Terminator 2: Judgment Day 3D Movie Review

Should I assume that I will not give away anything new in the plot or reveal any spoilers? After all, this movie was originally released in 1991. Just about everyone has seen it by now. There will be some people in the audience who may not have been born back then, but they have probably seen this movie on DVD. So, will a reboot to make a 3-D version of “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” do justice to the original? I mean, this was one of the greatest Sci-Fi action movies ever! Putting a new depth into the action SHOULD just make it better…

“The Terminator” (1984) brought out Arnold Schwarzenegger as the killing machine android type T-800. He was a relentless assassin sent from the future to kill Sarah Conner (Linda Hamilton). But that movie was so popular that “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” was created to carry on the story. In the future, Skynet dominates the world, and schemes to destroy the person(s) who could end the future artificial intelligence, before it becomes self-aware. The plan is to send a new, better quality Terminator back to the past to kill John Connor (Edward Furlong).

 

The upgraded Terminator is a type T-1000 (Robert Patrick). It arrives in 1995 to find and eliminate John. However the future Resistance (led by an older John Connor) sends back a type T-800 (Schwarzenegger). But this android is reprogrammed to find and protect John. The T-800 will face off against the T-1000, and will keep John safe. Sarah and John go with the T-800 to Cyberdyne Systems, which is the place where the future androids are being developed. The chief engineer is Miles Dyson (Joe Norton), who does not believe that the future will be filled with Terminators that he helped to create.

But by the sacrifice of Dyson, Cyberdyne Systems is destroyed. That puts an end to the development of a neural net processor that would form the basis of the future SkyNet. But the chase is not yet over. The T-1000 is still hot on the trail of Sarah, John and the reconfigured T-800. There is still more action yet to happen. Before you can say “Hasta la vista, Baby!”, the three of them are found by the T-1000 and more mayhem ensues. They get trapped in an old steel mill, and the T-800 seems to be out for the count. But he prevails and the T-1000 is defeated. All traces of the future androids are destroyed, so nobody can reverse engineer the future tech. So, there can be no more sequels, right? Don’t bet on it!

 

“Terminator 2: Judgment Day” was always considered a rare sequel that lived up to, and improved on the original. James Cameron had quite a few restraints in 1984 that were gone in 1991. Movie making technology had gotten so much better that “T2” now seems better than the first one. The carryover of the two main stars, Schwarzenegger & Hamilton, also gave it a big boost. Even a minor character Dr. Peter Silberman (played by Earl Boen) gave a continuity to both movies. Computer Graphic Imagery (CGI) also was way ahead by 1991. However, the movie used CGI in some scenes but did not go overboard.

All the acting in right on point. Arnold Schwarzenegger makes an about-face from the original movie – where he was the ultimate bad guy. Here he works on the side of angels to protect young John Connor. Linda Hamilton makes Sarah into one tough chick, and she does not back down. Robert Patrick plays the creepy T-1000 with a strange detachment from humanity. Joe Norton plays the doomed engineer Dyson, and he is perfect in the critical role. If there is any quibble, it could be with Edward Furlong, but he does just enough to get by…

 

The biggest role is in the movie is the action and special effects. The story mixes quite well with the original movie, and the new aspects relate with most of the first story. Making the T-800 out to be a savior rather than the original mechanical death machine is a smart move. Making the T-1000 into a major upgrade of the earlier T-800 also works out great. The story sizzles along with a lot of energy, especially when the T-800 (Schwarzenegger) is taking on the T-1000 (Patrick). There are chases and fights and a few slower periods, but all are mixed together beautifully.

 

But why this re-release? Because now there are 3-D effects added to the original movie. The addition of 3-D is pretty minimal, but there are some scenes where it does stand out and you can notice extra depth. So while it does not substantially improve the viewing experience, it does not distract.

Does it matter why “T2” is again on the big screen? Not really, and as long as it can be viewed in the regular theater…

I’ll Be Back!

 

The Hitman’s Bodyguard Movie Review

Sure, Ryan Reynolds can play Deadpool. But can he play Deadpan? As in, a straight man to an out-of-control Samuel L. Jackson? Yes, yes he can, and the results are hilarious. “The Hitman’s Bodyguard” takes a ton of common movie clichés and pummels them into submission with violent comedy timing and hard R-rated language that could make a sailor blush. No new ground is being broken here, but the interaction between the two stars makes for a fun, if silly, joy ride.

