Neighbors 2 Sorority Rising

In many ways "Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising" falls for the same trappings that comes with sequels to R-rated comedies. Meaning that it felt compelled to toss in twice as many jokes on screen, tried to be more outrageous, tried to share several more lessons we need to know about, and still maintain the heart and spirit of the original. Did it succeed? Yes and no. The comedy is hit or miss based on your tastes of course, and while I liked the story the whole thing didn't feel like it was glued together that well. 

The tag line concept for the movie is "parenthood vs sisterhood" and it's not a bad one. While there are also themes about brotherhood and ageism here, the primary message is about sexism and equality. Yes, there is a feminist statement being made in this movie, and there will be people who will automatically hate this just because of that fact. The thing is that this movie tries to have it's cake and eat it too, by containing some scenes (and music) that actually goes against what it's preaching. Some of those scenes were done ironically, but there are other scenes that didn't. All the same though, it seems like they mean well anyway. 

Even though the whole movie felt a bit kludgy, I was honestly entertained by it still. The whole cast are enjoyable to watch, with a lot of kudos towards Zac Efron for playing a fun but ridiculously unbelievable character (how does he not know what boiling water is?!!). Just like Efron's character, a lot of the jokes don't really make sense, but the movie doesn't really seem to care. If a joke makes you laugh, even if it's stupid, then it wins. That seems to be the primary strategy of this movie, which is to throw as many jokes at you; even if it's nonsensical, and hope that most of them stick. 

Besides the feminism equality angle, "Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising," in the end feels like it's just another crazy R-rated comedy. I had fun watching it, but I think the first one resonated with me more. 

lovedit  ENJOYED IT  itsokayitsmehitsterrible

Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon: Sword Of Destiny

Directed by :  Woo-Ping Yuen  
Written by :  John Fusco  
Starring :  Michelle Yeoh, Natasha Liu Bordizzo, Donnie Yen, Harry Shum Jr.  
Release Date :  February 18, 2016  

The biggest negative going against "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword Of Destiny;" besides the unnecessarily long title, is that it simply does not remotely live up to the epicness and prestige of the previous film. Yuen Woo-Ping at least returned for the fight choreography, but unfortunately I don't think he is fully qualified to also be the primary director of this movie. What we ended up getting here is a sequel that tries to mimic it's predecessor, but comes up very short. 

There are several things to complain about with this film. The set locations feel too artificial, which makes the settings feel cheap. The antagonists are uninteresting, and the main villain played by Jason Scott Lee is incredibly underdeveloped. The romantic plot points felt very forced, and unbelievable. Several of the dialogue feel stilted and awkward at times, in it's attempt to sound profound or poetic. The editing, pacing, and tone, were all over the place. Plus the story feels generic and uninspired. I'm sure Kung-Fu movie purists will also feel very annoyed at the fact that this was filmed with the primary dialogue being in English and not Mandarin or Cantonese. 

Despite my issues with the movie, I admit that I still found aspects about it that I enjoyed. The cast of actors in general were good in their roles. Michelle Yeoh reprising her role as Yu Shu Lien is a thrill, and Donnie Yen is always entertaining to see in action. I have to give credit to Natasha Liu Bordizzo and Harry Shum Jr who both hold their own very well in the co-starring roles. The fight sequences here may not be as elegantly visualized as it was in the previous film, but they are still enjoyable to watch. I particularly liked the fight scenes involving the theft of the sword of destiny, the tavern battle, and the duel on the frozen lake. 

It's too bad that "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword Of Destiny" just turned out to be just another all too typically familiar kung-fu movie, as opposed to the high quality drama of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon." I still did have some fun watching it though, despite it's flaws. 

loveditenjoyedit  IT'S OKAY  itsmehitsterrible

Money Monster

Directed by :  Jodie Foster  
Written by :  Jamie Linden, Alan DiFiore, Jim Kouf  
Starring :  George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Jack O'Connell, Caitriona Balfe  
Release Date :  May 12, 2016  

Just by watching the trailer, it's easy to say that "Money Monster" is just another biased indictment against big money like Wall Street. You're not entirely wrong to think that, however this movie really isn't just all about that subject matter, although it uses that thematic point to catapult the actual premise of the film. This is very much about a hostage situation that is done in a way where we are somewhat seeing it happening in real time. It's exciting, tense, and thrilling enough, but I question how much I really cared about what's going on. 

The work chemistry between the two leads; George Clooney and Julia Roberts, is the heart of the movie that keeps us invested in how they pull through this ordeal. Jack O'Connell is fine in the role of the person holding them hostage, but he seemed more like a surrogate character that is designed to be the social commentary about the people who get screwed at the stock markets. The plot where Caitriona Balfe does her own investigation only works because of the actress' strong presence. Basically, despite the fact we have a very strong cast in this movie, the story itself while engaging enough, isn't really that strong. 

