I was anxiously awaiting this film, especially since I had seen Divergent several times recently as it is in regular rotation on HBO. I actually recommend that anyone intent on seeing Insurgent should get a Divergent refresher, since this story picks up just days from where the first film left us. Tris (Shailene Woodley) is plagued with nightmares and torn with guilt especially over the deaths of her parents, so for most of the film we only get this soul sucking melancholy from her, unless she is in hand to hand combat and then she transforms into this lean mean fighting machine. I am fully invested in this series because of the portrayal of such strong women. Jeanine (Kate Winslet) is even more committed to her Divergent witch hunt and will stop at nothing to maintain the status quo. In this story we gain Johanna (Octavia Spencer) and Evelyn (Naomi Watts), both of which are leaders in and outside the faction system, although Natalie (Ashley Judd) was lost, somewhat. The reason that I say 'somewhat' is that with the Erudite technology to get inside someone's head, the possibility exists for anyone to resurface. If it were not for the Tris and Four (Theo James) budding love affair, this could have quickly turned into another futuristic downer. The men played an integral role in the story, they were all supporters for their respective women. I was surprised at the direction that Caleb (Ansel Elgort) chose and I was thrown aback with the initial Peter (Miles Teller) situation. I suppose it was explained in the books, which I have not read so perhaps that's why I was sitting there perplexed. Although his initial alliance wasn't explained in the film, his top priority was clear throughout the story: self preservation. This film had it all sans any comic relief, it had action adventure, drama, romance, deception, great special effects and a reasonable running time. I for one am now anxiously awaiting Allegiant.
Reviews
126 Reviews
Jupiter Ascending
(2015)
Chix Chat on Film review: When worlds collide.
10 February 2015
I was excited about seeing this film although I do recall last year that the chatter about it was less than favorable. My thinking was, how bad could it be coming from the Wachowski's who had given us the The Matrix trilogy? Jupiter Jones (Mila Kunis) works in a domestic capacity and basically hates her life. I thought the opening backstory of her birth and life was a bit lengthy, however it did paint a drab picture so that you could understand her distaste for her circumstances. When things did get moving it seemed like chase scene after chase scene, out of which two important factors became known. I had always wondered why no one ever remembers when aliens destroy major cities and how they are rebuilt so quickly and finally the mystery of crop circles has been solved. I feel like it is getting redundant to complement first rate special effects, because that is becoming the new normal. If a film has poor special effects, then that is when I will have to go in. But here it is, the special effects were Tony the Tiger great. The acting was top shelf as well, I wasn't really familiar with Eddie Redmayne (Balem Abraxas) until recently during Award season with his best actor nod for The Theory of Everything, but this dude is off the chain. I will say this, if you don't like your life you should consider that you might end up taken to another world drawn into a power struggle for the planet earth, manipulated, lied to and on a galactic hit list. I actually liked the film, although there were times that it failed like how the civil bureaucracy run around almost put me to sleep. This was seriously a when worlds collide story, but for me it worked.
The Maze Runner
(2014)
Chix Chat on Film review: aMAZEing Adventure
21 September 2014
The future of the teen to twenties continues to have a consistent tone in science fiction and fantasy. Either grow up and be responsible or die! I know that is a bit harsh but The Maze Runner and others like the Hunger Games paints a bleak picture in general in which the adults in charge build a world in which the only objective for its youth is survival. The star of this thrill 'run', Dylan O'Brien (Thomas) has been on my radar for the past few years as I must admit Teen Wolf is one of my television viewing guilty pleasures. The past few seasons he has emerged as an amazing talent and really showcased his emotional range when possessed by the Nogitsune in season 3. He is quite convincing in this role. I knew I would see this film but hadn't decided upon IMAX until the day of, and I have to say it was worth it to experience it in the biggest and boldest format for a feature film. As someone who had not read the book, I came in with no preconceived notions about the fundamentals, like WTF a giant maze, really!?! Yes, the trailer does give an indication that it is a test of some sort, but still. So I was contemplating how long would it take for the story to divulge what's behind it all, but I wasn't bored nor was I left feeling neglected by being unfamiliar. The mystery of what was taking place was part of my fascination with this film, working things out along with Thomas. My excitement continued to ebb as I ventured into the maze with him and Minho (Ki Hong Lee) as did my trepidation. This was a good movie, not saying it was great, but I enjoyed it for its entertainment value. I'm usually big on the special effects which has a significant baring on whether I see a film on the big screen or wait for it to come to video, but in this case the effects were not the star, the actors were, which is how it should be done.
Get on Up
(2014)
Chix Chat on Film review: The story of the Godfather of Soul
3 August 2014
This film is long overdue, although it seemed to me that there was so much more content excluded from the storyline. If a film maker chooses to focus on the artistry and creativity that came forth from an individual then it is best not to delve too deeply into the demons, which for James Brown (Chadwick Boseman) were much bigger than portrayed in this film. I wasn't a fan of the style of filmmaking applied to this tale, I would have preferred a more linear approach to the historical events that shaped Mr. Brown's personality. Starting a story with some event that takes place at the end is not that unusual, but there was so much jumping back and forth from childhood to young adult to the 'Godfather of Soul' that it was hard to connect to the story initially. Then there were the soliloquies, I didn't quite fathom why they were needed since they really did not add much to the storytelling other than try to place the audience inside of James' head. This story of the lifelong friendship of James and Bobby Byrd (Nelsan Ellis) was interesting and engaging, but nothing about this film was more entertaining than the music. I tried to be a good moviegoer so I didn't song along aloud, but it was almost impossible to just sit without moving to Caldonia and Get on Up. I couldn't help but reminisce as Please, Please, Please and This is a Man's World permeated the crowded theater. And yes, I fought back the tears during Try Me. The story did include a pivotal encounter with Little Richard (Brandon Smith) and the events that led to Bootsy Collins becoming a band member, but there were other musical icons that touched his life that were not mentioned. I guess the movie would have been too long to cover everyone. Mr. Boseman did a fine job of mimicking the enigmatic dance moves of Mr. Brown and his lip-syncing was palpable, but I just wasn't fully convinced with the vocal recreation. James Brown had a distinctive style of speech that few have been able to capture. Eddie Murphy did it with his comic genius on SNL with Hot tub, but he too may have fallen short if he was expected to maintain the sometimes indistinguishable speak throughout a feature film. I enjoyed this film, I saw it with my mother who is 74 and she loved it. The first concert that I ever attended was a James Brown concert. You don't know at the time that when you're just out for some entertainment, you're actually in the presence of greatness and that you are a part of historic events.