 

Michael Bryce (Ryan Reynolds) is in charge of a triple-A rated ‘special protection’ company, who makes it point to keep his clients safe from bad guys and hitmen. Hitmen such as Darius Kincaid (Samuel L. Jackson) who has tangled with Bryce at least 28 times in the past. Bryce keeps his clients protected, until he doesn’t, and a murder of Bryce’s client puts him into the doghouse. He loses his top rating and becomes a low-level bodyguard. Bryce blamed his ex-girlfriend for blabbing out the name and location Bryce’s 29th client, the one who was killed. Amelia Roussel (Élodie Yung) is an Interpol agent and the ex-girlfriend who comes back two years later to ask Bryce for a favor.

 

The hitman Kincaid has been captured, and Interpol wants him to testify at the World Court in The Hauge. There is an Eastern-European exiled dictator named Dukhovich (Gary Oldman) on trial for genocide. Kincaid will testify against the murderous fiend, but only if the Dutch release from prison his wife and one true love – Sonia (Salma Hayek). Kincaid is taken by Agent Roussel and other Interpol agents to get him The Hague. The convoy is ambushed by Dukhovich’s henchmen. They had been given the Kincaid’s position by Agent Roussel’s boss, Director Foucher (Joaquim de Almeida). Foucher is double-crossing Interpol by working with Dukhovich.

 

Roussel needs Bryce’s help to deliver Kincaid to the World Court to testify. Kincaid has attempted to kill Bryce’s past clients at least 28 times. So there is plenty of bad blood between the two men. But a job is a job, and Roussel makes a promise to get back Byrce’s triple-A rating. So there is a journey to be made across England and then into Amsterdam, all the while being pursued by Dukhovich’s henchmen. This will result in R-rated bickering, violent mayhem, and cross-county male bonding. Bryce is a button-down, by-the-book kind of guy – but with Kincaid he is at wit’s end. Kincaid will shoot first and ask questions later, and takes life for all that he can.

Kincaid is willing to be in jail if he can free his beloved and street tough Sonia. She and Kincaid where made for each other. Kincaid asks Bryce about why he broke up with Agent Roussel, because he knows how much she means to him. Advice for the lovelorn from a Hitman, why not?  There are car, boat, and motorcycle chases down the streets and canals. The climax brings Bryce and Kincaid together to face off against Dukhovich and Director Foucher, with explosive results. Sonia could be freed from jail and Agent Roussel might get back with Bryce. So will it be a happy ending for all concerned?

 

Ryan Reynolds is the dashing professional service provider Michael Bryce who has been turned into a low-life bottom-dwelling bodyguard. He wants to be back on top, but his life keeps getting worse. The interplay between Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson is wonderful to behold. Reynolds sad-sack face stays at a mild grimace whenever Jackson goes on off on one of his many tirades. Jackson is an R-rated class clown and he can wield the mother-f**ker phrase in the same way a brain surgeon can use a scalpel. His over-the-top antics are contrasted to Reynolds methodical ways for laughs. The two of them mesh in these roles in a way that makes it fun to watch.

All the other actors are well suited for each role. Gary Oldman seems a little over-qualified for his role. Salma Hayek is a major hoot as Sonia, who can drop enough f-bombs to peel the paint off the jail cell wall. Élodie Yung and Joaquim de Almeida also good. The stunt work and fight scenes are well-paced, and the canal chase is all crazy all the time. It involves a bunch of car, boat, and motorcycle chases down the narrow streets and even tinier canals in Amsterdam. Again, nothing that is brand new, but it is done really with a lot of spirit.

This movie will not resolve and world issues, but it will give you a taste of some R-rated frolics. Until the next Deadpool, and the next time Samuel L. Jackson ‘walks the path of the righteous man’, this one will do. Hey it even gets Jackson singing an end title song, which he also wrote. What a bad Master-Flicker…

 

Eli Roth’s Death Wish Trailer is here!

