Spectre - James Bond Plays The Hits - And That's OK With Me

Spectre

Movie Review by Brian Wezowicz

 

Daniel Craig is my favorite James Bond.  I know it's blasphemous to even consider any one other than Sean Connery, but I don't care.  In fact, Connery is my 3rd favorite Double O (I'm partial to George Lazenby, the one and done star of my second favorite Bond, On Her Majesty's Secret Service).  Coming off the series high (both commercially and critically), Skyfall, the expectations were sky high for this one, and I think it's these high expectations that are ultimately leaving critics feeling disappointed.  With Craig as Bond, we are constantly expecting home run efforts every time he steps out.  Spectre is not a home run... but it's a solid triple that had me howling with delight.

This film picks up where Skyfall left off.  MI-6 is in ruins and the future of the "Double O" program is very much in doubt.  It's viewed as a relic of the past that can be replaced by a new Big Brother type computer program.  Drones are the future, and sadly, James Bond is the past.  Soon enough, things go haywire, and it's up to Bond to once again save the world.  There is an evil organization known as Spectre that is secretly controlling the world.  Bond, naturally, is the only one to pick up on this, proving that the there might be some life left in the relics of the past.

I don't want to delve too deeply into the plot.  The producers clearly have surprises and twists up their sleeves that they do not want to be spoiled (even if they are a little obvious).  I am not one for exposing spoilers like someone on Facebook ruining The Walking Dead for me (Sidenote: please stop with the Walking Dead spoilers!!!  Not everyone watches live television anymore!).  I want to focus on what I liked about this film.  To me, this felt like James Bond's greatest hits.  It was like going to a Rolling Stones concert.  You know what they're going to play.  They've played every song a million times.  And yet, you leave knowing  you've gotten your money's worth.  Let me run down some of Bond's greatest hits for you:

- Exhilarating opening sequence?  Check.

- Opening credits that look great, but don't really make sense?  Definitely.

- Exotic locals and thrilling chase sequences through snowy mountains and trains?  Yes and Yes.  I particularly enjoyed the opening sequence in Mexico.

- Bond theme sung by a popular current singer?  Yes, but I didn't particularly enjoy Sam Smith's "Writing's On The Wall".

- Silent yet seemingly indestrutible henchman?  Yup!  (Jaws and Odd Job would be proud of Mr. Hinx).

- Thick sexual tension between Bond and Moneypenny?  Absolutely.

- Bond being a wiseass to Q?  You know it!  I really enjoy the chemistry between Bond and the new Quartermaster.

- Bond girls?  Monica Bellucci has a brief, but incredibly sexy performance.

I could go on and on and on.  At 2.5 hours long, I was worried that Spectre would drag, but I was way wrong.  This film moves from scene to scene the way James Bond changes women?  Fast, furious and with wreckless abandon.  I think that's what I enjoyed most about this film.  Director Sam Mendes (back for his second stint in the director's chair) keeps the movie chugging along at a highly enjoyable pace.  He never lets the film sit and get stale.  He takes all of those cliches I mentioned above and makes them feel like we're seeing them for the first time.  That's what a greatest hits show should do.  Even when I could guess what was coming, I still howled with amusement as I watched it.  I think that's what I enjoyed most about Spectre.  It's the first "fun" Bond movie of the Daniel Craig era.  It was the closest thing to a traditional James Bond movie that we'll see these days.  It actually felt refreshing to see this movie eschew the "gritty/realistic" nature that had become common place with Craig.  Don't get me wrong... I love how they've successfully restarted a once thought for dead franchise.  Craig's portrayal of Bond is the closest thing to the way the character is portrayed in the Ian Fleming novels.  We are finally getting the James Bond backstory that had been missing for 45 years.  However, after Skyfall, I don't think they could have gone any darker.  It needed to bring some levity back.  It was great to see Daniel Craig (despite what he's saying on the press tour) finally having fun with the character.  If this is his last go round as 007, at least he's going out with a smile on his face.

I'm giving this movie 3 out of 4 stars.  The only thing I was disappointed with in this film was the main Bond villain.  Christoph Waltz is already in the hall of fame of movie villains for his portrayal of Hans Landa in my favorite Quentin Tarantino movie, Inglourious Basterds.  When he was cast as the myserious Oberhauser, I was practically giddy with delight.  I think my expectations may have been too high for this movie.  He gives a solid, yet forgettable performance in this one.  I expected more.