Guardians of the Galaxy
(2014)
Chix Chat on Film review: A Marvelous tale
3 August 2014
For a Sci-fi film with enviable comic relief this story had to have one of the saddest opening scenes ever when we first encounter a young Peter Quill (Wyatt Oleff), who appears to be just any small town USA young boy experiencing a devastating hardship, then his life takes an incredible turn for the unexpected. What this scenes does besides pose a question of who fathered him it sets up the soundtrack that accompanies the entire film, since in 1988 everyone had their Sony Walkman and Peter was no exception. We immediately fast forward to 26 years later and find an adult Peter Quill/Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) who is a bit of a scalawag, on a commissioned job to retrieve a mysterious orb, which leads to unimaginable adventure. The story of how the Guardians came together was happening on the forefront, but there were also some other major stories taking place like a maniacal Ronan (Lee Pace) bent on destroying a world, Drax (Dave Bautista) driven by revenge, whatever the heck was going on with Yondu Udonta (Michael Rooker) who was some sort of space pirate and a sibling rivalry that made for one of the great fight scenes. There were a number of things that tied this film to other stories that have been told focusing on the Marvel Universe including Benicio Del Toro reprising his role as the Collector who we only encounter briefly in Thor the Dark World (after credits) and Thanos another after credits character previously introduced. The special effects in this film were as big a star as the actual stars especially for the only characters who were already in league together, Rocket (Bradley Cooper) and Groot (Vin Diesel). These characters always felt as real as Star-Lord, Gamora (Zoe Saldana) and Drax. Who would have expected to come to a movie and feel any kind of emotional attachment to a raccoon?! If you stick around through the credits you will understand why the effects were first rate, there had to be at least ten animation companies credited. As with all the Marvel films there is an after credits scene, however the thing is if you are too young to remember the pop culture of the 80s you may not get the joke. This was storytelling at its best, and was very entertaining from beginning to end.
Chix Chat on Film review: Apes vs Humans
15 July 2014
While the original Planet Of The Apes film did show that humans had been dominated by evolved apes, it did not have the same ominous tone that this film Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes brings to the franchise. This film paints a very real picture of the plausibility and the possibility of humans no longer being the dominant species. There was no need to waste time rehashing what took place in the predecessor film, so the telling of what had transpired during the opening credits left the entire film to address the task at hand; the fall of man. But, this film was so much more than a tale of how man fell, it delved into the dynamics of the father-son relationship, and how some wrongs can be so life altering that there's no coming back. This was an intelligently written, though provoking story that picks up roughly a decade after the apes flee into the forest. Caesar (Andy Serkis) now has a family including a rebellious son Blue Eyes (Nick Thurston) and is leader to an enormous clan, which includes characters previously established. Maurice (Karin Konoval) the circus orangutan, Rocket (Terry Notary) the chimp- pimp, and Koba (Toby Kebbell) all of whom are living in unison until humans happen upon their home. This is the point where everyone's agenda begins to unfold, none clearer than Koba's whose disparaging past has completely marred him. He was the only character who had focused intentions, everyone else was somehow manipulated or unaware of the big picture that led to the human-ape clash, which caused me to sign with frustration several times throughout the film, which is my only issue with the story; the overwhelming naivete. I have focused primarily on the apes, but the humans do deserve some acknowledgement for attempting to avoid any further annihilation of the human race. Malcolm (Jason Clarke) was a good man who stepped way outside his comfort zone to fight for peaceful resolutions. Unfortunately, the cards were already stacked against them. I liken it to watching Titanic, you can hope that this time they will miss the iceberg, but it's inevitable. The special effects in today's cinematic world never cease to amaze me, what was done here is no exception. The apes were a given that they would be extremely lifelike, but to see how nature had ravaged civilization in such a relatively short time was a bit frightening. This was a very good film, from beginning to end. I enjoyed it immensely mostly because it made me feel some kind of way.
Maleficent
(2014)
A Chix Chat On Film Review: New spin on a classic.