DEATH WISH

Release Date: November 22, 2017

Genre: Action-Thriller

Director: Eli Roth

Screenplay: Joe Carnahan, based on a novel by Brian Garfield

Producer: Roger Birnbaum

Cast: Bruce Willis, Vincent D’Onofrio, Elisabeth Shue, Camila Morrone, Dean Norris and Kimberly Elise

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures presents director Eli Roth’s reimagining of the classic 1974 revenge thriller Death Wish. Dr. Paul Kersey (Bruce Willis) is a surgeon who only sees the aftermath of Chicago violence when it is rushed into his ER – until his wife (Elisabeth Shue) and college-age daughter (Camila Morrone) are viciously attacked in their suburban home. With the police overloaded with crimes, Paul, burning for revenge, hunts his family’s assailants to deliver justice. As the anonymous slayings of criminals grabs the media’s attention, the city wonders if this deadly vigilante is a guardian angel or a grim reaper. Fury and fate collide in the intense, action-thriller Death Wish.

Paul Kersey becomes a divided person: A man who saves lives, and a man who takes them; a husband and father trying to take care of his family, and a shadowy figure fighting Chicago crime; a surgeon extracting bullets from suspects’ bodies, and the vigilante called “The Grim Reaper” who detectives are quickly closing in on.

Updated from the original novel by Brian Garfield, director Eli Roth  and screenwriter Joe Carnahan’s (The Grey, Narc) Death Wish also stars Vincent D’Onofrio (The Magnificent Seven, TV’s Daredeviland Law & Order: Criminal Intent), Elisabeth Shue (Leaving Las Vegas), Camila Morrone, Dean Norris (Breaking Bad) and Kimberly Elise (The Great Debaters). It’s a knife’s-edge portrayal that challenges our assumptions, and pushes our buttons.

By bringing the complex psychology of Brian Garfield’s book up-to-the-moment and injecting new thrills and a stark, unflinching look at the American psyche in 2017, Eli Roth and Death Wish brings audiences to the height of unforgettable suspense.

DEATH WISH Official Channels

Site: http://deathwish.movie/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deathwishmovie

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DeathWishMovie 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/deathwishfilm

#DeathWishMovie

In Theaters November 22nd

http://www.fandango.com

The Dark Tower Movie Review

By now, we’re all used to movies being two hours long, right?  That’s the norm these days.  With The Dark Tower at only 95 minutes, I felt I had just adjusted myself in the seat and I was hopping out of it again headed home.  Part of why it felt short was because what should have been an imaginative and vivid excursion across worlds, that promised so much, was dark (as in hard to see) and dull; almost as exciting as someone reading a menu.  Well, maybe not THAT dull.  There are a few moments that will thrill you.  The scenes that center on guns and bullets are quite enterprising but that’s about all The Dark Tower brings.  A scene fighting monsters is so amateurish if I had been watching a student film, I would have graded it higher.  

Perhaps directed by someone other than Nikolaj Arcel, who doesn’t have very much directing experience other than the film, A Royal Affair, we would have a much better, action-packed, colorful thriller on our hands.  Arcel may want to stick to writing which he is very good at doing.  As it is, we have this disjointed, routine, uninspired misfire that falls short of the expectations of, not only the general audience but of most of the Stephen King fans that have seen it.

The Dark Tower is a movie based on a series of eight King books; it’s number seven in the set.  The Tower, itself is a point where all universes connect.  The film is about Good vs. Evil but doesn’t give the impression that it believes in either.  Being that it’s a series, bringing number seven about doesn’t make sense and also leaves one to wonder if the previous six books are crammed into one film.  If so, this could be why it appears to be so vexing and why King fans are not or will not be too happy.  What is being missed and what is the point in doing this to a wonderful, successful series?

Anyway, rather quickly, we are introduced to the antagonist of the tale, the Man in Black, played mutedly by Matthew McConaughey.  We also meet Jake Chambers, (Tom Taylor).  He’s a young boy who has the ‘Shine.’  The Shine, referenced also in the King book and film, The Shining, is an amazing psychic ability.  The presence is strong with this one!  The Man in Black only wants to use Jake’s powers to his advantage to destroy the Tower but is also aware that the ‘mind of a child’ can work against him and this plan. 

We then make the acquaintance of the protagonist, Roland (Idris Elba), also known as a Gunslinger.  His guns are made from the metal of the Excalibur and he is the last living Knight who has the strength to defend the universe against the Man in Black.  What’s on the other side of the universe is death and destruction and the Tower is the only thing holding it back.  Children like Jake, and their strong, potent, telepathic minds, are being used to attack the Tower. 

In the beginning, we see that Jake has fevered dreams about the destruction of his world.  He stumbles on the mid-world of his dreams and meets the Gunslinger.  This Gunslinger is sold as powerful and almost unbeatable but the film almost immediately turns on that theme and shows him to be weak and vulnerable to a tiny stab and to infection.  Jake meets Roland, teams up with him to help stop evil from winning, there are battles and… The End.  Yes.  It’s like that.

