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Rogue One (2016)
A strong edition to the STAR WARS universe, that can hold its own!
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story directed by Gareth Edwards, is the latest and first edition to the Star Wars universe as a standalone movie, telling the story of how the rebellion captured the plans to the first Death Star, that we eventually see in the original Star Wars movie – A New Hope, where Rogue One ends just ten minutes before.
To put it straight, this is a not an entirely child friendly Star Wars movie. From the onset of the film, you really do get a grasp of the overall tone that this movie has throughout, which is darker and grittier than the saga movies. Now, there is no gore, but let's put it this way, there's a lot of death, and rightfully so given the plot of this movie and the gravity of what the rebellion is up against and the stakes associated with the mission at hand.
Rogue One will definitely sit well with most hardcore Star Wars fans, and if you've read the novel 'Catalyst' by James Luceno, or have invested a lot of your time looking into various aspects of Star Wars lore across the board, then you will most likely have a better understanding of the characters going in, as well as the events that took place before the time of Rogue One and the relationships certain characters have. Casual fans that perhaps are not as invested into Star Wars can enjoy this movie, but watching it, you can tell this is geared more towards hardcore fans based on the content that's presented in the film. While the overall film isn't anything unique and pays homage to the likes of Saving Private Ryan and Apocalypse Now, it can be argued that it is more original than that of the The Force Awakens plot line, that has seen some controversy from critics and fans alike, despite being an enjoyable film nonetheless and a worthy edition to the saga.
There is no crawl, but this didn't take anything away from the overall quality of the movie. Instead, a title card is used, which looks a little unprofessional, but it's only there for a few seconds.
The first act of Rogue One begins quite slow, introducing us to each of the characters in a way that could be done better, and seemed a little misguided, where characters were not fleshed out as much as we'd perhaps like them to be. However, the second and third act make up for the slow start, but the slow start does provide us as the audience with context to help perpetuate the plot forward. There are small Easter eggs and hints of fan service peppered throughout the film, but doesn't feel shoehorned in just for the sake of nostalgia.
Rogue One is without a doubt one of the most visually stunning Star Wars films to date, which is accented by cinematography that captures the beautiful landscapes of places like Iceland and the Maldives. The CGI in the film feels and looks real and blends in very well with the practical effects nicely where everything works together. There are only a few moments where CGI can seem a little ineffective, but nothing that stands out to be significantly negative. Overall, the CGI in this movie is used very intelligently, in new ways that hasn't been seen too often in cinema.
As much as the characters all have their moments in the film, the main standout characters are noticeably K2SO (Alan Tudyk), Chirrut Imwe (Donnie Yen) and Orson Krenic (Ben Mendelsohn). K2 isn't like any other droid, he is an imperial droid that has been reprogrammed to serve and fight for the rebellion. While he's the comic relief throughout the film and breaks some witty one liners, he can also hold his own as a skilled fighter in both physical combat and firearms. Chirrut, who is a blind warrior located on the ancient city of Jedha (holy land for the Jedi), believes strongly in the force which guides him and assists him despite his impaired vision. However, he is no Jedi nor Sith, just a follower/believer of the force that carries a great spirit. Krenic is a great edition to the villains within the Star Wars universe; he is continuously trying to show off to a particular character in the film for a sense of approval and validation, and is ultimately trying to move up the ranks to the big leagues, although his arrogance can often be his downfall. And of course, the iconic villain himself, Vader! Vader is used sparingly throughout the film, which has been highlighted by Kathleen Kennedy (president of Lucasfilm) many times before the release. He doesn't have a lot of screen time, and he doesn't need to as this isn't his movie, but his time on screen is utilised 'perfectly'. When you see him, his presence can be felt. He is most prominent in the last act of the film, which will not disappoint.
The battle on Scariff and the space battle above its atmosphere is undoubtedly one of the best battles amongst the Star Wars films, and will perhaps go down as one of the most iconic as well as historic for its connection to A New Hope. As said previously, this is very much a war film and puts the 'wars' in 'Star Wars'. This movie doesn't rely on Jedi or Sith, its main focus is on the average soldier and what they've had to sacrifice for the cause of the rebellion in the fight against the rise of the Empire. There's lots of death, which goes without question, as this final battle is very reminiscent to the likes of Saving Private Ryan, and takes a lot of inspiration from the Vietnam War in terms of cinematography and the scale of the battle itself.
Rogue One is a strong edition to the line of Star Wars movies, and will undoubtedly sit rather high in the ranking table.
Arrival (2016)
A Sci-Fi movie full of mystery
'Arrival' is the Sci-Fi movie that we have all been waiting for; it doesn't follow similar story lines that is typical of most alien films, whereby the plot simply comprises of aliens descending on Earth, find out that humans are dangerous and destructive to themselves and them, thus causing all out war - we have seen this time and time again, but 'Arrival' really sets the bar high in modern times for the genre.
This movie straight from the beginning shows off beautiful visuals and cinematography, courtesy of the bright cinematographer 'Bradford Young', which really resonates with the unique plot this film has to offer.
English and Science are the two subjects that are significantly key to the plot of this film, giving a sense of realism as to what we do as the human race to understand ourselves from a language perspective and our place in the galaxy and the universe, as well as our voyage for other intelligent life and how they might communicate.
'Arrival' will keep you guessing and mentally put you on the edge of your seat. You will be analytically questioning everything that is happening in order to make sense of what is occurring as the film unfolds. Things may seem confusing, but ultimately become more clear towards the the final act of the film.
This is a film that requires a lot of attention and the ability to think outside the norm. A strong contender for 2016.
Breakin' (1984)
Appreciates Hip-Hop culture. overall a lot of fun with great dancers and music!
It comes with no surprise that 'Breakin' has a low-rating score; the cast is predominantly made up of dancers with little experience in acting, however, the main goal of this film is not to please the audience with outstanding performances, at least not acting, but dancing, yes!
This film pays homage to the Hip-Hop culture of the 80s and the streetdance styles that thrived within many communities, preventing kids on the street from getting involved with drugs, guns and violence, which ultimately saved a lot of lives. 'Breakin' also touches on the stereotypes of streetancers in conjunction with the theatrical arts (such as 'ballet'), which was more respected and seen as 'classy'.
'Breakin' does not have a complex plot that is too complicated for the audience to understand, as the main focus is the dancing itself. If you approach this film expecting a magnificent plot and great acting, then this film is not for you. It is simply a bit of 'fun', with a cast of highly talented streedancers that pioneered/contributed massively to their styles of dance, so if you are someone that connects or knows a lot about streetdance/Hip-Hop culture, or lived throughout this lifestyle in the 80s, then this film will really hit home and resonate with you on a nostalgic level.