2 June 2014
This film was so creative and imaginative that it made me want to go back and review Sleeping Beauty just to map the correlations; this was a wonderful new spin on an old tale. Maleficent (Angelina Jolie) was not just a one dimensional villain; she was truly relatable and genuinely garnered sympathy for all that she endured. I wasn't surprised that she had been betrayed costing her to lose her wings, that much was fairly clear from the trailer although the extent of the betrayal wasn't clear until I experienced the film. Hell has no fury like a fairy scorned! But anyone who has ever been angry for any reason knows that it is very hard to stay in that place. The passage of time depicted as Aurora (Elle Fanning) grew was the best gauge for the changes in Maleficent's disposition. The story was very engaging to watch as Maleficent also grew. Hopefully, there won't be a crazy Hollywood band wagon of films based on every classic villain's perspective; that would be such a shame and would put me back on my soap box regarding a lack of originality. Shrek did it right and now so has Maleficent. There were so many phenomenal special effects in this film that it's hard to call out some as superior to others. With that being said, whenever Maleficent exhibited her powers the results were awe inspiring, from the floaters, to her in-flight and those amazing battle sequences. The special effects were as much a star of this film as the talented actors. I did feel like some of the magical creatures were recycled from the Spyderwick Chronicles, but most were new creations so that's only a minor infraction. With all the action, an engaging adventure and a female lead, this film is to be enjoyed by all. I'll suffice it to say that this is a great film to kick-off the start to the summer movie season for avid film lovers.
X-Men: Days of Future Past
(2014)
A Chix Chat on Film review: Humans vs Mutants vs Sentinels
27 May 2014
The title of this film and the trailer made it quite clear that the plot would deal with time travel. With time travel there's always the risk of some paradox, but my thoughts were that there was a need for some type of event or portal to an alternate universe or something phenomenal to reclaim characters that had been lost to in prior X-Men installments. Days of Future Past tells a very creative story surrounding the Sentinels, which we only previously got a glimpse of in a school training exercise. The design of the newest X-Men nemesis in this film was spectacular; the special effects were sublime in conveying how impervious to most any attack these massive creations were. I recall from the animated series on television how all the key characters battled against the Sentinels, which would have been basically impossible with so many of the X-Men having met their demise in The Last Stand. There were a few new mutants introduced in this new tale, Adam Cantu from televisions The Following as Sunspot, Booboo Stewart best known from The Twilight Saga is all grown up as Warpath and most notably Evan Peters as Quicksilver. Quicksilver was an integral part of getting things moving, no pun intended, his character was the most entertaining because he was both quirky and uncontrollable. He was not one of the characters that recalled as front and center from the animated series, but he certainly made a lasting impression and will hopefully be back. Aside from the new mutants the other very interesting aspect of the story was the state of existence the players were in from where we left them at the end of First Class. This was a young Professor that I had never known. Rather than go on about all the things that made this a great film. I will suffice it to say that it was the best in the series so far. It was creative and masterfully told. I loved it and am looking forward to the next story featuring Apocalypse, who as I recall was a most difficult foe. BTW if you haven't seen this film yet, be sure to stick around after the final scenes for an after credits treat.
Godzilla
(2014)
A Chix Chat On Film Review: Monster for the ages
19 May 2014
Godzilla has been around longer than I have, so I've had the opportunity to see his many incarnations over the years starting with the 1956 King of The Monsters starring Raymond Burr, which I saw many years after it premiered but found it extremely memorable. The trailer for this monster reboot immediately wet my curiosity. The story was obviously going to be done with finesse there seemed to be an air of mystery, and was being told as if it were a serious drama. I've realized that when fictional tales are told with a dramatic flair making the tone more realistic the more serious I take them. Case and point, there was a campiness to the last Godzilla that added to my distaste for it, not to mention his lizard-like appearance, then came this latest offering and I am filled with the same excitement for Godzilla as I remember having as a child. There were some questionable actions and scenes by some of the characters such as Ford (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) having encounter after encounter with skyscraper sized monsters and narrowly escaping with his life just too many times to be believable. The monsters however were absolutely believable, and I have made no secret of the fact that I have a great appreciation for first rate the special effects and in this case they were very worthwhile to watch. I also appreciated the scientific explanation for Godzilla's existence and feeding habits as detailed by Vivienne Graham (Sally Hawkins). I have to say that I am now looking forward to expansion of the series, with an updated Mothra, Rodan, MechaGodzilla any other combatant for Godzilla and anywhere else the film makers want to take us in the monsterverse. On another note, yes I look for 'Us' in every film, so it was nice to have Captain Russell Hampton (Richard T. Jones) on the job in command and defending the world from the carnage.
Frankie & Alice
(2010)
A Chix Chat on Film review: Split Personality
7 April 2014
I did not realize that Frankie and Alice was a 2010 film until I looked it up at IMDb. Although, I did notice while viewing the film that Halle looked incredible and youthful as the lead character in the title role of Frankie. This is the second time that Ms. Berry has been on screen as an exotic dancer, she was less memorable in that short lived role in The Last Boyscout. Frankie Murdock (Halle Berry) comes across as someone who knows what she has to do to survive her circumstances how to pick a mark to get paid and even hands out vocational advice to coworkers. We find out however, through her erratic behavior it is revealed that she is not as well put together as she first seems. I knew from the trailer that the film dealt with multiple personality disorder or whatever is the current clinical name for split personalities, so the film The Three Faces of Eve came to mind as I attentively watched the story unfold. Through a series of flashbacks we see Frankie as a child and a young woman and eventually learn and understand the root of her mental illness as she undergoes treatment with Dr. Oz (Stellan Skarsgard). I would love to see Mr. Skarsgard step outside of his character, he has this Zoolander approach to acting, no matter what persona he is portraying it's always the same look. Ms. Berry on the other hand was on point she was emotionally engaging, showing a range that was both compelling and evoked compassion for what her character had endured. Her personality was splintered; her experiences caused her coping mechanisms into overdrive. Halle Berry proves that the title of 'Oscar winner' is well deserved. She played the role very convincingly with Oz and against the other key characters in the film her mother Edna (Phylicia Rashad) and her sister Maxine (Miranda Bailey oops, I mean Chandra Wilson). I enjoyed this story because it was interesting and not a new construct, it was nice to see the bad guy in the usual places, but to find a completely unexpected bad guy in this film was bittersweet. The first half hour or so became a bit annoying with all the jumping around, but not enough to reduce the entertainment value.
