2017 Movie Roundup Part 2

Hey, everyone, we’re back with numbers 11-1 of my movies of 2017. It’s all up from here folks, as we count down to my favorite movie of the year. Let’s get right to it!

11. The Hitman’s Bodyguard

It’s nice to have a movie that’s self-aware enough to know exactly what it is. This is that movie. You want a fun, unfiltered, action film that’s basically Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson just doing their thing? This is 100% for you. This is the kind of movie you watch when you want to have a good time. I knew exactly what I was getting into from the first poster and trailer inspired by that other Bodyguard movie, and I wasn’t disappointed. 

10. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

How do you follow up a film like the first Guardians of the Galaxy? It seems like a daunting task but this film didn’t fall into many of the traps of sequels in needing to be ‘bigger, more explodey just because'. This film put a lot of focus on character development and expanding the galaxy on top of what we already know. The villain was leagues better than Ronan the Accuser and the interaction between both new and old characters was awesome. And Michael Rooker is a show-stealer. ‘Nuff said.

9. Atomic Blonde

An action-spy flick with Charlize Theron and directed by one of the directors of John Wick? Add in a killer 80’s soundtrack and you’ve got me sold. The fights are knock-down-drag-out brawls that are gorgeously choreographed without the horrible multi-cuts that plague other actions films of late. And don’t even get me started on how much I’d love to see more female-led action films! 2017 was awesome for really getting some good female protagonists out there and I hope we can keep that trend going! 

8. Spider-Man: Homecoming

This is the Spider-Man we’ve been waiting for since at least Spider-Man 2, but more than that I finally feel like we found an actor that embodies both the Peter Parker and Spider-Man sides of the character. I also got one of my favorite villains on screen, and the Vulture was one of the better MCU baddies. I also really appreciated not having to do the origin again and instead see Peter come into himself as a hero in a post-Avengers world. 

7. Dunkirk

Making these lists is always hard. Dunkirk is objectively an incredible film, despite ‘only’ being at number 7 (in the middle of writing this I even bumped this one up a spot and dropped something else down). I don’t want its position on this list to take anything away from how damn excellent it was. This was a gorgeous, fantastically acted, beautifully scored experience that put you on that beach with those men. If you haven’t seen it, you really should. I know I sound like I’m fangirling, but this movie really is that good. 

6. Get Out    

I haven’t been as pleasantly surprised and impressed by a movie in a long time as I was with Get Out. To have your feature directorial film be such an excellent mix of horror, comedy, social commentary, and satire is a huge credit to Jordan Peele. It didn’t quite go in the direction I thought it would but the final reveal was so fascinating that I was glad to be wrong. This movie has had a lot of hype around it and it really does deserve it. Side note, I can’t wait to see star Daniel Kaluuya again in Black Panther next month! 

5. John Wick Chapter 2

I loved everything about the first John Wick movie. It wasn’t much different with this one. I loved how you got more of the world in which these people operate, and to see John in action as more than just a rage-fueled killing machine. The ending left it open for a third and with me going ‘holy crap what are they gonna do next?’ Keanu Reeves is frickin’ spectacular once again and every piece of action is absolutely on-point. The pace is a bit less relentless than the first, but it gives you that opportunity to learn more about this shadowy assassin world and really fleshes things out. 

4. Wonder Woman

Of all the movies I saw last year, this was one of the ones I really, really wanted them to get right. You would not believe how relieved I was that they did. Free from the drag of Batman v Superman, Diana shines in her own film. The cast are all amazing, Themiscyra is appropriately beautiful, World War One is appropriately horrible, and it does it all without being disjointed, dour, or dumb like its predecessors. It was so refreshing to see a superhero who was not only beautiful and badass, but who felt emotions and had compassion without it being framed as a weakness (and not being framed like a sexual object in every shot). I can’t overstate how important it was for this movie to be good, let alone as good as it was. Not just for me, but for people like my little girl, who now always wears her sword stuck in the back of her shirt and had a full, movie-accurate Wonder Woman costume for Halloween (which was quite the project for me).  

