A summary of all the good points from the original trilogy - ****

The Force Awakens is the first of a new set of trilogy following episode VI, Return of the Jedi.  Star Wars creator George Lucas knew right at the shoot of Empire Strikes Back that there will be a sequel trilogy but it did not materialize until he decided that he will not make another Star Wars film. But the sale of Lucasfilm to Disney brought forth renewed energy to produce the next set, the first installment of which is directed, co-produced and co-written by the man of the hour J.J. Abrams. 

The story takes off 30 years after Return of the Jedi, continuing the fight between the force and the dark side.  Two forces continue to battle it out; the First order which used to be the Galactic empire backed by the dark side and the Resistance backed by the Republic finding themselves on the good side of the galaxy.  The story is driven by the search for Luke Skywalker by both parties. The former to finally end the only living Jedi that will guarantee success for the dark side and the latter to be finally reunited with his twin sister Leia now known as General Organa of the Resistance and get his support for the fight against the dark side. 

Watching this from a non-fan point of view the film looks and feels old, but that only means that they've tried to be consistent with original designs and editing styles from all the way back as Episode IV.  And when you get over that as a viewer you are just intrigued by the new characters Ray and Finn and how they will fare into the story, poised to be the new heroes of this trilogy.  Two characters  exchanging energies and helping each other survive, what is intriguing  to me mostly are their characters' origins, where they came from , that was not very well supplied in this movie. Thus to me they come off as aloof making it a little difficult for me to relate to their characters. 

But mostly what I am really admiring in this film is the way the story is told.  This film succeeds  in telling a story that mostly picks up most of the good points from the past films and putting them all in this one.  It captures the audience imagination and succeeds at making the audience involved in every scene be it a space chase scene, a family drama or some personal discoveries. 

A typical sports drama film - ***

Creed is considered the 7th of the Rocky series, but it can also be considered as a spin-off.   There was Rocky I-V, and then 'Rocky Balboa' considered as part 6 , then here comes Creed as the 7th.  Co-produced by Sylvester Stallone and directed by Ryan Coogler the film seems to sit well with critics and has earned good box office receipts since its opening in November this year.

Out of a juvenile detention facility, the bastard son of the deceased Apollo Creed, Donnie is taken in by the legal wife of Apollo, Mary Anne played by Phylicia Rashad.  We next find Donnie as an adult leading two lives, one as an employee at a securities firm and another as a underground boxer in Tijuana, Mexico.  Since he has been fighting mostly his childhood days and has too much of his father's blood in him, he decided to leave his job and pursue boxing.  He moved to Philadelphia to eventually get training from Rocky Balboa and gets to fight on an international  ring. 

While there is nothing incredible or spectacular about its narrative, this movie raises up a couple of questions; Are we worthy of our father's name?  How much does it take to earn the respect of our peers and the community we revolve in? What is family? It really took a while for me to realize the real conflict of this story, at the onset I kept asking myself, 'so what's the issue here?' Is it about the struggles of the youth of today or is about how our identity can be lost due to our heritage? At one point the movie seemed to loose some focus but it all boils down to the final fight and its outcome.

This will be the second time that I'm seeing Michael B.Jordan in a film, the first one being as Torch in Fantastic Four and I can say that he was well casted for this role as Donnie.  He was okay in Fantastic Four but he showed more depth and range here in Creed, he just proves that there is something more beyond his superhero body.

Two stories masterfully told in one movie - ****1/2

It is amazing how this movie went through a lot of filters before it came to us as a film.  It started with true events, that became an inspiration for  a book, and that story in itself became a book from which this movie was based on.  The story traveled a long ways from history to become a film such that it really is not  surprising that the part of history where it came from is a totally different world altogether.

This story is about the ill-fated voyage of the .American whaling ship Essex and the struggles of its survivors.  The story is told through an interview by Moby Dick author Herman Melville and the only living survivor Thomas Nickerson.  While the adventure of the Essex is being told, Herman and Thomas each are coming into their own being, the former as a writer and the latter as a man coming into terms with his own demons.

Two stories running parallel to each other, alternately serving as both background and main story; the interview about the Essex and the adventure of the Essex.  The opening scene establishes the two main characters of the interview, Herman on the brink of discovering a source for his masterpiece and Thomas on the brink of breaking through a wall that he built for himself thus shunning away the people who love him.  Then the story rolls along the incredible adventure of the captain  and crew of Essex as they try to survive the harsh elements of being stranded in the middle o the sea.  Two stories very well told, tied together through the masterful work of director Ron Howard.  To me both stories come equally compelling and intense. Both stories are about courage and both glorifying the concept of truth and honesty.  Watching this film feels like a journey in itself and the end of this journey is represented by classic tale of Moby Dick. 

Love wins at the expense of a decent ending - ***

A Second Chance is a sequel to the 2007 Star Cinema romantic drama, One More Chance.  With a smaller production team, the movie gets the same writing tandem along with the same director to continue on the same rhythm and quality that made One More Chance a success.

