Review: Won't You Be My Neighbor?

Won't You Be My Neighbor?/Focus Features/94 min./Dir. by Morgan Neville/Rated PG-13 for some thematic elements and language

When he passed away 15 years ago, Fred Rogers left an enormous hole in the culture of America and, indeed, the world.  His simple messages of kindness, love, and self worth seemed quaint and even square at times during his life, but it wasn't until viewing the superb documentary about his life, Won't You Be My Neighbor?, that I realized how brave and borderline radical his philosophies were and continue to be.

Detailing his life from his training as a Presbyterian minister to his death in 2003, Won't You Be My Neighbor? is, like Rogers himself, simple and resolute.  The film radiates his love of children and his emphatic belief that every child, indeed every person, can be loved and show love.  Using extraordinary behind-the-scenes footage of his life and his show interpolated with interviews of family, friends, and co-workers, Neighbor paints the portrait of a man who was every bit the kind and gentle spirit in real life that he was on his Peabody award winning children's show.

Deciding to leave the seminary to use television as his pulpit, Rogers decided that children's television could be more than clowns and action heroes.  He saw this medium as an opportunity to teach children of their worth and how to deal with real-life trials and feelings.  Death, self-doubt, and fear were not verboten subjects in the neighborhood, they were topics to be discussed and handled with love and understanding.  Using these simple ideas, he created a unique and never-to-be-replicated identity on the television landscape.  His radical kindness helped mold the values of an entire generation and, as beautifully shown in film, actually saved the very existence of Public Broadcast Television.

The documentary, directed by Oscar-winning documentarian Morgan Neville, presents a portrait of a life dedicated to good.  Not a perfect life, but a life filled with perfect love.  Neville brilliantly uses small animated vignettes as chapter headings for the different sections of the film.  In these vignettes, Rogers himself is represented by an animated version of Daniel the Striped Tiger, a character that Rogers has on occasion referred to as a surrogate for his own hopes and fears, and these animated sections are not only charming, but they are beautiful reminders of the imagination and love of simple things that abounded in Rogers' mind.

For readers who may be wondering how on earth a documentary about Fred Rogers could be PG-13, know that the rating is because of two reflections of cast and crew members: one recalling how the crew would try to shock him by taking inappropriate pictures on his camera and how he winningly dealt with it and another recalling how Rogers handled learning the truth about a cast member's sexual orientation.  While neither scene would be particularly appropriate for small children, they both help paint a more complete picture of Rogers humor, compassion, and complexity.

It's difficult for me to speak about this film without hyperbole because I can't express fully how deeply moved I was by it.  In a world that screams at us about how we must put all of the focus on how horribly different we are, here is a film detailing the life of a man that simply believed that we were all part of the same neighborhood.  That we all were capable of great love and that we were all in need of that love in return. This is an profound, uplifting, and inspiring reminder of the great good of which we are all capable.  As Junlai Li, the director of the Fred Rogers Center shares, the question isn't "What would Fred Rogers do?".  After taking in the goodness and love that he spread, the question should be "What will we do?"  This is one of the most beautifully simple, yet deeply profound movie going experiences I have ever had.  If every person in the world could watch this film and take its messages to heart, our world would be a radically better place.

Grade: A+

Movie Review: Ant-Man and the Wasp

Ant-Man and the Wasp/Marvel Studios/118 min./Dir. by Peyton Reed/Rated PG-13 for some sci-fi action violence

Many have asked how I manage to maintain my film blog and teach full time at the same time.  Given the fact that this is my first entry for 2018, I think the obvious answer is.....I don't.  As I was deciding to write a review for Marvel's latest, I kept thinking, "but I haven't even done reviews of any of the summer movies yet, so I need to a big summer entry and then a review."  Well, that was just too much for me to wrap my brain around, so here's the brief catching up on summer movies: Avengers:Infinity War - Fun, epic, genuinely surprising, devastating. Solo:A Star Wars Story - Action-packed, enjoyable, underrated. Ocean's 8 - Smart, amusing, well-cast.  Incredibles 2 - Bright, funny, a blast. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom - Dinosaurs are cool and have an inherent understanding of which humans are disposable, which are evil, and which deserve narrow escapes.

OK.  We're caught up. Now on to Ant-Man and the Wasp.

When Ant-Man was released in 2015, it was widely expected to be the first bomb from the MCU.  It came with the baggage of extremely well-publicized behind-the-scenes drama, the final director was best known for the very un-Marvelesque cheerleading comedy Bring it On, and....well.... it was titled Ant-Man.  However, Marvel Studios knows precisely what they're doing and by casting the imminently likable Paul Rudd and making it more a heist comedy than action film, it became a delightfully surprising bit of candy-flavored fluff that hit with audiences and critics alike.

A year later, the size-shifting superhero made a big impression (pun intended) in Marvel's superhero dust-up Captain America: Civil War by being responsible for one of the most memorable moments in the entirety of the MCU.  The idea of Ant-Man was no longer just a goofy joke, but a relatable hero that audiences looked forward to seeing more from.

So more is what we get with Ant-Man and the Wasp.  As the title suggests, Rudd's character isn't the only central protagonist with Evangeline Lilly's Hope Van Dyne (a.k.a. The Wasp) being the perfectly matched yin to Scott Lang's comedy infused yang.

After the events of Civil War, Lang is on house arrest while Hope and her father Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) are on the run, basically fugitives for contributing to the delinquency of a superhero. With his release from house arrest only a few days away, Scott spends his days rocking out on his drum set, building elaborate cardboard forts/adventures for his daughter Cassie (winningly played by Abby Ryder Forston) and consulting with his security business partner and former partner-in-crime, Luis (Michael Pena, once again stealing any scene he's in).  However, after Scott has a dream/vision involving Hank's wife Janet, the original Wasp who was thought to be lost in the quantum realm (a dimension discovered when an individual shrinks to a sub-atomic level), he is brought together with Hank and Hope in an effort to find Janet.  The only problem is there is an individual known as Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) who is equally intent on accessing the quantum realm for more mysterious reasons.

Ant-Man and the Wasp maintains the light touch of the original, even if the stakes seem a little more elevated.  It moves away from the heist movie paradigm to more of a heroes on-the-lam/race against the clock vibe, and it works swimmingly.  Once again, Rudd is relaxed and effortlessly likable, but Lilly is given much more to do this time around and she does it with grace and humor.

Speaking of humor, it actually works more consistently this time around.  While I loved the original, there were moments when the humor felt a little awkward and forced.  I felt much less of that this time around, which might be a result of having the same creative team from beginning to end, a luxury that the original did not have.  In particular, Lang's humor feels more genuine to the character.  In addition, the screenplay manages to touch on some of the most enjoyable aspects of Pena's performance in the first film without making them carbon copies (his ranting flashbacks are back, but even more funny).

Another fun aspect of the film is that it makes much better use of San Francisco as a setting.  The exciting, surprising, and quite funny finale is almost a San Fran travelogue with major sequences on Lombard Street and the Pier.  Even the Pier's copious number of gulls gets a particularly amusing shout-out.

Much like the first film, direction, special-effects, and music are all solid.  Reed is not the most artistic director to make a Marvel movie, but he knows how to stage action sequences and use the camera to elicit laughs.  Christophe Beck once again provides the musical score, but his themes (including a new theme for the Wasp) take on a bit more weight this time around, particularly as they are transformed in the closing credits.

The reason for the themes sounding a little more somber in the closing credits is the mid-credits sequence. The film is completely independent from MCU references (other than the aforementioned Civil War references) throughout the movie, however the mid-credits sequence ties directly to the finale of Avengers: Infinity War.  If you haven't seen that movie and don't want it spoiled, leave when the credits begin. Suffice to say that you'll want to see Avengers 4 all the sooner after this.