 

So worth it, though

3. War for the Planet of the Apes

The third installment in one of the best, most consistently excellent trilogies out there. A beautiful wrap up for the arc of Caesar and how he has developed into a leader for his people and how he grows as a person (ape?). An excellent score, breathtakingly lifelike motion capture, and incredible character development that gets you right in the feels, this film really has it all. I was skeptical about these movies at first, and I’ve never been happier to be wrong. 

2. Star Wars Episode VII: The Last Jedi

Okay, so this was the movie that was holding this all up. After seeing it the first time, I had no idea where to put it on my list and I knew I had to see it again if I was going to come to any sort of conclusion. Long story short, I loved it even more the second time. I found I watched parts of it differently the second time. I know this movie has been divisive but I loved every minute of it, from crawl to credits, all to that John Williams score. And our house is definitely pro-porg. 

1. Logan  

This year I seemed to like my blockbusters with a side of emotional gut-punch. But really, what else could have been number one (other than maybe Star Wars)? Logan was top of my list pretty much all year, and nothing else quite surpassed it. Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart were at the top of their game here. In fact, my other half, who works in a personal care home, commented on how eerily familiar Charles Xavier was to some of the residents he’s worked with. The standout performance had to go to Dafne Keen, though. She was absolutely phenomenal and I hope James Mangold gets that X-23 film off the ground with her in it. This was Wolverine as we’d never seen and had been waiting to see on the big screen, in a film full of emotional depth that in some places just shattered me. And I wasn’t the only one getting the feels (I heard all you other people around me in the theater sniffling at certain parts, too). If this was to be Wolverine’s swan song, then he went out in incredible fashion. 

So that’s it, folks, my films of 2017 from bottom to top. This is just my own opinion, of course, and I’m sure everyone has their personal favorites. Let me know what yours was! Next time we’ll look ahead to the films coming out this year and see what we have to look forward to. Until then!  

John Wick Chapter 2- Spoiler Free Review

Hey everyone, sorry about the delay but I’m coming back at you with another movie review. This time we’re talking about John Wick Chapter 2, the follow-up to the explosive 2014 original. I had been interested in seeing the first one but hadn’t gotten around to it until I’d mentioned it one time and my mum, of all people, immediately lent us her copy so that we could watch it (it’s also on Netflix).  I loved the first one, so my expectations for the sequel were pretty high. So what did I think of Chapter 2?


My reaction? It’s fan-freaking-tastic. I will of course elaborate on that, even though I barely took any notes for it at all. In fact, when I was in the theater I had to remind myself to actually start writing something down so I’d have something to work with after. That’s a testament to the film that I was so engrossed that I forgot about the pen in my hand and the notepad in my lap (I took a few more at Lego Batman, but not by much).

 There is an idea with sequels that they always need on one-up their predecessor; bigger, louder, explodey…er. And, predictably, this doesn’t always work. I’m a big sucker for action, but I also like when you expand on the story and build the world further as well. A nice balance of the two works best, and I’d say that’s what we got here. There is a lot more to the movie here that was only teased at the first time around. And by more, I mean more to everything. In the first film, John is basically a rage monster out for revenge. While he’s brutally effective at this, in the sequel you see more of the man that made him this legend. You get to see him plan and execute a mission and just how absolute and meticulous he is; you get a glimpse as to why he’s regarded the way he is by the underground assassin society. Speaking of that society, you definitely get an expansion of this as well. It really develops how this culture functions and does it in the best way possible. It is absolutely ‘show and not tell’ and you completely understand how all of this works without big chunks of exposition. I love that we got this deeper look into the intricacies, the details, and the aesthetic that runs parallel and yet removed from our world. In comparison, it does still seem a little bit slower than the last time in parts, but you get the satisfying end to the plot of the first film and a whole new arc that takes us through this one.

And look who else is back!

