King Kong (1933)

King Kong (1933)

Starring: Fay Wray, Robert Armstrong, and Bruce Cabot.

Directed By: Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack.

Princess Mononoke (1997)

Princess Mononoke (1997)

Starring: Yôji Matsuda, Yuriko Ishida, and Yûko Tanaka.

Directed By: Hayao Miyazaki

The World's End (2013)

The World's End (2013)

Starring: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, and Martin Freeman.

Directed By: Edgar Wright

Fargo (1996)

Fargo (1996)

Starring: William H. Macy, Frances McDormand, and Steve Buscemi.

Directed By: Joel and Ethan Coen

Brazil (1985)

Brazil (1985)

Starring: Johnathan Pryce, Kim Greist, Robert De Niro.

Directed By: Terry Gilliam

If I Stay (2014)

If I Stay (2014)

Starring:  Chloë Grace Moretz, Mireille Enos, and Jamie Blackley.

Directed By: R.J. Cutler

Alien (1979)

Alien (1979)

Starring: Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, and John Hurt.

Directed By: Ridley Scott

Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004)

Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004)

Starring: Uma Thurman, David Carradine, and Michael Madsen.

Directed By: Quentin Tarantino

Plot: The Bride is back, and she's after the rest of the people who contributed to the massacre that put her in a coma for four years.  The next person on her list is Budd, who seems easy enough to kill, having supposedly gotten rusty in the last four years.  Unfortunately, her plan to ambush him is foiled when he shots her in the chest with rock salt and buries her alive.  With no weapons, limited room to move, and a rapidly decreasing supply of air, things look dire for our heroine. However, she remembers the hardships and trials she had to endure in order to become as well trained as she is, and finds the strength to escape.  Luckily for her, Budd called in Ellie Driver, the next person on the list, so now she can kill two birds with one stone.  But they have her sword, and they outnumber her two to one.  Will she be able to overcome one final obstacle before confronting Bill?

Characters: Like the last film, this film contains a great selection of characters, all with unique and memorable personalities.  Unlike the last film, which focused more on making the Bride look badass, this installment concentrates on delving deeper into her character.  It doesn't go too in depth in that she isn't mysterious anymore, but the scenes where she's training with Pai Mei help the audience appreciate the hard work it took for her to get to this point.  The audience gets to see a bit more of her relationship with Bill and why she was able to fall for him in the first place.  When she's being buried alive, instead of staying still and silent, she freaks out and starts crying, which is what a normal person would do.  Scenes like this humanize her, and the audience cares for her more as a result.  Another character who gets significant;y expanded upon is Bill himself, who turns the charm up to eleven in this film.  Despite a significant age difference, it's not too hard to imagine why the Bride fell for him in the first place.  He has this fascinating mix of power and weakness, not looking or sounding intimidating at first glance, but the way he says does everything with a chilling amount of confidence makes him a great antagonist.  Another great performance is Daryl Hannah as Elle Driver, who really emphasizes the sadistic nature of the character.  She almost feels like an evil version of the Bride, pulling off her kills through deception and trickery, rather than combat.  Like Bill, she has a lot of confidence that makes her very entertaining to watch, but she also adds an extra bit of craziness to make her more unique.

Writing: Once again, Tarantino adds a lot of influences from both samurai and western films from the 1970s, though this one emphasizes the western aspects a bit more, due to the fact that a big chunk of the movie takes place in Texas.  The movie also adds aspects of Chinese culture, especially during the scenes with Pei Mei.  It's really cool seeing all these different cultures blend into one cohesive mix, while not feeling too jumbled.  The same level of tongue-in-cheek humor continues in this film, with quotable lines, like when Elle Driver says, "And now I'm gonna kill you too, with your own sword, no less, which in the very near future, will become... my sword."  Unfortunately, none of these moments are quite as memorable as the "Silly rabbit" or "My name is Buck" scenes in Vol. 1,  but they're still pretty good in their own right.  One thing that this film much better than the previous installment, however, is pacing.  This film feels like more of a complete story, since it reviews all of the events that lead up to this moment in greater detail, which creates a better character journey for our heroine.  This might not create as many iconic scenes as the first one, but it leads to a much better story.  I do wish that the in depth information had been present in the first film so both parts could feel like more of a whole.  The scenes flow together more cohesively than Vol. 1, with the longer events, such as the scenes in Texas, being spaced out with flashbacks.  It also helps that it has a much more concrete ending than the first one.  As it stands, this film feels like a much better sequel, in terms of story.

Production: This film has many of the same production values as the first.  The cinematography was amazing in this film.  One particularly great moment is when the Bride is buried inside the coffin.  The camera moves very little, and focuses mostly on the Bride from one side, with the top and bottom of the screen being blacked out.  This creates a very claustrophobic feeling to the scene, and makes the audience worry about how she's going to possibly escape.  The visuals are once again very impressive, with great action scenes and gore effects.  However, this time, the action feels a bit grittier and real, at least when compared to the first one.  There isn't any more blood spewing from limbs or cartoonish deaths.  There are still people doing near impossible feats (such as jumping to absurd heights while in combat), but it feels a bit more serious this time around.  Also, like I mentioned earlier, there aren't as many ionic moments in this film, and that applies to the action.  None of the fights compare to the Bride vs the Crazy 88 in the Showdown at the House of Blue Leaves, but it doesn't seem like it wants to.  I think that Tarantino wanted to focus on the character development in this film, which meant that it couldn't be distracted by a bunch of flashy action scenes.  Similarly, the music is also pretty good, but not as good as the first one.  There are some great tracks, and many of them take inspiration from Mexican culture, like Tu Mirà, which is a beautifully powerful song.  However, none are quite as memorable as the sultry Bang Bang or the repetitive Twisted Nerve.  

Trivia:

• In the original script, Pai Mei was supposed to have his lips move in Cantonese, but speak English, in order to replicate the poor dubbing of old Asian films.  Tarantino would've provided the voice.
• The scene in the Mexican brothel was filmed in an actual Mexican brothel and all of the female extras were real prostitutes who worked there. 
• Robert Rodriguez scored this film for $1.  In return, Tarantino directed a scene in Rodriguez's Sin City for $1.
• Ricardo Montalban was originally going to play Esteban, but Michael Parks impressed Tarantino so much during the test readings that he got the part instead.

Final Verdict: Kill Bill: Vol. 2 presents an interesting conundrum for me.  On the one hand, it gives a much deeper and complex look at the characters and highlights their struggles.  But on the other hand, it's less of a spectacle and has far less iconic moments than the first installment.  So I've come to this conclusion; it's just as good as the first, but in different ways.  Where it lacks in spectacle it gains in a better story, and that just about evens the two films out.  I would recommend you watch the two films as they were intended; back-to-back, so that you can get the action out of your system first, then get invested in the characters in the second half.  But no matter how you watch them, they're still great movies, and I highly recommend them.

