2015 End of the Year Retrospective Extravaganza!

The final hours of 2015 are at long last upon us. Seeing as how it's been just barely a year since I started this blog as part of a New Year's Resolution, I figured it would be fitting if I wrote up something of a retrospective to finish off the year with a bang. This is a film blog, after all, and what kind of self-respecting moviegoer doesn't come up with all sorts of best-of and worst-of lists around this time of year? Before we begin, some ground rules and guidelines:

- Because this blog is basically a hobby to me and I can't see everything, this retrospective is by no means definitive. It's simply my take on the various movies I watched over the past twelve months.

- For the same reason, not every film featured here will have been released in 2015; this is a look back at the movies that I watched this past year.

- I've decided to only count movies I watched for the first time, simply in the name of fairness. Jurassic Park and (500) Days of Summer are two of my favorite films of all time, so to include them simply wouldn't be fair to everything else I watched.

With that said, let's get right to it:

The "Hey, That Was Actually Great" Award for Biggest Surprises of 2015

When it came to films that subverted my expectations this year, I could think of no two that did it better than Trick R' Treat director Michael Dougherty's Krampus and Joel Edgerton's The Gift. Both films had the potential to be nothing more than high-octane schlock; the kind of thing you'd put on at a party for everyone to laugh and jeer at. On the contrary, these two ended up being two of the best films I'd seen all year. The Gift features stellar performances and a really excellent understanding of tone and the tools used to build tension and suspense. It's a film that was completely undersold by its trailer; what was advertised as another generic thriller actually turned out to be full of twists and turns, standing proud in a genre that seems to be a breeding ground for trash. By the same token, Krampus ended up being one of my favorite movies of the entire year, something that will be replayed each Christmas in my house for years to come. While there simply wasn't time to write a proper review of it, there really isn't much to say aside from how it's technically a near-perfect film; there really is nothing I didn't like about it. If you decided to give either of these a pass, definitely look them up; they stand as proof that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover (or a movie by its trailer).

The Unpoppable Bubble Award for Best Superhero Stuff of 2015

The superhero film has become something of an annual event in recent years, so it seemed fitting to showcase the absolute best of this phenomenon here (at least until it inevitably burns itself out and collapses inward like a dying star made of money). Funnily enough, the two best examples of comic book fare to be released in 2015 never made it to cinemas; Marvel Studios' Daredevil and Jessica Jones offer a less glamorous look at the universe of The Avengers, showcasing the kind of unseemly crime and violence that occurs while Thor is flying along the rainbow bridge. A common complaint about most superhero films is that they lack substance, only skating by on fanservice and adapting key elements from the source material (see the Hulkbuster suit in Age of Ultron). While this is a valid criticism of most comic book films, Daredevil and Jessica Jones prove that the genre isn't completely without potential. While it's true that a 13-hour long series has more time to develop characters and tell a story than a 2-hour long movie, these series show that the genre can still be interesting without the glitz and spectacle of a multi-billion dollar Hollywood production budget. There's no killer robots or SHIELD Helicarriers or faraway worlds, just the grimy underbelly of New York City and a compelling plot. Marvel Studios has been building to a showdown with Thanos since the very first Avengers film; it's a mystery where the series will go after that, but I personally hope it's somewhere in the realm of these two shows. There's less explosions, but it's got what the audience needs to keep from getting burned out on the continuing escapades of Iron Man and friends.

The Martyr Award for Worst Things I Made Myself Watch This Year

I would like to make it abundantly clear right now; I do not get paid to do this. I update this blog each week because I love movies, writing, and writing about movies. This is basically a hobby for me, the only thing that keeps this going is my desire to see it continue. For the most part, starting this blog was one of the best decisions I've ever made; it's a great way to expose myself to all kinds of different movies while stretching my mental muscles, all aside from being loads of fun to put together. With that said, I also hold this blog responsible for exposing me to some of the worst garbage I have ever experienced in my entire life. Things that I would hesitate to call movies made by people I would hesitate to call human. Out of all the trash I put myself through this year, A Magic Puppy and Furry Vengeance were easily the worst. At least Heavenly Sword was laughably bad. At least Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles had some goofy action. I don't need to go into why these are so awful, do I? Just look at the posters, you should be able to discern everything you need to know about them. These movies represent time I'll wish I had back when I'm on my deathbed, and for that, I salute them.

