I Should Have Stopped At The Trailer..."Power Rangers"

Power Rangers (2017)

Rated PG-13

Starring Dacre Montgomery, Naomi Scott, RJ Cyler, Ludi Lin, Becky G., Elizabeth Banks, Bryan Cranston, Bill Hader,

Directed by Dean Israelite

The Story:

5 Teenagers stumble upon an ancient alien craft and receive powers from an ancient alien race. Under the tutelage of a robot (Hader), they must learn to morph into Power Rangers if they hope to stop an ancient evil (Banks) from finishing her plan to destroy the earth that she had attempted centuries earlier.

Well, let me first say that I never planned to see this movie.

However, seeing the trailer last year, it was very well done and seemed very interesting. I was actually hooked, and then they revealed it was for Power Rangers.

Well played studio marketing, I'm intrigued.

I never bothered with the show during the 90s for my kids, so I had no nostalgia or anything else driving me to see it or to compare it to.

That said, the execution left a lot to be desired.

I believe boredom sat in rather quickly, as all the charm and intrigue of the trailer quickly faded away as 2 minute fun from the trailer expanded to a bloated 2 hour run time that was far from fun.

Too long, too cliched, too bad.

Final Grade: C-

Every Father's Worst Nightmare..."Why Him?"

Why Him? (2016)

Rated R

Starring Zoey Deutch, James Franco, Bryan Cranston, Megan Mulally, Griffin Gluck, Keegan-Michael Key,

Directed by John Hamburg

The Story:

Stephanie (Deutch) invites her family out to visit her at Stanford for the holidays. When they arrive, they meet Laird (Franco), her millionaire boyfriend that she's been keeping a secret for months. This doesn't sit too well with her father (Cranston) and when he realizes that Laird wants to pop the question, well daddy's going to do whatever it takes to keep his daughter safe.

Here's the bottom line:  it's crude and it's stupid.

But...

It's also very funny and underneath the f-bombs and bluster is a comedy with a well-meaning heart of gold.

What wins you over is the cast who play their characters perfectly and imbue them all full bodied personality and not just one dimensional cardboard cutouts.

Cranston, as usual, is superb, and a far departure from dramatic roles proves he can pull off straight comedy with ease.

Franco is his comedic foil and plays the slacker millionaire perfectly.

He's not a bad guy, he's just awkward around people, and the results are often hilarious.

I would also be remiss to not single out Keegan-Michael Key as the right hand man that keeps everything in Laird's world running on time.

He also provides Laird with his own personal Kato in the film.

Now, if you don't get that reference, that's a shame, but it's also a running joke in the film as well, and it was hilarious.

It also shows that you're apparently old enough to be the dad, and congratulations, that means your daughters will be bringing 'him' home soon enough.

Good luck!

:)

Final Grade: C+ 

The Long Con..."Sneaky Pete"

Sneaky Pete (2015)

TV-MA

Starring Giovanni Ribisi, Marin Ireland, Shane McRae, Libe Barer, Michael Drayer, Peter Gerety, Margo Martindale, Bryan Cranston, Michael O'Keefe ,Ethan Embry

Created by Bryan Cranston & David Shore

The Story:

Marius (Ribisi) is doing time in prison. His cell mate, Pete (Embry) has spent the last few years talking to Marius all about his childhood growing up. Now that Marius is being released, he's back on the radar of Vince (Cranston) a man he owes a lot of money to, and Vince is holding Marius' brother, Eddie (Drayer) as collateral to keep Marius from running. Marius however decides to lay low, and utilizing his talents as a con man, he decides to head "home" and returns to the Bernhardt family as their long lost, haven't seen him since he was a little kid, cousin Pete.

It's hard to write a review of a series that focuses on a con-man as the lead character, so I'll keep it brief, and keep it short and avoid as many possible spoilers as I can.

For me, the show starts off a little slow, with a very deliberate pace.

Pete's family, while they all seemingly welcome him back home with open arms, there are a few that have their suspicions about him.

Not so much that he's not really Pete, but more that he's simply up to no good.

Ribisi does most of the heavy lifting as both Marius and Pete, juggling both personas with ease and a silver tongue that gets him both into and out of trouble at the drop of a hat.

The rest of the cast are a lot familiar character actors and new faces that flesh out their characters into a nice variety of supporting characters.

Even the villains in the show aren't just cardboard cutout caricatures. They all have depth to them.

Especially Cranston, who gets to be the most villainous of them all. If you're going to create a series, you might as well give  yourself the best part that isn't the star of the show.

