Review: Captain America: The Winter Soldier

                                     'Captain America: The Winter Soldier': Red, White, and Fun 
                      I'll admit that when I was growing up on comic books, I was never much of a Captain America fanatic. Although, after watching both Captain America: The First Avenger and The Winter Soldier, as well as The Avengers, my interest in this character is starting to grow. However, The Winter Soldier might not only please its target audience, but reach out to another audience as well.
                 
             Story:
        Captain America: The Winter Soldier follows the title character Captain America, aka Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) who continues to try to adjust to the new decade after being brought out from cryogenic sleep. He also becomes wary of his alliance to S.H.I.E.L.D. as he finds himself fighting a new enemy named The Winter Soldier that may be a figure from his past.

        What I Liked About It:
       First off, I loved how the film manages to be both a superhero film and even a conspiracy thriller. The film delivers brilliant, high-octane action sequences that will satisfy the biggest comic book fan and allow those who see it to turn their brains off while watching it. However, the film also manages to make viewers think about the whole possible idea of enemies hiding within those who try to protect our nation. It honestly gave me chills watching it because something like that is entirely plausible. There are even some more heartfelt moments in the film, like when Steve goes over to visit his former lover Peggy Carter, who is now much older while Steve looks the same way he was before he became frozen.

      I also really liked the performances from the cast. Much like how Robert Downey, Jr. embodies Iron Man and how Chris Hemsworth embodies Thor, Chris Evans truly embodies Captain America and once again excels at playing this character. One thing I'd want to point out is how completely different his performance in this is from his role in the more artistic action pic Snowpiercer, so he has really proven himself as a versatile chameleon-like action star. I also really liked the scenes between him and Scarlett Johansson who plays Black Widow, as they both have great chemistry. Robert Redford is also in this and he leaves quite an impression as S.H.I.E.L.D. official Alexander Pierce who may know a little more than he lets on. So, the acting is quite amazing and that is something you probably wouldn't hear about when discussing a superhero movie.

        What I Didn't Like About It:
       Nothing.

        Consensus:
       Overall, Captain America: The Winter Soldier is an action-packed gem of a superhero film that allows you to turn off your brain at the right moments and also brilliantly works as a suspenseful conspiracy thriller that makes you think at the right moments. Whether you are a fan of superheroes or Captain America or none at all, you might like this. This one might really surpass your expectations.

Rating: 4.5/5

 

Review: Snowpiercer

                           

         
                         A High-Octane Sci-Fi Flick That 'Pierces' Like Fire Rather Than 'Snow'
                                                     
                      As I pointed out in my review of The Purge, we rarely see post-apocalyptic or futuristic films that deal with situations that are quite plausible. Snowpiercer not only deals with a real-life situation that is said to threaten this planet, but successfully weaves it in to a futuristic science fiction story.

                      Story:
                    Snowpiercer is set in a post-apocalyptic Earth where nearly all life is extinct because of a failed global warming experiment. Those that survived are held up on a train and each cabin is segregated based on a class system, with the rich in the front and the poor in the caboose. Many of the poor survivors, led by Curtis (Chris Evans), decide to revolt and take control of the train by going from the tail to the front of the train.

                    What I Liked About It:
                  As I said, I like how the film manages to take a real-life situation, that is global warming, and weave it into a futuristic story. The concept of those surviving a global warming disaster being held up together on an always moving train and being segregated based on a class system is an interesting idea. I also liked the different set and costume designs. The characters that are poor are dressed in raggy clothes and live in a more beat-up looking section of the train while the more affluent characters dress in much more colorful and presentable attire. That shows that when you have money in this world, you are living the high life, but if you are poor, you are lucky enough to have a place to sleep, a coat to wear and a single protein bar to eat. Interestingly, as the poor get closer to the front of the train and they encounter more affluent passengers, the real distinction is shown between the rich and poor in terms of their lifestyle and how they present themselves. Their is even a special twist at the end which was rather inventive, which I don't want to give away because I think this should be widely seen even if it probably won't because it doesn't come out until next month and I was lucky enough to catch it online.

