rjkjklose Reviews

Luke Cage (2016–2018)

New on Netflix: Marvel's Luke Cage

[8/10 · 7 November 2016]

Marvel's latest super hero themed Netflix series "Luke Cage" stars Mike Colter as the titular character and is created by Cheo Hodari Coker. Luke Cage played by Mike Colter is an African American super hero who, after an experiment gone wrong, gains bulletproof skin and super strength. While this simple concept could have been another cliché venture into the genre, it ends up being an intelligent, thrilling, and thought provoking take on one of Marvels most over looked characters.

In the age of over-saturation of remakes, sequels, reboots, and overall in-originality; Luke Cage faced a myriad of hurdles to jump through in order to create something unique. Thankfully this show is yet another breath of fresh air for the Marvel cinematic universe. First off, the acting here is for the most part spectacular. Mike Colter, Simone Missick, Rosario Dawson, and Ron Jones portray the heroes here. Overall they share great chemistry and their characters are all wonderfully developed throughout the show. Some characters who initially did not seem to be important ended up becoming vital to the show later on in the story. This leads to great character development and characters that audiences can't help but sympathize with. On the villainous side of things Mahershala Ali, Alfre Woodard, and Theo Rossi come along to make things difficult for the heroes. These actors do a great job of portraying their characters. Although most of these actors are great, I felt that Erik LaRay Harvey 's character of Diamondback was incredibly weak. Not to particularly blame Harvey, but his acting felt extremely over the top and at times outrageous. This may be attributed to poor writing, but sometimes it just felt like Harvey was overacting. Fortunately, this simple premise is expanded upon in a way that creates a unique story. Several aspects of this story further it from others like it. One of these is the chemistry and story line interactions between Luke Cage (Mike Colter)and Mahershala Ali (Cotton Mouth). They bring a different dynamic to the super hero genre and there are times where these characters have open interactions and conversations with each other. This creates a new type of dynamic for the protagonist and antagonist roles in the genre. Also unlike many of the bigger movies in the Marvel cinematic universe like "The Avengers", "Captain America", or even the "Thor" series; This series doesn't revolve around the hero saving the world. It focuses on the street level hero who just wants to make a difference in his community. This smaller and contained setting helps the series to truly feel down to earth and realistic. Speaking of being realistic, I couldn't properly review this series without mentioning some of the modern day conflict addressed in this show. Luke Cage is a black man living in Harlem and he struggles every day with the same kind of problems that many other people face. Only Luke is bulletproof so when either crooks or cops start shooting at him, there's not a damn thing they can do to harm him. While I won't spoil anything, I will say that this premise touches on issues of police brutality and gang violence in ways many people (including myself) didn't think possible. The show honestly prides itself in the way that it tactfully provides insight into one of the biggest issues in society in modern times.

Yet another aspect that works for this show is its tone. Like I stated before this is meant to be a street level super hero, therefore not every episode has a do or die feel. Some episodes have a lighter tone that help balance out the ones that are very serious. It gives the show a great overall feel to it. Onto the action scenes, here they aren't as spectacular as say the "Daredevil" Netflix series, but they stand on their own. Many of the action scenes involve Luke being riddled with bullets while smashing everyone and everything in sight. The only downside here is that the action scenes decrease as the show goes along because once the bad guys realize they can't kill Luke, they wise up and most just stop. Another strength of the show has to be its writing. Most of the characters here are very well written and there are many interesting dialogue pieces strewn throughout the length of the show. Also thanks to the great writing many of the story lines in the show intertwine and feel cohesive by the show end. I will say however that the pacing here is very off. While I won't spoil anything I will say that the latter half of this show is far weaker than the first. This is due mainly to a weak villain that simply doesn't hold up to the rest of the standards set by the show. Unfortunately, he (along with some weak writing and absurd scenarios) drags the latter half of the season down. This isn't a major disappointment as the episodes are still great, but it feels like they never truly reach their potential. Lastly the most shocking part of Luke Cage is the soundtrack. This soundtrack is downright addicting. It's a mix of old school hip hop, jazz, and R&B that gives the show an incredibly different feel. The soundtrack here is so good that it somehow manages to make the show feel fun and exciting while not being overly pretentious. I really can't express how good this soundtrack is. Every intense event in this show is only amplified by the amazing music that plays in the background. Luke Cage delivers big when it comes to living up to the rest of the movies and shows in the Marvel cinematic universe.Ultimately, Luke Cage is a great addition to the Netflix library and it deserves to be on your list. Score: 8.5/10

