sicario day of the soldado

Who would have thought that 2015's "Sicario" would end up becoming an Action-Thriller franchise? Yet here we are, with a sequel that somewhat pulls-off justifying it's existence. "Sicario: Day Of The Soldado" mostly retains the nihilistic, dark, cynical, pessimistic, and foreboding tone of the previous installment. I would argue that it's just a little bit less nihilistic, very little bit. Either way, a lot of bad and provocative things happen in this movie, but you should already expect that if you've seen the first one

While Taylor Sheridan wrote the story as he did with the original, it's Directed by Stefano Sollima this time, who makes great use of the camera here. While both script writer and director did a good job with this movie, I felt like they couldn't properly integrate the subplot involving Miguel Hernandez; played by Elijah Rodriguez. Definitely my least favorite parts of the whole thing. The main plot that revolves around the new character of Isabel Reyes; played by Isabela Moner, was a lot better though. Moner was amazing in this, as a teenage girl going through what is probably the worst experience of her life so far. 

People who were fans of the first movie will likely want to go watch this one just to see Josh Brolin and Benicio Del Toro reprise their roles as Matt Graver and Alejandro respectively. For the most part, they are essentially the same characters from the previous movie, with only a minimal amount of character development, to give them at least some growth. I wished they could have done more with the two, but maybe they will in the potential next installment. Sorry to fans of the TV show "Burn Notice," but Jeffrey Donovan as Steve Forsing is once again given a very small supporting role. 

I have to say that while I liked the movie, I'm a little disappointed that "Sicario: Day Of The Soldado" doesn't completely reach that same prestigious level that the first film reached. It definitely has some excellent action sequences though that I thoroughly enjoyed, but it's take on terrorism, illegal immigration, and just the geopolitical stuff, felt much too simplified and arguably insulting even. It's simply a good movie, but it could have been better. With that said, now give me Sicario 3. 

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american animals

It's the Summer movie season of 2018, and you're looking for a good heist film to watch. There are two choices. One is a serious look at how a heist could actually go down in real life, while the other one is an exaggerated take filled with glamorized moments of the crime. Needless to say, "American Animals" is the former, and it is very much a good heist film to watch because of it's realism. 

First and foremost, Writer-Director Bart Layton had an interesting take on making this a pseudo documentary style film, that's mostly dramatization scenes, but mixed with interspersed interviews of the actual individuals involved in the true heist. Just the fact that this movie focuses on the actual people who did the crime, should automatically get a peculiar reaction from movie goers watching it. Is this film inadvertently rewarding them for the horrible act they committed? That's for you to discuss among yourselves. 

As for the story itself, it is undoubtedly fascinating to watch. If it isn't already obvious, this is not a completely straightforward heist film, and doesn't necessarily have all the cliche trappings of the genre. It plays with perspective in interesting ways to make us question what we are watching, and yet it also feels completely honest in what they are showing us on screen. It's not devoid of providing fun humor to the narrative however, but it also doesn't shy away from showing us some very dark and horrible scenes. 

While this heist is an actual true event that you can just Google, I'm still not going to talk about the plot turns and reveals. All I can say is that the story goes places I didn't think it would go, with scenarios you don't normally see in heist movies. The heist itself put me on the edge of my seat, was quite tense to watch, and is without a doubt the main reason to see this film. Well, I have to also say that other reasons to see this are for the amazing performances by Barry Keoghan, Evan Peters, Jared Abrahamson, Blake Jenner, and Ann Dowd. 

There's always been a criticism that many people wrongly romanticize criminal activities, especially when the typical heist films are glamorizing the act of "choreographed" stealing. Usually those movies involves smart and cool criminals going through some elaborate theft that we want to applaud, but thankfully we also have films like "American Animals" that shows us the dumb and foolish criminals that has seen too many Hollywood heist movies. 

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wont you be my neighbor

Even if you are not familiar with Fred Rogers, or have never seen "Mister Roger's Neighborhood," I seriously think this film deserves your attention. Even if you don't normally watch documentary films, this movie that chronicles the life of Mr Rogers and the impact he had on society is absolutely worth your time. Even if you don't think this is for you, I urge you to give it a chance, because as hyperbolic as it is for me to say, but I think "Won't You Be My Neighbor" will legitimately be good for you. 

"A movie that's good for you?" You may suspiciously dismiss that claim I just made, but after watching it, I couldn't help but think this is the truth. It isn't just because of how the documentary is nicely directed or edited well to give us a strong narrative, it truly is because of who Mr Rogers was, and what he stood for, and what he meant to many people familiar with him. At one point in the movie, Fred Rogers is described to be "the second Christ," which should give you an idea on what type of person he is to many. 