He's a character that is likable, and yet terrifying, often at the same time.

It's a slow build, but by the halfway point, the story begins picking up so much momentum, you begin to wonder how it's all going to get resolved within the 10 episode season.

And then in the back of your mind, you begin to wonder how this can be anything more than 1 season long.

True to form though, Sneaky Pete doesn't disappoint on that front either.

This is an Amazon Studios original, and available to stream for those with Amazon Prime.

Final Grade: A-

Took Me Long Enough... "Kung Fu Panda 3"

Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016)

Rated PG

Starring Jack Black, Bryan Cranston, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Seth Rogen, Jackie Chan, Lucy Liu, Kate Hudson, J.K. Simmons, David Cross, James Hong

Directed by Alessandro Carloni, Jennifer Yuh

The Story:

Po (Black) reunites with his long lost father (Cranston), much to the chagrin of his current father (Hong) and they journey to the hidden Panda village so that Po can master his chi. Kai (Simmons) has been defeating the masters both in the spirit world and is now back in our world, more powerful than ever. Po must teach the new pandas how to do the Fu in order to save his friends, and the world!

So you might remember earlier this year when the kids went to the movies and saw this one:

"There was a very good plot. A great balance between the action and the humor.  It didn't let me down with the franchise and go out on a low note.  I'd give it an A!"

"Amazing.  I give it an A!"

"I think it was very funny, not too serious and not all action. I really liked what the movie did with both of Po's dads. I give it an A!"

"So far the best film I've seen all year. It didn't exceed the the greatness of Part 2, but it may very well have equaled it. Definitely an A."

"It was great. There were two sad parts that made me cry sad tears. I was glad I got to see it."

" It was phenomenal. By far the prettiest of all three movies and the animation was just spectacular. Not quite as good as Part 2, but really, really, really good nonetheless."



How am I supposed to compete with those kinds of reviews?

:)

So the movie has been in our house since the release, and I managed to walk in at the part where Po begins training the panda village.

I didn't really want to review half a movie, so I figured I'd probably catch the beginning sooner or later.

That said, what I had seen was the usual awesome work from Dreamworks, and a lot of fun from the cast.

Especially inspired work from a villainous J.K. Simmons who seems to be having a blast as the baddest bad guy that nobody has ever heard of.

Then the movie came to Netflix streaming, and it's played a few times since then, and I seemingly always arrive when it's time for Po to start training the village.

So I finally grabbed the remote and started it from scratch.

I wasn't disappointed.

Again, Cranston's hot streak of great movies chugs along, and it's a nice conclusion to the Kung Fu Panda trilogy.

Whether they continue, or not, it's been a great series of films, and Dreamworks should be very proud of what they've accomplished.

Can't argue with the kids on this one.

It's really good, and possibly just a bit less awesome than Part 2.

But what a great trilogy they've entertained us with!

Final Grade: A

"The Infiltrator" Has A Very Dangerous Job

The Infiltrator (2016)

Rated R

Starring Bryan Cranston, John Leguizamo, Juliet Aubrey, Diane Kruger, Benjamin Bratt,

Directed by Brad Furman

The Story:

Robert Mazur (Cranston) is a Customs agent who goes deep undercover to find the bigger fish that are bringing drugs into America. The more he meets with Roberto Alcaino (Bratt) the closer they become as friends. Is Mazur going to be able to make the arrests when the time comes, or is he going to go too deep undercover?

There's a lot of story to cram into a 2 hour drama, but for the most part, the entire cast and crew manage to pull it off without too many loose end/plot holes that make you forget you're watching a movie.

Cranston continues to be the best part of any movie that he's in.

Maybe one of these years I'll get around to watching Breaking Bad, but for now I'll just keep enjoying his roles in films.

The movie does a nice job of trying to show how Mazur had to balance his work life and his home life, and how one small slip of the tongue (I'm engaged...) or taking his real wife out on the town, he would have to think fast to get himself out of these jams.

The rest of the cast matches Cranston's energy in scene for scene, especially Leguizamo as his partner where they both sometimes fear that the other may have gone over to the other side during their investigation.

The biggest complaint I've seen about this movie is that Narcos did it better.

Well, I would hope a continuing series would do a better job of telling a richer story than a 2 hour movie.

Since I haven't had a chance to watch Narcos yet, at least they've set the bar high for it.

I'll try that one in the future, either before or after Breaking Bad.

