They Saved The Last For Last..."Allegiant"

Allegiant (2016)

Rated PG-13

Starring Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Miles Teller, Naomi Watts, Jeff Daniels, Octavia Spencer,

Directed by Robert Schwentke

The Story:

Tris (Woodley), 4 (James) and their crew decide to leave the walled city of Chicago and see what truly lies on the other side. There they meet David (Daniels) who claims that Tris is the key to rebuilding the future. But can he be trusted?

At this point, can anyone in this franchise be trusted.

So, I've stuck with the franchise this long, you feel you might as well finish with it, am I right?

Well, judging by the box office, about half of the fans abandoned ship this go round.

Possible reasons?

Well for starters, Allegiant does not rhyme with Divergent or Insurgent. Clearly the pattern was broken, and people may have mistakenly thought this was a brand new Dystopian Future movie.

;)

More likely, people are simply tiring of the Young Adult books brought to cinematic life after all of the Hunger Games, this series, the Maze Runner and a few other films as well.

These aren't superhero movies. These are films about depressing futures.

Oh, so maybe they are just like DC superhero movies. ;)

Either way, perhaps the audience is growing tired of that genre.

Or perhaps they are simply getting tired of a storyline that seems just a bit padded at this point.

Because, quite frankly, it seems like the same thing that happened in the last movie happens in the next movie.

They escape the ruthless clutches of a power-mad leader, only to watch as all of the factions begin fighting amongst themsleves to see who becomes the new power-mad leader.

So the franchise is treading water.

And when you bring in less than 100 million dollars from your previous film, the 4th film in the franchise, 4th!!?? gets changed on the schedule from a next summer in theaters to a next year on tv as a springboard for a new TV show.

Good luck with that.

So on that note, I bid this series farewell.

Final Grade: C

Whatever Happened To Spielbergian Aliens? "The 5th Wave"

The 5th Wave (2016)

Rated PG-13

Starring Chloe Grace Moretz, Nick Robinson, Zackary Arthur, Liev Schreiber, Maria Bello, Ron Livingston, Alex Roe,

Directed by J Blakeson

The Story:

The aliens have made contact, and after 4 waves (Darkness, Destruction, Disease and Invasion) it's time to unleash...The 5th Wave!
But after so much destruction, what could possibly come next?

Cassie (Moretz) is desperate to find her brother (Arthur) who she lost when the Army came to round up survivors and take them to a training facility. There, Colonel Vosch (Schreiber) plans on training the young kids to be the soldiers of the future that can find and destroy the enemy. They shall be...

The 5th Wave!

So, now we know what the 5th Wave is.

How is it as a movie?

Meh, not bad.

It takes the trappings of the dystopian future and places a young female lead into the center of the conflict.

Her quest to reunite and rescue her little brother are the driving force behind the movie, and whether she helps save the world or not is only secondary.

Filled with an ensemble of fine characters to supplement that story, it's nothing earth-shattering and reinventing the sci-fi / action / dystopian future genre...

But entertaining nonetheless.

Probably nothing you haven't seen in one shape or form already, but it's done with enough gusto this go round, you won't feel like you wasted your time.

Final Grade:  C+

Guaranteed To Give You "Goosebumps"

Goosebumps (2015)

Rated PG

Starring Jack Black, Dylan Minnette, Odeya Rush

Directed by Rob Letterman

The Story:

Zach (Minnette) moves to a new town, and he's just not that into it, but then he meets the mysterious girl next door (Rush), Hannah. She seems great, but there's something about her dad (Black) and his overprotective ways that wants to keep Zach and Hannah apart. When Zach winds up discovering that her dad is the author R. L. Stine, and that he keeps all of his books locked up because the monsters from his books are very, very real. And now they are all loose. It's up to these 3 to get them back under lock and key before it's too late!

I suppose I should start with the fact that I've never read a Goosebumps book, never watched the show, so I have nothing to compare this to.

And I think that's okay.

