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Reviews
Finding Dory (2016)
Good, but forgettable sequel
Given how great Finding Nemo was, my expectations were really high for this film. When I saw Finding Nemo in the theaters, I was just blown away. While I originally walked out of the theater disappointed and thinking my hopes were simply too high, I realized at home that Pixar has delivered plenty of times in the past (i.e. Toy Story sequels). Finding Dory is just not as good as the original. It is a decent movie, but easily forgettable.
Early on in the movie, much of the story seems far too familiar. We see Nemo's coral reef, a journey with the turtle across the ocean, and a chase scene by a scary sea monster again. It is all stuff we have seen before, which made for a slow start. When the movie arrives at the aquarium, we finally see something new, but it is only mildly entertaining. At that point Dory's story-line really takes off, which I found to be really sad and overly serious. In the original movie, Dory was quirky, and full of heart and sweetness; she almost personified optimism. Her character does not change in this movie, but the directors' approach toward her mental affliction does. What was a silly but funny affliction in the first movie is now treated as a serious disability. We now see Dory and the characters around her sad, confused, lost, and really scared most of the time. I completely understand what they were going for in this film, especially for families dealing with special needs family members. At the same time, this movie never makes the strong emotional impacts of many other Pixar films. It's more of a downer than a tearjerker.
Finding Dory still has enough working in its favor to be entertaining. My kids walked out decently satisfied, but I did notice some fidgety behavior midway through the movie. Ultimately, the movie is okay, but it is not a Pixar classic.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows (2016)
Review from a parent
Go Ninja, go Ninja Go! My kids (5-7) had a blast during this movie. My son was especially excited about this sequel, and I walked away fairly pleased myself. However, it is clear from the start that this is a kids movie. This is not an adult super hero film, like TDK or Man of steel. If you came for solid plot, continuity, and clever dialogue, you came to the wrong film. However, if you want to have fun with the kids, and willing to accept a different interpretation of the Turtles, you will have a blast. And there was just enough nostalgia in this move to make me happy. I am already looking forward to the next one! This sequel is a definite improvement in that we finally see more of the turtle; from start to finish. Unlike the first movie, my kids were not bored watching Will Arnett an his poorly written antics. The turtles a present throughout, and the kids enjoyed all the random special effects that are typical of this producer.
As a note to parents, there is a slight bit of cursing in this film, but literally, two to three curse words. Not a big deal for most, but if you have little ones, you may want to know. My wife was happy that there was a lot less gun play in this movie than compared to the first. But don't get me wrong, there is still plenty of explosions, crashes, and hard hits in this movie. This is not a slap sticky movie like the Turtle movies of the 90's My only complaint is that I wanted more Beebop and Rocksteady. It seems clear that they were added later on during the film's production, which leads them to have very few interactions (fights) with the turtles. If sequels are still being planned, I really hope that add some more mutant fights. Otherwise, we were all very satisfied costumers.
Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014)
A hot mess of a movie
When I originally saw the ad for a new spy movie with Colin Firth, I was excited at the prospect of watching a new and witty franchise. How wrong I was.
This is just one of those movies that was churned out for young audiences without any care for quality or consistency. It's like the creators of this film looked up what was popular on netflix and jammed in all their favorite parts without caring about the plot. Watching this movie was a jarring experience, because there is no solid theme running throughout the film. You see a little Tarantino here and there, a lot of James bond, some Spy kids (remember that one) and a little taste of FX's Archer to finish things off. And worse of all, it really drags in the middle and focuses too much on a poorly scripted teen drama. Considering that we are watching a spy in training, you would expect to see some really cool stunt work and fun gadgets along the way. NOPE! Just some teen angst and some competitive exercises.
While I was disappointed to see that Colin Firth was just a supporting character, I was irritatingly bored with Taron Egerton's character Eggsy; just another bland and rebellious every-teen. He manages to crack a solid joke once in a while, but is never witty- although the movie tells us he is very witty.
