April 2016: The Jungle Book Kills It

Okay guys, we’re almost to Summer. We’re almost out of the transition from the dump months to the blockbusters, and let me just say…this April was not great. Not terrible by any means, but there were definitely some tough ones. However, like any month there was one movie that had me over the moon. Take a guess which one? SPOILER: It’s not The Huntsman.

The Boss

Oh, Melissa McCarthy, why can’t even movie you do be Bridesmaids? When you’ve got a good movie to work with (The Heat, Spy, the aforementioned Bridesmaids) you’re hysterical. But Tammy? Ugh. Identity Thief? Meeeeeeeeh. The Boss looked like it was gonna be the typical bad side of McCarthy; unlikable woman goes to jail, get released, tries to work her way up in the world by being a horrible person and doesn’t learn anything. Did I guess correctly? Yup!

It’s not that The Boss is totally devoid of laughs. It’s definitely better than Tammy. But it’s just like every other bad Melissa McCarthy movie. Like I said, her character’s unlikable, she does horrible things to people who don’t really deserve it, we’re expected to laugh, we don’t. McCarthy is very likeable, and her work with director Paul Feig shows it. But she needs to be more discriminating when picking projects, maybe stop being directed by her husband, Ben Falcone. Above all, stop playing this type of character! I want to like you, not watch you get mauled by rabid dogs.

Score: 4/10

The Jungle Book

Until a few months ago, I was only mildly looking forward to The Jungle Book. However, after seeing some trailers and getting a feel for how it was going to be, they got my dollar immediately. And trust me, it was money well spent. Directed by Jon Favreau (Iron Man, Chef), The Jungle Book remakes the classic Disney film, expands on what made it so wonderful, and creates a fantastic movie filled to the brim with heart, laughs, and excitement.

Every time I see great visual effects, I think to myself “how they can top this?” Well, Jungle Book just may top them all. Almost the whole movie is CGI, and yet it feels so real, so seamless. After a few seconds I believed I was really looking at a tiger, a panther, a bear, a pack of wolves, whatever. The world Disney has created here is a living, breathing creation, proving just how far visual effects have come over the years and how just how immersive they can be.

But what really gave the movie its charm were the performances and characters. Baloo (Bill Murray in one of the best his best roles) and Bagheera (Ben Kingsley) are awesome mentors for young Mowgli, the former fun, carefree and lighthearted, the latter serious and protective, both well meaning and only wanting what’s best for the young man-cub. Idris Elba plays Shere Khan to perfection, making him a profoundly threatening presence that the original version couldn’t quite rise to. Even newcomer Neel Sethi was a pretty good Mowgli. He still has some growing to do as an actor (he’s, like, ten years old), but I believed him as the character and he did a good job interacting with an all-CG world.

Finally, we get to director Jon Favreau. Favreau has always been a great director. Iron Man, Chef, and Elf show his talent for storytelling as well as his range. However, The Jungle Book might be his masterpiece. After this, he can do whatever he wants if he couldn’t already. A Star Wars movie, perhaps? A guy can dream.

Score: 9/10

Hardcore Henry

I’ve got to admit, even as a big action fan I was very worried going into Hardcore Henry. The trailer didn’t wow me. The first-person gimmick has failed before (Doom, anyone), and even then it’s usually only lasted a few minutes at most. How could you keep it up for an hour and a half? The basic story of a cyborg trying to save his wife from waves of baddies with the help of badass Sharlto Copley (District 9) could be fun, but it’s pretty small-bore stuff. However, as I settled into the movie I ended up really enjoying Hardcore Henry.

A movie like Hardcore Henry doesn’t work without some kickass action, and oh boy does it deliver! The action is, well, very hardcore, bloody and gritty, and an absolute joy to watch for fans of the genre. The movie’s first-person gimmick could’ve been a big headache, but it ended up enhancing the experience. Granted, I understand why someone would get sick of it, but I considered the experiment a success. Also, I really was not expecting much from the story, but to my surprise I found myself feeling for our plucky cyborg. For someone who we never see, it’s easy to root for Henry along his trials, tribulations, and betrayals.

