This week on MC's Film Critique I look at Jupiter Ascending. Directed by The Wachowskis, brother and sister director duo who brought us The Matrix trilogy.
Visually this film looked great. The effects were awesome! There were some really out there concepts in this film such as: owning planets, spliced humans with animals and this super important but rarely mentioned key aspect of the film.
There is the Abrasax dynasty of who Jupiter (Mila Kunis) is a reincarnation of the head of the dynasty. That's all that made sense to me. After that there is some type of King Lear squabble between her former selves children. Side note, I felt like it reminded me of a Shakespearean play, but I was at a lost until I read this review rogerebert.com.
Each of the three had like half a goal. POSSIBLE SPOILER One wanted to be closer with her and then is never seen again in the film. One wanted to marry and kill her to inherit the earth to make more money? Then the eldest, Balem Abrasax. First off the actor Eddie Redmayne whispers most of the film so as to not hear him. This motivation was the least clear. He wanted to kill Jupiter so he could keep the Earth? SPOILER OVER
Basically this film had too much going on. It didn't give many answers, and I found myself asking too often "what is going on and why?" While the action scenes are quite choppy, though they had potential. Not to mention a main plot point is excluded. Why anyone wants or should be helping Jupiter will forever be a mystery.
Overall don't watch this unless you bring earplugs and skip the plot to enjoy how pretty the film looks...
Badge:Jar-Jar Badge
Rating: 4.9/10 Being Pretty Doesn't Cut It For a Passing Grade.
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This week on MC's Film Critique I look at Taken 3, more like taken again?
I can't believe that this managed to become a trilogy. Taken has to be one of my favorite films ever, a high action, nail biting movie, that had you on the edge of your seat as Liam Neeson was a bad ass! Taken 3 still has him being a bad ass but, it does not have the same effect as the first film. In the first film it was unexpected, this film was trying too hard.
The biggest problem I had with this film was the motivation of the "bad" guy. Taken 2 was a stretch but at least it was logical. In this film he becomes a fugitive (not a spoiler it was in the trailer) not to mention that the trailer gives away most of the film anyways.
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As a squeal this film is weak. People expect the film to be better than the first film. All this film does is tarnish the good name of Taken.
We learn a bit of back story (finally) about Liam Neeson's character Bryan. Although it was cooler when we didn't know anything about his past.
The elevator scene was the best part of the whole film. It's just too bad we didn't have more scenes like that one.
The acting was alright, the filming was good, the story line was weak. I would have liked to have seen more from the "bad guy", in terms of ambition and goals. I also do not find it believable that the actions of the bad guy would have gone unnoticed by Bryan. This whole "problem" in the film had no possible way of happening.
The film isn't bad, however it isn't good either. They should have stopped at Taken 2. I hope we don't see a taken 4 after this film.
I hope that Escapist does a review of this film, but the chances of that seem pretty slim at this point.
Badge: None
Rating: 6.4/10
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This week on MC's Film Critique I look at American Sniper. I am really excited to talk about this film!
Alright so me and the g.f. went to see this the other night and wow. When I watched Saving Private Ryan for the first time and they storm the beaches of Normandy, I felt like it was an accurate representation of what it must have been like to storm the beach in WWII. I got that same feeling from this film. It might have been due to the fact that I watched it in AVX and all the sound effects were so fantastic. When a helicopter flew by, I felt like a helicopter actually flew by. When they were in a fire fight, I felt like it was happening all around me.
Not once do I recall hearing the word "clip" when the term "mag" should have been used. This is a pet peeve of mine. Look at the picture to the left, there is a difference! They are not interchangeable. You can't put a clip inside a magazine fed weapon and vice versa!
I did feel as if the film over glorified being a Sniper. Although, it's a war movie and they all glorify one aspect or another somehow. It did bug me that Chris Kyle had no spotter in the film when he would have had one in real life. Snipers work in squads of two, a shooter and a spotter.
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this film. The way the credits came on screen, I thought was very appropriate.It did feel eerie to leave a theatre in such a manner.
Overall the acting was solid. Bradley Cooper gave an amazing performance, the rest of the actors were great as well. However the baby could not be more fake. Watch College Humors take on it.
Remember the film is based on a book which was written after the events took place. Odds are not everything happened as it did in real life but that does not take away from the general feel of the film. I would suggest you watch this one if you like action and war films.
Badge: None
Rating: 9/10
