"San Andreas" Review

First look at San Andreas will make you think that it's just explosions, carnage, and another step in a man's conversion from The Rock to Dwayne Johnson. For the most part, you're right. The film mainly revolves around the destruction surrounding an earthquake, but don't look at The Rock as the gimmick he was in his Disney days. He has become a full fledged movie star and a great actor with strong performances.

Johnson stars as Ray Gaines, an LA Fire Rescue Pilot. When the San Andreas fault begins shifting, earthquakes spread all across the west coast, and Gaines teams up with his estranged wife to rescue his daughter in San Francisco.

In terms of plot, don't look too far. It's a bare basics action disaster movie, and despite it's best efforts to instill itself with depth, it doesn't crack any new eggs. But I didn't hate it. The simplistic nature of the plot immediately calls to mind the wave of action films from the 80's and 90's. The scientists, the estranged wife, the daughter, elements that make the film seem as though it was written for a Stallone or a Willis. There's nothing noteworthy here, but it's still an enjoyable experience simply for the way it feels. If you're a fan of action, you'll be happy.

What saves this from being nothing more than a mindless, generic destruction piece like Transformers is The Rock...err...Dwayne Johnson. Johnson has a magnificent presence in the film, giving off the aura one would find in a classic action star. He very well may be the next Schwarzenegger. He has a likability that was missing from some of his earlier films such as Get Smart or The Game Plan where he seemed to be cast based on his stature. Now, Johnson is giving top notch performances full of heart, charisma, depth. He is truly a drawing factor now. And one that's not wasting your time.

All in all, theres not much to San Andreas other than being a fun action film and a showcase for what it's lead actor has become. It's not a great film. But it's enjoyable. He's known as The Rock. He's known as Dwayne Johnson. But to me...he'll always be...Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.

B-

"Mad Max: Fury Road" Review

I won't bother lying. I've not seen the original Mad Max trilogy. I just never got around to it. (Quite honestly, I'm not a huge Mel Gibson fan.) I went into Mad Max: Fury Road knowing only that it had Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron and a post apocalyptic setting. Pretty much mentally blind to what I should expect. The one thing I hadn't considered is that it would reinvigorate my love of cinema in a time when I was growing weary of the blockbuster culture.

In a post apocalyptic earth in which water and gasoline are commodities, cult leader Immortan Joe reigns supreme. When Imperator Furiosa rebels to free Joe's enslaved wives, a chase begins on the Fury Road. Caught in the middle is Max, a man haunted by his past, and who wants nothing more than to survive and be left alone.

The story doesn't shove exposition down your throat, instead opting to thrust you into this world at full speed and taking you along for the ride. It trusts the fact that you will pick it up along the way. It doesn't need to be all about Max for it to show him off. It's about women taking control of their lives, and the way in which it packs that punch is extremely effective. It's a thrilling narrative with spectacle and message, and it gets everything across without belittling the audience.

Mad Max: Fury Road packs as much art and story into a blockbuster as you possibly can. It's a large scale spectacle full of beautifully executed stunts that defy what was once thought possible. The film is essentially a 2 hour car chase, but easily one of the greatest of all time. The design of the film is remarkable too. Whereas most films set after the fall of civilization opt for the pale, beige, dust aesthetic, Mad Max has a fully immersive color palette which shifts depending on the stakes of the scene. 80% of the film is done with practical effects, and the end result is a gritty, graspable, realism. (Or as much as you can pack into a film with mutant cult members after the end of the world). Honestly, this movie is insane in the best possible fashion.

In a time in which when the lack of equality in Hollywood is as obvious as ever, Mad Max: Fury Road packs a wholloping punch for feminism in action movies. Despite Max being the title character, it's really Furiosa's story. Furiousa is a strong, capable woman who can kick an ass, drive a war rig, fire a gun, and own it. The other women in the story are not behind either, taking the offensive and showing that there really is no reason why women can't drive an action movie aside Michael Bay putting Megan Fox in short shorts and a tube top. (THE IRONY BEHIND THAT CLAIM: Rosie Huntington-Whiteley who was god awful in Transformers: Dark of the Moon, is outstanding in her role here.) And the best part is that giving the female characters strong roles and developed personalities outside of sexualization is that it does nothing to lessen the power of Max himself. He is just as strong of a character.

Tom Hardy seems to love wearing a mask (in this case a cage) and putting on a voice, but it's something that he does so very well. He does have the arc of the loner who changes their mind, but it's done with that limited speaking and physicality that only Tom Hardy can seem to pull off. There's a meat to his role. He's the lead, but he's comfortable not being the center of attention. He's mad, but not out of his element.

Charlize Theron still ranks as my favorite actress currently working in the business. Her commitment to the role is what truly steals the show. She takes control of a situation, leads the charge, and gives depth to Furiosa. It's a brilliant counter to Tom Hardy, and just as badass.

