Dark Phoenix

Before jumping into the bandwagon and calling this movie a travesty considering it is the telling of one of the most iconic moment in X-Men history, the Dark Phoenix saga one must first consider the following: that this movie was fashioned to tell the tale after considering the story progression of the other three X-Men movies (X-Men: Apocalypse, X-Men: Days of Future Past and X-Men: First Class) and the development of those movies along with the roster of the X-Men in those movies so it is inconceivable to replicate the story of the much beloved comic book because it would not have made sense unless it was a stand alone movie, which it is not. Having said that, I thought it was quite admirable in keeping the essence of the original Dark Phoenix comic book saga but putting a spin on it and with that in mind, I thought it was really entertaining! A lot better than the previous X-Men: The Last Stand which also had the Dark Phoenix storyline. The action scene in the train scene towards the end of the flick was exhilarating. Sophie Turner who played Jean Grey was terrific. She captured her vulnerability, strength and quirkiness that discerning movie patrons may diss. That’s their loss. True X-Men fans such as I, that have read the comic books faithfully can see that she did an awesome job and she really did embodied Jean Grey. The theme of forgiveness, truth and family adds texture to the richness of the movie and what the X-Men stands for. An emotional, action packed movie that stayed true to the spirit of the comic book version that I thought was extremely well done.

47 Ronin

Not being familiar with the Japanese folktale the movie was based upon may be the reason why I actually enjoyed watching the movie that is pretty much a tale of betrayal and redemption involving Samurais in feudal Japan with a bit of magic and mysticism thrown in to make it a bit more interesting. There is an airy quality to the filming that I found unique as visually, there are parts that are stunning. The costumes, the sets and also the tone has an alluring quality that emits a hazy, lovely feeling that can only be experienced by watching the movie. The actors were all formidable and believable and the story was quite engaging. Sure, parts of the movie could have been improved as well as the dialogue but overall, I found it to be entertaining and with some substance. The quiet and slow scenes are sometimes the best part of the movie as they are the most emotional. Of the predominant Japanese cast, Hiroyuki Sanada who played Oishi and Ko Shibasaki who played Mika were outstanding in their roles. And Keanu Reeves who played Kai was solid in his role.

Moana

Musically second only to The Little Mermaid in my own personal ranking of Disney Animated Musicals and really a simple tale but oozing with charm, wonderful characters and amazing animation that feels like another character. The ocean comes to life (miles and miles ahead of the ocean in The Little Mermaid but that’s over 25 years difference!) and the dialogue is engaging, funny and poignant. My favorite character is actually Tamatoa, the crab voiced by Jemaine Clement who I thought stole the movie with his presence, visually and vocally. That song: ‘Shiny’ he sings is killer while the other song: ‘How Far I’ll Go’ is monumental and empowering. The movie was a beautiful experience.

Tangled

Another entertaining animation that has been overshadowed and not given its proper adoration as Disney’s other most popular, which is understandable but this Rapunzel twist I found was a lot of fun. It’s got a different vibe, I find, and that’s to its advantage coz it sets it apart. It’s music may not be the best but they actually enhance the movie and not detract as some musical numbers would do. And it’s not because the music isn’t catchy. It’s because, it doesn’t flow. This one did. The leads played by Mandy Moore (Rapunzel) and Zachary Levi (Flynn Rider) sizzled in chemistry. Funniest scene just because, in an epiphany sort of way was when Flynn Rider was renouncing his looks and wished he had super powers. Ahem! Zachary Levi ended up playing Shazam 9 years later! I just found that funny and made me believe in magic. Because that’s some magic there! And the horse, Maximus. I found him so annoying in the beginning but totally flipped the switch later and made me think of people I disliked instantly but later on found out that I was mistaken. And I like it when a movie can make me do that.

Northanger Abbey

A Jane Austin adapted novel that is pleasing to watch that chronicles the adventure of Cathy Moreland (Felicity Jones) as she escapes her normal life watching over her 9 siblings to a summer spent in Bath with wealthy family friends who is keen on introducing her to Society and maybe find a match. It starts off slowly but quickly picks up as we get a glimpse of society life in Bath during the 1800’s as we follow our heroine as she meets Henry Tilney (JJ FIeld) whom she falls for but not without dodging a few dramas caused by a new friend she made, Isabella Thorpe (Carey Mulligan) who she finds out is dating her brother Edward (Ryan O’Connor) and Isabella’s brother John Thorpe (William Beck) who is enamored with Cathy and tries to sink her affections for Henry. It’s an entertaining period piece with wonderful dialogue, authentic looking costumes, beautiful scenery and a cast of actors that made the script come to life.

Men in Black: International

The movie overall is pretty to look at but zero substance in where it matters most: the plot, story and the characters. Sure there were a few interesting arcs but we need to care about the characters and as charming and easy on the eyes it is to look at Chris Hemsworth, there should be more! There should be an exciting, interesting storyline but what do they give us? Side kicks that are not funny and does nothing to propel the story and rather than enhancing, they detract. A story line that does not excite and fails to deliver due to its bad writing. Characters we’ve seen before and when the final credit rolls, you wonder what was the point of this movie?

Godzilla: King of the Monsters

Wonderful camera work featuring interesting angles and beautiful slices of Earth. The monsters, or should I say titans were all grand and visually satisfying. Godzilla looked fierce and yet you can see intelligence and loyalty mixed with love in his eyes which they got right. But that’s the problem with this movie, everything else, they got it wrong. The plot was dumb with characters that was disjointed, affected and not at all that interesting, to boot and the dangerous scenarios didn’t feel as desperate as it should. Partially because of the build up and pace is all a bit familiar, and the story line and villains were mediocre at best did not help its cause. Disappointing mess.

Brightburn

A proper shake up in the hero genre when an alien raised as a human but with unbeknownst super powers turns to puberty and suddenly taps into his dark side to an unsuspecting small American town. For what it’s worth, the movie ended up being quite gripping with shades of Superman (if he was evil) and The Omen comes in mind when viewing. It’s definitely different and the ending I find quite satisfying as it works well with the story.

Aladdin

Yet another offensive retelling of a Disney animated classic using real actors that may sound intriguing to some but an abomination to most regrettably stayed to form and did not delivered the goods. First off, the singing was offensive to the ears because once you hear the melody, it gets subconsciously compared to the original which paled in every which way. Okay, it improved a bit in the middle but the additional songs they added were boring and just hurtful to the ears in their sad attempt in trying to stay in tune and in key for that matter and when they do stay in tune, it’s just meh at best. Now the story is 85% similar to original but the actors again paled in comparison to the actual cartoon version in delivering the lines and really connecting with the audience. They were flat when they started and the chemistry between the actors were actually not bad but as a whole, it felt uninspired. Marwan Kenzari: the guy who played Jafar was wrong in every which way. A Jafar not feared should be a clear sign that it’s not a good movie, at all. The sets were lovely and breathtaking cinematography using the latest digital enhancements. But as a whole, an unnecessary mess.

Long Shot

A car crash in every which way with characters that are just not believable, especially Charlize Theron’s character, the Secretary of State whose dialogue is all over the place. Seth Rogen plays the same character yet again (is it considered acting if you play yourself?)which is fine, but when the words that are coming out of his mouth is not funny but lame and tired, it gets old real quick. And it did. Light speed. What this film tries to do but doesn’t come close to achieving is replicate the magic of those 1990’s - early 2000’s Rom Coms that are not only charming but it pulls at the heartstrings with characters that are compelling. This version gives us profanity, cringe worthy scenes and a storyline that is average. Despite a few, funny scenes, odds on this Long Shot are not favorable, at all.