In The Heart Of The Sea

Directed by : Ron Howard  
Written by : Charles Leavitt, Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver  
Starring : Chris Hemsworth, Benjamin Walker, Tom Holland, Brendan Gleeson, Ben Whishaw  
Release Date : December 03, 2015  

"In The Heart Of The Sea" is the story of the true events that inspired the book "Moby Dick." That in itself makes this an interesting movie to watch, especially for people who weren't already familiar with the tragic tale of the Whaling Ship "Essex." Set around 1820, killing whales for their oil was a profitable, but dangerous, and cruel occupation. This movie makes all the attempt to drive home that point. 

Although the story itself is fascinating, this movie seemed much more interested in translating the experience of what it's like being out in the ocean for over a year and a half. Director Ron Howard even opted to have some interesting camera angles littered throughout the movie, that are meant to give us the perspective of being there. The visuals are definitely a highlight of this film, and the "demon whale" is quite the sight to see. 

Story wise, there are three primary themes being explored here. From men trying to prove their worth in their occupation of choice, pride and stubbornness, the things people do to survive, as well as the argument about man vs nature. Besides all that, the movie could have also been called "a series of unfortunate tragedies," to properly describe what the majority of the scenes are. 

If there's a main complaint that I could give to "In The Heart Of The Sea," is that it introduces a lot of plot threads that are never fully explored. Other than that, seeing this film can be quite the experience, plus Hemsworth and Walker are great to watch here. 

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Brooklyn

Directed by : John Crowley  
Written by : Nick Hornby  
Starring : Saoirse Ronan, Emory Cohen, Julie Walters, Domhnall Gleeson, Jim Broadbent  
Release Date : November 4, 2015  

Okay, there's no denying that the premise for "Brooklyn" is very simple and is generally predictable, with some very familiar plot tropes that you've seen in other movies. However, this still turned out to be a very authentic feeling, beautiful to look at, and very charming story that hooked me right from the beginning until the very end. This movie is classic film-making of very relatable tales, that is directed so well by John Crowley. 

A huge reason to why this movie is great is because of the cast of actors playing some very likable characters. This film has talent like Julie Walters and Jim Broadbent, and even though they only have supporting roles, they are always a welcome sight to see on screen. The true star of this movie and the one that is arguably the sole reason to see this is Saoirse Ronan as Eilis. She is absolutely mesmerizing to watch on screen, and makes it absolutely easy to empathize with her character's life adventure. 

There are a lot of relatable themes in this movie, from home sickness, that sense of being an outsider, and yes, there is also a  romantic plot thread as well. Emory Cohen as Eilis' Italian suitor who likes Irish girls is absolutely charming in this, and is able to hold his own against Ronan's powerful screen presence. Their relationship is a huge part of the movie, but then it has to of course toss in a curve ball of having Eilis go back to her home country of Ireland, and faces the predicament of deciding whether she should or shouldn't go back to the United States. 

Like I said earlier, "Brooklyn" is a simple movie that just has a story that is told really well. Really well. Either way, watch it for Saoirse Ronan. It's just too easy to fall in love with her. 

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Krampus

Directed by : Michael Dougherty  
Written by : Todd Casey, Michael Dougherty, Zach Shields  
Starring : Adam Scott, David Koechner, Toni Collette, Allison Tolman, Emjay Anthony, Krista Stadler  
Release Date : December 2, 2015  

I'm a little torn about this movie. There isn't a lot of films revolving around the legend of Krampus, so I appreciated that. At the same time, it borrows a little too much on the conventional horror movie tropes, that it also feels like it's a seen-that-before affair. Simply put, there are things I really like and things I didn't like about this movie. 

Let's go with those positives. The creature work here is fantastic! From Krampus himself to his demonic looking minions are all great to look at; in that horror movie kinda way. A lot of the scenes involving those monsters were also done really well, with some particular memorable moments that were fun to see play out. There is also a flashback sequence that I thought was the highlight of the whole movie. This movie has some good ideas worth checking out, and I liked that aspect of it. 