However, this is very much a movie for the video game crowd. If your opinions on video games are anything more than “eh, they’re okay”, then this is the movie for you. If you don’t care for them or are over 40, don’t bother seeing it. It pains me to say this, but the film’s low box office take is no surprise. I hope Hardcore Henry finds a bigger audience out of theaters. I have a sneaking suspicion that a cult audience is just what it needs.

Score: 8/10*

*If you’re over 40, then it’s probably gonna be 5 at best.

The Huntsman

Snow White and the Huntsman was an alright fantasy movie, nothing more, nothing less. I really didn’t care about seeing another one, but I tried to keep an open mind. There’s a lot you can do in a world like this and with these characters, and fantasy is possibly my favorite genre. But after seeing The Huntsman, my only thought is…why oh why was this movie made?

To get the one good thing out of the way, Chris Hemsworth and Jessica Chastain have really good chemistry. They’re both great actors, and I’d love to see them team up again in a better movie.

Everything else in The Huntsman is a massive pile of crap. First, I was expecting a prequel from the trailer. Turns out the movie is mostly a sequel! If you’re saying “but the evil queen died in the first movie”, well, they bring her back in the stupidest way possible, and it only goes downhill from there. The magical sister rivalry, stupid plot twists, and a heaping helping of fantasy cliches combine to make a story that’s both much worse than it could’ve been but could’ve made a great spoof movie if it were just *a little* sillier. Charlize Theron (great actress) phones it in as Ravenna, and Emily Blunt (even better actress) gives her only bad performance to date. Not even the visual effects are all that good. If you can’t even make your fantasy movie look pretty, you know you’re up shit creek.

Once again, why was this movie made? I have no idea who it’s for. Was there a mob of rabid fans clamoring for another Huntsman movie? Well, you guys blew it. Sorry.

Score: 3/10

Hopefully I get to finish up the month with Key and Peele’s hopeful magnum opus, Keanu. And next week, I get to see Captain America: Civil War! Awesome…

 

“Exodus: Gods and Kings” Review

Exodus is a movie that, on paper, has a lot going for it. It’s got a solid cast led by two very talented actors, Christian Bale and Joel Edgerton. One of the writers was Steven Zaillian, known for such excellent films as Schindler’s List and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (the American remake). Finally, it’s directed by Ridley Scott, the man who gave us Alien, Blade Runner, and Gladiator. But Ridley’s recent track record is exactly why my enthusiasm has been dampened. You see, Ridley Scott tends to go in cycles. He’ll do a few good movies, then go through a slump, and then strike gold again. Right now, we are in the middle of a long Scott slump. Whether it’s Body of Lies, Robin Hood, Prometheus, or The Counselor, his recent films have all been disappointments. I was really hoping that Exodus would be different. Those hopes turned out to be empty, because Exodus is one of Ridley Scott’s worst movies.

Premise: Inspired by the famous biblical story, Exodus follows Moses (Christian Bale), a Hebrew raised within the Egyptian royal family. When he sees the suffering of his Hebrew brethren firsthand, Moses decides to get them out of Egypt with the help of God.

Pros: There’s some (and I must stress some) cool scenes that let Scott do what he does best; visuals. His strengths occasionally shine through in the battles and scenes showing the devastation of the ten plagues. It serves as a reminder of what Scott can do, but these good moments are also pretty rare.

Ben Kingsley gives the best performance in a film filled with bad ones. The weird things is he didn’t have to give a great performance. His character, Nun, is not in the movie for very long, and he doesn’t do much other than tell Moses that he is (gasp!) a Hebrew. But Kingsley found a way to make his character endearing and show-stealing. Careers have been built on worse performances.