The Ant-Man movies are doing a great job creating their own little niche in the MCU.  With greater humor, lower stakes, but all the fun and action expected from a Marvel film, they're perfect summer escapism.

Grade: A-

A Holiday Movie Viewing Guide

The week after Christmas is one of the biggest movie-going weeks of the year.  Schools are out, families are usually together, and many are in the mood to get out and see something good in theaters.  However, the common dilemma is deciding which movie to see.  Many films are clamoring for the same audience, namely families, so this time of year is when we see so-called "four quadrant" films, meaning movies designed to appeal to the widest audience possible. With that in mind, I thought I'd run down my thoughts on some films currently playing, as well as some recent home video releases in case you'd prefer your holiday movie watching at home.

IN THEATERS

First there are three movies that are aimed at family audiences that I haven't seen yet.  However, in observing reactions from my friends on social media, they seem to be crowd pleasers.  These are The Star, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, and The Greatest Showman. I can't personally speak to them, but regardless of the critical reaction, I've seen nothing but positive reactions from friends. I've also heard good things about The Man Who Invented Christmas, however the number of theaters showing this glimpse at the life of Charles Dickens shrunk drastically this week, so it may be hard to find a showing near you.

If you're looking to see something without the kids, there are a whole slew of Oscar contenders that were unleashed in the last two weeks.  Most are in limited release, but if they're near you, there are some worthy of your time.  Personally, I'm looking forward to seeing Darkest Hour and The Post in coming weeks.

Highly Recommended (alphabetically):

Coco - Rated PG - (should be appropriate for most children, although the subject of death and the presence of skeletons, most of which are friendly and happy, may be a little intense for very young kids) - This film is a fun, thoughtful, colorful, and surprisingly moving tribute to family, both immediate and ancestral.  If you don't mind laughing out loud and crying in your popcorn, you should enjoy it.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi - Rated PG-13 - (if your kids have seen a Star Wars movie, especially The Force Awakens or Revenge of the Sith, they're fine for this) - Of course, putting this here is probably moot, since you've already seen it or decided you're not going to.  To be perfectly honest, I've never experienced a larger disconnect between my own experience and that of those who disliked a movie before.  A couple of points of contention I can at least see, but for the most part, I found Jedi to be thrilling, emotional, funny, and extremely surprising.  It may or may not be the best of the Star Wars films, but it's certainly the riskiest, which may be why it's drawn some ire.  Personally, I loved it and can't wait to see it in theaters again.

Thor: Ragnarok - Rated PG-13 - (if your kids have seen and enjoyed any of the Marvel movies, there's nothing here that will offend) - Who would have thought that Thor was the funniest Avenger? After last year's Ghostbusters reboot, we knew Chris Hemsworth was funny, but Thor: Ragnarok may be the first film in the MCU that is more action comedy than superhero film.  Not to take away from the action sequences, which are stunning (and contain the most powerful cinematic use of Led Zepplin's "Immigrant Song" I've ever heard), but you'll be walking away quoting funny lines just as much as if you were leaving a Will Farrell movie.  In fact, far more than any of his films of late. What's even better is the humor doesn't feel out of place because it's almost entirely character based.

Wonder - Rated PG - (some themes, including death, bullying, and teen issues may go over the heads of young children) - Wonder is actually not an extraordinary movie, but it's a very good movie with an extraordinary message, and that's a rare thing.  By telling its story through the eyes of multiple characters, it allows for different thematic materials to come to the forefront, however, the central message is to always choose to be kind, even when it's difficult.  It presents kindness as an extension of being strong and courageous and I can't think of a better message for our divided society.

Recommended with Reservations (alphabetically):

Ferdinand - Rated PG - (rude humor and some allusions to what happens to bulls after fighting a Matador, otherwise fine for children) - The Story of Ferdinand is a beautiful children's book, written by Munro Leaf and published in 1936, which was adapted into a beautiful animated short by Walt Disney two years later.  The story is innocent and simple, which makes it an odd choice for a CGI comedy from the makers or Rio and Ice Age. However, while the humor and sidekicks are most certainly of the lazy animated comedy variety ("Is there anything funnier than broadly stereotyped accents? Yes, potty humor and modern slang!"), what elevates Ferdinand above the schlock of its ilk is the central character and the message, both of which manage to exude warmth and charm in spite of their surroundings.

Justice League - Rated PG-13 - (more rough around the edges and violent than most Marvel movies.  If your kids have seen Batman v Superman, this will be a lot less potentially traumatizing) - There has been one great DC movie in 2017 and it wasn't this one.  In fact, there are scenes in League that rely entirely on good will from the superb Wonder Woman.  However, Justice League is the first of the new DCEU films to feature non-Amazonian superheroes that actually left me with a smile on my face. People have pointed to the lighter mood, and while that helped, what made it for me is it's the first of the DCEU films to feature Superman and Batman in a way that's completely true to their characters.  Plus, the stuff with The Flash and Aquaman were a lot of fun.  Of course, it's not a surprise that Wonder Woman comes off the best, but I finally wanted to spend more time with the characters that were not Diana Prince, and that's something in and of itself.

ON HOME VIDEO:

I won't go into great detail here.  I'll just leave some films that I've seen that were released in the last couple of months that I would recommend.  I'll do so in age appropriateness categories.

For young children and up:
        - Cars 3 - The best chapter of Pixar's weakest franchise. Colorful, funny, with some nice emotional touches.
        - Despicable Me 3 - It's Despicable Me.  There are minions and cute kids and Steve Carrel speaking in an indeterminately Eastern European accent.  Harmless, but fun.
        - The LEGO Ninjago Movie - Not up to the standards of humor of the other LEGO movies, but also not without its charms.  Funny, fast-paced, and bright.

For teenagers and up:
      - Dunkirk - May be a bit weighty for some teenagers, but others will find its labyrinthine story telling and powerful visual style to be transfixing.  Most certainly one of the best movies of the year.
      - Logan Lucky - From the maker of Ocean's Eleven. Lucky has a similar vibe, but with a mix of My Name is Earl.  Easily one of the funniest movies of the year. Kylo Ren and James Bond have never been so hilarious.
      - Meagan Leavey - A flawed, but powerful movie about a flawed, but powerful person. There are few movies in recent memory that so fully demonstrated the unifying bond that can exist between humans and animals.
      - Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets - The dialogue and characterizations are pure B-movie pulp, but you will not see a more vastly imaginative or visually spell-binding movie anywhere else.
     - Victory and Abdul - While this is certainly appropriate for most teenagers, it will be more enjoyed by the adults in the family. Dame Judi Dench proving once again why she's one of the best living actors, gentle humor designed to amuse while also laying bare the inherent prejudice found in blind nationalism, and some stunningly beautiful set design all add up to a movie that's equal parts entertaining and moving.

So, there you go.  I'll be doing my year-end blog in a couple of weeks, as soon as I'm able to see The Post, Darkest Hour, and a few other movies that I am pretty sure I'll love.  Until then, enjoy!

Spider-Man Homecoming review + Summer 2017 thus far

It has been over six months since I've written in my blog, but in my defense, it's been a busy six months.  In that time I've written and directed a musical, hosted two school dances and two family movie nights, prepared and conducted two concerts, prepared and performed in additional concerts, planned and ran the school talent show, and also, ya know, taught.  Me being me, I did see the occasional movie, but I just haven't had time to write about them.  

Well, now summer's here, concerts are done, families have been reunited (which was awesome), and I find myself with a few hours on a Saturday to write about movies.  I'm going to kick us off with a proper review of.......

