The Night Before

Directed by : Jonathan Levine  
Written by : Jonathan Levine, Kyle Hunter, Ariel Shaffir,  Evan Goldberg  
Starring : Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, Anthony Mackie, Michael Shannon, Jillian Bell, Mindy Kaling, Lizzy Caplan  
Release Date : November 20, 2015  

If you were going to combine the sensibilities of "the Hangover" movie, but have it set in Christmas, then you might just get "The Night Before." This is a movie that is going for the goal of showing us the craziest and most outrageous Christmas Eve ever, but still produce some kind of Holiday message to learn from. So expect jokes and comedic scenes involving drinking, drugs, sex, rudeness, and just people making fools of themselves, as well as scenes of friendship, family, acceptance, and love. 

As with many comedies, the jokes were very hit or miss in this one. Some were just too obvious and fell flat, while others were just fine and will at least elicit a chuckle or an approving smile. Not many of the jokes were really hilarious enough to be laugh out loud funny. Part of the problem is that at times the movie felt like it was trying too hard to be outrageously shocking. It was too self aware of what it's trying to achieve as a movie, that it was easy to see that some of the scenes and humor were just blatant pandering to the audience. 

There are three plot scenarios in the story, with each one following one of the three primary characters; Ethan, Isaac, and Chris. Out of the three story arcs to follow, I liked Isaac's the most, and it's because Seth Rogen plays the drugged out character so well. That and his story gave me the most laughs out of all of them. There are also cameo appearances by certain comedians, actors, and even a singer, that were suppose to energize the movie even more by their surprise additions. I would say that each cameo appearance did in fact do just that, and were welcome to see on screen. 

Although "The Night Before" is the kind of movie that may get a cult fanbase, it still doesn't really justify itself as a new Christmas classic. I was more or less entertained by the movie either way, but I don't really see myself revisiting it anytime soon. 

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The 33

The true story about 33 Chilean miners trapped under more than 2000 feet below ground is a fascinating story that captivated the whole world for months when it happened. The question here is can "The 33" captivate us as well, with this film adaptation of the book "Deep Down Dark" by Hector Tobar; which tells the untold stories of the men buried in that Chilean mine? 

Director Patricia Riggen does a good enough job in showcasing the drama about how desperate the situation is for these trapped men, the family waiting for them, and the people trying to help. Of course with this huge cast, the story can only really focus on certain primary characters. Like Antonio Banderas as the man who helps keep the group together, and Rodrigo Santoro as the government man who has to fight through red tape just to help. 

The problem is that the desperate situation only lasts about half the movie, as the second half starts showing the promising progression of the rescue. As soon as it seems like the men are on the way to being rescued, all the tension is almost completely alleviated. The back stories of the characters can only carry the movie so much, and it ends up being a simple straightforward story about a tragedy becoming a reaffirmation of hope and life. 

I can't really fault "The 33" for meeting the minimum expectation of how to tell this story. It's still a captivating true tale, and I do appreciate the message of the story. I'll just have to live with the fact that it's just trapped in the simplicity of it's presentation as a movie. 

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Suffragette

Directed by : Sarah Gavron  
Written by : Abi Morgan  
Starring : Carey Mulligan, Anne-Marie Duff, Helena Bonham Carter, Brendan Gleeson, Ben Whishaw  
Release Date : October 12, 2015  

As is usually the case with movies about civil rights, there's a certain formula that it tends to follow. "Suffragette" is no exception. You've got the ordinary every person who becomes an important component of a clearly righteous movement. You've got the oppressive group of people that are clearly in the wrong. You've got the extreme situations that demonstrates how desperate of a situation the people are in. Basically, the theme is very black and white in this movie, with just a little bit of grey. 

The one-sided theme of the movie can be excused just based on what the fictionalized story is about, even though it includes actual historical events. Besides all the historical facts, this movie is really about Maud Watts; as played by Carey Mulligan. The plot is about her struggles living in a world ruled by Men, and how she gets motivated to do something about it by joining the Suffragettes. The story moves at a good pace, and does a good job in showing the suffragettes' state of mind and their dedication to their cause. 

