My Top 10 of 2015

Another year is coming to a close and it has been a highly successful year for movies, especially going into the latter half of this year. From a kinky BDSM novel adaptation, a fairy tale brought to life, and a high-octane series saying goodbye to a series regular to the twenty-fourth Bond adventure, the park reopened, and audiences returned to a galaxy far, far away. Of course, there was a Marvel movie involved as well.

Out of all of those films, I've narrowed it all down to a top 10 list for this year:

10) Avengers: Age of Ultron

The Marvel Cinematic Universe's A-Team of superheroes reunited again with reinforcements to battle a villainous artificial intelligence program from ending the world. While it wasn't as good as the first Avengers film, it held its own with amazing special effects and giving each hero screen time. Another great installment in the successful Marvel Franchise with the ending result having a major ripple effect on the established world, setting the stage for Captain America: Civil War.

9) The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2

The Hunger Games film series took up the mantle left behind by Harry Potter as a successful adaptation of young adult novels that reaches far behind its intended audience. The final film brought an epic conclusion to the series as Katniss took on the Captiol, seeking to bring change to the world of Panem. As a fan of the novel, I was impressed with the movies than the novel (which was the weakest of the three). While I didn't think the novel, which is the same length as the other two, it proved to be beneficial in providing a satisfying end to the film series that launched Jennifer Lawrence into the stratosphere.

8) Spectre

A lot has been said about the role of James Bond as Daniel Craig prepared for the release of his fourth outing as the secret agent. From media reports, the spectrum has run from Craig saying he isn't done to him saying that he was exhausted and tired of the role. With the future of 007 and Craig's status left unknown, I would say that he left the franchise better than when he found it with Spectre. A cryptic message from Bond's past sends him on a mission to uncover a sinister organization that holds ties to him while M (Ralph Fiennes) battles to keep the secret service alive. With amazing action, stunts, a soulful theme performed by Sam Smith, and anchored by a strong performance by Craig, Spectre is another strong installment in the James Bond franchise while we await to see if Daniel Craig will suit up for a fifth run.

7) Straight Outta Compton

If there was one surprise that I had this year, it was this film. Usually, biofilms about music stars don't fair well in the box office. They don't seem fit to last but this one goes against the norm. The engaging performance by a solid cast of newcomers channeling the energy of the infamous rap group from Compton, N.W.A., helped carry the film to the top of the box office in August. Produced about Ice Cube and Dr. Dre,, who provided their expertise because they lived the events, and directed by F. Gary Gray, the ups and downs of the group and richly observed, enjoyed by audiences.

6) Creed

Now this one gave me a bit of trouble in my top 10. Not that it wouldn't make the list but where to place it! But considering the rest of my list, this is as high as I could go. In my review, I labeled Creed as Rocky 7. I still stick with that statement but it doesn't take away from the power of the film. Creed chronicled the young underdog Adonis Johnson, the illegitimate son of former world champion and Rocky's rival, Apollo Creed. This film is not only about Johnson's personal journey but Rocky Balboa's (Slyvester Stallone) as well. Michael B. Jordan gave a commanding performance as the young Creed, fighting his way out of the shadow of his father and Stallone's performance was inspiring, just enough to earn him a Golden Globe nomination and possibly an Oscar nomination. I definitely recommend this film to any fan of the previous Rocky films or wanting to bring new fans to the series with a gritty film.

5) Mad Max: Fury Road

We get to the top five now! The last Mad Max film premiered 30 years ago in 1985. The fourth film has sat in "developmental hell" since then and it didn't seem like it would see the light of the camera again. This year, we were treated to a new film. Fury Road follows Max Rockatansky (Tom Hardy) as he joined forces with Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron) to take on the cult of Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne). It has been named one of the best movies of the year by critics and publications. With exhilarating action and praise for acting, screenplay, stunts, and humor, Mad Max: Fury Road is an impressive installment in the Mad Max franchise. Hopefully, we won't have to wait 30 years for the next installment.

