Creed (2015)

Written and Directed by Ryan Coogler (Fruitvale Station)

Starring:

Michael B. Jordan (Chronicle)

Sylvester Stallone (Demolition Man)

Philadelphia (Rocky)

Tessa Thompson

Creed was a cinematic fist pump ushering in a rebirth to the Rocky franchise with a new, capable lead in Michael B. Jordan's Adonis Johnson/Creed. With the framework of a generic underdog story and the brand name to market it, Ryan Coogler's work boasts life-sized characters highlighted by an ingeniously wielded camera.

Sadly, while the movie failed to include even a single note from Scott Stapp's band, it thankfully made amends with the first major fight scene. Filmed as a singled tracking shot, the fight was captivating, breathtaking, and gorgeously brutal. When you realize what’s happening, blinking becomes an annoyance. The shot is a challenge to quick-cut fight scenes everywhere. 

The core training montage shows up as expected but Coogler refuses to be lazy about it. He infuses the montage with all the right styles in all the right places, including the holy grail of montage techniques, slow motion. There is also a carefully used atmosphere at play. The montage swirls the city of Philadelphia around Adonis. The people, the gyms, and the worn out streets blended serenely. It's a stylish segment that elicits inspiration, excitement, and awe. All the right montage emotions. 

Finally, the seemingly straight forward final fight was filmed rather remarkably. Coogler's team plays with unexpected angles, the camera moves fluidly and creatively, and the lighting is never neglected. It's a conclusion that feels earned and is thoroughly entertaining.

This is no doubt in the top three for the franchise and may be a top five all-time boxing movie. One thing's for sure, though, if I've recently seen this film, do not try to fight me. 

2015 Rankdown  .

1.      Mad Max: Fury Road***

2.     The Martian***

3.     Kingsman: The Secret Service****

4.     Me and Earl and the Dying Girl*

5.     Creed****

6.     Ant-Man***

7.     Furious 7***

8.     Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation***

9.     The Man from UNCLE****

10.   Jurassic World***

11.     Predestination**

12.    Avengers: Age of Ultron****

13.    Shaun the Sheep*

14.    Inside Out**

15.    Spy***

16.    Pitch Perfect 2

17.    Sicario*

18.    Run All Night*

19.    Dope

20.   Straight Outta Compton

21.    The Final Girls*

22.    Paddington*

23.    What We Do In the Shadows

24.    Terminator: Genisys*

25.    Black Mass

26.   The Water Diviner

27.    The Night Before

28.    Ex Machina

29.   Jupiter Ascending

30.   Spectre

31.    American Ultra

32.    Crimson Peak

33.    Slow West

34.    Chappie

35.    Everest

36.   The Gift

37.    Fantastic Four

38.    Pixels*

39.   Inherent Vice

40.   Mortdecai

(*denoted rewatchability)

The Guest (2014)

Directed by Adam Wingard (You're Next)
Written by Simon Barett (You're Next)
Starring:
Dan Stevens (A Walk Among the Tombstones)
Maika Monroe (It Follows)
Chase Williamson (John Dies at the End)
Joel Moore (Bones)

A small film employing a relatively unknown but talented cast that, to the average viewer, will fail to convey the subtle undercurrent of sarcasm is easily overlooked. To those ready to accept a dark silliness, this film is a treat.

Following You're Next with this, director Adam Wingard and writer Simon Barett have now proven to be worthy of higher expectations. Low key casting coupled with off beat music and unhinged violence, all lathered in a sarcastic ooze make for an enjoyable throwback thriller.

Dan Stevens has star written all over him. He's a charismatic, British version of Josh Lucas. A likable (and British) version of Josh Duhmmel. In The Guest, his American accent is polished and his acting is highly controlled and completely absurd. Glad to see Chase Williamson on the screen after his fantastic work in John Dies in the End.

Maika Monroe, too, holds her own as a girl who is more than a damsel in distress. She may soon find her way to larger projects.

