MOVIE REVIEW: WAR FOR PLANET OF THE APES

Caesar (Andy Serkis) and his apes are forced into a deadly conflict with an army of humans led by a ruthless colonel (Woody Harrelson). After the apes suffer unimaginable losses, Caesar wrestles with his darker instincts and begins his own mythic quest to avenge his kind. As the journey finally brings them face to face, Caesar and the colonel are pitted against each other in an epic battle that will determine the fate of both of their species and the future of the planet.

Director: Matt Reeves

Cast: Andy Serkis, Woody Harrelson, Gabriel Chavarria, Steve Zahn, Judy Greer

Rated PG-13 rating is for sequences of sci-fi violence and action, thematic elements, and some disturbing images

Release Date: Jul 14, 2017

Genres: Action/Adventure

Review:

Matt Reeves War for Planet of the Apes is a strong finish to the rebooted prequel.  The story is deeply layered, borrowing from multiple sources including The Searchers, Apocalypse Now and the book of Exodus.  Needless to say, there is a lot going on in the script, it’s dense emotionally and touching.  It’s a rare summer blockbuster that puts the spectacle on the back burner for smaller quieter moments focused on character development and story arches.  The story is so strong that you can start to overlook the level of digital wizardry on display with the ape characters.  They are totally convincing throughout the film and this entry in particular puts them front and center with the human characters taking a backseat.  Andy Serkis once again proves that’s he’s the most underappreciated actor working now by delivering another impressive motion capture performance.  He’s the heart and soul of the film and it is impossible to not get emotionally invested in his characters journey.  Steve Zahn joins him as Bad Ape who provides some much needed comic relief here and there.  Zahn proves to be just as capable as Serkis because he does provide some depth to the character that could have been easily one dimensional.  Woody Harrelson is the primary human villain and he’s used sparing as the Coronel Kurtz knock off.  It’s probably for the best since he’s chewing scenery at impressive pace.  There are a few pacing issues in spots where the film seems to lag a bit.  Additionally, some of the biblical allegory is a tad heavy handed for my taste.  A bit more subtleness would have helped the film.  That being said, Matt Reeves closed out his trilogy on a strong note and brings the characters story to a satisfying ending.

B+

Cindy Prascik's Reviews of The Good Dinosaur and Krampus

 

Dearest Blog: After a weekend on the town, yesterday it was off to Marquee Cinemas to make up for lost time with The Good Dinosaur and Krampus.

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers.

First up: The Good Dinosaur.

A young dinosaur learns to face his fears.

There's no getting around it: The Good Dinosaur is kind of a stinker. Animation doesn't always have to be game-changing--I mean, I quickly forgave a sub-par outing from our little yellow friends the Minions because they're adorable--but I feel like it should at least be cute and fun. 

The problem with The Good Dinosaur is there's almost nothing to like, and certainly nothing to like enough to make amends for what's not to like. The characters aren't cute at all, and the voices--though they include mighty talents like Sam Elliott and Frances McDormand--nearly annoyed me right out of the room. 

Outside of some nifty water effects, the artwork and animation are ho-hum, and the movie's message is heavy-handed. Sadly, The Good Dinosaur was about the least-enjoyable time I've had at the movies this year.

The Good Dinosaur runs 93 minutes and is rated PG for, "peril, action, and thematic elements." The film is accompanied by a trippy little short called Sanjay's Super-Team, which adds about seven minutes to the total runtime.

Gotta be honest: while watching The Good Dinosaur, I was rooting for the asteroid. 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, The good Dinosaur gets two.

Next on the day's schedule, the holiday horror-comedy Krampus.

A family pays the price for having lost the true spirit of Christmas.

Unless I have an ulterior motive (read: one of my favorite actors has a role), I seldom bother with horror movies, as I almost always find them stupid and not at all scary.  

Benefitting from a fun trailer and a weak schedule of new releases, Krampus became the exception to my rule, and I'm pleased to report I didn't have reason to regret it.

There are no A-Listers, but Krampus boasts a great cast and the performances are quite good. Kid actors can be hit or miss, but the adorable Emjay Anthony is a nice surprise in what essentially amounts to the lead. 

If I was never really scared, the movie still does a great job of maintaining tension, and the monsters are genuinely creepy. In fact, the entire look of the film is exquisite, from the festive holiday decor to cold, snowy exteriors, to some pretty badass baddies. 

The laughs are equally solid and well timed, making Krampus a truly entertaining outing.

Krampus clocks in at 98 minutes, and is rated PG13 for, "sequences of horror violence/terror, language, and some drug material."

It may never become *that* classic you watch with grandma every Christmas Eve, but Krampus is good holiday fun. 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Krampus gets six.

Until next time...

MOVIE REVIEWS: A PERFECT GETAWAY

Tuesday, February 16, 2010
MOVIE REVIEWS: A PERFECT GETAWAY

ON DVD

A PERFECT GETAWAY

Honeymooning newlyweds Cliff (Steve Zahn) and Cydney (Milla Jovovich) are hiking an 11-mile trail in Hawaii when they cross paths will ex-military man Nick (Timothy Olyphant), who earns their trust by helping them navigate a particularly treacherous mountain cliff. A few yards later, the trio runs into a group of girls whose parents are begging them to return home following reports that a honeymooning couple has been murdered on one of the other islands. The suspects in the killings are a young white couple, and when Cliff and Cydney meet Nick's frees-spirited girlfriend, Gina (Kiele Sanchez), tensions start to rise. The further the foursome walks together, the more delicate the balance of trust and suspicion becomes. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide


Cast: Timothy Olyphant, Steve Zahn, Milla Jovovich, Kiele Sanchez, Marley Shelton.


Director: David Twohy


Release Date: Aug 07, 2009


Rated R for graphic violence, language and some drug use.


Runtime: 1 hr. 38 min.


Genres: Action, Thriller


Review:

David Twohy returns to form after his lackluster follow up to Pitch Black, The Chronicles of Riddick, with a surprisingly effective thriller. Twohy serves as writer / director here as he usually does and what he creates with A Perfect Getaway is an intriguing if occasionally overly self aware yarn that’s far better than it deserves to be. Twohy doesn’t spend too much time with unnecessary build up or excessive fluff. He gets right into the meat of the story and lets it run in a very lean and well paced manner. He makes great use of the local and shoots some wonderful views of the vistas both as beautiful yet dangerous. The characters he creates are intentionally one dimensional at a glance but as the film proceeds they become more and more ambiguous, keeping the audience guessing. Performances from the cast are decent with most delivering what you’d expect. Steve Zahn and Milla Jovovich play it straight, for the better part of the film, as the naïve newlywed couple. Both have major character shifts in the films third act, something Jovovich handles better than Zahn who goes a little overboard. Timothy Olyphant is a ball of crazy eyed enthusiasm. Kiele Sanchez is plays it lower key and probably the most forgettable of the main cast. Twohy direction and script keep you off balance and when the major turn occurs in the final act he loses a bit of steam as he feels the need to over explain the situation. He over does it and the entire sequence feels like it could have been trimmed down significantly without losing effectiveness. Regardless, A Perfect Getaway is stronger than expected and delivers an intriguing thriller.


B-