The story picks up where the last film left of and this one starts with a wedding.  After getting married, the beloved couple Basha and Popoy embark on a life as husband and wife  with big dreams and purpose.  But life did not go the way they had planned it,  Popoy was not successful in his venture and Basha failed at being pregnant.  And this movie is about how all these occurrences affect their relationship that begs the question; ' Is love enough?'.

One thing that is good about the story is that the conflicts are real and not melodramatized.  It presents the intricacies and real challenges of a life of a husband and wife.  Another thing is that it does not resort to a 'third party affair' kind of conflict that would've made this film so much of a cliche, thus strengthening what Basha and Popoy feel for each other. 

So the couple went into business from which Basha had to take a leave from in order for her to have a baby, which leaves Popoy to manage the business alone.  Because of a particular negligence the business went down with a total debt of 60 Million pesos.  Because of this they had to close and declare bankruptcy.   This is a big problem, a problem that can not be solved by love alone..  I can not go into much detail, but what really is vague to me is how all the problems have been solved.  And this is why I could not even give this movie a 4 star rating. 

Too many plots make the story long - ***

Mockingjay Part 2 completes the four-part Hunger Games series.  It is the second part that is based on the third book of Suzanne Collins, part one of which was released exactly a year ago.

Katniss survives the attack of the brain-washed Peeta and decided  to assassinate President Snow because of what he had done to her good friend.   While the full fledged attack on the Capitol went under way, politics sidetracked her plan and was assigned to be with a propaganda team whom she had to trick to be able complete her personal mission.  There was a power grab right on the transition government and Katniss had to come back to district 12, a move that eventually reunited him with Peeta to become a couple and then a family.

Because nothing much happened in part 1, and its ending only served to set up the sequel, the whole series could have been just presented in three parts rather than four by cutting up the last installment.  There were too many plots that did not really present much use nor serve any purpose.  There was the political plot, the love triangle, the social commentary on propaganda and the message against war and everything just took up some time to add on some more scenes to make the movie interesting. 

As a whole, I like the design in this film.  The costumes of the people from the Capitol, and the way they make each district distinct from one another.   In this last installment the scenes look pretty grim and there wasn't  much of the capitol people to see.  But then as the districts unite so does their overall look and design.  It is also good to note how they had managed to finish the movie with some scenes left that Philip Seymour Hoffman failed to do because of his untimely death.  This was his last film. 

A weak version of what its trailer had set it out to be - **1/2

Spectre is an organization that had appeared in Diamonds Are Forever and is also the twenty-fourth James Bond film.  It is Sam Mendes' second James Bond movie following Skyfall and is also co-produced by Daniel Craig himself.  With a total budget of USD 250 million, and gross sales marked at USD 310 million as of November 11, 2015 the film is one of the most expensive James Bond movie ever made.

The story picks up from where Skyfall left off, acting on a mission upon the unofficial order of the former M, James Bond finds himself in Mexico killing an assassin whose death led him to discover an organization called Spectre that had been somehow responsible for James Bond's past challenges.  Behind this caper, the 00 organization where James Bond belongs as 007 is also being challenged.  It's existence is being threatened by a new head with a different kind of 'philosophy' and is coincidentally a member of the Spectre organization.

I was really intrigued when I saw the trailer of this movie. I thought there was a major bombshell to be revealed.   Though the revelation did not quite match the amount of excitement that I felt, what the trailer did not tell me is how spectacular the opening scene was in Mexico.  The music set the mood and the scenes played along with the rhythm, it seems like everything was choreographed up to the part where he lands on a sofa after falling from a collapsing building.  Then the helicopter scene looked really expensive and well shot. I was not breathing the whole time. But the excitement ends there.  I was struggling to stay awake the rest of the time.

The story is weak and uninteresting and the action scenes did not quite make up for its inadequacy.  It tries to tie up this film with the old James Bond films by way of highlighting the organization Spectre through whom James can affiliate most of his miseries.  And the reason behind this should be the films biggest mystery, but when that was revealed everything just became so shallow.  Most of all I find it funny when villains try to set up traps for the heroes.  In this case an old building was set up to explode to kill just two people.  This was supposed to be a climactic scene but it just feels too contrived that it felt anti climactic. 

Campy exacts revenge - ****

Shot  entirely in Australia in 2014, the movie comes highly acclaimed by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television with several nominations including best film, best director, best actress and best supporting actress.  With one of the great contemporary actresses playing as mother to Kate Winslet, Judy Davis provides much of the acting spine in this film with Kate getting along in repartee.

The story is set in a fictitious town in Australia called Dungatar.  When Tilly was ten years old, she was banished from the town at the wake of a suspected murder of a boy.  The movie starts in 1951 when Tilly comes back to learn the truth behind the incident and to take care of her ailing mom.  She uses her talent in designing and making dresses to learn the truth and to exact revenge on her town that did her wrong.

