WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES Review

It's a weird feeling, rooting for the end or at least the defeat of mankind, but that is what this new trilogy of Planet of the Apes films has done. Each of the installments has done so well at tracking the progression of how these apes, namely Andy Serkis' mind-blowing creation that is Caesar, have become more human-like in their emotions as well as their mannerisms that it has become harder and harder to differentiate between the fact that what we're technically watching is a man versus beast tale. Of course, it's easy to throw those two labels around, but who actually deserves to have the title of beast fall upon them is debatable and especially in this final installment. In the inevitable War for the Planet of the Apes we find series screenwriters Mark Bomback and director Matt Reeves (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes) bringing the reinforcements that Gary Oldman's character made contact with in Dawn to the front lines and drawing the line in the proverbial sand. Reeves, who took over for Rupert Wyatt after the first installment, has crafted two distinct, but equally effective pieces of filmmaking that are as well-crafted as one could hope for. The film hits all the marks of a masterful technical achievement while at the same time deviating story expectations by not necessarily being generic summer popcorn entertainment, but are rather some heavy and heady pieces of cinema that have plenty of thoughts jumping around inside their heads as well as layers upon layers of allusions to the point each individual viewer could potentially see and receive something different when experiencing them. That said, both Dawn and now War never display that factor that pushes either of them over the edge of good, solid entertainment into something greater. It's a difficult feeling to describe given it is also a difficult thing to come up with anything negative to say or anything that specifically detracted from the experience of viewing the film, but speaking to the emotional state you reach after said experience War leaves you with a strong impression of being truly impressive, visually magnificent, but not nearly as intellectually or emotionally stimulated as it seemed you would be about midway through the movie. War for the Planet of the Apes makes us root for its primate protagonists, but it never lends the viewer the weight it seems to desire nor does it hit with enough of an impact that it will leave you contemplating all those ideas it has floating around inside its mind in your own for longer than a few hours. It is grand without necessarily being epic, distinctive, but not necessarily special.

First Trailer for WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES

And the revolving door of trailers continues as 20th Century Fox has thrown their hat in the ring with the first trailer for War for the Planet of the Apes or the the third film in their re-booted Planet of the Apes trilogy that will follow up Rise of the Planet of the Apes and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. If nothing else, this week has shown what a stellar year 2017 could be for blockbusters as not only do the two Marvel offerings we've seen so far look genuinely solid, but Transformers always feels like an event, Baywatch looks like The Rock will continue his hot streak and Zac Efron will continue doing what he does best in R-rated comedies, as he also appears in the highly-anticipated eight entry in the Fast & Furious franchise, while any summer with a new Christopher Nolan film is one to be cherished. Sure, The Mummy may end up being a little underwhelming or it could turn out to be fantastic-who knows, but the point is that adding War for the Planet of the Apes to this roster only makes it look that much more impressive. I was genuinely thrilled and surprised when director Rupert Wyatt's Rise  turned out to be one of the best offerings of the summer back in 2011 and thus immediately became more interested in the mythology of the series as all I'd seen prior was the original and Tim Burton re-make. When Matt Reeves took over the series for 2014's Dawn it was easy to tell the direction they were going and how we might eventually connect the dots from one movie to the next, but that didn't make the journey any less thrilling. Though I was somewhat underwhelmed by Reeves' film there was still much to admire about it including the lush visuals and attempts at addressing larger themes (albeit this is a theme throughout the entire series). It seems the director has once again accomplished as much with this third installment as it looks truly epic in both thought and visual scale. War for the Planet of the Apes stars Andy Serkis, Woody Harrelson, Steve Zahn, Judy Greer, Terry Notary, Karin Konoval, Max Lloyd-Jones, and opens on July 14, 2017.