This documentary does go through Fred Rogers life in a somewhat chronological order, which really does help the narrative feel really palatable enough to watch, especially when compared to the stereotypical "boring" documentaries that people tend to avoid. From archival footage, to interviews with the people who knew him, plus some animated sequences that visualizes some of the themes, this documentary completely had me engaged throughout the whole thing. Add to the fact that it's already quite fascinating to see how impactful Mr Rogers was to society in ways we might not have even noticed, and we got ourselves an amazing documentary to check out. 

While Mr Rogers seems like the kind and enlightened person that everybody should look up, the documentary doesn't shy away from telling us that he was not perfect. He had his personal flaws, and has opinions that many can disagree with. His humanity is what makes Fred such a compelling figure to watch, and also makes him quite relatable. There were things he said and did, that absolutely touched me emotionally, as if he was referring to me directly. How could I not admire this man? 

There are people who have said that they have shed tears watching "Won't You Be My Neighbor" and I understand why. I too found myself in tears during several scenes in this documentary. Your result may vary of course, but you can see how this film moved me. In the world we live in today, still filled with so much strife and animosity toward each other, a person like Mr Rogers and the lessons he teaches are greatly needed, and that can be a powerful emotional realization to have. 

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jurassic world fallen kingdom

Remember how people were saying the first "Jurassic World" movie was full of affectionate nostalgic call-backs to "Jurassic Park?" Well, the nostalgia moments are absolutely not gone in this installment! What's perplexing is that "Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom" thinks the previous movie must have come out 20 years ago or something, because somehow it really calls attention to itself whenever they affectionately call-back to specific things about "Jurassic World." A movie that came out 3 years ago! Not all nostalgic call-backs are cool easter eggs people! With that little rant out of the way... 

If you are looking for movie scenes that scream "Jurassic Park," you will get that here. However, the whole movie doesn't completely rely on that throughout it's full run-time, which I can only predict will not make some Jurassic Park fans happy. I suppose I can admire them for trying something different, but the mistake made by writers Derek Connolly and Colin Trevorrow, is that they seem to have given us a story that's predominantly only a set-up for the eventual "Jurassic World 3." This movie by itself doesn't really add anything truly new, that hasn't already been introduced in the previous 4 films. Well there is this one thing, but I won't get into that because spoilers. 

Are you looking to find more character growth with the characters played by Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard here? Keep looking, because you are not going to find that in this movie. Short of some exposition dialogue, both Owen and Claire are essentially the same people from the previous films. They are pretty much just here to continually try and survive dinosaur attacks. The new characters played by Daniella Pineda, Justice Smith, and Isabella Sermon, are decent additions I suppose, but don't really go beyond their archetypal roles. It doesn't help that Justice Smith's character Franklin Webb is kinda cringe worthy. 

So what's the point of watching this movie? Director J.A. Bayona. There were some legitimately brilliantly shot moments in this movie that almost justifies the ticket price of seeing this on the big screen. One or two of those moments are probably seared into my brain at how effective they were in getting an emotional reaction out of me. A few other moments were just simply and absolutely perfect for monster movies. Unfortunately the movie has to go out of it's way to create some very embarrassingly contrived eye-rolling convoluted plot turns just to get to those specific great moments. I'm talking plot conveniences, scenes that break my suspension of disbelief, or simply just some really stupid things that happens. 

Seriously though, a lot of stupid things happen in this movie. A lot. I just wanted to shout at the screen, "What was the point of all that?!" or "How does that even make sense?!" Sometimes I would want to also yell at the characters and ask "okay now what? You're just going to go do that, and then just ignore it? Where's the appropriate follow through to your actions?! Is there a deleted scene that I'm not seeing here or something?!" Imagine me also saying all that to the writers. Sure enough, the movie was kinda frustrating to watch multiple times over. 

With all that said. There are two words that perfectly describes "Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom." Underwhelming, and Dinosaurs. To no one's surprise, the dinosaurs are the best things about this movie. Someone however can argue that the dinosaur shtick is kinda getting too repetitive. Another person might also argue that it already was repetitive in the previous film. 

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hearts beat loud

Those of you who already know my tastes in movies, know that I'm a sucker for films about people creating songs and music and the whole "let's start a band" premise. "Hearts Beat Loud" definitely fits that description, and sure enough, I enjoyed the heck out of it. Similar to many modern-style musicals like "Once" or "Band Aid," it also features original songs here, and I'm happy to say that I liked all the songs. In fact, I wish there were more songs. After watching the movie, I did immediately go listen to the whole original movie soundtrack, and I should also mention that the songs were written by Keegan Dewitt. 