The Secret Life of Pets (2016)

The Secret Life of Pets Leaves Much to Be Desired

[5/10 · 7 November 2016]

The 2016 animated comedy "The Secret Life of Pets" is directed by Chris Renaud along with Yarrow Cheney and is made by Illumination entertainment (makers of the "Despicable Me" franchise). The film takes place in a fictional world where animals can talk (think "Toy Story" but with animals) and their owners are none the wiser. Even though the films premise is extremely promising, it fails to deliver much more than adorable animals and jokes that wouldn't make a twelve-year-old laugh.

Without giving away any spoilers I will say that this movie doesn't exactly head in the direction showed in the trailers. Instead it takes the much easier route of being a clichéd and mundane tale centered around these characters finding their way back home. Soon after these characters start their adventure, the plot splits into two parts. There is the story of the main protagonist and the story of his love interest. The side plot involving his love interest was absolutely horrible. This side plot takes up a good chunk of the movie, yet never once did it fail to bore. This is the biggest crime that this film commits as there was an extreme amount of potential here for a creative story. Instead what we're left with is a boring shell of what we were originally showed.

Animation is definitely a strong aspect of this film. The movie is packed with vibrant and bright colors that match the goodwill tone of the film. Every character design fits that particular characters' personality. The characters are all particularly adorable, especially the bunny rabbit voiced by Kevin Hart. Along with Kevin Hart, the film is host to an incredible cast including Dana Carvey, Louis C.K., Ellie Kemper, and many others. These voice actors do a great job of portraying their respective characters and really bringing them to life. This is especially pertinent because of the horribly simple characters within the film. That's right, unfortunately most of these characters are one dimensional and lack any sort of character development. There is the large bumbling dog, the eccentric rabbit, the mischievous hawk, and even a fat cat. These characters never reach their full potential and are otherwise useless. Never once during the film did I resonate with a single character. In fact, even the main character comes off as unlikeable throughout the film. Thankfully however, the great voice acting in the film did help to keep me engaged in the story. Otherwise however, these characters exist only to further the plot and sell toys.

Technically speaking, the direction and writing here get the job done and not much more. Many running jokes become tired after a few times on screen and most jokes not meant for seven-year old's simply fall flat. Actually most of the dialogue here only exists to further the movie and it becomes blatantly obvious after the first fifteen minutes that this is a movie geared towards children. Granted there were some genuinely sincere moments scattered throughout the film that really did connect. Unfortunately, those moments were too few and far between to make much of a difference. Surprisingly however, the soundtrack in this movie is excellent. There are several tracks from artists such as Pharrell Williams, Queen, Bill Williams and even the Beastie Boys. These tracks worked wonders for this film as the soundtrack is extremely engaging and is sure to get stuck in your head after just a few songs. Almost every time the music got turned up, the film became much more interesting.

While "The Secret Life of Pets" was not out to break any new ground in the animation department, it still should have been a fun movie the whole family could enjoy. Instead what we're left with is an unenjoyable film that caters specifically to young children. Though the animation, voice acting, soundtrack, and character designs are great, they are not enough to save this movie from the bargain bin at your local department store. Score: 5/10

Halloween (1978)

A Classic Horror Flick is Still Terrifying

[7 November 2016]