So, maybe if you love the books and would like to examine this close enough to look for a few of the Easter eggs within, such as the Shine and the Man in Black seeming to resemble Randall Flagg, the bad guy from, The Stand, check it out for the curiosity factor.  I’d recommend going to the matinee or waiting for cable release.  Either way, you’re going to be disappointed in the results.  Maybe pick up a book instead?  

Kidnap Movie Review

Halle Berry has won an Oscar for her role in “Monster’s Ball” back in 2001. But then she got a Razzy award for her terrible acting in “Catwoman” just a few years later. So, her work is really all over the place. Now she is starring in “Kidnap” and the results are a bit dubious. Berry may hope for another Oscar nod someday, but she will not get one for this car wreck of a movie. Literally, a good half of the run time is her driving like a maniac causing and being in many car wrecks…

Karla (Halle Berry) has a six-year-old son named Frankie (Sage Correa). She is in a custody battle with her ex, and her son is the best thing in her life. She and Frankie go to the park, and she takes a phone call from her lawyer. Her phone battery is almost dead, and she gets emotional when she hears that the ex wants sole custody. But when the phone dies, she turns around and see Frankie is missing. She asks several people about her boy, and nobody knows where he went. Then she sees him across the parking lot being dragged off by a large lady who is putting him in a battered car. She gets to the lot and the car takes off, so she gets her minivan in hot pursuit.

At this early point in the movie, the ridiculous factor kicks into high gear. Two kidnappers plus Frankie are going to be chased by Karla and her minivan for about half the movie. They cause numerous accidents and possibly a couple of fatalities. Even when a motorcycle cop catches up to Karla’s bad driving, the bad guys dispatch him with no problem. There is an unbelievable showdown between Karla and the male kidnapper named Terry (Lew Temple). His accomplice, the large lady named Margo (Chris McGinn) will ride with Karla to take her to the destination. This does not end well for Margo, who winds up on the side of the road.

Karla keeps after the car to try and get Frankie back. But there are more accidents and hit-and-runs, then Terry hot-wires a new getaway car. But Karla continues to chase them even when she runs out of gas. By the way, the movie ran out of gas much earlier than she did. Karla somehow finds a house where Frankie is being held, and by that time, Terry is out of the picture and Margo is back at the house. So, there must be a final showdown with Karla and Margo. Karla has caused countless accidents, injuries and more than a few fatalities, but she must prevail and be declared a hero – damn it!

Halle Berry plays a brain-dead character here, so that does not help her at all. Karla will literally stop at nothing, driving her minivan into all kinds of traffic violations. She has no depth and no clever ideas about how to combat the kidnappers. She seems to use a ‘spidey-sense’ to know where the bad guys go, because she never uses any logic or serious thinking. Karla just never gives up, but never makes any smart choices either. Halle plays her as determined, but dumb. It is amazing how much damage is done in the wake of Karla’s pursuit.

There is no other acting as such in the movie, just a few characters up on the screen playing the worst stereotypes ever. There is little in the way of plot, other than making Karla into a ‘Mad Max in a Minivan’. The editing and shot selection are rough and choppy. It is difficult to get a sense of place or direction when the scenes are cut together so awkwardly. There are several somewhat suspenseful scenes near the end, but these seem to come from a different movie. The final wrap-up is pretty bad, declaring Karla a hero, when she was responsible for several deaths and untold property damage.

The hashtag line for this movie is “#DontMessWithMom”. I would suggest a better one is “#DontMessWithLogic” or “#DontMessWithPlot”.

Atomic-blonde-hero

Atomic Blonde Movie Review

Perfect for the summer heat, this is a fun, exciting and provocative action packed spy thriller.  Atomic Blonde is based on the ONI PRESS Graphic Novel Series called “The Coldest City,” written by Antony Johnston and illustrated by Sam Hart.  I’m quite certain they’re happy to see Charlize Theron was cast in this because she’s both incredibly steely and sexy in this screen adaptation of their character, Lorraine Broughton, a fearless MI6 agent. 