Spider-Man: Homecoming/Dir. by Jon Watts/Sony Pictures/133 min./Rated PG-13 (for sci-fi action violence, some language and brief suggestive comments)

When it was announced that Sony was rebooting Spider-Men yet again, my wife paraphrased Stanley from the U.S. version of The Office when she remarked, "How many Spider-Men am I supposed to care about?!?"  Her frustration is understandable.  In the space of 15 years, we have had three different Spidey's, two different origin movies, two franchise-killing missteps, and one big battle over the film rights  of the character.  However, after leaving a screening of Spider-Man: Homecoming, my wife and I both joyously felt that the answer to her question is one.  You only have to care about one Spider-Man, and Tom Holland's innocent, awkward, completely winning Peter Parker is that one.  The earlier versions were fine, but this is THE Spider-Man.

With a title that works on multiple levels, Homecoming begins by firmly setting itself in the world of the MCU with two scenes that flashback to earlier Marvel events.  One sets up the motivations of the film's villain, Adrian Toomes (a.k.a. The Vulture, menacingly, yet surprisingly warmly played by Michael Keaton), a city contractor who had his big payday of salvaging the wreckage of New York after the climactic battle in The Avengers taken from him by Tony Stark.  The other intro scene shows the events of Captain America: Civil War from Peter's perspective, meaning the perspective of a teenage kid who has never even flown on a plane before, going to Berlin on a secret mission to battle some of the most powerful people on Earth.  This scene could not be more perfect in establishing who this character is and where he fits in this universe.

Of course, after those events, Peter figures he's one of the Avengers.  After all, he fought beside/against many of them, holding his own with instrumental contributions.  Unfortunately, his mentor is Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.), a character who has never been known for his thoughtful altruism, and after Stark generously allows Peter to keep his super high-tech Spidey suit, he brings him home with a "don't call me, I'll call you" brush-off and leaving his right-hand man, Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau) as a go-between/guardian to keep Peter out of trouble.

Like a teenager being blown-off by their crush, Peter texts inquiries on his next mission and leaves voice messages detailing his neighborhood heroics (stopping bicycle thieves, giving directions to little old ladies, etc.) only to be met with complete silence from Stark and Hogan.  So, he just continues to deal with life as a teenager.  Tests, bullies (his iconic bully, Flash Thompson, has been transformed from the hulking jock of previous films into a verbally abusive, obviously jealous egghead, which makes sense given Peter attends a science magnet school), academic decathlons, and the awkwardness of school dances.

After accidentally revealing his identity to his best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon), Peter discovers that criminals in his neighborhood have obtained oddly high-tech weapons of possible alien origin and, against the wishes of Stark, decides to investigate and try to bring the criminals down alone, a decision that has unexpected consequences and leads him straight to Keaton's contractor turned arms dealer.

One of the most striking things about Homecoming is its light tone.  Unquestionably the funniest Spidey movie to date, it keeps the stakes real while maintaining an almost frothy buoyancy, helped tremendously by Holland's emotionally real portrayal of an innocent teenager traversing the landmines of adolescence while trying to grow up too fast.  Spider-Man's story has always been an allegory of the difficulties of being a teenager, but that allegory has never been this successfully shown on-screen.  This may not be the "Uncle Ben" origin story, but it is about a boy learning to become a (Spider) man, and as such not only stands tall with films in the MCU, but with the best of John Hughes teen dramedies from the 80's

The acting is uniformly terrific, with Holland shining in every moment, Keaton giving us one of the strongest MCU villains, and Batalon stealing scenes left and right as Peter's best friend.  While some people have balked at her casting, I thought Marisa Tomei was perfect as a younger, tougher Aunt May, and Zendaya, who jumps from her Disney Channel roots to the big screen, is ideal as the sardonic Michelle.

Director Jon Watts, who has only previously directed one film (the indy drama Cop Car) shows himself to be a perfect choice for bringing Peter Parker into the MCU.  He deftly handles thrilling action scenes, while keeping the focus on character and motivation.  He also contributed to the screenplay with five other writers.  Usually, that many writers indicates a screenplay that is in trouble, but this team, which includes John Francis Daley of Freaks and Geeks and Bones fame, has done a smashing job creating instantly relatable characters, delightfully quotable lines, and iconic moments. In addition, composer Michael Giacchino continues to show himself at one with MCU sensibilities, following up his wonderfully trippy score to Doctor Strange with a effortlessly bouncy effort reminiscent of his scores to The Incredibles and Sky High.

In a summer that has been beset by franchise fatigue, Spider-Man: Homecoming does the opposite, breathing new life into not only the MCU, but into the entire genre of comic book films.  It is, quite simply, a blast from beginning to end and one of the best films of the summer.

Grade: A

Now, I'll do a quick chronological summary of the films of the summer thus far.....

Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2

Fun, action-packed, with interesting ideas and a strong villain, but not as consistent or endearing as the original.

Grade: B+

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales

Better than Pirates 4, with a nice connection to the original trilogy.  Not great, but an enjoyable improvement.

Grade: C+

Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie

Far more enjoyable and creative than a movie entitled Captain Underpants should be.  As a teacher, I've been pretty annoyed by this character's inescapable presence at book fairs, but after seeing the film, I get it.  Not so much a potty-humor delivery system, but a celebration of friendship and silliness itself.  An out-of-left-field surprise.

Grade: B+

Wonder Woman

Everything the DCEU needed and more.  A rare film that entertains and inspires in equal measure with a star-making performance from Gal Gadot.  The film of the summer.

Grade: A

The Mummy

Not the disaster some reviews made it out to be, but certainly not the energizing kick-off that Universal's "Dark Universe" franchise needed.  Trading in the fun, gonzo energy of the Brendan Fraser series, this movie feels more like a horror movie that won't fully commit to the scares and occasionally throws in oddly out-of-place humor (although Jake Johnson's comic presence is always welcome).

Grade: C

Cars 3

A definite improvement on the disjointed Cars 2, the third go-around returns the focus to Lightning McQueen and his racing career.  If the first Cars was a riff on Doc Hollywood, then this one is a take-off on Rocky III, and given the difference in quality between those sources of inspiration, it should come as no surprise that Cars 3 might be the best film in the weakest of Pixar's franchises.

Grade: B+

Transformers: The Last Knight

The special effects are still special, but the writing, especially the attempts at "humor", is still painful.  I laughed once, almost fell asleep twice, and mourned for the career of Sir Anthony Hopkins repeatedly.  The only thing that elevates this above the equally painful Revenge of the Fallen is the blessed lack of jokes about alien robot genitalia.

Grade: D

Despicable Me 3

Somewhat scattershot, but still perfectly enjoyable, Despicable Me 3 is a huge improvement over the stand-alone Minions and nicely continues the story of formerly villainous Gru and his increasing appreciation of love and family.  Funny, light, and a nice couple hours at the movies.

Grade: B

And that's all I've seen.  Next week, I'll be back with a review of War for the Planet of the Apes!

The 2016 End-of-the-Year Movie Spectacular!

Ah, 2016.  In some ways, we're all ready to kick it to the curb.  It went around killing beloved artists, screaming divisive and foul political rhetoric, and forcing the world to reconsider Justin Bieber.  To paraphrase A Christmas Story, "2016!  What a rotten name!  We were trapped.  It stared out at us with its yellow eyes.  It had yellow eyes!"

OK, let's all take a breath.  Yeah, there were some lousy things that happened this year, but it wasn't all bad.  In fact, while much of the world was trying to find scapegoats for all of our problems, the movie industry actually put out quite a few wonderfully poignant films that encouraged us to work together, be compassionate, and, if the occasion arose, turn bumper to bumper traffic jams into rousing and meticulously choreographed musical numbers.

As I looked back on the year in film, the theme that seemed to jump out was hope.  Hope for the future, hope for our own potential, hope for the humanity of others....even the giant blockbuster ending the year literally leads us to the beginning of "A New Hope."  What a wonderful thing for us to all latch on to as we face an uncertain future.  Let us hope and let us be a source of hope for those around us.

Before I get to my top movies of the year, there are a few other categories I'd like to look at.

