Is Tenet a Misfire for Nolan? (SPOILER FREE)

Christopher Nolan has stood the test of time as my favorite director. The fact that I had no idea what Tenet was about and I still wanted to see it just to support him is a testament to that. Toying with the ideas for the movie for almost twenty years, but spending roughly five to seven years on the screenplay, Nolan has been fighting the struggles of our current pandemic to get theaters open, as he is, unlike other filmmakers who are perfectly okay putting their films on streaming, convinced that it needs to be seen in theaters. Does it live up to such hype, or is this Nolan's first misfire?

The Story

John David Washington plays our protagonist, whose name I won't spoil (though in a way, I kinda just did), who gets wrapped up in a battle to prevent World War III, as they put it. Part of how he does this is by mastering objects and environments that have been altered to invert, meaning they go in the opposite directions they would normally go; in other words, when you go through the reverse motions of dropping a bullet, it comes back into your hands. Along the way, he meets up with several different people, but mostly gets accompanied by a wisecracker played by Robert Pattinson, as they discover more and more secrets about this crazy world and even a few about themselves.

What's Good About It

The Concept of Inversion is Cool

Once you catch on to how the inversion works, which, unlike Inception where even in the film's climax they have to start explaining all kinds of crazy rules, Tenet tells you "Don't try to understand it, just feel it," which I feel ends up working in the film's favor, it leads to a bunch of cool action scenes, including a pretty awesome final battle that takes advantage of every possible concept of the scenario.

Washington & Pattinson are Quippy

This is what tells me that this was meant to be a Bond-style thriller. These two not only have good chemistry, but they have funny lines at just the right times. It's not the funniest thing you'll ever hear, but it is a good offset to all the seriousness it has to back up.

Other bits:

-The soundtrack is cool

-The cinematography is gorgeous

-The cast is great

What Doesn't Work About It

The Story is Simple & Complicated in the Wrong Ways

This is especially strange to me, as this is something Nolan usually handles well, but let me explain. In a typical Nolan film, he would take one simple idea and break down the complexities of said simple idea. In Tenet, he takes a rather basic good versus evil story (Don't believe me? Just wait until you hear what they call Washington's character!) and sprinkles it with all kinds of crazy and unnecessary subplots. This is a trap that has been plaguing blockbusters for over a decade, but honestly, I thought Nolan was above that.

The Villain is Weak

(Should I post a picture here? Probably not.)

Aside from the Batman movies where he most likely got much needed assistance from David Goyer, Nolan's films have mostly been known to have antagonists, but not really villains, just people with opposing beliefs. Here, without spoiling anything, there's a villain, and he is cartoonishly cookie cutter. I can see where he was going with this; it wouldn't be a James Bond spy espionage without a James Bond villain, but it's just not his style. Either he would have to be more relatable like, say, Thanos in Infinity War, or the film around him would have to be just as over the top. What's worse, though, is that he says his bare basic lines in such a tough manner, as if he's aggressively trying to be intimidating.

It Does NOT Need to be Seen in Theaters

I have been vouching for theaters to reopen ever since they were first shut down. I have been thankful for the re-releases I've gotten to see since they first reopened such as E.T., Back to the Future, & Jurassic Park. I do think there are advantages to going to the theater (larger screen, improved sound systems, and turning the film into a major event) and films that take advantage of those perks. Tenet is NOT one of them. There's one cool car chase, one awesome final battle set piece, and aside from that, most of the movie is just people talking. Again, Nolan's usually great at delivering larger than life visuals and recapturing that blockbuster magic, but I honestly wouldn't have minded streaming this.

Other bits:

-The sound mixing could be messy sometimes

Overall Thoughts

Tenet is not a bad movie. To say that Christopher Nolan has lost his grasp of the craft of filmmaking in the same route as M. Night Shyamalan or Neill Blomkamp would be a lie. It's still a well crafted spy thriller with a great cast, exhilarating action scenes, and some fresh, creative concepts with the inversion. I will, however, go as far as to say that with a bare basic story wrapped around a ton of subplots and a weak villain, I would call it his least good movie. If you're still worried about catching the coronavirus, you can probably save this one for Redbox. I'd still recommend it, it's just not a must see like his other work, and as a huge Nolan follower, I'm slightly disappointed. 

