CARS 3 Review

I could not have been less excited about the prospect of a third Cars movie. Most would say it is fair to classify this now trilogy as the weakest link in the ever-growing Pixar brand, but I don't bring this up to quickly cut down the third installment in this franchise that has borne nothing more than extended or unnecessary narratives, but rather to commend it for stepping up its game with what is likely the last chapter largely featuring Lightning McQueen if not the beginning of a new generation of Cars films as Cars 3 actively attempts to correct much of what has dragged these films down to sub-par Pixar levels from the beginning. In 2006, an idea such as a world filled with talking vehicles and a story that paid homage to the racing world, where it'd been, and where it might be going was an inspired enough one especially considering the combination of Disney and Pixar had yet to fail to meet if not surpass expectations. There seemed so much energy and so much enthusiasm for this first endeavor and while, having re-watched that first film recently, Cars is certainly a fine enough experience it didn't transcend the genre of animated movies in the way many of its predecessors had. Rather, Cars was more along the lines of an animated movie made strictly for the kiddos rather than one that had the ability to both appeal to the children in the crowd as well as emotionally resonate with their parents. That isn't to say it didn't try, but it is in the same kind of middle area where the purpose is present yet the payoff doesn't totally work that we find Cars 3. Many will agree Cars 2 was a total misstep and deviated from what at least made the first film charming and even if the Cars movies didn't make them buttloads of cash via merchandising it would seem Pixar might be intent on course correcting for the sake of artistic credibility as Cars 3 makes a genuine attempt to steer this franchise back into the arms of what inspired it in the first place-the good ole open road. While we are eleven years down the road from the first Cars in the future the dynamic will be rather jarring as the original Cars and Cars 3 more or less bookend the career of McQueen; chronicling both how he learned to be the racer he always aspired to be as well as helping him cope with the passing of time, the passing of the baton, and understanding there might be more to life than crossing the finish line first.

New Trailer for CARS 3

In always looking forward to what Pixar might come out with year after year it was always going to be something of a disappointment when the inevitable Cars 3 came around and now...here we are. This summer we will not be graced by a new, inventive piece from Pixar nor will we see a sequel to one of their more beloved films (Ratatouille 2, anyone?), but rather we will have the only trilogy capper in Pixar history outside of Toy Story for what is easily the weakest two films on the studios slate. I'm trying really hard here to be positive about what the film might offer as this new, official trailer is marginally intriguing, but there simply seems to be no balance of audience awareness and content maturity. The Cars franchise, like Planes, should strictly be for children, but this trailer looks to hint at a story with complexities that we know Pixar is capable of conveying convincingly, but that we know the world of Cars can't exactly deliver like, say, Woody and Buzz might be able to. Directed by Brian Fee (a storyboard artist on the first Cars) this looks like to be a darker film than what its predecessors might have indicated. The worst thing about the previous two Cars films were that they left no lasting impression, especially when compared to their peers. It may be that Fee is attempting to break that stigma around the franchise with this third film by going in an unexpected direction and if any of the marketing so far is any indication-things are definitely not looking the way I imagined a Cars 3 would look. That said, we still have a story dealing with Owen Wilson's Lightning McQueen as he attempts to prove to a new generation of racers that he's still the best race car in the world. With this new trailer we get a better idea of what Cars 3 will look and sound like and while I'm intrigued by the implications of what the movie could actually be about there is still a lack of any genuine excitement. Cars 3 also features the voice talents of Armie Hammer, Bonnie Hunt, Tony Shalhoub, Larry the Cable Guy, Katherine Helmond, Cheech Marin, Paul Dooley, and opens on June 16, 2017.

Teaser Trailer for CARS 3

In always looking forward to what Pixar might come out with year after year it was always going to be something of a disappointment when the inevitable Cars 3 came around and now...here we are. This summer we will not be graced by a new, inventive piece from Pixar nor will we see a sequel to one of their more beloved films (Ratatouille 2, anyone?), but rather we will have the only trilogy capper in Pixar history outside of Toy Story for what is easily the weakest two films on the studios slate. The cards have been dealt though and despite the fact it always seemed the Cars franchise was something of a "baby" to Pixar and Disney chief creative officer John Lasseter it seems even he is too busy now to mess with this third installment as Brian Fee (a storyboard artist on the first Cars) has taken over and has seemingly delivered a much darker film than what its predecessors might have indicated. The worst thing about the previous two Cars films is that they are more or less forgettable, especially when compared to their peers. It may be that Fee is attempting to break that stigma around the franchise with this third film by going in an unexpected direction and if the first teaser was any indication-things are definitely not looking the way I imagined a Cars 3 would look. This meaning that rather than the bright colors and zooming sounds of stadiums packed with racing and cheering automobiles that instead we have a story dealing with Owen Wilson's Lightning McQueen attempting to prove to a new generation of racers that he's still the best race car in the world. That first teaser showed us McQueen crashing on the track with the tagline, "From this moment. Everything will change." Pretty grim for a franchise that has made its name on merchandising and brand appeal rather than tapping into genuine emotion as most Pixar films do, but again...here we are. With this new trailer we get a better idea of what Cars 3 will look and sound like and while I'm intrigued by the implications of what the movie could actually be about there is still a lack of any excitement. Cars 3 also features the voice talents of Armie Hammer, Bonnie Hunt, Tony Shalhoub, Larry the Cable Guy, Katherine Helmond, Cheech Marin, Paul Dooley, and opens on June 16, 2017.

