<$BlogRSDURL$>

Tuesday, December 27, 2016

Passengers

This is not a sneak preview. This film has already released.

It's "Robinson Crusoe" meets "Titanic" meets "Gravity" when Jim Preston (Chris Pratt) wakes up from induced hibernation 90 years too soon on journey across the galaxy. Alone, except for the always attentive android bartender Arthur (Michael Sheen), Jim becomes faced with a moral dilemma as he yearns for human companionship. When Aurora Lane (Jennifer Lawrence) awakes, it becomes a shipboard romance story. When crew member Gus Mancuso (Lawrence Fishbourne) awakes, the little malfunctions begin to increase to epidemic proportions sending us into the disaster film mode. It's two gorgeous people (one of which is shown butt naked) amid a beautiful backdrop & spectacular special effects. Some may not fancy the ending selected & the outcome could have gone many different way, but at least the film kept you guessing. 

Alien gives it 3  "autodoc" stars out of 4.

Saturday, December 24, 2016

Why Him?

This is not a sneak preview. This film has already released.

It's "Meet the Parents" meets "The Proposal" when daddy's little girl (Zoey Deutch) invites her family to California for Christmas to meet her CEO boyfriend Laird (James Franco). Her conservative parents (Bryan Cranston & Megan Mullally) are shocked by the foul mouth, super rich, honestly blunt, older Laird & his exotic, excessive ways. Laird plans to propose on Christmas Day. This zany, raunchy comedy is written by Jonah Hill. Franco plays it over the top with Keegan-Michael Key as the right hand man/man servant sidekick. Cranston is the overprotective father. It's predictable humor appealing more to millennials than old farts. It's highly unlikely this film will become a Christmas classic. Don't jump up from your seats too soon before the credits or you'll miss a final segment. Look for some of Franco's personally painted artwork hanging on the walls.

Alien gives it 2 "paperless household" stars out of 4.

Friday, December 23, 2016

Manchester by the Sea

This is not a sneak preview. This film has already released.

A janitor/handyman, Lee Chandler (Casey Affleck), from Quincy returns to his hometown of Manchester when his older brother (Kyle Chandler) suddenly passes away. Complications arise when the will is read. This sad & heartbreaking story takes it's time to fully develop as the mystery of Lee's background & the sources of his pain & suffering are revealed. He has an awkward relationship with his teenage nephew Patrick. Lee is a man caught in a situation placing him between a rock & a hard place. Affleck is outstanding as the troubled soul riddled with guilt. Michelle Williams has a small part as Lee's ex but still belts out a powerful performance. This touching film about dealing with loss may not be for everyone & you have to give it a lot of time to see where it is going, partly due to inter-spliced flashbacks. It's trivial everyday life in wintry small town Massachusetts with bursts of anger exploding but it packs an emotional wallop if you are patient & don't give up on it too soon. Rated "R" for language & sexual content.

Alien gives it 3 "Claudia Marie" stars out of 4.

Wednesday, December 21, 2016

Assassin's Creed

This is not a sneak preview. This film has released.

 In 1492, 
Faithful to their creed, 
Assassins are true.

Based on a video game, the Knights of Templar have been in a never ending battle with the Assassins since the days of the Spanish Inquisition. In present day, a father/daughter (Jeremy Irons & Marion Cotillard) team run a research experiment in DNA memory regression on a Texas death row victim (Michael Fassbender) connecting him to his ancestor in order to recover a sacred object. If you like people in hoodies with blades hidden in their sleeves who run along roof tops & dive off of high places, you may be highly entertained by the elaborately choreographed kickass fight & chase scenes in old Spain. However, half the film occurs in the present, mainly to explain what's happening because only Spanish (with English subtitles) is spoken in the past. Filmmakers seem to focus more on the spectacular special effects & thrilling action scenes to attract those young gamers than worrying about their predictable script. It seems odd to find Fassbender, Irons, & Cotillard in this film genre, although Fassbender is a producer.
Alien gives it 2½ "Apple of Eden" stars out of 4.