Rating: 7/10

Ant-Man and the Wasp Movie Review (SPOILER-FREE)

It's a little scary how much of a winning streak Marvel has had with their movies lately. I mean, sure, their TV shows and Netflix shows have had a blunder here and there (I personally stopped watching Agents of SHIELD after they revealed that cheap-looking rendition of Ghost Rider), but thus far, their movies have killed with critics, audiences, and the box office each and every time. Even when the first Ant-Man movie went through a delayed production and a switch in directors, it still came out as an entertaining product. Now, our hopes that a more focused and less troubled production would result in an even better product have been fulfilled, as Ant-Man and the Wasp is an energetic, witty, and creative comic book movie that delivers all the fun and enjoyment that people have come to expect from these movies.

THE PLOT
Scott Lang is under house arrest for assisting Captain America in Civil War (My girlfriend says it's because he has a daughter to look after....... Say, have you noticed that Ant-Man is the only MCU hero that has a kid? Him and Hawkeye, I guess...), and his old partners in crime from the first movie, Hank and Hope Pym, are on the run as his accomplices. However, they pull him out of his house as they need his help to re-enter the Quantum Realm to find Hank's wife who got lost in the Quantum Realm years ago. Things get complicated, though, when a mysterious figure known as Ghost attacks them and tries to retrieve their technology as (he/she) has a conflicting interest of utilizing the Quantum Realm as well.

WHAT'S GOOD ABOUT IT?

There's Much More Focus in its Direction
The first film, while still entertaining, suffered from a change in directors, and it showed. There were funny ideas set in place by Edgar Wright, but Peyton Reed's direction didn't quite grasp his comedic timing (my least favorite example being the Baskin Robins joke in the beginning). This one is fully Reed's project, and as a result, it picks a style, sticks to it, and doesn't try to reach beyond it. It's a simple comic book movie with a simple comic book style.

The Action Scenes are Creative
This movie takes the idea that was seeded in the first movie of shrinking and growing certain objects and elevates it, as any sequel should. Swapping between shrinking and growing allows for some energetic action scenes, including a riveting car chase involving that weirdly awesome Hello Kitty Pez scene from the trailer.

The Universe is Expanded
The best part about Phase 3 of the MCU is that every movie makes the universe bigger and bigger, allowing for all sorts of possibilities for storytelling and characters, something that, aside from the first Guardians of the Galaxy, Phase 2 never fully took advantage of. Here, exploring the Quantum Realm expands the universe even further, which is said to play a part in Avengers 4 next year.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK ABOUT IT?

The Villain is Flat
This part isn't quite as ineffective as I thought it would be, given what everyone's been saying about it, but while the villain does play (his/her) part, (he/she) does pale in comparison to some of the great villains we've seen in Thor: Ragnarok, Black Panther, and Infinity War. (He/She) isn't given very much development or screen time, (he/she) doesn't have a very fun personality, and even (his/her) powers aren't especially interesting.

Don't See it in IMAX or 3D
My girlfriend and I went to see this in IMAX 3D, and it's not worth the money. The film is too small in scale to see in IMAX, especially after Infinity War, and as far as the 3D is concerned.... When the characters are shrinking or they're in the Quantum Realm, it looks great, but the problem is that there aren't very many scenes like that, so what you're looking at are either talking scenes or hand-to-hand combat scenes, which you can easily see on a regular 2D screen.

FINAL VERDICT?
It may not be perfect, and some might not be a fan of the smaller-in-scale Marvel movies by this point, but I still had a blast with Ant-Man and the Wasp. Those who weren't impressed by the lingering ending of Infinity War will enjoy this beginning-middle-end superhero story, and fans of the first film will get more of what they loved from the first film. Check it out as soon as you can, and as always, stay through (at least half of) the end credits.

(There is a post-credits scene, but it's more of a joke scene. The mid-credits scene is essential.)

Incredibles 2 Movie Review

Whenever a follow-up to a movie that was a huge hit a decade ago comes around, people tend to get worried that the hands of time will consume any chances of its success. I'll admit that I wasn't expecting Mad Max: Fury Road to be as huge of a hit as it was. The Incredibles was one of Pixar's biggest hits back in 2004, and people were begging for a follow-up ever since. You'd think that 14 years later, that demand would have died down, but judging by the fact that my girlfriend and I ran into a sold out showing on our first attempt to see this, I'd say that demand is still in place, and it's completely warranted, as The Incredibles 2 is not only better than the first film, but it's easily one of the best films of the year.

