Star Wars: The Last Jedi Movie Review

December 15, 2017 (updated December 13, 2017) Published by JMcNaughton

“Star Wars: The Last Jedi” continues the new story of the Skywalker Saga begun in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”. That prior movie was a smash hit, and it set the table set for many options and story lines. So, now this next step in the story takes some very bold moves and it makes a solid impact on the Star Wars legacy. Rian Johnson has created a masterful addition to the line of ‘Star Wars’ movies, and he can be proud that his is among the best.

Based on the prior ‘Force Awakens’ movie, there are some old favorites and some new characters in the current movie. The Resistance is led by General Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher). The secluded Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) has been located by Rey (Daisy Ridley). Luke had been isolated on a remote planet by choice because he failed in training new Jedi students, including his nephew Ben Solo (Adam Driver). Ben has turned to the Dark Side of the Force, led by Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis) a cruel master of the First Order. His group has taken over the galactic government and rules by military might. Ben Solo is now known as Kylo Ren, and he is responsible for death of his father. His mother is Leia and she is on the run from the First Order.

General Hux (Domhnall Gleeson) is Snoke’s current henchman, and his troops are hunting down the Resistance. Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) is a hot-shot Resistance pilot who leads a daring raid on Snoke’s star fleet. His new friend Finn (John Boyega) is ready for action. Finn is a former Stormtrooper, but he switched sides to join the Resistance. He meets up with Rose (Kelly Marie Tran), who has low-level job but will become a major asset to Finn.

Rose and Finn set out on a quest to find a person who can get them access into First Order Star Destroyer craft. Luke meets Rey on his isolation planet, but he is not moved to join up and help the Resistance. Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew) is assisting Rey to convince Luke to come back. Chewy soon becomes friends with the little creatures on the island called Porgs. They are like mini penguin-type birds with huge expressive eyes.

Rey has a strong connection with the Force that is unexplained. Her power becomes big concern for Luke, because he had seen that before in Ben Solo. But when Ben turned to the Dark Side and became Kylo Ren, Luke knew he had failed. Rey had fought Kylo Ren (in the prior movie) and now they have some type of telepathic bond. They can communicate and they know that something big is about to happen.

Rose and Finn find a nameless thief (Benicio del Toro) on a distant planet called Canto Bight. This low-life thief says he is a master codebreaker who can get into the Star Destroyer and stop General Hux from catching Leia and the Resistance remnants. Leia suffers in an attack and is put into medical sick bay. The command passes to Vice Admiral Amilyn Holdo (Laura Dern), who stops Poe from attempting to attack Snoke’s star fleet. They have suffered too many losses.

Rey and Kylo Ren join up in a light saber battle in Supreme Leader Snoke’s headquarter office, with red-robed Guards protecting him. Thsis sequence is a magnificent production of fight choreography that just elevates the entire movie. Rose and Finn are caught and are threatened by Captain Phasma (Gwendoline Christie). Phasma was Finn’s old boss as the commander of the Stormtroopers. BB-8 is a personable little droid, who was saved in the prior movie by Rey, and now is very helpful to Rose and Finn.

Poe is working to undermine Vice Admiral Holdo’s command, but Leia comes back to be in control. There is a major sacrifice made to allow the remaining Resistance fighters to escape Hux and Kylo Ren. There is a final battle in an old Resistance base on a nearby planet. This allows for a major one-on-one battle between Kylo Ren and Luke Skywalker, which can be described as an ultimate ‘Jedi Mind Trick’.

The build-up for this movie has been huge, and Rian Johnson has delivered a major success. The story line fits in perfectly with the prior movie, and the original characters are well placed in the overall structure. There is a welcome amount of humor and lightness, along with the heavier aspects of life and death, sacrifice and treachery, and good versus evil.

