"First to the Key. First to the Egg." Ready Player One Review

Ready Player One

4.5/5

Directed by: Steven Spielberg

Written by: Zak Penn and Ernest Cline

Rated: PG-13

           Wade Watts is a nobody who lives in the stacks of Columbus Ohio, but he is not limited to this life. Wade, like the rest of the world, can become anything he wants, when he enters a virtual world unlike any other, the Oasis. In the Oasis you can do anything, be anyone, if you have enough coin. Everything a human could ever want, except a decent meal, is in the Oasis, and now the Oasis' fate is in humanity's hands. James Halliday, the creator of the Oasis, is dead and with his passing he issued a challenge to the world. In the Oasis Halliday hid an Easter Egg, and the first person to find it will gain control over the Oasis and a fortune of half a trillion dollars. Wade along with everyone else on Earth, including a sinister coorperation, the IOI, are on the hunt. Who will get it first?
           Filmmaker Steven Spielberg invites audiences of all ages, backgrounds and corners of the world to embark on an adventure in a world of pure imagination. Ready Player One takes place in two worlds, the virtual world of the Oasis and the sullen real world of Columbus Ohio. Each world has its own unique personality with their own strong appeal. The virtual world is a wondrous exotic and cool galaxy comprised of top notch CGI and well designed character models. The real world features drama and distinct sets that rival the Oasis' most bizarre locations. Every moment in these worlds is meticulously crafted through Spielberg's fascinatingly exquisite direction, accented by a phenomenal musical score from Alan Silvestri. No matter how intense the film's story gets Spielberg makes sure it does not lose its comedic charm and eye popping personality. No matter how wild and expansive the Oasis becomes, it does not overwhelm or blot out the story's character driven plot.
           Like Spielberg's most famous films Ready Player One features a gripping and engaging story brought to life by a cast of real and memorable characters. Parzival (Tye Sheridan) is Wade's avatar in the Oasis and the hero of our adventure. He is a cunning and tenacious teenager whose hobbies include watching Halliday's favorite films, playing Halliday's favorite video games and being Halliday's biggest fan. Along with Parzival is his closest friend Aech (Lena Waithe) a competent modder with powerful artillery wielded by a cynical mind. On Parzival's dangerous quest for the Egg he collides with Art3mis (Olivia Cooke), another avatar whose smile could stop a heart and whose ferocity could fell a T-rex. Accompanying these top three are plenty of other great characters, such as the stalwart Daito (Win Morisaki), the swift Sho (Philip Zhao), the deadly and often dumbfounded I-R0K (T.J. Miller), the sinister and maniacally campy head of the IOI Nolan Sorrento (Ben Mendelsohn) and the whimsically spaced out and dryly comedic James Halliday (Mark Rylance).
           Along with this film's characters are plenty of reasons why youth, adults, adolescents and teenagers alike will be enamored with Ready Player One. Perhaps the primary reason is this film's references. As the Oasis is a place where anyone can be whoever they want, you could disguise your avatar as  Lara Croft from Tomb Raider, Harley Quinn from the Batman franchise or dress up your personal avatar in Peter Weller's suit from Buckaroo Banzai. You can drive the DeLorean from Back to the Future or pilot Malcom Reynold's boat, Serenity, and take it out to the black. If you have enough time and talent, you could even build and control your own Iron Giant. Even though this film is flooded with these and other popular references, these references do not draw away from Ready Player One's main storyline and inspiring heroes. Because of this, viewers who know these references are in for a special treat, while viewers who are not aware of this film's references will not feel left out. Aside from a few unnecessary scenes and this film's lengthy opening exposition, Ready Player One makes for a captivatingly fun film  that should be viewed in theatres or at least on home release.

Verdict: Steven Spielberg's Ready Player One is an astonishing pop. culture experience that makes for one fun riveting adventure full of surprise, tension, drama, comedy and heart.

