Movie Review: Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation

Mission:Impossible - Rogue Nation/Dir. by Christopher McQuarrie/Paramount/Rated PG-13/131 min.

Movie trailers have a horrible habit of showing the best jokes and the biggest stunts months before the release of a film.  There are far too many times that I find myself in the theater watching a movie for the first time and trying to force a laugh for the gag that I've already heard 15 times or generate a thrill about the action sequence I've seen in it's entirety for weeks.

I was a little worried that this would be the case with the newest Mission: Impossible movie because the studio has been spotlighting the heck out of a pretty darned impressive stunt:  Tom Cruise hanging from the side of an airplane in flight.  There have been commercials, making-of commercials, interviews, all focusing on this admittedly jaw-dropping stunt.  Imagine my surprise when the movie starts with that scene.  Yes, within five minutes, they showed what I had already assumed to be the movie's most impressive action sequence, so where could they go from here.  Oh my, where could they go indeed.

The first Mission: Impossible movie was serious and dark.  Something a little more akin to The Bourne series.  The second was serious and ridiculous.  Something a little more akin to the more absurd moments of the Brosnan Bond movies.  Then, the third movie did something unexpected.  It made the characters just as important as the stunts.  It made the plot just as important as the exotic locales.  In an odd way, numbers 3, 4, and 5 all feel like a complete trilogy, almost completely separate from the first two.  They're fast paced, character driven, and each one has embraced a lighter tone than the installment that proceeded it.  Not that M:I is turning into Rush Hour style action-comedy, but they are definitely enjoying the dividends that sharp, smartly placed humor can reap.

Picking up with the mission that was revealed at the end of Ghost Procotol, Rogue Nation finds  Cruise's Ethan Hunt searching for a mysterious organization uncovered to be responsible for all of that film's mayhem known only as the Syndicate.  Unfortunately, the last film ended with a nuclear bomb (albeit disarmed) causing havoc in San Fransisco, and the government sees it as the last straw.  The proof that the IMF is an outdated organization that has operated without oversight for far too long.  At the head of the anti-IMF campaign is the director of the CIA (Alec Baldwin).  After an oversight committee dismantles the organization, the remaining agents are absorbed into the CIA and Hunt is declared a rogue agent, much to the chagrin of his friends Brandt and Benji (Jeremy Renner and Simon Pegg respectively, two actors who should appear in every M:I movie that Cruise has it in his ability to produce).

The Syndicate, which the CIA still doesn't believe exists, seems to contain a beautiful British agent named Ilsa Faust (terrifically played by Rebecca Ferguson), who seems trustworthy because she keeps saving Hunt, but seems untrustworthy because, well, she kinda seems to be trying to kill him too.  

As previously mentioned, the movie kicks off with an amazing action sequence with stunt work that not only proves that Tom Cruise is in better shape at 53 than most people ever have been, but also that he is completely, indisputably insane, but his insanity has resulted in some amazing movie set pieces, so, shhhh, no one tell him.

It would seem that there's no where to go but down from there, but each action scene ramps up the stakes and Cruise plays these scenes not as an indestructible superhero, but as a human who could possibly die at any moment.  This not only makes the scenes more intense, but it also makes the character of Ethan Hunt more impressive.  He survives not because he's invincible, but because he simply will not quit.

This game of "who can you trust" is in play more than it has been in any of the other M:I movies and it is employed well.  McQuarrie does a great job keeping the pace moving and throwing in twists right when they're needed.  The plot does go to the happy coincidence well, but not anymore than any other spy movie.  It also has one laugh-out-loud unintentionally funny scene.  It involves death by a seemingly unassuming woodwind instrument.  Actually, after seeing that typed out, it's certainly possible that it was intentional.  After all, all of the other bits of intentional humor land beautifully.  I've certainly never laughed during a Mission: Impossible movie more than I did Rogue Nation.

This movie is one of the best action movies of the summer and a terrific installment in this long-running series.  If the quality of this one is any indication, we're going to see Tom Cruise running like an Olympian and risking his life as a stunt man for years to come.