I think one of the more annoying aspects of this movie is how often they break that fourth wall to tell you how good this movie is. Considering how badly this movie is written, I found this these constant winks towards the audience very obnoxious. "Don't you miss all those fun and witty spy movies?" "Don't you miss the classic villains?" Yes I do, but this movie isn't even close to delivering on any of these. So shut up and finish this crap! I could on and one about everything wrong with this movie, but I think that would require more effort than was put into the movie's writing. While the marketing deceived me into watching a movie aimed at teens, I know that movie companies see bad products as a one night stand. However, this leads me to my last and biggest problem with the movie. It is profoundly sexist, but is aimed at a teenage audience. What the hell? To be clear, the movie is not being ironically sexist to get some laughs- because that I could live with. No, this is the bad kind of sexism that is deeply ingrained in the story's plot to make the main (but incredibly bland) lead more interesting. First, the mother is a weak mess that requires rescuing from an abusive alcoholic. While Eggsy's father was an incredible war hero, the mother decided to marry a sleaze shortly after his passing. The movie never explains how the same woman can go from marrying a hero to a pathetic criminal- we just assume that a woman without a good man falls to pieces. Second, Eggsy's main rival in the spy training program is a girl, which you would think is progress. Again, nope! She can only succeed when Eggsy boosts her confidence. She completely lacks any sense of confidence without his support. Making matters worse, she is completely written out of the final act, even though she proves herself to be the best spy in the program! They literally attach a balloon to her back and send her off to the sky, while Eggsy takes on the bad guys. Finally, there is the now infamous anal scene. Again this is a scene that just does not fit, as the movie was never this raunchy and the humor was completely different. Its like the writers of Archer wondered in to the writing room and wrapped things up for them. Don't get me wrong, I love Archer as much as the next guy, but this was just so random. What made it worse is that Princess Tilde was the only world leader in the movie to stand up for her people. So to honor her courage, the movie has her drop her pants for the "hero" and offer her anus. If that sounds graphic, that is because that is how the scene plays. Hopefully I am fully conveying the movie's attitude towards women. While I want to dismiss this as just another piece of crappy film making, I am disturbed on why the creators thought the denigration of women was important in a movie for teens. Why is every woman in this movie have to be so weak? Some may accuse me of being overly PC. As a former football player and fratboy, I know I am not. I like raunchy comedies, violent movies, and sexy thrillers. But I don't like it when movie producers underestimate its audiences and dismiss their intelligence. Slapping a few jokes and some nudity to a bad movie does not "fix it". I am also not shy about calling out a movie's creators for perpetuating bad behavior. Real men do not need to tear down women to make themselves feel better. Sexism isn't cool or fun, and neither is this movie.
Fear the Walking Dead (2015)
A slow and disappointing start to this spin-off series
It seems that the main premise of this show is that this is a spin-off series to the Walking Dead. I know that sounds redundant, but after watching the pilot, it seems clear that the producers were only banking on the fame and popularity of the main series to sell this show. In fact, the entire plot of the pilot essentially builds off the dread of all the events that the audience knows is coming. We watch as the populace ponders the crazy events taking place on the news, while simultaneously downplaying the threat by going about their daily routines. As an audience, I think we are supposed to yell at the screen "Oh my god, you have no idea what is coming! Run for the hills!" In reality, it comes across as anti-climatic, because the stuff that is coming in the future is much more interesting that the show that we are watching now. If this show does not catch up, it is in real danger of being the dull younger brother of a much more interesting show.
Clearly, I am a fan of the Walking Dead series, but I do acknowledge that the main show also has its flaws. The biggest of which is wasting time with filler episodes that are full of back stories no one really cares about. I am almost dumbfounded by the fact that "Fear the Walking Dead" inaugurated its series with such an episode. And when the show finally presents the zombies to its main characters in all its gory glory, it is very underwhelming. We have seen much more impressive and terrifying scenes from the original series, and one little zombie is not at all impressive anymore.
Now I know the creators will defend the slow start as necessary back story. The problem is, the back story for the main cast is not very interesting, and actually very clichéd. Like almost any apocalyptic sci-fi story, we begin with a fractured family that is dealing with a recent divorce and a child with a drug problem. The entire family is at odds with each other, and the family is essentially broken. Thank God a zombie Apocalypse is right around the corner to bring them all together again (at least we assume that is where we are going). How many times have we seen this story? Not exactly original or riveting stuff.
The overall premise of the show is very promising, as I do think it will be interesting to see what the zombie apocalypse looked like from another perspective. The event itself should be enough to inspire countless stories. Although, you have to wonder exactly how the slow moving zombies will overtake the modern world with all its modern communications and well equipped armies; at this point I am not sure if the show will deliver a convincing answer.
As it is now, I hope the series steps up the writing, as you cannot rely on the good will from another show to keep your audience. I for one will keep watching for now, but my patience is not infinite and neither is the audience's. Let us see a little more action, and new and more interesting characters. Otherwise, this will be yet another failed spin-off.