Special: The Suicide Squad, Luca, Breaking News In Yuba County Mini-Reviews

The Suicide Squad:

Synopsis: Welcome to hell--a.k.a. Belle Reve, the prison with the highest mortality rate in the US of A. Where the worst Super-Villains are kept and where they will do anything to get out--even join the super-secret, super-shady Task Force X. Today's do-or-die assignment? Assemble a collection of cons, including Bloodsport, Peacemaker, Captain Boomerang, Ratcatcher 2, Savant, King Shark, Blackguard, Javelin and everyone's favorite psycho, Harley Quinn. Then arm them heavily and drop them (literally) on the remote, enemy-infused island of Corto Maltese. Trekking through a jungle teeming with militant adversaries and guerrilla forces at every turn, the Squad is on a search-and-destroy mission with only Colonel Rick Flag on the ground to make them behave...and Amanda Waller's government techies in their ears, tracking their every movement. And as always, one wrong move and they're dead (whether at the hands of their opponents, a teammate, or Waller herself). If anyone's laying down bets, the smart money is against them--all of them.

My thoughts: I actually enojyed David Ayer's previous adaptation of the Suicide Squad to the big screen it had it's issues but was an enjoyable romp. James Gunn's turn in the directors chair brings back fan favourites Harley Quinn, Rick Flagg Jr and Captain Boomerang to pair with a new cast of characters lead by Bloodsport. Gunn did a fantastic job turning expectations on it's head throughout the film and giving us reason to care about these characters even more than this DC fanboy did before. R-Rated gore, language and even a nude man's penis shows that comic book movies can be anything you want it to be.

Final verdict: 5 bags of dicks for liberty out of 5.

Luca:

Synopsis: Set in a beautiful seaside town on the Italian Riviera, Disney and Pixar's original feature film "Luca" is a coming-of-age story about one young boy experiencing an unforgettable summer filled with gelato, pasta and endless scooter rides. Luca (voice of Jacob Tremblay) shares these adventures with his newfound best friend, Alberto (voice of Jack Dylan Grazer), but all the fun is threatened by a deeply-held secret: they are sea monsters from another world just below the water's surface.

My thoughts: Pixar gives us a beautiful picture with a story full of heart and hope. I feel like that can be copy and pasted into any of their pictures. Luca doesn't try nearly as hard as last year's Soul but executes it better. It shoots straight for your emotions, sometimes too much as it gets caught up in the attempt to make you feel something rather than just try to move the story forward. Overall a super fun Italian romp with sea monsters getting their land legs.

Final verdict: 4 stupido's out of 5.

Breaking News In Yuba County:

Synopsis: A woman takes advantage of her growing celebrity status when the police and the public think her dead husband is just missing.

My thoughts: This one is hard to pin down as it's a bit of a quirky comedy that knows it's quirky and throws itself into that fully. In the end though it seems to get lost in itself and ends up looking like a parody of a better movie. The script had some good dialogue and the performances by the ensemble was strong but this group of actresses deserved a better end product.

Final verdict: 3 ignored wives out of 5.

Special: Stargirl, Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn, Miss Americana Mini-Reviews

Stargirl:

Synopsis: Leo Borlock is an average student at Mica High School. He gets decent grades, is a member of the school's marching band and has always been content flying under the radar. But all that changes when he meets Stargirl Caraway, a confident and colorful new student with a penchant for the ukulele, who stands out in a crowd. She is kind, finds magic in the mundane and touches the lives of others with the simplest of gestures. Her eccentricities and infectious personality charm Leo and the student body, and she quickly goes from being ignored and ridiculed to accepted and praised, then back again, sending Leo on a rollercoaster ride of emotions.

My thoughts: Disney used this as a starring vehicle for Grace Vanderwaal who won one of those reality talent shows so she was a known commodity for most but not me and that inexperience shines through at times but the chemistry between the cast works well. The movie overall was good as it would rank somewhere in the middle of John Hughes filmography which is clearly the feeling Disney was going for.

Final verdict: 3.5 ukuleles out of 5.

Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn:

Synopsis: You ever hear the one about the cop, the songbird, the psycho and the mafia princess? "Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)" is a twisted tale told by Harley herself, as only Harley can tell it. When Gotham's most nefariously narcissistic villain, Roman Sionis, and his zealous right-hand, Zsasz, put a target on a young girl named Cass, the city is turned upside down looking for her. Harley, Huntress, Black Canary and Renee Montoya's paths collide, and the unlikely foursome have no choice but to team up to take Roman down.

My thoughts: I was on the borderline with my rating for this one as I was comparing it to Sonic and in the end I went with the higher one here as I just kept remembering how much fun this flick was. From the off the wall set pieces to colourful costumes to go along with slick action choreography and jokes for days to go along with the bone crushing assaults all the while backlit by a fantastic cast. These birds are worth your time.

Final verdict: 5 oversized mallets out of 5.

Miss Americana:

Synopsis: Miss Americana is a raw and emotionally revealing look at one of the most iconic artists of our time during a transformational period in her life as she learns to embrace her role not only as a songwriter and performer, but as a woman harnessing the full power of her voice.

My thoughts: I like most Taylor Swift music so I was interested in this doc however I don't follow the media around her so most of the negative stuff that came up about her in the film I had just learned so I felt a bit out of the loop. Overall it tells the story well enough through Taylor's eyes but I like docs that actually show several points of views which we don't get here. Only Taylor and the media through past broadcasts. Overall it was fine but not sure it's something I'd revisit.

Final verdict: 3 political stances out of 5.

Special: Don't Breathe/Suicide Squad/The Finest Hours Mini-Reviews

Don't Breathe:

Synopsis: Rocky, a young woman wanting to start a better life for her and her sister, agrees to take part in the robbery of a house owned by a wealthy blind man with her boyfriend Money and their friend Alex. But when the blind man turns out to be a more ruthless adversary than he seems, the group must find a way to escape his home before they become his newest victims.

My thoughts: Lots of twists and turns that kept me thinking that the movie was ending just to have something else happen. This was easily on it's way to a solid 5 but then it went from bone chilling to just plain weird (no spoilers, sorry!). But up until that point everything was terrifying. The director tandem used every shot to and sound to build suspense letting it out in mild doses to get the movie-goers scared.

Final verdict: 4 dead thieves out of 5.

Suicide Squad:

Synopsis: It feels good to be bad... Assemble a team of the world's most dangerous, incarcerated Super Villains, provide them with the most powerful arsenal at the government's disposal, and send them off on a mission to defeat an enigmatic, insuperable entity. U.S. intelligence officer Amanda Waller has determined only a secretly convened group of disparate, despicable individuals with next to nothing to lose will do. However, once they realize they weren't picked to succeed but chosen for their patent culpability when they inevitably fail, will the Suicide Squad resolve to die trying, or decide it's every man for himself?

My thoughts: Sure, there are some structural problems apparently caused by WB's unnecessary input but the film entertains quite a bit and succeeds more than it fails and the cast was top notch.

Final verdict: 5 super villain team-ups out of 5

The Finest Hours:

Synopsis: In February of 1952, one of the worst storms to ever hit the East Coast struck New England, damaging an oil tanker off the coast of Cape Cod and literally ripping it in half. On a small lifeboat faced with frigid temperatures and 70-foot high waves, four members of the Coast Guard set out to rescue more than 30 stranded sailors trapped aboard the rapidly-sinking vessel.

My thoughts: I didn't expect to get much, and I really didn't get much. The cast was surprisingly strong but other than that I was not able to relate to anything happening. There were emotional moments and entertaining moments as well but for the most part I didn't feel invested in any of the characters. Though the film is very old fashioned and that's usually a hard sell for me so maybe if you enjoy the 50's setting you'll really enjoy this.

Final verdict: 3 sinking ships out of 5.

Special: Blair Witch/Snowden/Whiskey Tango Foxtrot Mini-Reviews

Blair Witch

Synopsis: A group of college students venture into the Black Hills Forest in Maryland to uncover the mysteries surrounding the disappearance of James' sister who many believe is connected to the legend of the Blair Witch. At first the group is hopeful, especially when a pair of locals offer to act as guides through the dark and winding woods, but as the endless night wears on, the group is visited by a menacing presence. Slowly, they begin to realize the legend is all too real and more sinister than they could have imagined.

