Now You See Me 2 Movie Review

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The Trailer:


YouTube Review (Spoiler-Free)

The Good:

Let's start off with the characters. Woody Harrelson was funny given his "interesting" role in the movie. It was nice to see more of Mark Ruffalo’s character and his past. It would appear that Ruffalo had a few similar highlights in this film similar to how Dave Franco did in the last Now You See Me. (Remember when Dave Franco had that cool magic fight scene in the last film?) With Isla Fisher (who played "Henley") not present in this film, Lizzy Caplan stepped in without missing a beat. She was both entertaining and humorous.

The biggest highlight will probably be the "Security scene" as it was the most suspenseful scene of the entire film. (You'll know it when you see it.) The first 2/3's of the movie is overall really good. 

The Bad:

The story seems to have one too many forced twists the closer you get to the end. The more plot twists that were revealed, the more convoluted the story became. I was a little disappointed because the original mystery that made the story so compelling seemed to unravel rather hastily. When it came to the magic tricks, they simply didn't seem to be as grand as the last movie's tricks.

With all of the reveals of how the many tricks were done, a lot of the allure seemed to disappear. I also think that the marketing may have failed this film a bit too. The trailers, and even movie posters, all appeared to give away a major reveal that the movie tried to make a big deal; that includes some of the magic tricks or characters.

The Reason:

In all honesty, I can't say that this sequel lives up to the previous movie. However, it's a rather difficult task to exceed that surprise factor that Now You See Me pt 1 came in with. As you can probably tell in my previous Now You See Me review, I was very impressed with the previous movie. (Probably more so than others) Interestingly enough, news has been reported that the movie studios have already started working on Now You See Me 3. So maybe, just maybe, there's hope that Now You See Me 2 was just a bridge film, and there's room for more improvement down the road. Either way, I still think that this movie was entertaining and fun to watch. It's worth your time to see it in the theaters.

The Rating: 8.0/10

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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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Out of the Shadows Movie Review

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The Trailer:

Youtube Movie Critic Reactions:

The Good:
This film takes full advantage of the in your face 3D special effects. There was probably one key moment in the middle of the movie where one of the effects may actually have you ducking and dodging a bit with how real it looked.

If you're a fan of the Turtles cartoons, then you'll more than likely appreciate both BeBop (played by Gary Anthony Williams) and Rocksteady (played by Stephen Farrelly). They were definitely captured in their truest form with their comedic and off-beat characters. (Especially if you like fart jokes) This goes for the Turtles as well. If you enjoyed their unique personalities from the previous film then you'll be satisfied with how they are basically the same.

The Bad:

Sadly the acting in this film was also sub-par. I blame the writing for this, mostly. And no, I don't think anyone expected Academy Award level acting. However, I highly doubt that a 7th grade play should be comparable either. Stephen Amell (who plays "Casey Jones") should probably just stick to playing on the show Arrow and making wrestling appearances on the WWE. There's no reason for him to include this movie on his resume at all. While he did have a select few decent moments when he put his hockey mask on, everything else was just a tad bit over dramatic acting on his part. (e.g. His reactions to seeing the turtles for the first time.) *insert eye roll*

Brian Tee, who plays "Shredder", initially appeared to be a truly menacing character, in the beginning of the film. Although as it progressed, you soon realized that his entire character was pointless and wasted. I don't even know if he threw one single punch at ANYONE.

On paper, this movie appears to have all the right parts, and the perfect cast. The

execution, in my opinion, was simply poor. The writing is probably what hurt this movie the most for me. In the previous movie, this new reboot of Ninja Turtles has a much more serious tone while still maintaining some humorous and entertaining moments. This movie on the other hand was all over the place with over the top plot and twists. 

The story tried to fit in a bunch of different things that never really felt fully developed. Everything with Krang was rushed including his random out of the blue introduction. Even the big scene in Brazil felt randomly inserted into the film and out of place. Seemed like just an excuse to have some special action sequences, but never mind how they got there, or how they get home or any other details that require thought. 

