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Hate movie spoilers? Good! You'll get straight to the point, quick, and spoiler-free movie reviews to help you spend your time and money wisely on movies. I'll give you the Good, the Bad, the Reason, and the Rating about each movie. ***Please disable any popup blockers***

Friday, September 23, 2016

The Magnificent Seven Movie Review

The Trailer:
The Good:
Director Antoine Fuqua (Training Day, The Equalizer) builds up an intense sense of tension that plays out throughout the film. He gives us those classic scenes that are well known in Westerns such as those suspenseful stare-downs or traditional quick-draw shootouts. Moreover, I also appreciated how Fuqua didn't neglect the actual cultural issues that were relevant in 1879. Fuqua didn't go overboard like Quentin Tarantino by constantly dropping N-words to remind you of the racist climate. Instead, you still get subtle reminders that there's still some racial tension present.

The biggest draw for this film is going to be the characters. Denzel is Denzel. I don't think he can be anyone besides that anymore. He's smooth, calm, collective, and dangerous whenever he has a gun. Chris Pratt brings in the comic relief with his charm and wit. Vincent D'Onofrio absolutely transforms no matter the role he's in. The slight change in his voice (which was a little awkward) still helped him turn into a completely different and believable character. What's even more interesting to watch is the development of each character. While it may not be the deepest, it was nice to get a little backstory that ultimately referenced what makes them each unique.

There's plenty of gun toting action to keep you entertained. Despite being limited on the type of weapons that were available in the late 1800s, it was nice to see the various types of weapons used in their battles.

The Bad
:

While the cast did work pretty well together, the recruitment process was pretty weak in my opinion. Many of the motivations for the characters to join together on this supposed "impossible job" just didn't seem believable. Beyond that, the story is pretty predictable and basic. There's only a slight minor twist towards the end, but it's really nothing shocking. Though this isn't major, I think they could've expanded Matt Bomer's role a bit more than they did. He's just a good actor, so it kind sucks to see him have a small role.

The Reason
:

I really enjoyed The Magnificent Seven. After watching it, I could easily recall the reasons why I used to dream about being a cowboy when I was a kid. If I had to compare, I'd say it was like Django + Suicide Squad + with a dash of The Hateful Eight. It's a pretty straight forward movie. What you see in the trailers is exactly what you'll get. There's a combination of drama, action, suspense and very mild humor which, I think, makes it a pretty decent all around movie. I'd certainly recommend seeing it in theaters.
The Rating: 8/10

My [Loosely based] Ratings scale
10-9 = A Must watch at any cost. 
8.5- 7.5 = Theater worthy 
7-6.5 = Matinee/rental worthy at best
6 = Watchable (If it's free)
5 - below = Avoid at all costs

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Friday, September 16, 2016

Snowden Movie Review


The Trailer:

The Good:
It's really interesting to see how just a simple change of his voice can really help Joseph Gordon Levitt (JGL for short) transform into the character of Edward Snowden. You can tell he probably did his homework on Snowden's mannerisms as he convincingly portrays the character as modest, conflicted, and full of conviction all at the same time. Gordon-Levitt was also able to project his character's own paranoia of the government's usage of technology to the extent that even the audience may think twice about their own phones and laptops.

During some scenes, director Oliver Stone was able to convey the complexity of the government's high tech surveillance through the use of visual graphics. I think he was able to accomplish his goal of instilling a sense of terror when Stone shows how far the government's surveillance was capable of reaching. It was even more alarming to see how the government was using the collected information to achieve whatever goals they wanted to achieve.

Another highlight that Stone portrays for audiences is a more in depth look at Edward Snowden and his personal life. While most people may be coming into the film only knowing about the media's portrayal of Snowden, we're given another perspective in how his long term girl friend played a role in his life as well. So at the end of it all, Stone's vision of Snowden definitely challenges the media portrayal of Snowden.

The Bad
:

The movie felt long, and drawn out. While it was nice to see the relationship with the girlfriend, I think there may have been one too many scenes that could've been condensed. The movie had some strong points where suspense and thrills could keep you engaged. However, those moments are too few and far between other scenes.