Slickly shot, playfully acted, but slower in pacing it matches You're Next's tone but with a slight hint of otherness. The only thing missing was a broader context. It only teased the grand nature of the situation, which would be fine were it a more flavorful offering. Take John Wick, for example, where it constantly has you immersed in the otherness, and embraces it. The Guest, conversely, shies away from the greatness that was in it's reach. It had the pieces but couldn't quite commit to the right ones.

That said, the action was beautifully shot, the stunts and violence were magnificently choreographed. Stevens showcased a knack for the physicality of being an action star by owning his short bursts of utter mayhem with precise brutality.

This is a film for a particular viewer. If you want anti-hero subversion, and self-aware seriousness, this is a movie for you.

2014 SQUID Actress of the Year

The race for SQUID Actress of the Year is always a tough one, you can check out the previous winners below and notice that it's slightly less about volume than it is about purely incredible performances. While 2014's candidates may not be as plentiful as their male cohorts, the four horses in this race are proved that they are the real deal.

Jessica Chastain, most exceptionally featured in Interstellar, proved to be the most prolific actress. She also starred in A Most Violent Year, The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby, Miss Julie, and Salome. 

Shilene Woodley firmly entrenched herself as the zeitgeist queen with her various YA vehicles over the past couple years. This year brought forth two particularly noteworthy entries with variable results. The odorous Divergent series sprung forth, starring her amicable performance in a cookie cutter role. The well received adaptation of The Fault in Our Stars garnered a little more genuine praise. Her best received role was in the film White Bird in the Blizzard. All noteworthy but none too special.

Scarlett Johannsen dropped a quartet of films whose range goes unmatched. From swinging and flipping through an explosive blockbuster (Captain America: Winter Soldier) to being center face as the lead in the colorful actioner, Lucy. She went from the deepest depths of strange in the alien-indie Under the Skin, all the way to a sweet supporting job in Chef, Jon Favreau's darling little food truck film. Johannsen brought her stuff in 2014 and it took some serious destiny for her not to win.

Our champion is the holder of that destiny. She's wasn't as present as the others but her performances showcased the wide spectrum of her craft.

Coming from the world of franchises, after dabbling and succeeding quite a few times with heavier fare like Atonement, her 2014 roles were more dominating than she has ever been. As with the SQUID Actor of the Year, our recipient was unquestionably a force to be reckoned with on the silver screen.

Keira Knightley is crowned as 2014 SQUID Actress of the Year. With electric performances, requiring both acting and singing in Begin Again, and beyond-compelling work in the remarkable film, The Imitation Game, she puts forth a twosome that towers above every other actress' work this year. Her characters and her performances in those roles, defied convention spectacularly showing how female characters can be whole, can be an actual agents of change in their story. She added Laggies, a lackluster and contradictory film as far as women's progress goes, but one where she sported an amusing American accent. Knightley was tagged in with the botched attempt to revive a franchise with Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit. She has managed to build a formidable career after Pirates, one that soars to the top in 2014. Knightley begins 2015 in the adventure ensemble, Everest, where she'll look to carry the momentum of a victory she'll never hear of.  

SQUID Actress of the Year recipients:

2014 winner - Keira Knightley
The Imitation Game, Begin Again, 

2013 winner - Amy Adams
American Hustle, Man of Steel, Her

2012 winner -  Anne Hathaway and Jennifer Lawrence
Hathaway - Les Miserable and The Dark Night Rises
Lawrence - Silver Linings Playbook and The Hunger Games

2011 winner - Emily Blunt

Your Sister's Sister, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, The Adjustment Bureau, Gnomeo and Juliet, The Muppets

The Martian (2015) - A true sum of all its parts.