THE PLOT
Superheroes are still illegal, and the Parr family is running into issues with Bob being out of a job and the supposed Superhero Reinstatement program that protected them at the end of the first movie is being shut down. However, a representative played by Bob Odenkirk wants to help make superheroes legal again by using Elastagirl as a symbol of good hope to spark the public's interest in superheroes again. So, while she goes on missions, Bob stays behind and watches the kids with, as you can guess, disastrous results. However, bigger problems come about when a "mysterious" villain known as ScreenSlaver is hatching a plot to keep superheroes illegal forever.

WHAT'S GOOD ABOUT IT?

-Family Matters

One of the biggest things that could have been improved upon in the first movie is how much time they spend with this superhero family. In this film, there's much more focus on the family as a whole. Helen gets separated for the most part, but seeing Bob look after the kids leads to tons of family drama and discussions that flesh them out more as not only characters, but as a family of characters. One of my favorite scenes is towards the beginning when the family is having a discussion about the current situation of superheroes.

-Jack Jack is a Riot

I couldn't exaggerate this less even if I wanted to. The hilarious bit with Jack Jack attacking Syndrome that lasted about 30 seconds in the first movie is expanded upon greatly in this film, and I cannot remember the last time I laughed this hard in a theater before. I can't say much else without spoiling anything, but needless to say he was one of the best highlights of the movie.

-The Action is Energetic and Fun

One of Brad Bird's biggest advantages as an animation director is his ability to create larger-than-life scenes while maintaining a tangible physical world, and this film is no exception. While the first movie had some memorable and energetic action, the best bits came from the family (Dash running on water, that part where the family was fighting together, etc.), and the rest of the action mostly involved Mr. Incredible punching things. This film has a lot more of the family fighting, along with some new superheroes, and the amount of creativity that went into those scenes makes for some fun action.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK ABOUT IT?
-The "Mysterious" Villain

One reoccurring trope in a lot of Disney films nowadays is the surprise villain, someone who you think is a good guy but is really a bad guy, and this film unfortunately falls under that category. The only difference is that with Disney's other films, the tone of the character changes as soon as they reveal that they're the bad guy. Here, they try to keep the tone consistent with the character, but without spoiling anything, it comes off as too obvious too early. I looked at the character and I knew in an instant that (he/she, no spoilers) was the villain. The reason the surprise bad guy in the first Incredibles worked was because we didn't see him (at least, not as the bad guy) until his reveal; we saw the people who work for him, but not him individually.

CONSENSUS?
Despite the flawed villain, I still had a blast with The Incredibles 2, and while it's nowhere near Pixar's best film, I would definitely call it their best sequel. Check it out while you still can!

RATING:

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 - I am Groot! (Translation: It's Good!)

The first Guardians of the Galaxy was a game-changer even by the standards of Marvel's everlasting cinematic universe. On top of doing with one movie what the Avengers did with six, it combined exciting sci-fi action with lasers, starships, and weird-looking aliens with the raunchy style of many well-acclaimed indie comedies. As a result, critics and audiences fell in love with it, and it changed the scope of blockbuster filmmaking practically overnight, so much so that the new Thor Ragnarok trailer tried to replicate its style. So naturally, a sequel was inevitable, and that's what we're kicking off what's looking to be a pretty kick-ass summer with this weekend. How does it turn out?

Not half bad. Not as good as the first, but when it is good, it's really, REALLY good. There are a few parts that drag a little bit, but we'll get to that in a second.

The story picks up where the last one left off, with the Guardians now helping the Nova Corps protect the galaxy against threats. After saving the Sovereign race from a raging monster, their leader, Ayesha, finds out that Rocket has stolen some precious batteries from them and sends out an attack. They're saved, however, by a mysterious man who they find out later is Peter's father, Ego. (*chuckle*) They decide to follow him to his home planet so that he and Peter can reconnect and have the connection they've always wanted to have. During this, however, Ayesha has hired up Yondu (Rooker from Walking Dead as part of the Blue Man Group from the first movie) to hunt down the Guardians and retrieve the batteries.