As for the negatives. Well, I didn't really care much for the characters. Although I understand that it was the point for a lot of them to be these obnoxious human beings, it didn't exactly help me feel any kind of tension on whether they live or die in the story. There are admittedly some nice surprising deaths, but either way I was rooting for the monsters more than I was the family. That's probably not what I'm suppose to feel about the story. Oh, and it wasn't really great as a scary movie either, so there's that too. 

Maybe my standards were too high for "Krampus" but I'm just disappointed that all the good elements that this movie introduces are ultimately countered by annoying factors that I just did not enjoy seeing. 

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Victor Frankenstein

Directed by : Paul McGuigan  
Written by : Max Landis  
Starring : Daniel Radcliffe, James McAvoy, Andrew Scott, Jessica Brown Findlay  
Release Date : November 25, 2015  

If there's one major thing that I can give "Victor Frankenstein" credit for, it's that it seems to know what kind of movie it's suppose to be. It's a creative and alternative take on the Doctor Frankenstein legend, but done in a very energetic and almost trashy way. Part of that style has to do with some outrageous set pieces that isn't shy to go straight for pure action beats, as well as neat special effects that involve x-ray visuals of people and animals. 

The story is also cleverly told through the perspective of Daniel Radcliffe's character who is playing a version of Igor, and becomes the valuable assistant to the doctor. While Radcliffe plays his character generally in a straight forward manner, James McAvoy on the other hand seems to enjoy hamming it up as the outrageous Victor Frankenstein. It may seem like McAvoy is overacting his part, but I thought it only made the movie more fun to watch because of how over the top he seems to be. 

For a movie with the name Frankenstein in it, there really isn't a lot about the monster here. It's actually not the focus of the story. There are two main themes that will stick out here. First is the friendship that is developed between Igor and Victor, and the second is the philosophical take on science vs nature/religion. I thought the movie played around with those plot threads decently well. 

Although "Victor Frankenstein" seems like a movie that should have been a low budget straight to home video affair, it still manages to be kinda fun. Not everything about it works, but what does work is at least entertaining enough. 

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Trumbo

Directed by : Jay Roach  
Written by : John McNamara  
Starring : Bryan Cranston, Diane Lane, Louis C.K., Elle Fanning, Helen Mirren, 
Release Date : November 6, 2015  

Put aside the discussions and debates about American communists, because that isn't what this movie is really about. This is a historical film about free speech getting unjustly trampled on, just because of people not sharing the same ideals. Renowned screenwriter Dalton Trumbo gets put through the ringer here, as someone who is put on trial, sent to jail, and made a pariah in his own community, just because there are people in power who do not like what he believes in. 

Bryan Cranston is phenomenal as Trumbo, and he gets to make some incredible speeches in this movie that will easily get your attention. He is the primary reason to see this movie. The rest of the very talented cast from Diane Lane, Louis C.K., Elle Fanning, Helen Mirren, and many other fantastic actors, also does a great job bringing their characters to life in this film. The movie simply hits all the right marks in the many scenes involving Cranston and anybody from the fine cast. 

Since this is a biographical drama, the story moves through certain points in time. It's a familiar structure, but it's effective nonetheless. It highlights some significantly major events of the trials and publicized media coverage, as well as the small intimate matters involving Trumbo and his family; where Diane Lane and Elle Fanning get to really shine in those scenes. From beginning until the very end, this true story absolutely captivated me. 

As a film about history, "Trumbo" is a must see. There were a lot of historical details that I wasn't familiar with until I saw this. I also think that despite the fact this happened decades ago, it somehow feels very relevant to present times. 

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Creed

Directed by : Ryan Coogler  
Written by : Ryan Coogler, Aaron Covington  
Starring : Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson  
Release Date : November 25, 2015  

"Creed" plays off like a love letter to the sport of boxing, the city of Philadelphia, and of course the whole Rocky franchise of movies. I really appreciated the little touches and moments that are given to those elements, from having some of the real people from the boxing world make cameo appearances, to some highlights on the people and locations of Philadelphia. Above all else though, this movie felt like a Rocky movie, and it's absolutely fantastic. 