Most Underrated Movies of the Year

The Little Prince

Premiered and lauded at the Cannes Film Festival and quick to find an international audience, this gem of an animated film inexplicably struggled to find a U.S. distributor.  In fact, it was intended to be released in the U.S. in 2015, but no one would touch it, perhaps because of the esoteric nature of Antoine de Saint-Exupery's, book upon which the movie is based.  No one, that is, until Netflix stepped in.  Receiving a very limited theatrical run in August before its streaming debut, The Little Prince was hardly a blip on the radar, which is a shame because this beautiful, poetic, and at times startling film deserved to be a huge hit.  If you've got a Netflix account, I highly recommend you check out this movie.

Ghostbusters

When I heaped praise on this movie last summer, some people kind of slammed me for it, but I stand by my praise.  I know it's no classic, but far from being a blemish on the reputation of the original, it proudly stands as a genetic relative that is distinctly its own thing.  A film that could have been a callous cash-making scheme is elevated by a fantastic cast that takes OK material and energizes it to some of the most laugh-out-loud comedy of the year.  The performances of Kate McKinnon (mad-scientist with impeccable comic timing) and Chris Hemsworth (the world's greatest horrible secretary) alone make this memorable, but every other cast member gives it there all at every turn.  It may not be art, but I watched this multiple times in theaters and in its subsequent home video released and have loved it every viewing.  If anything, the only thing holding this one back was its unnecessary call-backs to the original.

Star Trek Beyond

We Star Trek fans can be a fickle bunch.  With the coming of the Abrams films, there were cries of "Too much action!" and "This isn't Star Wars!" and "Why did you ever pretend he wasn't Khan?!?" (that last one is a legitimate criticism).  Well, Star Trek Beyond attempted to answer these concerns with the first of the new series that felt like one of the old movies......and the box-office went down.  That's a shame because, while lacking the immediacy of the 2009 reboot and Star Trek Into Darkness, Beyond is a perfectly enjoyable space romp and easily rises to the upper ranks of the series.  Personally, I've loved the reboot series.  The cast is great, the writing is sharp (some may argue this point in regards to Into Darkness, but I have many counter-arguments as to how that has some of the best writing of the series), and the visual aesthetics have been consistently top-notch, and Star Trek Beyond fits in quite nicely.

Most Overrated Movies of the Year

Hail, Caesar!

This is not a bad movie in any way.  It's actually quite an enjoyable film.  George Clooney was funny, Josh Brolin was imminently likeable, and Alden Ehrenreich turned in a star-making performance.  However, the writing was a bit weak, which is very odd for a Coen Bros. film.  Not the dialogue necessarily, although even that is a bit uneven, but the plotting itself was labored and fell below their standards.  I was looking forward to this because I have a soft-spot for Coen Bros. comedies (The Hudsucker Proxy is an all-time favorite), but I left this movie strangely unsatisfied.

Cafe Society

Midnight in Paris is an absolute masterpiece and, when I heard people compare this favorably to that film, I was excited.  Unfortunately, Cafe Society is NO Midnight in Paris.  The movie holds its audience at a distance, cold when it should be warm, warm when it should be cold.  In fact, the most notable thing about this film is that, in a cast that includes Hollywood heavyweights like Corey Stoll, Jesse Eisenberg, and Steve Carrell, it's actually Kristen Stewart who shines.  Her performance is the most praiseworthy thing about this ultimately forgettable bit of froth.

Deadpool

Yep, I'm saying it's overrated.  Let the hate mail commence.  I hate to say it, but ultimately, this movie is a gimmick powered by one high-energy actor having the time of his life, and saddled with a plot, writing, and supporting cast that makes X-Men: The Last Stand (the most reviled of the X-Men films) look positively cerebral.  Let's be honest, if this film weren't wildly crass, would it have gotten out of the "Ben Affleck as Daredevil" din of superhero movies?  I really don't think it could have.

Worst Movies of the Year

Every year, this one is very hard for me because, well, I don't waste money on movies I think will be terrible.  So, here is the list of movies that I haven't seen because they either looked horrible or looked good, but got horrible word of mouth: The Huntsman: Winter's War, Warcraft, Passengers, Mother's Day, Collateral Beauty, Masterminds, Norm of the North, Keeping Up with the Jonses.  If I'm wrong and one of these is great, let me know.  I like good movies.

Most Disappointing Movies of the Year

Anything from the DC Cinematic Universe.  No, it's not just that I'm a die hard Marvel fanboy.  I consider Nolan's Dark Knight films to be some of the best crime dramas in movie history.  I loved Richard Donner's Superman and Bryan Singer's reverential tribute to it.  Heck, I didn't even think Green Lantern was the worst thing ever.  However, it has been profoundly disheartening to see DC try to emulate the success of the MCU, but disregard everything that made the MCU great.  No, it's not that DC is gritty and Marvel is bright.  The problems with Batman v Superman and Suicide Squad have nothing to do with their lack of humor and harsher plot elements.  It has to do with the complete and utter disdain with which the filmmakers treat the characters.  Marvel has tended to character arcs for their characters over the past decade.  They've done it carefully because they clearly love these characters and want them well-represented.  DC and Warner Bros. have said, "Hey, we want that kind of money!" and rushed production with half-baked stories that completely disregard the very nature of iconic characters.  Wonder Woman looks good, but so did Suicide Squad.  I'm starting to lose hope that DC will ever approach their films with the rich and thoughtful forethought found over at Marvel.  Sigh.

Independence Day: Resurgence - The first one wasn't art, but it was fun and popular.  This one isn't as horrible as some may say, but it is just a giant magnifying glass over the original and, in making every bigger, simply amplifies its flaws.

Great Performances of the Year (performers listed alphabetically):

Amy Adams - Arrival; Tom Bennett - Love & Friendship and Mascots; Sofia Boutella - Star Trek Beyond; Josh Brolin - Hail, Caesar!; Viola Davis - Fences; Julian Dennison - Hunt for the Wilderpeople; Taron Egerton - Eddie the Eagle; Alden Ehrenreich - Hail, Caesar!; Dan Folger - Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them; John Goodman - 10 Cloverfield Lane; Ryan Gosling - La La Land; Tom Hanks - Sully; Tom Holland - Captain America: Civil War; Chris Hemsworth - Ghostbusters; Kate McKinnon - Ghostbusters; Lupita Nyongo'o - Queen of Katwe; Eddie Redmayne - Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them; Mark Rylance - The BFG; Michael Shannon - Midnight Special; Kristen Stewart - Cafe Society; Emma Stone - La La Land; Maryl Streep - Florence Foster Jenkins; Denzel Washington - Fences; Mary Elizabeth Winstead - 10 Cloverfield Lane

Best Musical Moments:

La La Land: The entire movie - I'll get into this more later on, but La La Land is a "they don't make them like that anymore" kind of movie and the music plays a huge part in that.  Opening on a typical L.A. traffic jam and then transforming that into a musical jam that slowly melts into full-out musical extravaganza, the opening number, "Another Day of Sun," perfectly sets the mood for the movie, a bright, buoyant, and surprisingly layered throwback to the glory days of the MGM movie musical.

Eddie the Eagle: 80's stars unite! -  The music (both score and songs) in Eddie the Eagle is a pure joy.  Upon first watching the film, you assume the songs are lesser-known gems from recognizable 80's new wave artists.  Alas, they are NEW gems from recognizable 80's new wave artists, including Howard Jones, OMD, ABC, Go West, and Paul Young.  Plus, the vocals on the OMD track (an energetic synth-pop throwback called "Thrill Me") are terrifically handled by Taron Egerton and Hugh Jackman, the stars of the film.  Any fan of 80's music will be justifiably thrilled with the results.

Trolls: "Can't Stop the Feeling" and "True Colors" - This movie had a few nice musical moments (it's always great to hear Anna Kendrick sing), but "Feeling's" infectious hook transcends the movie to stand as one of the most fun songs of the year and "Colors" gives the movie its much needed, and unexpected, heart.