Grade: A-

Movie Review: Ant-Man

Ant-Man/Dir. by Payton Reed/Marvel Studios/117 min./Rated PG-13

You remember that kid in elementary school?  The one who knew they were a little odd, but had the good humor to acknowledge it before anyone could make fun of them?  In the Marvel playground, that kid is Ant-Man.  Originally conceived in film form by grand high master of all nerd-dom, Edgar Wright and shepherded to completion by comedy mastermind Payton Reed, Ant-Man completely understands that it has the silliest concept, the silliest powers, the silliest title of all the Marvel Universe, and it owns it.  Filled with bright colors, zippy humor, and inventive action sequences, it's exactly what you'd want from a summer popcorn flick.

The film begins in 1989 with some of the best special effects put to practical use as we see Michael Douglas, looking exactly as he did in the late 80's, playing Hank Pym.  When I say he looks exactly as he used to, I mean it.  This is no weird dead-eyed Jeff Bridges in Tron.  No, it's simply Michael Douglas 26 years younger.  The effect is stunning, but I digress.  Pym is determined to keep his "Pym Particle", a formula that allows the space between atoms to be removed so items can shrink, out of anyone's hands other than his.  After an accident involving his wife, something we learn more about later, he doesn't want his tech being used at all.

Fast-forward to today as his protege and usurper of his own company, Darren Cross (played with joyful villainy by Corey Stoll) announces that he's figured out the key to this technology.  With Pym's daughter Hope (Evangeline Lilly) playing double-agent and gaining info about Cross' plans, Pym realizes that he needs someone to break into the lab, steal the tech, and destroy the data before Cross can use it for his own nefarious ends.

Enter modern-day Robin Hood, Scott Lang (played to perfection by Paul Rudd).  Scott spent some time in prison because of his last steal-from-the-rich-to-feed-the-poor escapade, one that involved breaking into a facility thought burglar-proof (Lang makes sure that people know he's not a robber because he never hurts people).  Estranged from his ex-wife and his  deeply-loved daughter, Lang is determined to go straight and put his life of crime behind him.  Pym has other plans.

One of the things that separates the Marvel Cinematic Universe from the rest of the movie superhero throng is that the superhero part is usually a side part of a different story in a different genre.  So far, we've seen MCU tackle WWII drama, fantasy, action-comedy, sci-fi epic, political thriller, and now with Ant-Man, the MCU take on the comic heist film.  More a comedy in the vein of the 2003 remake of The Italian Job than the more seriously toned The Sting, Ant-Man finds as much of its humor from the heist planning as it does in self-referencing its own absurdity.  Most hysterical is Michael Pena as Luis, a right hand man that likes to tell stories and anyone who has enjoyed the humor of Kid History or Kid Snippets on youtube will very much appreciate the way the movie re-enacts his stories.

An aspect of the film that could have ruined it, but actually becomes a strength is Lang's ability to "communicate" with ants.  These scenes are treated with such humor initially, easing the viewer into the admittedly goofy superpower, that by the time it is really needed for the plot, the audience has simply accepted that this is a man with an arsenal of ants at his disposal.  We even come to care about the little pests (not that I'm going to welcome them into my pantry any time soon).

Much has been made of the troubled production of Ant-Man and, unfortunately, the movie doesn't emerge completely unscathed by those troubles.  While a thoroughly enjoyable film, the evidence of "too many cooks" (the cliche, not the disturbing Adult Swim sit-com spoof) is found in a certain feeling of disjointedness.  When it works, it works smashingly, but every once in a while the seams between ideas show in a way that is unusual for a Marvel film.  Reed has done a wonderful job with the profoundly thankless task of taking over for one of the most beloved names in genre film (Wright left the production because of creative differences with the studio, mostly involving fitting the story into the overall arc of the MCU), but the scenes and the lines that tie these events into the MCU really do feel forced.  Ant-Man was obviously conceived by Wright as a stand-alone film and whenever there's a mention of the Avengers or a Stark, it feels a bit out of place, the exceptions being a terrific stinger at the end of the credits and an action sequence early in the film that's fun enough to gloss over the obvious cross-pollination of characters.