To me there are two parts to this film, the love story part and the revenge part.  It was pretty amusing the first half, with a mix of mystery and drama and some campy-ness to provide some giggles.  The story is really a mix of drama and comedy underneath a very serious theme of  deception and revenge.  The story is really based on a book of the same tittle, the film tries its best to be loyal to the story but the movie's limitation did not translate well in transcending from first half to second half.

The strength of this film lies in its honesty at presenting the ugly side of human nature.  It did not sway in the direction of common expectations and tried to honestly present the story as it really is based on the book.  The acting tandem of Kate Winslet and Judy Davis as mother and daughter is the anchor by which all the other intentions of the movie is tied to. 

A sensory spectacle - ****1/2

Teasers of this movie intrigued me, not knowing what it was about and wondering why the movie is even offered in 3D imax format.  Then I was even more intrigued when I found out what the story is about and wondered how a simple story like this could be made interesting. There was really nothing else to do to satisfy my curiosity but to watch it in the imax theatre and that made all the difference.

The movie is a dramatization of the life of Philippe Petit leading up to  his famous high wire walk across the the towers of the World Trade Center.  It mentions how his career started in France and how a failed first public performance led him to aspire for more meaningful performances in the future.  His desire led him to cross the towers of Notre Dame and finally the towers of the World Trade Center.

Back in 1974 the World Trade Center was still being built and is nearing completion.  The challenge for Philippe and his team of accomplices is how to set up the wire without getting caught..  They executed their plan with much delay and as history would mention, the walk was a success.

This movie succeeds on a lot of different levels.  It succeeds at telling the story through clever editing and inventive points of view.  It succeeds at taking the viewers through a journey from Philippe's childhood up to the titular walk.  It succeeds at engaging the viewers in a sensory trip as well through visuals and sounds.  It takes you up with him on his walk, step upon every step up on the wire where it feels more like you were in the sky than on top across two buildings.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt has outdone himself , mastering his french and his tight walk training under Mr. Petit himself. He interprets a nicer version of what history considers an almost maniacal Philippe Petit.  And though he definitely sets the pace being the narrator of the movie and the lead of the story, he is well supported by Ben Kinglsey, Charlotte Le Bon, Clement Sibomy and James Badge Dale.

Though up front this movie seems like a modern retelling of a true story that happened in 1974, what really strikes me in the end prior to closing credits is that this may also be a tribute to once  was the grandeur that is the World Trade Center and then you are saddened that it is no longer there.  Watch this film on 3D imax and get the feeling of being up the there, realistically and totally edge of the seat thrilling. 

Spielberg story-telling at its best - ****

With the working title 'St. James Place', writer Matt Chairman pitched his material to Steven Spielberg who accepted the project as producer and director.   In May 2014, Tom Hanks and Mark Rylance was cast as the two leads.  With some revisions from the Coen brothers, filming began in September.

This movie whose story is based on actual events during the cold war is about an insurance lawyer James Donovan (Tom Hanks) who was tasked to defend a Russian spy, Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance).  Found guilty on three accounts, Abel was sentenced to 30 years in prison with the thought that someday he may be used as a bargaining chip with Russia.  That 'someday' did not take long when an American pilot is caught flying on Soviet airspace taking shots of industrial sites.  Donovan was again tapped to negotiate the exchange, and so he went to East Berlin and got caught up in cold war's absurd political situation.

You know a movie would be good when two very credible artists connive to make a film.  Both Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg have gained god-like Hollywood status to be able to choose projects that they find worthy.  And truly this story is worth telling.  So I am watching the movie and here I see someone I don't know playing a Russian spy and thought they really casted him well.  Mark Rylance portrayal is spot on.  He gets into his character and remained consistent up to the end.  Then I saw Alan Alda and thought, 'wow this
must be some important piece of material'.  It was just a formidable ensemble of actors led of course by no less then Mr.Tom Hanks himself, whose portrayal of James Donovan is witty, sensitive and serious all at the same time.

But what is truly amazing about this movie is the way the story is told.  It is just one event after another and you just get caught up in the story, but it lulls a bit, though I am guessing that has something to do with the way the spy negotiations were going.  Also, using tools like parallelisms and symbol isms to relay an intrinsic messages that may make you think that this is Spielberg's most important work after Schindler's List but of course there were others that came after as well. 

Poorly written with flawed characters - *1/2

I saw the trailer for this film last week and made a mental note that I will watch it when it comes out.  It  looked fun in a 'BIRDCAGE' kind of way but sadly this movie did not take that route.

Wendy (Jennilyn Mercado) is an adopted daughter of two gay parents (Gardo Versoza and Dominic Ochoa).  She was on her way to the airport to take a flight that will bring her to New York to visit her biological father when she met Sean (Sam Milby) by accident, literally a vehicular accident.  Unbeknownst to both that they will be seating beside each other on the plane going to New York, they learned to like each other during the trip.  Unfortunately because of some domestic problems, her biological father can not accommodate for her stay in New York and so Sean offered to let her stay at his apartment.  They got to know each other more and fell in love.  They agreed to marry when they get back to the Philippines and this is when the real conflict starts.  Sean's family is very rich and does not think highly of Wendy's.  His parents suspect that she is in it for the money and so they insisted on a prenuptial agreement that irked the side of Wendy's, giving way to more conflict.