As I said in the previous paragraph, there is the idea of making a sequel bigger. I talked about the story already, but the meat and bones of a movie like this is action. And the action was definitely bigger. What I appreciated the most about it was even though there were these big set pieces, the action was still on-the-ground and visceral. It wasn’t superhero action where everything is beyond the realms of reality and prettied up in post. Not saying I don’t like that too, but the action of John Wick (both films) is down-and-dirty realistic action that you can see (or at least sense) is done on-camera as you see it. There isn’t five hundred cuts in every fight switching angles every time until you’re disoriented, this is sleek and choreographed beautifully. Director Chad Stahelski comes from a long background of stunt work, stunt coordination, and choreography and he has such a phenomenal eye for making these sequences gorgeous and individual. Even considering just how many action/fight scenes there are, they never run together or feel like they’re rehashing themselves.

Finally, I just want to round out this discussion by quickly talking about the cast. Keanu Reeves once again just brings it as John Wick. There’s such an intensity about him and I really don’t think anyone else could have done with this character what he does. And as anyone who’s seen the video of him training for the role can attest, he’s bringing it in every aspect. Ian McShane is back again as one of our main threads into the underground assassin culture and I love the mystery around his character. I always get the sense there’s more to him than appears.

A hunch only, but I felt this way during the first movie, too

Riccardo Scamarcio provides an antagonist that is very different from the ones we got in the first movie, and that’s all I’ll say. Ruby Rose was actually a big surprise for me. I really liked what they did with her character, it’s something you don’t see often enough in movies and when you do it’s usually a gimmick. Not so here, and it made her character a lot more interesting. She was also completely badass as well. And, even though I’m not really familiar with his work, as the two films I’ve seen him in I don’t really remember him from, I quite enjoyed Common’s character, Cassian. He and John actually share a bit of screen time and one scene in particular is an absolute standout, not just between them but in the overall film itself. The whole cast is really, really solid.

So, in conclusion, this movie rocked. About the only negative I could give it, and it isn’t really a negative, is that it does move a bit slower than the first movie. I’ve already highlighted as to why that happens, and that ultimately it gives us a positive even if it means it isn’t quite as relentlessly paced as the first film. Bottom line, if you liked the first movie, you’ll like this one. If you like action movies, you’ll like this one. What else can I say? Go see it, it’s definitely worth your time.  

Super Bowl Trailer Recap

So my Facebook and Twitter feeds tell me that there was some manner of large sporting event this past weekend.





I kid, of course. But, as far as the Super Bowl goes, this is kind of my attitude toward it:


So with that being said, let’s have a look at all the goodies we got this year!



John Wick 2

Remember how I said in my Movies of 2017 that I hadn’t actually watched the first one and I needed to remedy that? Well, remedy that I have and I’m kicking myself for not seeing it sooner. I haven’t had this much fun with a straight-up, unapologetically badass action film in a long time. It was insanely awesome and I am definitely catching the sequel in theatres (it actually opens this Friday). But let’s get back to the trailer. Thirty seconds it may be, but it just makes me want to see it all the more. Notice even the subtle jab at the competition also opening this weekend (although I’m not sure how much overlap there is between the two fanbase-wise). My reaction to this was hardly PG, mainly consisting of a word beginning with ‘F’, followed by ‘YES’. I think this one is going to be a good time.


Ghost In the Shell

There’s not really anything new in this one, only really one quick snippet of a scene that stands out as different from the longer official trailer. I hate the use of that loud, static noise, though. That’s not just limited to this trailer either, it’s always annoying. I would have preferred if they’d stuck with the remixed Enjoy the Silence from the first trailer. This one isn’t top of my to-watch list, but I’d like to give it a chance at some point.


Transformers: The Last Knight

This… well this looks like Transformers. At least the footage is new, I guess. Still not much information as to what’s actually going on. Which, while good in a way, it’s not really making me want to rush out and see it. This is the fifth movie in, deciding to go all Force Awakens with your marketing isn’t going to work when what we do see just looks like more of that same. I watched the trailer three times and I literally felt nothing after. Not excited or disgusted, just nothing. Probably not rushing out to see this one.


Life

Now this trailer is making use of it’s thirty seconds. There’s a definite Alien-ish vibe here that’s really cool. The longer trailer gave it a more science-like feel, but this one is playing up what I assume will be the other side of the story. I was already interested in this movie, but this trailer has certainly piqued my interest again in it. I love a hard, science-heavy sci-fi and I hope this delivers on that.


