Year: 2015
Directors: Pete Docter and Ronaldo Del Carmen
Voice cast: Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, Bill Hader, Lewis Black, Mindy Kaling, Richard Kind
Plot: Eleven year old Riley moves from Minnesota to San Francisco, and her five primary emotions: Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger and Disgust, deal with her personality change as she adapts to her new environment.
Review: Pixar is probably the most consistent animation studio there is out there. They are always capable of churning out hits, with stories ranging from talking toys to lost fish to rats who cook to robots that feel and an old man's final adventure with a boy scout.
That last story, Up is one of my favorites, and its director, Pete Docter, co-directs Inside Out with Ronaldo Del Carmen, and they both wrote it as well. The film basically follows the daily activities of the five emotions of eleven year old Riley, starting from the day she was born. It began with just Joy, and then she was joined by Sadness, Disgust, Fear and Anger. Together they control Riley's emotion centre and collect her memories, which they then store away in her mind to build her personality as she grows. One day her family decides to move from Minnesota to San Francisco, so as Riley struggles to adapt, the emotions struggle to keep control of her. Trouble brews when Joy and Sadness get sucked into her long term memory bank, leaving the other three emotions in charge. Being the lead emotion among them, Joy has to return to Riley's emotion center i.e. "headquarters" before things get out of hand.
On the surface, the five emotions' adventures is almost similar to Woody, Buzz and the rest of Andy's toys in Toy Story, but the truth is, it's much deeper than that. The five emotions have bigger responsibilities here than the toys ever did. The way they react to whatever Riley faces, from meeting new friends to playing hockey to moving away from home, ultimately decides Riley's own reactions and subsequently, what she does in accordance to them. Joy, being the de facto leader among them, does her best to keep Riley happy while letting Fear, Disgust and Anger chip in whenever necessary, but doesn't quite know how to deal with Sadness, who is pretty much her opposite. When the two get lost in the girl's memories, their adventure to make it back is quite perplexing and fun at the same time, as viewers are introduced to Riley's personality islands, and we get to see stuff like Train Of Thought, Imagination Land, meet Riley's imaginary friend Bing Bong and the memory dump, where memories go when they're forgotten. I gotta hand it to Docter and Del Carmen for thoroughly thinking this whole thing out and putting it on screen, with solid animation to boot. Of course, when it comes to Pixar, the animation never ceases to amaze, so I don't have to elaborate too much in that regard.
But in every Pixar story, the most important moment is the dramatic climax, when the point of the story has to come across to the viewer. In this one, Docter and company pulled it off so well, I almost cried, and I haven't felt that way since Jessie's backstory in Toy Story 2. The crux of the story is how Joy and Sadness have to save Riley's personality and memories, which are slowly crumbling away, and while we see this as a sign of inevitable growth for the girl, we also see Joy understanding fully how everything works and what Sadness' role really is. It all comes together beautifully in the last third of the film, and before that we're treated to plenty of hilarious moments, courtesy of the other three emotions' handling of Riley's behavior, so on the whole, it's just awesome.
If there's any downside to this, well.....it's the opening short that Pixar puts in front of each of their films. This one features singing volcanoes. Yes, you heard me. No offence to the people who came up with this, but it was awful. Truly.
That aside, should you watch Inside Out? Absolutely. Granted, maybe it will be a bit hard to sell this story to really young kids, as I feel adults and younger adults will relate to this better, but from my standpoint, this is one of Pixar's best. Only time will tell if it will achieve classic status. Recommended. (9/10)
Year: 2015
Director: Guy Ritchie
Cast: Henry Cavill, Armie Hammer, Alicia Vikander, Elizabeth Debicki, Jared Harris, Hugh Grant
Plot: Set in the early 1960s, CIA agent Napoleon Solo and KGB operative Illya Kuryakin team up to stop someone from building a nuclear warhead.
Review: I'm not familiar with the TV series this film is based on, so comparisons are out the window. On the surface, it looks like the James Bond films of the Sean Connery era, but actually it's a lot less serious than that, thanks to Guy Ritchie.
As the story goes, Germany has been separated by the Berlin Wall. The year is 1963 and CIA agent Napoleon Solo is in Germany to extract Gaby Teller, whose father is a known Nazi scientist that disappeared recently. They run into KGB agent Illya Kuryakin, and after a series of fisticuffs and chase sequences, the two organisations decide to make them partners, and go undercover with Gaby to find her father. Their target is a wealthy couple in Rome with Nazi connections.
Since it's Guy Ritchie, you can see the similarities between this and his Sherlock Holmes films, especially the lead duo. The only difference is Holmes and Watson know each other well and are used to one another, whereas Solo and Kuryakin go through a lot of trouble just to get to know one another. Their uneasy partnership is one of the few good things about this movie. The other good stuff are the rather hilarious sequence at the beginning when the two men first meet, a handful of well timed comedic scenes and a short fight towards the end. I also liked the music choices and the authentic looking costumes and sets. Unfortunately, besides that, the film is a rather dull affair.