4) Star Wars: The Force Awakens

The current box office king had to end up on my top 10 list. I remember watching the re-release for Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope during its 20th anniversary. I fell in love with that universe, and while I wasn't really impressed with the prequel trilogy, I was so excited when I heard about Episode VII. Set 30 years after the events of Return of the Jedi, a new band of heroes join forces with the original heroes to take one a new dark force in the galaxy. Audiences young and old, fans of the films and newcomers will be astonished by the work done by J.J. Abrams. It was like greeting old friends and bringing new ones into a family that we haven't seen for years. This film continues to shatter box office records even now so I suggest everyone get on board.

3) Jurassic World

The park is open. 22 years after the first Jurassic Park film, the park on the island of Isla Nublar has been open to the public and audiences returned to the land of genetically created dinosaurs. Chris Pratt joined the franchise as Owen Grady, a Velociraptor expert and trainer at the park who helps out Bryce Dallas Howard's Claire, the park's operations manager when her nephews go missing in the park and a hybrid dinosaur escapes from its prison. The score, acting, along with the direction of Colin Trevorrow helped carry this film, which broke records as well before The Force Awakens came around. An exciting summer flick that has complete rewatchability.

2) The Martian

I've read the novel so I had to see the movie. Once again, the world had to go save Matt Damon and got a huge payday out of it. The Ridley Scott-directed science fiction film is based on the novel, where Damon stars as Mark Watney, an astronaut who is mistakenly presumed dead and left behind on Mars, learning how to survive while rescue attempts are made to bring him home. The film is funny and thrilling, having a "last man on Earth" feel to it. I can tell that NASA had a huge involvement and real science seemed very involved in making this film. It makes attempts to be realistic and a real human story of survival on a barren planet. If you are looking for a true science fiction film that you can watch again and again and a real human story that the science is supporting, here it is.

1) Kingsman: The Secret Service

Talk about rewatchability! This amazing movie surprised a lot of audiences early this year, bringing some fun to the spy genre. This British-American spy film is stylish and, overall, just pure fun. Starring Colin Firth as a member of a spy organization who recruits a young juvenile with promise into the group and at the right time in order to stop Samuel L. Jackson's tech villain. It's better when it doesn't make sense, that doesn't stop Kingsman from being enjoyable. The overall favorite scene is the wonderfully choreographed church scene. Overall, I felt like this film was the best of this year.

I hope you all have seen these movies at least once (or many times!) but if not, this is a list of films you could watch as the new year comes. I'll be putting out a list of my top 10 for 2016 soon!

Happy New Year, everyone!

'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' brings the Force back to audiences of many generations with an exuberant adventure wrapped around epic mythology

There are very few movies that becomes a part of pop culture and transcending generations like Star Wars. From the original trilogy to the prequel trilogy, television shows, video games, merchandise; Star Wars is a phenomenon that everyone has heard about, whether they have seen the movies or not. If someone is interested in the films and start to watch them, they jump on a hyperspace ride of the epic space battle between good and evil. After Return of the Jedi in 1983, fans, new and old, wondered what came of the heroes of the Rebellion. This weekend, the answer was given. 

The wait is over. I, along with other Star Wars fans around the world, stopped panting and were able to breathe as we took our seats in theaters for J.J. Abrams The Force Awakens. Abrams' Episode VII installment delivers exactly what you want it to: a rollicking adventure encased in epic mythology, a perfect amount of fan service that fires your geekiest impulses, and a perfect cliffhanger ending that paves the way for future installments. In a way, Abrams accomplished the same he did with 2009's Star Trek reboot prequel. He took a worshiped pop-culture franchise with a rabid legion of disciples, treated it with respect to what came before, and made it matter again. Abrams had huge shoes to fill and, in a way, The Force Awakens is about exactly that - being worthy of the legacy that came before you. 