Any superhero film stands or falls on the strength of its lead and Paul Rudd is the ace up Ant-Man's sleeve.  Rudd is one of the rare actors that feels just at home with sincerity as he does with sarcasm and that versatility makes Lang one of the most relatable of the Marvel clan.  He's not a billionaire or a war hero or a alien/god, he's just a flawed dude trying to do right by his daughter.  It's going to be very fun to see Rudd act off the core Avengers in future movies.

Not the surprise success that was Guardians of the Galaxy, but so much more intelligent and downright fun than it could have been, Ant-Man is a welcome addition to the MCU.  Now that his origin story is out of the way, there are a million different directions they could go with this character and I'm very excited to see which ones they choose.  This goofy kid on the MCU playground certainly has the potential to be the most fun of the whole lot.

Grade: B+

Movie Review: Minions

Minions/Dir. by Kyle Balda and Pierre Coffin/Rated PG/Universal Pictures/91 min.

There has been a trend emerging in the world of animated film of giving side characters their own feature films.  Many critics have slammed this trend, saying that these characters were designed for short shots of comic relief and don't have the substance to sustain an entire film.  Personally, I disagree.  These films succeed and fail not because of the origins of the main characters, but on the strength of the screenplay.  The Penguins of Madagascar may have failed at the box-office, but it's actually my favorite of the Madagascar films, partly because the penguins are far more interesting than the leads of the other movies, but mostly because it's written with the wit and manic energy of a Monty Python movie.  Cars 2 may have succeeded at the box-office, but it's the worst of the Pixar films not because it put Mater in the narrative drivers seat, but because it's the only film Pixar has ever made where it's obvious they were more interested in cool toy designs than clear plotting and engaging character arcs.

Well, it's my sad duty to report that Minions, the new film featuring the scene-stealing, gibberish-speaking, villain-serving characters from the Despicable Me films, is more Cars 2 than Penguins of Madagascar, but it's certainly not the fault of the little yellow guys.  They're as lovable and hysterical as ever.  No, it's all because of lazy writing.  A film that, by all means, should have been the funniest of the series, generates fewer belly laughs than either of the previous films.  Heck, it actually generates fewer laughs than its main animated competition at the box-office, the far more cerebral Inside Out.

It begins with a delightful prologue detailing the history of the minions, from single cell organisms to unfulfilled pill-shaped henchmen.  You see, the minions were created with the innate desire to find the most evil villain in the land and serve as his or her devoted....well.. minions.  This opening, most of which was unfortunately spoiled by the trailers, is easily the most imaginative and exciting set piece of the film.  In fact, I almost wish the the writers would have just expanded these little vignettes to feature length.  If they had this could have been something special.  Instead, the bulk of the movie focuses on three minions, the confident Kevin, the enthusiastic but easily frightened Bob, and the head-banger at heart Stewart, and their search for a master, a search that leads them to Scarlet Overkill (Sandra Bullock, clearly having the time of her life) and her husband Herb (Jon Hamm, doing such a great Jason Segel impersonation that they may as well have just hired Jason Segel).  Scarlet, being evil, wants to rule England and she agrees to employ the entire minion colony if they can obtain the queens crown for her.

On the plus side, the movie has such an irreverent view of history that some of the plot twists are genuinely surprising.  Sequences involving Excalibur and Queen Elizabeth fly in the face of history and mythology and decorum just enough to give the film an air of subversive glee.  The problem is that these and, indeed most of the sequences of the 2nd act, feel haphazardly constructed and retread the same comic material over and over again.  You say that the first Despicable Me movie had a funny bit involving a minion's bare backside?  Well six such bits should be six times more funny!  The first time Scarlet slowly grows from cloyingly sweet to maniacally evil in a sentence was a hoot?  Let's do that with each of her speeches then!  From a story stand-point, so little happens in this 2nd act that it becomes little more than slightly amusing filler.

The movie almost regains its footing in the final act though.  It embraces the gonzo energy of the best animated comedies, bringing images and jokes to life in a way that life-action films simply can't approach.  However, it's all a case of too little too late.

It's not that Minions is a bad movie.  On a hot summer afternoon, it's a perfectly enjoyable way to spend a few hours in an air-conditioned theater.  It's just a disappointment from this series, which has consistently brought the funny and the heart.  Minions has a fraction of the humor and none of the heart.  But, still, the minions themselves are still pretty darned entertaining.  Here's hoping that there is a better written adventure in their future.