Set in 1989, Lorraine is sent to Berlin around the time of the fall of the Berlin Wall.  When she goes in for her next task, she learns of the assassination of her colleague and her lover.  She is sent out to retrieve a list of highly secret agents and their codenames that was filched from him at the time of his murder by a Russian agent.  As she begins her work, she glides her way through Berlin’s clubs to an awesome 80’s soundtrack, some of which I believe may have been only in her head to help her become what she must to be the badass, callous killing machine she may need to be to get the job done.

Speaking of what it takes to get the job done, she meets up with British agent David Percival (McAvoy) who she has an immediate distrust of but still builds something of a coalition with.  Soon, she meets a beautiful French spy (Boutella) and is more than willing to get down and dirty and use her to get the information she needs.  This movie isn’t afraid to show you exactly what that is and, much to the bewilderment of some and awe of others, we crawl in bed with these two women and stay there through a scene that can only be described as explicit.  This scene gives Atomic Blonde the edge that many films before it were afraid to stroll up to and gives the director, David Leitch, a head up on the competition.    

McAvoy is incredible in the role and Boutella stands out but this is a Carlize Theron film.  Theron, knowing her way around Hollywood well enough, has brought us many memorable characters and Lorraine is no different.  Willing to do many of her own stunts, I wouldn’t be surprised to see her with several more movies of this ilk, come her way because she’s cold and brutal when she needs to be and wells with passion and warmth whenever the right moment presents itself. 

There are a few scenes that are so gut wrenchingly painful looking that you’ll not only laugh at the ridiculousness of them but cheer at how bold the film is and how fully Theron committed herself to this character.  There’s one scene in particular in a stairwell that is the example for my previous sentence.  You’ll recall these words when you see the film.  The movie itself may not be perfect but it’s exactly what you want out of a summer release.  Leitch is known for his stunt work in 82 films, including Hitman: Agent 47, The Bourne Legacy, The Mechanic and many more so it’s not hard to see why the technical performances are so on the nose here. 

It goes over the top as films of this genre do but I don’t think that hurt it.  If anything, that is its appeal and more than makes up for the few times when the plot drags some getting to the point. Told through flashbacks, it’s colorful, stylish and memorable and something I recommend seeing at the theatre this weekend.  You’ll want to see these fight sequences on the big screen. 

kidnap-movie-poster-hero

Kidnap Advance Movie Screening

Movie Screening Summary: A typical afternoon in the park turns into a nightmare for single mom Karla Dyson (Academy Award winner Halle Berry) when her son suddenly disappears. Without a cell phone and knowing she has no time to wait for police help, Karla jumps in her own car and sets off in pursuit of the kidnappers. A relentless, edge-of-your seat chase ensues, where Karla must risk everything to not lose sight of her son. In this tense, action-fueled thriller, directed by Luis Prieto and from the producers of SALT and TRANSFORMERS, one mother’s heroic attempt to take back her son leads her to ask herself how far she will go to save her child.

Release Date: August 4
Studio: Aviron Pictures
Genre: Thriller
Director: Luis Prieto
Writer: Knate Lee
Cast: Halle Berry
Rating: R
Runtime: 81 Min

See more advance movie screenings from tmc

Advance Movie Screening For Kidnap

Find your chance to receive special advance movie screening passes below.

 

Phoenix, Arizona

Advance Movie Screening Details

Movie Screening Date: Tuesday, August 1
Location: Harkins Arizona Mills
Movie Screening Time: 6:00pm
[button link=”http://www.gofobo.com/KIDTXTPHX” type=”big” newwindow=”yes”] Get Passes[/button]

Las Vegas, Nevada

Advance Movie Screening Details

Movie Screening Date: Tuesday, August 1
Location: AMC Town Square
Movie Screening Time: 7:00pm
[button link=”http://www.gofobo.com/KIDTXTLV” type=”big” newwindow=”yes”] Get Passes[/button]

Advance Movie Screening Information

To redeem a pass, simply click the Get Passes button. You will taken to our movie screening partner site (where you can sign up for a free account). Once you’ve done so, you’ll be able to print out your pass and bring it with you to your screening or event.

Admittance into a screening or event is not guaranteed with your pass. Events and advance screenings are filled on a ” first come, first served ” basis. To ensure that you stand a good chance of being admitted, we recommend that you show up 30 minutes to one hour early.

The number of admissions that are permissible for each pass are printed clearly on the ticket that you print out. You are allowed to bring as many guests as is indicated on your pass. For example, if your pass is for ” Admit Two, ” you can bring yourself and one guest. If you have an ” Admit One ” pass, you can bring only yourself.