Admittedly, since the premise is similar to many of the other modern-style musicals, there can be a derivative feeling to the plot progression. Some would say that it panders a bit, by revisiting some very tried and true plot points that are suppose to generate a specific reaction, as they have done in other movies. The themes involving loving music, or living life, etc, are also similar to those other films, and it's true that some insightful lines of wisdom may seem too precious. I get that some people might consider all that a negative, but as someone who loves these kinds of films, I didn't care. I was all in, and loved giving the movie the exact kind of reactions it wanted from me. 

If you needed more reasons to see this movie, besides the premise, and the songs, then it's the cast. Nick Offerman is fantastic in the role, as somebody who seems to have arrested development, being stuck in a mindset from when he was a young man in a band. On the flip side, Kiersey Clemons is amazing in her role as the daughter, who is actually "the adult" in the family, that's genuinely looking forward to go to college. The thing is that both of them are musically talented, and the scenes where they create or perform songs, are exactly the kinds of scenes that I really dig. Both actors did in fact perform their songs themselves too, which is always appreciated. The supporting cast are also great in this, like Toni Collette, Ted Danson, and Sasha Lane. Each adding their own significant marks to the overall story and themes. Red Hook, New York, in many ways is also a character in this movie, and makes me want to visit that place after seeing this. 

I'd like to mention that I saw "Hearts Beat Loud" on Father's Day, and coincidentally enough, I would easily argue that this is one of the best movies to watch on that day. That Father and Daughter relationship featured here is the heart of this story, and it absolutely engaged me. Writer-Director Brett Haley gave me a small and simple movie that more people need to give a chance, and I for sure will gladly champion it. 

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incredibles 2

When Writer-Director Brad Bird gave us "The Incredibles" in 2004, I was impressed at how he successfully did a mash-up film of the Fantastic Four superhero family premise, a bit of deconstruction to the comic book superhero genre, and also tossed in a James Bond spy aesthetic. It's easy to argue that "Incredibles 2" is very similar to the previous installment. The superhero family dynamic is still very much present with a few tweaks, the comic book superhero genre deconstruction was increased quite a lot, while the spy stuff has been minimized a little bit. The end result is still thankfully the same though, as this sequel is simply incredible just like the first one! 

There's a lot that was done right with this, from the amazing action sequences (that train set piece!), an enjoyable sense of humor (the kids!), a huge amount of story themes and metaphors to really chew on (like the Elastigirl and Mr Incredible role reversals), plus the fantastic ensemble cast of characters that the phenomenal voice talents get to perform. Forgive my hyperbole, but I think that this animated film will go down as one of the best superhero movies of all time, let alone being one of the best superhero movie sequels of all time. 

It's not perfect though, and it takes some risks that might alienate some people. While the execution of the narrative is superb, there are many elements in the plot that leans on the derivative, with it showing it's over reliance to the superhero plot formula, some probably execusable plot conveniences, and most everything to do with the villain. If you've seen enough superhero movies, you're going to be able to predict where the story is going, even though I'm assuming you're at least going to have fun in the process of doing so. Oh, there are those seizure inducing moments to look out for though. 

What's arguably the most interesting; or controversial, aspects of "Incredibles 2" are the themes and metaphors that are spread out throughout the plot. You can gleefully just watch the story move along as is, but if you are willing to dig deep into the plot reveals, the world building, several of the conversations, you'll find that there's actually a lot to digest about what the whole thing is trying to say to you. I'm not going to go into detail there; because spoilers, but that element of the film is what I think elevates it into something beyond just being another superhero movie. 

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tag

A comedy based on a true story could either turn out really well, or crash and burn. Where does "Tag" fall under? Well, to my surprise, I would say that I would put it in the former. I got to give a round of applause to Director Jeff Tomsic, and the ensemble cast, for pulling off a highly entertaining comedy that shouldn't have worked.

I mean c'mon now. Adult men playing a game of Tag, wrecking unnecessary havoc and destruction in the wake of their game? Not only that, but there are some underlying themes and messages that are legitimately worth talking about from this premise? Ridiculous! Believe me that there were moments that I thought the lengths these characters go through just to "tag" somebody were way too outrageous that it should have broken my suspension of disbelief. That's the key phrase right there though, "it should have," but somehow I was having too much fun to care about logic. Although there were some super over-the-top moments that were pushing things a little too far for my taste. 

To be fair, the movie does acknowledge how overly outrageous it all is, and does pay some lip service to the fact that this group of friends go way too far with the game. The look of the background characters who are shocked and confused at what they are witnessing is as far as it goes though. It may be interesting to see the actual repercussions, but that would probably ruin the mood of the movie. Actually, there were some more serious moments that almost derails the comedic momentum of the story, but they make it work anyway. 