Even some of the motivations were just ridiculous. The motivation that drove Raphael and Michelangelo to go on their secret mission was just dumb. It's one thing if you want to tackle the theme of "not fitting in with society" but it's entirely different when you go after the route they were seeking. Not to mention the fact that I don't have the slightest clue as to how Donatello can start off being a garbage collecting tech genius, to all of a sudden becoming a Tony Stark from Iron Man. How?!..Never mind -_-

The Reason: 
*Sigh* I guess you can call me biased. I am one of those millennials who grew up watching the Turtles cartoon in the 90's. So as with any of my reviews, take it with a grain of salt. I think that this movie is very self aware of itself in knowing that it's not set out to be serious. My issue with it is that if this was the route they wanted to take, then they should've just set that tone with the previous movie from the beginning. If you can recall, these more recent films are polar opposites of one another the same way that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990) was to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: Secret of the Ooze (1991). The first being a more serious film with humorous moments, and the second being wacky and cartoonish. TMNT 2: Out of the Shadows is exactly the latter. Honestly this probably would've just played out better had it been a cartoon. If you enjoyed the previous TMNT (2014) then don't expect this sequel to anything like it.

I cannot, with any sense of integrity, recommend paying for this film without some HEAVY disclaimers first. TMNT 2 Out of the Shadows is more of a kid-friendly movie compared to the previous film. The violence is watered down, the jokes are over the top, goofy, and corny. This isn't the type of movie that you can watch and think at the same time. If you're 14 years or younger, or just a big kid at heart, you may actually enjoy this film. If you've got children, then that's another pass to go see this film. I would still encourage paying for a matinee price at the very most. As for myself, I don't think you could pay me to go rewatch this. I'm currently consulting a lawyer to see if I can sue the city of Chicago for emotional distress and a refund for my parking. -_-

The Rating: 5.5/10 

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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X-Men Apocalypse Movie Review

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YouTube Review (Spoiler-Free):


YouTube Review (Spoilers): 

Youtube Critic Reactions:

The Good:

Right off the bat, the 3D effects and visuals immediately stand out as bright spot for this movie. The story was also nice and fitting with the previous X-Men movies, First Class and Days of Future Past. All of the past story lines connect and make sense which makes all three films feel like one big continuous film. If you watched the previous movies, you'll pick up on many of the references that are dropped throughout.

It's very easy to say that Michael Fassbender provided some of the best acting in this film. You could connect and feel every ounce of his emotions through his performance. Surprisingly, there were some rather dark, emotional moments in the film that did very well in enriching the characters. This wasn't left to just Fassbender's character alone, but also to that of Cyclops (played by "Tye Sheridan". There was also some interesting moments with Jean Grey's character (played by "Sophie Turner ") that fans of the series will more than likely appreciate as well. Oscar Isaac was exceptional as Apocalypse. He was dark, intimidating and powerful. He felt like a genuine threat to the world given his abilities.

To my surprise, this movie was rather violent and somewhat graphic. Even though it is PG-13, it still managed to push the limitations just a bit. However, while it was violent, and took on such a serious tone, it still found time to bring in a little fun. We can thank Quick Silver (played by "Evan Peters") for that. Just like in the past films, he managed to bring in the comic relief.

The Bad:

Mystique. Her character is overly emphasized in this third installment. Almost every single character in the movie redirected their attention and focus back to Mystique. There was such an unnecessary focus on her character that many of the other issues almost seemed to lose their significance. Seriously, it was just over the top and ridiculous. I don't think the movie could go 10 minutes without some sort of praise or reference to Mystique. Because of the constant focus on her character, much of the other characters were also lost in the process. Even worse, there simply didn't seem to be any level of separation within Jennifer Lawrence's character because she was a carbon copy of Katniss character from The Hunger Games. (I think they even used some of the same lines.)

There was a lot of excitement to see Olivia Munn play Psylocke and Alexandra Shipp play Storm. Unfortunately, they each probably had a total of maybe 20 lines combined between the two of them. It was rather disappointing to feel as though we had seen their best in the trailers.

Yet again, the trailers have ruined what may have been a nice surprise. The reveal and announcement of Wolverine (played by "Hugh Jackman") by the trailers simply deflate any real anticipation while viewing the movie. We know what's going to happen the moment a certain character walks onto the scene. Also, the way he looked was just lacking in certain way. A few minor tweaks to the costume design would've been an easy remedy. (Come back to watch my spoiler review, May 26th, to see what I mean)

The Reason:
At the end of the day, X-Men Apocalypse was really just more of the same. I guess you could just think of it as being The Hunger Games w/ Mutants. There wasn't anything significantly different or epic to make this movie stand out from the rest. It's not a horrible movie, but I'm not sure I'd say it is the best. It's in their top 3, possibly.