CAPTAIN FANTASTIC Review

Captain Fantastic director Matt Ross sure seems to have a grudge against Christianity. Or organized religion in general (which doesn't include Buddhism despite the fact there is a degree of organization that ensures rituals take place and dates are observed) as his directorial debut takes large aim at the followers of Jesus Christ and more or less insults them to a degree that doesn't offer enlightening or insightful reasons as to why these characters think a certain way nor does it provide a compelling alternative, but rather sticks to calling out an entire group of people without stepping back to recognize its own shortcomings. It is understandable given there are plenty of Christians who give what is intended to be a religion based on love above everything else a bad name with hateful words and actions just as I assume there are atheists or followers of other faiths that aren't exactly representative of the best of those organizations or groups core values. Still, as the largest religion in the world by a large margin it is understandable why Christianity takes most of the heat. It has the most variations thus numerous perspectives from which it can be criticized. As a practicing Christian I don't tend to get offended by those who hurl insults for if I'm wrong then so be it, but if I'm right then even better. Why wouldn't we want there to be something more to this life, though? Don't we all need something to look forward to? Isn't that how we continue to thrive and push on in our current lives? Looking forward to what's next? It's a question I find myself considering often when it seems those opposed to the existence of God seem to want to be right more than they want to actually consider the alternative. There is a difference in insulting a religion or system of beliefs in and of itself and insulting the people who decide to base their lives on those beliefs. Often, films with an agenda to oppose organized religion will call out the many available flaws and lack of proof such beliefs are based on rather than the intelligence of those who believe, but Captain Fantastic clearly has a vendetta against those who find comfort in their faith-even if that ends up being all it is. As human beings we need a little assurance, we need something to sometimes make our existence bearable and if religion or faith does that for someone, why should it bother those who don't need it? I don't have the answer to that question and the problem with Captain Fantastic is that it doesn't either.

THE GOOD DINOSAUR Review

Like all Disney and Pixar films, The Good Dinosaur pulls at the heartstrings by chronicling the change of innocence into experience, of a child into an adult, and of those premature ideals into broader perceptions. Like most Disney and Pixar collaborations The Good Dinosaur also features a duo on a journey to both save/rescue someone or something while discovering things about themselves and the world they exist in along the way. Sure, there is more to each of these stories that have given the studio partnership a reputation of not just crafting animated movies for children, but for their parents and adults alike. These core ideas and themes are what Pixar tends to stick with, though. With their latest, the studio twists things around by essentially re-writing history and then pulling a role reversal meant to engage the mature minds while utilizing the popularity of dinosaurs to get the attention of young kids. This works for the most part as the premise is just as engaging as Pixar's previous release this year, Inside Out. While such a statement might make some wince given the personified emotions of that film allow it to go to some pretty heavy places for a "children's movie" the idea of mingling in what the world might be like today if a massive extinction hadn't taken place millions of years ago is just as tantalizing as being able to create some kind of organizational system within our own minds. Unfortunately, The Good Dinosaur doesn't do as much with it's promising premise as Inside Out did (though that one didn't do as much as I would have liked, either) it is does mix some interesting genre aspects and narratively creative ideas into it's proceedings often enough that it manages to be nothing short of an entertaining family film. While the film does indeed share many similarities to Pixar's previous offerings in terms of what makes them so effective what is more striking is the kinship it seems to share with the earlier, hand-drawn animated films of the Walt Disney company. Through this affinity for those that have come before it, The Good Dinosaur, while not being innovative or weighty on it's own terms, is a nice reminder of the power of a simple story told through beautiful imagery.

First Trailer for THE RIDICULOUS 6 Starring Adam Sandler

After the success of Beasts of No Nation (it's been watched more than 3 million times in it's first ten days of release says Netflix) and on the same day that Pixels arrives on Blu-Ray and DVD the streaming service is ready to move on to it's next original film. The trailer for the first of four Adam Sandler films being made for Netflix, The Ridiculous 6, has debuted and couldn't be further from the tone of what Netflix's first original film offered. While Beasts was an intense thriller about child soldiers in Africa, this new Sandler comedy mainly concerns itself with spoofing The Magnificent Seven by featuring Sandler as Tommy “White Knife” Stockburn as a man who goes on an adventure-filled journey across the Old West with his five brothers when their long-lost outlaw father returns. Directed by Frank Coraci (Click, Here Comes the Boom) I have a bit more faith in the film because of his involvement rather than this simply being another Sandler collaboration with Dennis Dugan who tends to give Sandler his laziest results. The film generally looks like a big-budget summer Sandler flick which is exciting and the cast is beyond ridiculous. While we'll have to wait and see if the quality of the film is better than what the comedian has offered as of late on the big screen, this was without a doubt the smartest move Sandler could have made given his dwindling box office returns and that his films are largely comfort food anyway. The Ridiculous 6 also stars Terry Crews, Jorge Garcia, Taylor Lautner, Rob Schneider, Luke Wilson, Harvey Keitel and will be available to stream on Netflix starting December 11th beating the 70mm release of Quentin Tarantino's The Hateful Eight by two of weeks.