Directed by Ridley Scott (Kingdom of Heaven - Director's Cut)

Screenplay by Drew Goddard (Cabin in the Woods)

Based on the novel by Andy Weir 

Starring:

Matt Damon (The Departed)

Chiwetel Ejiofor (Serenity)

Jeff Daniels (Looper)

Jessica Chastain (Interstellar)

Sebastian Stan (Kings)

Kate Mara (We Are Marshall)

Michael Peña (Ant-Man) 

Askel Hennie (Headhunters)

Mackenzie Davis (Halt and Catch Fire)

Kristen Wiig (Bridesmaids)

Donald Glover (Community)

Benedict Wong (The I.T. Crowd)

Sean Bean (Lord of the Rings)

The Appeal  .

Ridley Scott is at the helm, Drew Goddard, fresh off of Netflix and Marvel's Daredevil (2014), is penning, and the cast is a swarm of A-list talent. I've not read the novel, and a plot centered around a stranded astronaut comes across as potentially clichéd and uninteresting. Add to that the red setting and how few filmmakers have been able to transcend the general blandness of the fourth planet from the sun and I'm left with a lukewarm intrigue towards the whole deal. These big names, however, had me at least curious. Can they all come together and fulfill their potential?

The Verdict  .

Absolutely. Set The Martian along side Sunshine (2006), Interstellar (2014), Moon (2009), and Serenity (2005) to join the upper echelon of modern space odysseys. 

A smooth mixture of Interstellar's scope and Gravity's (2013) realism without both films' tendencies to induce a bit of vertigo. The Martian is a film that yields a stirring and triumphant return to form for Ridley Scott. A film that captures the vastness of space as an instrument of our future rather than a gargantuan uncertainty. Stunning visuals are on display without a daunting hopelessness that usually accompanies disaster films. It's a pleasant change of pace. 

The science is exhilarating while also being relatable. There's a multi layered sense of humor, too. This survivalist adventure uses cinematic and dramatic limitations (censorship, time delay, gravity, trust) to great effect. With a depiction this sharp, you have to wonder what the point is of actually going to Mars if we can pretend this well that we already will have done it. (That last sentence works if you let it.)

The scenic details are a treat to behold as Mars is given center stage. The planet certainly needed as big a win as Scott did after the critical beatings they've both suffered (Scott more recently and Mars more consistently). This not only compensates for Ghosts of Mars (2001), Red Planet (2000), Mission to Mars (2000), Mars Needs Moms (2012) and John Carter [of Mars] (2012), but also, Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014), The Counselor (2013), and Prometheus (2o12). That's some heavy lifting for a single film.

Andy Weir's novel provides a strong narrative paired excellently with Goddard's resonant screenplay to give the actors and Scott every opportunity to soar. The shifting perspectives feel natural on camera and the performances are provided by a cast whose resumes are wonderfully eclectic. At the heart is Matt Damon's terrific performance as the ever-quotable, stranded, resilient botanist, Mark Watney.  

The supporting characters are thankfully diverse. We get to witness a decent melting pot with the power dynamics between genders, cultures, and ranked officials are never insulting. It's nice to know, too, that there was an effort to be more diverse. Ejiofor's character (Surname: Kapoor) was definitely supposed to be an Indian guy and only wasn't due to scheduling conflicts. 

There also isn't a role in the movie that induces a face palm. Each person makes believable, rational decisions with good intentions. There isn't a slimy publicist, there's a rational publicist. There's no callous boss, there's a decisive boss with hard choices to make. 

While that means that there's no true villain here (not even Mars), it also show's that there doesn't need to be one. Bonus points for not forcing a romance to take center stage while still having a gentle touch of love floating about. On the whole we are given a clichéd story that avoids clichés. 

Lightness aside, The Martian succeeds at being a survival tale that never feels predictable. The run time is two and a half hours but you'll be so enraptured by the film that you'll hardly notice. 

Spotlight: The highlight of the film was most certainly the moment when Project Elrond's significance is explained by an attendee of Elrond's Council. Glad whoever forced Scott to keep that in the film succeeded. Sean Bean's Mitch Henderson shines bright in the film as a guy who's clearly seen the middle seasons of every drama on the CW and knows the value of honesty. I'm sure Bean's character would have had a more gruesome fate were he at any point in space but, fortunately for him, he is safely on Earth the entire 
time. 

