Insurgent :Defying The Typical Teen Novel Movie

      Teen novels made into movies is nearly as big a trend as comic book movies. Some make a lot of money and others fail. Divergent is profitable. The first had romance, but the society introduced was an intriguing one beyond it's intended age group. Bigger effects, bigger budget, bigger expectations, and Insurgent now hits theaters nationwide. 

Tris (Shailene Woodley) must confront her inner demons and search for her friends. Her relationship with Four (Theo James) continues to grow as powerful forces threaten to tear her society apart. Her world is on the brink of war and Tris will learn if Divergent is a flaw or the key to a better future.

     The cast comes across more comfortable this go around. I like that the plot is simple and doesn't try to do too much. Sequels some times make the mistake of dragging things out causing too much down time. Insurgent doesn't make that mistake. There is a good balance of time between plot and action. I also appreciated that the romance between Tris and Four feels natural. There is chemistry and it's paced well. The special effects are solid and the film doesn't need to completely rely on the them to keep you into the story. The world may be a little confusing to some and there are still plenty of hidden metaphors, but the all work. 

    
      Miles Teller steals the show. You hate him, but at the same time you love the fact that you hate him. I like him in this,but that will go away in the Fantastic Four reboot. He has plenty of talent and has come along way since Footloose. My one flaw with the film is too much time on Tris and Four. There are a lot of other characters that needed more screen time and development. I won't hold that against the film over all and I was loving the abrupt ending. I believe Insurgent manages a rare feet. It's a sequel that is better than the first. 

Chappie: Heart, but not enough of it

    In 2016, crime is patrolled by an oppressive robotic police force. When one police droid, 22, is stolen and given new programming, he becomes the first robot with the ability to think and feel for himself. Sounds interesting right? The trailer looks cute right? So is Chappie worth the watch? 

    Yes and no. Neil Blomkamp is the director and if you liked Elysium and District 9, you will probably love Chappie. The movie, like all of Blomkamp's, is based in South Africa. Blomkamp is from there and you have to respect his hometown pride. That being said, the film is very foreign in feel. The actors, the environment, the situations. It make some of the dialogue dificult to understand and the area makes it hard to relate. Still, Chappie does have its moments. 

    Dev Patel and Hugh Jackman play rival engineers. Patel successfully creates artificial intelligence, but loses his creation to a street gang that aims to use it to gain millions of dollars. The gang teaches Chappie to shoot guns, use ninja weapons, and talk in very jumbled slang. Sharlto Copley has been in all of Blomkamp's  films and returns to voice Chappie. The story is OK and it's a bit rough around the edges, but underneath the film has something. 

    Watching Chappie get picked on makes it hard to not have sympathy for him. The underlying message of being different is OK is strong. The film has heart and it's moments, but their might not be enough for casual audiences. It's not a summer blockbuster, but it something to have a little fun with and forget about life for 120 minutes. 

Focus: Is Spot On

     Will Smith used to be box office gold, but his track record of late has been box office garbage. I think Will has finally decided to stop doing things to get work for his son Jayden and focus on his own career again. The first attempt at that is Focus. It's gritty, funny, and not full of big explosions or special effects. That being said, it's Will's best work in quite some time.

     Smith plays Nicky. The best in the con business. He's a liar, cheat, and probably a gambling addict. He finds an up and coming woman who wants to find her big score Nicky takes her under his wing and they pull off an unbelievable con. The problem is, love and his lifestyle don't mix. After they become romantically involved, Nicky leaves her. They meet again three years later while he is working a job and things get a bit interesting.

   The cast is solid. Margot Robbie is the next "it girl." She has charisma and really holds her own with Will Smith. It's a different kind of Smith, but there is no denying that Will is still a smooth operator. The two of them have great chemistry which we will see again in the DC Comic film Suicide Squad. The movie creates a fun,but dangerous world that you might find interesting to be a part of. 

     The cast is strong. Rodrigo Santoro from 300 is the villain. The thing about this movie is that even the villains don't have to be bad guys. The movie does a great job of inviting you into the world. The fun part is never knowing what is real and what is part of the con. It's not the Will Smith film that we are used to, but it is the Will Smith movie that Will needs. It's gritty and fun all at the same time. In a nut shell, this one is in nearly perfect Focus. 

American Sniper :Right On The Mark

The true story of Chris Kyle is both inspiring and sad at the same time. He faced a lot of the struggles that service men and women face upon returning from their respective tours.  Kyle is the most lethal sniper in U.S. Military History. The book came out a few years ago and the Oscar buzz has begun so does American Sniper hit the mark or misses its shot.

Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle's pinpoint accuracy saves countless lives on the battlefield and turns him into a legend. Back home to his wife and kids after four tours of duty, however, Chris finds that it is the war he can't leave behind. He is locked in competition with a foreign sniper and cannot leave until the job is done. The more tours, the more his family life is coming apart. When Chris is finished with war, he begins one of the biggest challenges that a lot of men like him face.  What does a warrior do when he doesn’t have a war to fight?