Knock, knock... It's Mr. Babadook

It's that time of year again.  As the leaves turn and pumpkin spice flavors everything we eat and drink, Halloween is on the horizon.  With Halloween comes horror movie season.  I don't usually indulge in the horror genre, save for a few times during the fall each year.  I'm more of a Hitchcock suspense fan than a Michael Meyers slasher fan, myself.  It's not that I don't like horror movies ( I do), it is more that I need to be in the mood for them.  Also, there haven't been many recent horror movies that have tickled my fancy.  However, as I sit here shaking in my basement, I would be remiss to fail to mention the best horror movie I've seen in years(And the critics agree), The Babadook.

"Mommy, there's a monster in my closet."  I think children have, in one form or another, been saying this to their parents since the beginning of time.  This film (crafted wonderfully from first time director, Jennifer Kent) takes a simple premise and infuses it with originality and enough genuine scares to make the hairs stand up on your arms for days.  A widow and her "troubled" son are haunted by a mysterious book that shows up in their home.  It lays out, in rhymed verse detail, exactly how the boogie man (Mr. Babadook) will kill them.  At first, the mother does not believe her son.  She (like all parents) claim it's just a figment of her son's imagination.  As time passes, she soon begins to realize that he is not seeing things and that Mr. Babadook is very much real.  What follows is a series of shit your pants level scary sequences that any true fan of the horror genre must see to believe.

Definitely pick this movie up and give it a view this Halloween season.  Bring a change of underwear as you'll probably need a dry pair after viewing this great film.  Here's just a few reasons why I found it so enjoyable.

1)  It's simple - The idea of the boogie man has been played out.  From the fun to the stupid, to the campy, the boogie man has been a fixture on film for as long as I can remember.  The Babadook seems fresh because it doesn't try to overdo it with cliches  and been there done that scenes.  Mr. Babadook is coming for you and there isn't anything you can do about it!

2) The sound design - From knocks, to screams, to scary voices, the sound design on this film is incredible.  Every sound on this movie helps build the tension until you as a view can't take it anymore.  I had to press pause a few times while viewing this film just to give me a chance to exhale.

3) The cast - Both Essie Davis and Noah Wiseman do a phenomal job in this movie.  You can see their last nerves fraying as each scene passes.  There are quite a few scenes with only screaming and tense breathing.  Essie Davis builds tension through her eyes, which look like they haven't gotten any sleep in days, and, as an audience, you really feel her pain.

That's it for me on this one.  What's your favorite scary movie?

Mission Impossible Rogue Nation - After 20 Years, This Franchise Has A Lot Of Gas Left In The Tank

Mission Impossible:  Rogue Nation

Movie Review by Brian Wezowicz

Has it really been 20 years since IMF agent Ethan Hunt first graced the silver screen?  Looking at Tom Cruise's face, you would never know that his most iconic character is almost legally able to drink.  At 53 years young, Tom Cruise delivers another stellar performance as the head agent of the Impossible Missions Force, in the wildly entertaining Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation.

The American James Bond is back with a bang in my second favorite blockbuster of the summer (Mad Max: Fury Road still gets top billing), and this time he's taking down a secretive rogue nation (hey, that's the movie's title!) called the Syndicate.

I've always admired the Mission Impossible franchise.  Cruise brings in a different director for each chapter (admirably stepping into the director's chair this time is his Jack Reacher director, Christopher McQuarrie), and each film seems to have a different feel to it.  However, this one seemed the least independent of the bunch (which is not a bad thing at all).

From the get go, Ethan Hunt and shortly thereafter, the entire IMF is disavowed (side note:  my one gripe with the whole franchise is that Hunt is disavowed in EVERY film.  You'd think they would learn to trust him after all this time.  But I digress).  He learns that the rumored shadow group called the syndicate is very much real.  Hunt is the only one to believe this and soon goes it alone to try to bring it down.  He manages to bring the rest of his team (led by an always funny Simon Pegg, the steady Ving Rhames, and the always reliable Jeremy Renner) in to assist him.  They are in for a wild ride as they try to out wit the Bond villain-esque head of the Syndicate, Solomon Lane.  I love Lane's performance and overall look.  He has an incredible ability to talk without really moving his mouth. 

From the moment this film opens up (the much talked about scene with Tom Cruise hanging from an airplane) to the final moments, this movie never lets its foot off the gas.  Every scene delivers the perfect amount of action, humor and excitement.  The actors are top notch (I loved the female lead in this film, played with the right amount of feminist gusto by Rebecca Ferguson).

Back to Tom Cruise for a moment.  He'll always have his detractors because of his religious beliefs and kooky antics, but in my opinion there may not be a better action star in the world.  He steps into every role he takes and completely owns it.  He has the tendency to over-deliver his lines (There's plenty of that in this film), and there's a little bit of crazy behind those eyes, but when it comes time to step in front of the camera, he's the king for a reason.