:)

Final Grade: Solid B

How To "Get A Job" In The 21st Century

Get a Job (2016)

Rated R

Starring Miles Teller, Anna Kendrick, Bryan Cranston, Alison Brie, Marcia Gay Harden, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Jorge Garcia, Nicholas Braun,

Directed by Dylan Kidd

The Story:

Will (Teller), Jillian (Kendrick) and their friends are done with college and ready to set forth into their careers and life. Except they are all about to learn that life is never easy and whatever you thought you had planned, hopefully you wrote it down in pencil or dry erase marker.

This is an odd duck of a movie.

Apparently it was trapped in limbo for several years before it was finally released, seemingly direct to DVD.

Which is a shame, as the movie has a wonderful ensemble cast and it tackles the tough job of finding employment and balancing a life, whether it's straight out of college, or in the case of Will's father (Cranston) when he is suddenly let go and has to start over again.

The stories are a little disjointed, and could have used a tighter narrative to join them all together, but at the end of the day you have a cast of really likeable characters that are faced with the prospect of growing and learning or running and hiding.

The cast is essentially what makes this movie, and every character, from the leads to the supporting characters make the most of their personalities and screen time and will win you over as the movie rolls along.

You'll be proud of the choices they make, and while there may be "all happily ever aftered with a big bow on the end", it's just the sort of ending you would want them, or yourself, to have.

Can't beat that.

Final Grade:  C+

The Oscar Should Have Gone To "Trumbo"

Trumbo (2015)

Rated R

Starring Bryan Cranston, Michael Stuhlbarg, Diane Lane, Helen Mirren, David James Elliot, Louis C.K., Alan Tudyk

Directed by Jay Roach

The Story:

Dalton Trumbo (Cranston) was one of Hollywood's best and most prolific screenwriters in the 1940s. Then in 1947, he and 10 other writers were accused of Communism by the House UnAmerican Activities Council and effectively blacklisted by Hollywood. To keep earning a living, Trumbo used different pen names and continued to crank out scripts for low budget films as well as allowing non-blacklisted friends to offer better material which would even win an Oscar that he couldn't even collect.

This is his story.

As I stated in the title of this review, Bryan Cranston should have walked out of the Oscars with Best Leading Man over DiCaprio.

He is a veritable tour de force in this film, being in just about every scene of the movie as either the protagonist or antagonist playing against a great supporting cast.

It's dramatic, it's funny... it's acting.

Perhaps the subject matter gives Hollywood too much of a black eye and that's why he didn't win.

Anything that shows the ugly underbelly of the way Hollywood work(ed)/s might be cause for some to be skittish when bestowing accolades upon a film.

Helen Mirren is effective and totally unlikeable in the film as gossip columnist Hedda Hopper who seemingly takes great delight in destroying Trumbo's career and anyone else she can sink her hooks into.

It's a really good film that is just as relevant today at showing how you have to hold onto your beliefs and convictions, regardless of what the government and others in power try and force you to do.

Because sometimes, Uncle Sam doesn't truly know what's best for anyone.

Very entertaining film, and I quite enjoyed watching this one.

Final Grade: B+/A- range

You Do Not Have To Shoot Him Now..."The Revenant"

The Revenant (2015)

Rated R

Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Domhnall Gleeson, Will Poulter, A Very Angry Bear

Directed by Alejandro D. Inarritu

The Story:

Hugh Glass (DiCaprio) is a scout for a fur expedition in the wild American frontier of the 1820s. After leading the group away from an Indian attack, Glass is attacked and brutally mauled by a bear. As they are trying to outrun the Indians that want them all dead, Glass is simply slowing them down.  They leave a few behind including John Fitzgerald (Hardy) to care for him. Bad idea. Fitzgerald wants to leave Glass high and dry. Now Glass has to survive his wounds, the weather, escape the Indians and find Fitzgerald and kill him!

Naturally you have to mention that his was inspired by true events.

How much, and what exactly was true, well that's a mystery lost to the ages.

But Glass was a real guy, and he was attacked by a bear and lived.

Other than that, feel free to take creative license and do what you will with the story.

That DiCaprio finally won an Oscar for this role is odd to say the least.

For the first half of the movie, he barely has any dialogue at all.

Then the last half, well he has a reason not to talk, but still.

It seems like anyone could have the role of trying to survive and seek vengeance. I'm not so sure what was so special about DiCaprio's performance in this film that finally pushed him over the edge with voters.

Matt Damon in The Martian or Bryan Cranston in Trumbo (review coming soon!) were much more watchable and entertaining in their roles than DiCaprio.

Of course, that's not the only example of actors to have lost that deserved to win (those reviews still to come as well!)