Sing Street: "Drive It Like You Stole It" - In high school, I was a songwriter and this moment in this terrific movie shows so powerfully the disconnect between an artist's imagination and the sometimes harsh reality of execution.  The lead singer envisions a Back to the Future-themed music video with amazing costumes, choreography, and production values.  In reality, it's cheesy with about six people desperately trying to snap to the beat, but in the moments when we see how the lead sees it, we're treated to a wonderful tribute to the 80's music video movement and to the act of creativity itself.

Arrival: The entire score - Johann Johannsson's music for this deeply emotional sci-fi movie is not something that you can just listen to apart from the movie.  It's not particularly melodic and has a Reich-esque minimalism to it.  However, when paired with the film, it becomes another character and creates an atmosphere that wholly separates what you're witnessing from any previous film-going experience.  It's a masterpiece that elevates an already masterful film.

Best Scenes of the Year (spoilers: If you haven't seen the movie, you might not want to read the description):

Ghostbusters: Kevin's interview - I haven't laughed harder during any moment of any movie this year than I did during this hilariously awkward and odd five minutes of comic gold.  From Kristin Wiig's character's unsubtle and inappropriate attraction to the applicant to Chris Hemsworth's Kevin asking if he could bring "my cat" to work (an animal that is actually a dog named Mike Hat), this scene is a great example of the comic prowess displayed by this cast that elevates the film.

Rogue One: Vader Unleashed - There is a moment toward the end of this very well-made movie that shows, possibly more explicitly than ever before in the Star Wars series, why Darth Vader is feared by all in the galaxy.  A group of rebels are trapped in a room with him and, what starts as a typical Star Wars battle, quickly turns into something out of a horror movie.  Imagine Michael Myers with a lightsaber and a mastery of the dark side of the force.  Truly chilling.

Doctor Strange: The Rebuilding of Tokyo - If you haven't seen this movie, this one's hard to visualize using just words.  As director Scott Derrickson explained, he knew that many comic book movies end with the destruction of a major city while the characters are trying to shut a portal.  He thought it might be fun if the climactic battle in Strange involved a city rebuilding itself while characters try to open portals.  He's right, it was a great deal of fun.  Watching the characters fight in real time while the world around them goes in reverse was a trip and a great way to play with the tropes of the genre.

Captain America: Civil War: Tarmac Fight - Hands down, my favorite scene from any movie this year.  The promise of every MCU "it's all connected" moment since Nick Fury first showed up in Tony Stark's living room realized in a thrilling, hilarious, heartfelt, character-driven battle royale.  Starting ominously, expertly blending humor and action, and ending with a jolt, this scene is, quite simply, one of the best action sequences ever put on film.

Best of the Year:

Quantifying movies is hard.  Just saying.  Recognizing quality isn't necessarily difficult, but what qualities are more important?  If a popcorn movie sets out to entertain and it does so spectacularly, is it of a lesser quality than a drama that sets out to showcase great writing?  How do you compare a Schindler's List (powerful, important, but low on the re-watchablity scale) to a Star Wars (revolutionary, exciting, endlessly re-watchable, but ultimately not as historically vital)?  I decided to give movies scores in three areas: Overall Quality (direction, acting, writing, production values, etc.), Re-watchability, and Thematic Importance (Are the messages vital?  Universal?  Important?  Timely?).  Keeping in mind, of course, that even with these criteria, it's a matter of taste and timing.  A movie that is high in all three areas to me may be very low in one of those areas to another, and, indeed, low to me in one of those areas with more or fewer viewings.

Also, it should be noted that there are many great films I haven't seen yet (it's killing me to write this before the wide-releases of Hidden Figures and A Monster Calls, but I have time now that I won't have after I see them).  If you know of a movie that you loved that isn't on the list, it doesn't mean I'm dissing it, I just may not have seen it.  Of course, I may be dissing it too.  ;)

Honorable Mentions:

Moana, Sing, Florence Foster Jenkins, The BFG, Midnight Special, 10 Cloverfield Lane, Eddie the Eagle - Any one of these films could have easily slipped in my top twenty and they all stand among my favorites of the year.

20. Ghostbusters - Propelled by fun special effects and an incredibly talented cast loaded with chemistry, this could've been a dud and, in all honesty, the screenplay is really just OK, but the cast give it a gonzo, go-for-broke energy that makes it one of the funniest comedies of the year.

19. Star Trek Beyond - Good, old-school Trek with eye-popping, new-school effects and acting.

18. The Jungle Book - On one hand, Disney is clearly just harvesting its animated classics to make more money.  On the other, the results are truly spectacular.  This time, it's not like like the similarly notioned 90's-era live-action 101 Dalmatians and Jungle Book, neither of which were horrible, but both of which were forgettable.  This time, we've gotten Cinderella and 2016's take on The Jungle Book, both of which, in many ways, actually improve upon the classics with stronger character arcs, beautiful production values, and clearly defined, yet more complex, thematic material.  Plus, The Jungle Book is one of the year's most stunning visual accomplishments.  All of which leads to.....

17. Pete's Dragon - Far and away removed from the broad comedy and bright, cartoony original, this remake is a simple, subtle, and often heartbreaking examination of love and  creating familial bonds in the face of great loss.  It feels like an independent family film and takes risks like one.

16. Kung Fu Panda 3 - Before I made my little scoring system, I actually had this one down in the "honorable mentions" section, but in looking at the three distinct areas, I couldn't deny the beautiful quality in the animation and vocal performances, the undeniable re-watchability, and the simple, but universally applicable theme of embracing who we are while simultaneously pushing ourselves to be more.  It's a primal and, ultimately, important message that this animated comedy about a kung fu fighting panda presents with thought and grace.

15. Hunt for the Wilderpeople - It would be easy, and not entirely inappropriate, to simplify this movie as "Napoleon Dynamite meets Up meets Midnight Run," as it most certainly has pronounced plot elements and atmosphere of all three of these films.  However, to do so would dismiss that wacko originality of this comedy from independent director Taika Waititi, as well as the memorable lead performances from Sam Neill and Julian Dennison as a grizzled New Zealand-bushman and the juvenile delinquent he's saddled with.

14. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them - This one has, at times, been much higher on the list.  It's a beautiful extension of J.K. Rowling's rich imagination and it's truly a delight to see the familiar tropes of the Harry Potter world play out in 1920's New York City.  Plus, it gives us the visualization of the previously mentioned niffler, an adorable fluff-ball that steals any shiny thing it can gets its mitts on, which must include the film itself, because the little guy walks off with that too.

13. Love & Friendship - I think that Jane Austen sometimes is viewed incorrectly by much of the world.  Many see her as a creator of fluffy, somewhat inconsequential, stories about aristocratic manners in the 1800's, when she was truly a brilliantly sharp-witted satirist.  Perhaps no filmed adaptation of her works gets this better than Love & Friendship, an adaptation of her novella Lady Susan, which plays almost like a spoof of other Austen adaptations.   Director Whit Stillman uses music and editing as technical punchlines to the humor to wonderful effect.  Plus, Tom Bennett's absolutely hilarious turn as the genial, but wildly dim-witted Sir James Martin, is one of the most delightful of the year.  Moments when he pontificates about the twelve commandments, or how accomplished someone is because they enjoy "both poetry and verse", or how confusing the name Churchhill is ("I was looking for a church or a hill, but all I saw was this big house!") are uproarious and patently memorable.

12. The Little Prince - For many of the reasons I mentioned before, this undervalued gem stands high among the year's animated films.  It's poetic, beautiful, and filled to the brim with truth.  This is the kind of movie that elevates family films from simply appropriate for all ages to vital and inspiring to all ages.  Also, if I could have listed a silent, animated performance to my "Great Performances" section, the stuffed fox from this movie would have topped the list.