                  Another thing I really liked was the action scenes. I liked how the action sequences weren't too overblown and some of them were done with such flare. One of them involves a bunch of henchmen fighting off the main characters in night vision and the main characters fighting back with torches and other weapons. I also thought the actors were spectacular and really made me invested in their characters. Chris Evans really shines as the film's rather conflicted hero and doesn't try to glamorize the character like what a more famous star would probably do. One actress that I also really thought shines is Ms. Tilda Swinton who plays one of the film's antagonists named Minister Mason. Swinton just really excels as the kind of villain you just love to hate and seemed like she was really having fun in the role. Some of the other actors in the film include Ed Harris, John Hurt, Jamie Bell, Octavia Spencer, and Alison Pill. All of them do a splendid job in their respective roles.

                   What I Didn't Like About It:
                   Nothing.

                   Consensus:
                Overall, Snowpiercer is a highly inventive gem of a futuristic sci-fi film that thrills yet makes the viewer think. As I said, this more than likely won't get that wide of a release, but if it plays at a theater near you, I would say give it a watch. You might be in for a genuine surprise.

Rating: 4.5/5

Review: Thor: The Dark World

                                               

                     
                                  'Thor' Is Not Exactly 'Dark', Yet Still Doesn't Exactly Come To Light

                    In a world where there is plenty of superhero movies, there is bound to be a few that stick out like a dreadful asteroid that slowly but powerfully strike Earth. I would definitely say Thor: The Dark World is definitely one of them.

                    Story:
                  Thor: The Dark World follows the title character Thor (Chris Hemsworth) as he finds himself fighting a new enemy that comes in the form of the Dark Elves, led by Malekith (Christopher Eccleston). As he faces Malekith, he finds his beloved Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) in peril and enlists the help of his adopted brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston).

                  What I Liked About It:
                This section might actually be pretty short. But I did think Chris Hemsworth once again did a great job playing Thor. Even though, in my opinion, Loki served NO purpose to the film, I did enjoy Tom Hiddleston as Loki. Both actors have truly lived and breathed their respective characters and at this point, I can hardly see anybody else play their characters. Kat Dennings also provides nice comic relief as Jane's intern Darcy like she did in the first film. Plus, the film's visuals looked pretty cool as did the makeup effects.

                 What I Didn't Like About It:
                Where should I begin? First off, I'll say that not only does Loki serve no purpose to the plot, but the film is unsure of what his motives are. At times, he's kind of good and others, he is kind of bad. Not only that, but because Loki is freed from prison to aid Thor in battle, the film ripped off Silence of the Lambs, which also involves a villain helping the main hero fight or capture another villain. Speaking of which, the film's main villain, Malekith, is very undeveloped and gives me no reason to be terrified of him even after (SPOILER ALERT) he kills his own right-hand man in the middle of the film.

                The film is even sort of unsure of its own identity. There are times when the film is dreadfully serious, yet there are more lighthearted moments which are just suddenly thrown in for humorous measure. Even in the film's climax, it jumps from serious to funny in a matter of minutes. Speaking of the climax, it is so overdone and bloated and while I watching it, I found myself going "Ugh!". There was even one point in the film where I thought about shutting it off, but I didn't because if I can make it half way through The English Patient, I can make it through any other piece of cinematic crud.

               Consensus:
              Despite its solid performances from the two lead actors, Thor: The Dark World is a bloated, indecisive mess. The visuals are great, but those do not make a film. I would not recommend this to even the biggest Marvel fans. Trust me, just watch the first one instead. This sequel is just made to hold Marvel fans off until The Avengers: Age of Ultron comes out. So this is ljust an appetizer before we can all get to our meal.

Rating: 2/5



       

Indie Review: The Descendants

                   
                       A Rather Humanistic Drama That 'Descends' Deep Into Feelings of Loss

                Even though I am pretty fond of the director Alexander Payne, who gave us films like Nebraska and one of my favorites, Election, I watched this film not knowing what to expect. After watching it, I found myself very absorbed by its story that is something that we can relate to, as it explores how slowly losing a loved one has such a huge effect on us.