Mad Max: Fury Road is strong, fast, beautiful, artful, and alive. It's insane. It's fun. It's powerful. It leads the charge for gender equality. It's 2015's best movie to date and worth your time.

A

"Avengers: Age of Ultron" Review

Note: Whilst it is my policy to not leak spoilers in a review for a movie, I must include some from Iron Man 3, Thor: The Dark World, and Captain America: The Winter Soldier in order to properly explain context and reactions to this film. But rest assured, there will be no spoilers from Avengers: Age of Ultron.

My affinity for The Avengers is about as much of a secret as Barry Bonds' steroid usage. The first movie was a huge leap forward in the world of Superhero films. It was an unprecedented move for movies to have such a connected and cohesive universe. The way that Kevin Feige and Joss Whedon brought together all of Marvel's heavy hitters into one film and gave them such a beautiful interplay was groundbreaking. Thusly, my expectations for Avengers: Age of Ultron could likely be found on the top of the Empire State Building. So did the sequel reach 102 stories?

Set after the events of Marvel's Phase 2 films, the Avengers are once again teamed up to retrieve Loki's scepter from the hands of Hydra. But Tony Stark and Bruce Banner have come up with another  plan in order to prevent the events of the first film from ever coming to pass again. An artificial intelligence named Ultron. But (as so often happens) Ultron isn't too keen on being a puppet and turns on the team. Now the Avengers must save the world from the threat they themselves caused whilst also dealing with two new enhanced humans: Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver. 

In the films that followed The Avengers, we found our heroes in various situations in which we wondered why they couldn't just call the others for help. I think that is most likely the largest failing of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Where was Captain America when Tony Stark's house was being blown into the water and the President was kidnapped? Where was Iron Man when Dark Elves came to London to cause havoc for Thor? Where was EVERYONE ELSE when S.H.I.E.L.D. was taken down by the infiltration of Hydra? Where were Hulk and Hawkeye period? While the first batch of films worked on teasing The Avengers, the second batch has left them without one another or an explantion as to where they are. It wasn't a major issue when they were setting up the heroes in their origins, but in a post Avengers world where they all know about one another, it raises more than a few eyebrows. And Avengers: Age of Ultron makes little to no account for any of these questions.  My biggest issue is that at the end of Iron Man 3, Tony Stark blew up all of his suits, took the shrapnel out of his chest, and said that he didn't need any of the technology to be Iron Man. Yet in the very opening of this film, he's in a suit again being a hero. No explanation of what happened or why he changed his mind. What the hell?

The parts involving Nick Fury feel rather extraneous to the story itself, and doesn't seem to accomplish much else besides giving Samuel L. Jackson an opportunity to knock a film off of his Marvel contract. Whereas he seemed to move the story forward in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, his part in this film carries about as much weight as it did in Iron Man 2. Just a pep talk and a reminder that he is still in the world. 

(Most issues in the film have to do with specific items and are quite spoilery, so I won't go into them here. I will do something separate on the show with multiple warnings.)

Despite minor failings in making the universe seamless, Avengers: Age of Ultron is a strong piece if not as good as the first film. The story arches a global scale, and certainly has a sense of impending doom. But it still feels a little smaller, more organized and much more intimate than it did the first time around. We really get a stronger understanding of who these characters are. 

 The development of Ultron as a villain is a far cry from the evil A.I.'s of the past where all it took was a calm voice telling you "I'm afraid I can't let you do that." James Spader's soothing magical machinations create a robot full of life and schemes that you don't mind the monologuing. It isn't a cartoon, it's a vibrant force of evil which mistakes it's own intentions as well. 

The normal players all function in a manner similar to the way they have in the past with a few notes. Robert Downey Jr. made more of an effort to show Tony Stark's humanity in Iron Man 3, even if the PTSD from the first Avengers movie made him seem a little less free-spirited. That same feeling returns in this film but mixed with the Tony Stark we have all come to know and love, and the way that it comes across makes it more believable that he would take the position he does in the future...

It's hard for me to really pick a standout because there were 2. Jeremy Renner and Paul Bettany. Renner's Hawkeye gets an opportunity to really shine and prove that he deserves to be here. And Paul Bettany brings something delicate yet strong into play that the film really needed.

Avengers: Age of Ultron succeeds as a film in it's own right, but never reaches the standards the first film set. That being said, i'm still enormously excited to see what comes in it's wake. I recommend taking the family at the end of this sentence.

B

Andrew's 2015 Oscar Predictions

Here we are. The Academy Awards are tomorrow night, and that can only mean it's time for my annual predictions. As has been the tradition, I will not be releasing my predictions for every single category, just the major ones. If you want to know my thoughts on one not listed here, feel free to reach out to me. 