The first two-thirds of this movie not only match what made the first movie great, particularly whenever an action scene kicks in, but in some areas, it even elevated it, particularly in comedy. As funny as Groot was in the first movie, Baby Groot here is a freakin riot! Groot has been known to be clueless and to improvise, and those qualities have been elevated with this adorable miniature! The opening title sequence is him playing music while the others fight the monster I mentioned earlier. On top of that, though, as indicated by the trailer, Drax the Destroyer moves past his serious nature from the first movie, and as a result, he's just off-the-wall hilarious here! Practically every line he says holds just the right comedic tone, timing, and delivery!

Then the last third kicks in, and that's where the film started to drag a little for me. The first movie kept a good balance between drama and comedy; every scene with its intensely dramatic villain was followed by a scene with the Guardians cracking wise at each other, and that's what elevated it from being just an average, everyday comedy to one of the best sci-fi blockbusters ever made. Here, even though the emotion is heartfelt and I do still connect with these characters, it just doesn't feel as fresh or rad as the first film and will most likely throw people for a loop. The film, aside from an overload of five post-credit scenes, ends on a rather bitter note that would have been much more fulfilling if it ended on a more comedic or inspiring note. I didn't hate the last third, but it definitely felt inconsistent and not entirely what was advertised.

Regardless, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 holds up as a worthy entry into the Marvel legacy. When it wants to be funny and exciting, it can be very exciting and REALLY funny! It drags a little bit in its last third, but the first two thirds still deliver plenty of punches to go around. It's a great way to kick off the summer, and a great way to continue Marvel's winning streak! (With movies, anyway.)

My rating:

The Fate of the Furious - Hollywood's Most Expensive Self-Parody

I'm not gonna lie.... I never caught on to this ongoing gag that the Fast and Furious sequels were essentially self-parodies up until this point. Granted, the sequels are certainly more exciting and stylish in the second half of the series than they have been in the first, but to go as far as to call them self-parodies would be a stretch; 5, 6, and 7 are not really any more over-the-top than any other action-packed blockbuster these days. However, this is not the case with the 8th film in the series, as the film drenches itself in self-parody and extravagantly over-the-top stunts..... And I loved every second of it! The Fate of the Furious is, thus far, one of the more exciting blockbusters I have seen this year!

The film starts with Dominic Toretto, played by Vin Diesel, and Letty, played by Michelle Rodriguez, on their honeymoon, which soon gets interrupted by a woman known as Cipher, played by Charlize Theron, who, through some secret leverage, forces Dom to turn against his crew and commit a series of crimes that would send the world at war once more. However, Letty holds hope that Dom isn't doing this intentionally and proposes that they attempt to retrieve Dom to get some answers out of him.

If you're going into this flick expecting something practical or plausible, let me shut off those expectations here and now. The stunts here are so unpractical and insane that anybody with a Physics degree would most likely lose their mind. On the flip side of that, though, they're so insane and over-the-top that you can't help but not only keep your eyes on it, but feel the thrills and excitement of every stunt. Where else are you going to see tanks and new model cars chasing after a submarine in the Arctic? Seriously, name one other movie.

As far as comedy goes, there's a lot more of it than there was in the previous flicks. Granted, Roman Pearce had a lot of funny lines in the previous movies, but while he still has his share here, many of the other characters have their slices of the banana pie as well. The Rock and Jason Statham in particular have this ongoing chemistry that is just a riot every time they're on screen together.

The only problem I have with this flick is the villain, Cipher. Her character is very one-dimensional, not having very many clear motives for what she does other than to just send the world into chaos just because somebody has to be the antagonist, and Charlize Theron's performance is very one-note, having a monotone vocal and facial expression in which it just sounds like she's reading her bland lines. Some might argue that this is just part of the self-parody aspect, but in that instance, I probably would have liked a more over-the-top, funny villain (like Jason Statham in Furious 7) over this stick in the mud.

All in all, though, I had a blast with The Fate of the Furious. The stunts are impressive in their over-the-top fashion, the characters are a lot of fun, and the direction is slick as always. It's not a perfect movie, but it's thrilling and hysterical in spite of its flaws.... in some instances, even due to its "flaws". I recommend it for anyone looking for a fun time at the theater!