Grade: B-

Movie Review: Inside Out

Inside Out/Rated PG/94 min./Pixar Animation Studios/Dir. by Pete Doctor and Ronaldo Del Carmen

"Silly grown-ups, animation's for kids!"  This antiquated, wrong-headed, unsupported notion is alive and well and there was a time, perhaps, that there was a sliver of truth to it.  After all, the original Disney animated classics, while filled with unquestionable and complex artistry, were also clearly aimed at the tykes.  Snow White, Dumbo, Pinocchio....they all had very simply constructed plots designed to support one or two clearly laid-out morals:  Kindness will always win, believe in yourself, smoking and drinking will turn you into a jackass, literally.

However, at the same time that Uncle Walt was making these carefully crafted morality tales, he also spearheaded Fantasia and Bambi.  Fantasia being a film that still challenges and enthralls adults of all ages, and Bambi, one of the most lyrical visual tone poems ever conceived.

There have been 80 years worth of films proving that animation is an art form, pure and simple.  It's a means of telling a story, not a genre unto itself, which is to say that a film being animated shouldn't indicated it's target audience anymore than a film being in 3D or in color should.  In the past 20 years, makers of animated films have created more complex narratives that work on multiple levels to enlighten and entertain regardless of age.  Often this has been done by creating plot and action for the kids and jokes for the adults.

Well, right now there is a masterpiece playing at your local movieplex that flips that formula on its head.  The film, Inside Out, is a film that is really aimed at adults, but it has action, color, and humor that will keep young 'uns engaged.  There is such artistic nuance on display in every frame, such thoughtful detail in the plot construct, such profound truth laying at its core, that dismissing it as a kid's movie is a huge disservice.  Yes, it's definitely kid appropriate (it really should be rated G) and children will love it, but it is, quite simply, one of the greatest examples of film art of this decade.

As the film begins, we not only witness the birth of a little girl named Riley, but we see the emergence of her emotions, personified by Day-Glo colored characters that live in her brain and guide her through the use of a control panel.  When she needs to be careful, they let Fear (Bill Hader) take the wheel.  When they're unsure of a new food, they send in Disgust (Mindy Kaling).  Anger (Lewis Black) makes sure that things stay fair and Sadness (Phyllis Smith)....well, no one's really sure why Sadness is necessary at all.  The defacto leader of the group is Joy (Amy Poehler), a yellow colored sprite in a breezy summer dress who keeps things running smoothly.

As Riley creates memories, little glass balls are created as a holding case for the memory and the important core memories, the experiences that had the most profound effect on Riley's personality are placed near the control center as core memories.  Joy feels no small amount of pride that all of the core memories are bright yellow because of her influence.

To go any more into the construct of the wonderland inside Riley's head would ruin the surprises of this film, and there are many.   Suffice it to say that after Riley moves to a new city, Joy and Sadness accidentally get separated from the control center, leaving the pre-teen girl at the mercy of Fear, Anger, and Disgust.  I have a feeling that there are many times that pre-teens know exactly how that feels.

One of the most amazing things about Inside Out is the plethora of lessons to be learned.  I recently read a review in which someone said this is one of the rare films that could actually make you a better person and I couldn't agree more.  The plot is carefully constructed with many themes, all designed to pounce on your mind and your heart depending on where you are in your own life.  I have no doubt that I'll be learning new things from watching this film in years to come.

The voice casting could not be more perfect.  Poehler and Smith become the main protagonists and the two actresses interact superbly.  Poehler brings the same almost manic energy to the role that she did on Parks and Recreation, but as she slowly begins to understand the importance of all emotions, especially Sadness, she switches gears delivering a tender and heart-breaking performance that sticks with you as much as Ellen Degeneres did as Dory in Finding Nemo.   Initially, Smith portrays Sadness as an animated Debby Downer, but through a soft and subtle performance, she creates a fully realized, three-dimensional character and will be treasured for years.  Kaling, Hader, and Black mostly supply the comic relief, but they interact with each other with a gonzo comic energy that lights up every one of their scenes.