I didn't plan on keeping a distance away from theaters for the first Star Wars movie in a decade (I bought Thursday night tickets for a 10:30 showing the day tickets went on sale). As I took my seats and everyone who brought their FX lightsabers powered them down, I'd be lying if I didn't feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand up and salute as the familiar opening of John Williams' score struck up in the IMAX theater and the familiar opening crawl of text rolled up the screen. I was 8 years old again, seeing remastered edition of A New Hope in theaters for the first time. Now, I'm going to refrain from spoiling the film but I feel like the informative text crawl is fair game: Luke Skywalker has vanished. The First Order has risen from the ashes of the Evil Galatic Empire and is hellbent on finding the older Jedi and destroying him. Princess Leia (now going by the title of General Leia Organa) is leading the Resistance and sends her best pilot to the planet of Jakku to find clues about Luke's whereabouts. 

In this new generation's clash between the forces of good and evil, our heroes are Oscar Issac's Poe Dameron, the hotshot pilot dispatched by General Leia for info about Luke, the stand-out star Daisy Ridley as Rey, a headstrong and fiery Jakku scavenger who possess powers she's not aware of yet, and John Boyega as Finn, a disillusioned Stormtrooper whose conscience causes him to switch sides. There also wouldn't be a group of heroes without a droid so BB-8, the rolling gyroscopic weeble that might take over the favorite droid position in the eyes of female fans, a position that R2-D2 has held for decades. On the Dark Side are Domhnall Gleeson's General Hux, a more fiery version of Grand Off Tarkin from A New Hope, Adam Driver's Kylo Ren, a powerful but arrogant Dark Lord that seems to emulate Darth Vader with a metallic duck-billed muzzle that renders his voice in a digitized growl; and a CGI heavy Supreme Leader Snoke, who looked like a large version of the aliens from Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, voiced by Andy Serkis, 

It's not hard to keep these characters straight and whose side they are on but one of the best (and weakest) things to me about the movie is that these characters all feel like familiar archetypes, making me feel like we are watching Star Wars: The Next Generation. But Abrams and his co-writers, Lawrence Kasdan and Michael Arndt have not just one, but several aces up their sleeves. If you have seen any of the previous trailers I've posted or the TV spots, you know what I mean: Han Solo, Leia, Chewie, C-3P0, R2-D2, Luke, and even that piece of junk that made the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs, the Millennium Falcon. 

 

It goes to show you that Abrams & Co. put a lot of thought and love into integrating all of these familiar (if slightly more weathered) faces with the new players in a way that feels organic rather than forcing it down audiences' throats. The filmmakers understood what made George Lucas' original trilogy magical, and they successfully recaptured that magic. 

Having seen the movie twice (going for a third soon), I know how easy it is to get swept up into the adventure, the nostalgia, and John Williams' superb score that you forget how easy The Force Awakens feels vaguely familiar to A New Hope. I won't go into details (I promised no spoilers!) but while it feels lazy, it works. Like Abrams' Star Trek reboot, The Force Awakens blends in humor and has a lighter touch than the previous Star Wars films. Its aerial dogfights are dizzying and thrilling and its CGI does not feel cheap as it did in Lucas' prequels, which this film surely surpasses in every way. When The Force Awakens ends, it feels bittersweet to leave these characters you have been introduced or reintroduced to because you badly want to get to the next chapter in the saga, especially with the ending. So while the wait is officially over, a new waiting game begins for Episode VIII.

In one weekend, this movie has shattered box office records, raising the financial bar for other films that will come after it. I cannot say enough how much I loved this movie and how it pleased me as a fan to take the journey back to that galaxy far, far away from our own. Take your grandparents, children, and those not yet initiated into the ways of the Force. 

I won't be back until after Christmas so everyone have a wonderful holiday season. May The Force Be With You.

'Creed' packs plenty of knockout power

For all intents and purposes, Creed is Rocky 7. Let me get that out of the way right now. It's a way for the legacy that Sylvester Stallone started in 1976. However, it would be a mistake to be put off by the late stage number of this franchise. Under the direction of director Ryan Coogler (Fruitvale Station), Creed delivers with force that has not been seen since the first two Rocky films.

