“Star Wars: The Last Jedi” stars Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, Laura Dern, and Benicio del Toro. Released on December 15, 2017, the film has Rey training to become a Jedi while the First Order forms a new plan to destroy the Resistance and rule the galaxy. The film is directed by Rian Johnson, who also directed Brick, The Brothers Bloom, and Looper, and it is the second film in the Star Wars sequel trilogy. We have been anticipating for the latest chapter in the acclaimed sci-fi franchise for an entire year, and now, it’s finally here. The Force Awakens reintroduced the famous brand to audiences around the world by incorporating new characters as well as the classic characters that they grew up with, such as Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Princess Leia. Not to mention it broke several box office records in the process. This next chapter in the sequel trilogy not only continues the adventures of Rey and her friends, but it also marks the final appearance of Carrie Fisher as Leia before her unfortunate passing last year. Rian Johnson is no stranger to the sci-fi genre as he is known for directing the critically-acclaimed science fiction thriller “Looper” back in 2012. So having him direct a Star Wars film should mark as a true test to see if he’s able to take on the responsibility of creating a new Star Wars trilogy. Was he able to pull it off? Continuing where The Force Awakens left off, Rey (Ridley) manages to find the self-exiled Jedi Master, Luke Skywalker (Hamill), and starts learning about the ways of the Force. Meanwhile, the Resistance, lead by General Leia Organa (Fisher), is still fighting off against the First Order for the fate of the galaxy. Now, some people might think that “The Last Jedi” is copying off “The Empire Strikes Back” based on the description above. Well, it’s somehow like that, but it does have its differences. Since this film tends to have plenty of surprises, I will try my best to express my feelings on it without going into specific details on the plot. So consider this my spoiler-free review. All I can say about it is that it has everything a Star Wars movie should have, ranging from its heart-pounding action scenes to its well-developed characters. Most of the main cast reprised their respective roles from its predecessors, including Daisy Ridley as Rey and Adam Driver as the villainous jerk, Kylo Ren. I called him a jerk because of what he did in the last film. They once again did a great job portraying their characters, but the ones that I believe stand out the most were Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher as Luke Skywalker and General Leia Organa, respectively. This movie introduces a different side of Skywalker compared to him in the original trilogy. He’s now seen as a broken and concerned man who blames himself for the events that lead him to his exile. If there’s one person who can portray this type of character, it has to be Hamill. I would definitely consider this his best performance in a major film since…well, the Star Wars original trilogy. As for Fisher, need I say more? Very hard to see her go so soon. The film’s running time is at least two and a half hours long, making this the longest Star Wars film in the franchise. At first, I was skeptical on how they’re going to tell this story with this type of length. But as the film went on, I started to not care about it. Yes, it’s filled with a lot of visuals and action sequences, but it never lost sight on making the story and the characters interesting for its audience. The story was nicely told in terms of its usual themes and some surprising twists. There were a couple of moments that I already noticed right before they happen, and there were a few that somehow caught me off-guard. The visuals still look fantastic as always, blending CGI effects with some old-school practical effects to create fascinating worlds, creatures, and spaceships. I would also give credit to the film’s cinematography for capturing the perfect scope for the sceneries and the action sequences, which were very engaging. I know that you’ll get tired of me saying this, but John Williams’ score never cease to amaze me. Still a joy to listen to, especially when you’re a Star Wars fan. Overall, “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” is an exciting and well-told continuation of the sequel trilogy. From its talented cast of characters to John Williams’ incredible score, this is another Star Wars experience that deserves to be seen on the biggest screen possible. Does it top “Empire Strikes Back” as my favorite Star Wars film? No, but it was worth the effort. I know it seems that I’m sugarcoating it a little bit, but I still can’t help but be amazed at the worlds and the characters that the franchise is known for since 1977. This film definitely delivered on those things, along with an intense, yet engaging, story. If you’re a fan of Star Wars, then it’s worth checking out. A
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“Just Getting Started” stars Morgan Freeman, Tommy Lee Jones, Rene Russo, and Glenne Headly. Released on December 8, 2017, the film is about a former mob lawyer who comes across an ex-FBI agent at a retirement home. The film is directed by Ron Shelton, who also directed films such as Bull Durham, White Men Can’t Jump, Tin Cup, and Hollywood Homicide. Aside from the wide expansion of The Disaster Artist, this is the only new film I’ll be looking at this weekend. The first time I found out about it was from the poster I discovered while I was working at the cinema. At first, I didn’t know what it’s about, but when I saw the marketing for it a couple of months later, I already became interested. I mean, Morgan Freeman and Tommy Lee Jones starring in a movie together? Who doesn’t want to see that? More importantly, are they able to deliver my expectations? The story follows Duke Diver (Freeman), a former mob lawyer who resides at villa Capri. When an FBI agent named Leo (Jones) shows up, these two