And now for the placement...

2015 Rankdown  .

1.      Kingsman: The Secret Service****

2.     Mad Max: Fury Road***

3.     The Man from UNCLE****

4.    The Martian***

5.     Me and Earl and the Dying Girl*

6.     Ant-Man***

7.     Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation***

8.     Jurassic World***

9.     Avengers: Age of Ultron****

10.   Furious 7***

11.     Shaun the Sheep*

12.    Spy***

13.    Sicario*

14.    Inside Out**

15.    Predestination*

16.    Run All Night*

17.    Dope

18.    Straight Outta Compton

19.    Black Mass

20.   Terminator: Genisys*

21.    Paddington*

22.    What We Do In the Shadows

23.    The Water Diviner

24.    Ex Machina

25.    Jupiter Ascending

26.   Slow West

27.    Everest

28.    The Gift

29.   Fantastic Four

30.   Pixels*

31.    Inherent Vice

32.    Mortdecai

(*denoted rewatchability)

The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (2015) - Something Stylish, Something Simple,and Something New

Written and Directed by Guy Ritchie (RocknRolla)

Starring:

Henry Cavill (Stardust)

Armie Hammer (Reaper)

Alicia Vikander (Ex Machina)

Jared Harris (Fringe)

Elizabeth Debicki (The Great Gatsby)

Hugh Grant (Love, Actually)

The Appeal  .

Watch this movie if you’re a fan of Guy Ritchie. Expect a highly active screen experience with a ballistic-yet-delicately precise action. Ritchie manages to stir memories of his previous works like "RocknRolla" (2008), "Sherlock Holmes" (2009), and especially Snatch. (2000), while expanding his signature whirlwind blend of sounds, editing, and action to the espionage game. 

Cinematographer John Mathieson brings the same gorgeous lensing brought to previous films like "X-Men: First Class," "Gladiator," "Kingdom of Heaven," and "Phantom of the Opera." The sweeping motions and vivid vitality in the shots refuse to let the film get bogged down by all the spy jargon. 

Ushered in by vibrant posters featuring bold, contrasting colors, and trailers employing fantastic wails of excitement atop jumping vehicles and gun toting stuntmen (Side note: we also witness the obnoxious new trend of trailers including the final shot in a film, looking at you "Birdman!"), you should expect to be treated to a dazzling spectacle of violence, espionage, and visual humor that all propel a theme of trust despite prejudices.

Personally, Henry Cavill still holds plenty of good grace from his earlier roles in "The Count of Monte Cristo" (2002) and "Stardust" (2007). If you saw that same potential I did, that charm he is capable of bringing, then you will be fairly pleased. Once dubbed the unluckiest man in Hollywood, Cavill is finally given a role with the edginess he was denied in Immortals  (2011) and a suave charisma they kept in check during Man of Steel 2013).

Sharing the screen with Cavill is another actor that hasn’t had the greatest luck in his post break-out roles. Illya Kuryakin allows us to revel in the specimen that is Armie Hammer in a way "The Lone Ranger" (2013) aggressively ignored. Funnily enough, director Tarsem (Immortals, Mirror Mirror) is responsible for mishandling each of these men.  

We also have an interesting trend arising regarding a beloved romantic comedy. First it was Liam Neeson’s ascension to action superstardom which is represented this year by "Run All Night" and "Taken 3." Andrew Lincoln is still wreaking havoc on zombies. Earlier this year saw Colin Firth rampage a church full of ne'er-do-wells. Now, we have Hugh Grant deposited in this adventure. Some grand pact of violence was made on the set of "Love Actually" (2003) to throw down on screen 12 years and here they all are.  

The Analysis  .

