Spy Review

Spy is a comedy directed by Paul Feig. It stars Melissa McCarthy, Jason Statham, Rose Byrne and Jude Law. The premise basically follows McCarthys' character, who plays a desk bound agent, and her transformation into a field agent. 

I'm going to start by saying that I was getting pretty sick of Melissa McCarthy. She always plays the same character. A rude, loud, obnoxious character. It really got old (for me at least) pretty fast. So I thought that this would be the same type of role for her. Surprisingly it isn't. The film starts with her being a pretty shy agent. She only sits behind a desk and tells the field agent where to go and what to do. She is very insecure, but she gets her chance to become a field agent due to some unfortunate events. She is really funny for most of the film, but she does start to turn into the same type of McCarthy character she always plays. She starts falling down, and insulting everyone. Thankfully it isn't as bad as in her other films so it can be pretty funny at times. The best actor in this movie is by far Jason Statham. He has some really funny monologues that feel like self-parody, and I loved it. Plus they don't over use him. He gets the perfect amount of screen time so it never feels like he is over doing it. Another surprise was Rose Byrne as the villain. I never thought she could actually play a villain, but she proved me wrong. She is awesome here. The only character that I had a problem with was with McCarthys' best friend. Her jokes rarely got a laugh out of me, and she got kind of annoying at times.

One thing that I never expected was how good the action was. Paul Feig just proved that he would make a really cool action movie. It is all shot very well, and has great choreography. In most spy comedy films the action is almost always just intended for comedic purposes and never actually focuses on actually being legit action. Spy gets major props on that front. When I think about it the action was even better than the comedy because a lot of the jokes here didn't hit for me. This is the type of comedy that has joke after joke after joke. When a comedy does that not everything is going to hit, and I wish they would have balanced out the comedy with the action instead of trying to go with a straight up comedy. 

Spy really surprised me. McCarthy wasn't annoying like I though she would be. Statham and Byrne were very very funny, and the action was fantastic. I do wish that they would have taken it easy with the comedy since so many jokes at once won't really hit, and I also wish they created a better story. The story here is extremely predictable, and you just know how the film is going to end since the very beginning. Another minor problem I had was the fact that the green screen (when used) was very noticeable and took me out of the movie, as well as some VFX shots. I do recommend seeing Spy though. It has some really funny moments, and some very cool action scenes. It does have a lot of shortcomings, but it is still pretty enjoyable. 3.5/5

Tomorrowland Review

Tomorrowland is a new science fiction Disney film directed by Brad Bird. It stars George Clooney, and Britt Robertson. The plot of the film is basically a secret, since the trailers only show you that a girl finds a pin and whenever she touches said pin she sees this place called Tomorrowland. So she decided that she is going to find a way to get to this place.

I was incredibly excited for this movie. It is an original movie with a pretty interesting premise, plus it was being directed by Brad Bird. Brad Bird is the same guy that directed The Iron Giant, The Incredibles, Ratatouille, and Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. I love all those films, and I think he is an extremely talented guy. Once the movie ended I only felt one thing: Disappointment. I'll start by saying that this isn't a bad movie, so don't get me wrong. I was loving the first two acts of this movie. George Clooney and Britt Robertson were freaking awesome in this movie. I also have to say that Raffey Cassidy, who is a little girl that plays a character called Athena in this movie, was very very good too, and kids in movies sometimes can get annoying. The whole story was really cool, and there was this sense of mystery as to what was Tomorrowland, and what was going on there over there that was so urgent. The action sequences were awesome and very well directed, and there was also some really good character development going on for everyone. The visual effects are very well done, and there is also a sense of awe and wonder when you see some of the scenes that take place in Tomorrowland. It looks really really good.

This is a movie that really is about the journey and not the destination, cause as soon as they get to Tomorrowland I felt as if the writers (Damon Lindelof and Brad Bird) just didn't know what to do next. Once in Tomorrowland they basically reveal the villain and the event that has to be stopped. In all honesty the villain was really lame. and the event that has to be stopped was kind of worse. This last 30 minutes all revolve around the message the film is trying to tell us. I won't say what that message is, but it is something we have all heard countless times before. It's good message for sure, but I was expecting something a lot more imaginative. Here the film decides to just bash your head with this message. Everything that happens in the final act is revolving around that message, so all the build up before getting to Tomorrowland doesn't pay off. Yes there is a cool looking action sequence in the end, but it doesn't feel as exciting or as interesting as the other action sequences since the whole point of it was pretty bad.

Tomorrowland is a really amazing movie right until that final act. It is very well acted, and very well written. It is funny, exciting, interesting, and original. The big payoff which was supposed to be getting to Tomorrowland was very dissapointing, and I wish Bird would have come up with something a lot better to have the characters do there. I do recommend watching it though, because I believe original films like this should be supported so we get more of them. It is very weird to have big films like this be original, and not based on any comic, or be a sequel or reboot of anything. 3/5

Mad Max: Fury Road Review

Over the years action movies have been running out of steam. Each year there's really only a couple of action movies that are really well made. Just to be clear I'm not including super hero movies in the action movie category, since I think super hero movies are a completely different category. Action movies are trying to replicate super hero movies now. Having almost invincible characters, big CGI sequences, etc. Thank God Mad Max came out and basically just showed everyone how it is done.