As a well structured thriller, Jodie Foster directs this rather well. Flipping back and forth between the different characters and the different sub plots, are all remarkably done. Tossing in some humor into a tense movie via the Christopher Denham character is a welcome aspect to this. Overall though, the story itself is not that deep, despite alluding to multiple social commentaries about people with money getting away with shady practices, to how people react to volatile situations like they are just watching reality TV. 

While "Money Monster" seems like a well intentioned film about the people involved in a hostage situation, it unfortunately gets too caught up in it's own self-importance and thematic messages. The social commentary angle of the film may be memorable enough, but the movie itself is just a passing and overall forgetful 90 minutes of entertainment. 

loveditenjoyedit  IT'S OKAY  itsmehitsterrible

Captain America: Civil War

Directed by :  Anthony Russo, Joe Russo  
Written by :  Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely
Starring :  Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Chadwick Boseman, Tom Holland  
Release Date :  April 27, 2016  

Let's get this out of the way first. As much as "Captain America: Civil War" is technically the third installment of the Captain America film franchise, this is pretty much essentially an Avengers movie. Chris Evans as Captain America is still the primary lead and a lot of the focus is through his point of view, but Robert Downey Jr. is also the co-lead for this story, with a good chunk of the rest of the Avengers playing very important roles in the supporting cast. This is an ensemble piece through and through, and everybody gets to shine and steal the movie from everybody else in one way or another. 

The movie's premise is actually deep and complicated, with multiple themes and call backs throughout the whole Marvel Cinematic Universe. With that said, this movie does an amazing job in being very straight-forward and very easy to follow. It's a fantastic story, filled with plot turns and character conflicts, about friendships, guilt, consequences, accountability, revenge, ideologies, regret, that successfully gives us a convincing reason to believe that our heroes had to fight each other. Speaking of which, the action scenes are a joy to see, from thrilling chase sequences, well choreographed fights, to a super-powered group battle that is so much fun to watch. 

While I have almost nothing but accolades to give here, I could have done without some of the shaky-cam that is used in several scenes. Some of the CGI work that replaced some stunt work also felt a little off to me. The big giant location title cards additionally felt unnecessarily too in-your-face for my taste. What absolutely wasn't unnecessary however, are the many moments that are littered throughout the movie. From small moments where characters meet for the first time, comedic exchanges of innocuous dialogue, super-heroic teamwork assists, to moments of poignant clarity of the situation at hand. All those moments only add up to make this film better as a whole. 

It's easy for me to say that "Captain America: Civil War" might just be my most favorite Marvel movie right now. Even if it wasn't, it easily makes the case of being one of the all time best super hero comic book movies ever made so far. Entertaining. Enjoyable. Exciting. Such an excellent movie!

P.S. Spider-man is simply spectacular, Black Panther is badass, and Ant-man held his own so damn well. 

LOVED IT  enjoyedititsokayitsmehitsterrible

A Hologram For The King

Directed & Written by :  Tom Tykwer  
Starring :  Tom Hanks, Alexander Black, Sarita Choudhury  
Release Date :  April 22, 2016  

A story about a white American businessman with financial problems, who goes to Saudi Arabia with the job to sell the king a holographic communications system, sounds like an odd tale to tell. An adaptation of the novel by Dan Eggers, I thought Director Tom Tykwer managed to make what should have been a simple but exaggerated premise, into something very whimsical and fantastical. There have been complaints that the representation of Saudi Arabia here is not accurate, so it's best to also apply the "fantastical" aspects of the movie into that. 

Predictably enough, Tom Hanks is very likable in this. While his character Alan Clay has his faults, he's still easy enough to sympathize with. Seeing him go through a series of trials and tribulations, made me want to root for him. It helped that his  guide / driver Yousef; played wonderfully by Alexander Black, added greatly to the already humorous and off-kilter plot points.  As it's often said, "expect the unexpected." There is also a whole theme about cultural differences that is brought up a lot in this movie, as well as some point of view opinions about the high stakes world of commerce, that all together gives us things to think about. 

Visually the movie looks great, and there's an emphasis to show how many of the locations contains a contrasts of underdeveloped areas that are directly adjacent to affluent housings. There's a surreal and dreamlike feeling to some of the places and situations Alan Clay encounters, and that's part of the charm of this film. Although most of the surroundings are a desert, this movie managed to always give us something nice to look at. I also thought the editing was excellent and helped make this story move at a good energetic pace. 