Now I'm going to say that this my personal preference so you can take it or leave it; the other issue with this film is how one-sided the depiction was. Coming into the movie, I was hoping to see a bit more of a balancing act when it came to learning about Snowden. Oliver Stone doesn't really give us much to think about as he clearly paints Snowden in a biased way. I simply would have preferred if Stone had mixed it up a bit, and let audiences decide for themselves whether Snowden is a hero or not.

The Reason:
Snowden could've easily been a bit of a "Tech Horror" film. There was more than enough material to scare you away from using technology.  Instead it's more of a political docu-drama on a really interesting issue. If you may have been like myself and only loosely followed the story when it was developing a few years ago, this film may re-spark your interests. Given the length of the movie, and the slow pace of it, I can't say that it's ideal to watch in theaters. (Especially with this comfy reclining chairs.) It's good enough for a day time matinee, and maybe even better to watch with a friend to have a nice political debate.  If you're still on the fence, re-watch the trailer and see if you're interested. If not, stay at home. One thing Snowden may do is to have you think twice about who you talk to and how you interact with social media.

The Rating: 7/10

My [Loosely based] Ratings scale
10-9 = A Must watch at any cost. 
8.5- 7.5 = Theater worthy 
7-6.5 = Matinee/rental worthy at best
6 = Watchable (If it's free)
5 - below = Avoid at all costs

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Kicks (2016) Movie Review


The Trailer:

The Good:
I think that both the writing and the directing by Justin Tipping were tremendous for this film. There never seemed to be much of an agenda being forcefully pushed onto the audiences through the stories or the characters. Instead, we're witnessing the development of a boy discovering and navigating through the realities of masculinity in his own social context. If you're like me, you'll be intrigued and maybe even fascinated with the sneaker culture, perception of manhood and the great lengths taken to achieve it. On a more technical side, Tipping also includes some great symbolism through use of the other character in this film, the Astronaut. It wasn't too deep of a metaphorical symbol, but it was powerfully effective in its representation. (You'll see what I mean in the film.)

What was even better was that we're not isolated to just one perspective throughout the film. When we're exposed to some of the other character's points of view, the scope of the film not only changes, but it also challenges your preconceived notions of the characters themselves. This certainly helps the movie evolve into something much deeper than the simplistic portrayal that the trailer suggests.

The film also doesn't hold back in regards to its vulgarity, drug use, and violence. Parents, be advised. It's as "real" as it gets in how it portrays a small glimpse of potential inner city culture. What can be appreciated in this genuine depiction is that it encompasses a blend of drama, comedy, and even some action.

Jahking Guillory, playing Brandon, does a wonderful job of showing the transition to "manhood" in this story (he's definitely got a bright future). Kofi Siriboe (Flaco) also showed off his acting chops by displaying a character that wasn't as one-dimensional as many may think. The rest of the supporting cast such as Mahershala Ali, Christopher Jordan Wallace and Christopher Meyer also gave meaningful performances that add on to the multiple layers of this film.

The Bad:
I've got nothing...

The Reason
:

The movie Kicks probably gives new meaning to "Shoes Make the Man". I'll be the first to admit that when I initially started watching this, I was rolling my eyes at the level of adoration the main character had over just a pair of shoes. However, the more you watch the film, the more it challenges you to break free of your own social context. I think it's also important that if you're not familiar with life of the inner city, or the sneaker culture, then go into this film with a very open mind. It is not a representation of all minorities in the inner city. It's not a bunch of stereotypes being portrayed either.

Kicks shows a lot of heart even in the midst of the turmoil that can plague an impoverish community.
So what I appreciated was how this movie reminds you that those shoes, those ideals of masculinity, and the means they go through to obtain them all are simply a part of their reality.

If I had to compare this movie to others, I'd say it's a combination of Dope + Menace II Society + Boyz N The Hood. It's a phenomenal movie that I think exceeds expectations. Go see it however you can.

