"This is the captain, brace for Impact" Sully Review

Sully

 Directed by: Clint Eastwood

Rated: PG-13

            On January 15th 2009, 100 seconds after leaving LaGuardia airport, U.S. Airways Flight 1549 lost both its engines at a lower altitude than any jet in history. 208 seconds later it made a forced water landing on the Hudson River. 155 people were rescued from the frigid waters. There were no causalities. If not for Captain ‘Sully’ Sullenberger, everyone on board may have died, but could Sully have also saved the jet? Further investigation revealed it might have been possible to land safely back at LaGuardia. Now what does the world think of Sully? What does Sully think of himself? Was it an act of ignorance or heroism?

            Clint Eastwood’s latest biopic depicts these events in a genuine light. Instead of dramatizing or heightening the action, Sully maintains deep focus on its realism and humanity. It is because of this, Sully never feels like a movie. It is a true experience deserving of anyone’s attention, and it’s worth seeing in theatres. From takeoff to splash down, Sully continuously uncovers and opens up the genuine “Miracle on the Hudson”.

            A prominent element in this film is the quality of its actors. Tom Hanks brings heart and life to any film he’s in, and his portrayal of Captain 'Sully' Sullenberger handily deserves a place next to his best roles, such as Chuck Noland, James B. Donovan, and Forrest Gump. An interesting detail in this film is the subtly of Hanks’ interactions with the various characters. He is friendlier with some more than others, but he treats everyone with equally high respect. It is the mark of a great actor when they have the ability to bring out the best in everyone in the scene. On top of this the entire cast portrays their characters with the same honesty that people portray themselves.

            In a film such as Sully it’s easy to glorify the special effects, to focus on the crash itself, bank on the actors doing a spectacular job, and get away with making an average movie. Instead of centering around the incident, Sully makes the daring and admirable choice of keeping its story’s focus on the people It’s about the airport tower team, the crew of the NY Waterway’s “Thomas Jefferson” , and the Red Cross members. All of these people’s lives are illustrated through a screenplay that blends realism and perfectly timed humor, with its epicenter being Captain 'Sully' Sullenberger.

            Sully's visual scope is engrossing. Every frame continuously drew my eyes to the screen. Even the simplistic meetings between Sully and the investigation board are shot with precision and fluidity.  Though audiences already know the ending, the filmmaking and passion behind the scene work keeps them waiting on bated breath. Since it was shot on IMAX cameras, the wider aspect ratio invites viewers into the experience of the landing, and thus magnifies the impact of being able to say “all 155 passengers survived.”

            Although Sully has several aspects working in its favor, there is one setback. It is told in an uncommon nonlinear fashion with past events playing out as memories. These memories are triggered by stimuli, and they can last anywhere from five to twenty minutes. Though the return from memories to present can feel sudden and jarring, it does not take away from the overall feel of the movie, rather it gives Sully a unique aesthetic separating it from other biopics.

            Beyond its spectacular performances, stand out cinematography, and impeccable direction, Sully is truthful. I have listened to the CVR recordings from the cockpit of Flight 1549, and they are verbatim to the dialogue in this film. The main reason Sully is founded in the reality of the events, is because Captain Sullenberger himself was heavily involved in the making of the film. He wrote the autobiography the screenplay is based on, and he was a consultant with Tom Hanks and Clint Eastwood. When a biopic is written about someone who is still alive and they want to be directly involved in the making of the film, the results are worth cherishing. In an interview with CBS This Morning Sullenberger stated “What I really wanted this film to have was a real undercurrent of the importance of our common humanity, and I think it’s there.”

Verdict: Sully features tremendous performances, an impactful screenplay complemented by Clint Eastwood’s brilliant vision, and it's founded in reality and our common humanity.