This was really funny at first, I was the loudest one in the theater to laugh, but then things start to fall apart when they get to New York.  The biological father can not even provide a hotel room for her daughter when he was even the one responsible for her being there. Gay parents who take pride in their family but accepts bribes.  Straight parents who belittle their would-be in-laws because of their financial status but totally ignoring the fact that the in-laws are both guys.  A totally gay character stays in the closet for no apparent reason. A traditional woman of values, agrees to stay with a guy she just met.  And a rich guy who has the compassion to help the needy does not even have the conviction to fight for his own life.  Almost all the characters here are flawed on a certain level.

This was well shot though, scenes from New York and scenes pretending to be in New York look really consistent that you must be able to know how local productions deal with economic constraints and logistics to pull off scenes that weren't really shot in places that they claim to be.  This may be the cooperation between cinematographer and production design.

This movie's strength could have been the funny characters in it. I always enjoy the repartee between Gardo's character and Sean's mother played by Jaclyn Jose. But the attempt to add some more dimension into the characters or to avoid being predictable created flawed characters that destroys the characters' credibility.

An incredible story of human determination and scientific success - ****

Based on a science fiction novel by Andy Weir, the film made an effective transition to film through the direction of  Ridley Scott and screenplay  by Drew Goddard.  Scott's vision about human compassion serves as fuel that moves the story bedded upon a sensitively written script.

Ares III is a manned mission to Mars, it is  six-man mission led by a woman commander Melissa Lewis (Jessica Chastain). While on a routine exploration, the mission is aborted because of a sand storm that threatens to destroy their space ship.  While escaping, astronaut/botanist Mark Watney (Matt Damon) is hit by a debris that throws him off and thus fails to escape.  Presumed dead he is left behind by his team. The story moves forward as he finds a way to survive with existing supplies and finding a way to communicate with Earth.

The story is set in an ideal world where women can become commanders of space exploration missions and nations like China offer help to rescue just one man. It created characters that contrast the grim situation that Mark Watney finds himself in and pursues the idea that with the help of science and human determination man can overcome overwhelming odds.  It tells us to prioritize problems based on importance and urgency and inspires us to pursue knowledge that might come in handy in times of catastrophes.

Mostly shot in a big sound stage in Budapest with exterior shots of Mars taken from a desert in Jordan, the movie presents credible visuals that gives you a sense of reality to each scene.  The duration of more than 2 hours running time does not feel exhaustive because of entertaining characters and the portrayal of Matt Damon whose character is really the spine from which all the other characters are attached to.

A clever manipulation by the masterful hands of Chito Rono - ****

Originally intended for a totally different set of cast, this film only started shooting in July of this year when Kris Aquino finally agreed to do the film. With all the big name stars and the kind of idiosyncrasies that go with the process of producing a film it is amazing how the director managed to come up with such an insightful take on the lives of mistresses.

This movie , loosely based but mostly just inspired by the book of Julie Yap-Daza, follow the relationship of 5 friends drawn together by a common predicament, that of being mistresses of high profile men. Georgia (Kris Aquino) and Chloe (Claudine Barretto), represent two opposing sides, that I can only describe as either assertive or permissive. 

One of the strengths of this film is the script.  Cleverly written lines and thought provoking sentences put you into the shoes of the mistresses and the real wives. But the biggest strength of this film is the masterful work of Chito Rono.  This year's work is definitely better than his last work which was Feng Shui 2 and proves to be a good picker upper.  Putting together all the elements of film, script, movie and lighting and not to mention motivating actors I can only attribute this film's success to his sensitive and conscientious management.

Coming back to Star Cinema after two years, this is to me Claudine's most daring performance.  She shines here as the aggressive advertising hotshot.  Pilar Pilapil delivers an important monologue about wives.  And Kris Aquino redefined the concept of underacting.  Iza's Stella provides wake-upper that changes the game for these ladies.  Kim's Ina is the conscience while Cheena's Charley is the strength.

Though the material seemed daring as it seems to glamorize the scandalous lives of mistresses, what is ultimately, not wrong, but to me a little disappointing about this film is the direction it decided to take in the end.   Because what really happened is, it showed you the ups and downs of being a mistress, but then it decided for the audience what is good and took the moral scapegoat. 

A movie in search of its own purpose - **

Ironically, the casting for this movie went through some revisions before finalizing on Robert De Niro and Anne Hathaway.  For something as bland as this story, the film requires very good actors to pull it off.