Besides the funny dialogue and the stunts, there are three other main reasons to see "Tag." First reason is the cast. The cast have great chemistry to see on screen, and they are very convincing in projecting what it's like to be among best friends. Second reason are the slow-motion sequences during the tag attempts on Jeremy Renner's character. Those slow-mo scenes can seem overdone at first, but I really thought they made good use of it. Third reason are the overall themes and messages. I'm still surprise that this movie actually has some things to say, and I think that's awesome! Solid fun here. 

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first reformed

Talk about a touchy subject, especially for today's World, but "First Reformed" juggles the topics of modern religion and climate change. Needless to say, depending on what you think, this movie may or may not be for you. Some people might even say that there are some heavy handed messaging here. I would argue that despite what you think, you probably should watch it anyway. It has provocative ideas that are presented to you, and encourages you to think about what you just watched. Then along with that, you're going to want to reserve some time to think about the final scenes of the movie as well. 

Written and Directed by legendary film maker Paul Schrader, who is probably most famous for his work with "Taxi Driver, "Raging Bull," and "The Last Temptation Of Christ," expect to follow a familiar main protagonist who is... complicated. There's a welcome confidence with the film-making here, from the deliberate pacing, the straight forward narrative, the editing, to even the aspect ratio. He is however absolutely not above surprising the audience with particular turn of events, that you will have to decide for yourself whether you agree or disagree with. 

Short of me spoiling the movie by directly commenting on the story and themes presented in the film, I can safely say that there's a simplicity to the story telling that some people might find boring. I however was completely engaged by everything Ethan Hawke's character had to deal with, plus the other supporting characters that makes an impact to his every day life. Expect conversations that are suppose to get a reaction from you with some of the things said, and Schrader isn't afraid to let some of those scenes linger longer than you probably expect them to. 

Beyond the writing and the directing, one of the main reasons to see "First Reformed" is the performance by Ethan Hawke as Father Toller. It was like he was destined to play this character, and wow what a role. While it's likely that this film is going to fly under many people's radar, I'm glad this was made, and I'm glad I took the time to watch it. 

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hotel artemis

It's almost like Writer-Director Drew Pearce watched "John Wick" and was enamored with "The Continental" Hotel subplot and decided that he could do a whole movie around a hotel, but this time it's actually a hospital for criminals. Add in a near-future setting of it being in 2028, show modern-future tech for the world building elements, set up some established rules for the hotel-hospital to give the premise some neat lore to it's own mythology, and then put in some colorful characters with broadly defined back stories. That's a recipe for an enjoyable movie right? For some sure, but for me...? 

Can I just say that this is a mixed bag of things that I thought were cool, and many other things that I didn't care for at all. I like the whole premise of this hotel-hospital for criminals, set in a huge LA riot. That's cool. What's suppose to draw us into this movie much more however are the characters, and in all honesty, they didn't interest me that much. Maybe Jodie Foster's character has the most development that I actually paid some attention to, but that's really about it. 

Essentially, the story is as expected as can be, and relies a lot on just the plot ideas to win people over. It pandered a lot to the audience by not really taking many bold risks, with the hopes that some familiar plot tropes are enough to satisfy people. There is an overall story arc from beginning to the end though, so it's not like they just decided to throw a series of fan-service and hoped that worked; some will argue that's exactly what they did. The cast are good enough in their roles, but that's not saying a lot. 

I can imagine "Hotel Artemis" will find a following for what was shown in the movie. The world building alone could justify sequels for this too. The main thing that goes against this film however is the overall derivative feeling, the lack of a truly engaging story, and how it all just felt like a disposable product that will just as easily be forgotten hours after watching it. Too bad. It could have been something special. 

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ocean's 8

POSITIVES 
- Fan service call backs reminding us that this is connected to the George Clooney Ocean movies is nice
- The whole opening sequences featuring Sandra Bullock as Debbie Ocean is fantastic
- Anne Hathaway hamming it up for the character she plays here is quite enjoyable to watch
- The heist itself is entertaining enough to see play out
- I actually liked all the bits involving James Corden's role in the story
- Shows promise to better things with this cast of characters

NEGATIVES 
- This cast of characters need more personality! At best they only hint at who they are, but only in very limited ways
- Some of the plot turns were kinda baffling to me, and made the heist less believable
- Most of the first half of this movie was ridiculously boring for me. Made me very restless. 
- I thought the movie needed more energy and simply more fun than what we actually got. 
- Short of some very few moments, the overall movie was mostly pedestrian and forgettable. 

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