                Story:
              The Descendants is about a Hawaiian land owner named Matt King (George Clooney) whose wife got injured in a boating accident and is put in a coma. He is then left to care for their two daughters: 10-year-old Scottie (Amara Miller) and rebellious 17-year-old Alex (Shailene Woodley). After he finds out his wife was having an affair, Matt and his daughters then goes on a search to confront the man she was with as together, they try to wrestle with family demons.

              What I Liked About It:             The thing that I loved the most about this film was just how it realistically showcases the struggles of losing someone close to you. It not only portrays the heartbreak of it all, but it manages to touch upon the struggles of forgiving a loved one for whatever wrong they have done to you. This is something that people can very easily relate to as I'm sure plenty of people have been in the same position as the main characters. I also liked how the film has a neat balance of both comedy and drama. The film isn't overly dramatic yet it isn't doesn't go overboard with awkward humor at the wrong moments. That is pretty much life itself, as it has its depressing moments yet its fair share of light moments and I am quite pleased this won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay. Plus, the film's direction by Alexander Payne is brilliant, as he hardly cuts away when showing the more dramatic scenes to really allow the audience to grasp the film's realism. The way he directs this makes it hard to believe it is the same guy who did Election and Nebraska, since those two other films have slightly different directing styles, so he is really one to blend into his artistry.

              Another thing I really liked was the acting from the cast. George Clooney really plays against type as he plays a rather less suave and uncharismatic family man and he does it brilliantly. Some of the actors, who don't have too much screen time, like Judy Greer, Beau Bridges, Robert Forster, and even Matthew Lillard, also really shine. But the one actress I would really love to talk about is Shailene Woodley who finds her breakthrough role as the rebellious daughter Alex. Wow, is she amazing in this! She really pulls off a character who has a tough exterior, but underneath that lies sadness and vulnerability. I would say her best scene is when she is tearfully breaking the news about her mother's infidelity. It's very heavy stuff. It definitely doesn't surprise me her future would become bright after this movie as she is a very talented gal.

            What I Didn't Like About It:
            Nothing.

            Consensus:
           Overall, The Descendants is a powerful humanistic drama about the horrors of slowly losing a loved one. It is brilliantly acted, well-written, and amazingly directed. This is one that I would highly recommend, whether you have lost a loved one or not. Those of you who haven't may learn to appreciate and forgive your loved ones after watching this movie. I rarely ever use this adjective to describe a film, but this film is just PERFECT.

Rating: 5/5

Top 10: Horror Films That Outdo Their Remakes

These days, some of our favorite horror classics in the past are being remade. Some of them manage to match or outdo their original, but there are others that don't. Some of those remakes aren't exactly bad, they just don't really live up to the original. Here is my list of the top 10 horror films that manage to outdo their remakes. For this list, I'm ranking each film from who had the best to worst remakes. Let's get started:

10. Friday the 13th: Starting off my list is the game-changing slasher flick that foresaw the creation of one of the silver screen's scariest horror icons known as Jason Voorhees even if he does show up in the last 10 minutes of the film. While the remake isn't necessarily terrible, I've realized that it isn't exactly thrilling the second or third time I've watched it. Unlike the original, which always sends chills no matter how many times you watch it.

9. The Last House on the Left: The Last House on the Left is a 1972 classic that was a demonstration of  violence coming out of the most unexpected places and was made by Wes Craven before he became the household name in the horror genre he is now. While the remake isn't necessarily terrible, it's just not as memorable as the original and never goes to places as dark as the original did, which makes it seem like a violent yet safer version of the original.

8. Texas Chainsaw Massacre: One of the best horror films that I have ever witnessed, Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a piece of genius because it is bloodless and all the killings happened behind closed doors, yet is remembered as one of the bloodiest films ever. When it comes to showing everything, the remake wins in that department as nothing is hidden. I remember being pretty shaken watching the remake, but I don't really see it having the timeless quality the original has. 