If you have any other questions or comments, please contact us.

Dunkirk Movie Review

I think that with Dunkirk, Christopher Nolan, writer/director of such outstanding films as Memento, The Dark Knight Trilogy, Inception and Interstellar, will finally get his Best Director Oscar Nomination, if not win.  He could possibly capture gold from the Academy for Best Screenplay, as well.  This is a near perfect film.  It’s hard to find a flaw in the presentation of its visuals and its sound.  To find something, one would have to be really digging for it and if you are, you’re certainly missing the entire point of this beautifully crafted piece. 

Dunkirk is meant to enlighten you as to what people will do to help one another endure when pushed to the brink of survival; even if they themselves don’t make it.  People were willing to risk their lives to be sure others survived at Dunkirk.  These people were just every day British citizens and those they were rescuing were the 400,000 British soldiers, trapped on a beach in France just over twenty miles from the shores of England.  I knew nothing of their heroism but it is well displayed here and the only way to see how and why they were so desperately needed and welcomed is at your nearest IMAX theatre; THIS I can’t stress enough.

The story centers around three different points of view of this agonizing situation; by land, by air and by sea.  Prepare yourself because shortly after the opening, the story and the accompanying music is relentless as it crescendos to a crowning finish.  You’ll be clutching your seat and biting your lip watching these poor souls do whatever it takes to live through the night.  Tom Hardy is a pilot with an eagles eye look on the entire goings on.  It was interesting seeing a war film from this perspective and, once again as he did with Bane in The Dark Knight Rises, he’s able to suck you into his character with just his eyes since his face is covered with an oxygen mask the entire time.

On the land portion, you’re with the most vulnerable in the attack; the soldiers who are stuck with nowhere to go.  These men are the last chance England has of fending off the advancing attack from the Germans.  If they fall they’ll lose the war.  Had things not happened the way they did, the history books would read very differently right now.  German soldiers are moving in on the town on one side of the beach.  The British and French soldiers are dodging their bullets to get to the beach where they are hoping to get onto a ship to sail to England.  The trouble here is that the ships can’t get to them because the water is too shallow.  With no other choice but wait, they are also having bombs dropped on them from the German Air force.  They are bona fide sitting ducks.  The cast of young actors, Fionn Whitehead and Harry Styles among them, do a fine job of expressing fear as well as the spirit of duty to their homeland.  You will weep when you put yourself in their place, which you can’t help but do.  In the opening scene alone it becomes hard to peg this film a Drama or an Action.  The two genres work together from there to move you and they never stop their assault.

On the sea, you meet a few of the heroes who volunteer their vessel and their time to bring the boys home.  Mark Rylance does a beautiful job of explaining to his sons, and to one soldier he rescues, why it’s important that they go to Dunkirk.  It’s their duty.  The way he said the word Dunkirk still rings in my ears… the speech was so filled with passion. 

What Christopher Nolan did so well to bring this true story to life was to, basically, keep it as simple as possible so that the important and more meaningful events stood out most.  There was no narrative or unnecessary scenes explaining who the people in the film were. 
There was no need to overwhelm you or pollute the screen with names, dialogue, back stories and plotlines that led you anywhere but on that day, on that beach, in that ocean or looking down on it all.  This also keeps you in their skin and involved in their conflict at all times, maneuvering the plane, running from the bombs and dodging the bullets. 
When you see the boats come for them, you’ll remember the tag line on the poster that says, ‘When 400,000 men couldn’t get home, home came for them’ and a shiver will run down your spine.  Just try not to cry along with Kenneth Branagh who, if you didn’t love before this, you will after. 
Enjoy the film and remember, don’t cheat yourself out of seeing this on an IMAX screen; the way it was meant to be seen.

War for the Planet of the Apes Movie Review

When the ‘Planet of the Apes’ franchise restarted in 2011, the focus was on how the apes got started and how humans lost control of the planet. “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” focused on Caesar (Andy Serkis) who become a genetically-enhanced ape. Then in 2014, “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” moved forward with a large group of very intelligent apes fighting off the remaining humans, who had been killed off by a world-wide simian flu. The next movie is “War for the Planet of the Apes” and it brings the human/ape conflict to breaking point.