Rogue Nation is right up there with the best of the Impossible franchise.  It delivers thrills and laughs equally from the opening frame.  I highly encourage you to see this movie, especially if a little bit of superhero fatigue has set in.  There's also an amusing Easter Egg with a rabbit's foot (MI:III shout out!)  You won't be disappointed.  3/4 stars.

Bonus Round:  My Mission Impossible rankings

5)  Mission Impossible II

As my friend wrote, this is the only one that doesn't stand the test of time.  It wasn't that great to begin with and it's almost unwatchable now.  It's over-reliance on slow motion action sequence and doves (so. many. doves) screams early 2000's action movie.  Pass on this one.

4)  Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation

I wish there were more movies so this one wouldn't be in second to last place.  If I were scoring the final 4 movies, they would only be separated by decimal points.

3)  Mission Impossible:  Ghost Protocol

Ethan Hunt is on his own after his IMF team is disavowed (shocker!).  The Kremlin scene alone would be worth the price of admission.  The climb up the tallest building in the world is icing on the cake.

2)  Mission Impossible

One of the best scenes in movie history!  This one is the most spy-like in the entire franchise.  I love the opening 20 minutes of the movie, which is as tense as anything Hitchcock ever did.  A great film that still holds up 20 years later.

1)  Mission Impossible III

JJ Abrams had the unenviable task of pumping life into a flat lining franchise.  This one gets top billing because of Philip Seymour Hoffman's superb performance as the villain that would put any Bond baddie to shame.  I also like that it tried to humanize Ethan Hunt by giving him a wife and a bit of a back story.

There you have it.  I went back and forth on this list.  You could switch out any of the top 4 and I'd still be OK with it.  I'll probably change this list 20 times in my life depending on my mood.

Ant-Man is a silly movie... and that's a good thing.

Ant-Man Movie Review

by Brian Wezowicz

After viewing Marvel's latest entry to its cinematic universe, I had one word come to mind.  Silly.  I don't mean that in a condescending or derogatory way.  I mean it in the most flattering way possible.  Ant-Man, Marvel's latest origin story delivers the laughs and thrills equally.  You don't have to think too hard about the plot, and really, the script doesn't try to hard to be "smart."

With the main Avengers (Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America) all nearing the end of their contractual runs, Marvel has the difficult task of keeping its cinematic universe chugging at full steam ahead, while introducing the lesser known heroes into the midst.  Ant-Man introduces us to two generations of Ant men, (both Hank Pym, played wonderfully by Michael Douglas & Paul Rudd as Scott Lang).  Back in the 80s, Pym developed a serum that could shrink a soldier down to the size of an ant, giving them enormous strength.  We learn that he didn't want the serum falling into the wrong hands and he abandoned the project before it could blow up in his face.

Flash forward to years later and Pym's protege (played with just the right amount of a-hole by House Of Cards Corey Stall) has almost re-created this ant-serum with the intentions of selling it to the highest bidder (i.e. Hydra).  With Pym being too old to don the suit, he must find a suitable replacement.  And that replacement is super-thief, Scott Lang.  I loved Paul Rudd's performance here.  He fills the role with a perfect blend of charm and charisma. 

The movie's one downfall is that it takes a long time for Rudd to find his ant legs.  I could have done without a couple of the training montages.  It's a small (pun intended) complaint, though. Once you get through an endless amount of training montages, this film really picks up steam.  There's more than one Marvel cameos sprinkled throughout the film to connect it to the larger Avengers storyline, and the action is top notch.  The fight aboard the Thomas train towards the end shows just how fun and silly this film can be.  Cutting between closeups of the train and wide shots had me rolling in the aisles.

The supporting cast is also a high note for this film.  Michael Pena shines as Scott Lang's dufus buddy.  The scenes where he had to tell a "simple" story to Lang are the true highlights of this film.  Paul Rudd and Adam McKay gave this script a polish after original director Edgar Wright (Shaun Of The Dead) departed the film mid-production.  With all the rumors of production rift, I'm surpised this film worked out so well.

Ant-Man is a light-hearted, completely entertaining origin story.  It's not as good as some of the other films, but it leaves the Avengers in good hands once Iron Man, Captain America and Thor ride off into the cinematic sunset.  I'm looking forward to more adventures with Ant-Man (and judging by the post-credit scene we won't have to wait long).

I'm giving this movie 2.5 out of 4 stars.  There's a lot to like in it and if you're looking for good night out... go see it.  Stay for the entire credits.  As per Marvel tradition, there are multiple scenes to look out for.