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: OUT OF THE SHADOWS Review

From the opening cityscape shot of New York City accompanied by Steve Jablonsky's pulsing score new director Dave Green (Earth to Echo) establishes a fresh, but familiar tone with this sequel to 2014's "surprisingly" successful reboot of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle live action series. With Michael Bay producing, a hired hand director, and a string of production issues it is something of a wonder that first film came off as well as it did. In more or less accomplishing what it intended to be for the audience it intended to target Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles qualified as a success. And if that opinion is to be shared it is also highly likely one would agree with the fact this sequel, subtitled Out of the Shadows, is even more successful in its end goals as the story is more coherent, the characters more in tune with their distinctive personalities, and the whole affair in general being a lot more fun. That isn't to say Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows is a great film as it certainly has no aspirations to be groundbreaking and seems to only hope to fall in line with the rules rather than to be an exception, but in doing little more than fully embracing its source material in the most cartoony and goofy of ways it gets so many things right it parlays itself into a pleasantly entertaining time at the movies. It would be easy to pick apart a film such as this for the gaps in logic, the idea that Megan Fox's April O'Neil could so easily break into as high profile a lab as Dr. Baxter Stockman's (Tyler Perry), or that Hollywood should be ashamed of itself for wasting the talent of actors like Laura Linney in this type of disposable entertainment, but what would be the point? TMNT has been around long enough at this point that there is some respect due to the series for being as endearing as it has continued to be. The fact that it centers around four genetically mutated reptiles who listen to a giant rat and have a sexy news reporter and a guy with a hockey mask on their team is easy ammo if one cares to criticize such openly ridiculous material, but that Green and screenwriters Josh Appelbaum and André Nemec choose to embrace such absurdities rather than attempt to play them down (ahem...Fantastic Four) makes it easier for the audience to do the same.

New Trailer for TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: OUT OF THE SHADOWS

I feel like one of the few folks in my generation who didn't mind 2014’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I grew up loving the Turtles, but never cared as much about the mythology or technicalities as I did simply enjoying their personalities and having a good time. I mean, should anyone get overly protective about kung-fu fighting turtles? Anyway, that the 2014 film turned out to be something of a surprising box office success and a pleasing film in its own right for the audience it was made for ultimately only meant one thing moving forward: we'd be getting more turtles. Taking away from the film an appreciation for the new character designs, the PG-13 skirting sense of humor, Will Arnett’s dumb performance and the overall look of the product I was anxious to see what future films might do with some of my favorite childhood characters that also inhabited the world of TMNT. In this Dave Green (Earth to Echo) directed sequel we seem to be getting as many homages to the original property as possible. Whether that be in Casey Jones, more Shredder, Bebop and Rocksteady, Krang and the Technodrome, or simply the turtle’s mode of transportation-it's all here. This is a series unafraid to embrace its roots and in a day and age where the cool thing to do is ground as much of your fantastical world in reality one has to appreciate what this franchise is doing for the fan base it needs to serve. This new trailer looks silly as all get out and I can’t imagine it not being as enjoyable as this makes it seem. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows stars Alan Ritchson, Megan Fox, Stephen Amell, Laura Linney, William Fichtner, Brian Tee, Will Arnett, Noel Fisher, Tyler Perry, Johnny Knoxville, Jane Wu, Jeremy Howard, Tony Shalhoub, Gary Anthony Williams, Pete Ploszek, Stephen Farrelly, and opens on June 3, 2016.

First Trailer for TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: OUT OF THE SHADOWS

2014’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reboot was something of a surprising box office success and a fine enough film in its own right for the audience it was made for. As a fan of the turtles since their heyday of the late 80’s/early 90’s I was cautiously optimistic about what we might get with this new live-action film. I was of the age when the original trilogy of live action films debuted that I found each of them more fun than the next (yes, even the one where they go to Japan) and so there was a special place in my heart for the turtles and seeing them on the big screen again. I ended up having a pretty good time with 2014’s TMNT and even enjoyed the new character designs, the sense of humor, Will Arnett’s dumb performance and the overall look of the product. In this Dave Green (Earth to Echo) directed sequel, we seem to be getting all of that again, but this time with as many homages to the original property as possible. Whether that be in Casey Jones, more Shredder, Bebop and Rocksteady or simply the turtle’s mode of transportation-it's all here. This is a series unafraid to embrace its roots and in a day and age where the cool thing to do is ground as much of your fantastical world in reality one has to appreciate what this franchise is doing. This looks silly as all get out, but I can’t imagine it not being mostly enjoyable. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows stars Alan Ritchson, Megan Fox, Stephen Amell, Laura Linney, William Fichtner, Brian Tee, Will Arnett, Noel Fisher, Tyler Perry, Johnny Knoxville, Jane Wu, Jeremy Howard, Tony Shalhoub, Gary Anthony Williams, Pete Ploszek, Stephen Farrelly, and opens on June 3, 2016.