In this movie, the apes are gaining much more control. But there is a breakaway Army group that has a blood-lust for killing every last ape. Caesar is still in control, and the splinter military group is led by The Colonel (Woody Harrelson), a sadistic monkey-killing machine. The Army group invades the apes’ nesting area, and Caesar’s wife is killed. He goes to seek revenge on The Colonel with his friends Maurice (Karin Konoval) and Rocket (Terry Notary). They meet up with an orphaned human girl, and decide she can come with. They call her Nova (Amiah Miller).

On the way they meet an escaped monkey from a zoo, who calls himself ‘Bad Ape’ (Steve Zahn). Bad Ape knows that The Colonel has camped in an abandoned weapons depot. The military has captured all the apes from Caesar’s village and are holding them as prisoners. Caesar is caught also, and he meets The Colonel who explains his plans. All the apes are used as forced labor to rebuild a defensive wall around the depot to protect the soldiers. Caesar correctly guesses that the wall is not being built to keep out the apes. The Colonel is building the wall to keep out the actual military, which are after The Colonel and his extremist ideas – and his radical followers.

The tiny group of apes outside the compound finds a way to get into the compound. Soon they are breaking out all the imprisoned apes, and even Caesar is let free, but first he must confront The Colonel one last time. He regular Army attacks, and all hell breaks loose. The apes have beaten the humans, and it may not be the last time…

This movie is the exciting conclusion of the rebooted ‘Planet of the Apes’ trilogy. The story is sleek and streamlined, with many references to other movies. There is a little bit of “Apocalypse Now”, “The Great Escape” and “Stalag 17”, along with shades of the Moses story from the Bible. Even with diverse sources, the movie ties it all together with a single sang. The motion-capture work done by the actors to play the apes is incredible. Andy Serkis would be an Oscar winner if they would give them out for “Best Performance as a Different Species”.  Woody Harrelson is perfect playing a bat-crazy loon that happens to control a large cache of Army weapons. Steve Zahn does a great job being a bit of humor relief in a tense and serious movie.

The direction is direct and to-the-point, and gets you into the story with no problem. The cinematography is beautiful in the wide-open shots, and it can be frantic and driven in the battle scenes. The movie score is quite good and does not overload the action on screen. But the way the actors can make a fictional ape come alive with all the feelings and emotions, well — that is worth even a second viewing.

The original plan was to make these three movies for the ‘Planet of the Apes’ reboot project. But seeing how much better each movie has become, and how polished the story is progressing – it would not be a surprise to hear of a new effort in a short while. So if you are interested to see if the third picture is a series can be any good, then see this. There are no little yellow minions and no little cartoon cars. There is only a great story with an amazing amount of acting that is CGI-enhanced.

“Atomic Blonde” Featurette #2 – Fight Like a Girl

ATOMIC BLONDE – In Theaters July 28

Official Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram |#AtomicSummer #AtomicBlonde

Oscar® winner Charlize Theron explodes into summer in Atomic Blonde, a breakneck action-thriller that follows MI6’s most lethal assassin through a ticking time bomb of a city simmering with revolution and double-crossing hives of traitors. 

The crown jewel of Her Majesty’s Secret Intelligence Service, Agent Lorraine Broughton (Theron) is equal parts spycraft, sensuality and savagery, willing to deploy any of her skills to stay alive on her impossible mission.  Sent alone into Berlin to deliver a priceless dossier out of the destabilized city, she partners with embedded station chief David Percival (James McAvoy) to navigate her way through the deadliest game of spies. 

A blistering blend of sleek action, gritty sexuality and dazzling style, Atomic Blonde is directed by David Leitch (John Wick, upcoming Deadpool 2).  Also starring John Goodman, Til Schweiger, Eddie Marsan, Sofia Boutella and Toby Jones, the film is based on the Oni Press graphic novel series “The Coldest City,” by Antony Johnston & illustrator Sam Hart.  Kurt Johnstad (300) wrote the screenplay.

                 

Cast: Charlize Theron, James McAvoy, John Goodman, Til Schweiger, Eddie Marsan, Sofia Boutella and Toby Jones

Directed by: David Leitch

Screenplay by: Kurt Johnstad

Based on the Oni Press Graphic Novel Series “The Coldest City,” Written by: Antony Johnston and Illustrated by: Sam Hart

Produced by: Charlize Theron, Beth Kono, A.J. Dix, Kelly McCormick, Eric Gitter, Peter Schwerin

Executive Producers: Nick Meyer, Marc Schaberg, Joe Nozemack, Steven V. Scavelli, Ethan Smith, David Guillod, Kurt Johnstad