Pixar's Inside Out is a legitimate Best Picture contender.

Inside Out

Movie Review by Brian Wezowicz

It wouldn't be accurate to say that Pixar is back with Inside Out.  I don't think they ever really left.  Even some of their more disappointing films (and I use that term loosely), like Brave and Cars, were still wildly entertaining visual marvels.  They may not have been Pixar's best, but they were worth the price of admission.  I will say that Pixar has delivered its most emotionally satisfying (pun intended) movie in years.  Inside Out is a legitimate best picture nominee (if only people would get over their aversion to considering an animated film for best picture) filled with wonderful performances that will have you reaching for the tissues (in a good way).

Have you ever wondered what's going on in your mind?  Me too.  Thanks to Inside Out, you get a surprisingly accurate, albeit highly exaggerated explanation for why we react the way we do.  It also delves deeper into the importance of family, memories and friendship, and their impact on forming core memories.

The best part of this movie is the stellar voice cast. Amy Poehler shines as Joy, the leader of the team of emotions.  She is convinced that being happy all the time is the way to a perfect life.  Phyllis Smith (You know her as Phyllis Vance on The Office) steals the show as Sadness, the Eeyore of the bunch.  Her idea of a fun memory is "remember that movie where the dog died?".  She is the perfect counter point to Poehler's Joy.  Bill Hader, Mindy Kaling, and the always hilarious Lewis Black round out the cast as Fear, Disgust, and Anger.  Seeing them work together to show the entire spectrum of human emotion is truly a treat to behold.

This film teaches us of the importance of indulging in our emotions.  You can't just be happy all of the time.  It's important for us to feel sad and angry and fearful and disgusted.  These emotions make us who we are as people.  I don't want to spoil the plot too much because you should really stop reading this and head to your local theater.  I can't wait to buy this movie and watch it with my family over and over again.

I'm giving this movie 4 out of 4 stars.  It may be a cartoon, but you won't see a more human movie all year.

Jurassic World is the second best Jurassic film... but that's not saying much.

Jurassic World Movie Review

by Brian Wezowicz

When people ask me why I love movies so much, I point them to an exact moment in time:  the moment I first saw Jurassic Park in the theater.  Sure, Star Wars and countless Schwarzenegger films already had me hooked, but from the moment the credits rolled in Stephen Spielberg's epic Jurassic Park, I was blown away.  To see something so magnificent on a big screen forever changed the game for me.  I was felt the magic of the movies and I've been trying to get back that feeling ever since.  Jurassic Park isn't a perfect film, but it had the perfect blend of action/adventure and emotion depth to it.  That being said, Hollywood has been struggling to make a good Jurassic movie ever since.  The Lost World had some genuine excitement to it, but it was bogged down by a horrible third act where a T-Rex gets loose in San Diego.  And the less said about Jurassic Park III the better.  Each film earned less than the previous and were less in favor with the critics.  But like the tagline "life finds a way," so too does the Jurassic franchise.

I have to admit that I was less than enthused by the initial trailers for Jurassic World, but then the positive reviews started rolling in and the movie went on to THE BIGGEST OPENING IN THE HISTORY OF HUMANITY!?!?!?  And so I felt like I had to see what all the fuss was about.

As it turns out, my initial disgust was slightly overblown.  This is a mildly enjoyable monster movie that really struggles when you are forced to think about it.  There are dino-sized plot holes that are harder to avoid than a pack of wild raptors.

Jurassic World is set 20 years after the events of Jurassic Park.  John Hammond's (the creator of Jurassic Park) vision is now fully realized.  Jurassic World is now a fully functioning theme park destination with rides and attractions galore.  There are some nice throwbacks to the original film sprinkled throughout the opening of the film.  Two brothers are sent to the park while their parents secretly finalize their divorce.  This movie continues the Jurassic franchise's tradition of horrible child actors alive.  The two brothers make Sophia Coppola's performance in Godfather III seem Oscar worthy.  They have no emotional depth to them.  We're supposed to care about them, but I can't even remember their names.  They're sent to JW to be looked after by their aunt (played stiffly by Bryce Dallas Howard), a stereotypical "uptight" working woman.  Howard's character is too busy to watch after her nephews and leaves them alone to explore the park.  You see, business is slowing down at JW and she's in charge of the rollout of the new "attraction," a genetically modified super dinosaur, the Indominous Rex.  The park hopes it will turn around the downward trend in attendance.  Chris Pratt, who continues his Hollywood hot streak, serves as the game master.  He is the only voice of reason who challenges the company on the morality of genetic modification.  Pratt seems a little out of place in this film.  He doesn't ever seem comfortable delivering some of the more serious lines in this film.  I think he may have shattered the record for the most one-liners ever delivered in one film.  I can suspend disbelief with the best of them, but I had trouble getting into the notion of Chris Pratt: Raptor Whisperer.