My rating:

10 Internet Memes That Should Have Their Own Movie

(Note: This blog entry is mostly satirical. If Hollywood actually makes any of these movies (except for the last one), I will bash my head up against the wall until it is physically impossible for me to see anything, let alone movies.)

So, this little brat is getting her own TV show now.... Hoo-freakin-rah. (Funny, I kinda thought Fox News WAS her TV show.) This got me thinking, though... If we're putting the greenlight on this annoying little girl, why not shine the light on all sorts of memes? I mean, heck, if Emojis can have their own movie, why not? So, today, I'll be counting off the Top 10 internet memes that I think deserve their own movies!

Now, for this list, I've picked mostly original memes, and not anything based off of a movie or TV show; Spongebob has two movies already, Futurama has four, and don't even get me started on the Muppets! These are the fresh, new memes that hold the potential for some solids blockbuster epics!

1.Harmabe

I'm surprised Disney Nature hasn't gotten the rights to creating a documentary biopic on this beloved creature! Think of all the potential for high-stake drama in this scenario.... A gorilla trying to protect a child that fell into the cage, and he gets shot? Oh, what a powerful epic that would make!

2.Roll Safe

I can see it now.... A Black Dynamite-style exploitation movie about a man who has less common sense than the average man, but at the same time, more so. "Those terrorists can't blow up the orphanage if I don't see an explosion." Smooth!

3.Boardroom Suggestion

Think about it: A powerful drama about a man on a board of directors whose ideas are so poorly received that he gets thrown out the window every time he brings up an idea.... Oh, the social commentary it would have on the crappy ideas that the media keeps putting out! (Which is probably why a movie about it will never get made.)

4.Baby Godfather

Heck, if they could make a movie like The Boss Baby (which I WON'T be reviewing or seeing, BTW), they could sure as heck convert one of the greatest films in cinematic history to this adorable little convention! Just imagine a baby waking up to find his teddy bear's head in there with him! Shoulda gave the BG that ride-on tractor, buddy.

5.Awesome Face

Picture this: In a world of sad faces, one face dares to be different from the rest.... And that face is AWESOME FACE! If he's not gonna get his own movie, let's at least hope he gets even a brief cameo in the new Emoji movie.

6.Antoine Dodson

See here. End of conversation.

7.Stick Figure Guy

We've seen him spit cereal, accept challenges, flip tables, and even take his finger down speechless. Whatever the case, this guy's been so famous that he basically has to get his own movie! I mean, it would be the cheapest animation anybody could put out! Seriously, Hollywood.... MAKE IT HAPPEN!

8.Trollface

Even more famous than Awesome Face is Trollface. It may seem like a stretch, but I could see this guy being in a Wreck-It Ralph kind of movie where he strives to be a more upbeat internet meme only to find that there would be no internet without his snarky trolling! Oh, what a social satire that would be....

9.Grumpy Cat

Ah, our favorite mad face.... I'm not gonna lie, there were a lot of cat and dog memes to choose from, but again, Grumpy Cat has become so famous across the internet that it would be inevitable to at least attempt a movie with him. Imagine an entire hour and a half where his family does everything in its power to cheer him up, and he still can't smile for a second. What a wild road trip that would be!

10.Stephanie Lenz

Alright, let me take off the satirical glasses for a second and be real.... A real-life court drama based off of the Stephanie Lenz case could be essential in this day and age. Now, for those who don't know, Stephanie Lenz posted this video onto Youtube of a baby dancing to the Prince song, Let's Go Crazy, and received a copyright strike via Youtube's copyright claim system. She took this case to court, and as a result, a new law was set up stating that copyright owners must consider fair use before filing a take-down notice. The copyright/fair use battle has been an enormous issue in today's internet society, and I feel like it's high time that a filmmaker out there, independent or otherwise, delivers on the potential to turn that conflict into a powerhouse drama.

Do you agree with this list? What other crazy ideas do you have to turn internet sensations into cinematic sensations? Post yours in the comments below! Thanks for reading, and have a great day!

Ghostbusters (2016) (Power Rangers Style!)