Best Visual Effects: None of the nominees are undeserving. However, the sheer magnitude of work creating the simians for Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, and the snubbing (yet again) of Andy Serkis, all but guarantee that the apes will swing away with the trophy. 

Best Adapted Screenplay: Whiplash and The Imitation Game both have an equal claim to the trophy. I was slightly more enthralled by Whiplash, but I think that the story of Alan Turing in The Imitation Game is too strong not to commend. Considering this is it's best chance for a trophy, The Imitation Game will take it. 

Best Original Screenplay: Boyhood was clever, but it didn't have that much of a hook for me besides it's gimmicky production. I personally loved Birdman and it's personal journey. It's a tossup between The Grand Budapest Hotel and Birdman, but I give Birdman a boost for it's creativity.

Best Original Song: This is really the only chance to redeem themselves for the snub, so you can expect "Everything" to be "Awesome" about The Lego Movie's main theme. 

Best Animated Feature: No one really thought this would be a race until the obvious winner wasn't nominated. It's anyone's guess, but gun to my head.......Big Hero 6.

Best Cinematography: Birdman. No competition required. The magnificent attention to detail and sheer patience to achieve the film's iconic "one shot" style make it the most deserving. 

Best Director: Again. Birdman. Alejandro González Iñárritu and his vision and attention make him the on to beat. Richard Linklater and his work on Boyhood make him a close second, but I wouldn't wager on an upset. 

Best Supporting Actress: I dislike how decidely monochromatic the nominees are in the acting categories are this year, as I had enjoyed Carmen Ejogo's work in Selma more than the current crop. But given the choices, it will more than likely go to Patricia Arquette for Boyhood. Mainly due to her independence as soon as she breaks free from the losers she unfortunately paired with. 

Best Supporting Actor: This is Andrew's 100% Guarantee for 2015. This will go to J.K. Simmons for Whiplash. Just for the broad range of assertion, aggression, dominance, tranquility and warmth. He's amongst good company, but none of them are holding a candle. 

Best Actress: Not what I expected. I was thinking this would be going to Amy Adams for Big Eyes, but the Academy has not followed any expectations this year. Rosamund Pike stole the show in Gone Girl, and she is my preferred winner amongst the nominees, but the academy seems to be leaning in the direction of Julianne Moore for Still Alice and I can live with that. Moore will win. 

Best Actor: This is the race to focus on. As it's really come down to two. It's going to be Michael Keaton vs Eddie Redmayne. Audiences have clinged to American Sniper and it's star Bradley Cooper, so i'll put him as an underdog, but it's really Keaton vs. Redmayne. (I fully expected this to be Keaton vs David Oyelowo for Selma. What the hell, Academy? HE HAD THE SECOND BEST PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR)  I did not care for Redmayne's work in The Theory of Everything as it felt as Oscar bait-y as anything i've ever seen. That's not saying he didn't work hard, but it didn't feel honest. Meanwhile, Keaton in Birdman was the best performance of the year in my mind's eye. His commitment and strength to a role that defies convention makes him my pick to win the award. Michael Keaton for the win. 

And Now Best Picture

For the second year in a row, this has come down to three different nominees. Boyhood, Birdman, American Sniper. (I was deeply moved by Selma and it's timely messages, but it just hasn't caught the academy's love. It's time for some new blood in the Academy.) Each film has a major strength. Boyhood has it's lengthy production and successful execution of a real time coming of age story. American Sniper has it's patriotic values along with the soulful journey of an American hero. Audiences have really embraced this story. Birdman has it's magnificent cinematography, deeply personal journey, and outstanding performances. Sniper is the least likely of the three to win, but I won't rule it out totally. While Boyhood was powerful, it doesn't have a totally cohesive story more than it has the appeal of it's growing pains. I am putting my money on Birdman for it's staying power. It was not only my favorite 2014 film, it's easily the best. 

ADVANCED "Seventh Son" Review

Let me start off by thanking my friend Spencer Cohen for inviting me to join him in seeing this film before it is released. Every studio screening I have attended has been different and a new experience, this one was no different. 

Gregory is a champion who fights the darkness through out the Earth, including Mother Malkin. When he needs a new apprentice, he must seek out a Seventh Son of a Seventh Son. 

When heading into the theater, I didn't have high ambitions for this film to be spectacular, but I expected at least something tangible. I was let down even there. This may be some of the cheesiest, most basic January fare (yes I know it's February) I've seen in a while. The hokey dialogue, the unfinished special effects, the wooden acting. This is strictly an erector set disquised as a movie in which they run down a checklist to make sure they hit all the standard conventions of what a movie needs to have. 