Michael B. Jordan (Fruitvale Station, Fantastic Four) reteaming with Coogler plays Adonis Johnson - the out of wedlock son of Rocky's former rival-turned-friend, Apollo Creed. From the start, you see young Johnson angry that he didn't know his father. He was saved from a troubled childhood by Apollo's widow (Phylicia Rashad). Now grown and hungry to make a name for himself, Johnson refuses to use his famous surname, starting to fight down in Mexico before making his way to Philadelphia. He finds the retired boxer-turned-restaurant owner Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) and begs him to train him. After initially refusing, the aging Italian Stallion's reluctance melts as he sees that Adonis reminds him of the young kid reminds him of himself back when he was a hungry but no-hope southpaw looking for an opportunity. Under Balboa's tutelage, Johnson finds what he has been looking for when the opportunity presents itself.

Now, I'm not saying that Creed is any different from other boxing movies. It's as formulaic and sentimental as you'd expect any Rocky movie to be, but Jordan and Stallone (looser and more vulnerable than he's been in 30 years) provide the film with fire and soul and an undeniable, emotional intensity. Stallone's performance has been critically acclaimed and earning him a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor along with rumors of a possible Oscar nod. I think it's due to the maturity and self-confidence that Stallone has not been able to show in previous films.

Overall, Creed is a film about fathers and legacy for both Johnson and Balboa. It more than preserves the legacy of the Rocky franchise and it reminds you of what made the movie great in the first place. I definitely consider it to be one of the year's best films and a possible underdog for best film once the Oscar nominations are announced. 

They have returned in the first 'Independence Day: Resurgence' trailer

In 1996, Independence Day redefined the science fiction disaster film genre forever and set a new standard for future films. The groundbreaking special effects along with the score and acting helped carry the film. It made science fiction fun again and brought that genre back to the forefront in movies. For years, rumors swirled around Hollywood about a sequel. Considering how the first film ended, I think it would be hard to make a sequel. Difficulties with the plot, the number of sequels, getting Will Smith to return, and other issues halted the project. Now, 20 years later, Director Roland Emmerich (Independence Day, The Day after Tomorrow, White House Down) brings the aliens for some payback.

From the trailer, a lot of advancements have been made by humankind using what remained of the alien technology left after the first attack, using it to protect the world. The unknown danger of the aliens' return has plagued the survivors of that war. Their fears seemed to be realized by David Levinson (Jeff Goldblum) discovering active alien structures in a desert. From there, we see the characters, old and new, look as the aliens have made their return, bigger and more destructive than ever.

The official premise of the film:

"We always knew they would come back. After Independence Day redefined the event movie genre, the next chapter delivers catastrophe on an unimaginable scale. Using recovered alien technology, the nations of Earth have collaborated on an immense defense program to protect the planet. But nothing can prepare us for the aliens' advanced and unprecedented force. Only the ingenuity of a few brave men and women can bring our world back from the brink of extinction."

The film brings back Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman, Judd Hirsch, Vivica A. Fox, and Brent Spiner reprising their roles from the original film. Newcomers include Liam Hemsworth (The Hunger Games film series), Jessie Usher (Starz TV Series Survivor's Remorse) to portray the role of the stepson of Smith's character and Sela Ward (CSI: NY, Gone Girl) as U.S. President Lanford.

Because of the twenty year gap between the two films, a fictional "commemorative" historic site has been established to cover that time period since the "War of 1996" at www.warof1996.com.

Independence Day: Resurgence will be released on June 24, 2016.

For everyone else's entertainment, here is one of the best speeches I've ever seen in film. Tell me it doesn't still give you chills:

Darkness has come in the first preview for 'X-Men: Apocalypse'

For everyone who has eagerly awaits to crowd theaters in a week for Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (like myself!), we were excited to hear that the first trailer for the next installment in the X-Men film franchise would be one of the first previews we would see before traveling to that galaxy far, far away. It seems that 20th Century Fox decided to unleash the first preview ahead of schedule to match up with the previous two releases for next year's superhero epics: Warner Bros Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Marvel Studios Captain America: Civil War. 