I still think that X-Men Apocalypse was a good movie, despite my grievances. I should probably also note, that I don't entirely blame Jennifer Lawrence for the Mystique portrayal. I think that's more on Director Bryan Singer and the Fox Studio execs as a whole wanting to do a money grab with her since Hugh Jackman is leaving.
I've been a fan of the X-Men franchise for a while, so you can take my critique with a grain of salt. I have never been a fan of the push of Mystique as the reluctant hero. We all know that this is only the case because it's Jennifer Lawrence playing the part. I would've been okay if they had cast her as Rogue instead... maybe. (At least then they wouldn't have to completely revise the stories and characters). Now, before I get labeled as some misogynistic, sexist film critic, let me explain. IF Fox was really concerned about making a female hero, why didn't they highlight a character like Storm? A BLACK...WOMAN...(that's two wins right there) who actually was a leader of the X-Men.

My bigger problem with Jennifer Lawrence/Mystique is that her character revision completely over shadows the issues and themes that made X-Men so relevant and timeless. The focus on her as a single hero, nullifies the X-Men's concept of being a team. Even worse, her character's emphasis undermines the racial themes that the X-Men franchise used to tackle. While it wasn't a matter of "black vs white", the "Mutants vs Humans" basis was a mirror reflection of the civil rights movement. Both Professor X and Magneto's characters were based on the ideologies of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. I think it's unfortunate that rather than using this franchise to bring attention to a relevant social issues, this Mystique hype waters down to a more one dimensional, cliche', hero story. Maybe this wouldn't be an issue if Fox decided to just do a Mystique solo film, but to use the X-Men franchise to guise this Hollywood romanticizing of Jennifer Lawrence is a bit too much for my liking.

Feel free to watch this in 3D. Parents please be advised that this isn't the most kid friendly movie. There was at least one F-Bomb dropped, and as mentioned the violence does push the PG-13 boundaries a bit. Go in with low expectations so that you can get the most out of this film. Don't be in a hurry to leave either because there's one end credit scene to see.

The Rating: 7.5/10

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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Money Monster Movie Review

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The Trailer:


The Good:
From the very beginning, you're reminded of the very thing that makes George Clooney famous. His wit and charm on screen translate perfectly through his character. Even more so, both he and Julia Roberts share amazing on screen chemistry together. Their interactions give you a perfect sense of how deep their bond goes as friends.

One of the biggest highlights of this films is the level of suspense and intensity that happens almost at every turn. There were rarely any dull moments and just when you think it was about to settle down, something pulls you right back in. To many people's surprise there were also a lot of pockets of mild humor. The good thing about them was that they gave you a moment to simply catch your breath, or in my case, allow your heart to stop beating so fast.

I certainly appreciated the fact that this movie didn't always do what you expected it to do either. There's one pivotal scene in the film where the entire audience simply feels the pain of one of the characters. As a man, I think if I had been that character, a tiny piece of my soul would have shriveled up and died. :-/

Director Jodie Foster (Yeah, that Jodie Foster, the actress) did a great job with the movie's pacing and, I think, also did a good job of steering your emotions throughout the film. Another nice addition to the film was how it was able to make the entire world a character in itself. Watching how society played a part in this film was rather unique and a very interesting reflection of today's world.

The Bad:
I would probably have to say that this film's ending started drifting more towards the unbelievable rather than more realistic side of things. It was definitely a bit of a stretch, but I suppose you go with it for the sake of the movie. Also, the main culprit was rather predictable to figure out from very early on. It was built up as if it were some surprise, but it really was a no brainier.

The Reason:
One of the biggest concerns I had about this film was whether or not it would be too heavy with the financial jargon and maybe go over some people's heads. Luckily it didn't go too over board with it and still found a way to keep viewers engaged with the intense and suspenseful scenes. I personally enjoyed the fact that this film felt a little more original, and a nice break from the onslaught of comic-book movies. Interestingly enough, I couldn't help but wonder, how different would this movie had been if the gunman was maybe black, or maybe Muslim. I suppose that's a conversation for another day though. Either way, if you're in the mood for something different and a change of pace, I'd recommend checking this out.

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

BONUS: Money Monster Critic Reactions

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Captain America: Civil War Movie Review (2016)

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Youtube Review (Spoiler-Free):

Youtube SPOILER Review:

Youtube Critic Reactions:
After my second viewing of Civil War, I got a chance to get some initial reactions from other professional film critics. See what they had to say about the film. 

The Good:

Similar to Captain America 2, within just a few minutes we're thrown into the suspense and action that sets the tone for the film. Almost each character gets their moment to shine in terms of action or just displaying their special abilities. The MANY different fight scenes will keep your eyes glued to the screen. There's rarely ever a dull moment and the overall pacing of the film was done very effectively despite being over 2.5 hours long. I think it’s also safe to say that the airport scene is by far one of the best scenes in the film.