"I'm Going. There's nothing you can do to Stop Me" The Breadwinner Review

The Breadwinner

3/5

Directed by: Nora Twomey

Rated: PG-13

           Far away in the distant past, there was a beautiful land that lived in peace and prosperity, but it was not destined to be for long. This land that was once plentiful is now inhospitable, but not because of its dry soil but because of the rocky and barren hearts that tread upon it. A terrifying force, called the Taliban, took over and oppressed the land's people. They forced the women to cover their heads and made it impossible for them to go outside without facing ridicule and suffering. In this darkness hope will shine through the most unexpected of heroes, a young girl who confronts the world not with physical strength but with her determination and her stories.
           Based on Deborah Ellis' children's novel of the same name, Nora Twomey's The Breadwinner is a well constructed and inspiring story built with inviting animation, classic character types and a compelling narrative. A primary aspect that keeps a viewer's attention on their screen is Breadwinner's intriguing visual design. This film is comprised of simplistic yet meaningful hand drawn animation, featuring engaging characters and eye catching backdrops. This film's aesthetic appeal is also enhanced by Breadwinner's Mediterranean sounding score. Breadwinner's compelling atmosphere is also illustrated through screen writer Anita Doron's screenplay. Her words imbue power and inspire courage. Though the screenplay's dialogue can be predictable and "on the nose," it is not repetitive. It always has a certain charm.
           The Breadwinner's story is lead by a collection of well constructed characters. Each character fulfils their part in Doron's story. Some audience members may even identify with certain characters. Parvana, portrayed by an exceptional performance by Saara Chaudry, is the young and virtuous hero in this story. Her father was wrongfully taken prisoner, and it has left her family without means of survival. That is until Parvana summons the courage to disguise herself as a boy and earn food for her family and one day rescue her father. Along her journey Parvana encounters a mixture of people, such as a kind friend who helps her find work, a helpful townsperson who connects with Parvana daily and a fiendish boy whose actions are as fierce as his rifle. Parvana also attains strength from her family, her loving mother, older sister and infant brother.
           Although The Breadwinner is a well crafted hand drawn film, it is hard determining which audience members would most appreciate this film. The film is based on a children's novel, so the manner in which it relays its story is akin to most family films. This film, however, features graphic content that some parents would not consider appropriate for young and immature audiences. The film, however, is so predictable and childlike in its storytelling, it may bore unenthusiastic adolescent and teenage viewers. The older the audience member is the more mature they will be to listen and respect this film, but they will also be less enchanted by Breadwinner's childlike wonder and inviting fantasy. Since the best audience group for this film is a family with young children who are not scared of violence and hunger for stories about courage and the bravery to stand up for what is right, The Breadwinner may unfortunately fade into obscurity. Then again it may be able to have a great home on Netflix. Either way, it is up to the discretion of audience members whether this film will be welcome in their homes.

Verdict: The Breadwinner is an inspiring story about a courageous young girl, highlighted through simplistic yet eye-catching hand drawn animation illustrating childlike wonder in a mature and inhospitable environment.

"I give you the Gift of your Faults" A Wrinkle in Time (2018) Review

A Wrinkle in Time (2018)