The problem lies with Ritchie, who also co-wrote the film. He unwisely chose to make this more of a comedy than an action adventure, with too much focus on charming dialogue and lots of style. By doing this, the film suffers from a serious lack of urgency. Now, I do like some bits of comedy in an action adventure flick, but not when it overshadows what the film's real purpose should be. Not only is there too much comedy, some of it just doesn't work. For example, watching Solo take a timeout to eat a sandwich while watching Kuryakin battle some guys on a speedboat chase. Or the way Solo responds after realising he's been drugged. Or the way a certain villain lackey meets his end while the two heroes argue about what to do with him.
Henry Cavill plays Solo as a former soldier turned thief who exchanges his prison time for a spy job with the CIA, and he brings a good load of charm to his role. Unfortunately Cavill's American accent isn't very convincing. Armie Hammer gets to play a competent hero this time unlike The Lone Ranger and Mirror Mirror as Kuryakin, a KGB agent with a temper problem. His seriousness contrasts Solo's comedic charm well enough, and Hammer and Cavill share a good rapport on screen. Alicia Vikander however is quite dull as Gaby, wearing a one note expression for most of the film. Elizabeth Debicki on the other hand fits the ice queen villain role quite well, but impresses more with her fashion sense than her evil deeds here.
Personally I would have preferred Ritchie to ramp up the film with a bit more action and maybe some drama, but that was obviously not what he was going for. In the wake of spy movies like Kingsman and Mission Impossible Rogue Nation, and even the Melissa McCarthy comedy Spy, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. could have been something. Alas it was having so much fun with itself, it forgot to get the audience in on it. (6/10)
Year: 2015
Director: Antoine Fuqua
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Forest Whitaker, Rachel McAdams, Oona Laurence, 50 Cent
Plot: Due to his reckless behavior, boxer Billy Hope loses everything. Now he has to pick himself back up with the help of a boxing trainer and win his daughter's love again.
Review: Southpaw is a term used to describe a left hander. In this case, it's something Billy Hope's trainer Tick Wills tells him to become in the closing moments of the film.
Jake Gyllenhaal plays Hope, the light heavyweight boxing champion of the world who had it all; money, fame and a loving family in the form of his loving wife Maureen and little daughter Leila. But the man has a penchant for being reckless, and one day it inadvertently causes Maureen's death. From that point on, everything starts to fall apart for Billy. His debts rise, he loses his property, and he hits rock bottom when child services takes Leila away from him. So he has no other choice but to pull himself together and get his life back, starting with training to get back in the ring, with the help of no-nonsense trainer Tick Wills.
There have been many boxing films in the past, and Southpaw is not very different from them. But its strength lies in its execution. Southpaw is a tale of redemption, which is always a great story for the big screen. Director Antoine Fuqua puts most of his focus on his lead character Billy Hope, and lets the film become more than just about boxing. It is about a man's rags-to-riches-to-rags journey, and how he has to regain victory not just in the ring, but outside of it as well. To that end, Fuqua does well in showing the audience in a steady pace, Hope's fall from grace, and how he reacts to the big wake up call on the way people treat him when he's on top, and the contrast when he's not anymore, and how he eventually deals with it.
Gyllenhaal trained well for the role of a boxer, but he was always a great actor and he proves it again here. As a boxer he looks totally ripped and convincing, but as a man on a journey of redemption, Gyllenhaal is simply awesome. Despite his flaws, Billy remains a likable man and you never stop rooting for him, even in his worst moments. It is to Gyllenhaal's credit that you love the character. Forest Whitaker, who only appears in the second half of the film, brings gravitas to the role of Tick Wills, who reluctantly agrees to give Billy a chance. Rachel McAdams shines in her brief role as Maureen, evidently the rock that holds Billy's life together until she tragically passes on. The revelation of this film is young Oona Laurence as Leila Hope. This girl is a fantastic actress for a 13 year old (though I'm guessing her on screen age is smaller) and she has a bright future ahead of her.
The only downside to this film is the predictability, though I admit I wasn't sure how Billy's fight at the end would turn out (because ultimately it doesn't really matter). Most boxing stories follow a certain thread if you've seen enough films of its ilk. But like I said, it's in the execution, so Southpaw is already a winner no matter what.
My advice: go watch this instead of the Fantastic Four remake that's also currently playing. (8/10)
Year: 2015
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Cast: Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Jeremy Renner, Ving Rhames, Alec Baldwin, Sean Harris
Plot: Ethan Hunt and his team square off against an organization similar to the IMF who want to turn against their former governments, while the CIA disbands the IMF and tries to bring Ethan into custody.
Review: It's quite impressive actually, watching Tom Cruise, arguably the biggest movie star in the world, do the things he does in the M:I films without the help of stunt doubles, at the age of 52. Say what you want about the man, but he is one committed action star.