Full Trailer for THE GOOD DINOSAUR

With Inside Out making a big impression this summer and filling the emptiness left by two years without a Pixar production it feels somewhat selfish to so willingly accept another feature so quickly. That said, The Good Dinosaur has been such a struggle to produce I'm sure both Disney and Pixar are as happy to have it completed as we are to see it. With pre-production possibly beginning as early as 2009 with an original 2013 release date on the books, The Good Dinosaur has seen its fair share of ups and downs including a complete voice cast overhaul as recently as last month. Bob Peterson (a co-director on Up), who came up with the idea for the story, was originally slated to direct the film until August 2013, when he was removed from the project and replaced by Peter Sohn (who had previously served as co-director) in October of 2014. All of this is to say that for all the moving parts and disjointed working conditions the creators behind the final product seem to have crafted something especially stunning, at least in terms of visuals. Little can be gleaned from this first full trailer as far as the story goes, but the aesthetic of the naturalistic environments juxtaposed by the more cartoony character designs is certainly interesting. The music, from what I assume is a sample of Thomas Newman's score, is also hauntingly beautiful before segueing into Of Monsters and Men's "Crystals." Needless to say, despite not knowing much about what is going on here my interest is piqued and I can't wait to see if, for the first time, Pixar can deliver two gems in a single year. The Good Dinosaur features the voices of Raymond Ochoa, Jeffrey Wright, Steve Zahn, A.J. Buckley, Anna Paquin, Sam Elliott, Frances McDormand, Marcus Scribner, Jack Bright and opens in 3D on November 25th.

DALLAS BUYER'S CLUB Review

I never thought myself smart enough to be a doctor and never had any ambition as a child to reach for those stars, but as I got older it became more and more clear why the rewards of such a job might not justify the many negatives that come along with the business of saving lives. There always seem to be these rules in place to dictate how we live and how our society operates and we always seem to come across scenarios where those rules seem completely out of sync with the reality of what is going on in the world. While the latest film in Matthew McConaughey's career turn-around isn't fueled by these issues, but more so by the strength of the human condition, it takes them into a large account due to the fact that in this case our protagonist must deal with humanity as a business and push back against those attempting to somehow make the case that the aforementioned rules outweigh actual humanity. How it all boils down to being a business rather than abiding by the no doubt patient-centric ideals of their mission statement, the pharmaceutical companies and the FDA are the baddies here; one paying the other to push their product no matter the health of their "customers" or the opposing team McConaughey's Ron Woodroof brings to the game that might be better, but doesn't carry the backing which means little extra profit for anyone involved. Why someone chose to tell the story of Woodroof though is because he decided to take up arms against the corporation that began as a gratifying profession and has evolved in many aspects to a business much like any other that deals with products that bring comfort and luxury to our lives but are not providing the luxury of sustaining life as hospitals do (a point many of the doctors represented in the film seem to be missing). Woodroof wasn't the most ideal of people to head this kind of revolution up, he had more faults than he did kind qualities, but it sometimes takes that kind of attitude to say, "screw it, I'll do it my own way if the only option you're offering is to die comfortably." There is just the right amount of rebel cowboy and logical thinking in our main character for him to stand by those words and provide the incredibly gratifying character arc in which director Jean-Marc Vallée's film delivers while opening our eyes to the harsh realities of our systems flawed philosophies.  