"What if I forget you?" Finding Dory Review

Finding Dory
2.5/5
Directed By: Andrew Stanton,
Angus MacLane
Rated PG

            In 2003 Pixar released a little movie about one lost fish in the big sea, Finding Nemo. Thirteen years later, they return once again to the deep blue to tell another fish tale. Our protagonist will face monsters, peril, and crowded highways. The sad part is she won't remember a thing. 
            Finding Dory is a story of heart, full of emotional moments and some great laughs too. It's about the importance of family, and how far someone will go to learn where they came from. Regrettably though, this story's progression is often interrupted by Dory's next ridiculous escapade. Throughout the movie, Dory keeps finding herself in more trouble and danger which seems like it would raise the stakes of her adventure. These scenes of increasing danger continuously distract from the main story, instead of building up the action. The constant stopping and going in this movie's narrative makes watching it a chore.
            Visually, Finding Dory is gorgeous. Every color pops out on screen, and colors are carefully chosen giving each moment it's own look and feel. The scenery is full of vitality, due to the lively crowds of both people and fish inhabiting it. Every fish in a school has their own individual look separating them from everyone else. They not only look great by animation standards, but also by Pixar's standards. Clearly the animators put extra care into the details of every character design.
           The characters themselves are another story. Dory, the once free spirited blue tang, has become a run of the mill leading buffoon. Her memory loss isn’t as endearing as before, and it repeatedly lands her in increasing danger. She does manage to save herself every time, but it gets to a point where the only reason she’s still alive is blind luck. It’s hard to root for her, when I kept thinking, “What are you doing? Don’t go there! You’ll die!” Accompanying her is an Octopus named Hank. He tags along with her for his own purposes. She has what he wants, and he can get her what she wants. Curiously enough, Hank does get Dory what she wants, but then Dory takes Hank away from what he wants. She justifies it, but it still seems rather rude, coming from the former tenderhearted character. 

            There are also plenty of other new characters in this movie, too many. They all enter the story as welcomed newcomers with their own quirks and personal problems. As the movie progresses, it’s obvious they’re only in this film to save Dory from her own brought on danger. For every mess Dory gets herself in, there's a new character waiting in the wings to help her out. It’s a tiresome and predictable cycle, which has yielded a plethora of forgetful fish.

            Finding Dory is okay. It’s definitely not Pixar’s best work. It's a decent story with some laughs and heartbreak, but it's not one worth remembering.

Verdict: Finding Dory is a decent movie with a strong emotional center, and stunning visuals, but only a few laughs, and many forgetful characters. 

"One Bad Day" Batman: The Killing Joke Review

Batman: The Killing Joke
1.5/5
Directed by Sam Liu

Rated: R 

There are many mediums through which someone can tell a story. One of the most gripping mediums are graphic novels, and no other series has a library of compelling stories as Batman. My personal favorite Batman stories are “A Death in the Family”, “Knight Fall”, “Under the Hood”, and the controversial and shocking “The Killing Joke”, written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Brian Bolland. Published in 1988, this 42 page one shot rapidly rose on the New York Times' Best Seller list, and is heralded by fans across the globe as the greatest Joker story ever told.

            It's understandable why DC would make it into a movie, and the stars aligned for them. Bruce Timm, head animator of the show, was the producer. The voice actors from the animated series reprise their roles. Mark Hamill came out of Joker retirement just to make this movie. It seemed the universe lined up perfectly to make this the greatest Batman movie.

            For the most part, the universe was right. This film is an accurate and somewhat faithful interpretation of Moore and Bolland’s work. There are moments when the screenplay is verbatim to Moore's script, and a number of frames are reminiscent of Bolland's artwork. 

           This is not true of the entire film. Artistic liberties were taken, as is the case with most adapted films. These liberties, however, do not improve, or build upon the original story. What they do is downgrade it.

            One of these major changes is the inclusion of a prologue centered around Batgirl. Being one of the most pivotal characters in “The Killing Joke”, DC added a prologue to make her a strong-willed feminine protagonist. However, it completely backfires, and makes her a victim of her own foolish choices. In a story revolving around “life and all its random injustice”, it’s detrimental if any act of cruelty appears as poetic justice.