Noah
(2014)
Chix Chat on Film review: A brand new Noah
31 March 2014
The trailers for Noah would lead one to believe that the film is an epic bible story and with all the strides made with computer generated imagery this would have to be a marvel to watch when the flood waters began to rise. The thing that I toiled with is whether it actually should be considered a bible story. It seemed as if the biblical names including the title player Noah (Russell Crowe) and the flood were what made this supposedly biblical. The first thirty minutes or so I just couldn't get past the feeling that this was a Sci-Fi or Fantasy story, because the film had such an otherworldly feel to it. There were some truly inspired CGI sequences like when all that creeps and crawls came to the arc, the arc itself and the geyser explosions, however I was less impressed by the snake in the garden and a little perplexed by the armadog. I guess his appearance was to say that man was not the only creature without innocence and it too must have perished. We just didn't know anything about it and any remains must be buried deep beneath the sea. This is where I had issues with some of the creative license taken in the storytelling, if it is based on a story that I am familiar with, I prefer that it is very closely knit to the known accounts. I will say I was all in with the characters and the actors ability to bring truth to their portrayals. Most noteworthy was Ila (Emma Watson), when she cried I cried. Like I said I was all in. I enjoyed the movie, therefore I surmised that anything that was unfamiliar to me in the storytelling was to fill in the blanks within the historical account. Like given the enormity of the size of the arc, Noah and his family must have had some help, this film identifies the helpers. Even though this must have been a story of Noah that happened in another galaxy far, far away I'd consider seeing it again, and that is truly the test for a worthwhile film.
Riddick
(2013)
Chix Chat on Film review: Pitch Black 2
8 September 2013
I have been invested in Vin Diesel's Riddick since first experiencing Pitch Black and I find it hard to believe that it's been 13 years since it was released. The duality of this character or I should probably say multi-faceted character is fascinating and the journey to understand who he is and why he is this enigma of a perpetually reluctant hero has consistently been engaging. Initially, I was unable to truly discern from the trailer if the story took place pre Pitch Black or post Necromancers, but it appeared that he was wearing Necro attire which would place the story at some point after he commenced his reign from the edict that 'you keep what you kill. What I could discern from the trailer was that he was in another situation that was wrought with a deadly collection of monsters all of which were extremely dangerous. The how of what places him on planet Notfurya, which I prefer to call Predatorium was a fairly brief recollection of events by Riddick. The thing that took something like forever was the opening credits and his odyssey to adapt to this hostile environment. This story provided a connection to both predecessor films and was more like the first, than Chronicles. The special effects that delivered the aircrafts, the landscape of the planet and the carnage were first rate. The creature special effects could have been improved upon, the scorpion-like baddies were too similar to the creatures in Pitch and the canine's movement was too animated to ever truly believe that they were real. I was intrigued by the casting, I don't know what fountain of youth this guy is drinking from but Bokeem Woodbine (Moss) is simply ageless, I still see Joshua from Jason's Lyric and that was nineteen years ago. He is an actor that I feel should be given some serious recognition for his talent, he is always convincing no matter what type of role he plays. The only thing that I can say about Keri Hilson's (Prisoner) memorable acting debut is 'wow', she has a bright future as an actress. I will continue to follow Riddick on any and every future adventure but to date Chronicles is still my favorite, I have and can watch it repeatedly and am always entertained. I had high expectations for Riddick and it was more like Pitch black recycled with a splattering of some Die Hard with a Vengeance. Nevertheless, it was still entertaining and should be seen on the big screen for the effects. I give it an amber light.
Chix Chat on Film review: Supernatural adventure never mundane
22 August 2013
The Mortal Instruments City of Bones was adapted from a novel like many of the contemporary fantasy films of late. Fortunately, this one was a good choice to bring to the big screen because it gives the audience a well-developed story with likable lead characters. Clary Fray (Lily Collins) is a typical teenager at first glance, and although she is special the basis of her uniqueness is unbeknownst to her. As seen in the trailer, she witnesses what seems to be a murder in the midst of a crowded club however no one except her has seen it happen. This incident sets up the adventure which begins with Clary meeting Jace (Jamie Campbell Bower) a Shadowfighter, which is basically someone who battles demons. The strides made in technology make it possible to craft a film like this where a huge part of the experience is based on the special effects. There were a number of things that I likened to films that preceded this one like the portal (Stargate), the floating lady (Ghostbusters), the beam (LOTR) and there were a number of other images that reminded me of other films but I dare not give away too much for fear of spoiling it for others like myself who are new to this world hidden from Mundanes. Don't get me wrong even though there was some borrowing in the special effects category the film looked great, with cool scenes like the reveal of the Institute. Aside from the look of the film it maintained an ominous feel which added to the character of this movie. The only CGI creations that I somewhat considered as comic relief were the bird-smoke-burnt charcoal demons. This tale dealt with all manner of supernatural beings and had an interesting take on zombies. I suppose it makes sense given that from what I know or have seen regarding zombies they are generally man-made. I have not read the books and still have mixed feelings about doing so prior to viewing an adapted film, so I don't know how true to the book this film was but it completely pulled me in. I was invested in what would happen to Clary and I found the friendship between her and Simon (Robert Sheehan) to be endearing. Although the soundtrack on top of the romantic scenes with Clary and Jace was a bit much, it was still quite sweet. The story was fast paced and interesting and thoroughly held my attention throughout. The film was entertaining and had the desired effect that any film should have, when it ended I was left wanting more. I give it a green light.