Tuesday, December 20, 2016

Jackie

This is Jackie Kennedy's story about her dark times following that tragic day in Dallas as contrasted against her TV special, the White House Tour. Natalie Portman marvelously captures style & strength of the former First Lady as she struggles with her pain, anger, & sorrow. This sad & solemn film is more enlightenment than entertainment. It's about how Jackie controlled her interview with a reporter recounting the key events surrounding the assassination, the procession, & the funeral. For those squeamish about blood & guts, it's best to look away at the fatal moment that takes the life of the President. Portman is tremendous as we get an insight to the state of mind & personality of the iconic Jackie during the final days of Camelot. This is a pseudo-documentary style platform showcasing Portman's powerful performance. Those whose didn't experience that November 22, 1963 event first hand may have a harder time to relate to this tragic event.

Alien gives it 2 "I never wanted to be famous, I just married a Kennedy" stars out of 4.

Monday, December 19, 2016

Sing

It's "Zootopia" meets "American Idol" when a bankrupt promoter has another hopeful scheme to revive his ailing theater from foreclosure. However, things just seem to go from bad to worse. This animated musical is a stunning delight for the eyes & ears. It is filled with all types of musical styles from classic blasts from the past to today's pop hits. Diversity is one of the key features of this entertainment treat from the song selections to character types & their back stories. This is a truly amazing creative effort as seen through it's complex ensemble storyline, the simulating visuals, it's wild sense of humor, and the attention to details. This fun family film is hilarious, cute, & charming for kids of all ages. You can laugh your heads off & groove to your favorite tunes.

Alien gives it 4 "Nanna Noodleman from The Epiphany" stars out of 4.

Friday, December 16, 2016

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

This stand alone film bridges the gap between the awesome original trilogy & the less well received prequel trilogy. The premise here was already explained in the first paragraph of the "Star Wars: A New Hope" opening crawler. Rebel forces are on a mission to steal the plans to the Empire's new secret weapon, the Death Star. Even if you have never seen any of these two trilogies, you'll still can enjoy the high energy action of space vehicle dogfights & guerrilla warfare as well as the diverse characters, strange new worlds & creatures, and it's sense of humor. However, true Star Wars fans will go wild hunting for all of those terrific Easter eggs scattered all about the film. It's mostly filled with brand new faces (Felicity Jones, Forest Whitaker, Mads Mikkelsen, Diego Luna, Donnie Yen, Riz Ahmed) to the franchise with a nod here & there to the past & future in the Star Wars timeline, but who will die & who will survive. K-2SO (Alan Tudyk) is a reprogrammed Imperial droid, Kind of C3PO like but less politely diplomatic, sometimes sarcastic, & bluntly honest. This action thrill ride will resolve some of those unanswered issues from nearly 40 years ago.

Alien gives it 3½ "Stardust" stars out of 4. 


Wednesday, December 14, 2016

Fences

This film is a realistic but sad reflection of a black man struggling to survive & raise a family in Pittsburg during the 1950's. Denzel Washington directs & stars as Troy, an angry & demanding husband & father toiling as a garbageman who can barely make ends meet. Viola Davis plays his faithful wife Rose who would sacrifice everything for her husband. Troy's old fashion ideas clash with his teenage son's dreams & drives a wedge between them. Troy also has a younger brother (Mykelti Williamson) who struggles with a war injury. Troy's past & secret are revealed a little at a time to give us some insight to his guilt & the chip on his shoulder. Washington & Davis are superb as they spill their guts out. Williamson is convincing as the mental disturbed sibling. Based on a play, this is a dialogue driven story about a stubborn, domineering patriarch & his relationships to his family during some bleak times & a sad commentary on the black family experience in America at that time. Whether we realize it or not, we are is some ways a reflection of our parents.

Alien gives it 3 "the sins of the father" stars out of 4.

Monday, December 12, 2016

Collateral Beauty

In the spirit of "A Christmas Carol" & "It's A Wonderful Life" comes an emotional drama about a NY advertising executive (Will Smith) devastated by the tragic death of his child. Thus, his friends/colleagues (Edward Norton, Kate Winslet, & Michael Pena) conspire to reach out to him & help rescue his company. Naomie Harris, Keira Knightley & Helen Mirren round out this remarkable ensemble cast who all brought their "A" game to play. Mirren is always delightful, regardless of how big or small the role. Smith gives his strongest performance we have seen from him in a long time. Bring plenty of tissues for this tremendous tearjerker with a some surprise kickers as this troubled man deals with blaming Love, Time, & Death for ruining his life. Once again, it's 'tis the season for those stories of hope to shine brightly. We may not be as alone as we think.