  

Next time, we'll find out that in space, no one can hear you scream.

Stay Tuned

Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)

Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)

Starring: Uma Thurman, Lucy Liu, and David Carradine.

Directed By: Quintin Tarantino

Plot: After spending years as an assassin for the organization known as the Deadly Viper Organization Squad, a woman known as the Bride decides to quit that life and settle down in marriage.  Unfortunately for the Bride, Bill, the leader of the squad, decides to have her, her fiance, and her unborn child murdered at the alter.  But miraculously, she survives in a coma for four years, and she's ready for revenge.  After escaping the hospital, she makes a list of all the people who tried to kill her on that bloody wedding day.  First on her list is O-Ren Ishii, a half-Japanese, half-Chinese American who now runs the Tokyo Yakuza.  Will the Bride succeed in her quest for revenge and make her way to Bill, or will she fail before she even begins?

Characters: If there's one thing that Tarantino is known for, it's creating memorable characters, and this film is no exception.  Each one gets a moment to shine in their own unique way, whether  it's through funny dialogue or exciting action sequences.  Uma Thurman was an awesome choice to play the Bride, pulling off the subtleties of the character with ease.  She could have easily have been a flat character, focusing only on her quest for revenge, and while that's in the forefront, she's much more layered then that.  She has a sense of humor, she can still be impressed, and despite her experience as a fighter, she's not perfect, and can still be overpowered.  Despite being fully willing to kill and torture her enemies, she remains honorable, and is able to tell the difference between people who deserve death and those who don't.  Lucy Liu is also fantastic, only this time, she's the opposite side of the coin, O-Ren Ishii.  Unlike the Bride, this character has no remorse for anyone, including her closest allies.  While this character trait has the potential to alienate the audience, the back story she's given, as well as Liu's charisma make her a very interesting character.  Her dialogue with Thurman is really fascinating, showing that these two warriors have great respect for each other and that they are evenly matched.  Finally, there's David Carradine, who gives a captivating performance as the titular Bill.  His suave persona and calm demeanor make him very entertaining, despite the audience never seeing his face and learning little to nothing about him.

Writing: One of the most intriguing aspects of this film is the homages it makes to old samurai films from the 1970s.  This is shown through the simple story of revenge, the gratuitous violence, and the use of Japanese locations, characters, and culture.  It even verges on parody at some points, like when hordes of expendable soldiers wielding katanas suddenly appear.  The story also has some influence from westerns, such as the main character being a gritty anti-hero with no name.  This film also has a good amount of humor that ranges from chuckle worthy to hilarious.  One of my favorite jokes is when the Bride and O-Ren say "silly rabbit, trix are for kids".  The fact that the actors play it completely straight makes it even more hilarious.  The way it's structured is also very enjoyable.  It jumps between different time periods, especially in the first half.  At one moment we're following the story in the correct order, when the next we'll follow a story in the past.  This leads the audience to constantly guess what's going to happen, which adds to the entertainment.  It's also a great way to get through exposition, instead of through long stretches expository dialogue.  The audience gets to experience these events with the characters.  However, the story becomes a lot more linear during the second half, once the Bride travels to Japan.  This isn't necessarily bad thing however, since at that point the story can focus on the main events of the plot.  Unfortunately, this does make the film feel weirdly paced.  The story is comprised of five chapters, but the first half contains three of them, making the second half feel more dragged out.  Also, since this is the first of a two part story, the film feels incomplete and somewhat unsatisfying.  When a movie is split into two parts, making the first part feel like a complete story while also setting up the next installment can be a near impossible task, and this film unfortunately doesn't quite meet that challenge.

Production: If I could describe this film in one phrase, it would be "visually stunning".  All of the actions scenes are memorable, with the last third of the film being one big action sequence.  The blood and gore effects look pretty cheesy, but that just adds to the homages to the old samurai films, and fits right in with the slightly tongue-in-cheek tone.  It's reminiscent of grindhouse films that inspired the film.  The fight choreography is spectacular, with a unique variety of fighting styles, ranging from hand-to-hand combat to sword fighting.  The colors are vibrant, with bright yellow, deep blues, and blood reds all contrasting with each other.  However, some of the color choices are...interesting, to say the least.  There are some portions of the film that are in black in white or in silhouette for seemingly no reason.  Despite the seemingly random nature of these choices, it still looks amazing.  One of the more curious sequences is during O-Ren's backstory, which is done entirely using anime (Japanese animation).  While this also feels somewhat out of place, it looks as good as the rest of the film, if not better.  Like most anime, the movement is very fluid, and the action is even more over-the-top then when the film is in live-action.  The sets and costumes are well made and inventive, giving a slightly heightened reality feel to the world.  The soundtrack is just as crazy and inventive as the rest of the film.  It uses elements from westerns, Jappanese culture, and 70s action movies to create a unique sounding score.  My favorite musical moments would have to be "Ironside" (whenever the Bride spots and enemy) and "Twisted Nerve" (the tune that Elle Driver whistles in the hospital).  These pieces add a bit of flair to their respective scenes, and make the movie as a whole feel more unique.

Trivia:

• The shot where the Bride slices a baseball with a katana was done for real on set by Uma Thurman's stunt double.
• The script for the film was first given to Uma Thurman by Quintin Tarantino for her 30th birthday.
• All of the music was taken from other musical sources, such as TV show themes and popular songs.
• Thurman and Tarantino came up with the film during the filming of Pulp Fiction.  

Final Verdict: Despite a few pacing issues, Kill Bill was a blast to watch from beginning to end.  It had memorable characters, smart writing, and amazing action.  The blending of Japanese culture with western style makes this film an unique experience, and will no doubt make it a classic for many years to come.  I would only not recommend it if you aren't comfortable with violence.  Otherwise, this is a must watch for anyone.  I can't wait to review the second installment.

In fact, why wait?  Next time, we'll take a look at the conclusion to the Bride's revenge.

Stay Tuned     

Star Wars: Episode IV-A New Hope (1977)

Star Wars: Episode IV-A New Hope (1977)

Starring: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, and Carrie Fisher.