Chix Chat on Film review: A Ulysses sized adventure
10 August 2013
This film Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters comes just at the right time of the year for tween entertainment. Summer is winding down, school is about to resume and the demi-gods have an adventure worthy of Ulysses. I thought the opening story of Annabeth (Alexandra Daddario) and Grover (Brandon T. Jackson) initially arriving at camp and how the shield came to be was creative and brought a level of energy to start things off, however I didn't particularly favor the warrior games, which were more like a round of Wipe Out rather than a show of strength from uber gifted halflings. The updating of the stories of Greek mythology is a great way to get this generation of youngsters invested in the tales. The ability through technology to visually depict the mythological creatures makes it all so much more appealing especially creatures like the hippocampus as seen in the trailer, this has to be the best looking seahorse I have ever laid eyes on. There were other creations throughout the film that were first rate special effects, but I wasn't impressed with Kronos, and don't even get me started on the animated history of Zeus, Poseidon and Hades rebelling against their titan father. I'll just sum it up in a word, cheesy. There was some creative license taken with modernizing the Stygian witches and Hermes (Nathan Fillion) all of whom fit right in to the new age, but alas the Cyclops just never seems to evolve. This second installment of the franchise comes with some new talent like Stanley Tucci (Mr. D) who was almost unrecognizable with the facial hair and the hair, Anthony Head (Chiron) and Leven Rambin (Clarisse) whose character brought a healthy dose of in your face competition to Percy (Logan Lerman). Most noticeably missing were those deities seen in the original film that I thought might make at the very least a cameo, the Olympian Gods. I went to see this film really wanting to like it, since I have been a fan of Greek mythology for most of my entire reading life, but I came away a bit indifferent. I laughed, was never too shocked at anything and also yawned. I do hope that viewers don't just take the film at face value and actually go read up on these amazing stories that these tween adventures were inspired by. I give this film an amber light.
2 Guns
(2013)
Chix Chat on Film review: Big fun and lots of guns
2 August 2013
Any Denzel Washington (Bobby Trench) movie gets my attention immediately, so there was no doubt that I would see 2 Guns. I like Mark Wahlberg (Michael Stigman) films as well but was not sure that the story would be written convincingly enough to believe that in some strange twist of events were two undercover operatives with some mammoth lies between them would somehow end up as friends. I figured just from the trailer that there would at the least be some major trust issues. The early scenes in the film give the audience an opportunity to get acquainted with Bobby and Stig as cohorts, while setting up the plot, which was a little sketchy at first been soon made sense. Accepting the two as authentic friends was as easy as sliding comfortably down into an oversized recliner. I quickly wanted to see more on screen time with the two of them playing off of each other rather than when their characters were facing dilemmas dealing with Papi Greco (Edward James Olmos) and/or Earl (Bill Paxton). This was because of the dialog which is a complement to good writing, the word play, bickering and the banter was amusing and could have easily gotten cheesy, but it made the characters more real. There was very little happening in this film for the ladies, aside from Deb (Paula Patton) whose job was in a power position, they were like sparsely distributed ornaments on a huge tree. Cattle were featured more prominently than the females. Since this was a testosterone fest there was no surprise to see huge explosions, car chases and a number of brawls. One of the funniest scenes happened to be a brawl, and that is just not a common occurrence but don't get me wrong this was no comedy it had its fair share of drama and some shock and awe moments, including an unconventional hand washing that just stuck in my head. I went into the theater thinking that the Washington/Walberg pairing was a stretch of the imagination at best and left the theater wondering how long I would have to wait for 2 Guns 2. This film was definitely targeting the male population, especially with the level of exposure of Mrs. Thicke which was tastefully done I might add, this was a creative story of greed, corruption, betrayal and intrigue with lots of gunplay and plenty of action with added bonus of some Texas based locales. 2 Guns was a lot of fun and was entertaining so I give it a green light.
Pacific Rim
(2013)
Chix Chat on Film review: A true monster movie
13 July 2013
What I really want to do is write about Idris Elba (Stacker Pentacost) and how his walk is poetry in motion, and that I could stare at him for the 131 minutes running time of this film with his commanding presence while gracing us with confidence and style, but that would be unfair, since I should discuss Pacific Rim. This film reminded me of the old Godzilla monster movies akin to the likes of Godzilla versus Megalon. Those films always had the populous running for their lives while Tokyo was perpetually being destroyed, but the update to the tale is that the origin of the monster attacks does not come from nuclear fallout. This film was not as campy as the early Godzilla films, but there was a healthy level of cheesiness, although played very straight with Charlie Day (Dr. Newton Geiszler) as the only comic relief, which is somewhat odd since he plays a scientist. He actually looks the part, but if he ever wants to be taken seriously in a role he has to change his voice inflections and tone, which is very comedic. If all the English and Australian actors can do it I'm sure he can. This film was primarily driven by the special effects, since going in there was little doubt as to how the story would end. The last film that I saw that had a truly surprising end was Cabin in the Woods, I digress. The special effects were most noteworthy because the scale of the jaegers and the kaijus was strikingly convincing. With their movements, when the fights broke out and when buildings were destroyed, I simply marveled at the fact that these creations looked remarkably real. I'm not sure why the notion that a tall wall will keep anything out but it was yet again tested in this film, but again the scale was amazing. The kaiju unfortunately were never shown much clearer in the film than what was seen in the trailer, when they appeared it was either dark, raining, shown as a television broadcast or they were underwater all of which were distorting factors. We did get a nice variety though, with similarities to a turtle, gorilla, and a pterodactyl. This was a testosterone filled ride, there were only two females with any dialogue in the entire film and one of them was quite masculine. It seemed that the target audience was tween and teenaged young men who would get a kick out of the fight scenes, there was a miniscule love story but not enough to make this film a female fan favorite. It was entertaining so I give it an amber light.