Cons: Oh, there’s a bunch of stuff wrong with Exodus, but I’ll start with the relationship between Moses and his adopted brother-turned-rival Ramesses (Joel Edgerton). This should’ve been an epic story about two great friends who ultimately become bitter enemies because of their conflicting ideas of who has authority over the Hebrews. Dreamworks Animation did it with The Prince of Egypt, so you’d think Ridley Scott could do it. Wrong! Moses and Ramesses barely have any screentime together, and their relationship is severely underdeveloped. Sure, you get some scenes of them bickering, but you never see them the as loving brothers they once were. You don’t get to see how their relationship sours, because they sort of hate each other from the start.

I bet you thought a cast of talented actors like Christian Bale, Joel Edgerton, John Turturro, Aaron Paul, and Sigourney Weaver could make Exodus a movie worth seeing. I know I did. But if that’s what you were thinking, you’d be wrong. Joel Edgerton looks embarrassed, and not just because he looks ridiculous with that spray-tan. He’s awkward and stilted, something that you don’t want your tragic villain to be. Paul and Weaver don’t do much of anything, and both seem like they just want to get out of here to go to the catering table. Bale gives a valiant effort, but even he struggles with the material he’s given. However, I can’t blame the actors. They had to work with a bad script, and Ridley Scott is not known for being an actor’s director (with a few exceptions). I feel especially bad for Aaron Paul, who hasn’t been transitioning out of Breaking Bad with much success.

You know how I said some of the visuals looked really good? Well, I also said they were the exceptions. Exodus has lots of bad visual effects. The ten plagues and the parting of the Red Sea should look awesome, but they are too often ruined by underdone CGI. Even some things that you’d think would be easier to animate, like landscapes, often look like something out of a mid-2000s video game cutscene. Come on, Scott. I at least expect you to make your movie look good.

Verdict: Despite a good dose of ambition and an excellent premise, Exodus is another failure for a post-American Gangster Ridley Scott. Bad acting, bad effects, and a bad story make what could’ve been an interesting movie a tedious slog. I hope Scott can rebound, but with each bad movie it’s looking less and less likely. Skip this and watch The Ten Commandments or The Prince of Egypt.

Score: D+

Ender’s Game Review

Premise: In the wake on an alien attack, a child super-soldier is called in to command the human fighting against the invasion. Directed by Gavin Hood. Starring Asa Butterfield, Harrison Ford, Abigail Breslin, Hailee Steinfeld, Ben Kingsley, and Viola Davis.

Pros: I’m a fan of the novel, and I’ve wondered what a film would be like. But since Orson Scott Card is a hugely controversial figure and the material has the potential to become a political minefield. Ender and his brigade are essentially child soldiers, and most moral guardians don’t take kindly to that sort of thing, to say the least. But I must say Gavin Hood and company have preserved the spirit of the book while omitting parts that are unnecessary or unsavory. This is quite a good adaptation. (But is it a good film? We’ll get to that later.

Butterfield’s performance as this young military commander is quite good. I’ve been convinced since the BBC’s “Merlin” that Butterfield is one of the top young actors working today, and this film re-validates that sentiment. It’s hardly Oscar-worthy, but coming from an actor this young, I’d say his performance is pretty good. 

Cons: The film’s downfall lies in it’s storytelling. There’s the old rule that you “show, don’t tell”. This film, unfortunately, does neither. Many elements are just…there. For example, why are the child soldiers used? Why did the aliens attack? Why is Ben Kingsley even there? There’s a lot of questions that I feel were answered poorly. 

The dialogue is pretty bad as well. Harrison Ford phones his lines in, but even someone who cared wouldn’t really be an improvement. Viola Davis and the extras also get some frankly laughable excuses for dialogue that harkens back to the former two “Star Wars” prequels. If you want Shakespearian-quality dialogue, you’ll probably die of shock before you get to the credits.

Verdict: Although props go to Gavin Hood for getting the film made at all, “Enders Game” is a clunky would-be sci-fi epic that always feels worse than it should. Not bad per se, but not really worth seeing either. Overall, I give it a 5/10.