Directed By: George Lucas

Plot: A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, a civil war has erupted between the Galactic Empire and the Rebel Alliance.  With the help of the new battleship, the Death Star, the Empire's victory is all but assured, but the Rebels have a plan that could possibly turn the tide of the war, which involves sending a astromech droid named R2-D2 to the desert planet Tatooine, along with his companion, C-3PO.  When the two droids cross paths with a young man named Luke Skywalker and a mysterious old hermit named Obi-Wan "Ben" Kenobi, they discover that Princess Leia (a Rebel leader) has been captured by the Empire, and is being held inside the Death Star.  With the help of a pair of smugglers named Han Solo and Chewbacca, they will attempt to rescue the princess and bring her and R2-D2 to the Rebel Alliance.  Can they accomplish both these goals while not getting killed in the process?

Characters: The characters in this film barely need an introduction, since they've become so iconic.  Nearly everyone gives a great performance, making their characters likable, interesting, and entertaining.  Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker does an amazing job showing the growth of his character.  Despite being naive and a bit immature at first, watching him mature and find a purpose in life is very satisfying to watch.  Harrison Ford gives an often hilarious performance as Han Solo.  While he may seem like a scoundrel at first glance, his comedic moments and charisma make his character one of the best in the whole movie.  James Earl Jones' voice as Darth Vader has become legendary, and for good reason.  He does a fantastic job of portraying the power, ferocity, and sophistication of the character, creating the building blocks for arguably the most famous villain of all time.  Probably the weakest major performance comes from Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia.  Most of the time, she's good enough, showing a snarky side and a courageous spirit, but the scenes between her and Vader are really weirdly acted.  She switches a faux-British accent on and off during these scenes, and it feels really awkward and makes little sense, especially when there's no explanation for it.  But for the most part, this film nails the acting department.  

Writing: This script is one of the defining examples of the hero's journey in film.  Luke (the hero) finds Princess Leia's message(the call to adventure), meets Obi-Wan Kenobi (meeting the mentor), and so on.  It's actually quite interesting how perfectly this story fits into the mold.  While it may seem lazy to create a story so close to a certain formula, in my opinion, it makes this story a classic.  All the scenes are memorable, whether it's the opening scroll, the Death Star blowing up Alderaan, or Luke, Han, and Leia trying to escape the trash compactor.  There are also many homages to old movies serials, like Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers.  This is most apparent during the opening text, as well as the moments when the heroes are in some sort of peril.  You can almost imagine an announcer telling the audience to come back next week to see how they get out of their predicament. The plot moves at a relatively fast pace, getting through all the major plot points without staying in one place for too long, while also slowing down at the appropriate moments.  The dialogue can feel a bit too cheesy at times, especially in the very beginning, and this can turn some viewers off to the film.  However, as the film progresses, the dialogue feels less and less clunky, and eventually blends into the world that is created. 

Production: The design of this film is one of the reasons it still hold up today.  The sheer amount of creativity that went into the look of this film is very noteworthy.  The costumes for the aliens look amazing, especially Chewbacca, who still looks like a real creature.  The human costumes are also good, looking simple, yet unique to the world.  The spaceships are exquisitely detailed, and are almost works of art by this point.  When the Star Destroyer appears in the first scene, looming over the relatively puny rebel ship, chills run through me nearly every time.  The original special effects hold up pretty well today, including the space battles and the lightsabers.  However, there are some obvious effects, such as when the automatic doors are opening and closing, which is obviously a mediocre stop motion effect.  As some of you may know, George Lucas added a lot of CGI to the original trilogy, and this film arguably has it the worst (Han shot first, by the way), and this has made fans very angry.  In my opinion, the changes are a mixed bag.  They range from improving weaker moments (like when it's obvious that Obi-Wan is holding a fencing sword instead of a lightsaber) to ruining moments that needed no changes (such as the scenes in Mos Eisley, where a lot of poor CGI is added for no good reason).  John William's score is arguably his best in his large resume.  My favorite pieces would have to be the opening theme with its loud and triumphant tone, and Binary Sunset, which adds gravitas to the story.  The only real "flaw" with the score is that it doesn't include The Imperial March, which wouldn't be introduced until The Empire Strikes Back.  Watching scenes with the empire seems strange without it.

Trivia:

• The skeleton that C-3PO passes on Tatooine was left on location in Tunisia after filming.  When the crew for Attack of the Clones returned for filming in 2001, they found it was still there.  
• When Lucas screened an early cut of the film to his director friends, the only person who believed that it would be a hit was Steven Spielberg.
• The planet Tatooine is never mentioned by name in this film.
• Peter Cushing (Grand Moff Tarkin) found the boots for his costume to be very uncomfortable.  So he only wore them when they were shooting full body shots, and wore fuzzy slippers the rest of the time.

Final Verdict: In case you didn't guess before, I love this movie.  As I said in my last editorial, this film was part of my childhood, and holds a very dear place in my heart.  Even without added nostalgia, this film still holds up, even after nearly 40 years of age.  The special effects are great, the score is fantastic, and the story and its characters have become iconic.  If you are one of the very few that hasn't seen this film, or if you haven't seen it in a while, stop what you are doing and go watch it.  I highly recommend it.

   

Next time, I'll take a look at the first volume of a bride's revenge against her ex-lover.

Stay Tuned

Daredevil (2003)

Daredevil (2003)

Starring: Ben Affleck, Jennifer Garner, and Colin Farrell

Directed by: Mark Steven Johnson

Plot: Matthew Murdock is a down on his luck lawyer in Hell's Kitchen (a neighborhood of New York City) who was blinded at a young age by a toxic chemical.  Luckily, the chemical enhanced his other senses, as well as giving him a new "radar sense" that allows him to "see" the world around him.  This allows him to become Daredevil, a vigilante who protects the innocent against criminals.  Unfortunately, this lifestyle doesn't lead to many long lasting relationships, until one day, he meets a beautiful woman named Elektra Natchios.  They immediately hit it off, and start dating, as things start finally looking up for Matt.  However, crime boss Wilson Fisk (a.k.a. the Kingpin) has ordered a hit on Elektra's father for trying to bail on their dealings, and hires the marksman known as Bullseye to pull off the assassination.  And when the Kingpin assassinates someone, he goes after their whole family.  Will Matt be able to protect his new love and take down the biggest crime lord in Hell's Kitchen?  