            When the main story finally begins, it speeds along to its ending. Even the characters rush themselves. Instead of methodical discretion, they deliver lines with overemphasized franticness. This action packed and hysteric pacing ruins the script's sinister intent. "The Killing Joke" is a slow haunting tale, filling readers with fear of what inevitably awaits on the next page. It’s not a big loud blockbuster, grabbing audience's by the ears and dragging them along at break neck speed.

            Accompanying this movie’s poor storytelling is lackluster hand drawn animation. It's simplistic, lending no passion or terror to its characters. Concerning the Joker, his appearance in previous movies is psychotic, volatile, and demented. His appearance in this is plain, unenthusiastic, and benign. It belittles the dramatic contrast between his dark and cruel mind and the human he once was.

            The mundane animation is blaring and obvious due to the average cinematography. It treats the first time Joker laughs, an integral moment, with idle callousness. The color is drained, and the Joker’s body vanishes into the background. Instead of showing the Joker from several different angles, it simply zooms in on him. This is the bare minimum of what DC can do. It’s shameful how little effort is shown in this film, especially when compared with Bolland's realism and grit.

            Batman: The Killing Joke depreciates what made the comic great. The new content is unfulfilling. The frantic pacing rips through the story's greatest moments. The animation is bland. Worse of all, it could’ve been better. "The Killing Joke" is an iconic and timeless tale readers come back to again and again. This movie is a commonplace and forgetful adaptation I have no desire to watch again.

Verdict: Batman: the Killing Joke is an uninspired paint by numbers retelling of a great Batman story, and it’s sad how it could have easily been a memorable and palpable adaptation.  

"This is probably not how you Thought the Story would Start.”

Thoughts on Batman: the Killing Joke's Prologue

SPOILERS

I was writing my review of Batman: The Killing Joke, and I realized I had a good amount of personal thoughts on this film’s prologue. I decided to post them separately.

“The Killing Joke” is a short 42 page graphic novel, so it makes sense why producer Bruce Timm would want to add on to the story. Instead of filling out the main story of the comic, he added a whole new story in the form of a prologue. Well, this prologue is boring...and weird. 

From the get go this movie let me know it will not be like the comics. Batgirl opens up the whole film saying “I realize this is probably not how you thought the story would start.” You’re darn tootin’! I thought I would begin a story about Batman and the Joker with either one of them, but the reason why the filmmakers added this new prologue is to showcase Batgirl as a strong willed and capable female protagonist. They did this by pinning Batgirl against her new archenemy, Paris Franz. Yes. That is his real name. No. He’s not in the comics.

Paris Franz goads Batgirl on by cat calling her, and basically getting inside her head. After the third night of Paris' schmoozing, Batman suspects Batgirl might be unfit for this case. Batgirl however ignores her mentor’s words, and ends up getting cornered in Paris’ trap. Batman saves her, and then firmly tells her she is off the case. Batgirl yells at Batman for keeping a leash on her, proceeds to furiously beat him up, kisses him, and then they have sex. WHAT!!!

Where did this come from? This scene doesn't move the plot along in anyway! It makes no sense why it's in this Batman movie! First off, this “possible relationship” between Batman and Batgirl is never hinted at in the comics. It was only subtly referenced one time in “Batman Beyond”. Second, Batman and Batgirl’s actual relationship has always been similar to a father and a daughter. The only place I would even suspect they are lovers is in fan fiction. Third, this scene doesn't show Batgirl as a strong feminine protagonist. It shows her as a weak female who uses her body to get what she wants. Fourth, this has nothing to do with the Joker. It’s his movie. His name is practically in the title. Why isn’t he the Paris Franz guy? Why couldn’t he have been the one to goad on Batgirl? At least then this scene would have had some validity being in this movie, but no. Batman and Batgirl “get it on” in a licensed DC animated movie, and I was stupid enough to watch this garbage.