Visually, Inside Out is a stunner.  From the vast caverns of long-term memory to the surreal room of abstract thought, the filmmakers back this movie with images to tickle the brain and dazzle the eye.  It is, quite simply, beautiful to look at.

Basically, just go see this movie.  See it multiple times.  It has spurred more thoughtful conversations over the last three days since I watched it than has any film over the last decade.  After a few films ranging from frustrating to disappointing, Pixar is back with an insta-classic that will stand proudly next to their best.  If the Academy didn't have a clear bias against animated (a.k.a. kid's) films, this would be a sinch for a Best Picture nomination.  

Grade:  A very enthusiastic A+

Movie Review - Home

Home/DreamWorks Animation/Dir. by Tim Johnson/94 min./Rated PG (for mild action and some rude humor)

It's been a rocky few years for DreamWorks animation.  On one hand, they've been on a great creative streak.  While still nurturing proven franchises, they've also provided some terrific films that are patently non-DreamWorks-ian.  Rise of the Guardians, How to Train Your Dragon, and Kung Fu Panda were all films that set aside the DreamWorks model of constant juvenile humor coupled with unending pop culture references and instead crafted character based stories that brought the funny while bringing an almost Pixar-like dedication to story and heart.

On the other hand, their movies haven't been making as much money as they used to.  Personally, I think it might be because they've spread their franchises a little thin with their television division.  How to Train Your Dragon 2 and Kung Fu Panda 2 were both outstanding films that under-performed domestically.  Perhaps non-coincidentally, both films had t.v. series based on their characters airing concurrently with their releases.  This could also be a contributing factor to the dismal box office of Penguins of Madagascar, a highly amusing film that was based more on the television series of the same name than it was the hugely successful Madagascar films.  These box office missteps have led to big layoffs at the studio and a sharp decline in annual product.  Typically, DreamWorks had released two to three films a year, however, this year there is only one.

Long story short, DreamWorks needs a win.  It seems that they have found it with this year's release, Home, a genially amusing movie that just surprised a lot of people with a huge box office win this weekend.

Home begins with perhaps the most benign alien invasion in the history of film as an alien race named the Boov, lead by Captain Smeck (voiced by Steve Martin) kidnap all the humans and put them in brightly colored compounds in Australia.  Believing the humans to be a simple species, the Boov provide them with shelter, food, and easily accessible amusement parks.

Among the ant-like followers of the charismatic Captain is Oh (perfectly voiced by Jim Parsons).  Oh, is the only Boov that doesn't seem to belong.  He makes mistakes and is so enthusiastic about life in general that his fellow Boov find him horribly off-putting.  When he accidentally sends a party invite to the entire universe, alerting the enemies of the Boov to their location, he finds himself on the run, joining forces with a human teenage girl named Tip (Rihanna) who escaped the forced relocation of the humans, but wants to find her mother (a very under-utilized Jennifer Lopez).

Needless to say, high-jinks ensue, and really, that's the entire point of Home.  While it is a very entertaining movie, it never reaches the height of DreamWorks' best.  Plot becomes incidental and, occasionally noticeably hap-hazard, but that allows the movie to  become more of a character comedy, juxtaposing the sassy, sad/mad, Tip with the optomistic, accident-prone Oh.  Not to say this is an animated My Dinner With Andre, but the movie is at its best when it focuses on these characters.

Parsons is particularly fantastic as Oh.  The commercials make it look like it's just Parsons doing his Sheldon Cooper shtick from The Big Bang Theory.  In actuality, he adds a level of innocence and sincerity to the character that was surprising.  Rihanna does a fine job in emoting the troubled Tip, however, she was tremendously miscast considering the fact that no one is going to mistake the voice of a raspy-voiced 27 year-old woman for a 12 year-old girl.

The animation in Home is beautiful and extremely colorful, with the physicality of the Boov one of the highlights of the film.  The aliens are the human equivalent of mood rings, changing colors depending on their moods.  They also have the physical flexibility of a balloon, which makes them a delight to watch in action.

In terms of quality, Home falls dead center among the pantheon of DreamWorks animated films.  It fails to reach the high quality of the How to Train Your Dragon series, but it also is better than company missteps like Shark Tale and Bee Movie.  It's light, funny, colorful, and a perfectly cromulent way to spend some time with the family.