John Carpenter is without a doubt one of the most influential horror and science fiction directors of all time. In 1978 he directed and scored "Halloween" a simple horror movie that would revolutionize the horror genre forever. Its antagonist Michael Myers has become one of the most iconic movie villains of all time. The painted and disfigured William Shatner mask that was used in the movie is immediately recognizable to anyone who has ever lived through the Halloween season. Though it was filmed for a mediocre budget of 300,000 dollars it managed to rake in nearly 47 million at the United States box office. This makes it one of the most profitable films ever made and in 2016 it was estimated to have earned around 267 million (not counting any of its seven sequels). Despite the influence that this movie made on the horror genre, does it still hold up today? The premise here is sinfully simple: A man escapes an insane asylum on Halloween night and returns to his hometown to cause mayhem on a group of promiscuous teens and their friend. While its 2016 and this concept has been beaten to death by hundreds of horror movies over the last several decades this concept was original for its time. I can't in all honesty criticize the plot here because for its time it was unique. Halloween is well known for popularizing the slasher horror subgenre that would blow up in the 1980's. Many factors lead to the movie becoming such a success, and thankfully many of those same factors are as impactful as they were in 1978. One of the things that works best in this film is the pacing. This movie is intelligent and it never allows its viewers to have a moment of tranquility. The film takes its time building tension while at the same time never feels slow or lethargic. However, when Michael Myers does start down his killing rampage the movie never loses its sense of terror and fear. This is due to Carpenter's amazing direction. John Carpenters direction is easily what made this movie so good. Carpenter shows incredible control over all aspects of this movie from the creepy sound design to camera angles that make the viewer tremble. Overall Carpenter's direction is what carries this film past mediocrity and into horror film fame. A notoriously horrible aspect of this film when it first premiered was the atrocious acting. Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) and Samuel Loomis (Donald Pleasence) are the only likable and somewhat relatable characters in the film. The rest are awful. I mean it, almost every other character in this film is poorly acted and incredibly stupid. This is one of those cases where the acting is so poor that it gives the film an almost lighthearted nature. Since viewers can't relate to these characters they might end up cheering for their demise. I know that's harsh to say, but viewers of the film will completely understand. Thankfully, the rest of the movie balances out. The score (written by John Carpenter himself) is a classic. Every time the theme song plays, viewers know that Myers is near and ready to strike. The theme song is immediately recognizable while at the same time thrilling, even after nearly 40 years. Honestly, sound design here is remarkably impressive especially for a film with such a low budget. The most impressive feat that this film accomplished is without a doubt the fact that even after so many years this films is still scary. This film is nearly timeless and it evokes a sense of dread among its viewers that few movies can claim. Nearly every scene in this movie is wonderfully shot and its cinematography is terrifyingly beautiful. Ultimately, Halloween stands the test of time as one of the best horror films ever made and a film that still terrifies audiences today. Score: 9.5/10

Me Before You (2016)

A Heartfelt Romance Avoids Mediocrity

[7/10 · 7 November 2016]

One of this Summer's biggest romances "Me Before You" stars Emilia Clarke and Sam Claflin as two people who come together despite having very different backgrounds. Thea Sharrock directs this film based on a book of the same name written by Jojo Moyes who also provides the screenplay. While this movie isn't a breakthrough in any way and is host to many flaws, its leading characters chemistry and sincere tone carry it past mediocrity.

The premise here is quite simple: Will Traynor (Sam Claflin) a young man with an amazing life and everything he had ever wanted is tragically injured and left as a shell of his former self. Louisa "Lou" Clark (Emilia Clarke) a young woman who has recently been fired from her job and is struggling to support her family is hired as his caregiver. This incredibly simple premise is nothing new, and does little to break the formula. Thankfully, Emilia Clark and Sam Claflin are great. They have amazing chemistry that ultimately carries this movie. Claflin's Traynor steals every scene he is in and his performance as a quadriplegic is believable while at the same time not overbearing. Clarke's Lou performs admirably, but at times she comes off as a little too odd and outlandish. Nothing bad enough to take away from the movie, yet at times distracting. Both of these actors come together to form a pair that is addicting to watch on screen and the best parts of the film are when these two actors come together to form a sincere bond.

Other characters including Lou's boyfriend (Matthew Lewis) and Traynor's caregiver (Stephen Peacocke) are quite likable and provide some great humor despite being criminally underdeveloped. Lou's Boyfriend is a lovable buffoon, yet their strained relationship felt unnecessary in the film. The caregiver provides some comic relief but fails to provide more than an unnecessary third wheel to the overall story. The relationship between Lou and her sister (Jenna Coleman) tries to be heartfelt but ends up feeling completely unnecessary. In fact, the relationship could be cut out of the movie completely and viewers would never know the difference.