So after that happens, Batgirl’s ignored by Batman, eventually kicks the crap out of Paris Franz, and then quits being Batgirl, because she needs some time off to clear her head. Then the movie just goes to Batman’s perspective, as if the first 28 minutes didn't matter, and nothing could be truer.
            This prologue doesn't build up anything that happens in this movie's main story. It takes away from the main story, by making what happens to Batgirl seem more like poetic justice than random cruelty. This dramatically changes the message this palpable story could have told. The only reason this prologue is here is to make Batgirl look like a strong female protagonist, and that drastically backfires.

Batman the Killing Joke's prologue is entirely unwarranted, absolutely boring, morally degrading, detracts from the main story, and has added a new awful dimension to Batgirl's character.

"Would that it t'were so Simple." Hail, Caesar Review

Hail, Caesar
2/5 Stars

Written and Directed by: Joel and Ethan Coen

Rated: PG-13

Hollywood. 1950 AD. Capitol Pictures is shooting four new movies, and their most expensive epic to date, Hail, Caesar. The Biblical epic’s main star, Baird Whitlock (Clooney), has been kidnapped, and only one man has enough ransom money to save him, Eddie Mannix (Brolin) head executive of Capitol Pictures. He's going to have to save his new epic, keep his fellow comrades in line, and overcome all of the daily challenges of being a Hollywood executive.

I've been looking forward to this film all year. Because the Coen brothers wrote and directed one of my favorite movies, O' Brother where art Thou, a 1930's period piece, I was excited when I heard the Coen brothers were making a 1950's period piece . I'm happy to say my first impression of Hail, Caesar is it’s a stupendous movie that excels in many aspects. Unfortunately halfway through it became a decent movie by bogging itself down in these same aspects.

First off Hail, Caesar boast of having an extensive all star cast, featuring George Clooney, Alden Ehrenreich, Ralph Fiennes, Scarlet Johansson, Channing Tatum, and Jonah Hill. The biggest problem with having so many big stars in one film is each of them only has one good scene. The next time they appear they’re practically cameos. The film also wants to follow as many of their stories as possible, and it loses sight of who its main protagonist is. Instead of picking a protagonist it adopts three of them.

Another aspect that was bogged down is the look and feel of this film. It is so jilted it removed me from my viewing experience. While the cinematography gives Hail, Caesar its own personality, after an hour of watching the same off-putting shots with the same orange hue in all of them I no longer suspended my disbelief. What’s more the cinematography used in the 1950’s movies is the same as the rest of the film, so none of the movies in Hail, Caesar look like 1950’s motion pictures. This takes the film away from being a period piece, and turns it into a caricature of what the Coen brothers wish the 1950’s looked like.

Even the screenplay suffers in Hail, Caesar. At the beginning of the film it hooks the audience in with the simple concept of illustrating the day in the life of a big Hollywood executive in the 1950’s. By the end of the film it’s following half a dozen characters and becomes a philosophical noir thriller, two romantic comedies, and a cold war spy film. On top of that, the ending feels disconnected from the rest of the story and it left a bad aftertaste in my mouth. I will probably never watch this film again.

Verdict: The Coen brother’s Hail, Caesar is a lack luster film that suffers from having too many characters, an overabundance of off-putting shots, a screenplay with an identity crisis, and a tacked on ending message that spoils the rest of the film.

"There is no Review" Thoughts on The Matrix

Directed by: The Wachowski Brothers

SPOILERS

The Matrix 5/5
            It’s been 17 years since this master class of a film was released in cinemas everywhere, and I only just watched it for the first time this month. I’ve no idea how, but I managed to avoid any and all things Matrix for the last 17 years, and it was definitely worth the wait.