While I found a lot to like about "A Hologram For The King," there is a subplot that I really could have done without. I also felt like the movie's final act just limped across the finish line, almost as if it just needed a reason to end. It's still worth checking out, even if it's just for Tom Hanks and Alexander Black. 

lovedit  ENJOYED IT  itsokayitsmehitsterrible

The Huntsman: Winter's War

Directed by :  Cedric Nicolas-Troyan  
Written by :  Evan Spiliotopoulos, Craig Mazin  
Starring :  Chris Hemsworth, Jessica Chastain, Emily Blunt, Charlize Theron 
Release Date :  April 4, 2016  

Going into "The Huntsman: Winter's War," I was given the impression that it was a prequel story to the previous movie, but that aspect is really only the first quarter of the story, as the rest is a full-on sequel. The marketing also led me to believe that Charlize Theron was going to be in it a lot, but that's apparently misleading too, although her character plays a significant role in the story. So basically I probably should have seen "Snow White and the Huntsman" before seeing this; although it didn't seem necessary. Now, did all these facts influence my impressions of the movie? Not really. 

As much as I enjoyed the fantasy aspect of this movie, it just didn't do anything to really excite me. There are aspects to the story that I did like, but they couldn't save this from feeling so mundane. I wouldn't go out of my way to say it was boring, but I wouldn't be surprise if people did find it as such. It did a competent enough job getting from plot point to plot point I suppose, and I was curious to see how it was going to conclude the story, even though I expected it to be as predictable as it looks. The pacing probably could have been a tad bit more energetic than what it was too. 

I did like Chris Hemsworth as Eric The Huntsman, and he's likable enough of a character. It's fun seeing Jessica Chastain play the warrior character, but I thought she was actually rather underdeveloped. Emily Blunt was great as the Ice Queen Freya, and I really liked the subtle complexities of her character, with her thematic plot being arguably the best thing about this movie. Charlize Theron is entertaining to see playing the villain of course, although I would have liked to have seen more of her. 

"The Huntsman: Winter's War" is not a must-see film by any means, and I don't really think you need to see it even if you were a fan of the previous one. I wouldn't call this a horrible movie though, but it's just more mediocre than it probably should have been. 

loveditenjoyecititsokay  IT'S MEH  itsterrible

Term Life

Directed by :  Peter Billingsley  
Written by :  Andy Lieberman  
Starring :  Vince Vaughn, Hailee Steinfeld, Bill Paxton, Jonathan Banks  
Release Date :  April 6, 2016  

A movie like "Term Life" isn't what you would call an original masterpiece by any means, but as a noir-ish crime thriller, it's actually a lot more entertaining than you would think. It does have a tried and true formula about a criminal on the run from gangsters and corrupt cops, who then has to protect his estranged daughter from that danger. Although it has some clever turns, the derivative sounding premise actually wasn't a negative to me, and just made this movie more enjoyable in the comfortable sense of it's proven familiarity. I really liked the story and was engaged with it all the way through. 

At the heart of the appeal to this movie are the characters of Nick Barrow; as played by Vince Vaughn, and his character's daughter Cate; as played by Hailee Steinfeld. Their relationship between estranged Father and rebellious teenage Daughter is what we're rooting for in this story, as well as seeing how they are going to survive this life or death situation. Another aspect I enjoyed is when the movie visually shows us how Nick assesses a situation, whether it be for a heist or just a means of escape. The supporting casts from Jonathan Banks to Bill Paxton are also enjoyable to see on screen as well. 

If there's anything I really found disappointing in this movie, is that it seemed content with it's almost made-for-TV film making aesthetics. Some of the scenes also end up suffering due to either the lack of proper story transitions, or just a reliance on plot conveniences. The significance of the movie's title may also be lost for many. It may be obvious that it refers to how Nick took out a Term Life insurance policy that will benefit his daughter if he dies, however what isn't fully explored is the fact that the insurance policy will only come into effect in 21 days, which thematically makes his efforts to stay alive a lot more important than normal. 

Andy Lieberman wrote the screenplay for "Term life" which just so happens to also be an adaptation of his very own graphic novel of the same name. It's unfortunate that this is likely to go under the radar among movie goers, but I'm glad I saw it. I had fun watching it. 

lovedit  ENJOYED IT  itsokayitsmehitsterrible

Elvis & Nixon

Directed by :  Liza Johnson  
Written by :  Joey Sagal, Hanala Sagal, Cary Elwes  
Starring :  Michael Shannon, Alex Pettyfer, Kevin Spacey, Colin Hanks  
Release Date :  April 22, 2016  

As it's claimed, of all the famous photos reserved in the United States National Archives, the most requested one is about the day President Nixon met the King of Rock & Roll himself Elvis Presley at the Oval Office of the White House. "Elvis & Nixon" is about that fateful day when this strange meeting occurred. A mixture of facts and fiction, this movie turned out to be more a lighthearted comedy than a full-on historical drama. Of course, a lot of movie goers are probably going to see this more for the performances by Michael Shannon as Elvis and Kevin Spacey as President Nixon. 