The story about an underdog who continues to fight against all expectations, is just "classic Rocky." I suppose if there is one primary thing to critique, it's that the movie uses that very familiar story trope a little too well, and honestly made it all rather predictable with no real surprises. From the montage training sequences, to the theme about facing the hard obstacles of life, to all the sport cliches you expect to see here, it's all there. That's okay though, because the whole thing is done really well, and made with so much heart and love, that despite the familiarity, it still felt very engaging to watch. 

Besides the direction and writing, there are two other important reasons this movie works, and that's Michael B Jordan as Apollo Creed's illegitimate son Adonis Johnson, and Sylvester Stallone reprising his famous role as Rocky Balboa. Both actors are fantastic here, and the relationship that is developed between the two is the true strength of this story. There's a lot of personal and simple scenes of the two; like the heart to heart conversations they have, that it's easy to be drawn into the characters. If the movie had one huge obstacle to conquer, it's that it had to convince us why we should care about Adonis Johnson, and it succeeds in that regard because of Michael B Jordan. Although having Stallone in his corner does help too. 

There's a lot to love about "Creed," from the characters, the story, and of course the great boxing matches, that this is most definitely a must see crowdpleasing movie. Oh, and I'd like to give kudos to one particular fight that is done in one continuous shot, which was just amazing to watch. 

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The Good Dinosaur

Directed by : Peter Sohn  
Written by : Peter Sohn, Erik Benson, Meg LeFauve, Kelsey Mann, Bob Peterson, Meg LeFauve  
Starring : Raymond Ochoa, Jack Bright, Jeffrey Wright, Frances McDormand, Steve Zahn, Sam Elliott  
Release Date : November 14, 2015  

The first thing that you will notice about "The Good Dinosaur" is the visuals. The photo-realistic looking CGI animation is amazing to look at, and it's easy to question if it's actually just real life footage. Having the mix of realistic looking settings with the cartoonish designs of the dinosaurs is a weird contrast, but it does work well, and it's easy to just keep your eyes glued on the screen in wonder.

While the look of the movie feels inspired, the story on the other hand is unfortunately glaringly obvious, predictable, and very familiar to the many animated movies that came before it. You'll instantly notice the cliche plot tropes in this story, that are all revolving around the themes about family, friendship, facing your fears, believing in yourself, accepting a loss, and most importantly the "boy and his pet dog" premise. There were also some plot points that seemed much too convenient for my taste. I'm not saying the movie wasn't enjoyable because of these issues, as I did enjoy the "lost boy that is trying to find his way back home" plot. 

Speaking of the boy and his pet, the boy in question this time is "Arlo," an Apotosaurus who eventually befriends a wild boy that is named "Spot." There are two primary jokes in this film that are predominantly used for these two characters. The first type of joke involves Arlo being a scaredy-cat who always finds himself in compromising situations. The second type of joke is about Spot more or less acting like a dog, replete with him sniffing around for a place to pee, to him simply sitting on his butt with his tongue wagging out. The characters are endearing at least. 

So simply put, "The Good Dinosaur" has several flaws in it, but ultimately is still an enjoyable movie. It's charming at all the right times, and even emotionally moving during certain scenes. 

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A Journey Through Time With Antony

Directed by : Janet Chun  
Written by : Anthony Ma (novel) 
Starring : Chang Liu, Baihe Bai, Yixin Tang 
Release Date : November 13, 2015

"A Journey Through Time With Antony" is a coming of age movie, that emphasizes appreciating the common things in life that we shouldn't take for granted. From friendships, family, connections, where you live, pursuing what you want to do with your life, experiencing new things, and finding that special someone to be in love with. It's just a smorgasbord about life experiences that teens and college kids should appreciate. Basically this is more or less a typical and simple story that is suppose to make you feel good about life and living. 

To set this movie apart from similar movies of this genre, there are several visual flairs that are implemented. From an animated character that looks like our main character in a bunny outfit, a flying whale, to just great shots of delicious looking food or beautiful sakura trees. There are also montage scenes set to a song, like a mini-music video, that successfully compliment the tone of the film. All these elements make the movie feel whimsical, sentimental, nostalgic, and charming to watch. 

