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)

Spy (2015)

Written and Directed by Paul Feig (Bridesmaids)

Starring:

Melissa McCarthy (Gilmore Girls)

Jude Law (Gattaca)

Jason Statham (The Italian Job)

Rose Byrne (X-Men: First Class)

Allison Janney (West Wing)

Bobby Cannavale (Snakes on a Plane)

Morena Baccarin (Firefly)

Miranda Hart

With Paul Feig at the helm wielding a remarkable throng of talent we get a comically sustained, high stakes espionage film that refreshingly puts women in positions of narrative power.  The strengths of “Spy” lie in its aversion to convention, its crude yet intelligent action-comic tone, and its spectacularly deep level of talent on screen led by Melissa McCarthy. 

This possible franchise starter is fantastic. Exhilarating in both comic tenacity and visual flare. Feig and McCarthy handle mayhem superbly and running gags keep you actively chasing jokes. Sadly but proudly, I was the only one of a particular niche who laughed at a sneaky hip hop joke. Kudos for that.  

Feig manages to never compromise vulgarity while injecting compelling stakes AND giving women all the good characters.  It’s something so rare that Feig, McCarthy, Byrne, and Janney make seem so simple. Beyond that, Feig has been arguably the most successful filmmaker in terms of progressing female characters not only within comedies, but in film. The guy is platinum right now. (Check out his latest series, “Other Space”  on Yahoo Screen)

“Spy” equals the triumph of the “Jump Street” films. It is tonally identical to them but instead of overt meta-humor, laughter is drawn out of characters' stories. The minor characters (including throw-aways like a simple henchmen) are afforded a sincere complexity. This abundance of character building here finds its antithesis hilariously in Furious Seven. (That’s a compliment to the inventiveness of both films. While we're on that film, Furious Seven also stars Jason Stathom, using him quite similarly in what may become known as Stathoming.)

Another accomplishment of “Spy” is that Feig aptly peppers the major players across the storyscape in both respectful and creatively poignant ways. Top-billed names may go missing for chunks of time but they all shine when the spotlight finds them. It could be said that they are Stathoming effectively. Generally, each storyline is tied up. Every potential plot obstacle (plotstacle) is pleasantly and intelligently averted. Villainy was daftly on display. Like the baddies in Feig's “The Heat” (2013), they were sinister and stupid but always in appropriate amounts. 

Melissa McCarthy is finally set free with an awesome character that can go toe to toe with Jason Bourne or Ethan Hunt. Jason Statham hasn't been this good since Lock Stock. Rose Byrne was brilliantly sadistic with a subtle hint of humanity and her character was some ride. Janney and Miranda Hart never felt unwelcomed while Jude Law, who may have been miscast, still filled the role capably. 

While there is a romantic undertone, lessons are learned and smart decisions are actually made. The initial push for Agent Susan Cooper may have been her unrequited love of man's man but the message of the story is ultimately one of self realization. That lingering lack of agency for what is meant to be a strong female character is, in the end, not compromised. It is however, ridiculed, which is acceptable for a comedy.  

Where it did misstep was in weaving the conspiracy a bit too much. While every plot line was addressed in some way, we're never given a holistic resolution. Certain threads feel hollower than others, like they wanted to set something up for the future. That maneuver is slightly insulting to the integrity of a self-contained story. 

Visually, this movie found upped sexy. By that I mean the sultry mistress that is slow motion and the supermodels of camera shots, the overhead. These weapons of mass dope-itude were paired off better than a hunk of mozzerella with some tangy Catalina dressing. And let's not forget the occasional blitz of zooms! Elements that should be carelessly abused by every movie where carelessly abused by this movie and for that, it has been bestowed the honorable Bag of Yes for films that refuse to say "no, don't do that!" Thankfully, and with astonishingly little delay, “Spy” injects visual gooeyness and it goes on to be fantastically liberal with the lens for the entire runtime. Shout out to the high speed camera team.

I look forward to Feig and McCarthy's "Ghostbusters" reboot. Go, Suki, go! 

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)