First Trailer for THE DALLAS BUYERS CLUB

The career renaissance of Matthew McConaughey continues on as the once rom-com staple stars in director Jean-Marc Vallée's (The Young Victoria) film based on the real life story of Ron Woodroof, a Texas electrician who was diagnosed with AIDS in 1986 and was given only thirty days to live. Woodroof's reaction to this disturbing news is naturally to figure out how he might cure himself, but when he learns the U.S. is still internally divided over how to combat the virus and is restricting medications he turns to smuggling alternative and illegal treatments into the country while not just helping out himself, but other patients. We've seen plenty of press for this film as it is the one where the set photos captured a scarily thin McConaughey, but it seems evident from this first look that all the hard work was indeed worth it as the character of Woodroof and his overcoming of the odds arc seems a perfect vehicle for the actor to give a dramatically effecting performance while utilizing his wealth of charm for the more comedic aspects of the film. I'm glad to see this isn't going to be a dour experience, but more a heartfelt drama that will contain the multiple elements and emotions that make up everyday-life. Though this is clearly McConaughey's show and he seems to be intent on getting an Oscar nomination, if not a win, there is an exemplary supporting cast here as well that seems to be doing some great work, especially Jared Leto. He clearly has the flashiest role as a transsexual that goes into business with Woodroof and the versatile actor looks to be bringing his A-game along with his co-star. The rest of the cast is made up by the likes of Jennifer Garner, Steve Zahn, Dallas Roberts, Griffin Dunne, Denis O’Hare, and Bradford Cox. Dallas Buyers Club will have its premiere at the upcoming Toronto International Film Festival and I look forward to hearing the reaction. The rest of us will have to wait until November 1st when it opens in limited release and expands nationwide over the following weeks. Hit the jump to check out the first trailer.

DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: DOG DAYS Review

Maybe it is that we have now grown accustomed to who Greg is that he doesn't bother me as much anymore, maybe the fact that Rowley keeps getting weirder makes me understand Greg more, but what I've really began to question, especially in this third outing for the Wimpy Kid series is why or how these two guys are friends in the first place. It is obvious that they are cut from two different cloths. Rowley is the more sheltered and privileged dork that at this point in his life still believes life is a bouquet of roses. Nothing wrong with that, but he's reaching the age that he's going to need to make a few of his own mistakes or his life is going to be a trainwreck (the kid has a fit here because he lied to benefit his best friend). On the other end of the spectrum is Greg, a middle class kid that is likely the average summation of every thirteen year-old boy out there. He loves video games, has a love/hate relationship with his older brother and is trying his best to stay on good terms with his parents. It speaks well for the series that the main protagonist is someone who the core audience of these books will be able to relate to and I have had pleasant experiences with the previous two films in this franchise, but there was something missing from the latest installment. Whether it be that Dog Days chronicles the adventures of summer rather than the events of the school year or that there is no sense of urgency to what is going on here. The film ends up feeling as lazy as the main characters desire to be during their summer break.

Greg (Zachary Gordon) and Rowley (Robert Capron)
attempt to call Greg's school crush Holly.

As the title clearly indicates this time around Greg, Rowley, and the gang are out for summer break and as far as Greg is concerned he is looking to do as little as possible. He knows his dad will expect more though, always encouraging them to play outside but never picking up a ball to play with them Steve Zahn has found himself comfortably playing the dad in these movies, but in one of the only highlights of this film, we get to see that role expanded past the standard enforcer of the house. Zahn is a gifted actor who can pull off heavier moments while remaining a true example of comedic timing. It's hard to believe the guy can even play a dad so convincingly considering some of his early roles, but as the main ideas and theme of Dog Days revolve around the father/son relationship it is nice to see the relationships develop more towards bonds than standard relationships written to abide by the standard rules of movie families. While Greg genuinely wants to make his dad proud he has also made it his mission to hang out with his crush Holly at some point during the summer. On the last day of school he almost scores her phone number through the classic year book signing move, but is left to figure out the entire number when fate intervenes and takes away the easy route. When Greg accompanies Rowley to the country club and finds Holly there teaching tennis lessons it becomes clear that Greg will stop at nothing, no matter the trouble he gets in to win time with Holly and he will inevitably damage his relationship with his best friend in the process.