Bill Whittaker ,a 70 year old retiree looking for some purpose, grabbed the chance to work for an e-commerce company whose CEO, Jules Ostin unknowingly agreed to the idea of a senior internship program to promote a  'forward' thinking corporate image.  He got the job to be her assistant and eventually became her friend as well as earning  the admiration of his colleagues.

This film is a lite drama , lite comedy that does not take any particular shape.  Being lite, I guess means that it does not present much of a conflict to keep the drama at a certain level nor does it try to be too vivacious so as not to step into comedic territory.  And so the film really does not do anything special, thus making it sort of  boring.

The two good actors that I admire are the leads of this movie, but their talent can only do so much when their characters are limited by the story.  Robert's Bill is someone who seems to be going no where while Anne's Jules does not seem to come from anywhere.  It was just nice to see them both,  Anne is just perfect for this role and Robert's added wrinkles magnifies every facial expression.

A no nonsense retelling of the 1996 Mt. Everest Disaster - ***1/2

Shot in 2013 and subsequently released in 2015, this film directed by Icelandic director Baltasar Kormakur does not pull out to anything but telling the story.  Though there is absolutely nothing wrong with a less stylish method of telling a story, this film decided to keep it as real as possible because it is really based on actual events.

By 1996, coming up to the peak of Mt. Everest has become a business that caters to amateur mountain climbers.  This movie is about that particular expedition in 1996 when there were actually 4 expeditions happening at the same time.  Too many mountaineers and the blizzard that happened on that day in May summarized the disaster that befell the mountaineers who never came back.

Movie starts of really well with some well photographed scenes of Nepal and Mt. Everest.  Then you are given a clinical description of the hazards of  being in high altitudes after realizing how many actors are involved in this film.  It becomes a little overwhelming. Then the story really unfolds and you totally know what is going to happen and you are just waiting for shit to hit the fan so to speak.  But then somehow due to the film's lack of flair and drama you become a little uninterested and detached, then disaster really comes to the story then it becomes a little difficult to watch and you are just there wishing for the ordeal to be over.

This film boasts of a strong ensemble cast led by Jason Clarke whose character is the strength that fuels the story.  Adding color and some vibrancy to this movie are the presence of  Josh Brolin and Jake Gyllenhaal.  And not to mention the contributions of  Emily Watson, Keira Knightly and Robin Wright providing the much needed drama and human touch to this almost documentary style of a movie.

Though this movie does present itself as is, there are some relevant messages that can come up after watching this movie.  Mostly I think it is about how much we are willing to go to fulfill our own dreams may it be to have a successful business or climbing the highest mountain.  

A provocative take on our nation's history - ****1/2

Heneral Luna is a somewhat loose interpretation of an era that is emerging to be one of Philippine's darkest in political history.  It is a story that needed to be told in this time of economic struggle and political ambiguity.  A story about a man who refuses to play politics in pursuit of absolute freedom.

In 1898, the Spaniards gave up the Philippines to the Americans as an execution of a Treaty that was made in Paris.  The Philippine revolutionary government led by President Aguinaldo is at first at a quandary as to the intentions of the Americans until an incident that led to the killing of Filipinos by American troops triggered the Philippine-American war.  This movie is about General Antonio Luna, the commander of the Philippine revolutionary army that led that war.  Though he is a brilliant strategist and a brave soldier, his plans were often foiled by non-compliance of troops loyal to the President.  He led the army like a dictator often embarrassing soldiers who do not even come up to his own standards.  This earned the ire of some quarters that presumably led to his death. 

The general lived a short career as leader of the Philippine-American war, there were probably very little material to work on to produce a full-length film unless the story included his life in Paris being amongst the Illustrados, but that era was only touched on briefly.  So watching the movie was a bit of a stretch because it spent a lot of time on some details that have already been established.  The script needed a little consistency, for the most part the characters were speaking in the contemporary language and at some point they become sort of classical, though this may be a style that the writers employed, I thought that flaw was a little distracting.

The texture of this movie in terms of visuals does not differ much from other period films trying to portray the 19th century until you see the flashbacks.  The movie used a couple of devices to regress back in time using animation and creative camera movements.  The biggest strength of this movie is the performance of John Arcilla as the General, his is a determined portrayal and an undistracted attack with each scene.

This is an important movie with a relevant message.  It is thought provoking and iconoclastic.  It tries to tell you a different version history, a version that you probably didn't want to know and it challenges your idea of a hero.

Misses out on a few chances- **

The movie misses out on a couple of chances to become more than just a typical exorcism movie.  The title was intriguing and sounds a little subversive.  And for someone who gets easily scared with horror films, the scare factor of this film is just OK for me.

The story is about the coming of the anti-Christ.  The lead coming into this event was triggered by a series of tapes kept by the Vatican, particularly two priests who were closely monitoring the works of the devil.  They stumbled upon the psychotherapy session of Angela whose strange behavior started when she got treated for a cut on her finger.  This alarmed the people close to her and they eventually had to put her in a psychiatric ward.   Seeing the typical signs of a possession the Vatican steps in to perform exorcism.