Characters: For the most part, this film is pretty well acted, with every cast member giving a decent performance.  Ben Affleck makes an okay Matt Murdock.  He pulls off the stunts well, and his chemistry with Jennifer Garner feels genuine.  He also does a great job with the physicality of being a blind person, using small details such as feeling the walls to figure out where he's going, or staring off into space when he's having a conversation with someone.  Jennifer Garner is also pretty good as Elektra.  She manages to balance the emotional and physical aspects of her character pretty well.  Despite this, I don't think she was the best choice to play Elektra, since the character is supposed to be Greek, and Garner is obviously not.  However, the best performances come from Michael Clarke Duncan and Colin Farrell as Kingpin and Bullseye (respectively).  They both look like they're having the time of their lives, hamming it up whenever they get the opportunity.  Duncan was a great choice as the Kingpin, giving off a great sense of power and confidence that the character needs.  Farrell, on the other hand, is just insane, and uses every opportunity to act crazy, which is very entertaining. 

Writing:  Despite having a fairly simple plot, this film feels very overstuffed.  Elements like Ben Urich reporting on Daredevil's activities and the Kingpin's assassination attempts feel shoehorned into the story in order to make room for the romance.  This also goes the other way, with the action scenes making the romance feel rushed.  I'm fine with having a movie be romantic as well as full of action, but the writers should have chosen to chose between making the film a love story or an action movie if they wanted to make the film under 100 minutes, instead of trying to do both and making both sides weaker for it.  Affleck, despite putting in a passable performance, is very poorly written.  His dialogue is okay at best and cheesy at worst.  Also, his character arc is very ill defined.  The the movie tells the audience that he's learned how to be a better hero, but his actions never show a change. Garner, like Affleck, is also very poorly written.  She falls in love with a man she just met, her reasons for learning martial arts are ill-defined, and she feels like she was shoved into the movie because of her character's popularity in the comics, making her feel like a cardboard cutout of a much more fascinating character.     

Production: The film has a very stylized look to it, with great lighting and coloring.  Many of the scenes, especially the ones with young Matt Murdock, look like they've been ripped right out a comic book, which looks very cool.  The sets are also well made and convincing, with Wilson Fisk's office being a particular highlight.  Unfortunately, those are about the most positive things I can say about the production.  The choice of nu metal for the soundtrack was unique, but it doesn't really fit the character of Daredevil in my opinion.  The action scenes aren't that great either, using a clunky mix of wire fu and CGI that doesn't hold up very well.  There are many scenes where characters will jump impossibly far distances without breaking a sweat, and are replaced with rubber-like CGI stand-ins while doing so, which can really take the audience out of the movie.  This is most apparent in the final fight between Bullseye and Daredevil, where all of these elements come together in a very silly-looking climax. 

Trivia:

• The eye contacts Ben Affleck had to wear in order to appear blind were so thick that they actually block out most of his vision, effectively making him blinded for real.
• This was the film that Affleck would meet his future wife, Jennifer Garner.  They would meet again when he filmed a cut scene on the spin-off, Elektra, where the actors started their relationship.
• Affleck was originally supposed to play Bullseye, while Colin Farrell was supposed to play Daredevil, but were recast after auditioning.
• There are many cameos of and references to comic writers and artists who worked on the Daredevil comic.  Many of the boxers Matt's dad fights are named after famous comic writers (including Brian Bendis and and John Romita), Frank Miller (the man credited with revamping the character) is killed by Bullseye for his motorcycle, and Kevin Smith (another writer on the comic) plays a lab assistant named Kirby (after Jack Kirby, one of the comic's first artists).

Final Verdict: I wouldn't consider myself a huge fan of Daredevil, but I know enough to recognize that the filmmakers could have done a lot better.  Although it does have some entertaining performances (especially from the villains) and an interesting visual aesthetic, the poor CGI, awkward action scenes, and overstuffed plot drag the film down.  I know that there's a supposedly better director's cut out there, but this is a critique of the finished product, not the director's original vision.  As it stands, I definitely do not recommend seeing this film.  Instead, if you want to see a faithful adaption of the character, I would suggest watching the recent Netflix original series, Daredevil.  It has better acting, better fights, and the thirteen episode format allows plot threads to play out more smoothly.

Next time, in preparation for the much anticipated seventh installment, I'll start my journey that takes place a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...

Stay Tuned     

Harvey Reacts: Star Wars

Harvey Reacts to:

The Star Wars: The Force Awakens Trailer

Ever since I was a little kid, I have been a fan of Star Wars, specifically the first one, A New Hope.  It had everything, from aliens to spaceships to lightsabers, everything a little boy could want.  Eventually, I saw The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, as well as The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones (I actually have yet to see Revenge of the Sith all the way through).  While I would eventually dislike the prequels, I will always be a fan of the original trilogy.  So when it was announced that Episode 7 was in the works, I was very excited.  When the first teaser dropped, my excitement level reached a new high.  In case you haven't seen it, here it is:

Awesome, right?  While it doesn't show much in terms of story or meaningful dialogue, it still brings me joy to see the Millennium Falcon flying to the Star Wars theme, and the teasing of new characters intrigued me.  After a while, my excitement began to calm down.  But a few weeks ago, the second trailer was released on the internet.  Here it is:

 

As soon as I saw the first shot of the star destroyer in the desert with the force theme playing, I nearly cried.  This whole trailer is absolutely amazing.  The special effects are awe inspiring, blending the CGI and practical effects seamlessly.  I especially enjoyed the Stormtrooper being flung away by an explosion.  You can almost hear the Wilhelm Scream.  The new footage is great, dropping interesting hints about what happened after Return of the Jedi.  I'm very fascinated by the new characters, especially John Boyega as Finn.  If the film goes in the direction that I believe it will, we might see the Star Wars universe from the eyes of a Stormtrooper, which is potentially fascinating.  Of course, I can't leave out Luke Skywalker's voice-over, as well as Han Solo and Chewbacca on the Millennium Falcon.  That was just the icing on an already delicious cake.  It will be interesting to see how they fit into this story, and I hope they don't take the spotlight away from the new characters in the series.  I cannot get more hyped for this movie.  You can consider my ticket for opening weekend bought.  December can't come fast enough.

What do you guys think?  Are you excited for Star Wars: The Force Awakens?  Next time, I'll try to find the time to review Daredevil.

Stay Tuned  

Hot Fuzz (2007)

Hot Fuzz (2007)

Directed By: Edgar Wright

Starring: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, and Timothy Dalton.

Plot: Nicholas Angle Angel is the best at what he does, and what he does, is police work.  With 400% more arrests than any other officer in London, Angel is promoted to sergeant, but is transferred to the small town of Sandford, due to him making the rest of the officers look bad in comparison.  He begrudgingly agrees, and immediately arrests many underage drinkers and one drunk driver, who turns out to be his new partner.  Over the next few weeks, they'll investigate various petty crimes, but suddenly, a string of mysterious and suspicious deaths leads Angel to believe that there's a murderer in town.  Unfortunately, no one believes him.  Is he correct in his assessment, or will become the embarrassment of the town?