Kevin Hart: Let Me Explain
(2013)
Chix Chat on Film Review: Comedic powerhouse
10 July 2013
Kevin Hart has taken his comedy to a new level with Let Me Explain. He doesn't just open with the back stage preparation (and customary prayer) prior to performing his newest stand-up routine, he gives the audience a mini feature film complete with the set up for all the issues currently plaguing him in the media, and the backlash that he gets from the public and the people around him. Mr. Hart's star is definitely on the rise, with a hit television show and a number of feature films forth-coming, he said it best on the BET Awards 'turnt up'! He showcases his success in the film by cleverly taking the audience on a ride along with him and his entourage as he tours Canada and the United Kingdom to sold out venues providing some insight into his popularity outside the US. It seems that he is a global hit not simply a well-known comedic powerhouse to just Black America. The jokes were smart and funny and were delivered in such a manner that I was rocking forward with laughter. The profanity was excessive and in some cases unnecessary for the stories being told to be humorous, but Kevin Hart's approach to comedy is much like many of his predecessors Dick Gregory, Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy and Chris Rock who have grown out of an environment in which the language was a part of the norm of everyday life, so it's only fitting that the profanity is infused throughout the routine. I get it, but more prudish ears may find it somewhat offensive, especially the use of the N-word, which punctuated every narrative. The fare in this film is definitely not for consumption by small children. After hearing the jokes about so many aspects of his personal life, his divorce and his children I left the theater feeling as if I knew Kevin Hart just a little bit better. His tale of the possibility of being touched by the homeless gave me a whole new perspective of how important the boundaries of personal space are. Having a significant enough following to be able to fill seats in a theater is an impressive feat for any entertainer especially a stand-up comedian. This was an entertaining film, it was funny and engaging. The running time was 75 minutes which seemed to fly as in 'time flies when you're having fun. I give it a green light.
World War Z
(2013)
Chix Cat on File review: Aggressive zombie infestation
30 June 2013
The trailer made World War Z look like the zombie population had gone extreme, with them developing the new talent of running. What an unfair advantage now in their favor considering the lumbering gait was the only thing that provided some level of protection for the human race. This year has been evolutionary for the zombie, since we now also know from Warm Bodies that there's even zombie love. There is some consistency in what has been the recent approach to zombification, it starts with some fatal contagion, not like the good old days when a vampire enslaves a human which keeps the numbers low, or a voodoo casting or the result of some improperly contained hazardous chemical, now everything is a virus run rampant. Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt) is a United Nations employee and is reactivated to track down the invading agent and try to figure out how to stop it. I don't know what UN employees do and after this film I still don't. There was a segment where Gerry is sent to accompany mankind's best hope for finding a cure and I'm not sure if he was supposed to be some level of protection but the situation just got direr rather than better. My favorite aspect about the story aside from Mr. Pitt of course is what puts the human race at its greatest disadvantage, the speed of the zombies. The special effects that allowed for them to climb atop each other and perform record breaking tackles added to the intensity. Although the movement and feel seemed very similar to the creations from I Am Legend, it was still rather chilling to watch as the human race was quickly being annihilated. My biggest complaint about the story is that I left the theater with no greater insight into what was the intrusive culprit than I had already gathered from the previously mentioned trailer that it's a contaminating virus with unknown origins and is aggressively spreading. I did not find this story particularly scary but it did pass my 3-D test, yes I flinched, actually a few times. I just kept thinking keep that guy Gerry away, because it just seemed that wherever he was the zombie infestation grew. That may not have been the reality since the problem was supposedly worldwide, but as good as Mr. Pitt looked as 'every man', he was bad luck for everybody except himself. I liked the film, but felt as if too much was given away in the trailer, therefore I give it an amber light.
Man of Steel
(2013)
Chix Chat on Film review: A very super man
16 June 2013
Man of Steel the much anticipated reimagined Superman tale was so much less than anticipated by me. Having grown up with the comic books, seen the story played out on television and in theaters for more than 4 decades I was just done. And then along comes this film with a two and a half hour running time, and I simply cringed at the very thought of sitting through another same old story. But, this wasn't the same old story this was a rocket launch into action and an adventure that began almost from the very start with Kal-El/Clark's (Henry Cavill) birth. This is the first time that I recall seeing in live action shown so vividly the planet Krypton before its infamous destruction. The vision of what life on Krypton would have been like and the coup that led to the imprisonment of General Zod (Michael Shannon) has never been rendered with such detail. The action in this story was none stop, all of which was fueled by the special effects. The special effects were so phenomenal that they were barely noticeable, because they worked so seamlessly within the story. They were primarily the art of devastation, from Krypton to huge crafts, to larger than life hand to hand combat with super human strength to Metropolis being all but completely razed, the film was a visual masterpiece. This story was told with a lot of heart, and the running time was necessary to show how much of an inner struggle Clark had with being so different. It wasn't just a natural uneventful growth process like going up in a show size when his powers began to manifest, it was conveyed as a traumatic transition, which made Clark not only likable but you care about him. I'm still trying to decide how I felt about Lois Lane (Amy Adams), she seemed to be too accepting too quickly of all the other worldly events that were transpiring around her, but I guess the situations didn't leave much time for panicking. I noticed hints in the film that there will be a sequel, but I'm having a hard time imagining that Lex Luther who has always been Superman's primary nemesis will be wrapped in a story with the kind of zeal that Christopher Nolan has brought to light here. It turns out that this story was so masterfully done and so entertaining that it has renewed my enthusiasm in the franchise, I give it a green light.