7. A Nightmare on Elm Street: Now, when the remake was announced, I was actually very excited because I am such a fan of the original, yet after watching it, I much prefer the original. The original gave us one of cinema's scariest horror movie icons, Freddy Krueger, and always terrifies me every time I watch it. If there is one positive about the remake, it is that it introduced me to the terrific song "All I Have To Do Is Dream" by the Everly Brothers. Everything else, I'm not so sure about. I'd rather people just watch the original.

6. The Wicker Man: Ever since the remake with Nicolas Cage came out, that film has become the subject of Internet memes and such, but I'll bet some people didn't even know that it was a remake. The original Wicker Man is a British film set in a remote part of the British Isles and involves human sacrifice like the remake and has a similar ending, but it is MUCH better. The original isn't necessarily scary, but it is one I've watched quite a few times.

5. Psycho: We all know Psycho because of the infamous shower scene. Even those that haven't even seen the movie know about that scene, I'm sure. But those that have NOT seen it should definitely look to watch that and not the 1998 version with Vince Vaughn and Anne Heche. That one is just the original done shot-for-shot and is just a carbon copy you won't miss. The original, however, will make you look over your shoulder when in the shower after you watch it. 

4. Prom Night: Like The Wicker Man, I have a feeling those that have seen the 2008 remake of Prom Night didn't know it was a remake. But it is a remake of a film released back in 1980 starring the scream queen herself Jamie Lee Curtis and Leslie Nielsen. Unlike the remake, which has a plot akin to the movie Fear, the original has a story akin to I Know What You Did Last Summer dealing with teenagers picked off one by one after accidentally killing a fellow student when they were children. But, if you were to call the remake something else, it wouldn't be any different as it bears no reference to the original and is nothing more than a mediocre cash grab.

3. The Fog: The original version of The Fog is one of the scariest horror films that I have ever witnessed. The genius of it is that the monsters are hidden in the fog and when the killings take place and you still don't see the faces of the villains makes the film quite terrifying. The remake, however, is less terrifying than watching storms shown on The Weather Channel. It is simply atrocious and in no way matches the genius of the original.

2. When A Stranger Calls: The opening sequence in When A Stranger Calls is one of the scariest opening scenes in the history of cinema and not only features that, but a look into the life and psychosis of the film's antagonist. The remake, however, is just the first fifteen minutes expanded into a 90-minute film and whenever something scary doesn't happen, it just relies on cheap jump scares. Now, the original may not have offered a whole lot of scares after the opening sequence, but as I said, it still focuses mainly on the main antagonist, which rarely happens in horror films these days.

1. Black Christmas: I remember when I watched the original, I had trouble sleeping for a few nights after it was over. The original is a rather quiet horror film as when scary stuff doesn't really happen, the sound of wind blowing still makes you feel uneasy. Thinking about the remake, however, makes me feel uneasy just because of how god-awful it is. Holy crap, is the remake awful. I could go into reasons as to why it is awful, but I'd rather not. I would simply just say watch the original 1974 version and skip the 2006 version.

So, that was my list of the top 10 old horror films that manage to outdo their remakes. If their is anything you'd like to add to this list, then please feel free to write your thoughts in the comments section. Thanks for reading!

Review: The Orphanage

       

                   
        'The Orphanage': An Inventive Chilling Horror Film That Frightens In A Rather Intensely Subtle Way
     
                       We see plenty of horror films with a haunted house setting and a good amount of horror films that deal with scary children. But The Orphanage manages to mold them together while also successfully evading the use of special effects and guts spewing everywhere, allowing the creation of a film that offers something new to the horror genre as a whole.

                               Story:
                      The Orphanage is about a woman named Laura (Belen Rueda) who has an adopted son named Simon with a fatal disease and is looking to run an old orphanage that she once lived in and had handicapped children. However, when Simon makes a few mysterious imaginary friends, things to begin to make a turn for the worse once Simon goes missing and Laura is left on a frantic search for him as she delves into the supernatural.