My thoughts: It wasn't scary, it utilizes all of maybe 2 or 3 jump scares. You can hardly see what's going on with the shaky cam and even when you can see it's not at all interesting... But hey if sticks scare the shit out of you, this movie will have you running out of the theater screaming.

Final verdict: 1 "scary" stick out of 5.

Snowden

Synopsis: Academy Award winning director Oliver Stone, tackles the most important and fascinating true story of the 21st century. Snowden, the politically-charged, pulse-pounding thriller starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Shailene Woodley, reveals the incredible untold personal story of Edward Snowden, the polarizing figure who exposed shocking illegal surveillance activities by the NSA and became one of the most wanted men in the world. He is considered a hero by some, and a traitor by others. No matter which you believe, the epic story of why he did it, who he left behind, and how he pulled it off makes for one of the most compelling films of the year.

My thoughts: It was interesting and entertaining but there was a sort of laziness done to the final product, but I mean that's kind of been Stone's M.O. for the last decade plus. It's certainly a step in the right direction for the longtime director though.

Final verdict: 3 (nearly 4) rubix cubes out of 5.

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot

Synopsis: SNL alumni Tina Fey steps into the well worn shoes of journalist Kim Barker in Paramount Pictures' adaptation of Barker's memoir The Taliban Shuffle: Strange Days in Afghanistan and Pakistan, which details her years as a reporter in Pakistan and Afghanistan beginning in 2002.

My thoughts: Fey, Robbie and Freeman are all likable, though not much else is great in this film. It had a couple laughs but I think the premise of doing a romantic comedy in a war torn country with war going on using privileged white characters makes it hard to care about what's going on in their lives with this massive world-scaled problem being in the background.

Final verdict: 3 creepy Alfred Molina's out of 5.

Monthly Movie Madness: February 2015

Not a whole lot going on this February, unless you're into that 69 Shades of Bondage stuff. But let's look at my top 5 anyways!

5. Focus

The Players: Directors: John Requa and Glenn Ficarra (I Love You Phillip Morris, Crazy, Stupid Love) Writers: John Requa and Glenn Ficarra (Bad Santa, Cats & Dogs) Starring: Will Smith (Men In Black, The Pursuit Of Happyness), Margot Robbie (The Wolf Of Wall Street, About Time).

Synopsis: A veteran grifter takes a young, attractive woman under his wing, but things get complicated when they become romantically involved.

Why you should watch it: I'm not even sure honestly, the trailer doesn't make Focus look like anything special, really the sticking point for me and this movie will be reviews... If the reviews are positive I'll make more of an effort to see it, but right now my sole reason for watching Focus is to see the chemistry between Smith and Robbie before they share the screen in DC Comics Suicide Squad as Deadshot and Harley Quinn respectively.

4. Hot Tub Time Machine

The Players: Director: Steve Pink (About Last Night, Hot Tub Time Machine) Writer: Josh Heald (Hot Tub Time Machine, Mardi Gras) Starring: Craig Robinson (This Is The End, Get On Up), Rob Corddry (Warm Bodies, The Way Way Back), Clark Duke (Kick-Ass, The Croods), Collette Wolfe (Interstellar, Young Adult), Adam Scott (Step-Brothers, The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty).

Synopsis: When Lou, who has become the "father of the Internet," is shot by an unknown assailant, Jacob and Nick fire up the time machine again to save their friend.

Why you should watch it: I loved the first Hot Tub Time Machine, but this one looks like it's going to crash and burn in comparison. Firstly, although most of the cast has returned John Cusack has not, and although it's still cloudy as to why, recently Cusack's been doing a bunch of straight to DVD fare here in North America but he's never been known for doing comedies. Though I still think Cusack didn't want to touch this with a 20 foot pole. The trailer even lacks the luster of the first or the "relive the 80's charm" the first one had. Only time will tell if director Steve Pink can strike gold twice in this franchise, but right now I'm down on this film though I will still watch out of my love for the first.

