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Showing posts with label Gugu Mbatha-Raw. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gugu Mbatha-Raw. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 6, 2018

MOVIE REVIEW: THE CLOVERFIELD PARADOX








































The story set in the near future, centers on a team of astronauts on a space station making a terrifying discovery that challenges all they know about the fabric of reality, as they desperately fight for their survival.

Director: Julius Onah

Release Date: Jan 12, 2018

Cast: Gugu Mbatha-Raw, David Oyelowo, Daniel Brühl, Elizabeth Debicki, Chris O'Dowd, Zhang Ziyi

Not Rated

Runtime: 1 hr. 42 min.

Genres: Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi


Review:

Years from now The Cloverfield Paradox, originally titled The God Particle, will be remembered mostly for Netflix’s release strategy more than the actual content of the film.  Ultimately, Netflix’s strategy of releasing a repurposed sci-fi film, which had been delayed a couple of times before, after the Super Bowl shortly after premiering the first trailer gave the film the kind of visibility it wouldn’t have received otherwise.  The gambit surely paid off in spades even though the final product is lacking in several areas.  Sadly, for all the hoopla the film is simply a passable sci-fi film that recalls better films like Sunshine or even Event Horizon with a heaping serving of Star Trek’s oft used multiverse conceit.  The result is an uneven story with a subplot grafted onto it’s spine that tries desperately to connect the main story to the larger franchise.  It’s a choppy feel throughout resulting in a story that never finds it’s footing even with the ensemble’s best effort.  The cast assembled is impressively strong but the script leaves way too many of them hampered with one dimensional character.  Gugu Mbatha-Raw does her best to give the entire production a heart beat and is only partially successful; displaying some real chops in the film’s final act.  The rest of the cast is populated by top notch actors like David Oyelowo and Daniel Brühl who try their best to bring some sort of life to uncooked characters but they can only do so much with razor thin characterizations.  Elizabeth Debicki’s character could have been thoroughly fascinating if she’s been explored properly.  In the end, The Cloverfield Paradox is a glossy looking misfire which could have used more fine tuning and less overt franchise shoehorning to work effectively. 

C

Sunday, June 26, 2016

Cindy Prascik's Reviews of Independence Day: Resurgence & Free State of Jones






Dearest Blog: Today it was off to Marquee Cinemas for Independence Day: Resurgence and The Free State of Jones. 
 
Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing that hasn't been divulged by the trailers. 
 
First up: Independence Day: Resurgence. Two decades after the first Independence Day invasion, aliens prove they can't take a hint. 
 
Well, dear reader(s), if you thought this reboot was unnecessary before, just wait 'til you see it! 
 
Resurgence features some pretty imposing disaster effects, and, if you're a fan of the first one, there are plenty of familiar faces to indulge your nostalgia, but unfortunately, the movie doesn't have much else going for it. 
 
Resurgence gets off to a slow start and, despite the fact there's plenty of action, it never really seems to pick up. Wooden performances exacerbate clunky dialogue, emotional moments are worse than contrived, and the "one world, one people" message is so heavy-handed I kept expecting everyone to sit in a circle and sing Kumbaya. 
 
If I'd rolled my eyes any harder, I'd be writing this review out the back of my head. Independence Day: Resurgence runs 120 minutes and is rated PG13 for "sequences of sci-fi action and destruction, and for some language." 
 
Independence Day: Resurgence is a silly, unnecessary exercise in bad science fiction. 
 
Of a possible nine Weasleys, Independence Day: Resurgence gets four. 
 
Next on the agenda: Free State of Jones. 
 
Tired of poor people dying to keep rich people rich, a Confederate deserter declares his indpendence. 
 
Movie lovers: would you believe me if I told you Free State of Jones is the *less* preachy of the weekend's two new epics? 
 
I know, right?? While it does run overlong and is in no hurry to get anywhere, Free State of Jones never seems to drag. Matthew McConaughey, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, and Mahershala Ali headline a stellar cast that makes a pretty average drama seem much better. 
 
The film is gruesome and hard to watch at times, but it boasts extraordinary production design and a lovely score by Nicholas Britell. It also serves as an important and timely reminder that being horrible to others is a lousy idea that invariably lands a person on the wrong side of history. 
 
Free State of Jones clocks in at 139 minutes and is rated R for "brutal battle scenes and disturbing graphic images." 
 
It'll be long forgotten come awards time, but Free State of Jones is a pretty solid historical drama that's worth your movie dollar. 
 
Of a possible nine Weasleys, Free State of Jones gets six and a half. 
 
Until next time...

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