people get into a personal feud with one another, but soon must put aside their differences in order to figure out who’s attempting to take Duke out of the picture. Oh, and since the movie is released in December, the director decided to have the entire story take place during the holiday season. So…are we allowed to call it a holiday movie? First off, I would like to point out that I enjoyed watching these two talented people together. I thought Freeman and Jones did a pretty decent job with their performances even though none of them were at its finest. Rene Russo was also OK in the role. I wasn’t expecting anything more from her. Then again, I haven’t been seeing her a lot in her other movies. Other than that, I was shocked to see how disappointing the film turned out. It had a stunning cast and an interesting concept, but Ron Shelton did absolutely nothing to make it stand out, let alone entertaining. The film as a whole is just as rusty as the seniors in a retirement home. The film’s story basically consists of Freeman and Jones bickering at one another like two siblings fighting over a small carton of milk, along with some small bits of action during the third act. So unless you’re a fan at that sort of thing, it can get pretty tiring for you really fast. Speaking of which, the final act of the film was the only thing that captured my interest. Unfortunately, it’s not enough to cover the fact that the ending was a bit abrupt and the action parts were extremely underwhelming. Seriously, how could they messed up something that makes action comedies a joy to watch? Of course, the action wasn’t the only one that left me feeling blue. Nope, it was the comedy aspect that immediately walked out the door and never came back. While I did find a couple of moments amusing, the rest of the jokes wound up either flat or unmemorable. I also think that the development between the characters could’ve been a lot better, especially the relationship between the two main characters. Overall, despite its talented cast and its humorous concept, “Just Getting Started” should’ve stayed in a retirement home. With its weak and dull storytelling, underwhelming humor, and poorly developed characters, this is probably the most disappointing comedy I’ve seen since Netflix’s Little Evil back in September. They seriously got the tools they need to make an entertaining action comedy, but alas, they failed to take advantage of them. If you like the main actors that are in it, I would say wait for it to appear on television. D-“The Disaster Artist” stars James Franco, Dave Franco, Seth Rogen, Alison Brie, Ari Graynor, Josh Hutcherson, and Jacki Weaver. Released on December 1, 2017, the film chronicles the making of the 2003 cult film The Room. The film is directed by James Franco, who also directed films such as The Ape, Child of God, The Sound and the Fury, and The Institute. It is based on the 2013 non-fiction book of the same name by Greg Sestero and Tom Bissell. There's no telling how much I wanted to see this since the first trailer was released. More than a decade ago, Tommy Wiseau and his companion, Greg Sestero, had done the impossible despite their lack of film talents: making their own movie starring themselves. While The Room is considered one of the worst movies ever made, according to a lot of people who have saw it, it has unexpectedly gained a cult following for its unbelievable amount of “badness”. I haven’t exactly seen it for myself, but I did remember watching the Nostalgia Critic’s view of the movie a while back, and from the looks of the footage, I can understand why. So now we are getting a whole new look at the events before, during, and after the making of The Room, including the bizarre friendship between Wiseau and Sestero. This was one of my highly-anticipated films to see during awards season because, unsurprisingly, I love watching movies, and the fact that the Franco brothers are starring in the film made me want to see it even more. Now that it’s finally here, does it live up to my expectations? As mentioned before, the film depicts the important events that happened during the making of the cult “classic”. More importantly, it focuses on the bizarre friendship between Greg Sestero (Dave Franco) and Tommy Wiseau (James Franco). Both of these people share the same dream of being in the film business despite Wiseau’s lack of acting talent. For a movie that’s called “The Disaster Artist”, it wasn’t really that much of a disaster unlike the behind-the-scenes moments that were showcased. Rather, it’s an impressive disastrous movie-within-a-movie that’s invigorating, funny, and heartfelt, and I loved every minute of it. This is the film that truly resembles the realities of Hollywood and the film business as well as the bond that holds two unlikely pals together. James Franco delivered the best performance in his career as Wiseau, which is something that you need to see to believe. This is one of those performances where you don’t see the actor portraying the character on screen, you see an actual person. It’s also amazing that Franco sounds and looks almost exactly like the actual Tommy Wiseau. All I can say is that I’ll be rooting for him during the awards season. Dave Franco also delivered a great performance as Greg Sestero, Wiseau’s companion. The chemistry between the Franco brothers is something that I really enjoy because of how they portray their characters that have the same agenda, but have different personalities. I can also say that James Franco has an impressive knack at storytelling when it comes to his direction. Not just because of his realistic depiction of the film business, but also his vision on the film’s themes, which include the values of friendship and following your dreams. Because of the engaging chemistry and depth between the two main characters, Franco was able to depict a friendship that is so unusual that it surprisingly made me want to support it. The film’s screenplay was nicely written and the amount of humor that was thrown