TUC's Movie Reviews!

[HalfGlass]

Hey All!

So I like to write movie reviews (I go to the theaters about twice a week). I'll post my reviews here whenever I go see a new movie! Feel free to visit and leave comments!

You guys rock and thanks for reading!

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Guardians of the Galaxy Review

Has Marvel overextended its grasp? Many thought “Guardians of the Galaxy” would have been the movie to finally get some mediocre feedback from critics and audiences alike, but instead the new sci-fi addition to the “Avengers” pantheon of films is both hilariously memorable and memorably hilarious.

James Gunn’s zany, outlandish take on these D-list superheroes is a task that not every director can handle. Gunn’s previous genre films had low budgets and never tried to appeal to a vast audience, but Guardians works on a totally different level. The movie’s weird sci-fi creatures and locales are not something typically seen in mainstream fare, but it’s the 5 core characters of the group (Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, Groot and Rocket) that help bring down the movie from outer space and ground it for wide audiences. Bradley Cooper’s Rocket Raccoon in particular is an amazing character, and Chris Pratt does a phenomenal job in the leading role as Peter Quill/Star-Lord.

The movies action and comedic elements blend seamlessly throughout, and outside of a rushed opening 20 minutes, the movie runs at a consistent pace for its two hour running time and never feels boring. Yes, the average viewer may get lost in the plethora of races, planets and so forth, but the simplistic story surrounding these exotic names is easy enough to follow along with. This is actually the only actual major complaint I have with this movie as there are a few too many characters introduced in this sure to be hit series’ first installment (Guardians 2 has been green lit for 2017). Actors like John C. Reilly, Benicio Del Toro and Glenn Close exist to further the plot rather than enhance it. This is a seriously missed opportunity in my opinion, and had the film focused more exclusively on the Guardians it could have helped a little.

All in all, “Guardians of the Galaxy” is the antithesis of the Avengers. Everyone’s intentions in the beginning of the film make any selfish actions taken by Tony Stark appear as angelic. It is in these moments though, that the movie shines as we slowly begin to root for these jerks as they eventually form a barely cohesive team. This is awesome entertainment!

9/10



NOTE: For reference, since this is the 10th film in the Avengers canon, I have listed my rankings for the films thus far below. It’s been a hell of a ride and I’m really looking forward to “The Avengers: Age of Ultron”!


1. The Avengers
2. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
3. Iron Man
4. Captain America: The First Avenger
5. Thor
6. Guardians of the Galaxy
7. Iron Man 3
8. Thor: The Dark World
9. The Incredible Hulk
10. Iron Man 2

 

[HalfGlass]

Hercules Review


Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has come a long way as an action hero. But, ever since the birth of his leading man career in 2002’s “The Scorpion King”, he has never returned to his sword and sandal roots until now. Unfortunately, the wait was not worth it. This is a Brett Ratner film after all, so one should not have high expectations when entering the theater.

“Hercules” may be a new take on the age-old champion of the gods, but the film is hardly fresh in its approach. Hercules and his various companions aren’t so much characters you can root for, but instead are cookie-cutter versions of what a charismatic team of heroes should look like. The most heinous act though, is that The Rock is just not a great Hercules, something that I was not expecting when venturing out to see this movie. We had the chance for a fun, “Pirates of the Caribbean”-esque version of Hercules, but instead we get a 95-minute rushed attempt at depicting the mythological character in all of his glory.

On one hand, you can say that the movie would benefit from a longer running time, leaving opportunities to expand on character development. However, the movie has so many issues plaguing the layout of the film that it immediately sucks all of the potential fun and wonder out of what could have been. The story is like every other “evil dictator ruling the lands” plot, which may be excusable if they had some decent action sequences to back it up. None of the 12 labors, like fighting the Hydra, are given any more time than the brief glimpses seen in the trailers. Instead, Hercules and his team fight random soldiers for a majority of the film, leading to a predictable plot twist that can be seen from a mile a way and underwhelming climax that cannot fulfill an action-junkies fix. The only redeeming quality of the movie is the few scenes led by Ian McShane’s fortune telling warrior, where he continuously predicts the future (and his death) wrong.

Simply put, this is not only a massive disappointment, but it will most assuredly stand as one of the worst films in 2014 once the year has ended. Here’s hoping The Rock can redeem himself in “Fast & Furious 7” next year.