I saw the trailer, it looked amusing enough, so I figured why not?

I was not disappointed.

For once I had a couple of teenagers that weren't trying to alter a dystopian future or change the world.

Nope, they were running from monsters!

Yes, it was quite a refreshing change of pace.

A great cast, led by Jack Black (in multiple roles) and a solid script keep things fun and exciting for the duration of the film.

It was nice to have a movie for the whole family that we all watched together, and when it was over, thumbs up all around.

Never boring, nobody doodling or checking their phone while it was on.

I'll take that kind of film every time.

Final Grade: Solid B, a B+ could even be argued and I wouldn't object.

So Many Dystopian Futures To Choose From... "The Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials"

Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials (2015)

Rated PG-13

Starring Dylan O'Brian, Ki Hong Lee, Kaya Scodelario, Thomas Brode-Sangster, Dexter Darden, Alexander Flores, Patricia Clarkson, Barry Pepper,

Directed by Wes Ball

The Story:

Thomas (O'Brien) and his friends have escaped the Maze. Now they are in what they believe to be a safe haven, but it turns out that is simply a place where they can harvest the kids and try and find a cure for the ravages of the earth. So they escape and head towards freedom, staying one step ahead of WCKD while trying to find the whispered resistance fighters in the mountains. They have to survive the trials of life outside, which includes the Cranks...otherwise known as zombies.

That's right, things get cranked up a bit in the Dystopian Future world of the Maze Runner with the introduction to the fact that there are zombies out there.

Sadly, that introduction is short-lived and while a burst of energy, it fades quickly as the movie returns to the kids running for their lives and being chased by the government.

For over 2 hours.

I haven't figured out who decided, and when, that movies should start having 2+ hour run times.

On occasion, when you have a great film, go ahead and do it.

When your film is "meh" and runs closer to average than masterpiece, and you're stretching your epic-ness over a multi-film saga...

Sometimes judicious editing could benefit you.

Again, the arrival of zombies is rather exciting and unexpected, but it's short-lived and takes place in the middle of the film to give you a shot in the arm before devolving back to a cat and mouse game where you're actually hoping another dog shows up and shakes things up.

I'll be back to see the next installment, but as it is, I'm already forgetting a lot of what just happened in this one.

Final Grade: C

Back To The Future..."Insurgent"

Insurgent (2015)

Rated PG-13

Starring Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Kate Winslet, Jai Courtney, Miles Teller

Directed by Robert Schwentke

The Story:

Tris (Woodley) and Four (James) continue their fight for survival and to overthrow the current leadership that won't stop until the Divergents are wiped off the face of the earth. 

Did you see Divergent?

Then Insurgent picks up almost exactly where the other one left off as the further adventures of a dystopian future unspool before you.

Treachery.
Lies.
Betrayal.

And that's just Miles Teller's character throughout the series thus far!

The funny thing, the more of these I watch, the more they all begin to blend together.

Wait, there's a mysterious wall? Wasn't that the Maze Runner?

The secret to this society is revealed? That was done in one movie, The Giver. It's taken this franchise 2 films to do it.

I'm sure there's some similarity in The Hunger Games as well, but I've yet to dip my toes into that franchise.

I'm sure there's another part coming, but everything is really wrapped up rather nicely, so I'm not sure how much incentive I have to come back for a part 3.

Final Grade: C

"The Maze Runner" Offers A Bleak Outlook On Life

The Maze Runner (2014)

PG-13

Starring Dylan O'Brien, Ami Ameen, Ki Hong Lee, Blake Cooper, Will Poulter, Kaya Scodelari

Directed by Wes Ball

The Story:

Thomas (O'Brien) awakens in The Glade, with no memories and attempts to fit in with the other boys that live there. There's leader Alby (Ameen), resident a-hole, Gally (Poulter) and the leader of the runners, Minho (Lee). Once Thomas arrives, he questions everything and begins to unsettle the environment. These young men survive in the wild, and attempt to navigate a giant maze on the outskirts of their settlement daily. So far, no exit has been found, but there is something sinister within the walls. When the first female arrives (Scodelari), the rules all change forever, and the colony must do what it can to survive.