1.5/5

Directed by: Ava DuVernay

Rated: PG

           "It was a dark and stormy night." Readers of all ages will be able to recognize these words from Madeleine L'Engle's 1962 novel, "A Wrinkle in Time." L'Engle's literary work has captured hearts and minds for generations and generations to come. In this generation the producers at Disney and director Ava DuVernay have adapted L'Engle's work into a feature length movie. This is Disney's second adaptation of L'Engle's book, the first one was released in 2003, and this movie is a lusterless uncreative adaptation that does not adhere to L'Engle's original vision. DuVernay's A Wrinkle in Time is not an enjoyable movie experience and it does not make for a worthwhile family outing.
           There are several aspects about DuVernay's A Wrinkle in Time that make it a bad movie. The first notable aspect is this movie's terrible lead performances. Storm Reid plays the lead role of Meg, and makes the character uninteresting and disbelieving. During the few close up moments when Reid does emote, it is hard to tell what emotion she is feeling. Worse than Reid is Levi Miller as the never going to be a love interest and utterly useless Calvin. Miller's performance is in perpetual state of slight amusement with a side of "huh," which does not help illustrate his character when he is in mortal peril. Worse than Miller is Deric McCabe as the unbearably egotistically and outspokenly pretentious Charles Wallace. The only thing in McCabe's favor is that he can be referred to as "cute," but even this will not keep audience member's attention throughout the entire tedious adventure. The few decent performances in this movie come from the actresses and actors that some audience members believed would "phone it in." It is clear Chris Pine, Reese Witherspoon, Mindy Kaling and even Oprah Winfrey and Zach Galifianakis are trying their hardest to add life to this movie. Even if every performer in this movie tried as hard as they did, it would only make the movie an okay time consumer.
           Along with this movie's unappealing performances are more bad aspects. One of the most prevalent is director Ava DuVernay's blatantly poor control of this story's fantastical elements and characters. Perhaps with better direction she would have had greater control over her cast and been able to give them what they needed to accurately portray their characters and motivations. The screenplay, however, does not help DuVernay, as Jennifer Lee and Jeff Stockwell's writing is an unintelligible mix of ideas and uncertain values. It is obvious that DuVernay's A Wrinkle in Time's story borrowed plot points from another source, L'Engle's novel, and did not successfully adapt them. L'Engle's novel focuses on Christian principles concerning love and fighting darkness with spiritual light, while Lee and Stockwell's screenplay focuses on following one's dreams and accepting one's faults.  DuVernay's movie may feature the same plot points as L'Engle's novel, but because the movie's intent is different from the story's initial construction, scenes lose impact and Lee and Stockwell's message gets muddled.
           The movie also fails on a technical standpoint. DuVernay's A Wrinkle in Time is made up of a nonstop barrage of close ups and inconsistent camera angles. This movie's constant inability to establish its setting is disorienting and it could cause nausea or incite headaches. Even if the camera was able to capture this movie's locations, these locations are an unattractive clash between far too wide open fields and unbearably claustrophobic hallways. Even the special effects that most audiences are looking forward to seeing are lackluster. DuVernay's A  Wrinkle in Time's unrealistic CGI and poor digital matting does not help audiences suspend their disbelief, which was already enough of a challenge. Even though this movie's supporting cast and crew put effort into this movie, it is not enough to overcome A Wrinkle in Time's major shortcomings; its terrible lead cast, poor direction, faulty screenplay and bad technical aspects.

Verdict: Ava DuVernay's A Wrinkle in Time is an uninspiring jumble of mismatched story elements built on shaky characters with uncertain values and it is unfortunately accompanied by disorienting camera work and lackluster special effects.

"It's hard for a Good man to be a King." Black Panther Review

Black Panther

4.5/5

Written and Directed by: Ryan Coogler

Rated: PG-13

           Wakanda is a flourishing African metropolis abounding in limitless resources, culture, heritage and technology and T'Challa is king over it all. In this time there are those who want his help, those who want his throne and those who want his head. In this dark world it is not easy for this good man to be a king, but if he meets life's challenges he can rise above them as a great ruler. Those who go through war and suffering, and stay connected with their ancestors, remain close to their families and steadfast to their virtuous ideals are heroes. This is the story of one hero. This is the story of T'Challa the Black Panther.
           Black Panther's cast of characters is lively and memorable. King T'Challa, played by a reverent and spirited Chadwick Boseman, is the film's main hero, but he is not without faults. He may be a great warrior, but behind his stalwart nature he is a troubled son without his father, the former king T'Chaka played by John Kani. T'Challa must take on the responsibilities of ruling his nation, making the difficult decisions between what is good for his people, what is good for the world and what is good for himself. These unforeseeable challenges are ones he cannot face alone, and so he surrounds himself with mentors, allies and family. Okoye, Danai Gurira, is a great warrior who fights alongside T'Challa and her nation of Wakanda. Nakia, Lupita Nyong'o, is a skilled fighter and T'Challa's former lover. Shuri, Letitia Wright, is an innovative technological designer, a hothead and T'Challa's younger sister. Wkabi, Daniel Kaluuya, is one of T'Challa's close friends, a guardian of Wakanda and Okoye's lover.
           Beyond these memorable characters, as well as plenty others, Black Panther also features worthy adversaries that audiences may want to see defeated or may want to see conquer the world. Erik Killmonger, played by a chill and malevolent Michael B. Jordan, is a radical revolutionary who will do anything to put his abused and downtrodden brothers and sisters, Africans, back on top of the world hierarchy. He will not hesitate to use lethal force, and he relishes in every one of his kills even if its one of his brothers or sisters. Killmonger's right hand man is Ulysses Klaue, played by a maniacally comical Andy Serkis, a fiendish arms dealer whose own right arm is a deadly weapon and he has precision aim. Though this is a large collection of characters and it may seem that this single film will not be able to establish and support all of them, Black Panther surprisingly puts flesh and blood on all of its characters, and it is possible audience members will find someone in this film they identify with, someone they wish they were like or even someone they see as a role model.
           With such a large fleshed out cast, it can look as if this film will feel slow or even crumble under its own extensive weight. Though this can happen a few times, Black Panther is an impressive theatrical experience that does not lose its audience. This is due to this film's primary intriguing aspect, its vast world and depiction of it. The world Black Panther creates is rich and vibrant. From its props to the locations and the costumes. Black Panther illustrates its environment through its culturally ripe aesthetic design, eye catching sets and immersive locations and battlefields. Not only does the film build a great world, but it also does not tarry too long on its world building. Black Panther establishes its world in a meaningful and intriguing manner that benefits its story, characters and audience.
           Though this film is impressive, Black Panther, like its lead hero, is not without faults. One of the few inconveniences in Black Panther is its faux digital effects. Even though most of the CGI in this film does not look real, it does not greatly detract from the film's experience. The majority of audience members will not care about this film's lacking digital effects, because they will be too mesmerized by how Black Panther uses these effects to build upon its world, story and characters. Once the film begins and its lengthy exposition is out of the way, audience members will keep their eyes on the screen, their minds engaged in the story, their hearts with the characters and their souls in Wakanda.
           As Black Panther is a Marvel movie, fans will want the film to feature heroic scenes and battles that rival those of other entries in the franchise. Luckily for Marvel fans and movie viewers alike Black Panther's action scenes are thrilling and exciting. This film knows how to build up tension, choreograph gripping close quarters combat, create intricate locations for battles, highlight the characters in combat, make their battles fun and engaging and add upon this by extraordinarily weaving two or three action sequences into one momentous cinematic climax. If the Marvel Cinematic Universe is a TV series, then Black Panther is the amazing stand alone spinoff episode that fans and casual viewers rewatch and remember long after the main series is over.