Good: This film does a lot of the same things right that its predecessor, Shaun of the Dead did.  Simon Pegg is once again amazing as Nicholas Angel.  He pulls off the intensity of the strictly by-the-book sergeant, using a near deadpan voice, and rarely ever smiling.   This makes him a great straight man to the madness surrounding him, whether its chasing a runaway swan or investigating a sea mine.  Nick Frost is also great as his partner, Danny Butterman.  His innocence and naivete make him the heart of the movie, and his constant references to famous cop movies make a great satire of action films.  Both Pegg and Frost have great chemistry on screen, and its great to see their friendship grow as the story unfolds.  The rest of the cast is also great, with some of the highlights being Jim Broadbent as the good-natured chief inspector and Timothy Dalton as the suspicious supermarket manager.  The writing is also great, creating a memorable story within layers of great jokes.  Almost all the jokes hit their mark perfectly, no matter if they're physical or verbal.  One of the great moments is when Nicholas and Danny see an awful rendition of Romeo and Juliet, where the performers have a ridiculous song and dance number after a "dramatic" moment.  The combination of the terrible acting and wonderful reactions of the leads make this scene amazing to watch.  The action is also phenomenal, using practical stunts and effects to really make it look more visceral, and the comedy and fast editing make it very entertaining.  The violence, while few and far between, is also very well realized, with great gore and blood effects.  Another excellent aspect of the film is the editing.  Everything seems to move at a breakneck speed, with quick jump cuts showcasing the passage of time in an efficient and comedic way.

Bad: While they all pull in good performances, the rest of the police squad in Sandford aren't that great.  They range from boring (like Olivia Colman as the only woman on the team) to annoying (like Paddy Considine and Rafe Spall as the detectives).   They make the story much more cliche when they don't believe Nicholas, and start acting like idiots when presented with legitimate evidence.  While this may not be a problem for some people, the quick jumps and speedy pace might make it difficult for some viewers to keep up with the story without paying more attention to what's happening.  Also, those who didn't like Shaun of the Dead's style of comedy probably won't be swayed over to the supporters side, since it's very similar in tone and execution.

Trivia:

• Both Peter Jackson and Cate Blanchett make cameos as Father Christmas and Angel's girlfriend (respectively).
• Simon Pegg lost about 28 pounds in order to play the part of Nicholas Angel.
• Many police officers have claimed that this is one of the most accurate cop films ever, due to the acknowledgement that there is a lot of paperwork in police work.
• In the original script, Nicholas had a love interest named Victoria, and when she was cut, much of her dialogue was given to Danny.

 
Final Verdict: Despite having some minor issues, Hot Fuzz is a blast to watch.  It's hilarious, action packed, and has memorable characters.  In my opinion, Shaun of the Dead is a better movie, due to it having better characters and a more unpredictable script, but that's setting a pretty high bar.  This film is still a worthy successor, and a great addition to the Cornetto Trilogy.

Next time, with so much talk about Ben Affleck as Batman in Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice next year, we'll look at his first dive into superhero movies.

Stay Tuned        

Pleasantville (1998)

Pleasantville (1998)

Directed by: Gary Ross

Starring: Tobey Maguire, Jeff Daniels, and Joan Allen.

Plot: David and Jennifer may be twins, but they're far from similar.  While Jennifer is extroverted and popular, David is introverted and awkward.  These conflicting personalities come to a head when Jennifer wants to watch a concert on MTV, which happens to air the same time as a marathon of David's favorite show, the 1950s sit-com "Pleasantville".  This leads to the TV remote getting broken, bit a mysterious repairman quickly replaces it with a magical one, that sends the twins inside the monochrome world of Pleasantville, where everything is, well, pleasant.  Using his advanced knowledge of the show, David tries to blend in with his surroundings, but Jennifer's rebellious nature causes many changes within the town, including the addition of color to certain objects and people.  How will the townspeople react to the sudden changes in the only world they've known, and will David and Jennifer be able to escape the show?

Good: The acting in this film is great, especially from the people of the titular town.  They do a great job portraying the innocence and almost childlike behavior of their characters, and it's fascinating to watch their reactions to the changes that happen throughout the film.  Jeff Daniels as Bill Johnson, the owner of the soda shop, is a great example of this, as he starts out as clueless without instruction, but shows hidden depths when he discovers his artistic talent.  Joan Allen and William H. Macy are also fantastic as Betty and George Parker, the main parental unit in the show, displaying the different reactions towards the changes that occur.  Tobey Maguire and Reese Witherspoon as David and Jennifer make good leads, and their respective character arcs are interesting to follow.  One of the best characters comes from Don Knotts (of The Andy Griffith Show fame) as the TV repairman.  Not only is this a clever cameo, his character is always hilarious whenever he's on screen.  Randy Newman's music is excellent, ranging from smooth jazz to a beautiful suite.  The writing is also amazing, with themes of change, repression of who you really are, and the false hope of an 'ideal' life.  While some parts are a bit on the nose, many of these messages are important to remind the audience.  This story could've easily been about just the hijinks that would ensue when '90s kids are stuck in a '50s sit-com, but they decided to go the extra mile by including these themes.  But by far, the best part of the film is the special effects.  The mixture of color with black and white is beautiful, and adds to the overall themes of the film.

Bad: Despite never having seen color or experienced things like rain, the people of Pleasantville seem to recognise what they are almost immediately.  They still react with surprise and shock, but the fact that they can identify what the changes are called seems a bit lazy.  Also, as the story continues and becomes more complex, Jennifer seems to get pushed to the background.  This is unfortunate, since she's the one that gets the plot moving by introducing sex and other concepts to the world, and her character arc is pretty interesting.  Finally, the addition of a villain to the story feels a bit lazy.  It gives the characters someone to put the blame on, rather than making the antagonist people's opposition to change in general.  While this does happen during the film, it could've been handled a bit better.

Trivia:

• The books that David describes to the teens in Pleasantville are The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Catcher in the Rye, two of the most banned books in America.
• In the original script, the TV repairman was supposed to be played by Dick Van Dyke.
• Though many people believe that the shot of David raising his arms in the rain is a tribute to The Shawshank Redemption, according to the director, this wasn't intentional.
• When Jennifer enters Pleasantville, she becomes a character called Mary Sue, which is also a fan fiction term for a character who solves all the other characters problems, as well as when an author inserts him/herself in the story as a character.

Final Verdict: I'm surprised that this film isn't as well known as it should be.  It has great characters, smart writing, and amazing visual effects.  The concept alone makes it one of the most unique movies I've every seen.  In short, I'd recommend it to anyone who's interested in this story idea, especially if you grew up watching these kinds of sit-coms.