in there was hilarious from start to finish, and yes, I did laugh at Wiseau’s “acting”. Overall, “The Disaster Artist” is a perfect disastrous experience that celebrates the unexpected and the people who have big dreams despite their lack of talent. Thanks to its strong performances, Franco’s superb direction, its captivating screenplay, and its brilliant mixture of comedy and heart, I can easily say that this is one of the best films I’ve seen this year. Keep in mind that this is a movie about the worst movie ever. This is definitely a must-watch for people who are familiar with The Room and for those who enjoy some of Franco’s other works, either as an actor or a director. Oh hi, Mark. A“Lady Bird” stars Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf, Tracy Letts, Lucas Hedges, Timothée Chalamet, Beanie Feldstein, Stephen McKinley Henderson, and Lois Smith. Released on November 3, 2017, the film is about a high school senior and her troubling relationship with her mother. The film features the directorial debut of Greta Gerwig, who starred in films such as To Rome with Love, Jackie, and 20th Century Women. This next film that’s been getting plenty of awards buzz is another coming-of-age story about life. I haven’t seen a lot of marketing for this movie, which is common for most independent films, but apparently, I did find out that it became the most-reviewed film on Rotten Tomatoes to remain at 100% as of this writing. That is a pretty impressive accomplishment considering the fact that not a lot of films stayed at that rating for so long. But does that really equal a great movie? While the story does include Lady Bird’s (Ronan) complicated relationship with her family, mostly her mother (Metcalf), it actually follows her adolescence from being a senior at a Catholic high school to being an adult. While I didn’t see anything special about the story, I was still impressed at how well it is told. Saoirse Ronan delivered a satisfying, yet subtle, performance as the title character with Laurie Metcalf following suit as Marion, her mother. These two actresses are the only ones that truly shine onscreen together in terms of their realistic dialogue. Despite the fact that this is her first film as a director, Gerwig was able to take her knowledge of an adolescent girl and translate it flawlessly into a well-crafted portrait about life. The film is also nicely paced due to how they transition from one portion to the next during some occasions. As for its flaws, I would say that I would like to see more of the relationship between Lady Bird and her mother. I still appreciate Gerwig’s storytelling and the inspiring adolescent themes, but I think she should’ve put more focus on the mother/daughter relationship so that she can reach out more to teenage daughters who are going through the same problems with their mothers. Overall, it doesn’t break any new ground in terms of storytelling, but “Lady Bird” marks another marvelous addition to the list of well-directed adolescent movies. Not only that, but it also marks an impressive first chapter of Greta Gerwig’s possible future as a storyteller. The performances were great, the story and its themes were very interesting and moving, and Gerwig’s direction was smartly filled with realism. I would possibly recommend it to those who are into films about adolescence. A-“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” stars Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell, John Hawkes, and Peter Dinklage. Released on November 10, 2017, the film is about a single mother who uses billboards to shame the police for not finding her daughter’s murderer. The film is directed by Martin McDonagh, who also directed In Bruges and Seven Psychopaths. It is that time of year again, ladies and gentlemen. Yes, we are indeed two weeks away from seeing the new Star Wars movie, but more importantly (for major film fanatics), we are getting close to the major award nomination announcements. Which means it’s time for me to look at some of the films that are getting a lot of awards buzz this year, starting with this latest black comedy from director Martin McDonagh. The film has been getting a lot of praise due to its screenplay, direction, and the performances from the cast, but how does it look in my eyes? Honestly, it was very interesting, but it was also pretty darn amusing. One of the best aspects of this film has to be Frances McDormand’s brilliant performance as Mildred Hayes, a snarky divorced mother whose crazy idea affected the entire town of Ebbing in a negative way. She absolutely nailed every scene that she’s in, whether they’re dramatic or comical. Woody Harrelson and Sam Rockwell also delivered some great performances as Sheriff Bill Willoughby and Jason Dixon, respectively, but none of them came close to McDormand. McDonagh’s other films have a knack of mixing in dark comedy with some brutal drama, and this one is no different. The way he executes this type of mixture is remarkably solid without any signs of unbalance. I think the one that I enjoyed the most was the comedy aspect, which comes from McDonagh’s cunning and affective screenplay. There were definitely a few parts that made me laugh, although I do feel that it might not be for everyone due to the film's concept and coarse language. The only flaw I had with it, in my opinion, was the ending. It’s not entirely bad, it’s just that there should be more to the ending than what they have now. Overall, “Three Billboards” is hilarious and brutal in some cases, but it is also well-acted and remarkably entertaining. While the ending could’ve been expanded a bit more, it’s not as bothersome as how the messages on the three billboards bothered the police. Strong performances, a solid blend of comedy and drama, and McDonagh’s screenplay makes this a suitable competitor in the awards race. If you’re a fan of McDonagh’s other works or some of the actors that are in the film, it’s worth checking out. A- |
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