An alarmingly unique blitz of action that Ritchie's team of editors manage inject into each set piece was the real stand out here. Much like that cut-and-done sex scene in "RocknRolla," U.N.C.L.E. gives us something common with a unique delivery. In this case, a tactical raid is portrayed with an audacious cut-and-slide style and leads into an exceptional zoom-heavy chase sequence. Each feels completely new. They catch you off guard and keep you actively engaged in the action. No willy-nilly gun battles here.

"The Man from U.N.C.L.E." is just rewards for the two leading men who've previously been deposited in forgettable roles and lazy stories.

Cavill boasts confidence, class, and GASP personality! By George, they did it! And Hammer is finally allowed to deliver on the promise he showed in "The Social Network" (2010). A win for deserving actors is a win for the audience.

This is a movie that takes every step necessary to distinguish itself from the explosive hyper-adrenaline action we are witnessing left at right in films like the "M:I" and "Fast" franchises. This is a movie that knows when to change pace, where certain tropes are expected, and when to hold true to the classics. With that knowledge, "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." comes across as fresher than the material would suggest.  

Lastly, we must must must praise the score. As "Sherlock Holmes" before it, Ritchie’s film is a practice in auditory immersion. Daniel Pemberton's high pitched score is particular, resonant, and very genre appropriate. Featuring an audible arsenal that employs a jazzy power-flute last heard in Snatch., paired with a snazzy percussive onslaught, it distinctively belongs to this film while conjuring that classic espionage sound.

Despite none of the other cast standing out (or being given the appropriate amount of screen time when they do *cough* Hugh Grant *cough*), they can afford to be presented as such within the straight forward spy story whose main goal is to shine a light on two handsome faces. The supporting cast does capably fill their genre roles and are given a decent human touch by the narrative. Sadly, they are somehow uniformly mismanaged. The script is rather trigger happy. 

While this is a reboot of an old 1960s show, it tells a tale the show glanced over. The box office may suggest there won't be, but should there be a sequel, it will certainly have more room for everyone to shine.

The lead female role of Gaby (played by Alicia Vikander) is fairly fleshed out and she is given an active arc with just a hint of a "manic-pixie-dream-girl" in her. That’s great. Sadly, she and the main villain (played by Elizabeth Debicki) are saddled with typical limitations for female characters. They need to wait on others for anything to really happen. In a year where films like "Kingsman: The Secret Service" and "Mad Max: Fury Road" have shown that villainy, heroics, skill, and competence can transcend gender within cinematic action, "U.N.C.L.E." couldn't quite go all the way. Decent attempt, though.

Another negative that is a bit more glaring is a seeming lack of diversity in the cast. It doesn't, however, come across as malicious on the filmmaker's part, it fits in with the setting, after all. (Diversity is another area where "Kingsman" had a leg up.)

The story does hiccup in living up to the title. This is a hardcore origin story firmly about the creation of U.N.C.L.E. We have to wait till next time for any real structured fun from the titular organization, leaving Hugh Grant exceedingly jealous of Colin Firth's luck with "Kingsman."

The Judgment  .

What we have here is an odd couple that steadily but quickly and, most importantly, organically, grows fond of each other. The pace of the central duo's friendship is key but it doesn't get rushed, nor does it lag. (See: "The Lone Ranger", "The Heat," "The Green Hornet") We are rooting for both sides to get along. This is good for everyone. This joviality leads to a highly entertaining film: one that is stylish, kinetic, witty, and boasts leads with believable adversarial chemistry. An intriguing question now arises: who is the more exciting director between Guy Ritchie and Matthew Vaughn? (The answer, of course, is Edgar Wright)

2015 Rankdown  .

1.         Kingsman: The Secret Service****

2.       Mad Max: Fury Road***

3.       The Man from UNCLE****

4.       Ant-Man***

5.       Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation***

6.       Me and Earl and the Dying Girl*

7.       Jurassic World***

8.       Avengers: Age of Ultron****

9.       Furious 7***

10.   Shaun the Sheep*

11.       Spy***

12.      Inside Out**

13.      Kung Fury**

14.      Predestination*

15.      Run All Night*

16.      Dope

17.       Terminator: Genisys*

18.       Paddington*

19.      Jupiter Ascending

20.    Fantastic Four

21.       What We Do In the Shadows

22.     The Gift

23.     Slow West

24.     Ex Machina

25.     Pixels*

26.    Inherent Vice

27.     Mortdecai

(*denoted rewatchability)

