Can't Wait For the Sequel..."Rogue One"

Rogue One (2016)

Rated PG-13

Starring Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Alan Tudyk, Donnie Yen, Wen Jiang, Ben Mendelsohn, Forest Whitaker, Mads Mikkelsen,

Directed by Gareth Edwards

The Story:

Galen Erso (Mikkelsen) is an engineer brought back by force to the Empire to continue building an elaborate weapon known as the "Death Star". His daughter, Jyn (Jones) is sent into hiding. As the years pass, she ends up tangling with members of the Rebellion. Their hope is that sending a group of mercenaries to steal plans for the weapon, they have a chance of destroying it, and defeating the Empire.

May the Force be with them.

Well, if you're going to tell a prequel to Star Wars about how the Rebel Alliance stole the plans for the Death Star, this is about the best movie you could hope for.

A great assemblage of new characters that by the time...

Spoiler Alert...

They all die...

You'll be sad and wish most of them would have been spared somehow and could come back in future, past installments.

But alas...

You know it's not possible because you've already seen Star Wars.

Standout favorites from Jyn's supporting team include Cassian Andor (Luna) as this film's scoundrel; K-2SO (Tudyk) as the reprogrammed Empirical droid with a sarcastic bent; and Chirrut Imwe (Yen) the coolest addition to the Star Wars mythos since the original series premiered.

And speaking of the original series...

Yes, I'm going to nitpick and say that I did indeed miss the opening crawl of the Star Wars saga.

It's part of what gives the whole saga an interlocked feel, and by keeping that opening, just drop the "Episode #" if nothing else, I think it would have added to the film, especially since they throw the bone of "A Long Time Ago..." at the beginning.

Also missing, John Williams score.

It's amazing how much that music influences the series, and little bits of it pop up here and there as appropriate, but it's quite unfair to hold any other composers to the John Williams standard...

But this is Star Wars we're talking about, prequel or not.

Final Grade: B

A Road Warrior Returns..."Blood Father"

Blood Father (2016)  

Rated R

Starring Mel Gibson, Erin Moriarty, William H. Macy, Diego Luna,

Directed by Jean-Francois Richet

The Story:

Lydia (Moriarty) is in some serious trouble. She's in the wrong place at the wrong time, and some drug dealers want her dead. With nowhere else to turn, she calls her dad (Gibson) that she hasn't seen in years and asks for his help. Lucky for her, her dad is an ex-con, and it may be just the edge she needs to stay alive.

Call it a comeback vehicle if you will, but it's time for that nonsense to stop.

Gibson is still a great actor and a talented director, and if the public is going to continue to crucify him for things he said in a drunken stupor...

A DECADE AGO!

Americans seem more forgiving of politicians and world leaders who actually kill people and lie for a living than an actor. (see the recent outpouring of love for Fidel Castro for just the latest example)

He's back in fine form, imagine a burned out Riggs with nothing left to care for in the world but his little girl, and you'll have an idea of the intensity he'll bring to the role.

Moriarty holds her own as the troubled teen who is trying to stay alive all the while trying to re-establish a relationship with her dad while they are on the run.

It's an interesting dynamic that the movie pulls off mostly well.

Sometimes it's torn between being a thriller/drama/action flick, and is never quite sure what genre it wants to embrace fully.

But it tries hard enough, and has a competent cast that keeps you interested till the end.

So if you haven't given up on Mel, or are curious if the guy's still got it, give it a whirl, you might be surprised.

Final Grade: C+

Quite A Tale In "The Book Of Life"

The Book Of Life (2014)

PG

Starring Diego Luna, Zoe Saldana, Channing Tatum, Ron Perlman, Christina Applegate

Written and Directed by Jorge R. Gutierrez

The Story:

Best friends Manolo (Luna) and Joaquin (Tatum) grow up as rivals for the adorable Maria (Saldana).  As grown men, the rivalry continues. The relationship catches the eyes of some supernatural beings (Perlman & Applegate) who make a wager on which man will win Maria's hand. When trickery comes to play however, not even death can stop true love and Manolo embarks on a journey of a lifetime.

From the company that brought you Free Birds...

I know, that sentence alone had me very worried as well, as I found that movie to be rather on the boring side of things...

But they fixed my complaint from that movie, which was a rather poor storyline, with a much tighter narrative, and now I'm pleased to say that this has been one of the better animated films I've seen this year.

I never had a problem with their animation, most animation studios are really killing it in terms of look and feel of their films.

Reel FX goes the extra mile on this film as many of the characters look wooden and have puppet joints. The care and attention that went into the work is nothing short of amazing to watch.

A voice cast of names, but aside from the always superb Danny Trejo, I think you'll be hard pressed to feel that the "name" overpowers the voice, and you may be wondering who the cast really is during and after the movie has concluded.

I was expecting to be disappointed going into this one as it pretty much bombed in theaters.

Instead, I'm more disappointed that unless it has Disney or Pixar on the banner, families are staying away from most other animated fare unjustly.

Final Grade: B+

Sticking It To The Man! "Cesar Chavez"

Cesar Chavez (2014)

Rated PG-13

Starring Michael Pena, America Ferrera, Rosario Dawson, John Malkovich

Directed by Diego Luna

The Story:

The auto-biography of civil rights/labor leader Cesar Chavez (Pena).  His non-violent tactics drew support from Senator Robert Kennedy (Jack Holmes) and helped organize the local farm workers in California to earn decent wages by attempting to unionize the laborers.  However, his strides for equality on the farms took a toll on his life at home.

I remember learning about Cesar Chavez in high school.  Organizing the farm laborers in California, Chavez is one of the integral civil rights leaders in the late 60s that is overshadowed in the history books.  However, what he lived through needs to remembered and this movie does an excellent job of showing what Chavez and the rest of his people endured in the vineyards of California.

Shot at. Locked up. Sprayed with fertilizer.  All that and more were endured by Chavez and his family and the rest of the union members in their bid for better wages and working conditions for the farm workers.

There are sub-titles for the movie, but there is plenty of English to go around, just letting you know what you're in for.

Very solid biopic, and I'm glad Chavez' story was finally told.


Final Grade: Solid B

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: Wouldn't need to purchase this one, but one that I could see again in the future.