The story here is incredibly cliché yet there are some surprising elements. Other than a few surprises the plot here plays out exactly like any other romance movie. However, this isn't necessarily a bad thing due to the fact that most viewers are not going to see this movie for its groundbreaking storytelling. Rather audiences will flock to it looking for a heartfelt and passionate romance film, and that is exactly what they'll get. The soundtrack of the film fits the film quite well and some big moments are only amplified by some impressive music choices. Subtle yet sometimes quirky tones and pacing in this film work fine. In most instances though, the film feels rather sincere in the way it presents its story. Though people who have seen the trailers (which unsurprisingly shows far too much of the story) can pretty much tell how the movie is going to unfold, there are some surprises waiting. The biggest surprise of the film lies within its ending, which tackles a real life issue in today's world. Amazingly "Me Before You" does a fantastic job of presenting this issue with respect, while at the same time not shoving it down audience's throats. The film does such a good job presenting this subject that viewers will have "Me Before You" fresh in their minds for a long time.

Despite running into a myriad of Romantic film clichés, "Me Before You" does an admirable job of telling its story. Claflin and Clarke's performances and chemistry are undeniably what carry this movie, despite being surrounded by weak supporting characters. The way it tackles a real world issue with grace and class are quite impressive and leave a satisfying impression. Ultimately, "Me Before You" is a simple film that achieves what it originally set out to accomplish. It is a sappy yet cliché romance that provides an interesting look at a real world problem. Score: 7/10

Doctor Strange (2016)

Marvel Gets Magical

[8/10 · 7 November 2016]

Doctor Strange is the 14th movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It is directed by Scott Derrickson (Sinister, The Day the Earth Stood Still, The Exorcism of Emily Rose) and stars Benedict Cumberbatch as the titular character, Chiwetel Ejiofor as Mordo, Rachel McAdams as Christine, and Mads Mikkelsen as Kaecilius. This movie is a different take on the superhero genre as it ventures into the fantasy world of magic. Thankfully, this film provides yet another great entry into the entry into the highest grossing movie franchise of all time.

For the most part this movie does a very good job of introducing audiences to the character of Doctor Strange. Other than scientific experiments, other worldly entities, or advanced technology Doctor Strange's plot involved Magic. This is something completely new to audiences as the paranormal side of this genre was previously unheard of. After a devastating car crash Doctor Strange loses his career as a surgeon. When western medicine fails him he travels to Asia in order to be healed by other methods. The other methods or magic here is taught to Strange by the Ancient One (Tilda Swinton). Once Strange is introduced to magic this story truly takes off and becomes interesting.

While the first half hour of this film is completely necessary to introduce the character of Doctor Strange, I felt that the plot dragged a bit. I was not truly engulfed by this film until the magical elements were introduced and thus the pacing drags in the beginning. After that however viewers are thrown into the mystical world of Magic. This magical world is a visual feast. While I do not often talk about visuals in films, I can honestly say that this film blew me away. The CGI, style, and visual effects here are astounding. There are some truly mind bending visuals here including buildings shifting and turning inside out, extra dimensional travel, and even characters floating outside of their bodies. Action scenes in this movie are also very well-choreographed and extremely stylish. This kind of visual spectacle hasn't been seen since the film "Inception" and for that I completely praise the movie. Along with the visuals we're treated with a great soundtrack full of classic hits that viewers are sure to be pleased with.

Long before the production of this movie began fans have been saying that Benedict Cumberbatch should play Doctor Strange and they could not have been more right. Cumberbatch does an excellent job of portraying the arrogant yet humorous Strange. The transformation between egotistical asshole to dimension bending sorcerer supreme would not have been possible without Cumberbatch's great performance. Along with Cumberbatch Rachel McAdams plays the love interest in this movie. While it could be argued that her part in this movie is necessary, I believe that her character simply did not serve a purpose in the film. While her performance was not bad by any means, the character simply felt shoehorned in so that Strange would have a love interest (like almost every Marvel superhero to date). Wong (played by Benedict Wong) is a great side character and provides some much-needed comic relief. Also, Tilda Swinton who plays the Ancient One does a fantastic job of portraying a character who was originally an old Tibetan man in the comic books. This was a change that I was unsure of going into the film, but I was ultimately satisfied with. Unfortunately, the villain character of Kaecilius is rather weak. His motives are quite clear, yet is criminally underdeveloped which is a shame because Mads Mikkelsen is one of the most talented actors out there.