For those of you that don't know, Mad Max: Fury Road is the fourth installment in the Mad Max series. The first three films starred Mel Gibson in the title role and basically revolved around a post-apocalyptic world where gasoline is the most precious thing. The Mad Max films have had a big impact on film, and I really recommend watching them. This time Mad Max is played by Tom Hardy. The story basically goes like this: A guy called Immortan Joe is viewed as a God since he has a big supply of water, which is basically gone from the world. He also keeps various wives so that he can have multiple kids. A woman that works for him, called Furiosa (played by Charlize Theron), smuggles his wives and tries to get them to a safe place. Max is unfortunately tangled in this whole scheme, and has to help Furiosa along the way.

The movie is basically a 2 hour chase scene. The action is (almost) all done with practical effects, which means that CGI was almost never used. Director George Miller basically schooled every action director there is, since the stunts in the movie are so unbelievably amazing. You have guys swinging around in large poles grabbing people from other cars and taking them away. You have characters strapped to cars. You even have a guy playing electric guitar and firing off flames while he does so. This movie really is the definition of insane, and I loved every minute of it. The hand to hand combat scenes are also done perfectly. No shaky cam bullshit is ever found in this film. This is an action movie that is done absolutely perfectly.

When the film does decide to stop for a moment to catch it's breath, you get some really interesting character backgrounds, specially from Furiosa, who just owns this movie. This is a movie that really shows that women can kick serious ass. Seriously, every  single woman who is in this film gets to kick ass, and that is very weird for an action movie. Tom Hardy fits very well into the role of Mad Max, and doesn't feel like a big departure from Gibson's take, but Charlize Theron is the best part of the movie. She really feels almost like the main character from the movie. The movie could have been called Furiosa: Fury Road and it would have made complete sense.

Mad Max: Fury Road is one of the best action films I've seen period. No doubt about it. If you have watched other Mad Max films and haven't enjoyed them then you won't enjoy this one since it's basically a Mad Max film on steroids. For those that have never seen one you can actually watch this without having seen the others. The story doesn't try to connect with the others at all, although it does have some references that fans will enjoy. I do recommend watching Mad Max, and Mad Max 2 just to get a feel of how this series works, but it's not really necessary. Mad Max: Fury Road was pretty much perfect. What a lovely day indeed.
 5/5

Avengers: Age of Ultron Review

Avengers: Age of Ultron is the newest installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It is once again directed by Joss Whedon and features a massive cast including Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Elizabeth Olsen, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Samuel L. Jackson, Cobie Smulders, Don Cheadle, Paul Bettany, Anthony Mackie, and James Spader. Yeah that is a lot of people to juggle in one film.

I have to start by saying this is the most fun I've had in a movie all year. Joss Whedon nailed it once again, and I actually find the fact that he managed to pull this movie off even more impressive than when he did the first one and here is why. The first one was a movie that had every single character set up from previous films including the villain and his plan. All Joss Whedon had to do was put them all together and balance them all while being true to how he wrote every single character. This time however he has to setup a new villain, Ultron, played by James Spader. Ultron was awesome, and he was something the MCU needed since most of the villains apart from Loki and the Winter Soldier really haven't been very memorable. Ultron is a fantastic villain since he is the type of villain that you can understand where he is coming from. He sees that the only way for peace is for him to eliminate the human race, since we are the cause of every problem that happens on earth. Frankly he isn't wrong, and that's what makes him so cool to watch. Plus James Spader just kills it as Ultron. I also like the fact that Ultron is a pretty sarcastic villain. He isn't the regular "mean" villain, he actually cracks some jokes from time to time. Villain aside, Whedon also brought in some other new characters. You have Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver, who are twins with special abilities. Quicksilver can run extremely fast, and Scarlet Witch can get into peoples mind and do other telekinetic stuff. I thought they would feel unnecessary but they really bring a lot to the film. Specially since they are the ones that cause the Avengers to break in a psychological way. The other new character is Vision. I won't spoil anything about him, but the way they bring him in and how they handle him is perfect if you ask me.

The other heroes are handled even better than last time in my opinion. Their interactions are funnier, and they all get developed really well. The most surprising though was Hawkeye. I never expected him to have such a big part in the story. It was really cool seeing and knowing more of him since he kind of got the short end of the stick on the last movie. The action is done extremely well. You can tell what's going on at all times, and the CGI is seamless. It is tons of fun and I was never really bored. Even when there is no action on screen just seeing all these heroes interacting with each other is a blast, which really is a testament to Joss Whedons' writing skills.

My only minor complaint with the movie though is a small part of the film involving Thor. When you see the movie you'll know what I mean. It didn't feel like part of the film, and it really only was there to set up Thor: Ragnarok. But it really doesn't take up a lot of screen time from the rest of the movie so it really didn't bother me too much.