The Rating: 9.0/10

My [Loosely based] Ratings scale
10-9 = A Must watch at any cost. 
8.5- 7.5 = Theater worthy 
7-6.5 = Matinee/rental worthy at best
6 = Watchable (If it's free)
5 - below = Avoid at all costs

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Tuesday, September 6, 2016

Sully Movie Review


The Trailer:

The Good:
Without question, Tom Hanks is the most interesting aspect of this film. At this point in his career, it's kind of hard for him to disappoint. He did an excellent job of showing us the PTSD (Post traumatic stress disorder) that his character's traumatic experience. What I did enjoy was the sequencing of some of the story telling. For the majority of the movie, we don't know the actual true events that transpired and that keeps you engaged to the end. Another positive for the plot was the dynamic between computer simulations vs human judgement. In this tech driven world, it was interesting to see how those two elements collide. Despite the fact that most people know the ending of this story, it still ends up having a minor payoff towards the end with a slight twist. Lastly, I thought it was a nice touch to highlight the rescue workers of New York and not just focus on Captain Sully alone.

The Bad:

While this movie may have only been just 95 mins long, the pacing still made it feel a little longer than it actually was. (But that's not really a problem) My biggest issue with this film is the editing. Yup, that means I'm speaking ill of Director Clint Eastwood's work. (Bust out the holy water!) The flashbacks, and there were many of them, made the movie feel convoluted.  In some areas they made sense (visiting Sully's flight experience, for example). However, there are other instances where the flashbacks happen out of nowhere, and appeared to be a little confusing with the sequencing of events. One moment you think you're in current time, then all of a sudden you realize that you were watching a flashback the entire time. To make matters even worse, one of the major flash backs is repeated again. It would've been fine had that event been repeated and shown from a completely different perspective, but it wasn't. So unfortunately, the movie has almost an extra 15-20 mins that could've been done away with.

The Reason:

If you're like me, then after watching the trailer, you probably thought that this was another version of Denzel Washington's film, Flight. In a sense it was kind of like Flight, except take out the drugs and the Hollywood extra stuff like planes flying upside down. This film felt more like it had the push for award season, rather than appealing to general audiences. Sully was okay, but nothing I'd be in a rush to go see again.

I more than likely wouldn't recommend this for a theater viewing unless you REALLY were intrigued by the trailer. At the VERY most, IF you wanted to watch it in theaters just do it as a matinee. In my opinion, you can wait on this film to watch at home. I get the feeling it'll be on TNT or TBS pretty soon anyway.

The Rating: 6.5/10


My [Loosely based] Ratings scale
10-9 = A Must watch at any cost. 
8.5- 7.5 = Theater worthy 
7-6.5 = Matinee/rental worthy at best
6 = Watchable (If it's free)
5 - below = Avoid at all costs



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Southside With You Movie Review

The Trailer:

The Good:
Probably the simplest highlight of this film was how it focused primarily on the chemistry of the couple, and not so much on their politics. You genuinely connect and even root for them to succeed (even though we know how their relationship ends up.) It was interesting to see how both characters were able to open up about their pasts, their parents, life goals and so much more. You really get a better sense of who they are as individuals compared to what we all may be exposed to via the media alone. Furthermore, we're given a glimpse at the impact they both had within their families or the local communities.

Tika Sumpter encapsulated Michelle Obama's class, intellect, and modesty. Parker Sawyers absolutely nails his depiction of President Obama. His mannerisms, charm, wit, and especially his speech inflections clearly show that he some serious work in imitating the President.

Besides the individual characters, the film does an interesting job of tackling certain societal issues without coming off as "preachy". Barack's account with his past relationships were pretty insightful and revealing even to a person of color like myself. Michelle's accounts of how her social and work life colliding provide some excellent points of reflection about both race and gender in our society today.

The Bad:
N/A

The Reason:
I can't say for certain, but I get the impression that a lot of the accounts in this film may have derived from President Obama's book: Dreams of My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance. This was a wonderful story of a first date between two love birds. I really appreciated the lack of political fodder being included because I think it would've just been too distracting. (We all know how divisive politics can be.) I think this was a rock solid date movie, and would be perfect for a night out with a special someone. Go see it, if you get a chance.

The Rating: 9.5/10


My [Loosely based] Ratings scale
10-9 = A Must watch at any cost. 
8.5- 7.5 = Theater worthy 
7-6.5 = Matinee/rental worthy at best
6 = Watchable (If it's free)
5 - below = Avoid at all costs



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 to join our weekly email list. One email, every Friday, to get my latest reviews. Don't forget to follow me at @SpoilerDashFree