But to top it all off, the title is never even elaborated on. Jeff Bridges is looking for The Seventh Son of the Seventh Son. Why? What does that even mean? For we all know, Ben Barnes is just a rabbit's foot. There's no explanation as to why a Seventh Son is significant. They're too lazy to even give us the standard, boring exposition. 

If there's any saving this film, it's that it qualifies for "funny bad" status. 

I love Jeff Bridges. He's an amazing actor. But there wasn't even an attempt to sell us here. He's doing this so that we don't forget that he's still here. He uses the same voice he did in True Grit as though it would give him more cred, but it's just not passing muster. 

Julianne Moore is trying. She's clearly trying. At times there is something to her performance, but it doesn't elevate the film to any level above mediocre. Luckily this likely won't affect her Oscar chances. So she's avoided the "Norbit" effect. 

File this one under the Redbox category. It's funny bad. But not $10 funny bad. 

C-

"Whiplash" Review

No matter what your taste in film or television is, you have seen or heard J.K. Simmons somewhere. You just may never have put a name to the face. But he's always been around. He's just never been as spectacular as he has in Whiplash. 

Andrew Neimann is a first year drum student at Shaffer Conservatory. He is desperate to impress Terrence Fletcher, the studio band conductor with noted prestige. He is accepted into the band, but is pushed to his limits by Fletcher's ruthless methods, and soon questions himself. 

When one watches Whiplash, one is reminded of Black Swan and how it shined a light on the unseen brutality of ballet dancing. This movie does the same for music. It's enlightening, dark, if not a little derivative, yet still strong enough to stand on it's own legs as a movie. The amount of mental engagement and the amount of strength that the musicians show really contributes to how strong the film dabbles in realism. 

However, the film gets off to a bit of a lull. It certainly leads to some unexpected and fascinating places, but the first act lacks any real punch besides J.K. Simmons. In fact, his performance may be TOO good for the film. It almost lessens the power of the other players until around Act II. It leads somewhere amazing, but like any good horse race, you want a real race right out of the gate. 

If I am to be honest, I wasn't really interested in Miles Teller before this movie. He reminded me too much of Jonah Hill. (Especially the voice.) Yet we get a really strong performance from him in Whiplash. His determination and frustration is strongly underplayed until the right moments. 

But J.K. Simmons. Oh my gosh. There is an amazing power to Simmons' performance. He steals absolutely every scene with his command and gravitas. He paints such a broad spectrum that illuminates the screen. One moment screaming, another comforting. There is an awe that just comes from his mere presence. He can scare the hell out of you with just his gaze. This is an absolute lock for the Oscar.

Whiplash is certainly a strong movie, even if it doesn't start that way. But the real power is that of J.K. Simmons. 

B+

"American Sniper" Review

In 2009, if you had introduced the charming teacher from The Hangover as three time "Academy Award Nominee Bradley Cooper", I would have laughed profusely. Then again, let's consider that Jonah Hill has had more nominations than Gary Oldman ever has. But that's not to say either one hasn't earned it, it's just something my younger self could have never seen coming. Let's stick to Cooper.

The true story of Chris Kyle takes place in the aftermath of September 11th. He is considered the deadliest sniper in American history whilst serving in Iraq. However, his obsession with serving his country causes a rift between him and his wife, as he keeps going on tour after tour.

The modern war film has been an interesting one to see grow. From The Hurt Locker to Lone Survivor, it's come to showcase the morality of war and how it can weigh on the soul of the soldier. American Sniper is no exception. The most intense scene comes from one of Kyle's decisions in the field and how he will come to terms with it. He does what he has to in order to fulfill his duty, but comes to grips by telling his comrade to "Shut the fuck up" about what has transpired. It's captured the proper tone to not glorify war, not completely condemn it, but to just show it in an honest fashion. Kudos, Clint Eastwood. This is a step above Jersey Boys.

Yet, I do find some fault in the film. It unfortunately doesn't establish the right amount of narrative for us to really fell the ramifications. For example, when something occurs to a side character, we don't exactly feel the amount of weight that we probably be should since we haven't actually spent a lot of time with him. It doesn't really give us what we need to empathize completely with Chris Kyle's pain.  Not a major complaint, and nothing that takes me out of the experience, but it would have made it deeper if some of the smaller characters were a little more developed.

Bradley Cooper has shown us a great amount of range in the past few years. This is thus far his finest hour. He immerses into the mind of Chris Kyle to give us a monumental portrait of a man who was not perfect, but was heroic in his pursuits. Whilst his intentions aren't always clear, he brings us for the ride with his commitment and it's quite noble that how he wholeheartedly sought to honor this Navy Seal's legacy.

American Sniper isn't perfect. But it's earned the high praise. Clint Eastwood and Bradley Cooper have given us a great film, even if it isn't as developed as I had hoped.

A-