A Cure for Wellness 

This movie looks dark. That may be an understatement. If it’s anything like these trailers paint it out to be then this is going to be a twisted, suspenseful and beautiful-looking film. It’s one of those movies where there’s way more going on and it won’t be till the end (or multiple viewings) that we see the whole picture. At least I hope so. I’m interested to see how it all comes together, or comes apart, when all is said and done. The trailer has a wonderful atmosphere to it, very horror and also very old-fashioned and refined.


Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

Well that was an abrupt shift in tone from the entry above. First off, can I say I love the music choice here and in everything Guardians related? There is literally nothing else I can say about this movie. There’s only so many times I can say I’m super excited and can’t wait to see it.


Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales 

I don’t know guys. I mean, once again, I approve 100% of the song choice here but you can’t just slap a Johnny Cash song over your trailer and expect me to fall for it. It’s kind of like the Transformers trailer, it doesn’t really feel new or fresh or like they’re trying to do something different with it. Undead pirates looking for Jack Sparrow? Wasn’t that the plot of the first movie? And those undead pirates looks pretty janky and badly animated (I’m sure it’ll be fine in the final cut. Right?) It’s been six years since the last Pirates movie, but I can’t help but wonder if it’ll pull a Jurassic World with little callbacks and Easter eggs to the first one and how good it was. If we see it, this one will be a rental. Best-case scenario, this one might be fun.


Logan

This is yet another movie I’ve already spoken about multiple times. I’ve been on board from the get-go and that’s unlikely to change. I’ve stuck by the X-Men and by Wolverine since the first film back in 2000 and I intend to see this one to its end.


The Fate of the Furious

This looks like more from what I expect a Fast and Furious movie entails, lots of fast cars, explosions, etc. I’m still wondering about that story, though, and how that comes about. Is it enough to get me to see it? Not really, much as I’d love to watch Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham trade barbs and blows back and forth. This is a rental, at best, for me but I bet it’s got fans of the series buzzing pretty good.


Baywatch

Okay, this one looks like it could be a lot of fun. I’m willing to give it a shot, probably as a rental. A few new bits in this trailer that wasn’t in the other one mixed in with some of the same. This one definitely plays up the humor whereas the first trailer was about split with action. Can I just point out that awful greenscreen at the end there? Ouch. Luckily Dwayne Johnson’s charisma looks like it’s going to be what saves the day here, and I’m interested to see his rapport with Zac Efron (who’s not a bad actor, but he’s in some pretty atrocious movies). This’ll be a fun movie night one time after the kiddos go to bed, most likely.


Anyways, that’s the Super Bowl Trailer report. I know Lego Batman and John Wick 2 open this weekend, but due to work I’ll probably being seeing them the following weekend. So you can expect reviews of those then. Until next time!

Anticipated Movies of 2017 Part 1: January to June

Hey everyone! We’ve looked at the movies of the past year and now it’s time to look ahead! This is pretty self-explanatory so let’s just jump right in. Here are my anticipated movies from January to June of 2017.

John Wick 2

Okay, this trailer looks awesome and like a huge amount of fun. I’ll maybe talk about it a little more later because I’m having a hard time talking about a sequel to a movie I haven’t seen yet. We have the first one in our possession right now, but we haven’t had a chance to watch it yet. So I’ll get back to this one as soon as I can remedy that.

Lego Batman

How can you not be excited for this one? After The Lego Movie turned out to be far funnier, deeper, and all-around better than many of us expected it to be, a spinoff starring the Lego version of the Dark Knight sounds pretty appealing. It looks fun and extremely self-aware, and at this point looks more enjoyable than the live-action offerings of the character at the moment. If the voice acting and Lego animation is as well-done as they were in The Lego Movie, which they seem to be, then I think we will have a for-sure winner here.

Logan

The buildup to this movie has been great. The trailer(s) we’ve gotten for this one have been the best kind: just enough to tell us that something is going down, but keeping most of it in suspense. This is Hugh Jackman’s last outing in the claws and for me, like many of us that have followed Wolverine’s progression since the first X-Men film, this is not one to miss. It looks like this will be a dark ride, and hopefully equal parts emotional and visceral. Wolverine is finally getting an R-rated film, let’s see what they do with it.