          The screenplay for this film is phenomenal. It has an incredible opening, a mind blowing second act, and an awesome finale. The concept of the matrix (every human on Earth is plugged into one computer) is brilliant grounds for a movie. When the characters spoke about this unreality, my ears were wide open and eagerly awaiting their words.
           The main casts of characters do an excellent job portraying each of their archetypes. Neo is the main hero "the One", Morpheus is the wise teacher who leads him down the path to freedom, Trinity is a disciple of Morpheus and Neo’s lover, and Agent Smith is an astonishingly formidable adversary.
           The scope and feel of this film is incredible. Every frame looks like it was lifted straight out of an award winning comic book with shots and the angles used to elevate its characters to surreal heights. One interesting aspect of the film is that every scene in the matrix is tinted green, and every scene in the real world is tinted blue. It's a great contrast that allows the two worlds to play off of each other, and let's the audience bounce back and forth freely between the two.
           Ever hear someone say a film “pushed the envelope of special effects”, well The Matrix says, “there is no envelope”. Anything is possible in The Matrix. Humans fly through the air, rooftops are leapt in a single stride, cameras move faster than bullets, and the computer-generated world I was watching felt as life like as the screen I was watching it on.
           All the stunts are fast paced and 100% “grab the edge of your seat” worthy. Every punch thrown, every bullet fired, every blow dealt has impact, drive, and a coolness factor as big as Neo’s shades. Since the film allows its audience to doubt the possibility of these stunts, I never bothered to disbelieve them. I just let my jaw drop as my eyes filled with the Wachowski’s world of the unreal.
           I’ve seen The Matrix seven times now, and the fourth time I watched it was after I bought it.

The Matrix Reloaded 0.5/5

           I got swept up in the Matrix phenomenon. It was inevitable. After watching the trailers for the sequels, I decided it wouldn't be a bad idea to watch them. I regret this decision.
           The story of The Matrix Reloaded lacks intrigue, enjoyment, and simple continuity (the humans take physical objects outside of the matrix and it's never explained how). On top of that there are very unsettling and altogether odd sexual undertones in this movie, which serve no purpose. The movie would be fine without them (better off even). The most prominent shortcoming in The Matrix Reloaded is its lack luster screenplay. It felt like whenever the writers didn't know how to progress the plot, they stopped to write a long winded and half baked philosophical speech until they decided where to toss their characters next. All the new characters are bland and flat, and all the returning characters have lost the depth they had from the first film. Most stories have a beginning a middle and an end. This movie is all middle, because next to nothing happens in it. Halfway through viewing this disaster I thought to myself “I must get out of here! I must get free!”
           The action in this film is boring, though there were two scenes that I thought were okay at best. The first one being Neo’s fight with a legion of Agent Smiths. It’s a cool premise for a fight, because it pins our hero against a literal army of one. Neo takes down each one of the Smiths as if they're made of rubber (or CGI), and in the end he flies away. He could have done that anytime, though. The other scene was the ending battle in a three-part highway chase scene. Morpheus fights an agent on top of a truck using nothing but a katana and his fists. The scuffle ends when the truck explodes in a head on bullet time collision, and Neo flies in to save Morpheus. If Neo arrived sooner, the chase scene would not have gone on for so long. Both scenes do nothing to progress the plot and they could have ended much earlier without changing a thing in the screenplay. They're both interesting to look at, but utterly meaningless.
           Lastly “I hate The Architect!” His lines make no sense; it’s actually infuriating to try and make sense of them. He has no purpose being in this film or this franchise. He's a boring character to listen to, and his ramblings bring whatever momentum this movie's climax might've had to a dead halt. If he wasn't in this movie nothing would have changed, which is why his presence is so aggravating.
           The Matrix Reloaded is awful. This sequel made the franchise fall from grace faster than Neo did in the jump program. I bet it screamed all the way down too.

