POWER RANGERS
dir. Dean Israelite
One of my first movie-going experiences that I remember was seeing the first "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers" film in my town at the Glen Drive-In with "Casper" back in the summer of 1995 and while that film has a nostalgic place in my movie-going history, it has some flaws and dated clichés. As for this version for the new generation, it's an exceptional teen superhero film and a step in the right direction for a future franchise.
Our main heroes meet in detention (ala "The Breakfast Club") and afterwards, they all meet up again by chance and discover special power coins that give them superpowers and they eventually learn that they are destined to be earth-defending warriors known as the "Power Rangers" and have to stop the evil Rita Repulsa from destroying the world. Each one of the rangers are very well-written and fleshed out teenagers that are not only believable for this generation but for any generation for that matter. It never feels like their actions or attitudes are superfluous or just there to meet a millennial diversity quota. They are a good compliment to the supporting celebrity performances of Bryan Cranston, Bill Hader and Elizabeth Banks who just relishes and shamelessly (in a good way) flaunts her evilness as Rita.
The biggest thing that almost derails the film as a whole is the less than average level of action for a modern superhero blockbuster but what action sequences are there (and most of them are in the final act of the film) feel fun and vibrant without being too darkly light or filmed Bayhem-style.
It isn't as deep and character based like "Logan" or pointless and hollow like "Max Steel" but it fits and settles nicely in that middle ground that can entertain fans of the original run of the franchise but also attract the new YA blockbuster audience that looks for characters that speak to them and their generation.
Rating: 4/5 Reels
Saturday, March 25, 2017
Monday, March 13, 2017
The Long, Intense Ride into The Sunset
LOGAN
dir. James Mangold
It seems like yesterday that I saw the first X-Men film when it was released on home video in late 2000. Hugh Jackman joins that pantheon of cinematic superheroes wherein the actor isn't seen on screen, the actual hero is seen. "LOGAN" gives that hero an long, intense and emotional farewell that doesn't feel like a gimmick like other "final" films but instead feels like the end of an era and the passing of the torch from one generation to the next.
"LOGAN" is set in a post-mutant world where there hasn't been a mutant born for some time and the X-MEN have become a faded memory that exists only in legend. Logan is old, tired and (more importantly) lost. He is lost as he doesn't feel any purpose or meaning and only lives now to help out Professor X who is losing his mind and control, both mentally and physically. Logan then has to protect a new mutant with similar powers to his while battling his own demons and selfish desires.
Hugh Jackman gives his final performance as the title hero his all and it shows. There isn't a moment where it feels phoned in or over-dramatic. Patrick Stewart also gives it his all as he brings a sense of a lost leader who still wants to help others but also has to ask for help to take care of himself. The biggest standout is Dafne Keen who brings a wild child-esque aspect to her character without making it too far off the grid that it goes into annoying kid territory. The action is stylized and intense. The violence isn't just for show or a gimmick as every battle and hit has consequences attached to it. The only thing that made the film just shy of perfect was its somewhat sluggish pacing. There are just too many moments that feel like filler and take up too much running time especially for a film that's all about a chase and getting away from the villains.
"LOGAN" like "Deadpool" is a game-changer and goes back to a story and character based superhero story which is good. It never feels like we're supposed to be taking notes or figuring out how it connects to the other films. Instead, it gives itself a drive and purpose and goes for it even if it stumbles a bit along the way. It's a fine farewell to an iconic performance of an iconic character.
4/5 Reels
dir. James Mangold
It seems like yesterday that I saw the first X-Men film when it was released on home video in late 2000. Hugh Jackman joins that pantheon of cinematic superheroes wherein the actor isn't seen on screen, the actual hero is seen. "LOGAN" gives that hero an long, intense and emotional farewell that doesn't feel like a gimmick like other "final" films but instead feels like the end of an era and the passing of the torch from one generation to the next.
"LOGAN" is set in a post-mutant world where there hasn't been a mutant born for some time and the X-MEN have become a faded memory that exists only in legend. Logan is old, tired and (more importantly) lost. He is lost as he doesn't feel any purpose or meaning and only lives now to help out Professor X who is losing his mind and control, both mentally and physically. Logan then has to protect a new mutant with similar powers to his while battling his own demons and selfish desires.
Hugh Jackman gives his final performance as the title hero his all and it shows. There isn't a moment where it feels phoned in or over-dramatic. Patrick Stewart also gives it his all as he brings a sense of a lost leader who still wants to help others but also has to ask for help to take care of himself. The biggest standout is Dafne Keen who brings a wild child-esque aspect to her character without making it too far off the grid that it goes into annoying kid territory. The action is stylized and intense. The violence isn't just for show or a gimmick as every battle and hit has consequences attached to it. The only thing that made the film just shy of perfect was its somewhat sluggish pacing. There are just too many moments that feel like filler and take up too much running time especially for a film that's all about a chase and getting away from the villains.
"LOGAN" like "Deadpool" is a game-changer and goes back to a story and character based superhero story which is good. It never feels like we're supposed to be taking notes or figuring out how it connects to the other films. Instead, it gives itself a drive and purpose and goes for it even if it stumbles a bit along the way. It's a fine farewell to an iconic performance of an iconic character.
4/5 Reels
Friday, March 3, 2017
A Truly Emotional and Powerful Piece of Cinema
The Shack
dir. Stuart Hazeldine
God, Jesus Christ and The Holy Spirit invite a man to a shack......that sentence sounds like the setup to a potentially offensive joke or an otherwise oversaturated drama but instead, "The Shack" is a truly emotional and powerful piece of cinema that walks its fine line between being over-sentimental and underwhelming perfectly by providing enough drama and emotion for both religious and non-religious audiences.