Next time, we'll return to the world of Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Edgar Wright, and Cornettos.

Stay Tuned

Mary Poppins (1964)

Mary Poppins (1964)

Directed by: Robert Stevenson

Starring: Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke, and David Tomlinson.

Plot: It's London in 1910, and the Banks family is having trouble keeping a nanny, due to the children (Jane and Michael) constantly running away.  This leads Mr. Banks, who runs a strict and firm household, to put an advertisement in the paper in search of a new governess.  The next day, a woman by the name of Mary Poppins literally blows away the competition, and immediately becomes the new nanny, much to the confusion of Mr Banks.  Wary at first, the children warm up to her after they realize that there's something magical about their new governess.  Through a series of adventures, Mary Poppins and her friend Bert will teach the children valuable life lessons, but Mr. Banks remains unmoved.  Will Mary be able to make him see the importance of family and the values of kindness?

Good: This film is a masterpiece in nearly every aspect.  It has amazing performances from all of its leads, including Julie Andrews as the titular character.  She pulls off the complexities of the mysterious character, while also making her seem human enough for the audience to care about her.  Andrews's singing voice is also amazing, and she's one of the reasons the songs are so memorable.  Dick Van Dyke is also very entertaining as Bert.  He accomplishes a lot of the comedy with ease, and the chemistry he has with the rest of the cast feels genuine.  Another fantastic performance comes from David Tomlinson as George Banks. He starts out as completely unlikable, but throughout the course of the movie, as the lordly life he leads becomes slowly tarnished, he becomes more and more sympathetic.  The other cast members are also good, including a delightful performance from Ed Wynn as Uncle Albert.  The writing is also amazing, with a subtle feminist feel to it.  Whether its Mrs. Banks being a suffragette to Jane being the more reasonable of the two children, this film can be interpreted as pro-women's rights.  All of the characters are written wonderfully, especially Mary Poppins.  She's firm but kind, whimsical but sensible, and proper but energetic, which makes her a fascinating character to watch.  While she does show some characteristics of a Mary Sue (such as the majority of the characters taking an instant liking to her, as well as being described as "practically perfect in every way"), unlike Bella Swan, Mary is more of a plot device than a character, pushing the characters in a certain direction.  Also, Mary has a charisma and energy that Mary Sues don't have.  The special effects are pretty good for the time, with the blending of the live action characters and the animated backgrounds being a particular highlight.  However, the best aspect of the film is the music.  The Sherman brothers have done great soundtracks before (such as The Jungle Book and The Many Adventures of Winnie The Pooh) but this is probably their best work.  These are songs the audience will be humming for many days to come, including "A Spoonful of Sugar", " Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious", and "Feed the Birds".  Without these songs the film would fall into obscurity.

Bad: Despite being a great movie, Mary Poppins isn't perfect.  One of the most common criticisms towards the film is that Dick Van Dyke's cockney accent is something quite atrocious.  And yeah, if you know what a real cockney accent sounds like, those criticisms ring very true.  Also, some of the scenes can go on for just a bit too long, such as the Jolly Holiday and Step In Time sequences.  Finally, some people might not like some of Mary Poppins's Mary Sue tendencies.

Trivia:

• Karen Dotrice's and Matthew Garber's (Jane and Michael Banks, respectively) reactions to the medicine changing color were genuine. They were also unaware that Mr. Dawes Sr. was played by Dick Van Dyke.
• Despite saying that this was the best film he's worked on, Dick Van Dyke believes that he was miscast as Bert.
• "Feed the Birds" was Walt Disney's favorite song while working on the film, and would tell the Sherman brothers to play it for him after long days at work.
• P.L. Travers (the author of the original book) was very resistant to the idea of Disney creating an adaptation of her story.  She had major qualms about the musical numbers, the casting of Dick Van Dyke, and the animation sequences.  After years of begging and compromising, Walt Disney finally convinced her to give him the rights.  Even after the movie was released, she still disliked the film's treatment of her creation.

Final Verdict: When I had to make the Bad section of this review, I had to really stretch to find anything I disliked about it.  In my opinion, this is one of Disney's best movies as well as one of the best musicals ever made.  The characters are memorable, the acting is great, and the songs are amazing.  If you haven't watched this movie yet, stop reading this review and go buy it now.  You won't regret it.  It's practically perfect in nearly every way.

Next time, I'll take a look at what would happen if two '90s kids found themselves trapped in a '50s sitcom.  What could possibly go wrong?  

Stay Tuned

Twilight (2008)

Twilight (2008)

Directed by: Catherine Hardwike

Starring: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, and Billy Burke

Plot: After her mother remarries, Bella Swan decides to move from Phoenix, Arizona to Forks, Washington to live with her father.  When she arrives at her new home, she immediately makes many friends at her new school.  They warn her not to interact with the Cullens, a group of rich, pale, and antisocial foster siblings, especially Edward Cullen.  After saving her from an out of control van, Bella begins to suspect that there's something supernatural about him.  She tries to get him to confess, but he refuses to tell her, and warns her to stay away from him.  Despite his warnings, she continues to interact with him, until she discovers that Edward is a vampire.  Now that they're being honest with each other, they begin to develop a romance.  Unfortunately, a small group of nomadic vampires have been killing various people around town.  When one of them realizes that the Cullens have been interacting with a human, he decides that she'd be good prey to hunt.  Will Edward and his family be able to protect Bella from becoming vampire chow?

Good: Despite what many people have claimed, this movie does have some redeeming qualities.  Billy Burke as Bella's dad does a great job as the concerned father and the dedicated police chief.  It would have been cool if there was a story about him and his struggle between caring for his daughter, while also solving a supernatural murder mystery.  Taylor Lautner is good as Jacob Black, making the friendship he has with Bella seem natural.  Peter Facinelli is also serviceable as Dr. Carlisle Cullen, who's dedication to his family is very evident in all of his scenes.  There are some moments when the two leads have some genuine moments of emotion, such as when the Cullens and Bella play baseball during a thunderstorm.  The audience can see the genuine bond these characters have for each other as they use their powers to have fun together.  It's also one of the few moments when the movie decides to have fun with its premise.  I wish the rest of the film had been like this small scene.