                     What I Liked About It:
                    One thing that I really liked was how the film almost has a nostalgic vibe to it. It reminded me a bit of horror films from the 70's because of its score and setting in an old haunted house, and I really liked that because I am a sucker for older horror films. Another thing I really liked was the brilliant performance from Belen Rueda as Laura. She pulls off a great performance that doesn't resort to hysterics when she is upset or frightened, and isn't overly sympathetic either. It was neat to have such a great performance be a highlight of the film because very rarely in most horror films these days is there a whole lot of focus on acting.

                     I also liked how the film doesn't rely on jump scares or poorly CGI-ed ghosts to be scary, and make no mistake, this film is very scary. It has its fair share of suspenseful moments, but it is pretty chilling and is NOT bloody or gory, so that's a bonus. I don't usually mind blood and gore, I just hate it when they are both overdone. The film is even executive produced by Guillermo Del Toro, who gave us films like Hellboy and one of my personal favorites, Pan's Labyrinth. He, along with the director and writer, J.A. Bayona and Sergio Sanchez, have such a collaborative creative mind and create something rather inventive with not just the "haunted house" sub-genre, but the "creepy kid" sub-genre as well. However, there aren't necessarily creepy kids, per se, but there is one kid who wears a sack mask that would make The Burger King Man wet himself. If there is one scary scene that really sticks out in my mind, it is a scene where Laura is playing a special game with the creepy kids that involves her counting to three and knocking on the wall, and the camera moves back and forth to see whether the kids appear behind her after each time she knocks on the wall. It gave me the willies after I watched it.

                 What I Didn't Like About It:
                Nothing.

                 Consensus:
                Overall, The Orphanage is a highly inventive yet chilling haunted house film that features a brilliant performance from its lead actress. If you are in the mood for a horror film that doesn't rely on special effects or blood and guts, then look no further than this film, as it quite a suspenseful ride that deserves 2 hours of your time.

Rating: 4.5/5

Review: The Purge

                         

                                          A Masterful Thrill Ride One Should Not 'Purge' 
                                               
                   We have seen plenty of films dealing with a dystopian or not-too-distant future. But in my opinion, we rarely see those types of films that deal with situations that seem realistic and plausible. The Purge definitely does just that and showcases it successfully.

                   Story:
                 The Purge is set in the not-too-distant future where crime has gone down in America because the government allows one night a year known as "The Purge", when all crime is legal and criminals and whomever can "let off steam". One family who arms the security system in their home find themselves in peril when the son lets a desperate homeless man into their home and the people who want to kill him won't leave until they give him up.

                 What I Liked About It:
                First and foremost, I loved the film's concept. As I said, the concept involving crime being legal one night a year so that people can be able to "let off steam" seems like something that can happen and I don't think has ever been brought to the screen before. So, the writer/director, James DeMonaco, gets major bonus points for originality. Not only that, but he manages to take this concept and weave it into a home invasion thriller, which I thought was pretty neat. Also, as the main characters hold the homeless man in their house, they think of surrendering him, but question whether they are different from the "Purgers" they are hiding from, so the film definitely asks some moral questions about what would happen if you were in this kind of position.

              Another thing I thought was interesting was the ending. I don't want to give anything away, but I'll just say the ending is both climactic and anti-climactic. That makes the ending both predictable yet somewhat unpredictable, and I thought that was very neat. I honestly can't give enough praise to James DeMonaco to his originality and one thing that makes me kind of sad is how films with more original concepts, like this and Sinister, get a mixed or just lukewarm reception, while piss-poor films like Paranormal Activity are almost universally praised. Luckily, this film really surpassed its $3,000,000 budget and it did well enough to allow the creation of its upcoming sequel.

              What I Didn't Like About It:
             I'll be honest and say I did have one big complaint about the film. It is that the event that drives the film's story forward is the scene where the family son lets the homeless guy in. That part bugged me because by letting this homeless guy in, this kid endangers his family. Luckily, the film's aforementioned moral questions manage to almost fix this mistake. Other than that, I have no other issues.

             Consensus:
            Overall, The Purge is a thrilling home invasion film with a highly original and plausible concept. I would highly give this a watch if you are looking for a horror/thriller film that offers something new to the table or if you want a thriller with some action.

Rating: 3.5/5