11. Sully - I have not been a huge fan of Clint Eastwood as a director in the past.  I believe that, much as he seems to view the world as a whole, he sees protagonists as always simple, virtuous, and noble, while antagonists are always mindless, hateful, and soulless.  This is one of the reasons I consider Million Dollar Baby to be one of the most wildly overrated movies in history.  However, he doesn't completely fall into that trap with Sully, a beautifully acted examination of the events taking place after the "Miracle on the Hudson" airplane landing of 2009.  Yes, Captain Sullenberger, as portrayed by the fantastic Tom Hanks, is noble and kind-hearted, but the antagonists, who consist of the hearing committee trying to determine if he acted wrongly, are just people trying to get their job done and ultimately are relieved to be proven wrong.  Plus, this movie does the impossible in creating absolute suspense surrounding an event so well recorded and publicized.  You know how it's going to end, but the journey is poignant, thoughtful, and, at times,  harrowing.

10. Fences - Definitely not the most re-watchable film ever made, but certainly a powerfully transportative one, Fences boasts some amazing dialogue (from August Wilson's lauded stage play) and two of the hands-down best performances of the year.  There's a reason that Denzel Washington and Viola Davis are considered the best in their field.  It's a two hour acting and writing masterclass, but it's also a heartfelt examination of family and the unwillingness to allow the world around us to change.

9. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story - Rogue One, while a visceral movie-going experience, didn't excite and energize me the way The Force Awakens did, but that was never its goal.  Rogue One is a war movie, frankly the first in the series, taking place in the Star Wars timeline.  It's "The Dirty Dozen in Space" and the grit from the story is tactile and omnipresent.  Much has been made of how simply defined the characters are, but this is a mission movie.  It's less about complex character arcs that are designed to grow and reach over several films than it is about people willing to do what needs to be done, even in the face of death.  It's complexity lies not in its characterizations, but in its examination of war itself.  The good guys are good, but sometimes do horrific things and justify it for "the cause." Whether the ends of war truly justify the means has been a subject of debate for years and Rogue One addresses the topic with a thoughtful solemnity, all while loading the screen with some of the best action sequences in the series history.

8. Sing Street - Taking place in 1985 Dublin, Sing Street is the spiritual relative of the best John Hughes films.  Like those movies, it checks off the archetypes (Awkward teen romance? check. Disfunctional, yet ultimately loving family? check. Powerfully clueless authority figure? check.) and like the best of those movies it layers in unforgettable characters, tons of heart, and a fantastic soundtrack, including the above mentioned "Drive It Like You Stole It," a song that sums up the film's central themes of embracing life, taking control of your own destiny, and not looking back.

7. Queen of Katwe - Rapturously embraced by critics, but largely ignored by audiences, Queen of Katwe tells the story of Phiona Mutesi, a young girl from Uganda living in extreme poverty who discovers chess and uses it as a way to pull herself and her family out of the ghetto.  It simultaneously plays as a sports movie and a family drama and succeeds greatly in both areas.  Filled with wonderful performances and direction from acclaimed filmmaker Mira Nair that is unflinching in how it presents the truth of poverty, it's a movie that deserves a bigger audience.  A family film that is enlightening and inspiring in equal measure.

6. Doctor Strange - I have heard people dismiss this as just a trippy remake of Iron Man, but other than the fact that the central character is a wealthy jerk who learns to be less of a jerk (and really, if your protagonist starts as a wealthy jerk, there are only so many ways that arc is going to bend), it is completely and thrillingly its own creature.  Director Scott Derrickson is actually best known for his work in horror films and, while Strange is certainly not a horror film, it shares a similar visual and rhythmic palette.  To call the aesthetics of this movie "trippy" is a profound understatement.  It throws us into the mystical corners of the Marvel universe head first with a cornucopia of visuals unlike anything I've ever seen on screen.  Of course, this would be worth little if the movie weren't as good as it is.  Taking a simple, but profound message extolling the virtues of selfless empathy, it expertly uses the best in effects, acting, music, and direction to weave a truly memorable tale and one of the best comic book origin stories ever put on film.

5. Zootopia - I was surprised this one was as high as it is and, in any other year, it may have been lower.  However, this bright, quickly paced, animated blockbuster is a pure winner with one of the most timely and needed messages of any film this year.  Instead of populating the story with animals because they're cute and cuddly, it uses the animal kingdom as a metaphor for prejudice and the danger of living life in fear instead of love.  The messages, while not particularly subtle, are well-executed and so important in learning to understand one another.  Plus, Flash the sloth is awesome.

4. Captain America: Civil War - Look past the sheen of yet another Marvel blockbuster in the marketplace and you see the thoughtful heart beating not only at the center of Civil War, but the center of the MCU as a whole.  Character motivations that lead to the titular skirmish have been carefully cultivated for years as we've not only gotten to know the characters, but understand the dynamics of their relationships with one another.  Seeing the other MCU films is certainly not a requirement to enjoy Civil War, but it absolutely makes the experience richer.  Technically, the movie is an unqualified winner with great performances, dialogue, and action (including the aforementioned Tarmac scene, which is fantastic).  Add to that the movie's thoughtful take on political manipulation and the complexities of diplomacy and you get what is arguably the best the MCU has yet to offer.

3. Arrival - The best sci-fi films use the fantastic to reflect the simple and immediate nature of humanity and, in this, Arrival stands as one of the great sci-fi films of the decade.  Deeply emotional and profoundly personal, this film uses the very act of communication as a way to examine the best and the worst that humanity has to offer.  In addition, the finale explores the intricate nature of relationships and life choices in a way so surprising and moving that one leaves the film better for having experienced it. 

2. La La Land - A few years ago, the film The Artist won over critics and audiences alike.  The Artist was a highly artistic tribute to silent films and it used the power of silence to draw the watcher in to the story.  However, I always thought it was just the smallest bit overrated.  It was very well made and very well acted, but it felt a bit gimmicky.  Other than the punchline use of sound at the end, making it a silent movie didn't seem vital to the story.  Similarly La La Land pays tribute to a film genre of the past, specifically MGM-style movie musicals, however the use of music, and specifically this style of music, is integral to the story.  La La Land uses the inherent artifice of grand movie musicals as a metaphor about the stages of romance and setting it in modern times just makes it more powerful.  In addition, it takes one of the most annoying tendencies of those old movies (to stop the story dead for a huge and completely cheesy dance number on a Hollywood soundstage) and finally, FINALLY makes it necessary to the story with a surprisingly thoughtful finale that simultaneously exhilarates and devastates.  

1. Kubo and the Two Strings - Speaking of overrated, I've not quite gotten the critical fervor for the films of Laika Studios until this one.  I mean, they're clearly masterclasses in stop-motion animation and have amazing art coming out of their ears, but ultimately they have felt a bit cold and distant, so afraid of being sentimental that they forget to have a heart.  That ended with Kubo, which stands as one of the great animated films of the decade, easily at home with the best of Pixar studios.  This is the most striking, original, and moving film I've seen this year, which is why it lands at the top.

Fifteen Most Anticipated of 2017

So, with that, it's time for my most anticipated movies of the new year.  Anticipation is a funny thing.  Sometimes it proves to be wildly misplaced (*cough cough* Batman v Superman *cough*), but when the end product matches your level of pre-conceived enthusiasm, the experience can be transcendent.  These are the films that I'm hoping will give me the euphoria of met expectations (Note: Hidden Figures and A Monster Calls would likely be on this list, as they are receiving their wide-releases this Friday, however they are, technically 2016 releases because of their initial limited runs):

15. Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets - Could be a spectacular disaster or a surprising success, but from the commercials it really doesn't look like there will be any middle ground.