Grade: B

Goodbye 2014, Hello 2015: Year-End/Year-Beginning Blog

I have to be honest.  I have debated about doing a year-end blog so soon.  The fact of the matter is that I haven't seen most of the big Oscar-y movies that are released at the end of the year and often held in super-limited release until January.  It's usually around February that I finally catch up on all the "bests."

So, I've decided to do a "favorites" list, rather than a "best" list.  These films are wonderful films and would certainly be at home on any critic's top ten list for the year.  In fact, many of them have repeatedly appeared on these lists.  However, none of them will win the best picture Oscar.  These are not the movies that will be heralded in film art text books thirty years from now, but they are the movies that will be embraced by generations thirty years from now.  They are the films that will be remembered in the hearts of millions long after the more "legitimate" films have faded from memory.  Not because the "legitimate" films are unworthy, but because these films are aware that movies can be layered, passionate, excellent, AND fun and inspiring.  I'll probably do a "best" list after I've had a chance to see some titles that I'm itching to see, like The Theory of Everything, Selma, The Imitation Game, and Big Eyes, but for now, I present the list of the movies that I know I'll be watching over and over for years to come.  To be difficult, I'm doing a top 12 list.  My apologies to those of you with the compulsive need for round numbers.

12. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes - Andy Serkis continues to show that the most important part of a motion capture performance is the performance.  Inhabiting Caesar, the leader of the intelligent apes, as a full-blooded character, Serkis manages to rise above the digital make-up to deliver one of the most mesmerizing feats of acting in any movie this year.  Plus, the script provides some of the most thrilling and shocking moments in the franchise history.

11. The Hundred-Food Journey - This is not a challenging movie, however it is a smart one.  Filled with warmth and nuanced performances, this movie is the equivalent of a big smile-inducing hug.  Just don't watch it when you're hungry.  The soft-filtered images of French and Indian cuisine guarantee an increase in appetite.

10. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies - The Hobbit movies are simply not as good as the Lord of the Rings films.  They suffer from over-stuffed plotting and glacial pacing, problems that are bound to happen when you decide to turn a single children's book (and, compared to LOTR, that's what The Hobbit is) into a 9 hour epic.  However, they are not the cinematic missteps that some have made them out to be.  Yes, they're poor adaptations, but they're pretty darn thrilling films and the finale does everything that it should have.  Wrapping plot points together in a massive battle and manages to recall elements of the Pelennor Fields battle in Return of the King, while still distinguishing itself with far different characters and motivations.

9.  Edge of Tomorrow - I so did not see this movie coming.  Even the commercials did little to raise my expectations.  However, this is a gem of sci-fi tale.  The easy explanation is "It's Groundhog Day with aliens", but that doesn't convey how rich, engaging, and simultaneously dark and funny this epic is.  A confusing title and a dwindling fan base for Tom Cruise may have kept you from seeing it in the theaters, but there's no real excuse.  It's one of the finest sci-fi films of the decade.

8. Interstellar - Yes, it's flawed.  However, it's beautiful, it's ambitious in a way that few other films dare, and it serves as an allegory to convey wonderful truths.

7. X-Men: Days of Future Past - As close to an "Avengers" film as the X-Men franchise is likely to get, DoFP hits all the heights that you would want from a great X-Men film, plus is has one of the best scenes of any movie of the year.  If you've seen it, you know exactly which scene I'm talking about.  If you haven't, well, let's just say you won't hear Jim Croce sing "Time in a Bottle" again without thinking of a certain kitchen in the Pentagon.

6. Big Hero 6 - Sure, Big Hero 6 gives the world one of the most instantly lovable characters of the year in Baymax, the health care providing robot, but even an infinitely lovable character can't completely save a weak movie (Scrat from the Ice Age movies proves that).  Therefore, how delightful is it that Big Hero 6 is bright, smart, and enthralling even when Baymax isn't on screen.  Further proof that the Disney animation slump is officially over.