Bad: Although there are some moments of good acting from the leads, for the most part, they're very flat.  Kristen Stewart as Bella rarely shows any emotion, even when she's in danger.  Robert Pattinson as Edward is not much better, with his acting ranging from boring to hilarious.  It's very difficult to watch the scene where Edward reveals his sparkly skin to Bella, and not smile when he says that "It's the skin of a killer".  However, this isn't necessarily the actors fault.  They've put in good performances in the past, so I have to assume that this was a mistake on the director's part.  The special effects are serviceable at best, and awful at worst.  The effects for the sparkly vampire skin and Edward's super speed are laughable, and take away from the seriousness of many of the scenes.  Also, the majority of the daytime scenes in Forks have a blue filter on constantly.  While this is obviously a stylistic choice (since I can tell you from experience that the Pacific Northwest is not constantly blue and grey), it makes the film look really bland.  The biggest problem, however, is the writing.  None of the dialogue feels genuine, with many of the conversations ending abruptly, leaving the audience confused.  The pacing is awkward, with 75% of the film focusing on the romance, then some antagonists suddenly show up for the last quarter of the story with very little build up.  Most of the characters are all written with very few flaws, especially the main cast.  The Cullens are incredibly bland and one dimensional, with very little personalities.  Edward's only personality traits seem to be either creepiness (more on that later) or blandness.  However, Bella is the worst offender then it comes to characterization is Bella.  Like The Room's Johnny, Bella's a great example of a Mary Sue.  This is most evident when she arrives at her new school, and nearly everyone either falls in love with her, or become her best friend.  I find it ironic when she tells one of her friends to take control of her life, because she is a "strong, independent woman", since she ends up wanting to dedicate her life to a man she's only known for about a couple months.  She even goes as far as wanting to make the ultimate sacrifice and become a vampire just so she can be with him for eternity.  While it may be that she only feels an attraction towards Edward, as many teenagers do when they have a crush on someone, but he constantly sends up red flags that even a teenager would notice.  He has sudden angry mood swings, he constantly talks about how he wants to taste her blood, and he even watches her in her sleep without her permission.  Bella ignoring these obvious warning signs makes her seem like an idiot.  Not only does this make her a bad character, it makes her a horrible role model for some of the audience members.  While many of these issues are from the source material (from what I've heard), it's the filmmakers' fault that these issues remained in the adaptation.

Trivia: 

• During the scene where Edward perform "Bella's Lullaby", Robert Pattinson was actually playing the piano.
• Kristen Stewart had to wear a hair pieces so that the crew didn't have to use up time doing her hair, leaving more time to film.
• Robert Pattinson spent a few weeks before shooting not talking to anyone in order to feel as isolated as his character.
• The movie grossed about $69.6 million during its opening weekend, which was the largest opening for a movie directed by a woman, as well as one starring a woman.

Final Verdict: When I first went into this film, I was expecting a movie on par with The Room, with many laughs to be had at how horrible it would be.  However, for the most part, it's pretty boring.  Oh sure, there are some moments that were genuinely good (i.e., the baseball scene) and some that are so bad they're hilarious (i.e., the sparkly scene).  I just couldn't get into the unrealistic romance, the bland characters, and the poor special effects.  I would only recommend this movie if you were already a fan of the books, because if your not, this won't make you a fan.

  

Next week, we'll look at my first review of a musical on my blog, with Mary Poppins.

Stay Tuned

The Godfather (1972)

The Godfather (1972)

Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola

Starring: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, and James Caan

Plot: Vito "The Don" Corleone is the head of a crime family in New York during the 1940s.  They have many ties to political leaders, gambling rings, and celebrities, and do dirty work for them in exchange for money, favors, and loyalty.  Business seems to be going well for the Corleone family, until a rival family, the Tattaglias, start hunting them down, starting with Vito.  Pretty soon, all the gangs and crime families in New York are at war with each other.  Through a series of twists and turns, the youngest of Vito's sons, Michael, who originally didn't want to be a part of the family business, gets more and more involved in the situation, and he begins to climb up the ladder of power in the family.  Will they be able to stop the war without familial blood being spilled, or is it already too late? 

Good: There's a reason this movie is held in such high regard.  The acting alone makes this movie a must watch.  Al Pacino as Michael Corleone does a very layered and complex performance.  The evolution of his character as he becomes more and more involved with the family business.  He starts out uninterested and unassuming, but as darkness overtakes him, he becomes more confident and grows into the power he gains.  James Caan is also great as Sonny Corleone.  His dedication to his family is very evident from the start, becoming furious whenever something bad happens.  He also has some of the more entertaining fight scenes, since his character is the most violent of the family members.  Robert Duvall as Tom Hagen is also good, keeping a level head whenever things get bad, along with being one of the most intelligent people in the family.  He is very convincing as the family's lawyer and consigliere.  But the best performance by far comes from the legendary Marlon Brando as Vito Corleone.  His acting in this film is absolutely stellar, his slurring slow speech patterns making him almost hypnotic to watch.  He portrays both the power he has over people and his fondness towards his family brilliantly.  The make up effects on him are also wonderful.  The subtle aging of the character is really effective, especially when you compare his first scene with his last.  The rest of the production design is amazing as well, with the 1940s New York setting looking very convincing.  The progression of time is evident from the subtle changes in the costumes and vehicles.  The score, composed by Nina Rota, is a beautiful composition, capturing the haunting atmosphere of many of the scenes, as well as the Sicilian roots of the story.  Even though the story is about gangsters in the 1940s, the writing can make any audience in any generation identify with and care for the characters.  The story deals with themes of power, corruption, and most of all, family.  This last point is probably why so many people can care for the characters, despite the crimes they commit.  Their familial bond with each other makes them very sympathetic, no matter how many people they murder.

Bad: Yes, even in a masterpiece such as this does have some issues.  Due to the three hour run time of the movie, some audience members might become bored at certain points.  This includes the part where Michael goes to Sicily, when there isn't a whole lot that happens.  Further more, there are a lot plot points that may be difficult to understand if someone wasn't paying attention to an earlier scene.  This film requires the audience's full attention, which can be a turn off to some.  Also, Marlon Brando can be a bit hard to understand when he's speaking, but for the most part, he's pretty clear.

Trivia:

• Marlon Brando had to wear a mouthpiece in order to get the signature bulldog-like look down.
• The smack that Vito gives to Johnny Fontane was improvised by Brando.
• Most of Brando's lines when he's holding the cat had to be dubbed since it was purring too loudly.
• Francis Ford Coppola insisted that the film be titled Mario Puzo's The Godfather, since his script was so faithful to the original book, and Coppola thought Puzo should get a writing credit for the film version.

Final Verdict: What can I say about The Godfather that hasn't already been said.  The acting is fantastic, the score is beautiful, and the story is one that will last for many more years to come.  I would only dissuade people from watching it if they couldn't handle the sight of blood, since there's a fair amount of it in the film.  Otherwise, this is a must see for anyone who has even the slightest interest in movies.  You won't be disappointed.