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES Review

It's somewhat disappointing this is going to likely end up as a one off. As a kid, I loved Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as I suspect most did who will be writing reviews of this latest incarnation and were born between 1980 and 1993. We identified with one of the personalities, we latched onto one of the colors and had to have everything in that hue while collecting all of the action figures and devouring the animated series and Jim Henson movies. For me, TMNT were the definitive super heroes, the pre-cursor to Power Rangers that grew to be a place of nostalgia where one could always retreat and find comfort in something as discomforting as green ooze. I can even remember becoming excited for the post-Power Rangers attempt to rejuvenate the series with The Next Mutation, but I felt the same way as it seemed most did as the series only lasted one season. I grew up, things changed and I didn't hear from the Turtles for a period of time. It seems though that Nickelodeon is trying to capitalize on their recently purchased rights of the Mirage Studio characters as they have a new CGI animated TV series airing and have partnered with a few other studios to bring the heroes in a half-shell back to the big screen once again. It always felt like an inevitability that the Turtles would one day return in the form of a feature film (2007's TMNT certainly didn't do anything for me), but I never had much ambition for what it could be or what direction it might go given the advancements in technology and the touchstones the early 90's films have become. It seems breaking that stigma has refused to give in as the press surrounding this latest live-action movie hasn't been the best. With each film I try to walk in with an open-mind and sense of optimism though (it's what I like to think keeps me distanced from the jaded critics who allow the amount of movies they see to change the perspective of how mainstream audiences might receive a film) and when it comes to something with as ridiculous a premise as turtles who are not only teenagers, but mutants and ninjas fighting a guy who now looks like a transformer you can only hope the filmmakers realize what they have for what it is. For me, Jonathan Liebesman's film is exactly that while doing its best to incorporate the look and feel of what super hero movies have become in this day and age.

New Trailer and Posters for TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES

Being a child of the late-80's/early 90's I loved Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and everything their faces were plastered on. As I was only six when the third live action film came out in 1993 I even loved that time-traveling adventure to ancient Japan or "Turtles in Time" as it is now referred. It has been unfortunate it's taken this long to bring the heroes in a half shell back to the big screen as I wasn't a fan of the 2007 animated film, but that was likely because I'd grown up and matured and didn't want my childhood heroes reverted to cheap animation. It seemed at first like the ball would never start rolling on this re-boot or that Michael Bay (who is producing) would piss so many people off it would be dead from the get-go. Prospects now at least looks somewhat promising as Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael and Donatello have clearly been ushered into the age of super hero films with an edge. Director Jonathan Liebesman (Wrath of the Titans) has given the turtles new and updated looks that classify them in a more-grounded kind of reality, but with giant, mutated turtles, talking rats and men in transformers costumes you can only get so "real" and I hope they keep that in mind. It also doesn't bode well that the story seems to be lifted straight out of The Amazing Spider-Man re-boot with April (Megan Fox) playing a pivotal role. I understand my tastes have matured and that this film is going to be aimed at new, younger fans of TMNT, but I'm hoping it will be as equally pleasing on both a nostalgic level and a B-movie summer actioner which the trailer seems to balance well in terms of seriousness, comedy and action set pieces. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles also stars William Fichtner, Will Arnett, Abby Elliot, Whoopi Goldberg, features the voices of Johnny Knoxville, Tony Shalhoub and opens on August 8th.

PAIN & GAIN Review

I've never been on the Michael Bay bashing train and certainly don't plan to start now as his latest, "smaller" film is likely the most interesting piece of work he will ever put to film. Interesting being the key word here as the story Bay has chosen to recount is one of the most outlandish and absurd truths that has also likely even been put to film. I have been highly anticipating Pain & Gain if not for the chance to see the now solidified movie star of Mark Wahlberg make his next move as well as watching Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson continue to skyrocket towards superstar status, but for the opportunity to see Bay stretch his visual (and maybe even storytelling) muscles with something other than big CGI robots. It has been nearly six years since the first Transformers film and in the time that Bay has delivered two sequels he has also had the growing ambition for this kind of passion project and that comes through in the execution and style with which Pain & Gain is delivered. There have already been some pretty heavy accusations and criticisms of the film thrown out and while I can understand where some of these are coming from in regards to the family of the deceased feeling this is making light of their family members deaths, the film certainly isn't glorifying the main characters and if anything, the source of the comedy comes from how stupid and incompetent these lead protagonists are in their dim-witted schemes. There are plenty of words being thrown around like homophobic or misogynistic to describe the director and his film yet it has always been clear the world these characters lived in was a world of strippers and bodybuilders who'd do anything for their physique yet likely oppose anything even the least bit gay. Those complaints are rendered mute by the fact those attributes are what create the atmosphere and the actions of the characters are so off-putting and the story so strange that it is also becomes extremely engaging.