have the possibility of turning off those who wanted a more serious and in-depth look at Barnum and his circus, but for those who like the aspect in general (including yours truly), it’s a remarkable experience from start to finish. The songs were written by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, who were mostly known for writing the songs for La La Land. As its own, the soundtrack provided plenty of catchy songs and the choreography from the cast was as eye-opening as the circus performers themselves. In case you’re wondering, the entire cast sang their own songs, except for Rebecca Ferguson, whose character’s singing voice was provided by Loren Allred. It would be nice to hear Ferguson sing herself, but that’s just me. The visual style also helped with the experience by expressing its flashy and vibrant set pieces and costumes, but at some points, it can get in the way of its storytelling. The film’s central messages about respecting people’s differences and the importance of family over fame were nicely displayed, but the story itself fell short of being a spectacular performance. There were moments that had the opportunity to provide some sort of emotional depth to the characters and its themes, but failed to take advantage of it. “Wonder” had a similar theme that dealt with people’s differences and the story revolved around it was not afraid to express its message through realism and heart. The story in “Greatest Showman” has heart, but the realism needs some more tuning. Overall, “The Greatest Showman” is a visually pleasing act that respects the nature of the circus and the man behind it. The story wasn’t as powerful as the social commentaries it provided and the musical aspect may turn away those who aren’t into the sub-genre to begin with. Despite these flaws, it’s a solid take on the circus’ early days thanks to its talented cast, some visual appeal, and its entertaining musical numbers. Michael Gracey’s first attempt as a director was an acceptable attempt at best, but I can tell that there’s always room for improvement. If you like movie musicals or if you’re familiar with the circus in general, it’s worth a watch. Just don’t expect it to be an award-winning show. B“Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” stars Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan, Nick Jonas, and Bobby Cannavale. Released on December 20, 2017, the film is about four teenagers who get sucked into a video game and must work together to survive. The film is directed by Jake Kasdan, who also directed films such as Zero Effect, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, Bad Teacher, and Sex Tape. It serves as a standalone sequel to the 1995 film, Jumanji, and it is based on the 1981 children’s book of the same name by Chris Van Allsburg. With Christmas fast approaching, Hollywood is in no rush to release at least seven new films for me to look at, and what better way to start off this holiday movie-going experience than a follow-up to the 1990s family favorite? When the project was first announced as a remake, a lot of people speculated that it was too soon for Hollywood to remake Jumanji after the death of Robin Williams, who played Alan Parrish in the original. Yes, they also mentioned that a Jumanji remake was unnecessary like the other remakes and reboots that no one wanted. It was later confirmed that the film will be a continuation of the original, which is a sigh of relief for most people. I have heard of Jumanji for quite some time, which was one of the reasons why I was interested in seeing this film. Add in a suitable cast and a concept that sticks close to the original while keeping things modern and fresh, and you get a fun and comedic adventure that people may or may not enjoy this holiday season. How fun, you ask? Let’s jump inside the game and find out. The story takes place 20 years after the events of Jumanji, with four high school teenagers stuck in detention. When they discover a mysterious video game cartridge, they accidentally get sucked into a dangerous jungle world. To make things even more strange, they get stuck inside the bodies of the avatars that they’ve chosen. In order to return to the real world, they must learn to trust one another and work as a team, all while using their skills both from the avatars and from outside the game. One of the things that I should give this film credit for, even before watching it, was the direction Jake Kasdan took for the sequel. It’s not a complete rehash of the original where people played the Jumanji board game and stuff from the jungle appeared in the real world. In this film, we get to see people inside the Jumanji world for the first time. What’s even better was the fact that the game evolved itself in order to blend in with the modern era in which people have their eyes set on cell phones and video games. So now we are looking at Jumanji as an old-school video game cartridge that looks like an unreleased movie tie-in game for the Nintendo 64. It’s pretty refreshing, to say the least, but what about the entire film in general? Well, it isn’t perfect, but it definitely met my expectations. The story was nicely told in a way that respects the original without being overly similar to the first film’s plot. It does have some predictable and cliched moments here and there, but when you look past these obvious flaws and take that idiotic “unnecessary remake or sequel” criticism out of your head, you might have a good time watching it. The main cast that portrayed the teenagers’ avatars were really fun to watch and the chemistry between them was handled extremely well. The young actors that played the teenagers in the real world were fine, but it was the “avatar” actors that made the film a joy to watch. Dwayne Johnson took a somehow different direction in portraying the usual tough-guy persona that he’s known for in his earlier roles, and the result is pretty darn amusing. Kevin Hart is basically his