This movie does not scare much,  maybe just a few scenes. I usually walk out of the theater when I can not handle being scared anymore but this was just fine. I sat through it waiting to be more scared but it did not happen.  I am not complaining though.  What this movie did not try to do, is to use more techniques, like editing and camera work to work up the suspense of this film, but I guess this film just wanted to tell the story as it is.

It could have been an exciting film, from the title alone to the actors involved.  I had expected more intriguing stuff from the basement of the Vatican, working on the premise that they do keep documentations of these kind of phenomenon.  I wanted to see more of Djimon but he was just there merely at the start and at the end of the movie.  Michale Pena  was limited to his clerical collar and could not do much to add character to the film.   It has spent a lot of time trying to confirm Angela's problem that the movie ends while it was just starting to get exciting.

An insightful look at the making of a single EDM track - ****

A gritty look at today's 20-something generation growing into a world of quick-single-night successes that promises no realization of any dream.  This film takes on the look that is edgy and dry as it struggles to look for its own rhythm.

It's about  a DJ's discovery of his original sound that will break him into the mainstream club scene in Hollywood.  This discovery is directly aided by an established DJ who takes him in as a protege.  He learns to channel his experiences, his daily life and his struggles to find that organic sound that will set his music apart from the often sampled EDM tracks of today's club scene.

The film moves to an erratic rhythm, but stays too long on the slow side. It excites, it breaks, it dies and somehow it struggles to pick up at every turning point of the story.  But this may be the film's idea of 'telling it like it is', since it follows the relationship of 4 friends who are struggling with their own idea of existence.  At some point the story seems to be going no where, but that matches the characters who are at inert and confused.  At times it becomes exciting as the characters throw themselves in danger for being naive.

The film dares to ask the young people to give more consideration to their future while enjoying their youth and to use  their experiences to move forward.  Though it gives you a long story to produce just one track of music, the end product is remarkable, thus making this as the film to watch this week.

A dramatic representation of emotional growth.- ***1/2

Bright colors and vibrant animation belie the story that is told from inside the head of girl who is challenged to cope with a major change happening with her family while on the verge of puberty.  This new Pixar animation can challenge young people's minds and will put them face to face with their own emotions.

The story is simple.  It is about a girl and his family coping with moving to a new city.  The real journey happens inside the head of Riley, the daughter, as she goes from mental happiness to emotional turmoil as she tries to adjust to her new environment. The story is told through 5 main emotions housed inside what they call as the headquarters.

This movie brilliantly succeeds at transforming emotions into real people talking inside our heads and a re-imagining of our mind set into animation.  It managed to summarize ideas from general science, psychology, biology regarding the mind and translate them into what I term as mental landscape but animated.  It treads on the idea that  we are a summary of all our memories and that our personality is based on experience and a little instinct.

This was a nice film except that to me it was difficult to watch.  It was difficult to see Riley change from a being happy girl to someone who is withdrawn and numb.  Because everything inside her head was represented by actual objects and persons it became more tragic to see her breaking down as if a whole city is being torn down.  Everything is sort of magnified that way and thus while she seems fine on the outside you see her world crumbling from inside and that to me is very tragic.  It took a long time for me to recover from this film as it was to me really sad.

It's a good film, but get ready to cry.  

Absolutely lame - **

A new release that took decades in the making, the most potentially funny cast you could ever assemble and a set-up that could send a nice message to the audience had been put to naught due to a couple of wrong decisions that this film made.

A council of superior aliens discovered the presence of earth and wanted to destroy it, but the law says that they can only destroy a planet if the inhabitants are not able to distinguish good and evil.  And so the council embarked on an experiment to prove this by randomly granting absolute power to a human, checking to see what the human will do given the power. They had randomly picked a British secondary school teacher Neil  Clarke in love with his neighbor Catherine and has a best friend of a dog named Dennis.

I was mainly interested in seeing the three main cast and probably getting a few laughs. I like Simon Pegg in Rogue Nation and was curious to see him sans Tom Cruise.  I miss Robin Williams and so just hearing him as Dennis the dog would make this film worthwhile I thought.  It has been a while since I've seen Kate Beckinsale do something relevant and was hoping that this would be it.  Well I did see/hear them but still is not worth it.  First of all, I was watching this film and thought this couldn't be new,  with the technology available now, editing and visuals shouldn't be very difficult.  It looked like an old comedy film with its texture and special effects that looked a little quirky.  So I was quick to ignore that and just focus on other things like story and characters and stuff but those too did not amount to much.  The characters the movie created were lame, except for Dennis the dog who was just basically being a dog.  Catherine is stuck in a job that doesn't want her and is quick to jump into bed after a few drinks,  Neil took a while to get the message and the hang of using his powers, and couldn't even smart up enough to save himself.

I was almost sure that this film had high hopes for humanity, but I guess the lack of it is what makes this film farcical.  It took a route concentrating more on the relationship of Neil and Catherine  and how one does not need powers to be lovable.  Not bad, but also not good.  I thought this film was a waste of a lot of potential and possibilities but then the production had a different kind of fun in mind.