2.5/10

 

[HalfGlass]

Boyhood Review


Richard Linklater's 12 year cinematic masterpiece is not only an excellent exercise in experimental filmmaking, but also proof that sometimes great luck can go your way. Following a boy from the age of 6-18 was not only a difficult task, but one that had the likely possibility of failing miserably. Due to contractual requirements for signing young actors , the boy could have decided he didn't want to act anymore when he reached into his teenage years, or he could have just become a poor actor overtime. There were numerous things that could have halted the film's production or even shut it down. Luckily, for Linklater's sake and for ours, "Boyhood" is the unbelievable experience he had intended it to be from the start.

While one can say that Ellar Coltrane (the boy) acted incredibly in the movie, one can say he didn't act at all. He merely was himself in any given situation that the movie threw at him. While his real life events shaped who he became, you can somehow see the path he took during the movie and why he made the choices he did. There is never a moment in the flexible story where Ellar's character Mason makes a decision that you think the screenplay forced on him. Every action he takes makes complete sense, with the trials and tribulations of real life wearing on the boy's heart and soul as he grows in age.

Supporting cast members Ethan Hawke and Patricia Arquette both turn in amazing work as the boy's parents, and the rest of the mostly unknown actors (child and adult alike) all do a fantastic job. There really are no faults with the movie, with the exception of the length, which was going to be an inherent issue with the concept of the film. The problem is that the storytelling doesn't follow a 3-act structure, and one can find the constant conflict-resolution nature of the film to be a little tedious towards the very end. Not that it ruins the movie by any stretch, but it's different enough that I found myself squirming during the movie's last 20 minutes of its 165 minute runtime.

This is filmmaking brilliance at its finest, and is something that will stand the test of time. Never before has a movie in a non-documentary format been able to accomplish something so impressive. "Boyhood" isn't just worthy of your time, it's Best Picture worthy.


9.5/10

 

[HalfGlass]

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Review


Michael Bay has slowly establishing himself as, what some people call him, “the childhood ruiner”. I beg to differ. Yes, Transformers and TNMT are franchises that don’t fulfill every aspect of the comics and cartoons we know and love, but they do pay fan service and contain enough kick-ass action sequences that I am at least able to forgive their many missteps.

While Bay didn’t direct this outing, he did have a very heavy-hand in producing it, with director Jonathan Liebesman coming off more like a puppet than an artist. What we get is a first installment in an assured franchise that is able to relate a bit more to the original property than Transformers did. However, Bay’s issue with focusing too much on the human side of the story still remains prevalent. Therefore, we get a main plotline that centers on Megan Fox as April O’Neill. The result isn’t catastrophic, but you leave knowing the movie could have been better if it cut her screen time down by half and it brought the turtles front and center.

Now everyone has been joining the Megan Fox haterade parade, but this movie proves that she isn’t just all looks. While she never comes off as particularly memorable or charismatic, her lines (for the most part) are never groan-worthy. It’s worth mentioning that when people like Will Arnett and William Fichtner surround her, it does help things though. The true crux of the problem is more with the awful dialogue the human characters are given than anyone’s acting capabilities.

Now the reason Bay’s format works better here than with Transformers is because the turtles are inherently goofier (like Bay’s humor). Their jokes feel like they are sometimes meant to fall flat, with Michelangelo especially. It brings levity to the screen that feels out of place in many of his other features. That said, the tonal inconsistencies still plague this movie. Where Transformers was a concept that seemed like it would be better as a more serious concept, this is a film that would have benefitted from going all in silly. For some reason, Bay tries to hit every demographic with his motion pictures, but ends up alienating a lot of the audience, including young, old and diehard fans. Now, one can’t argue his films make a lot of money, so maybe my criticism isn’t valid when talking about a general population. However, it is worth noting that the movies have awful to lukewarm reception most of the time despite the dollars they pull in.

Despite my criticisms though, the most important factor here is that you leave the theater feeling like you want to jump in with these guys again on their next adventure. Sure, this movie isn’t that great, and the first half is pretty dull. But, there is enough enjoyable material that I can give it a mild recommendation for those who want to either shut off their brain for a bit, or re-live their childhood days.



6/10