usual Hart-self without getting too over-the-top, and Karen Gillan, wow, I could not believe how gorgeous she was when she’s not in her space alien make-up. Jack Black was my main highlight out of the entire cast. He’s basically the entire joke in the film as he is portraying a pretty high school teenage girl in a man’s body. Say what you want about Black, but this is by far the most hilarious thing I have seen from him. Bobby Cannavale portrays the sequel’s version of Van Pelt, who is responsible for putting the world of Jumanji in danger. I like Cannavale, but his character is just a cliched antagonist who only serves as an obstacle for the heroes. Oh, and Nick Jonas is in the film too. He plays another avatar who assists the main characters on their journey. Just a friendly reminder to the ladies who adore Jonas. The action, the visuals, and the humor were both handled pretty well, with the latter being the glue that holds everything together. The humor mostly comes from Jack Black’s character and the video game references, and the balance between those two and the storyline was a delight to witness. Overall, aside from its predictable plot points and a cliched villain, “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” offers a surprisingly fresh and entertaining upgrade from the 1990s original. The cast was a blast to watch, the action and the world of Jumanji were suitable, and the humor was hilarious all the way through. Sure, it’s another unnecessary sequel, but when you remove that type of criticism out of your brain for at least two hours and watch it for what it was, you might have fun with it too. If you like the first Jumanji film, there’s a good chance you’ll like this one as well, along with a brief reference to the late Robin Williams' character. B+“Ferdinand” stars John Cena, Kate McKinnon, Gina Rodriguez, Gabriel Iglesias, and Bobby Cannavale. Released on December 15, 2017, the film is about a lovable bull who must find his way home when he is taken to a bull-fighting stadium. The film is directed by Carlos Saldanha, who also directed films such as Ice Age: The Meltdown and Rio. It is based on the 1936 children’s book, The Story of Ferdinand, by Munro Leaf. For the last two years, we witness a family film going up against a Star Wars movie. Last year, we have Sing and Rogue One, and the year before that, we have Alvin and the Chipmunks and The Force Awakens. This year appears to be no different, with The Last Jedi competing against an animated film adaptation of the beloved children’s book that revolves around the world’s nicest bull. Now this isn’t the only adaptation of the book. Back in 1938, Walt Disney adapted the story as an animated short called “Ferdinand the Bull”, and went on to win an Oscar for Best Short Subject. This latest version comes from Blue Sky Studios, the same animation company that brought us five Ice Age movies and The Peanuts Movie. While the studio has done well in creating some entertaining animated movies, they haven’t done a whole lot to impress critics, with Ice Age: Collision Course being the worst-reviewed film in their library. Will their take on the children's book be able to get them back on track? Let’s find out. If you’re familiar with the source material, you’re going to have no problem following the story. It’s a simple tale about a bull named Ferdinand (voiced by John Cena) whose heart is as big as…well, his entire body. When he gets sent to a bullfight training area due to an incident, he must find a way to escape while staying true to his kind self. Like the other movies from Blue Sky, the story in “Ferdinand” is pretty straightforward. While it does have its predictable moments and its inability to deepen its storytelling, it has enough charm and humor to make people’s hearts feel cuddly and warm just like the title character’s. The film offers a pretty impressive voice cast, including Cena, Kate McKinnon, and former football quarterback Peyton Manning. John Cena was a perfect fit for Ferdinand. His character is practically the animated version of himself. Big, strong, and gentle. The character of Ferdinand was nicely developed for kids because he’s not afraid to be himself despite what other people (or other bulls) think of him. This is one of those types of films that expresses the fact that staying true to one’s self can really make a difference. It’s simple, yet affective. The animation in the film has its usual sense of color and cartoonish slapstick like the other Blue Sky Studios titles. It’s silly for the kids, but it’s nicely rendered for the adults. The movie’s sense of humor has done plenty to keep me laughing all the way through, but as always, it’s not for everybody. It can be pretty goofy during some moments, and there were moments that can get a bit obnoxious for people who have low tolerability levels. The example for the latter is Ferdinand’s companion, Lupe, who is voiced by McKinnon. If you’ve seen McKinnon’s other works like the Ghostbusters reboot and Masterminds, you can clearly understand why they got her to voice the character. I thought she did a really nice job in her role, but her character’s personality can get a bit annoying in certain occasions, especially during the parts where she is just used as a tool for humorous slapstick. Overall, Blue Sky Studios’ take on “Ferdinand” might not win a lot of major animation fans over, but in terms of its story, its themes, and the animation, its heart is definitely in the right place. It doesn’t top The Peanuts Movie as my favorite animated film from Blue Sky, but I will say that it’s a big improvement over Ice Age 5. It’s a charming and funny film whose themes still remain true to this day. If you or your child are familiar with the source material, I can assure you that you won’t be disappointed with this. Plus, it serves as a nice alternative for families who are waiting impatiently to see Star Wars. B |
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