There are strong characters and a good mix of people facing tough decisions, and then dealing with the consequences. The acting is top notch all around. Special kudos to Mark Hamill, who is coming back to a character he has not portrayed in decades. Plus, the visual shot selection and special effects are outstanding. Also, the wonderful John Williams is back doing the music that made him a legend back in the day…

Is it the most perfect movie? It is a bit over-long, and there are some extra moments that go on too long. The whole section with Finn and Rose going to Canto Bight and meeting up with the ‘thief’ breaks the rhythm of the overall movie. There dangerous villains that are disposed of too quickly. The plot point of Luke refusing to help out, but then changing his mind is a bit obvious. But beyond the nit-pick items, this is one damn fine movie. There are even little bits with R2-D2, and C-3PO, and with the Master Yoda’s ghost…

And the most important thing – no Porgs were injured during the filming of this movie!

Annihilation Trailer

December 14, 2017 Published by Shari K. Green

…in theaters February 23, 2018

Based on Jeff VanderMeer’s best-selling Southern Reach Trilogy, Annihilation stars Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Gina Rodriguez, Tessa Thompson, Tuva Novotny and Oscar Isaac. It was written and directed by Alex Garland (Ex Machina, 28 Days Later).

Facebook: https://facebook.com/annihilationmovie

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annihilatio…

URL: http://www.annihilationmovie.com

Hashtag: #Annihilation

#WhatsInside

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In Theaters February 28 2018

http://www.fandango.com

Ready Player One – Trailer

December 13, 2017 Published by Shari K. Green

From filmmaker Steven Spielberg comes the science fiction action adventure “Ready Player One,” based on Ernest Cline’s bestseller of the same name, which has become a worldwide phenomenon. The film is set in 2045, with the world on the brink of chaos and collapse.
But the people have found salvation in the OASIS, an expansive virtual reality universe created by the brilliant and eccentric James Halliday (Mark Rylance). When Halliday dies, he leaves his immense fortune to the first person to find a digital Easter egg he has hidden somewhere in the OASIS, sparking a contest that grips the entire world. When an unlikely young hero named Wade Watts (Tye Sheridan) decides to join the contest, he is hurled into a breakneck, reality-bending treasure hunt through a fantastical universe of mystery, discovery and danger.

Spielberg directed the film from a screenplay by Zak Penn and Ernest Cline. The film was produced by Donald De Line, Spielberg, Kristie Macosko Krieger and Dan Farah; with Adam Somner, Daniel Lupi, Chris deFaria and Bruce Berman serving as executive producers.
“Ready Player One” stars Tye Sheridan (“X-Men: Apocalypse,” “Mud”), Olivia Cooke (“Me and Earl and the Dying Girl,” “Bates Motel”), Ben Mendelsohn (“Rogue One – A Star Wars Story,” “Bloodline”) and T.J. Miller (“Deadpool,” “Silicon Valley”), with Simon Pegg (the “Star Trek” movies, the “Mission: Impossible” movies) and Oscar winner Mark Rylance (“Bridge of Spies,” “Dunkirk”).

Behind the scenes, three-time Oscar winner Spielberg (“Schindler’s List,” “Saving Private Ryan”) reunited his creative team from “Bridge of Spies,” including Oscar-winning director of photography Janusz Kaminski (“Schindler’s List,” “Saving Private Ryan”), Oscar-winning production designer Adam Stockhausen (“The Grand Budapest Hotel”), Oscar-winning editor Michael Kahn (“Saving Private Ryan,” “Raiders of the Lost Ark”) and Sarah Broshar (“The Post”), and costume designer Kasia Walicka-Maimone (“Moonrise Kingdom”).
The music is by Oscar-nominated composer Alan Silvestri (the “Back to the Future” films, “Forrest Gump”).