Alien gives it 3½  "if only we could be strangers again" stars out of 4.


Wednesday, December 07, 2016

La La Land

This is a refreshing, eye popping, toe tapping, finger snapping nod to old school Hollywood films in this love story between an insecure aspiring actress Mia (Emma Stone) & a struggling jazz pianist Sebastian (Ryan Gosling). This unique film is visually simulating, artistically creative, & musically magic. It's an entertaining delight that fills the heart with a whole gambit of emotions as this couple takes us through their seasons together. Stone is absolutely fabulous as she demonstrates her acting skills even in mid song. Gosling is convincing as he tickles the ivory keyboard. This is the story of two talented individuals whose lives cross as they each strive to find their path in life. It's a surreal interpretation of falling in love through song & dance. Be mesmerized by songs & stunning choreography that breaks out all over Los Angeles aka La La Land.

Alien gives it 4 "hopes & dreams" stars out of 4.

Tuesday, December 06, 2016

Office Christmas Party

It's "Project X" meets "Horrible Bosses" meets "Believe" when an uptight CEO (Jennifer Aniston) threatens to close down her hard partying brother's (TJ Miller) branch of the business. He along with his chief technical officer (Jason Bateman) decide to save their branch by throwing the most epic office Christmas party in order to lure a multimillion dollar client. Of course, zany outrageous craziness ensues in this crude comedy poking fun at the holiday season & the prim & proper office environment. Olivia Munn plays a savvy software techie & Kate McKinnon is hilarious as the head of HR. Aniston, Bateman, Miller, & McKinnon play to their comedic strengths. Once again it's 'tis the season for another Christmas miracle. Rated "R" for language, drugs & drinking, and brief nudity.

Alien gives it 2½ "Any-W-Air at Zenotek" stars out of 4.

Monday, December 05, 2016

Incarnate

This is not a sneak preview. This film has released. 

It's "The Exorcist" meets "Inception" meets "Nightmare on Elm Street" when a wheelchair bound doctor tries to rid victims of their demons. Surprising that talented actors Aaron Eckhart & Carice van Houten are trapped in this predictable & not too scary horror thriller. Look for your typical jump scares, a twist to mess with your mind, & an inevitable conclusion for this genre. It's mildly enjoyable but nothing startlingly fresh here. Nevertheless, true horror fans will be greatly disappointed.

Alien gives it 2 "what's your favorite color eviction gimmick" stars out of 4.

Believe

This is not a sneak preview. This film has released.

'Tis the the season for another heart warming modern day Scrooge story. A small town auto parts factory owner has fallen on hard economic times when his workers go on strike & town sentiment turns against him. However, a struggling single mom & her enthusiastic son come into his life in his time of need & he learns to help the less fortunate. Yes, it's a predictable contrived sappy feel good Christmas miracle story about having faith & believing you can rebound from even your darkest hours. 

Alien gives it 2 "Peyton Pageant" stars out of 4.

Thursday, December 01, 2016

Miss Sloane

Move over Marvel & DC comics, a new superhero, mega-lobbyist Elizabeth Sloane (Jessica Chastain) is on Capitol Hill to fight the NRA & protect the citizens of our nation. Pay attention to the opening monologue as a hint to what's to come in this gripping political drama where you may learn more about the game of lobbying & politics than you care to know. Chastain is absolutely fabulous as the pill popping, success driven, win at all cost obsessed strategist. Miss Sloane is a real shark. These 2 quotes from the film will help to describe her: "Were you ever normal?" and "You are a real piece of work." Mark Strong, Sam Waterston, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, & John Lithgow are just some of the talented supporting cast. Don't sweat trying to absorb a lot of fast political talk thrown at you at the beginning as long as you get the drift. This is perfect release timing for this engaging film after this incredible election year with hot debates, lots of media attention, & where candidates struggled hard to win votes. Is all is fair in love, war, & politics? Do the ends justify the means? When are you crossing the line?

Alien gives it 3½ "taking the 5th at the Senate Hearing" stars out of 4.

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?