3. Seventh Son

The Players: Director: Sergei Bodrov (Mongol, East/West) Writers: Charles Leavitt (Blood Diamond, K-Pax), Steven Knight (World War Z, Locke) Starring: Jeff Bridges (Tron, True Grit), Julianne Moore (The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Still Alice), Ben Barnes (The Chronicles Of Narnia, The Big Wedding), Kit Harington (How To Train Your Dragon 2, Pompeii).

Synopsis: In a time long past, an evil is about to be unleashed that will reignite the war between the forces of the supernatural and humankind once more. Master Gregory (Jeff Bridges) is a knight who had imprisoned the malevolently powerful witch, Mother Malkin (Julianne Moore), centuries ago. But now she has escaped and is seeking vengeance. Summoning her followers of every incarnation, Mother Malkin is preparing to unleash her terrible wrath on an unsuspecting world. Only one thing stands in her way: Master Gregory. In a deadly reunion, Gregory comes face to face with the evil he always feared would someday return. He has only until the next full moon to do what usually takes years: train his new apprentice, Tom Ward (Ben Barnes) to fight a dark magic unlike any other. Man's only hope lies in the seventh son of a seventh son.

Why you should watch it: This is a case that in a weak month with a good looking trailer you can crack the top 3. I'm not going to get overly excited as I made that mistake with a similarly themed movie, Jack And The Giant Slayer. I was a big Narnia fan so seeing Barnes on screen again is a plus, and you know Jeff Bridges is pretty cool too as the crotchety old man training new blood role. This looks like it should be a summer blockbuster, but it's coming out in February, it also has no reviews at this writing which is a week from release are big red flags. Also you know the year-plus delay in reaching the big screen.

2. The Spongebob Movie: Sponge Out Of Water

The Players: Director: Paul Tibbitt (debut) Writers: Paul Tibbitt (The Spongebob Squarepants Movie), Glenn Berger and Jonathan Aibel (Kung Fu Panda, Monsters Vs. Aliens) Starring: Antonia Banderas (Spy Kids, Puss In Boots).

Synopsis: SpongeBob SquarePants, the world's favourite sea dwelling invertebrate, comes ashore for his most super-heroic adventure yet. SpongeBob goes on a quest to discover a stolen recipe that takes him to our dimension, our world, where he tangles with a pirate.

Why you should watch it: The last Spongebob movie came out over a decade ago, and is still a favourite of mine. That being said, this flick looks like a shadow of it's former self, Not that Spongebob has gotten monotonous, and this does still have some potential to be good, though Antonia Banderas has been box office poison as of late, it just seems it won't be as well received among none 8 year olds as the previous one was. I'm still iffy about the live action/cartoon crossover... The Smurfs and Alvin And The Chipmunks are the most recent success stories in that genre, though both had underwhelming performances from their sequels.

1. Kingsman: The Secret Service

The Players: Matthew Vaughn (Kick-Ass, X-Men: First Class) Writers: Matthew Vaughn and Jane Goldman (Stardust, The Debt) Starring: Colin Firth (The King's Speech, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy), Samuel L. Jackson (The Avengers, The Other Guys), Michael Caine (The Dark Knight, Interstellar), Mark Strong (Zero Dark Thirty, The Imitation Game).

Synopsis: Based upon the acclaimed comic book and directed by Matthew Vaughn (Kick Ass, X-Men First Class), Kingsman: The Secret Service tells the story of a super-secret spy organisation that recruits an unrefined but promising street kid into the agency's ultra-competitive training program just as a global threat emerges from a twisted tech genius.

Why you should watch it: Other than Matthew Vaughn's golden touch you mean? First off who doesn't like British bad ass's? Exactly. Secondly it's based upon a great comic book series from writer Mark Millar (Kick-Ass, Civil War) and artist Dave Gibbons (Watchmen). Thirdly the reviews are positive thus far holding a 77% approval rating, as of this writing, over at RottenTomatoes.com with 35 reviews. The only question now will be will the box office numbers be there as it opens against the aforementioned 69 Shades Of Bondage.