Frank (Steve Zahn) introduces Greg and Rowley to his
old scout master in an attempt to help them enjoy
the good ole' fashioned outdoors.

The main issue I hold with the film is the fact it feels somewhat disjointed. It is strange in some ways because these types of movies are the ones that are the most absent minded about the criticism that may or may not even be made about them. They are live action family films, they are the genre that has been fading ever since the 90's ended. Maybe it's the fact I haven't been in the target demographic for those kinds of films since that time but it is clear the advancements in computer animation and the domination of that art form made the demand for live action films intended for children all the less necessary. There have been a few here and there throughout the past few years, but the ones that come to mind are nothing if not easily forgettable pieces that the actors cashed in a nice paycheck for and then moved on. They haven't been of a high enough quality to rival anything Pixar or Dreamworks has made and their hasn't been a box office hit of their kind since maybe Enchanted in 2007? Do you see what I'm getting at? It takes a satire of sorts of old albeit classic animated Disney hits to have had a successful live action film aimed at families. Lucky for this franchise, it had a built in audience with the wildly successful book series by Jeff Kinney. The books were a hit because they were relatable, they connected with kids who are most of the time forgotten between the birth to eight year-old age range and the pre-teens. Kinney took advantage of that and connected with this group. The movies have done an admirable job of replicating this formula, but it is clear in this third entry that time may not be on their side.

Rowley, Greg, and Holly (Peyton List) find some peace in
 their summer vacation.

While the series may be losing steam in terms of ground to cover that seems to be the least of their worries here. Dog Days has so much going on but feels like it drags along (that's not good when a film is only an hour and a half long). Yet between the father/son portions, the Greg/Holly storyline, the Greg/Rodrick storyline, and the always necessary adventures of Greg and Rowley its as if they are trying to fit everything into as many movies as they can before the kids get too old. There are some great moments in the film that include the opening scene where the Heffley's go to the public pool to break in the summer season and have clearly had the same idea as everyone else in the neighborhood. Greg is forced to walk through the public locker rooms where he gets an eyeful of mature men and then is forced to have "fun" by his parents in an overcrowded pool that is more pee than chlorine. It is the small moments of recognition such as this or when Greg's mom opens the blinds for the first time and Greg has to allow his eyes to adjust to the light before he continues playing his video games without missing a beat that elicit the most laughter. They are genuine laughs because they are true and while there are splashes of them here the first two films were filled to the brim with those humiliating yet funny moments. I like the Wimpy Kid series and in many ways think it offers they kids of today an escape from all the computer animation into something not so fantastical but instead is based in their reality. Maybe I am missing the point of it as it is not my reality anymore, but those first two films made me remember things that hadn't crossed my brain in years about my childhood. This latest film didn't manage to do that. It's means well, but not worth skipping the better fare that is certainly out there.

DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: DOG DAYS Review

Maybe it is that we have now grown accustomed to who Greg is that he doesn't bother me as much anymore, maybe the fact that Rowley keeps getting weirder makes me understand Greg more, but what I've really began to question, especially in this third outing for the Wimpy Kid series is why or how these two guys are friends in the first place. It is obvious that they are cut from two different cloths. Rowley is the more sheltered and privileged dork that at this point in his life still believes life is a bouquet of roses. Nothing wrong with that, but he's reaching the age that he's going to need to make a few of his own mistakes or his life is going to be a trainwreck (the kid has a fit here because he lied to benefit his best friend). On the other end of the spectrum is Greg, a middle class kid that is likely the average summation of every thirteen year-old boy out there. He loves video games, has a love/hate relationship with his older brother and is trying his best to stay on good terms with his parents. It speaks well for the series that the main protagonist is someone who the core audience of these books will be able to relate to and I have had pleasant experiences with the previous two films in this franchise, but there was something missing from the latest installment. Whether it be that Dog Days chronicles the adventures of summer rather than the events of the school year or that there is no sense of urgency to what is going on here. The film ends up feeling as lazy as the main characters desire to be during their summer break.