The Matrix Revolutions 2.5/5

            This one’s better. Not by much, but it is better. It foregoes its immediate predecessor’s forcibly thought provoking waste of a story-line in favor having an all out special effects battle to the bitter end.
           The Matrix Revolutions is the ultimate climax of the entire series. It has flaws but it always maintained enough focus in order to see this franchise through. The screenplay dragged it's feet a couple of times (Trinity, die already), but it did manage to carry itself through all the way to its respective conclusion.
           The action scenes felt like they were cool. Most of them featured giant robot mech suits fighting an onslaught of machines. As the battle progressed, I couldn’t help but think, “there must be a better way to fight these machines than in these suits”, but then again the first film told me the EMP was the only weapon the humans had against the machines, so the lack of effectiveness makes sense. Either way it was cool watching these machines clash in their bloody battle.
           The final fight of this franchise is Neo vs. Agent Smith in the rain while a large choir sings. It was a bit of a let down to not see all of the Agent Smith’s fight (considering he assimilated every single person and program in the matrix), but it was refreshing to see these two fight in hand to hand combat. One of the coolest visual effects elements was that every time Agent Smith and Neo would fly and crash into each other the force of their impact would blast away all of the rain surrounding them in to a massive water sphere. Overall I thought the fight was decent.
           Their battle interestingly enough ends with Neo being assimilated by Agent Smith, and then all the Agent Smiths explode. The film ends showing all of the programs living happily in the new matrix. There are no humans present, so it makes me wonder if Neo actually saved the people from the matrix or if he killed all of them when he made all the Smiths explode. The film never answers this question, and before I had time to ponder this possible tragic ending, the credits rolled.
           And so The Matrix (shouldn’t really have been a) trilogy comes to its slightly epic conclusion. Needless to say, I liked this film. It’s not a good film, but I liked watching it in the same way I liked watching “Spider-Man 3”. If a film is outlandish and over the top enough, then some enjoyment can be found in it.
           Even the absolute most terrible parts of "The Matrix Revolutions" are better than all of "The Matrix Reloaded", because ridiculousness is more enjoyable than pointlessness, however both pf these films are a waste of time compared to their superior original. More or less, I'm glad this whole thing's over.

 

"Impossible Treasures" Princess Kaguya Review

The Tale of Princess Kaguya

2.5/5

Rated PG

Directed by: Isao Takahata

            Studio Ghibli, makers of Spirited Away, Castle in the Sky, and My Neighbor Totoro, present their 19^th feature length film, The Tale of Princess Kaguya.

            This film is beautiful. Every painted frame of this film was clearly drawn with careful craftsmanship and precision. There were moments throughout the film when all I wanted to do was stare at my screen in awe. The look and feel of the film is enhanced by its lively ambience and tranquil music. All of these elements flow together, and give the film such breathtaking aesthetics.

            There’s not much past its beauty. Beyond those gorgeous frames and organic hues lies a lot of nothing, at least, nothing of interest. The story was not engaging enough for me to truly care about the Princess’ fate, and it dragged on for too long. looking back on the film certain moments that didn't feel meaningless when I was watching them now feel hollow and empty. The film is like a silkscreen painting. If you try to touch it, pull it, or make it more than that painting you’ll rip it in two and then you won’t have its beauty to look at. The best way to appreciate it is to stand back from a distance and just look at it as a silkscreen painting, nothing more.

After watching the film I found the fairy tale that this movie is based on, which revealed key character motivations, the importance of the locations, and a better understanding of the unspoken customs. Since this movie was made in Japan, where most people know the fairy tale by heart, there's no reason to restate what seems obvious. Though, it would have been very helpful knowledge for foreign film goers, like myself. Since the writers spent an extra five minutes looking at bamboo, couldn’t they spend a few seconds giving a better explanation for stuff than “that’s just the way it is”?

This film has a very narrow and select audience. The person who would find the most enjoyment in this film would be someone who likes long epics with few locations, elegant hand painted animations, slow methodical pacing, whimsical fairy tales, and depressing tearjerkers. I do not fit in all of these categories, so I was not wowed by this film. I'm glad I watched it, but I can't help thinking I could have done something better with that time.

Verdict: If you like finely crafted Japanese animation, then you should add this to your list. If not, then you're better off either watching clips, or just ignoring this one.