5. The LEGO Movie - When I first heard about this movie, I let out a very disgruntled groan.  Seriously?  How could this possibly be a good idea.  Wow, was I wrong.  Not only is The LEGO Movie one of the flat-out funniest movies of the year, but it's nothing short of an all-out tribute to the joy of imagination and creation.  Many pundits see this as the front runner for the Best Animated Film Oscar, and while I don't think it's the best animated film of the year, it's certainly a more than worthy contender.

4. Captain America: The Winter Soldier - Since the summer of 2011, I have maintained that the brilliance of the Marvel Cinematic Universe isn't just in it's intertwining story lines, but the fact that none of these films are "just" superhero movies.  Each movie takes on different genres, not only distinguishing it from films featuring other characters, but distinguishing it from other films in its own franchise.  No film better illustrates this than Winter Soldier.  With the first Captain America firmly in WWII action mode, The Winter Soldier veers masterfully into the territory of a modern spy thriller.  That alone would be a nifty gimmick, but what raises the film above gimmick is its sharp writing, sincere performances, and truly fantastic direction.  So great was the direction from the Russo Brothers (previously best known for being creative forces on "Community" and "Arrested Development") that Marvel has handed them the keys to Avengers: Infinity War, the film that the MCU has been building towards ever since Thor first entered the Asgard vault.

3. Into the Woods - For the life of me, I can't see why this movie isn't getting more Oscar talk.  Sure, Meryl Streep will get her 1,243-ish nomination, and it'll be well represented in costumes, sound mixing, and production design, but this is such a deeply profound film.  The magic of Into the Woods, both the stage play and the film is it's ability to not only layer character upon character, but genre upon genre, and theme upon theme.  It's the type of movie that you think you have a full handle on when you see it the first time, but discover more and more upon each subsequent viewing.  Plus, Steven Sondheim is one of the great living artists of any art form and he was in top form with this, both when he wrote the stage version in the 80's and when he adapted it for film.  Yes, it's divisive, but it's also rich and inspiring.

2.  How to Train Your Dragon 2 - I stand by my original assertion that this is the best animated film since Toy Story 3.  Discontent to simply churn out a run of the mill sequel, the filmmakers have taken the elements of the first movie and expanded them in such a fluid and surprisingly emotional way that it feels less like a sequel and more like the second act in an epic story, a feat that it manages with far more success than The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug did.

1. Guardians of the Galaxy - Simply the most surprising movie of the year.  Yes, in hindsight its success seems to simply be part of the MCU juggernaut, but don't forget what a risk this movie was and how delightful it was to see it unfold on the big screen.  I can't remember feeling that level of discovery and wonder since, I don't know, maybe Jurassic Park.  I can't wait to see what the future holds for this disparate group of heroes.


3 Biggest Disappointments of the Year:

3. Annie - If you've ever thought, "Annie would be a good story if it had more swearing and traded out the memorable music for bland pop songs and if Miss Hannigan wasn't funny, but just whiny and annoying," I have a movie for you.

2. Heaven is for Real - I didn't see this sleeper hit until it was released on video.  I was looking forward to it because I would love to see a movie represent matters of faith in a realistic and inspiring way.  However, instead of that, we get a movie that tries to create tension by portraying most people of faith with the same level of anger and lack of love that one would expect from an anti-religious film.  The characters are trite and the performances are shallow, with the exception of young Connor Corum, who manages to be the sole bright spot in a film that should have been nothing but bright spots.

1. Noah - Ugh.  Just ugh.  Is there a filmmaker in Hollywood with a more over-inflated ego than Darren Aronofsky?  The word "pretentious" doesn't begin to cover it.  Yes, he's very talented, but so is George Lucas and they both need to demonstrate a little restraint.  As a fantasy film, it's barely watchable, but as a telling of the biblical story, it's a ludicrous mess.  Jennifer Connolly and Emma Watson are beyond fantastic in it though, but they really are the only people that remain unscathed from this monstrosity.


Finally, the ten movies I'm most looking forward to in 2015.  I'm going to attempt to contain my explanations as to why I'm excited for them to one or two words.  We'll see how that works....