14. Justice League - DC, I've been burned by you before, but I'm cautiously hopeful that you'll pull this one off.

13. The Story of Ferdinand - The original story and subsequent Disney short about the bull with the heart of a lamb is one of my childhood favorites.  Here's hoping that a feature-length expansion and the fact that it's from the very hit-and-miss Blue Sky Studios won't diminish its charms.

12. 2017 Cloverfield Movie - Scheduled for an October release, the next film in the Cloverfield franchise is intriguing, even with no fore-knowledge of what it's about.

11. Thor: Ragnarok - A buddy action movie with this cast starring Thor and the Hulk?  Yeah, I'm in.

10. Murder on the Orient Express - A remake of the classic directed by Kenneth Brannagh and starring Brannagh, Johnny Depp, Dame Judi Dench, Michelle Pfieffer, Daisy Ridley, Michael Pena, Josh Gad, and Leslie Odom Jr.  'Nuff said.

9. Wonder Woman - Honestly, if I weren't so disheartened by the DCCU thus far, this would be higher.  I just hope it's good.

8. The LEGO Batman Movie - The LEGO Movie was a fantasmagorium of laughs and imagination and the Batman character (played hilariously by Will Arnett) was an integral part of that film's humor.  While I don't expect this to have the heart of The LEGO Movie, I expect it will be a lot of fun.

7. The Greatest Showman on Earth - I know little about this film other than it's a musical based on the life of P.T. Barnum starring Hugh Jackman and that it's being released at the end of the year for award consideration.  Also the screenplay is by Michael Arndt (Toy Story 3) and the music is from the composers behind La La Land.  Those elements are enough to make this highly intriguing. 

6. Beauty and the Beast - Disney is on a roll with the live-action versions of their animated classics.  This one looks to take it's cue equally from the stage version and the original fairy tale, so it should feel fresh even as we're singing familiar songs.

5. Spider-Man: Homecoming - No, the world doesn't need another Spider-Man movie.  It needs one with Tom Holland riffing off of Robert Downey Jr in the Marvel Cinematic Universe!

4. Dunkirk - Christopher Nolan is a master at building excitement for his films.  The little bits of this film, a war film set during WWII, that we've seen have been taut, tense, and utterly spellbinding.

3. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 - Baby Groot!  Also, the promise of more fun from the great makers of the original.  But, BABY GROOT!!!

2. Coco - Pixar has been less consistent over the last six years, but they seem to be the best when they're making originals rather than sequels that don't contain the words "Toy Story."  This film, a musical from the director of Toy Story 3 dealing with The Day of the Dead, seems as separated from the rest of the studios canon as can be, which could be a good thing.

1. Star Wars: Episode VIII - Besides the fact that, until five years ago,  I never thought I'd live to see a movie called Star Wars: Episode VIII, we need some clarity.  Rey Skywalker?  Rey Solo?  Rey Kenobi?  Rey the Hutt?!?  Give us answers!

OK, that's the end of my ramblings.  Happy 2017! May the force be with you and be excellent to each other!

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story - Review

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story/Walt Disney/Dir. by Gareth Edwards/Rated PG-13 for extended sequences of sci-fi violence and action

When Disney purchased Lucasfilm in 2012, reaction among hardcore Star Wars fans was equal part anticipation and dread.  While many were thrilled that they would see Episode VII, something that most had resigned to the realm of impossibility, many others were worried that they would watch the much-loved "galaxy far, far away" become homogenized and "Disney-fied" with an eye more focused on corporate synergy and profit than on character and story.  Of course, It would be naive of me to say that Disney didn't have the bottom-line in mind when they made the purchase,  However, as was the case when they bought Pixar and Marvel, Disney has shown that the best way to make that all-important profit is by caring about character and story first and foremost.  While the newest chapter in the Star Wars universe, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, could easily be dismissed as merely another cog in the never-ending machine that is Disney, it's clear from the outset that the actual creative talent behind the film are true fans who want to tell the best story they can in the best way possible.  In fact, with The Force Awakens and Rogue One, it could be argued that the real effect of Disney on the Star Wars universe is a willingness to get dark, to employ more multi-dimensional story elements, and a deepening complexity in the series' heroes and villains.

Stemming from the events described in the opening crawl text of the first Star Wars film, Rogue One is the story of the rebels who obtained the plans that lead to the destruction of the first Death Star. Specifically, it is the story of Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones), a woman with a shady past who is recruited by the Rebel Alliance in hopes that her connection with a mysterious anti-Imperial militia leader named Saw Gerrera (Forest Whitaker) will lead to a partnership.  Jyn agrees, but not out of any love for the cause.  She's in it to find out more information about her father, Galen Erso (Mads Mikkelsen), who most of the rebels believe to be a traitor deeply entrenched in the Empire, but whom Jyn believes to be working to bring down the Empire from within.

Along the way, she meets the rest of her "dirty dozen" or rather "half-dozen", including an ethically dubious rebel assassin (Diego Luna), a re-programmed Imperial droid (Alan Tudyk), two mysterious Guardians of the Whills (Donnie Yen and Wen Jiang), and an Imperial pilot that defected for the cause (Riz Ahmed).  

While Rogue One is clearly visually rooted in the Star Wars universe, it is the least Star Wars-y of the franchise if only for the fact that these characters are not magical or "chosen ones."  No Skywalkers or Solos here.  They're the foot soldiers that fight and, at times, die so that Han, Luke, and Chewbacca can get medals and be celebrated in grand award ceremonies.  That alone makes this a grittier and more intense experience.  While we might be mildly concerned for the well-being of the main characters in any other chapter of the Star Wars story, we're constantly aware that any of our new favorites in Rogue One could die at any time as jarringly and unceremoniously as any soldier in any war.  In fact, this is the first Star Wars film to really address the ultimate sacrifice of war and the utter conviction of purpose that drives a soldier.

That acting in Rogue One is strong throughout with Oscar-nominee Jones bringing to vivid life another great heroine in the saga.  Luna is equally impressive, especially creating an empathy toward a character with a rather gray sense of morality.  His General Andor has been fighting against the Empire for so long, that he has become a believer in an "ends justify the means" sort of worldview, even if those means include killing innocent people.  Luna does a great job showing the weight of war on his face, even as his experiences with this mission change him for the better.  Tudyk, who has recently become Disney's good luck charm in the vocal performance arena, steals every scene as K-2SO, a droid with C-3PO's skill, Han Solo's sarcasm, and R2-D2's implied talent for well-timed put-downs (sure, we never understand R2, but you just know he's got a way with an insult).

Director Edwards, who most recently directed the 2014 Godzilla reboot, artfully mixes the old and new, imprinting his own impressive visual style with the well-worn look of a Star Wars film.  In addition, he choreographs the climactic battle of the film with ease and vigor, something that is missing a bit in the first act of the film, which can, at times, feel a little disjunct.

But that finale.....whew!  It seems hardly possible after 40 years (has it really been 40 years?!?) that we could see images that surprise us in a Star Wars film, but the final act of Rogue One is a stunner. Seamlessly weaving three different battles (much like the finale of Return of the Jedi), is it filled to the rim with everything we love about Star Wars (Space battles!  AT-ATs!  Fish aliens yelling orders!), yet it manages to surprise and excite (a clever strategy in battling Star Destroyers is particularly fun).  Plus, it give us a potent example of why Darth Vader is the ultimate bad guy in a scene that, in another context, could have felt just at home in a "there's a killer lose in the house" film. Think a horror movie villain armed with a lightsaber and the ability to do that force choke thing.  Eeek.

Another splendid element of the film is Michael Giacchino's masterful score.  Hired to write the music for the film a mere two months before its release, he manages to create a score that marries the musical language of John Williams with his own sense of melody and progression.  One could easily see it being written by Maestro Williams, yet it is also distinctly in Giacchino's voice.  It's a memorable and evocative accompaniment to a memorable and evocative film.