Before long, the new monster breaks out and all hell breaks loose.  There's some genuinely thrilling action sequences, but third act gets bogged down with too many quick cuts and dino closeups.  There's also a baffling military subplot to this movie that will lead into the sequel.

I'm giving this movie 2.5 stars out of 4.  It works just fine as a mindless action romp, but struggles to live up to the T-Rex sized hype.  If you're a fan of the series, you'll welcome this chapter as a marked improvement over the third film, but not by much.  The search for a good Jurassic sequel is still on.

Max Max Fury Road - The Adrenaline Ride Of The Summer

Mad Max Fury Road Movie Review

by Brian Wezowicz

I'm a little late to the game with this review since it's been out for about three weeks already.  The reviews have been stellar, and people I highly respect have written about it better than I ever could.  However, it's about time I get back on the blogging horse and give my two cents on what I consider THE action movie of the summer (If Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Spectre weren't scheduled to come out this year, I would probably call it the action movie of the year).

Growing up, I was never a huge Mad Max fan.  I was too young for them when the originals were first released in theaters, and they just got lost in the shuffle as I got older.  I've recently re-watched the first one, and I'm beginning to get an appreciation for Max Rockatansky, the apocalypse's favorite wanderer.  However, coming into this movie I didn't know what to expect.  I've heard the gushing reviews, but I've also heard some of the negativity (lack of plot, no character development) creep in.  I went in to this movie hoping for the best, but expecting to not be blown away.  I was dead wrong.  This is as inventive of an action movie as I've seen in a long time.  The visuals are absolutely stunning (with most of them happening with minimal CGI) and the story and characters are rich with life (albeit a post-apocalyptic life).

The big question going into this movie was whether it was a reboot, a remake, a sequel, or a combo of all three.  To that question, I say who cares?  It's essentially a continuation of the Mad Max saga (in the mold of the James Bond films) with only a few references to Max's past.  You can see the original trilogy, but it's not required viewing.  Stepping into the Road Warrior boots this time around is the brilliant Tom Hardy.  I've been a big fan of his since I first saw Inception.  He has a way of creating emotion and depth to his characters  without being overly emotive.  Hardy shines here in the role that made a star out of Mel Gibson.

Fury Road picks up years after something wipes out most of humanity.  You heard bits and pieces of what sounds like news casts mixed with Mad Max voice over that gives you a basic understanding that something has gone wrong and that humanity's days are numbered.  You're also thrown right into the action.  Max has been taken prisoner by the War Boys, a group of creepers that are under the brutal rule of Immortan Joe (played by the same actor who portrayed Toe Cutter in the original Mad Max).  The War Boys are a thinly veiled reference to the religious extremists that exist in our world.  They believe that Joe will lead them to Valhalla and are not afraid to die for their cause.  The new society relies on gasoline from Gas Town, which is across the deadly Fury Road.  The brutal leader also forces the women to provide breast milk to his group of zealots.  I don't really want to go too far down the rabbit hole when it comes to describing the plot, but I will say that once they hit the Fury Road, all hell breaks loose and this movie doesn't let up on the gas pedal for the entire 2+ hour run time.

The world of Fury Road is unlike anything I've seen on screen in a long time.  This is all due to the visionary mastermind of director George Miller.  After going away from this post-apocalyptic world for more than 30 years, Miller is back with his signature brand of beautiful, but crazy action.  The stunts are spectacular, the cinematography is epic, and the editing and acting are top notch.  It's also very much a feminist film.  Charlize Theron is such an essential part of the cast that this movie could have been called Furiosa Road, Featuring Mad Max.  She is in charge of trying to escape Immortan Joe's wives out of his custody in search of the mythical Green Land.  She is very much the leader of this group, and the driving force for the entire movie.  Hell, Max barely speaks a word for the first twenty minutes of this film.  What I really enjoyed about this movie is that it's a feminist movie without being totally overt about it.  It's not a rah rah movie in its pro feminism message.  It's just a great movie with great women kicking major ass.


I can't recommend this movie enough.  The sad part about the summer deluge of blockbusters is that it pushes movies out of the theater sooner than they should be.  Movies can get lost in the relentless tide of superhero movies.  Go see Mad Max: Fury Road before it's gone.

3.5 stars out of 4.