Verdict: Ryan Coogler's Black Panther is a riveting, exciting and fun theatrical experience, taking place in an engrossing location, populated with memorable heroes and villains and held together by an immersive story about heritage, world conflict and the importance of being a good man and king.

"You don't even need a Gun, and you definitely don't need Hate." Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Review

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

2.5/5

Written and Directed by: Martin McDonagh

Rated: R

           "There ain't no God and the whole world's empty," thinks Mildred. Her mind rests on bitterness and her heart's full of hate. She surveys the fruits of her labor, three billboards calling out local Sheriff Willoughby for not solving the case of her daughters' rapist and murderer. Away from this sullen sunset in the center of town, Officer Dixon sits at his desk going on about how he detests people based on their color and sexual orientation, while he finds an underhanded way of removing those billboards. It seems everyone else in this town is doomed to reap their painful harvest of contempt, and they would have if unthinkable tragedy hadn't struck first. We reap what we sow.

           Martin McDonagh's Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is a fiery examination on lives engulfed in flames of hate. The film's screenplay depicts this story through the context of an extreme political comedy. Though the film's heavy handed content may dampen the screenplay's jokes and humorous intent, this film does have laughable moments. It is another question as to whether audience members will laugh at this film's jokes or simply shudder in their wake. If this film's first half is a fire burning the town to the ground, then the second half is the characters resolve and desire to regrow their land with tenderness and love. The journey characters progress on in this film is a revelation, and audience members who can stomach this film's first half will find Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri to be a painfully cathartic story about the possibility for rebirth and the rekindling of love.

           What makes Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri stand out from other politically tragic comedies is its extensive cast of well done performances. Frances McDormand stars as Mildred, playing her role as if her character were a pile of smoldering coals that she just cannot help but poke and then release the flames on others. Because this film's beginning features McDormand's character mouthing off against every decent person she encounters, it makes the subtle changes in her voice and tone shine through. This is illustrated best as her character begins to soften her heart and reconsider her actions. Aside from McDormand's knockout performance, McDonagh's film contains other alright performances, such as Woody Harrelson as the kind hearted Sheriff Willoughby, Lucas Hedges as Mildred's plagued son, Zeljko Ivanek as the stuck up Desk Sargent and Caleb Landry Jones as the pretentious Red Welby. Beyond these performers, most audiences will agree that Sam Rockwell's performance as the dumbfounded and single minded Officer Dixon is the highlight of this film. He first illustrates his characters' inner struggle and heart at first by bottling up his resentment, then he unleashes his rage, he slowly learns about love and finishes his story with an apologetic soul and desire for revival.