 There were so many surprises in this film. Rarely do I get to say this, but the trailers actually didn't give a lot away. The trailers were altered to the point where some things will still look new.

The themes and writing in this movie were carried out in a believable, coherent and authentic way. The motivations of the many characters did not seem forced, in my opinion. This led to some nice plot twists that continue to progress the story. (Though some of those twists were mildly predictable). It's rather difficult to choose a side of one of the characters because the moral lines are so heavily grayed. As a fan of the Civil War comics (great read by the way), I was very appreciative of how Marvel was able to stay true to the nature and feeling of the source material even though they had to change a lot of the details for the sake of the movie. They did a great job of handling issues like the collateral destruction of cities, the loss of life, and the responsibility of great power.

What's even more interesting is how the movie is able to maintain an overall serious tone but still find time to have many humorous moments. It's not a comedy, but it does stay true to that "Marvel Fun" that we've come to enjoy.

Let’s get into the characters. It’s no surprise anymore that Spider-Man is a feature in this film. His scenes are probably one of the biggest highlights in the movie for both his humor and the action he brings to the table. Luckily what you see in the trailers is only a tiny glimpse of what’s to come with Spidey. 

Zemo (played by, Daniel Brühl) made for a good villain in this story. It was interesting to see how his motivations drove his actions. Similar to how Tom Hiddleston’s Loki’s character was developed, we are given a bit more complex villain with Zemo’s character.

Black Panther....YES! He was AWESOME. Yes I’m biased because he’s like the first black superhero (And because you know…I’m black) I was so happy and proud to see Chadwick Boseman bring this character to life. From his African accent, presence of royalty, all the way down to his proficient cat-like ninja fighting style, he truly embodied what the Black Panther character always intended. (That is to have a sense of pride in African culture) His role in the film has definitely made me more optimistic about the upcoming solo film. 

I was impressed with how this film was able to juggle so much at once. With this huge cast of characters, it rarely felt as though any one of them suffered from a lack of screen time. Not only that but Civil War also managed to still serve as a platform for the upcoming solo movies.

The Bad: 

What?! There’s some bad? I know I was shocked too, but bear with me. There’s are two issues I had problems with, but you’ll have to watch my Spoiler Review to see them. 

The Reason: 

I think it’s safe to say that Marvel has done it again. Civil War had a lot of expectations and I think it delivered on most of them. I know a lot of people really want to compare this to Batman V Superman because the movies share practically the same themes. I think that while this may feel like a natural comparison to make, it may be a little unfair to do so. Batman V Superman had a completely different motive and intent behind it. It was a setup movie for all of the other movies DC wants to kick off. (Not to mention they had to play catch up in the comic book movie realm) Civil War was a solo movie for Captain America that just so happened to set up other movies and continue the overall story arc of the Marvel cinematic universe.

So I think a much better comparison for Civil War would be to its predecessor, Captain America 2: Winter Soldier. Avengers: Age of Ultron was best compared to Avengers 1 because it was the same director trying to do better than before. Avengers 2, unfortunately, disappointed because it was really more of the same without very many new aspects to elevate the movie. All we got were the superhero team-up moves and three minor characters.  (Well…2 other characters that lived.) :-/

If I had to compare the two, I’d probably say that Civil War comes in slightly lower than Winter Soldier. Winter Soldier gets the edge for its originality. It was the first time we saw an espionage film that just so happened to have super heroes in it. It was the first time we saw super heroes cross into a different movie genre, thus making it rather hard to top. There was no way for Civil War to be any more original than Cap 2, in my opinion. Civil War does give us more of the same compared to Cap 2, except it does two things uniquely different. We’re given two new major characters in Spider-Man and Black Panther, and it accomplished the seemingly difficult task of juggling many characters at once. The movie was about 55% Captain America’s story 25% setup for new characters and 20% everyone else.

Overall, Civil War was a very good movie. I’m not sure if IMAX or 3D is necessary, though. (I saw it in a standard format and still enjoyed it) During my screening of the film, there was only a mid-credit ending scene, so I can't say for sure if there's a final scene at the end of credits in the theatrical release. I’d say Civil War is a must see in theaters and feel free to plan your weekend to check this out.

The Rating: 9/10
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

BONUS GIVEAWAY!

I want you to see this for free! So enter in my contest where I’m giving 8 lucky winners a free movie ticket to see Captain America Civil War! If you were one of the 8 lucky winners, please be sure to check your email and/or spam  or junk email for the winner's confirmation email. 

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