Honestly speaking, I don't think Michael Shannon looks like Elvis at all, and it was kind of distracting. The man's a great actor, and I believed he acted, talked, and moved like Elvis, but he just didn't look the part. Kevin Spacey isn't unfamiliar with playing United States Presidents, but I really liked his take on President Nixon. He isn't in the movie as often as you might expect however, but he definitely shines through in that fateful meeting. The film does revel in how absurd that meeting is, and it's fun seeing these two titans duke it out on screen so to speak. 

I also enjoyed how this movie constantly shows us how the "normal" people react to the mere presence and words of Elvis and President Nixon. The things they say and do can be quite something, and it's hard to say no to those two individuals. There are two other people who really has to deal with that fact, Elvis' long time friend Jerry Schilling; played by Alex Pettyfer, and Presidential Staff Advisor Bud Krogh; played by Colin Hanks. This story highlights those two individuals a great deal as well actually, and their plot are just as relevant to the whole film. 

It's easy to say that "Elvis & Nixon" plays more like a TV movie because it's a rather simple and understated direction of the story. With it's great cast and it's an entertaining story, it's still definitely worth checking out. 

lovedit  ENJOYED IT  itsokayitsmehitsterrible

Keanu

Directed by :  Peter Atencio  
Written by :  Jordan Peele, Alex Rubens  
Starring :  Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele, Tiffany Haddish, 
Release Date :  April 21, 2016  

Two suburban men attempt to get back their kidnapped kitten, by pretending to be two tough black guys and assimilate with a gang that has the cat. "Keanu" has what sounds like a pretty outrageous premise, and it is an enjoyable movie, however it didn't feel as outrageous as I would have preferred. There are some clever scenes here, but there are also some equally uninspired ones as well. Like most comedies, this will be hit or miss for many. It doesn't help that the pacing for the movie could be a little more energetic, as it felt like it moved a little too casually. 

The cat is cute and is a highlight to see on screen. There's no denying that. Of course the cat isn't the main focus of this story. The characters that Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele play are, and they apply their comedic talents here in a fish-out-of-water situation. That's where most of the jokes come from, seeing what Key & Peele do to keep the gang members from realizing that they are actually frauds, and don't really know what they pretend to have knowledge of. Some of the humor also revolves around some surprise celebrity cameos, in roles you probably didn't expect from them for this movie. 

Each of our main two protagonists have their own story arcs, but I found Key's story to be the more entertaining one, and there's a running joke involving his character and his love for George Michael that I was really amused with. While I wasn't as interested with Peele's plot, it somehow seemed like the movie treated him like the main character we are suppose to be more invested with. Either way, I did like both actors and the characters they played anyway. 

The more conventional and familiar aspects about "Keanu" are what keeps it from being this absolutely hilarious comedy. It's still worth checking out, but I wished the movie actually lived up to the outrageousness of it's premise. 

lovedit  ENJOYED IT  itsokayitsmehitsterrible

Sing Street

Directed and Written by :  John Carney  
Starring :  Ferdia Walsh-Peelo, Lucy Boynton, Jack Reynor, Mark McKenna, 
Release Date :  March 17, 2016  

As far as modern movie musicals go, with "Once," "Begin Again," and now "Sing Street," Director / Writer John Carney seems to be hitting all the right notes for me to fall in love with his films. It's true that there's a typical theme that runs through his movies, usually involving people who are discovering what they can achieve through writing and performing songs, there's an unrequited love, there are some obstacles to overcome, and at the end it's established that music has the power to elevate the characters to great new heights in their lives. 

While it's easy to criticize the movie for being predictable and expected, the story and characters are much too charming to hold that fault against the film. This coming-of-age story about a boy who starts a band for the sole purpose of getting a girl's attention, is innocently appealing to watch. It has a good sense of humor that revolves around awkwardness and familiar adolescent experiences that's just enjoyable to see play out in this story. There are also some dramatic plot points that surround the core entertaining premise to give the story just a little bit more gravitas to put things into perspective. 

Ferdia Walsh-Peelo as Conor Lalor does a fantastic job as our protagonist who becomes this young rock musician that is simply easy to root for. Lucy Boynton does a great job as Raphina, the more-than-meets-the-eye girl that Conor is attracted to, who ends up inspiring him to better himself as a person. Jack Raynor as Conor's older brother Brendan steals the movie however with his enjoyably witty one-liners and encouraging words of wisdom. Of course, a major highlight of this movie are the original songs that pay tribute to the sounds of the 1980s, and it's entertaining to listen to music that sounds similar to something Duran Duran or The Cure would make. 

At initial glance, "Sing Street" may not appear to be a film that everyone needs to watch, but there's a universal appeal about it that just might hit all the right chords among the movie audience. I may be biased towards liking John Carney's works, and I did immediately purchase the soundtrack after watching it, but I encourage everyone to see this. 

LOVED IT  enjoyedititsokayitsmehitsterrible