The preview sets the stage for possibly the best X-Men film ever with the younger versions of our favorite mutants being shown as Jean Grey (Game of Thrones' Sophie Turner), Cyclops (Tye Sheridan), and Jubilee (Lana Condor) have been found by Charles Xavier (James McAvoy). Raven/Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) has rejoined her former family in a stronger leadership role as she fights alongside the X-Men, including Beast (Nicholas Hoult), Nightcrawler (Kodi Smit-McPhee), the returning Quicksilver (Evan Peters), and the other newcomers to face the world's first mutant, Apocalypse (Oscar Issac) and save humanity. 

Apocalypse has his four horsemen by his side with a young Ororo Munroe/Storm (Alexandra Shipp), Psylocke (Olivia Munn), Archangel (Ben Hardy), and Eric Lehnsherr/Magneto (Michael Fassbender). We don't get a good look at Psylocke's abilities but Archangel looks like he will be better introduced in this timeline than he was in X-Men: The Last Stand. From the preview, Apocalypse is a mutant that Xavier fears, due to his power and ability to control all mutants. Xavier is also needed by Apocalypse, shown when he was taken when the Horseman invade the mansion. It looks to be an action-packed sequel, taking place in 1983, concluding the trilogy that began with 2011's X-Men: First Class, and what director Bryan Singer calls the "true birth of the X-Men." This holds true as the trailer ends with James McAvoy finally embracing the Professor X we all know and love: suit, iconic chair, and bald head. 

Only The Strong Will Survive when X-Men: Apocalypse comes out on May 27, 2016.

'Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice' shows more to sell to fans, including The World's Finest Trinity.

Last night on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Ben Affleck was on hand to provide the latest trailer for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. First, Jimmy Kimmel is smart to make his late night show the place to release new movie previews, especially those in the world of superheroes, with the first Captain America: Civil War preview last week. Second, I will admit that I was more impressed with this trailer than the previous two but nothing is perfect. I did have my reservations and dislikes from this latest update of the upcoming DC Comics epic (more on that later).

From the preview, we're given more intense standoffs. The first is between the alter-egos of the two legendary heroes: Clark Kent (Henry Cavill) vs Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck). Clark sees Batman as a vigilante and Bruce sees Superman as a dangerous god-like entity with the power to destroy the world, not a hero. Bruce is show to have been in Metropolis, given a front row seat to Zod vs Superman in Man of Steel. The millennial update to Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) helps beef up the gladiator showdown not only between the two men but between the heroes as well, calling it "Son of Krypton vs Bat of Gotham".

More of the fight is shown as the two heroes clash during a storm, wreaking havoc on an abandoned building, neither man willing to back down or give up. One shot shows Batman caught by Superman, who has his own personal army (?) and unmasks the cowl to reveal a defiant Bruce Wayne to the Man of Steel. Superman knows he could kill Batman, despite the armor the Dark Knight is sporting. All of Batman's tech (the Batwing and the Batmobile) do not seem to help him in the fight but it takes a turn when Lex brings another element into the fight: Doomsday.

Once this creature appears and seems to target the battleground of the heroes, another joins the fray as a sizzling shield is shown being pushed back along with Superman. Bringing the protective shield away, we are given a better look at the Amazonian princess Wonder Woman/Diana Prince (Gal Gadot). Batman and Superman are unsure of what to make of the new presence, questioning who she was with. "Is she with you?" Superman asks. Batman looks confused, replying "I thought she was with you."

The ending shot gives the audience their first glance at DC Comics "Holy Trinity" or "The World's Finest Trilogy" as Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman leave the questions aside and prepare to face Doomsday.

Now, I am more sold on seeing this film but I think it revealed too much of the main story and relied on the epic action, special effects, and the destruction this battle will cause in DC Comics Movie Universe. This film is intended to set up the universe and I still think it's being rushed. Marvel's slow burn of establishing the universe and its heroes in their own films, having it lead to The Avengers led to a huge payoff. Maybe this current plan will work out for DC Comics as they compete and set up their world of heroes but only time will tell.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice will be released on March 23, 2016.