Besides the biased theme and historical relevance, the real reason to see this movie is because of Carey Mulligan. She is really good in this, and she is that protagonist that you can easily get behind. You see her journey from her timid beginnings, to her growing into a soldier for the cause she commits herself to. All in the backdrop of her struggles with her family and place of work. Mulligan gives it her all here, and she particularly has some great scenes with Ben Whishaw's and Brendan Gleeson's characters. 

Although there's an importance and even modern relevance to "Suffragette," the simplicity and the formulaic nature of the story doesn't necessarily make the experience of watching this movie stand out more than it probably wishes it does. It's just a solid but average drama. 

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The Peanuts Movie

Directed by : Steve Martino  
Written by : Bryan Schulz, Craig Schulz, Cornelius Uliano  
Starring : Noah Schnapp, Bill Melendez, Hadley Belle Miller, Mariel Sheets, Rebecca Bloom  
Release Date : November 5, 2015  

This is a story about Charlie Brown; the perennial underdog, and his dog Snoopy. "The Peanuts Movie" dedicates the majority of the screen time between the two characters. We've got the classic story of Charlie Brown attempting to be a winner in his young life for a change, and we've got Snoopy acting like the talented dog that he is going on his daydreaming adventures fighting the Red Baron. It's an animated movie that I went in with little fanfare, but I ended up absolutely loving it. 

As a loving tribute to Charles Schulz' creations, this adaptation is not some kind of attempt to modernize the Peanuts gang, and it's the better for it. There's a certain charm to the innocent style in tone and the lighthearted simplicity of it's sense of humor that I really appreciated. From a kite-eating tree, a dog writing a story on a typewriter, to a little girl pretending to be a psychiatrist, there's a lot of silly fun that is found on this animated film. Those go along well with situations a child could relate to, like school tests, a talent competition, to the new kid in school. 

There are two things that I really liked with this movie. The first thing is that I thought the way they combined the CGI animation with the 2D styling of the original comic strips and cartoons, was done exceptionally well. Exceptionally well! The second thing is the most important aspect of the movie, Charlie Brown himself. There's something very effective about rooting for this unlikely winner who is just trying to feel appreciated among his peer group, without compromising his core personality of being a goodhearted kid. 

For the longest time when it came to The Peanuts, I've always only really focused on Snoopy, but "The Peanuts Movie" honestly made me appreciate this much loved comic strip series in a whole different but highly positive light. I loved this movie and highly recommend it. 

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Spectre

Directed by : Sam Mendes  
Written by : John Logan, Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, Jez Butterworth  
Starring : Daniel Craig, Léa Seydoux, Christoph Waltz, Ben Whishaw, Ralph Fiennes, Dave Bautista, 
Release Date : October 26, 2015  

If there's one thing "Spectre" really got correctly, it's the ominous tone that emphasized how dangerous this criminal organization is that James Bond is after. There's a building tension that permeates throughout, to the point where I could believe that Bond may have finally met his match this time. With that said, it's still a James bond movie, and that apparently takes precedence. So expect a bunch of lengthy chase sequences, convenient lucky escapes, and women who fall in love with Bond for no logical reason than because that's apparently what's suppose to happen. 

By this point, Daniel Craig is starting to show a little bit of the same old same old routine in how he portrays James Bond. Very straightforward, and nothing too exciting. While Craig is the most prominent actor in this movie, I thought it was the supporting cast that made this film worth watching. Ben Whishaw as Q is great, Ralph Fiennes is fantastic as M, and Christoph Waltz is able to entertainingly ham it up as the mysterious main villain. 

This movie actually has a very simple plot, despite the fact that it technically has this intricate story. I'm not sure the story truly justifies it's long running time though. For the most part, it's because there are multiple and distinct set-pieces that needed to happen, from this sequence in Mexico that was shot in one take, the many different chase and escape sequences, a fight in a train, to the several scenes that involve Daniel Craig's and Christoph Waltz's characters together. Those are some fun things to watch, so I actually didn't mind that it took it's time. 

It'll be easy for me to say that "Spectre" is not exactly a great James Bond movie, but I can't say that I didn't enjoy it. Even though I had issues with it, the movie successfully kept my attention throughout, and has many beautifully shot scenes to admire. 