Warner Bros. Pictures and Amblin Entertainment present, in association with Village Roadshow Pictures, an Amblin Production, a De Line Pictures Production, a Steven Spielberg Film, “Ready Player One.”

http://readyplayeronemovie.com
http://facebook.com/readyplayerone
http://twitter.com/readyplayerone
http://instagram.com/readyplayerone

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In Theaters March 2018

http://www.fandango.com

Lean on Pete Trailer

December 13, 2017 (updated December 13, 2017) Published by Shari K. Green

ACCLAIMED FILMMAKER ANDREW HAIGH RETURNS WITH AMERICANA ODYSSEY IN FIRST TRAILER AND POSTER FOR LEAN ON PETE, STARRING CHARLIE PLUMMER, STEVE BUSCEMI AND CHLOЁ SEVIGNY.

The film premiered to exceptional reviews at The Venice Film Festival in competition and also played Telluride and Toronto earlier this year.

From acclaimed filmmaker Andrew Haigh (Weekend; 45 Years), and based on the beloved novel by Willy Vlautin, comes Lean on Pete—a deeply moving story about love, loneliness, family, and friendship, told through the unique prism of one boy’s connection to a very special racehorse.

Fifteen-year-old Charley Thompson (Charlie Plummer) arrives in Portland, Oregon with his single father Ray (Travis Fimmel), both of them eager for a fresh start after a series of hard knocks. While Ray descends into personal turmoil, Charley finds acceptance and camaraderie at a local racetrack where he lands a job caring for an aging Quarter Horse named Lean On Pete. The horse’s gruff owner Del Montgomery (Steve Buscemi) and his seasoned jockey Bonnie (Chloë Sevigny) help Charley fill the void of his father’s absence—until he discovers that Pete is bound for slaughter, prompting him to take extreme measures to spare his new friend’s life. Charley and Pete head out into the great unknown, embarking on an odyssey across the new American frontier in search of a loving aunt Charley hasn’t seen in years. They experience adventure and heartbreak in equal measure, but never lose their irrepressible hope and resiliency as they pursue their dream of finding a place they can call home.

Featuring an incredible breakout turn by Charlie Plummer (The Dinner; King Jack; Ridley Scott’s forthcoming All The Money in the World) and memorable supporting work by indie stalwarts Buscemi, Sevigny and Steve Zahn, Lean on Pete is a compassionate and heartrending look at the desire for love, family, and acceptance that drives all of us.

Visit Lean on Pete WEBSITE: http://bit.ly/LeanOnPeteFilm
Like Lean on Pete on FACEBOOK: http://bit.ly/LeanOnPeteFB
Follow Lean on Pete on Twitter: http://bit.ly/LeanOnPeteTW
Follow Lean on Pete on INSTAGRAM: http://bit.ly/LeanOnPeteIG

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In Theaters March 30th

http://www.fandango.com

Bright Advance Movie Screening

December 13, 2017 (updated December 13, 2017) Published by markdeli

Movie Screening Summary: Set in an alternate present-day where humans, orcs, elves and fairies have been coexisting since the beginning of time, this action-thriller directed by David Ayer (Suicide Squad, End of Watch, writer of Training Day) follows two cops from very different backgrounds. Ward, a human (Will Smith), and Jakoby, an orc (Joel Edgerton), embark on a routine night patrol that will alter the future of their world as they know it. Battling both their own personal differences as well as an onslaught of enemies, they must work together to protect a young female elf and a thought-to-be-forgotten relic, which in the wrong hands could destroy everything.

Release: December 22
Distributor: Netflix
Genres: Action & Adventure
Director: David Ayer
Cast: Will Smith, Joel Edgerton, Noomi Rapace, Lucy Fry, Edgar Ramirez, Ike Barinholtz, Enrique Murciano, Jay Hernandez, Andrea Navedo, Veronica Ngo, Alex Meraz, Margaret Cho, Brad William Henke, Dawn Olivieri, and Kenneth Choi.
Writer: Max Landis
Producers: David Ayer, Eric Newman, and Bryan Unkeless
Run Time: 117 Min

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Advance Movie Screening For BRIGHT

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

Phoenix, Arizona

Advance Movie Screening Details

Movie Screening Date: Wednesday, December 20
Location: Harkins Arizona Mills
Movie Screening Time: 7:00pm
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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.