           Though this film's story and its characters make this film a bit of a toss up as to whether audience members would like and appreciate it, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri has some definite short comings in its more technical aspects. The film's editing is somewhat of a mess, as the connections between scenes is unclear, until about halfway through a scene. The cinematography is lackluster, as most shots forgo the importance of framing characters and scenery in favor of overblown color correction. Most of the time this film's use of color does not add to the film's experience. In addition to this the film's sound design is below average. There are moments where dialogue is muffled and some moments where it is just audible. Though this may make some audience members feel Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is not a worthwhile experience, other audience members may be able to look past this film's shortcomings and appreciate this film's sense of humor, decently crafted story and cathartic characters.

Verdict: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is an alright political comedy with good performances, but it offers a polarizing experience that has the power to deter or engage.

"I want to Touch People with my Art." Loving Vincent

Loving Vincent

3/5

Directed by: Dorota Kobiela and Hugh Welchman

Rated: PG - 13

           In the 19th century in a small villa northwest of Paris, France an artist stood in front of his easel painting the landscape, and weathering the torment in his mind and tribulations of his past. This renowned artist, Vincent Van Gogh, is hailed as the father of modern art. His knife cut paintings have inspired artists, poets and filmmakers for generations. It is tragic that in his life Vincent only sold one of his priceless works. As he is a genius deserving recognition and respect, Polish filmmakers Dorota Kobiela and Hugh Welchman found it fitting Vincent's work and life should be honored through a hand painted film. With just one glance audiences will see why Loving Vincent is a work of art that should be cherished and appreciated.
           The most prominent reason why audiences will want to experience this film is for its visual design. Loving Vincent is the world's first fully hand painted feature length animated film. Each of this film's individual frames is a picture of a canvas drawn up with brush, ink, paint and color. According to IMDb.com "Each of the film's 65,000 frames is an oil painting on canvas, using the same technique as Van Gogh, created by a team of 100 painters." There are also scenes in Loving Vincent that are direct replicas of some of Van Gogh's more famous works, such as "Starry Night," "Blue Room," "Café Terrace at Night," "Girl in White," and many others. Within seconds of this film's start, Loving Vincent's distinct art style captures the eyes and minds of even this film's most uninterested viewers.
           Not only do all of Loving Vincent's scenes and shots look fantastic but so do this film's characters. Each one is brought to life through the talents of well versed actors and actresses. Loving Vincent is led by the exceptional work of Douglas Booth, playing the role of one of Van Gogh's portrait characters, Armand Roulin the "Young Man in Yellow Jacket." Roulin is on a quest for answers concerning the untimely death and mysterious life of his friend Vincent. On his journey Roulin encounters Adeline Ravoux, played by a kind hearted and steadfast Eleanor Tomlinson, Marguerite Gachet, played by a worn and tender Saoirse Ronan, and Doctor Gachet, played by a passionate and earnest Jerome Flynn. Though these characters are memorable the scenes with them tend to blur.
           Since this film's weakest aspect is perhaps its unsharpened screenplay, Loving Vincent's worthwhile story suffers from poor pacing and an unwanted predictability that comes from this film's overabundant use of one stock scene (Roulin meets someone, he asks them if they know about Vincent, they say they do, they tell him about Vincent in a flashback, Roulin then visits another person and this cycle continues). As this film's seeming monotony, which is only enforced by its repetitive musical score, is only broken up by two or three different scene types, Loving Vincent can deter casual viewers and may even unintentionally lull enthusiastic viewers into a relaxed and unstimulated state. The film, however, is engaging and most audiences will find it to be a more than worthwhile experience. Some viewers may find the film's ending to be a little unsatisfactory, but perhaps this is the filmmakers' intent. As lives can come to a close without climax or relief, so to does Loving Vincent leave its audiences with troubled minds but hopeful hearts.

Verdict: Though the film's screenplay suffers from predictable scene structure and poor pacing, Loving Vincent is a successful homage to Vincent Van Gogh, a man who was an artist, brother and friend.