Kong: Skull Island

This is a film that’s been swirling about, popping up every now and again since its announcement at San Diego Comic-Con back in 2014. Finally, in March of this year, we’re going to see just how they are reimagining King Kong to bring him into this new universe and (eventually) face-to-face with Godzilla again. This one looks really interesting. I like that they’ve chosen a bit of a different setting for it, it’s not modern day and it’s not the early 20^th century, it’s a nice middle ground that can bring it into the rest of the mythos and the continuity with Monarch and their work. The cast is solid and I think this will be, at the very least, a nice fun ride of a movie.

Beauty and the Beast

Okay, so I haven’t really been all that interested in the live-action remakes that Disney has been making so far. But Beauty and the Beast is pretty near and dear to me, it’s one of the first films I saw in theatres and Belle was always one of my favorite of the Disney princesses. And so, for the first time, I’m actually looking forward to seeing one of these. It has a look and feel about it that makes me nostalgic for my childhood (good job, marketing team!), and I want to see how they approach it now compared to the first one. I’m quite liking the aesthetic of it as well, very elaborate and yet worn, almost channeling a less-spooky- Guillermo del Toro-type of style, at least with the castle. Disney’s got me for this one, and for Mulan (2018) as well, at least.

Power Rangers

Well, I don’t know what to make of this one. I want to be optimistic, but I’m having a hard time, sadly. I’m trying to look at this as a film, not as they grumpy old lady complaining about how they ruined ‘my’ Power Rangers. But… the drama looks CW-angsty and the action looked Michael Bay Transformers. I’m crossing all the fingers and toes and hoping that it’s what we haven’t yet seen that’s going to make this one, like Zordon and the big Zord-on-monster fights, but we’ll have to see. I’m willing to give this one a chance, and I hope maybe I’m worrying too much about it all.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

I’ve talked about this one before. It looks like it’s going to be a ton of fun and will build well off of the first movie. I can’t wait to see how the characters progress and where we go from here. What else can I say?

Alien: Covenant

There’s not really much to go on for this one yet, just lots of speculation, both on the film itself and how it fits in with the rest of them, especially Prometheus. I’m hoping for something good here. Prometheus wasn’t awful per se, but it didn’t really live up to its own premise, and it certainly didn’t live up to its predecessors. It is nice to see actual Xenomorphs this time around, at least. I don’t have any strong feelings on this one, one way or another, yet. I’ll see it, but at this time I'm not really hyped. The movie still has some time to win me over before release, but as long as it's good when I'm seeing it, then that's really what matters.

Wonder Woman

This is another one I’ve talked about before. I hate to write off an entire franchise, but this is kinda the last chance for the DCEU from me. It just getting too painful to watch them try and cram all of their characters into a dark, brooding, Batman-shaped box and think it will work out. Wonder Woman looks amazing and I’m excited for it. I’m going into this one with some decent expectations, though slightly tempered by the track record. But this one is important, alright? This is the first female-fronted superhero movie since Catwoman. If this one goes down, I’m done. I desperately want to be wrong, and what we’ve seen so far is promising. I hope like hell they pull it off.

Cars 3

Really, Cars? That hated Pixar property we scoff at as being a blight on an otherwise stellar record? Yup. I really don’t think Cars was that bad, and we even had fun with the second one as well. But this looks to be something quite different. This is the franchise taking a rather dark and serious tone. If nothing else, I want to see the direction that this one goes in and how they do it. Being past your prime and facing retirement isn’t quite the same as growing up and leaving your childhood behind, but I can see it maybe hitting the same notes as Toy Story or something similar.

Bonus- Guardians

Okay, I don’t even know what to make of this one. It’s kind of like the Russian equivalent of The Avengers from what I understand. And that’s totally fine with me. I have no idea where or when or how or even if I’m going to get a chance to see this one, but I totally want to. It has a bear-man with a Gatling gun, what’s not to like? Or at least give a chance to? By the trailers, it has no pretentions of being overly serious and bleak, rather more like a good, fun ride.

So there’s Part 1. Watch out for Part 2 coming soon that covers the rest of 2017!