10. Minions - Cute/Funny!
9. Spectre - Bond!
8. The Good Dinosaur - Pixar!
7. Ant-Man - Marvel+Rudd!
6. Untitled Steven Spielberg cold war thriller - Steven Spielberg!
5. Tomorrowland - Brad Bird!
4. Jurassic World - Trained Velociraptors!
3. Inside Out - Conceptual Pixar!
2. Avengers: Age of Ultron - Duh, Avengers!
1. Star Wars: The Force Awakens - Abrams!  Practical Effects!  Beach-Ball Droid!  Star Wars!  STAR WARS!

OK, there are my thoughts.  There are many like them, but these are mine.  Have a wonderful 2015!

Movie Review: Into the Woods

Into the Woods/Rated PG/Dir. by Rob Marshall/Walt Disney 

The concept of different fairy tale characters mixing together is not only unoriginal anymore, it's almost cliche.  Thanks to the Shrek's and the Once Upon a Time's of the world, we've seen so many variations of the fairy tale tropes that it's hard to remember where the real fairy tales end and the revisionist versions begin.  However, for all the skewering and mixing, these versions still fall into the same old platitudes that they claim to be dissecting.  For all it's bawdy humor, Shrek is still peddling the same message found in most every other children's entertainment:  "Be yourself!"  For all it's cross-story pollination, Once Upon a Time is still all about happy endings.

Well, long before either of these cultural touchstones, Stephen Sondheim threw several common fairy tales into a surprisingly tart melting pot called Into the Woods.  Unlike the newer fairy tale spoofs, Into the Woods brings the characters together to serve a greater purpose in theme and plot.  It took 27 years since it's Broadway debut, but the story has finally made it to the silver screen and, I'm happy to report, the movie version keeps the complexity, wit, and lightness/darkness of the seemingly unfilmable stage version.

The story centers around a childless Baker (James Corden) and his wife (Emily Blunt), a somewhat slow-witted boy named Jack (Daniel Huttlestone), a precocious little girl in a red hood (Lilla Crawford), a put upon young woman named Cinderella (Anna Kendrick) and a wicked witch (Meryl Streep).  Their stories intertwine throughout the first half of the film, with each so focused on their own happy ending that they fail to notice how their actions influence those with whom they interact.  However, the story turns dark when the cost of their endings become more apparent.

When it was first announced that Disney was moving forward with a film version, there were many worried that the adult themes of the stage musical would be "Disneyfied".  While there are some minor changes that were clearly made to make the movie more family friendly, the film version retains all of the depth and complexity that makes this one of the great artistic efforts of my lifetime.  In the end, Sondheim and the writer of the book for the play, James Lapine, (who both were responsible for the screenplay for the movie) have crafted a work that bridges many wonderful and meaningful themes....and one highly questionable one (I'm looking at you Baker's Wife).

The movie is zippy and cinematic without losing the intimacy of the stage version and it is filled with surprisingly fantastic performances.  When I initially heard which actors had been hired for the film version, I was worried.  Sure, Meryl Streep is an amazing actress, but I had never heard anything from her to indicate she could pull off one of the biggest show-stoppers of the last 30 years ("The Last Midnight").  The Cups song from Pitch Perfect is fun, but I had never heard anything to indicate that Anna Kendrick could handle the lighter than air melodies written for Cinderella.  I most certainly had never heard anything to indicate that Chris Pine (playing Cinderella's Prince Charming) could even sing, let alone pull of the pompous masterpiece that is "Agony".  My worries were incredibly off base.  Into the Woods may be the only Hollywood musical adaptation in recent memory without a single glaring weak link in the cast (*cough, cough* Russell Crowe...Pierce Brosnan...*cough, cough*).

The play has always been pretty divisive, with faithful superfans and those that find the 2nd act a total downer, and the movie will be no different.  There is a sharp change in tone that you'll either go with or hate.  However, if you focus on the messages and realize that the story has been a supremely and complexly constructed life-lesson delivery system, there is so much to glean from this glossy cinematic treat.  

As a fan of the original Broadway production (which can be purchased here), I can honestly say that this is as faithful and as enjoyable film version as could be expected from such a labyrinthine masterwork.  Long story short, I left the theater humming the tunes with a big smile on my face.  Into the Woods is one of the best film musicals of the last decade and one of my very favorite movies of the year.

Grade: A