In this latest instalment, the CIA has had enough of the IMF's reckless tactics in carrying out their assignments and pushes for them to be shut down and absorbed by the agency. It couldn't come at a worse time as Ethan Hunt discovers that a rogue organization called The Syndicate, made up of agents presumed dead all over the world, is doing everything possible to destroy the IMF and everything they had done. With no support and only a few friends left to turn to, Ethan finds an ally in the form of Ilsa Faust, a double agent who also works for the leader of The Syndicate, Solomon Lane.
In terms of action, director Christopher McQuarrie's effort is almost on par with Brad Bird's work in the last film. The most talked about airplane sequence that features Cruise hanging out on a plane taking off is actually at the film's beginning, and yes, it is awesome to actually see the man do that. From then on, the action doesn't let up as we are treated to car chases, hand-to-hand fights and yet another high security break-in, though the over-the-top complexity of the break-in makes it seem almost ridiculous and thus not as fascinating to watch as the famous ceiling hanger from the first film.
Cruise is again in his element as Ethan, and though his age is starting to show on his face, he still hasn't lost a step in becoming an action hero. Simon Pegg gets a lot more to do this time around as Benji. Just like he came into his own as Scotty in the Star Trek sequel, he does so here too as Benji gets in on the action with Cruise, leaving co-stars Jeremy Renner and Ving Rhames much less to do this time around. Rebecca Ferguson is pretty good as Ilsa, doing the action beats just as good as Cruise, while Alec Baldwin lends his commanding presence he's well known for as Hunley, the CIA director hell bent on apprehending Ethan.
The downsides come in the form of the film's villain played by Sean Harris. While Harris suits the role to a tee, the role itself isn't well written enough. The film's climax is also quite a letdown, which gives the previous film a slight edge over this one.
Overall, this Mission: Impossible instalment is a lot of fun from start to finish, even if it is not as good as Ghost Protocol. Recommended. (8/10)
Year: 2015
Director: Peyton Reed
Cast: Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, Evangeline Lilly, Corey Stoll, Michael Pena, Bobby Cannavale
Plot: Scott Lang, a cat burglar recently released from prison, gets a second chance to do good when Dr Hank Pym, a scientist who created a suit that can shrink its wearer to the size of an ant, recruits him to pull off a heist necessary to save the world.
Review: In the wake of superhero films made up of a group of super powered beings and the recent release of trailers for DC Comics' upcoming films for next year, it's refreshing to see a film like Ant-Man make a mark.
While it doesn't differ much from most superhero films (there's a hero, a villain and plenty of action), Ant-Man is very much a heist film as well. Our hero, Scott Lang is a reformed burglar who just wants to spend more time with his daughter, but unable to secure a job in order to pay child support due to his prison record. He does one last break-in and steals what he thinks is a motorcycle suit, only to discover it's a special suit that allows him to shrink himself to the size of an ant. Its creator, Dr Hank Pym, impressed with Scott's skills, recruits him and trains him to use the suit and pull off a heist, which involves breaking into his former lab and stealing a suit developed by his former protege, who is obsessed with turning the shrinking suit technology into a weapon.
Director Peyton Reed, taking over from Edgar Wright who dropped out, keeps the film entertaining without a dull moment in sight. It's notable that Ant-Man is hilarious from beginning to end thanks to a great script and lead star Paul Rudd's charisma, but what's also good is the drama and action in it. The drama comes mostly from Hank Pym's relationship with his estranged daughter Hope, who is torn between her love for her father and her business loyalty to Pym's former assistant Darren Cross, the film's villain.
There are quite a handful of action sequences here, two of which stand out the most. The first is a scrap between Scott and an Avenger midway through the film, the second is at the film's climax when Scott takes on Cross in their respective suits. Credit is given to the CGI crew who convincingly make shrinking effects as well as showing how ants can help our hero.
I gotta say, though I'm not a fan of Rudd, I felt that he's the perfect guy to play Scott Lang, a charming and likable everyman who gets the second chance he desperately needs. Rudd makes him easy to root for, which is important in a film like this. Michael Douglas is equally solid as Hank Pym, a man who created something awesome, but knows too well that in the wrong hands it can be catastrophically bad, and is in some ways, a victim of his own ego. Douglas works well with Rudd, and also with Evangeline Lilly as Hope. Lilly gets to do a few action sequences here too, though much less than in the Hobbit films.
The downside to Ant-Man is mostly its villain, played by Corey Stoll. Stoll actually did quite well, but the Darren Cross character seemed too comic book-y, where some of his lines sounded cliched. Michael Pena, while being well suited in the role of the film's comic relief as Scott's former cellmate, deserves better than this. The guy's talent is a tad wasted here.
So should you go watch Ant-Man? Absolutely. I know I would. P.S.: wait for the post credit scenes. There are two. (8/10)