I loved Avengers: Age of Ultron. It was so much fun from start to finish, and really went in depth with all the characters this time around, which was something I wasn't expecting because of the huge amount of characters that are in this film. I still might say I like the first one a tiny bit better just for the fact that the first one was all set up from the start, so you get into it right from the start, but I'm still not sure. Definitely watch this on a movie theater, it really is a big screen experience. 5/5

Home Review

Home is an animated film starring Jim Parsons and Rihanna. The story takes place on planet Earth, where an alien race called the Boov invade the planet. However, a teenage girl named Tip manages to avoid capture and goes on the run with another Boov called Oh who also finds himself on the run. 

Home is a hard film for me to describe. It's a film that is kind of fun to watch, but once it ended and I stepped out of the theater... I almost completely forgot about it. The big problem that this film has is the fact that there really isn't anything particularly interesting about it. The characters aren't anything special, the script offers a few laughs but nothing really amazing, and the big sequences also left a lot to be desired. Something that I did really enjoy was the voice acting. Jim Parsons and Rihanna do a great job in their roles, even if Rihanna does sound a little older than the girl she is voicing. That's basically the only thing that I found to be really good in the film.

Home isn't a bad film, but it isn't a particularly good one either. It doesn't do anything out of the ordinary and is extremely predictable. Even the action sequences are kind of bland at times. It's fun while you watch it, but once it's over you won't think about the film again. Kids though will probably really have fun with it, but anyone else won't find anything mind blowing here. 2.5/5 

Furious 7 Review

Furious 7 is the seventh (!) installment in The Fast and The Furious series. The film follows Deckard Shaw who is Owen Shaws (villain from the last film) brother, as he tries to hunt down every single member of Doms team for revenge. This is the first film since The Fast and The Furious Tokyo Drift not to be directed by Justin Lin. It is instead directed by James Wan who has directed films like Saw, Insidious, and The Conjuring. The film features a huge cast including Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, Kurt Russel, Djimon Hounsou, and  Jason Statham. This film (as with the past couple of films) is all about over the top action. If you walk into this movie expecting an amazing plot and great acting then this movie is not for you.

This film is just filled with some awesome fist fights. Some awesome shoot outs. Fantastic chase scenes. It really is a very manly film. You even have girls dancing around in bikinis and booty shots everywhere. And it is all done in the most over the top way possible. The good thing is that all the action is very well done, and doesn't feature any shaky cam. James Wan really knows how to film action, which was one of my fears going into the movie because he is more of a horror movie director and had never done anything like this before. The movie is really non stop action, and it is an insane amount of fun to watch. The fact that the whole cast works so well together and actually feels like a family just makes all their interaction a lot more fun to watch. Jason Statham as the villain was really bad ass. Specially since he almost always shows up by himself. He doesn't need henchmen or others helping him, and that makes him even cooler.

My only two complaints are the fact that Dwayne Johnson is just in the movie during the beginning and during the end, and the fact that the plot is pretty convoluted. There are a ton of characters and a ton of things happening at once, but since this film really isn't about plot and character development it doesn't really matter too much.

Another thing that has to be discussed is Paul Walker. As I guess everyone knows he died in a car accident back in 2013 while the movie was still shooting. He did manage to complete 85% of the film, while the rest was completed with the help of his brothers and CGI. The CGI is pretty noticeable which might take some out of the movie, but it isn't too bad. One thing that I did love was the way they handled the characters exit from the films. It was done perfectly. But the best thing was the final scene. It was perfect and I can't think of a better way they could have ended the film.

 Furious 7 is a film that has to be watched on the big screen. It is over the top and ridiculous, but that's what everyone wants this films to be and it works. It is almost impossible not to have fun while watching it, and the way they handled Paul Walker was perfect, even if the CGI wasn't the greatest ever. Definitely watch Furious 7, it is simply awesome. 4.5/5

Focus Review

Focus is a film starring Will Smith and Margot Robbie. The movie follows a con-man (Smith), who is in the middle on a scheme when a girl (Robbie) from his past shows up and messes everything up. I enjoyed watching the film, although it does have a lot of problems. First of all the film changes from being a romance to being a dark comedy a lot. You never have a complete mix of the two. You´ll have a scene that is just completely romantic, and then you will go into a scene that is comedic. If scenes had elements of both it would have been perfect. Another problem is the fact that the film, the ending in particular, throws twist after twist after twist. If there was one or two twists it could have been ok. But there are like five of them, and it kind of gets annoying.

The movie does get a lot right though. The chemistry between Smith and Robbie is fantastic, which is crucial when the movie is kind of a romance. Smith is awesome as always, and he is the main reason the movie is entertaining to watch. If it had been another actor it might have not been as fun. There is also a fantastic scene during a football game. I hoped that there would be more scenes like that one in the movie. The film also seems far fetched at times, but it isn't too bad though.

Focus is a fun time but that's about it. There is nothing particularly mind blowing about it, and the fact that it doesn't really know if it's a romance or comedy brings it down at times. The saving grace of the film is Will Smith. That guy is fun to watch in everything he does (except After Earth). If you have a couple of hours to spare, you might have fun with this one. 3/5