Rogue One isn't a perfect film and it doesn't inspire in me the same sense of "Insta-Favorite" enthusiasm that I felt with The Force Awakens, but it's almost better that it doesn't because it's not that kind of film.  Yes, it's fun.  Yes, it has light moments.  However, this is a movie that makes you feel more than just nostalgia or visceral popcorn-movie euphoria.  In it's own small way, Rogue One makes you ponder the lives of the unremarkable people who do remarkable things because it's the right thing to do, no matter how difficult or ominous, which might be the most noble message found in any of the Star Wars films.  After all, it is all about a new hope.

Grade: A-

Summer 2016 in Review: Some Good, Not Much Great, Lots o' M'eh

My classroom is set, my seating charts are made, and my beginning lesson plans are created.  It must be fall.  I've mentioned this before, but there is usually a bitter-sweet air that hangs on Labor Day weekend for me.  I really am looking forward to a new school year, but, being the massive movie nerd that I am, it means that the summer movie season is over.  However, this year I'm not as sad because this year the summer movie season was......kinda weak.   Both in quality and in box-office performance, this really wasn't one for the record books.

Sequels that nobody asked for unsurprisingly died quick deaths,  Mediocre "sleeper" movies over-performed because there wasn't much else worth seeing.  Reboots were met with steely indifference (even the one that deserved better).  There was just a lot of "m'eh" this year.

Oddly, some of the best entertainment to be found this summer was on Netflix, which presented the cultural sensation Stranger Things (equal parts Spielberg and King) and The Little Prince, a foreign animated film that was bafflingly passed on by every major American distributor, but finally brought to the states by the streaming giant.  Had it been released in theaters, The Little Prince would likely be on my year-end top ten list.

However, there were some lights in the cinematic darkness.  Let's focus on them first....

THE GREAT

Kubo and the Two Strings

This film, made by the local geniuses at Laika Animation studios, was the best film of the summer, a fact that surprised me.  Laika has consistently shown wild innovation and creativity, but nothing in their previous work showed me that they were capable of this level depth and heart.  I hesitate to say too much about the story for a simple reason, this is a movie that deserves to experienced with fresh eyes.  Beauty in animation is certainly not a new thing, but it's rare that any film, regardless of genre or technique, reaches this level of art.  Thrilling, moving, breath-taking, this is the first instant-classic from this wonderful studio.

Captain America: Civil War

The best Avengers movie, in spite of the fact that it's not technically an Avengers movie, Civil War was a beautiful example of everything that Marvel has gotten so incredibly right with their cinematic universe.  Instead of rushing character development and plot, a major failing of that other comic book cinematic universe, Marvel has been building these relationships for a period of eight years over several films and they do a splendid job of making these developments feel organic and oddly inevitable.  Directors Joe and Anthony Russo (who made their debut in the MCU with the superb Captain America: The Winter Soldier) not only make this a vital extension of that story, but masterfully meld that story with the events of several other Marvel franchises to create a film that manages to be a thrilling and surprisingly well-rounded popcorn masterpiece.  I can't think of another film this year that has so masterfully balanced weight and humor, all while juggling a huge cast and introducing two very important characters to such an expansive world.  Definitely a movie that will be spun on my blu-ray player on a regular rotation.

The Very Good

Finding Dory

Pixar's latest, which has also now become their most successful film to date, really was as good of a sequel as we could have gotten.  Especially considering the fact that the original Finding Nemo was a perfectly constructed film that ended beautifully and in no way lent itself to becoming a franchise.  Honestly, this might have gotten to "great" status for me if not for some very lazy call backs to the original.  There's about a ten minute section toward the beginning that could have just been left on the cutting room floor and I would have liked this one much more than I did.  As it is though, Pixar did a wonderful job taking a plot device that had been played for laughs in the first film (Dory's short-term memory loss) and made a film that pays tribute to every person who has ever had to find their way through life in spite of great adversity.  Plus, baby Dory (seen above) is just about the cutest animated character in the history of the medium and the short shown before Dory, the delightful Piper, is among Pixar's best.

Star Trek Beyond

While the latest installment of the rebooted Trek series doesn't reach the heights of the previous films, it's still a perfectly cromulant Star Trek film with some great action, terrific acting, and moments of unexpected poignancy, especially when paying tribute to fallen members of its cast.  The plot feels more old-school than more recent Trek adventures, but it's much more than a series place-holder.  Director Justin Lin, new to the franchise, does himself proud.

Florence Foster Jenkins

Among classical musicians, especially vocalists, Florence Foster Jenkins is a legend.  Listening to  her performances (and subsequently laughing yourself silly because of them) is almost a right of passage in your training.  You see, Foster Jenkins was a unique force in the music world who had money, a desire to perform, and a.....well.......unique vocal instrument.  What director Stephen Frears and the always brilliant Meryl Streep have done in telling her story is let you see her as a person rather than a caricature.  This makes for a compelling film, but also an oddly guilt-producing one.  While the movie encourages you to laugh at her voice in the beginning, it imbues her with such warmth and humanity that by the end you feel like you were previously duped into being a bully by laughing.  Don't get me wrong, it's a terrific movie, but it also is a film with a split-personality, begging you to laugh, then chastising you for doing so.

 Ghostbusters

The level of bile and animosity spewed at this funny, fast-paced, highly enjoyable movie baffles me.  Yeah, the original is great.  I know this.  I love it too.  However, I also love the concept enough to look forward to a revisiting, especially one done with this much joy and respect.  In fact, this movie's biggest failing is that it feels beholden to unnecessary references to the original.  The cameos (including Slimer and Mr. Stay-Puft) pull you out of a story that is strongly it's own thing.  The cast, including standouts Kate McKinnon and Chris Hemsworth, is uniformly terrific, the special effects are great, and the humor rarely fails (starting with an amusing and memorable cameo from The Office's Zach Woods and ending with an extended credits sequence in which Hemsworth gets down with his bad self).  Is this better than the original?  Of course not.  However, it's almost as good, which is really saying something.  I wish it had performed better at the box office, because I would very much like to see more from this cast playing in this world.

Pete's Dragon/The BFG

Both wonderful family films with similar messages, these two performed modestly at the box-office, but should enjoy a long life in home video.  Both also display a surprising level of subtlety (barring, of course, a few moments in The BFG that wander into slightly crude humor that is to be found in most modern family films).  It's so heartening to know that filmmakers are still willing to make films for younger audiences that still have a sense of craftsmanship.

Honorable Mentions
Jason Bourne, X-Men: Apocalypse, Cafe Society

The Disappointing

Suicide Squad

Why do I get the feeling that the screaming and obnoxious internet whiners who proclaimed the new Ghostbusters movie to be the worst thing ever created weeks before its release are the same ones who petitioned to have Rotten Tomatoes shut down because critics didn't like Suicide Squad?  Suicide Squad is simply not a good movie.  It's not horrible, but still.  The actors do their best, with Margot Robbie acquitting herself the best, a feat made more impressive by the fact that she gets it done in spite of her ridiculous wardrobe.  I can't remember the last time I saw a film with characters about which I cared so little.  How can we be expected to enjoy a movie with no characters to root for?  They're all terrible people, including the "good" guys, plus the character "development" is so shallow that it almost inspires the audience to just root for the universal destruction of everyone on screen just to get the whole thing over with.  DC Comics is filled with such wonderful and memorable characters, it's just depressing to see how horribly Warner Bros. is botching the new DCEU, especially considering how glorious the Nolan Batman movies were.

So...yeah.  This summer was kinda....blah.  I'm thrilled that Kubo and Captain America: Civil War exist and I'll definitely re-watch my other favorites often, but here's hoping that next summer, a movie season that will include Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Wonder Woman, Spider-Man: Homecoming, War for the Planet of the Apes, Dunkirk (Christopher Nolan's WWII epic), and....(sigh) Cars 3....fares better.  For now, bring on the 16-17 school year!