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Scouts Guide To The Zombie Apocalypse

Directed by : Christopher Landon  
Written by : Emi Mochizuki, Carrie Lee Wilson, Christopher Landon, Lona Williams,  
Starring : Tye Sheridan, Logan Miller, Joey Morgan, Sarah Dumont,  
Release Date : October 23, 2015  

If you are looking for a zombie themed movie that is done in a comedic way, then there are better alternatives to "Scouts Guide To The Zombie Apocalypse." If you are looking for a zombie themed movie that has some sex, some nudity, and some gratuitous violence, then by all means check this out. It's no where close to being remotely near a list of the best zombie movies around, but there's some entertainment to be found. 

There are a lot of idiotic and illogical things that happen in this movie, that it felt like it was actually insulting my intelligence. A lot of the ideas simply felt half-baked, and seemed to even defy it's own established rules. Of course that's neither here nor there, because I think the filmmakers didn't really care, and were doing things here just for the fun of it. They weren't wrong in thinking that. 

Despite the glaring issues with this film, I did find many things I enjoyed. The familiar story tropes and character archtypes here didn't bother me, because I thought they actually had a great ensemble cast here. Some of the set-pieces were also very entertaining to watch, from scenes involving a trampoline, cats, and everything involving David Koechner and Cloris Leachman. I also greatly enjoyed the gory specials effects that were shown, from torsos caving in, to heads exploding. A lot of that were spectacularly done. 

"Scouts Guide To The Zombie Apocalypse" had it's heart in the right place in trying to make a low-rent and non-serious fun Zombie movie. A lot of the jokes may have fallen flat, and the jump scares are too telegraphed, but where else are you going to see a movie where a Zombie sings a Britney Spears song? 

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Burnt

Directed by : John Wells  
Written by : Steven Knight, Michael Kalesniko  
Starring : Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller, Daniel Brühl  
Release Date : October 22, 2015  

If you haven't noticed by now, there is a "Food genre" in movies, and it's usually focused on the chef, the cooking, and how delicious all the food look. Most of these kinds of movies unfortunately follow a relatively predictable premise and plot progression, that it becomes hard for them to stand out. With "Burnt," that's exactly it's problem, it doesn't go beyond what is expected. 

This is a cliche filled story, and many of the familiar tropes are present here. It's got scenes showing the Chef throwing a tantrum, the montage sequences of cooking something brilliant, the lowly kitchen cook that becomes a great chef, to the moral life lesson that is learned by the end of the movie. You pretty much get what you expect from this, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. I will admit that there was even one plot point that pleasantly caught me by surprise. 

It's a good thing this stars Bradley Cooper, because he is a charming actor that is able to carry the movie. Some of the dialogue are particularly entertaining to listen to, and I liked the relationship Cooper's character had with Daniel Bruhl's character; who was also really good in this. The actors aren't enough to completely elevate this movie beyond it's own limitations however, but they arguably saved it from being a completely horrible film. 

While "Burnt" is otherwise a relatively forgetful film, it still has some merit to justify seeing it. Even though the first half of the movie was over cooked (pun intended), the second half thankfully found it's proper groove in time to make a decent enough overall experience. 

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Room

Directed by : Lenny Abrahamson  
Written by : Emma Donoghue  
Starring : Jacob Tremblay, Brie Larson, Joan Allen,  
Release Date : October 16, 2015  

"ROOM" is equally a very heartbreaking and sad story, as it is an inspiring and enlightening tale. A story told in two halves, with the first one about being held captive for seven years trying to live a full life in the isolation of a single room, and the second part covers how isolated it can still be to live in an unfamiliar world after the escape. It's a tragic dramatic story that writer Emma Donoghue was able to to bring to life on screen in adapting her own novel of the same name.

The primary focus of the story is not necessarily about the captivity, but about the young boy that lived all five years of his life believing that Room is the whole world, and then suddenly living in the much bigger outside world. Jacob Tremblay is simply amazing in his role as Jack, and does a great job bringing out that innocent perspective to what could only be described as a difficult and complicated situation. Just observing his point of view on everyday objects in Room and in the outside world is just fascinating to see. 

