The Man Who Would Be King..."Black Panther"

Black Panther (2018)

Rated PG-13

Starring Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman, Daniel Kaluuya, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, Sterling K. Brown, Angela Bassett, Andy Serkis, Forest Whitaker

Directed by Ryan Coogler,

The Story:

T'Challa (Boseman) is crowned the King of Wakanda following the passing of his father. However an outsider (Jordan) threatens the entire fate and kingdom of Wakanda in a bid to release vibranium weapons on a global scale.

Welcome to your spoiler-free review of Black Panther.

It's movie number 18 in the Marvel Cinematic Universe corner of your local movie-plex, and I think it's about time we come to a few facts:

1) These movies aren't going away anytime soon.
2) Fans should be glad of that.
3) Audiences apparently aren't suffering from superhero fatigue like critics seem to think every time a new superhero movie is released.

And I think it's time to start honestly talking about when will the Academy take MCU films seriously and consider them for ...

dare I say it...

Academy Awards.

Last year the big ground swell was Patty Jenkins deserved it because Wonder Woman was "amazing". (Meh...I wouldn't go that far, but still, if it furthers the superhero cause, I'm in) and because she's a woman.

Again, I hate the affirmative action take on it, I would hope it's based on merit, not gender or...

Color. 

Which brings us to Ryan Coogler, who has in the eyes of critics AND fans, yet to deliver a bad movie.

Here, he takes Wakanda and delivers the sum total history of an isolated African nation from the dawn of time to present day and given it the rich backstory it deserves.

He also populates it with some of the best second and third-tier characters in any Marvel Studios franchise.

He also delivers the Wakandan equivalent of a James Bond movie interlaced throughout the film as well.

Pick anyone from the cast, and odds are by the end of the movie, if not long before, you're slightly itching to see that character, or characters, receive their own MCU film from Marvel Studios in the near future.

So if you weren't part of the history-making audience that made Black Panther # 1 at the world-wide box office, smashing all sorts of February records along the way...

Don't delay, you'll want to see this one on the big screen.

Final Grade: A+

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

We've Been "Taken 3" Times To See The Same Movie!

Taken 3 (2015)

Rated PG-13

Starring Liam Neeson, Forest Whitaker, Famke Jannsen, Maggie Grace, Dougray Scott

Directed by Olivier Megaton

The Story:

Bryan Mills (Neeson) is back, and he's brought his special skill set with him. It's a good thing too, because this time his ex-wife (Jannsen) is murdered and Bryan has been framed. He's out to prove that he's innocent, regardless of what the head detective (Whitaker) believes.

Okay, first, nobody was actually taken in this film, which leads to a bit of a misleading title!
;)

Seriously though, if you've enjoyed the first 2 installments, you'll find closure on the trilogy here.

At least, I hope it was a trilogy, and Taken 4 is not being discussed.

My guess is, like the Transporter, there is no reason why the series won't receive a reboot brand makeover in the future.

I'm sure there are many former operatives that have their relatives stolen all the time, where are there stories?

That said, this film offers little in the way of anything you haven't seen already, and if you can't guess who is framing Bryan by, oh, about the 10 minute mark of the film, then congratulations, you've apparently never seen a movie before in your life.

:)

The new wrinkle is the addition of Whitaker as the cop who is tracking down a fugitive.

Except, his demeanor refuses to channel Tommy Lee Jones and seems mostly indifferent throughout the film.

It's paint by numbers execution, but I've mostly enjoyed my stay with Neeson in this franchise.

I do believe it's time that he break the mold though and do a comedy or a romance, or anything other than handle a weapon or kill something in his next movie.

Final Grade: B-

And The Oscar For Most Overrated Film of 2013 Goes To... "Lee Daniels' The Butler"

Lee Daniels' The Butler

Rated PG-13 for language

Starring Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey,

Directed by Lee Daniels

The Story:

Cecil Gaines (Whitaker) begins work in the White House as a butler in 1957 for Eisenhower (Robin Williams).  This movie checks in on Cecil with the passing of each Presidential era and the parallels with the Civil Rights movement and his oldest son who is fully embroiled in it.

Wow...

This is one of those really hyped movies that as I'm watching it, and especially when it's over, I think to myself...

"really" ?

It was okay, at best.

The makeup is phenomenal as the actors often disappear into their roles.

Whether it's aging Oprah and Whitaker or making the actors that play the presidents try and look the part, they did a really great job.

As for the rest of the film...

Meh.

Civil Rights 101 for Dummies would be a more appropriate, and possibly less clumsy title for the film.

When all is said and done, this movie makes The Help look even better.

Final Grade: C

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: No thanks to either option. 

My Money's On the Big Guy... "The Last Stand"

He always said he'd be back...

The Story:

Sheriff Ray Owens (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is in charge of a small town just across from Mexico.  There's not a lot of crime... really, there's not a lot of anything to worry about.  So when FBI Agent
Bannister (Forest Whitaker) loses a drug cartel figurehead (Gabriel Cortez) in a high speed chase through the desert, there's only one town that stands between the fugitive and freedom.

Welcome back, Ah-nuhld, you didn't miss a beat.

I have no gripes with this movie whatsoever.  It's an action flick designed for Arnold's return, and as such, it fits very nicely in with the rest of his body of work.  Better than many of his films, not as good as the classics.

No shame there, for any actor.

As he showed in his extended cameos in the Expendables franchise, the man obviously still has a few action flicks up his muscled sleeves before he calls it a career.

They also make sure that he's surrounded with some comic relief in the form of a deputy (Luis Guzman) and town eccentric (Johnny Knoxville) whose penchant for weaponry will naturally come into play before the movie is over.

I don't think there are any real surprises to be had in the film, as it follows the by-the-numbers approach to most action films to a  "t".

Again, I don't have any problems with that, and if you want to see Arnold still kicking butt at the age of 92, here you go!

Final Grade: B-

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I would be willing to watch it again, and if I find it for a decent price, I could own it someday.