 Clint Eastwood does an incredible job of painting a picture of the issues facing some vets when returning home. The film also showcases the brutality and tough decisions that come with war. You root for the patriot that is Chris Kyle, but sometimes cringe at the things they had to do.  War is not pretty.  Over 160 confirmed kills in a part of the world most are lucky to never see. It’s not just a film about shooting people from hundreds of yards away. The film also takes time to show the work that Kyle did with vets who had come home scarred both mentally and physically.

 The cast is top notch. Bradley cooper completely transformed himself and is amazing. Sienna Miller is nearly unrecognizable as Kyle’s wife and truly conveys the emotion that many military wives deal with. It doesn’t touch on the Jesse Ventura issues. It doesn’t need to. This is the story of Chris Kyle’s life and his tours of duty. It’s certainly one of Clint Eastwood’s finest and worth the watch. American Sniper is a complete bull’s eye.

Taken ...For A Slightly Different Ride.

Liam Neeson is back  for a third run with Brian Mills, the former  operative with a very unique set of skills. This time around he is framed for killing his ex and sets out to clear his name.  There are nasty foreign bad dudes, his daughter with a secret, the police, FBI, and half a dozen other organizations looking for him, and Brian has to go through them all. 

 It starts a little a slow and certainly has a different feel to it. We don’t get to see as many of the cool skill set used this time around, but it isn’t a bad outing. It is supposed to be the end of the franchise, but I see a fourth one on the horizon. Liam is definitely showing his age, but there is no denying how much of a bad ass this character is.

I had more fun with the first two, but Taken 3 is a good escape that is never meant to be taken seriously.

The Hobbit: 5 Armies Battle and an Era Ends

 

This holiday seasons marks the final time we return to middle earth, at least as far as new material is concerned. Peter Jackson has taken audiences on an amazing journey and now that trip is over. The Hobbit trilogy will come to an end and hopefully for most, it’s worth the long ride.  These movies are loved by critics and audiences alike. So does the final film exceed expectations or fall short?

We pick up where the last film ends. Smaug is attacking Watertown and the dwarves have reclaimed the mountain. Jackson opens the film with a big battle sequence and the film really doesn’t slow down. The various races learn quickly that the dwarves are back in the mountain with a treasure that everyone wants a piece of. Thorin is surrounded while madness, magic, orcs, battles, and tales of things to come immediately follow and it is every bit worth the ride.

 

The conflict between the characters is played well. The love triangle that exists between elf and dwarf might not be in the novel, but it plays well on the screen. We get to see what we come to expect from Legolas. He plays a large role and considering he was not in the original story, commands a fair share of screen time. The final battle is not quite as epic as the Two Towers or Return of The King, but it is fun to watch unfold.

Peter Jackson has done an incredible job of letting us into a world that was better described on paper. People have tried live action fantasy for years, but they seldom get it right. Jackson opened a world and let all types of audience into it. The collective work is truly one of the best ever. This final film blends seamlessly with The Lord of The Rings Trilogy. The Hobbit has been a fun journey. It’s sad that it comes to end, but it is definitely a great film in a collection that will remain timeless. The trip back to middle earth is beyond worth taking #onelasttime.

Mockingjay Part Stretched Too Long To Drag Out The Franchise

 Teen novels turned into movies are capable of making big money. Twilight, Divergent, The Fault in Our Stars, and of course The Hunger Games are box office gold. The first two movies in this series struck a chord beyond tween girls. Action, pageantry, and above all else a good story. Now the final chapter begins. Will it continue to captivate or play better in the pages of a novel?

 The film opens a few months after the last movie ended. Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) is now recovering in District 13 after the games and District 12 are all but destroyed. She is angry over Peeta (Josh Hutcherson), confused about whether she loves him or Gale (Liam Hemsworth), and made into a propaganda machine with the help of Effie (Elizabeth Banks) and Haymitch (Woody Harrelson). Katniss must become a symbol of the rebellion and free the oppressed people of Pan Am from the evil President Snow (Donald Sutherland.)

We get a good look at the world of Pan Am beyond the Capitol and it really looks like a horrible place to live. The film does a good job of painting the picture of oppression. It lacks the action the games provided, but compensates with a good cast. Julianne Moore, Natalie Dormer, and the late Phillip Seymour Hoffman all shine. We also get more of Gale this go around. The film is supposed to open us up to a bigger world, but for some reason it feels small. A lot of time is spent in the underground bunker of District 13 and it has a claustrophobic feel to it.

   I think this film suffers from two major problems. The over the top costumes and fun of the capitol are just not present. I am aware that the tone of the book and film are different this go around. It just needed a couple of things to bring us more than doom and gloom. The films biggest problem is the stretch for one more sequel. The majority of the visits Katniss makes to other districts could have been done in montage. We spend a lot of time going no where and it feels like the pacing is off. I know the sequel will make more money and that is all that matters in Hollywood. It's not a bad movie, but it isn't my favorite. Stretching this film into two feels like it is happening at the cost of the things we loved about the first two. The Hunger Games Mockingjay Part One is a game that doesn't play as well as it's predecessors.