The core of the movie is how one deals with the loss of a loved one and how that can affect not only ourselves but also those we are connected to. Mackenzie (played by Sam Worthington) is struggling with the abduction and murder of his youngest daughter, Missy. His depression is not only made him reclusive and drone-like but he is also unable to connect with his other two children and wife and helping them cope and move on from this tragedy. He receives a mysterious note from "Papa" (Mackenzie's wife's term for God) inviting him to the shack where Missy was taken from this world. Mackenzie goes and from there he goes on a deep personal journey where the holy trinity teaches him how to cope and release the "great sadness" that is sending him into despair.
A film with this emotional and deep questions and thoughts could have easily been a 2-hour schmaltzy tele-movie but instead the director and writers truly craft the idea of a man meeting with the holy trinity with the same flair and awe effects that could be found in a big budget blockbuster but still keeping it grounded in its meaningful and deeply rooted concepts and ideas of letting go and forgiveness. The supporting cast give excellent portrayals that don't overstep or over-intellectualize whom they're playing especially Octavia Spencer and Avraham Aviv Alush who help to truly shape and showcase their embodiment of God and Jesus Christ. Tim McGraw and Radha Mitchell bring their A-game to the material without phoning it in or over-trying.
Another wonderful aspect about "The Shack" is its ability to make you laugh, cry, think and feel as if you knew (or even were) Mackenzie and his family as your own. Some may see it as emotional manipulation to play and explore such ideas as God, The Holy Trinity and Faith-based experiences but what is film if not to explore the whole spectrum of the human condition through stories like these. I laughed, I cried (more than I ever have cried in a multiplex), It made me think and feel and that is the goal of a true piece of filmmaking. If it doesn't make you emotionally invested (whatever the material), its no better than a piece of cheap gum that is just there to keep your jaw moving. I personally find faith-based cinema to be hit or miss, either it can inspire and reach to both sides of the coin like "Miracles From Heaven" or "Noah" or it ends up being a cheaply made excuse to use your local multiplex as a political platform to spew outdated (and borderline hateful) ideas about Christianity and Non-Believers like "God's Not Dead" and its sequel.
If you're religious or like faith oriented cinema, go see "The Shack"
If you're not religious or find films like these to be "exploitative" and "preachy",
go see "The Shack" anyway.
It's a film that helps us understand and connect with our own feelings and perception of not just God and Religion, but of what it means to feel, to lose loved ones, to reconnect with that which makes us whole and to let go of what bogs us down. "The Shack" is that movie that helps a moviegoer to relax and know that everything is going to be okay which makes it a rewarding experience, no matter what your background or beliefs are.
5/5 Reels
dir. Stuart Hazeldine
God, Jesus Christ and The Holy Spirit invite a man to a shack......that sentence sounds like the setup to a potentially offensive joke or an otherwise oversaturated drama but instead, "The Shack" is a truly emotional and powerful piece of cinema that walks its fine line between being over-sentimental and underwhelming perfectly by providing enough drama and emotion for both religious and non-religious audiences.
The core of the movie is how one deals with the loss of a loved one and how that can affect not only ourselves but also those we are connected to. Mackenzie (played by Sam Worthington) is struggling with the abduction and murder of his youngest daughter, Missy. His depression is not only made him reclusive and drone-like but he is also unable to connect with his other two children and wife and helping them cope and move on from this tragedy. He receives a mysterious note from "Papa" (Mackenzie's wife's term for God) inviting him to the shack where Missy was taken from this world. Mackenzie goes and from there he goes on a deep personal journey where the holy trinity teaches him how to cope and release the "great sadness" that is sending him into despair.
A film with this emotional and deep questions and thoughts could have easily been a 2-hour schmaltzy tele-movie but instead the director and writers truly craft the idea of a man meeting with the holy trinity with the same flair and awe effects that could be found in a big budget blockbuster but still keeping it grounded in its meaningful and deeply rooted concepts and ideas of letting go and forgiveness. The supporting cast give excellent portrayals that don't overstep or over-intellectualize whom they're playing especially Octavia Spencer and Avraham Aviv Alush who help to truly shape and showcase their embodiment of God and Jesus Christ. Tim McGraw and Radha Mitchell bring their A-game to the material without phoning it in or over-trying.
Another wonderful aspect about "The Shack" is its ability to make you laugh, cry, think and feel as if you knew (or even were) Mackenzie and his family as your own. Some may see it as emotional manipulation to play and explore such ideas as God, The Holy Trinity and Faith-based experiences but what is film if not to explore the whole spectrum of the human condition through stories like these. I laughed, I cried (more than I ever have cried in a multiplex), It made me think and feel and that is the goal of a true piece of filmmaking. If it doesn't make you emotionally invested (whatever the material), its no better than a piece of cheap gum that is just there to keep your jaw moving. I personally find faith-based cinema to be hit or miss, either it can inspire and reach to both sides of the coin like "Miracles From Heaven" or "Noah" or it ends up being a cheaply made excuse to use your local multiplex as a political platform to spew outdated (and borderline hateful) ideas about Christianity and Non-Believers like "God's Not Dead" and its sequel.
If you're religious or like faith oriented cinema, go see "The Shack"
If you're not religious or find films like these to be "exploitative" and "preachy",
go see "The Shack" anyway.
It's a film that helps us understand and connect with our own feelings and perception of not just God and Religion, but of what it means to feel, to lose loved ones, to reconnect with that which makes us whole and to let go of what bogs us down. "The Shack" is that movie that helps a moviegoer to relax and know that everything is going to be okay which makes it a rewarding experience, no matter what your background or beliefs are.
5/5 Reels
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