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The Shape of Water

December 8, 2017 Published by Shari K. Green

This film is, essentially, a sonnet. A sonnet to love that bursts to life with a breathtaking opening. It’s presented to you with intricate imagery and topped with a poem at the end to nicely complete the fable. ‘The Shape of Water’ is called a fairy tale and from the poster, you can see it certainly looks like one. Director Guillermo del Toro (Pan’s Labyrinth, The Devil’s Backbone) was quite obviously inspired by ‘The Creature from the Black Lagoon.’ Regardless of what it’s labeled, a love story, a fairy tale, a thriller, it’s hard to really describe it as any one thing in particular. That task seems better left for the individual viewer of this magnificent work of art. At one moment you’ll see it as a thriller where you’re biting your lip, filled with anxieties, another you’ll feel the anguish that makes it a drama but there’s no doubt it’s a brilliant fantasy.

The plot of the story is a woman falling in love with an amphibian. We see beauty in all things. She most certainly does. The movie is an ode to love, for people and for other creatures no matter who or what they are, and that’s the strong central message del Toro makes very clear. That and how important the color green is to him. Everything is green. The start of the film is waterlogged and wonderful and you’ll appreciate how green lends to the temperature of the film as a whole. As we begin the story in the apartment (above a theatre) that belongs to our protagonist, Eliza Esposito (Hawkins), we are swept away to another time and place. Eliza is a perfect damsel in distress. She’s short, mute and low on friends but appreciates everything she has, especially a little alone time in her bathtub where she relieves herself from the tensions of the day.

The year is 1962, right before the death of Kennedy and the death of what people considered to be their hope for their country… did I mention the film gets political at times? Eliza works with Zelda (Spencer) in a secret government laboratory. They’re cleaning women and generally keep to themselves but due to a wrong place, wrong time situation, are one day pulled into something they weren’t expecting. Asked to clean up a bloody mess after Mr. Strickland (Shannon) gets a horrific injury, the women are privy to more information than they care to be. For Zelda, it’s just, ‘do the job, move on and forget it happened.’ For Eliza, very curious by nature, it’s a matter of finding out the ‘why’s’ of the bigger picture. She sees a creature, known as only the asset, wrongly imprisoned and feels sorry for it as it’s tortured by cold, heartless men. When next she sees the creature, not intimidated by it, she gives it part of her lunch. A bonding begins.

The creature is possibly going to be used for space exploration and the lab Eliza works is not the only research facility that wants him. She tells her friend and neighbor Giles, played magnificently by Richard Jenkins, about the creature who is intrigued but when she speaks of a plot to rescue her new charge, he’s more than concerned. Sadly, you’ll grow concerned, too, as the film nears its conclusion. Up to the point where her plot to remove the asset from his imprisonment ends, it’s a well-structured, beautifully formed and stunningly shot film. It’s a fascinatingly violent film with peculiar lusts along with joy and guilt hidden in dark places BUT the end seems rather flat. Be that as it may, don’t be deterred from seeing it.

Afterall, it’s not as if your imagination can’t move beyond what del Toro does on screen and fill in a few blanks… it’s a shame that it must.

The Shape Of Water Advance Movie Screening

November 29, 2017 Published by markdeli

Movie Screening Summary: From master story teller, Guillermo del Toro, comes THE SHAPE OF WATER – an other-worldly fairy tale, set against the backdrop of Cold War era America circa 1962. In the hidden high-security government laboratory where she works, lonely Elisa (Sally Hawkins) is trapped in a life of isolation. Elisa’s life is changed forever when she and co-worker Zelda (Octavia Spencer) discover a secret classified experiment. Rounding out the cast are Michael Shannon, Richard Jenkins, Michael Stuhlbarg and Doug Jones.

http://www.foxsearchlight.com/theshapeofwater/

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