This Is the End
(2013)
Chix Chat on Film: Funny as hell
16 June 2013
This is the end of the way I view a film as a comedy. I experienced some of the funniest and some of the most disturbing situations imaginable in this film that played out one possibility in biblical proportion of how the world would end. The fact that everyone used their own names made the story have a realism about it that even further played into the comedy. I don't typically associate special effects with a comedy, but this film had some pretty good effects going on with the hell mouth sized sink holes, the rapture and the devil-dog. I was rather impressed that they weren't SyFy channel fodder, which is typically hard to swallow. The majority of the jokes were potty humor and there were an excessive number of phallus symbols, skeet and penetration innuendo, but the raunchy jokes won laughs even though some came with a bit of a grimace because it is somewhat embarrassing to admit. Who would have imaged the apocalypse as a situation comedy? Obviously Seth Rogen, who is the co-writer and co-director, he played the story straight and even takes a jab at his own acting prowess. There were quite a few talented entertainers in this story and many of them also played into the areas that have characterized their presence in Hollywood. Michael Cera comes across as this out of control drug abusing, womanizing whiner, which is the antithesis of every role that I have ever seen him portray. And the slap that Rihanna placed on him for his inappropriate behavior simply cracked me up. In all honesty, I know that the situation with Danny McBride was making fun of Magic Mike, but Channing Tatum was just done wrong. Good thing that he is obviously secure in his manhood, but he did use his actual name. This film was just plain funny, and one scene that made me laugh out loud, that I don't think others in the theater quite understood was when the elderly lady responded as to why she had placed a sign in her establishment. I could hear that I was the last person to stop laughing at that bit. Who would have thought that you could leave an apocalyptic film, feeling good at the end? Obviously Seth Rogen, the musical ending had me moving in my seat with a smile on my face, which was just the icing on the cake. I give it a green light.
After Earth
(2013)
Chix Chat on Film review: Outer space Earth adventure.
31 May 2013
I was wondering what M. Night Shyamalan was up to since his last not so endearing live action take on one of my favorite animated tales The Last Airbender. It seems that he sat back kicked up his heels and crafted a story from a brand new perspective. This was a family film for the most part, Ursa was a bit nightmarish but other than that, this story had a number of very worthwhile qualities. There was no big reveal at the end that made you question if you were paying attention, this was just a futuristic setting that tells the story of the complexities within the relationship of a father and son. I had high expectations for this film based on Will Smith (Cypher Raige) starring in it, he never disappoints not even in Hitch as far as I'm concerned. The father-son story was the heart of this film, with Cypher as this larger than life Commander and Kitai (Jaden Smith) trying to live up to the legend that is his father. I had to wonder if this story was easy for the younger Smith to pull out the necessary emotions to carry this role given his chosen vocation and the success that his father has known. Academy Award nominee, those are some pretty big shoes to fill, but Jaden has consistently proved to be a convincing actor and here yet again he proves that he has the chops. He takes the audience through his experiences of disappointment, jubilation, panic, guilt, and for certain fear. The landscapes in this film were amazing, I love when a film can find locations so stunning that you feel that you have actually ventured to another world. The red cliffs of Nova Prime are a natural wonder to behold and I find it fascinating that they are actual not CGI, but the meteor shower, the space jump and the waterfalls on Earth were all first rate special effects. I was more impressed by the landscapes than the animal life, the baboons were fairly genuine, but the big cats not so much. I didn't even realize that Zoe Kravitz (Senshi) was in this film, no indication at all from the trailers, although her and Sophie Okonedo (Faia) had very little screen time, they both made a rather powerful impact. Speaking of on screen time, this was Jaden's I Am Legend, more him than anyone, which was not bad at all. I give it a green light.