Scott Derrickson's horror background grants this film an eerie tone, with several disturbing and frightening images. Overall however, these horror elements lend themselves rather well to the story and Derrickson's directing is quite impressive. This film does a very good job of differentiating itself from the rest of the Marvel universe and standing on its own. The great acting, visual effects, and story here are more than enough to carry Doctor Strange past being just another superhero blockbuster. Doctor Strange is a movie that audiences will most likely remember thanks to its intriguing story line and visual effects. Score: 8/10

Bad Moms (2016)

Bad Moms but not a bad film.

[7/10 · 23 October 2016]

The surprise hit "Bad Moms" is a comedy starring Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell and Kathryn Hahn and is directed by both Scott Moore and Jon Lucas. This movie centers itself around Amy (Mila Kunis) a mother of two who is a bit of a perfectionist. She aspires for her family to have the best that the world can offer. Unfortunately, after a series of bad events everything goes downhill fast. Luckily Amy befriends two other struggling mothers Kiki (Kristen Bell) and Carla (Kathryn Hahn) who work together to try and make some sense of their crazy lives, while having some fun at the same time.

First and foremost, "Bad Moms" works extremely well. I can honestly say that this movie completely shattered my expectations. While the film isn't breaking any new ground or providing any sort of different approach to the extremely over saturated comedy genre, it is fun. That's right, the film from start to finish never fails to entertain. The films humor works on multiple levels. The jokes here never quite seem to stop coming and the entire film feels thoroughly littered with hilarious moments. This is an excellent break from many modern day comedies where all of the jokes come in both the first fifteen and last fifteen minutes. Raunchy humor was obviously a big selling point for this movie, yet thankfully the movie never feels too overbearing with its vulgarity. Never once did I notice a particular character was dropping "F-Bombs" just for the sake of it, but when they did the jokes were hilarious. Writing in this movie is the chemistry between these actresses also felt extremely tight and without it the film just would not have gelled correctly.

All of the actors here are surprisingly funny. Even Kathryn Hahn's (who I have found quite annoying and overly rambunctious in past outings) character here proves to be hilarious and she never misses a beat. Mila Kunis and Kristen Bell also play very entertaining and likable characters. Another surprise was Christian Applegate, Jada Pinkette Smith and Annie Mumolo's performances as the villain moms. While at times they got a tad too outrageous for their own good, these three women were truly amusing and helped further the comedic aspects of the film. Also, a huge shout out to Martha Stewart's hilarious cameo in the film. The only negative that can really be geared toward the acting in this film is the child actors. While I'm sure these kids didn't exactly chose the writing they were given, they come off as spoiled little brats. Throughout the entire movie these kids constantly pestered the overall fun tone that this movie was riding on.

Speaking of tone, this movies strength comes from the lighthearted nature of the plot. The movie is surprisingly heartwarming, yet never overbearing on its themes of family unity. The film knows it's a comedy and it sticks to being a comedy very well, something that can be attributed to the excellent direction and writing in the film. Yet another strong suit in "Bad Moms" has to be its well-rounded pacing. Very seldom in this film does it feel like the plot is glossing over important story points. Impressively it does this while at the same time remaining consistently funny. Moving on to the soundtrack and overall sound design of the film: The soundtrack while not exactly bad, is utterly forgettable. Audiences will struggle to remember a single track and relating scene in the film by the next day.

Going into this movie I completely expected a bland over saturated film about female characters going wild. Instead what I received was a smart film that carries extremely strong female characters without having them seem needy and dependent, something that haunts the film industry today. Luckily this film does all of these things while remaining consistently hilarious and surprisingly sincere. Ultimately "Bad Moms" suffers a few minor hiccups along the way, but comes out a surprisingly hilarious and fun romp.