It isn't so fanatastic.- ***

The Fantastic Four comic series is Marvel's oldest superhero hero team and this movie is the third re-imagination into film since 2005.  This particular installment is really a step back towards history and throws us further away from  the entertainment level that the first two films provided.

Reed Richards had been working on a science project since grade 5 when he was taken in by Franklin Storm who was developing the same kind of technology through a school that is funded by the US government with the aim of discovering other sources of power. He was assigned to work alongside Franklin's children; Sue and Johnny and another genius by the name of Victor Von Doom.

The teleportation device they were working on was proven to be a success at sending organic material into another dimension and along with  Reed's best friend, Ben Grimm, the young scientists foolishly decided an unauthorized test at sending themselves to the other dimension with the intention of being the first humans to successfully come back from another world.  They were able to comeback sans Victor because of  some instability in the other world, and this transport back to our world genetically changed their bodies allowing some sort of powers that are different from one another.

The success and failure of this film largely depends on the viewer.  If one is expecting an action packed, special-effects laden super hero film then this film will just ruin your day.  But if you are someone who would like to understand some details pertaining to their origins as a group then you might like to take some time out and watch this film.

What is ultimately wrong about this film is that it inadvertently broke the momentum that the first two films did and thus it suffers to be called the worst of three films.  It is dark and melodramatic and it spent too much time on the narrative that it forgets to entertain. If you ask me, this film wasn't so bad,  I was glad to see Miles Teller and Jamie Bell. I appreciated that now I know how they are all related.  I appreciated knowing the origins of their powers.  I had wished to see more dynamics in their relationships, like the friendship of Reed and Ben would have been a nice subject to explore or maybe get a glimpse of how Victor's feelings for Sue started but these would have made the film more dramatic.

In summary, there is still much to be desired even by judging this film on its own terms, but then this film possesses a solid story worth telling and it challenges our definition of a super hero film and in effect opens our minds.

Impossible missions call for impossible solutions - ***

Rogue Nation succeeds at delighting Tom Cruise fans and the fans of the Mission Impossible franchise by sticking to the formula that has more or less cemented the brand that is called Mission Impossible.  At this point in cinematic history the character Ethan Hunt is probably up there with characters like James Bond and Jason Bourne, characters that have set a solid image in the minds of the movie going public.

Ethan Hunt  is out to prove the existence of  The Syndicate, a new group of  operatives on the verge of creating their own brand of terrorism.  But this mission is hampered by the IMF (Impossible Mission Force) being disbanded by the CIA, thus giving Ethan no government back-up.  The story moves with the help of his former team members and an insider of the Syndicate by the name of Ilsa Faust.

Accepting that Ethan Hunt can not die, however strong his grip is hanging from a plane taking off and accepting that he can absolutely imitate anyone by just putting on a full headed mask, one must get over an almost incredible plot that seems too diabolical to fully enjoy this film.  Once you get over that,  you need to decide if the action sequences were enough to even create a level of excitement that drives you to the edge of your seat. Sadly, it didn't do it for me.  But that's just me.  Surely, one must appreciate the big action sets they have created for our enjoyment, an almost impossible airplane scene in Russia,  a three-way chase on the battens of an Opera in London to an exciting motorcycle chase on the streets of Casablanca.

I liked a couple of things in this film.  One, I like how they were almost overdressed for action but then the characters looked really good because they were dressed well.  Tom Cruise looks incredible for his age and he is known for doing his own stunts so his manic energy drives the film to the end.  Second,  I like that the only female in the cast was not 'objectified' like a Bond girl, on the contrary hers was a vital element that moved the story forward.

This is a must-see for every Tom Cruise fan.  But if you are just a normal guy trying to write a weekly blog of whatever movie is available then you might want look at something else and watch this film on its second week when you do not have anything else to watch.

Southpaw knocks you down with heavy drama upper cut - ****

The time is ripe for a movie like this to come along.  Not since Million Dollar Baby has there been a movie that celebrates the spirit that overcome physical capacities, whose strength is drawn from love in its purest form.

Billy Hope is fighting for custody of his daughter Leila after she was taken by child welfare due to Billy's incapacity to be a father. He's a boxer who lost everything when he could not cope well with his wife's death.

It was a little difficult watching this film.  It's difficult to watch someone ruin his life and it is even more difficult to watch him ruin someone else. It hits you blow by blow like a boxing match and you're just waiting for the bell to ring, hoping some sort of miracle would happen.

The story may not be entirely uncommon, but the real strength of this film are the performances of Rachel McAdams, Forest Whitaker and Jake Gyllenhaal.  Rachel's performance as the wife Maureen is short but her character lingers all throughout the film.  Forest delivers the most riveting performance here, as the coach who saw Hope in Hope.  Jake's complete performance as an incomplete person draws you in his clinch but begs you to not let go.