Brie Larson does good work playing Joy; Jack's Mom, especially since the mother-son relationship is a very important and emotional part of the story. The tragedy of Joy losing years of her life in a room, while the whole world pretty much moved on without her, is reflected well through Brie Larson's acting. Just the whole theme about that is very thought provoking, but it's also an important counter perspective to the world when compared to Jack's point of view. 

There's a lot that I liked about "Room," and a lot of it has to do with the cast, most especially Jacob Tremblay. The gloominess that surrounds the story, is nicely contrasted by the innocent viewpoint that Jack brings to the movie. 

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Goosebumps

Directed by : Rob Letterman  
Written by : Darren Lemke, Scott Alexander, Larry Karaszewski  
Starring : Dylan Minnette, Odeya Rush, Jack Black, Ryan Lee  
Release Date : October 14, 2015  

This movie plays off like a nice tribute to the popular series of books by R.L. Stine, and also kinda acts like an actual Goosebumps story itself. There are several monster characters that show up, and they are all entertaining to watch, even if several of the CG work isn't always the best. While there are monsters shown here, short of some jump scares the movie isn't really scary and is appropriately enough very kid friendly. It's fun for everyone. 

Although the story doesn't really break new ground, and isn't anything you haven't seen before, it still manages to be a very enjoyable movie to watch, that even has memorable scenes and story arcs. There are admittedly plot elements, story conveniences, and loose ends, that dares to challenge applying any logic to them. That's all besides the point though, as this is just all for fun and entertainment. It's about saving a town from monsters that escaped from books. What more is there to ask for?  

Part of what makes this movie fun are the actors. Jack Black plays Jack Black really well, and in this case, it's as R.L. Stine. Dylan Minnette plays our cypher of a character, Odeya Rush plays the girl next door with a sense of humor and adventure, and Ryan Lee plays the clumsy comic relief side-kick to the group. Even Amy Ryan and Jillian Bell as the Mom and Aunt respectively, gets to also do some fun comedic moments. 

"Goosebumps" may not be a perfect movie, or a great film, but it's smart enough to understand what it needs to be. A fun harmless live-action adventure that is good for the whole family. 

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The Assassin

Directed by : Hsiao-Hsien Hou  
Written by : Cheng Ah, T'ien-wen Chu, Hsiao-Hsien Hou, Hai-Meng Hsieh  
Starring : Qi Shu, Chen Chang, Yun Zhou, Hsin-Ying Hsieh,   
Release Date : August 27, 2015  

I don't think it can be disputed that "The Assassin" is a very beautiful movie to watch. There are a lot of pretty and gorgeous scenes set in nature and inside homes, filled with characters wearing fantastic costumes from that era, that are all framed just perfectly, with a sound design that transports the viewers into the world inside the movie. The visuals amazingly demonstrates what could intricately be captured on film, and it is to be lauded. The issue that a lot of people will likely have is that the movie focuses on that aspect a little too much. But that's to be expected from visionary film maker Hou Hsiao-Hsien. 

Although there are action sequences in this; albeit very few and brief, this is not yet another typical martial arts film. This is for lack of a better term, an art film. The pacing is very very very slow, to the point that many scenes can be hypnotizing to watch, like staring outside a window for one or two whole minutes, and doing nothing. It's common here to find a lengthy scene that just shows people preparing a hot bath, or a lengthy scene that just shows characters walking away into the distance, or another lengthy scene of someone sitting down lost in thought. Tons of lingering scenes that will test your patience. 

If you're looking for a traditionally told narrative, you're not going to get that here. The premise is honestly very interesting though, filled with political intrigue, a Shakespearean romantic angle, and philosophical conflicts. However, this film doesn't care to hold your hand through the story, and kinda expects you to figure it out for yourself. The characters themselves; who were played well enough by the cast, also felt underdeveloped, but that's only because the underlying depth isn't designed to be obviously apparent. 

Needless to say "The Assassin" is absolutely not for everybody. It demands absolute patience and an assumed understanding of the culture and story of what the film is about. One could argue that it's a very meditative and calming movie to watch. One could also argue that it's just like watching a screen saver. 

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