Star Trek Into Darkness
(2013)
Chix Chat on Film review: Keep on Trekking baby
19 May 2013
This second film in the reimagined Star Trek movie franchise has everything that a Trekker could ever want and more. For someone like me who grew up with the original television series and then went where no (wo)man has gone before with the feature films, I never expected that the stories would evolve into something with such 'wow' factor as J.J. Abrams and team have crafted. Once again my assertion that Mr. Abrams is my favorite and the best contemporary director has been proved to be well deserved. But he obviously has a deep insight into how to translate the dialogue from Orci and Denioff into a spectacular vision. This film has the perfect mix of action, adventure, comedy, romance, drama, and suspense. To balance out all of the emotions that were experienced in this story and create a film with an engaging plot and stunning visuals is a major feat. I was surprised to learn who the primary antagonist was, and the manner in which the story was woven around him made the story even more intriguing. I was thrilled that Uhura (Zoe Saldana) had an opportunity to really showcase her linguistics and as Catt said, it was time the Klingon's came into the picture. I've been a bit tainted when it comes to away missions because of Galaxy Quest I always consider crewman six's inevitable doom. Prior to now I did not feel as if the scale of the Enterprise or the hardware like the warp core were appropriately conveyed. Seeing the scale of engineering and the other areas of the enterprise left me awe stricken, because after all, the ship is as much a star of the franchise as the characters. My only complaint with this film was the scoring, in some of the sequences the theme music was just too over the top and made me feel like I needed to find the volume knob so that I could turn it down and refocus on the film. I get it that the music gets louder so the audience recognizes how intense the situation is, but that little trick wasn't necessary since the action scenes were full throttle and none of the excitement would have been lost if the music had been at a moderate tone. I have anxiously waited four years for this film and was utterly thrilled with the end result. I give it a green light
The Big Wedding
(2013)
Chix Chat on Film review: Another dysfunctional family wedding
27 April 2013
I am always open to seeing a fun-filled romantic comedy and when it involves a wedding all the better. The story seemed very familiar to me with a young couple marrying and bringing together two families (actually there in this case) that are very different in their beliefs, and life styles. One of the soon to be married is adopted, although quite aware of that status, other secrets prevail and there is deception and betrayal a plenty. The only thing that would have made this film the 'lighter' version of Jumping The Broom would have been a quirky Black wedding planner. So we know from the trailer that Don (Robert De Niro) has to pretend to be married to his former wife Ellie (Dianne Keaton) so as to protect the groom Al's (Ben Barnes) biological mother from the truth, which leaves a strange predicament for Bebe (Susan Sarandon), Don's current significant other. The story briefly provides some insight into the lives of the groom's siblings Lyla (Katherine Heigl) and Jared (Topher Grace), but any character development is shallow at best for everyone. The whole over-constructed plot with the pretense of Don and Ellie being a couple was completely unnecessary since most of the story was very predictable, even the 'devirginater' storyline with Dr. Jared. I did find the Dr. Jared story to be the most honest and endearing, but alas it was predictable as well. The best thing about this film was the casting, if it weren't for so many talented actors; I would never have given it any of my time aside from if I were home with very few options for what to watch on television. That is not to say it was not a nice film, it's just not the kind of film that has to be played out on the big screen, and I believe the only reason is because of the A list players. I make it quite clear that I am a fan of special effects and a little action and adventure doesn't hurt, this film was sans both. I did leave the theater wondering what is up with Robin Williams (Father Moinighan) and the recurring role as a Catholic priest, been there done that in License To Wed. A car chase or a smashed wedding cake might have made the story a bit more interesting. I didn't hate it, I give it an amber light
Oblivion
(I) (2013)
Chix Chat on Film review: Earth decimated
20 April 2013
Oblivion is the kind of film that once you see the trailer you have high expectations for what it will deliver. It did deliver on some spectacular images from high atop the world in Jack Harper's (Tom Cruise) sky living quarters, where he and Vicka (Andrea Riseborough) are an effective team. Visually, the look of this film was quite imaginative. This was Mr. Cruise's turn at being the 'one', that individual who is the savior of humanity. There were too many scenes that reminded me of The Matrix for me to give this film high marks in the creativity column, I seriously expected that at some point Jack would hold out his hand and fry the drones that were in pursuit. This is another film that gets segmented, but in this case it is a matter of before Julia (Olga Kurylenko) and after Julia. Before, Julia the mood of the story was a ride along with Jack as he performed his duty of drone repairs and it would be putting it mildly to say that it seemed to drone on and one, pun intended. Then after Julia the pace picks up as did my interest in what was taking place and where the plot was leading me. When Jack meets Beech (Morgan Freeman) a Morpheus-like character, again it was just so Matrix-esque he is given instruction as to how he should learn the truth about what was happening, since simply telling him would not could not possibly be accepted or comprehended. The special effects in Oblivion were more the marvel of this film than the story, which was a blending of other films of this genre that had come before it. To be able to convincingly depict a thriving metropolis as a wasteland buried under a desert was amazing, but the real star of the film was the chopper with the on board bike accessory. The maneuverability, compactness and styling of that transport is the kind of concept technology that I would love to see realized by some science geek who would. In a side note, now I understand why there was so little of Jaime Lannister in Game of Thrones season two, he was off playing Sykes (Nikolaj Coaster-Waldau). Had the before Julia storyline been as engaging as the after Julia story I would have been more inclined to go green, but alas I have to give it an amber light
42
(2013)
Chix Chat on Film review: Jackie Robinson super human
13 April 2013
The opening disclaimer in any movie that states it is 'based' on true events makes me question how much creative license was taken in crafting the story. I believe that 42, which is the story of Jackie Robinson's (Chadwick Boseman) journey through breaking the color barrier in American baseball took much of its creative license in toning down the racism that Mr. Robinson must have faced. This story was told with so much heart and sensitivity that I didn't leave angered by the large scale intolerance that was pervasive at that time in our history but feeling proud that this man who was once a fatherless child could make such an impact on my history. This wasn't just the story of how Mr. Robinson's talent played a part in bringing about tolerance in baseball but also told the tale of how instrumental Branch Rickey (Harrison Ford) was in making this moment in time take place. The fact that there was a scene in which Mr. Rickey speaks on his motivation just makes the tale all the more endearing. I know that the story is based on true events but not all true stories are engaging. His character and strength were portrayed with clarity and conviction by Mr. Ford, I am forever and always a Han Solo fan. This is a story that needed to be told for someone like me who had heard about Jackie Robinson but had not given a great deal of thought to the depth of his triumph. He was before my time, in fact when the story takes off my mother was only six. This is the type of film that makes everyone feel a little better when exiting the theater and the pre credits statements that informed the audience of where some key character's lives carried them was a testament to who was on the right or wrong side of history. The film did a phenomenal job of recreating the era from the location shots, to the automobiles and the attire, everything and everyone looked authentic. I barely noticed the 2 plus hours running time because this story was so very entertaining. The only time that I felt really uncomfortable was when Ben Chapman (Alan Tudyk) taunted Jackie during a game which was much like the chorus of the Trinidad James song All Gold Everything, which also makes me uncomfortable. This film gets a glaring green light.
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