Based on a true story.

Gosh, I hope not!

Welcome to another dystopian future young adult novel turned into cinematic franchise.

It's not horrible,

It's not wonderful.

There will be a sequel.

However, the ending has the most pointless death I've seen in a movie in a very long time.

That it took up almost 2 hours of my life and that was the most emotion that the film elicited from me tells you that for the most part, this movie is simply average.

Final Grade: C

This Week's Dystopian Future Flick: "The Giver"

The Giver (2014)

PG-13

Starring Jeff Bridges, Meryl Streep, Brenton Thwaites

Directed by Phillip Noyce

The Story:

In the future, society is naturally perfect. As the latest wave of children graduate to take on their role in society, one boy, Jonas (Thwaites) is selected by the Chief Elder (Streep) to become the "Receiver of the Memories". He learns from The Giver (Bridges) all of the secrets of society that the people no longer remember. As he begins to learn, he begins to realize that all of society is a lie...

The book that has been around forever is now a major motion picture!

And really, it's not that bad.

However, when you finally come along after The Hunger Games, Divergent and a million other "this is the future and society is different now and you are the special chosen one..."

Well, they all begin to blur together after awhile, and it's a lot of been there, done that.

That said, this one is rather interesting in the passing of memories from The Giver to the Receiver.

There are some uncomfortable truths that are offered in here that show how cruel society can become.

How Jonas chooses to handle what he learns and decide what is best for society is what makes the story work.

Plus, I'll give them the benefit of the doubt since the book has been around for over 30 years.

Had this been filmed first, all bets would be off, and those other films would be compared to this one.

:)

Final Grade: C+

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: It was one of the better dystopian future movies of late, but once was enough.

The Future Is Decided By Facebook Personality Quizzes... "Divergent"

Divergent (2014)

Rated PG-13

Starring Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Ashley Judd, Jai Courtney, Ray Stevenson, Miles Teller, Kate Winslett, Tony Goldwyn

Directed by: Neil Burger

The Story:

In a dystopian future (is there any other type?) the survivors of a war that ravaged the world (or at least America) have been divided between 5 factions to keep the peace.  You have Amity (Peaceful), Erudite (intelligent), Abnegation (Selfless), Candor (Honest) and Dauntless (Brave).  Each has its role in society and keeping the peace, and when children come of age, they take a test to see what their aptitude is, but they still have one last choice that they can make at a ceremony.

However there are those that the test does not work on.  They are called Divergents, and they are being dealt with, permanently.

Welcome to the latest Young Adult fiction to be turned into a trilogy (or larger) movie franchise.

The story centers around Tris (Woodley) who is a Divergent growing up in Abnegation but just doesn't feel it like her parents (Judd & Goldwyn).  At the ceremony, her brother chooses Erudite and Tris goes for the Dauntless.

Needless to say, their parents are a bit crushed.

The Dauntless then initiate the newbies into their ranks under the lead of Eric (Courtney) and Four (James).  Only they are upping the ante and kicking out the worst recruits as the tests get harder.

If you are kicked out of a faction, you become one of the faction-less, which is the future buzz-word for the homeless.

Not only does Tris have to survive her training and remain with Dauntless, once she learns that she'll be targeted if anyone finds out she's a Divergent, well, that takes the last half of the movie to unspool.

Believe me, it's a long movie also.

While she doesn't have the charisma or chops of Jennifer Lawrence, the rest of the cast, especially Four, try and keep the audience engaged.

However, some poor casting choices on several of the characters end up making several people irrelevant in the overall scheme of things because they are very difficult to tell apart from one another.

Final Grade: C/C+ range

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I didn't love it, but I hardly hated it.  I'll be back to check out the sequels.