As typical to a character that is created in a young-adult novel that this movie is adapting from, our main protagonist Antony is a little too idealized, romanticized, and the whole world seems to just conveniently revolve around him. Exciting things happen to him, but he doesn't really have an exciting personality. That's where the stronger supporting cast comes in to give us some dynamic story telling, from the lively and energetic chef he meets in Australia, to his childhood friend who moved to Japan to pursue a career in sound design and audio editing. 

Although "A Journey Through Time With Antony" doesn't break any kind of great ground as a movie, I did find it entertaining enough to watch in a comfortably familiar and relaxing fashion. Despite it's simplicity and flaws, I can't deny that I ended up having some affection for the movie anyway. 

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Spotlight

Directed by : Tom McCarthy  
Written by : Tom McCarthy, Josh Singer  
Starring : Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams, Brian d'Arcy James, John Slattery, Liev Schreiber, Stanley Tucci  
Release Date : November 6, 2015  

Based on actual real events, "Spotlight" covers The Boston Globe's Spotlight team of journalists who investigated the sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic archdiocese of Boston, Massachusetts. The movie doesn't add any additional details or cases about the scandal that hasn't already been originally revealed and made available to the public, which might disappoint some people who went to see this movie because of the subject matter. Either way, this is recent history that is presented very well in this movie adaptation of it. 

I would argue that the news story isn't even really the main purpose of this film. This is really more a procedural film about really good investigative journalism. This movie does a fantastic job laying out scene after scene of what the process of writing a news story can be, from the groundwork of research and interviews, all that red tape, to compiling all the data. That's all this film is. It may tackle a very incendiary topic, and it is all riveting stuff, but the movie is very pragmatically made without many dramatic flourishes, to the point that the filmmakers could have just made a documentary. 

Since this is a movie and not a documentary however, the screenplay got to highlight the journalists as well rounded characters for the story. The strong cast of actors from Keaton, Ruffalo, Schreiber, Tucci, and more, did a great job of bringing these people to life on screen. Some of the actors acted things in a very understated but effective manner, while others really got to shine playing their roles in specifically nuanced ways. Fantastic performances all around. 

It's easy to think that this kind of hard-hitting investigative journalism that is shown here in "Spotlight" isn't common nowadays, but here's hoping that this movie will remind current and future journalists what it is they should strive for in their profession of choice. 

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The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2

Directed by : Francis Lawrence  
Written by : Peter Craig, Danny Strong  
Starring : Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Donald Sutherland, Julianne Moore  
Release Date : November 18, 2015  

If you are a fan of the book by Suzanne Collins that this film series are adapting from, or for that matter a fan of the past three movie installments, then by all means go see "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2." As for myself, who only read half of the first book, and only really enjoyed watching the second installment out of the three movies; Catching Fire was very entertaining, I have to just resign on the fact that the overall story was never meant for me. I simply found Mockingjay - Part 2 to be highly underwhelming and anti-climactic of a finale for this series. 

For a movie that teases on potentially being this epic war film, we still don't really get that. For a movie that touches on social commentary about totalitarianism, war, and the media, it only just gives us the shallow end of that discussion. For a movie that toys with a romantic subplot for our lead character, it doesn't really bother fleshing it out to believable levels. For a movie that's filled with compelling ideas, it seems content to just be half baked about them. For a movie that is willing to kill off characters that we are suppose to care about, I still didn't really care about them. All of that, in an unwarranted 137 minutes run-time, that's filled with a slow pace, and could have benefited from a tighter edit. 

If there's one other reason to see this movie besides wanting to finish the story; just about all the plot threads are conveniently resolved, it is to see Jennifer Lawrence as the stubborn and reluctant messiah character of Katniss Everdeen, for one last time. Lawrence is good to see in this, even though she's playing a character who seems infinitely dour and brooding, which I suppose perfectly reflects the tone of the movie. If only the movie had just shown me a little bit more energy and excitement, I might have ended up enjoying it anyway despite my issues. Although I admit that there was one sequence that I did have some fun watching that involved a tunnel. 

I threw a lot of disparaging thoughts towards "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2," but then I did say that this movie just wasn't for me. I can only hope that it at least filled the expectations that the actual fans have for it. 

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