The movie made some bad decisions by trudging along a familiar route. Treatment of some scenes were clichéd, predictable and unbelievably contemptible.  Watching it breaks the dramatic flow of the movie and became a little bit distracting. If you can look beyond that flaw, and appreciate the movie for its message of love and endure through all the pain that Billy Hope had gone through then you come out of the theatre feeling grateful.

'My Girl' meets 'Gone Girl' - ***

Based on a Young Adult book by John Green, this film is banking on the same success as the other movie based from the book of the same author, The Fault In Our Stars.  While it is unfair to compare, the movie feels like My Girl meets Gone Girl.

Quentin and his high school friends set to look for Margo, the love of his life.  Margo did not come home, and was considered lost after three days from the night that she and Quentin set out on an evening caper to exact revenge on Margo's friends.  This triggered the trip from Orlando to New York, based on a hunch that Margo wanted to be found.

The problem when books are translated into film is that a lot of details may have been left out because of the limits of film making and its running time.  I feel that some sort of injustice had been done when characters turned out different from their original book counterpart.  But since I did not read the book I am left to assume that Margo is a manipulative, trickster who led Quentin on and that parents do not care at all that their daughter is lost nor are they concerned when suddenly their son took the car and drove away a thousand miles from Orlando.

This film is really more about friendship than it is about love.  It is a coming of age film which may not be so different from the coming of age films during our time.  I am reminded of  The Breakfast Club, and Zapped which is really all about taking risks and coming out of our shells.  The lead actor Nat Wolff, as Quentin he drove the gang safely to New York, but whose sensitive performance brought us along as he discovers that life is an adventure.

Ant-man packs the comic punch - ***1/2

This movie is Peyton Reed's highest rated film so far and it could Paul Rudd's surprise entry to the blockbuster hero genre. With his unique shrinking power,  Ant-man's strength shouldn't be overlooked and the film's comedic sense most certainly can not be ignored.

Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) finds a kindred soul in Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) and abdicates his war time Ant-man suit giving Scott a chance to prove himself worthy of being called a hero by his own daughter played by Abby Ryder Fortson.  The task is to avert the sale of the technology behind the Ant-man suit thus preventing it from falling into the wrong hands.

Such dynamic camera work here from the character shrinking and then coming back to his normal size, the film takes us with it by way sound and the changing of the proportions of the images. It packs just enough action and special effects to thrill the audience but what sets this film apart from the other Marvel movies is its funny moments. A lot of which can be owed to the acting prowess of  Rudd , Douglas and the supports.  The comedic plane of this film is an ensemble act.

This does not look as big as The Avengers, nor any one of the Iron Man films, in fact at some point it has a texture of a movie made for TV.  Initially Paul Rudd seemed like an unlikely choice but his Scott Lang disregards that notion and proves himself as a reliable actor whatever role you give him. This film fails at capturing the audience emotionally and the attempts to do it just seems like some patches of lull in the story.

Be that as it may,  I was entertained.  I was surprised to find myself laughing aloud in action film, it turns out this is the Marvel movies funniest film to date. Its full of action and full of laughs.

Miniotic could be another name for idiotic - **

Milking the popularity of the minons from the movie Despicable Me, Universal Pictures and Illumnation Entertainment combined forces to come up with a money maker that disregards what value (or lack thereof) it may instill the kids that will watch their movie.

In the movie Despicable Me, the minions, as an entity becomes the very delightful side kick to the lead character Gru, a villain with a soft spot for kids. They provided much of the funny parts in the film, with their adorable little voices and funny antics. Watching the two Despicable Me movies did not at all make me wonder where the minions came from.  Sure, I remember wondering what kind of creatures they were, were they aliens or some creatures from the earth.  But I did not think it was important to know

Apparently some people thought it could be a good idea to make a main feature from the minions and reveal their origin and a part of their history pre-Gru. And thus this movie came about.

It turned out the minions have been roaming the earth since per-history , they are a race that is collectively in need of  master villain to lead them.  Now this is where I thought the movie fell flat, to present the origin some specie, I would expect to see how they came about. Creatures could not just exist out of thin air.  As far as the minions are concerned they were already there and they are in need of a master.  And this whole movie was about their search, and of course we all know who they ended up serving.

In this movie you see a whole lot of villains, and the main villain of all is Scarlet Overkill.  She was quite a sensation during the time because she was the only woman in the whole motley crew and she was fabulous and ruthless at the same time. Many people wanted to be her henchman, every body vied for the part but with some stroke of luck the minions came out victorious.  The conflict ensues because of a botched mission and the rest is just chaos from there.

Several things I did not like about this film, the main part of it is the worship of villains.  It glorifies them and puts them up like royalty. It sends a wrong message to the kids.  And the attempt to send this message is not even amusing, you see villains going after each other, you see cities being destroyed you see chaos without anything to back you up for heroism nor human values.  It is just simply a movie for the mindless and heartless.