Next time, we'll take a look at the film that split movie goers in two.  Whether you love it or hate it, I'm going to review Twilight.  Oh boy...

Stay Tuned   

Harvey Reacts: Jurassic World Feathers

Harvey Reacts to:

Should Jurassic World's Dinosaurs Have Feathers?

As I've said before, Jurassic Park is one of my favorite movies of all time.  So naturally, when I heard that there was going to be a new movie in 2015, I was very excited, especially after the trailer dropped.  However, there has been a debate going around the Internet that I've found interesting: Should the dinosaurs in the movie have feathers?  For those of you who don't know, in the last 20 years, there has been a lot of evidence suggesting that many dinosaurs had feathers, including Velociraptor, Therizinosaurus, and Tyrannosaurus.  This has lead many people to be frustrated that a movie franchise that was once praised for its accuracy, has continued to subscribe to the outdated idea of "naked" dinosaurs.  This is especially troubling with the raptors, who are the most bird-like of the dinos.  Many people want to show the main steam media that dinosaurs and birds were much more birdlike than previously thought, and the Jurassic Park franchise is the perfect way to do it.  However, other people believe that making some of the dinosaurs have feathers would confuse audiences who didn't already have a lot of knowledge on paleontology.  Also, adding feathers would make it feel out of continuity with the other films, which had a lack of feathers.

So what do I think?  I would have to go with the pro-feathers camp.  As someone who is fascinated with paleontology, it would be awesome to see feathered dinosaurs on the big screen, showing how far science has come since the first movie.  As for continuity, they could explain in the new movie that they had previously genetically modified the dinosaurs to look more like the common perception of dinosaurs at the time.  However, there is a way that not having feathers could work.  A character could mention that they tried making the dinosaurs with feathers, but it didn't appeal to test audiences or the board of directors.

Ultimately, this is a small issue in the grand scheme of things.  The Jurassic Park franchise has always had inaccuracies, whether it's the gigantic size of the Velociraptors, or Tyrannosaurus not being able to see still objects.  Despite the "nakedness" of the dinosaurs, I'm still very excited for Jurassic World.  Chris Pratt training raptors is too awesome to miss.

Stay Tuned        

The Interview (2014)

The Interview (2014)

Directed by: Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen

Starring: James Franco, Seth Rogen, and Randall Park

Plot: Dave Skylark is the host of the extremely popular talk show, Skylark Tonight, which has him interview various celebrities about their dirty secrets.  After celebrating their 1000th episode, Aaron Rapoport (the show's producer and Dave's best friend) feels unfulfilled with his job, and wants to focus on serious news stories.  Luckily, it turns out that the leader of North Korea, Kim Jong-un, is a big fan of the show, so they decide to ask for a televised interview with the dictator.  He agrees, but only if it's done in North Korea.  Soon afterwards, the CIA tasks Dave and Aaron with assassinating the "supreme leader", and they reluctantly agree.  Can they fulfill their mission while also making television history at the same time? 

Good: The most important element that a buddy-comedy must have is good chemistry between its leads.  Thankfully, both James Franco and Seth Rogen are a great comedy duo.  Their friendship is very believable, with their personalities complementing each other very well.  Franco is very funny as the slightly idiotic yet well meaning Dave Skylark.  His antics, while ridiculous, are still pretty entertaining to watch,  This includes when he keeps comparing himself to Lord of the Rings characters when discussing his friendships.  However, the majority of his jokes work best when he's interacting with Rogen as Aaron Rapopor, who makes a great straight man.  While his character isn't that far off from his previous roles, he plays it well enough that it doesn't matter.  His reactions to the insanity around him are hilarious to watch.  Another good performance comes from Lizzy Caplan as Agent Lacy.  Like Rogen, she also makes a great straight man to Franco's antics, and adds funny commentary to many of the situations.  Diana Bang is great as well, playing Kim Jong-un's propagandist, Sook Yung Park, who pulls off her devotion to the dictator very well.  The best performance, however, comes from Randall Park as Kim Jong-un.  He manages to do the near impossible, and make a real-life dictator sympathetic, which was very surprising.  He still does things that are questionable at best, but he's not portrayed as a monster, rather a human being, trying desperately to live up to the legacy of his father and grandfather.  Many of the jokes are well written, focusing more on the interactions between the characters rather than gross-out humor.  Some of the funnier moments come from the satirical way North Koreans look at their leader and Americans.  The Production values are also great, with North Korea looking very convincing, recreating many of Pyongyang's landmarks.  The action set pieces are exciting and brutal, while also managing to be hilarious with the sheer ludicrousness those scenes goes to. 

Bad: Due to the satirical nature of the film, many people might see the portrayal of North Koreans offensive, since they're shown as completely devoted to the dictator.  It would've been interesting to see the some scenes of the leads interacting with the citizens and therefore flesh them out a bit more.  There's also a scene during the first act that feels important to the plot, but then turns out to be ultimately pointless.  I won't give away what it is, but my main issue with it is that it feels like padding for the sake of padding.  Also, some of the special effects aren't that great, especially during the final action scenes.  A lot of the blood looks fake, and the bullets and missiles are obviously CGI.  Finally, while most of the jokes are well written, there are a few that don't quite hit their marks, focusing on crude humor, which can turn off many viewers.  Since humor is one of the most subjective forms of art, this is a small issue, and might not be important to some people.

Trivia:

• Like in the movie, the real Kim Jong-un speaks conversationally in English, having been schooled in Switzerland as a teen.
• The final battle scene was shot in only one day.
• The film was partially inspired by Dennis Rodman's friendship with Kim Jong-un.
• In late 2014, Sony was hacked by a hactivist group who were protesting the film's release.  They posted confidential emails from executives and actors about a variety of topics, including possible movies in production and how much actors were being paid.  They threatened to attack any theater that showed the film, leaving Sony to postpone its release.  However, after massive public support and media coverage, the film was released online and eventually in select theaters.

Final Verdict: Despite the controversy surrounding it, The Interview is nothing more than a pretty funny buddy-comedy.  While the subject matter of attempting to kill a still living world leader may be a taboo subject to some, it's done in a fantastical and satirical way, so the audience doesn't take it too seriously.  On the whole, it's probably not worth all the attention it ended up getting.  I would recommend it of your fan of Seth Rogen and James Franco comedies.  If not, you probably won't get a whole lot out of it.

Next week, I'll take a look at one of the most respected movies of all time, The Godfather.

Stay Tuned