Furious 7 (2015) - 7 Furious Lessons To Live By

Directed by James Wan (Saw)

Written by Chris Morgan (Wanted)

Starring:

Vin Diesel (Pitch Black)

Paul Walker (The Fast and the Furious)

Jason Statham (Spy)

Dwayne Johnson (Doom)

Michelle Rodriguez (S.W.A.T.)

Kurt Russell (Sky High)

Tyrese Gibson (Fast 5)

Chris Ludacris Bridges (Fast and Furious 6)

Natalie Emmanuel (Game of Thrones)

Ronda Rousey (UFC?)

Tony Jaa (Ong Bak)

Djimon Hounsou (Gladiator)

Let's all agree that the first film was a blatant unapologetic knock off of Point Break. Since then the franchise faltered for a film or three. Rockification has now led to three above-average films. This seventh and latest outing is the above-averagest of them all and is actually just a rather great movie. 

They (some unspecified conglomerate of thinkers) managed to successfully morph the movies from being about the trendy screeches and growls of street racing to becoming part of the always-in-style heist genre. 

"Furious Seven" was not only able to serve as a fitting send off to its franchise lead, it surrounded him with one moronically fun film. With Jason Statham's help, it enters into a new breed of unexpected, yet totally intentional, action-comedy. Usually, an action-comedy means there are jokes and there is action. Here, the action is the joke, and it's masterful. Its like the muscle-head cousin of "The Lego Movie." 

The narrative preaches "family" but the effects crew preaches adrenaline. Like punchlines in a Hannibal Burress stand-up set, each explosion was absurd and each stunt was immensely imaginative, and borderline offensive. James Wan and his crew had the tenacity to telegraph their stunts and still make them a thrill to watch. It was expected to be a good film and it delivered. Three words: Rock. Bottom. Camera.

The real take always, however, are not that it's a successful movie, it's the life lessons we learned along the way. Lessons beyond the word "family" being mentioned every five minutes. Here is a quick list of Seven lessons "Furious Seven" taught us.

Furious Lesson One - Carpooling:

• One car per person,
• Only plot devices exit a vehicle from the passenger side.  
• Exception: when the car will be completely obliterated. 

Furious Lesson 2 - Science:

• Cars are impervious to bullets. 
• Gravity is a toy. 
• The laws of biology are optional if:
• You are The Rock.
• You are Dwayne Johnson.
• You are a character played by either of the above. 

Furious Lesson 3 - Characterization:

• Backstory can be supplanted by an actor's life and reputation. 
• ex. Tony Jaa, Ronda Rousy, and Djimon Hounsou played Tattooed Tony Jaa, Fancy Ronda Rousy, and Djimon Hounsou, respectively. 

Furious Lesson 4 - Stereotypes confirmed:

• All women who wear hijabs are semi-incompetent ninjas. 

Furious Lesson 5 - Jason Statham:

• Best utilized when Stathomed throughout a movie. (See: Review for "Spy")

Furious Lesson 6 – Conversations:

• Must occur facing the same direction.
• Align all shoulders to selected horizon. 
• Do NOT make eye contact. 

Luda: "What's a parabola?"
Tyrese: "I think it's a type of bagel."
Vin: "Family."

Furious Lesson 7 - Promises:

• Made only about things you have zero control over and should definitely not make promises about.

2015 Rankdown:

1.      Kingsman: The Secret Service****

2.     Mad Max: Fury Road***

3.     Spy***

4.     Avengers: Age of Ultron****

5.     Furious 7***

6.     Predestination*

7.     Run All Night*

8.     Jupiter Ascending

9.     Ex Machina

(*denoted rewatchability)