And seriously, what was with all the actors breathing heavily onto the camera?

We get it, it's cold out there.

Seems like amateurish filmmaking more than symbolic or anything else.

The good part, with the majority of the film being dialogue free, I was able to Fast Forward through much of the 2 1/2 hour (!!! seriously ?!? !!!) runtime to get to the scenes where things actually happened or people actually spoke.

It's a fine, watchable movie, but Best of the Year or Most Entertaining?

Not even close.

Final Grade: C

Special Guest Reviews: "Kung Fu Panda 3 "

Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016)

Rated PG

Starring Jack Black, Bryan Cranston, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Seth Rogen, Jackie Chan, Lucy Liu, Kate Hudson, J.K. Simmons, David Cross, James Hong

Directed by Alessandro Carloni, Jennifer Yuh

The Story:

Po (Black) reunites with his long lost father (Cranston) and they journey to where the rest of the Pandas are located.  However, while he is away, a new villain, Kai (Simmons) begins defeating the Kung Fu masters. Po must teach the new pandas how to do the Fu in order to save his friends, and the world!

Kung Fu Panda was released in 2008 to much commercial and critical success.

In 2011, Kung Fu Panda 2 came out and did the unusual and unthinkable: it was the sequel that was better than the original.  It matched the humor of the original, but this time it brought some emotional heart to the festivities.

I never bothered with either for years, until I finally watched both last year. Hmmm. I guess I should've thrown some reviews on the site! ;)

So with the release of Part 3, I sent the experts on all thing Panda into the theater to do my dirty work for me.

Here then are some of their thoughts on the movie:

First we'll start with the biggest fan of  Kung Fu Panda in the house -

There was a very good plot. A great balance between the action and the humor.  It didn't let me down with the franchise and go out on a low note.  I'd give it an A!

Next kid:

Amazing.  I give it an A!

How about # 3?

I think it was very funny, not too serious and not all action. I really liked what the movie did with both of Po's dads. I give it an A!

As for the oldest that saw the movie on Friday:

 So far the best film I've seen all year. It didn't exceed the the greatness of Part 2, but it may very well have equaled it. Definitely an A.

And the opinion of the youngest:

It was great. There were two sad parts that made me cry sad tears. I was glad I got to see it.

Apparently it was so good, the oldest had to go see it on Sunday to see if it was indeed truly as good as everyone said.

Her text: It was phenomenal. She elaborated later that it was by far the prettiest of all three movies and the animation was just spectacular. Then her comments seemed to echo just about everyone else, not quite as good as Part 2, but really, really, really good nonetheless.

Overall final grade (for now):  Looks like the A's have it. Sounds like a contender for Best of the Year if I know what's good for me.

The real grade will be revealed when it comes out on Netflix or for sale later this year.

;)

"Godzilla" Returns! (And Doesn't Suck)

Godzilla (2014)

Rated PG-13

Starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ken Watanabe, Bryan Cranston, Elizabeth Olsen, Juliette Binoche, and of course, Godzilla

Directed by Gareth Edwards

The Story:

Joe Brody (Cranston) discovers some dangerous seismic activity at a nuclear facility. However, before it can be shut down, an accident kills his wife (Binoche). 15 years later, the activity is starting up again, and Brody is determined to find out what killed his wife. Meanwhile his son, Ford, (Taylor-Johnson) is trying to get his dad out of trouble one more time. However when the two stumble upon giant creatures that feed off radiation, while man may be powerless to stop them, perhaps there is hope in trusting...

Godzilla!

I found two things amusing in this movie, and there may have been more (un)intentional homages as well.

Brody's vs. monster creatures. Just when you thought it was safe to go back to the movies!

A quick shout-out to Lone Pine, California. This is heavy, Doc!

That said, for a movie that featured the title character for maybe, maybe... 15 minutes of the 2 hour running time, it really wasn't boring.

The story kept moving forward at a frenetic pace, and similar to the aforementioned Jaws, much of the monsters are kept under wraps, under water, while the destruction that they leave behind is what is on display.

Sometimes less is more, and I think that may have worked in Godzilla's best interest.

The redesign of the big guy works, for the most part.

Definitely better than the Broderick film, but call me sentimental, I miss the old Toho suit.

I actually want one just so I can wear it and step on toys and chase my kids around.

:)

So now that we've established that Godzilla is a force for good, so what happens in the sequel?

Final Grade: B... B- range.

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I could watch it again down the road. It wasn't nearly as bad as I feared it could have been. That said, it could have been improved here and there also.