The "And I've Got the Ticket Stub To Prove It" Award for Worst Movies of 2015

Okay, while I technically don't have a ticket stub for Kung Fury, the name of this award implies that I had to pay actual money for the privilege of seeing both of these films. Both are terrible for perfectly contrasting reasons; a sort of Yin and Yang of refuse, if you will. Jem and the Holograms is a faceless, cynical corporate cash-grab attempting to bank on the goofy 80's nostalgia of the original cartoon while at the same time planting itself firmly in the modern age. A self-sabotaging, generic load of dreck that no one wanted to be a part of. Alternatively, we have Kung Fury, a little movie that was made with the purest of intentions, only to miss the mark completely by confusing 80's cheese with the kind of random humor one would find in a mediocre flash cartoon found on NewGrounds or Funnyjunk circa 2007. Kung Fury came from the humblest of backgrounds, but all the heart in the world doesn't make up for the fact that it lacks even an ounce of brains. Jem is a perfectly functional movie made by people who didn't care. Kung Fury has a load of effort from people who don't know anything about making movies. One is a car without an engine, the other is an engine propped up on some bricks. No matter which one you choose, you aren't going to get anywhere worthwhile.

The Business/Pleasure Award for Favorite Movies I Watched for This Blog

For me, the deciding factor in starting this blog was the basic thought that, even if no one reads what I write, I'll at least get exposed to a ton of great movies. That hypothesis was wholly justified with What We Do in the Shadows and World's Greatest Dad. While the films aren't exactly similar (aside from the fact that I find both of them to be hilarious), these were easily the highlights for me in terms of things I went out of my way to watch for the sake of making a blog post. What We Do in the Shadows has become one of my absolute favorite comedies of all time; I simply cannot praise it enough. It's hilarious, original, clever, and well-shot; something I would easily lump into a triple-feature alongside Young Frankenstein and Shaun of the Dead. On the darker side of things, World's Greatest Dad is pitch-black in the best kind of way, providing biting social commentary on the way society reacts in the aftermath of suicide. It also features one of the absolute strongest Robin Williams performances of all time. Comedy is one of the most difficult genres to talk about, considering that the positives usually boil down to "it's really funny". With that in mind, these two films were the ones I recommended to people the most in 2015; trust me when I say that you owe it to yourself to check both of these out.

The Milestone Award for Most Important Movies of 2015

First, a bit of context in regards to just what "most important" means. These are the two films which I feel had or will have the most positive impact on the industry in days to come. Between The Force Awakens, Fury Road, and Krampus, 2015 was a very good year for practical special effects. These films represent big budget blockbusters that didn't devolve into pure visual noise; Star Wars would have made money no matter what, so the fact that there was as much tact and artistry put into it as there was is something of a big deal. It means that, for the first time in decades, Star Wars is good again. The Force Awakens represents a new chapter in something that has been a major piece of American (and indeed, world) culture since 1977. The pressure was on director J.J. Abrams to deliver a quality film, and deliver he did. While both films had a lot to prove, Mad Max: Fury Road needed to establish itself as a financial success as well. While it didn't exactly make "Jurassic World" money, it still held its own; with any luck, we'll get more films like these in the future. Films where action is constructed and directed with equal amounts of grit and finesse, rather than an incomprehensible mess made almost entirely in a computer. These films represent actual effort being put into bombastic action movies and having that effort pay off; in my opinion, that is most definitely something to be celebrated.

The Best of the Year Award for Best Movies of 2015

It's really quite hard to decide upon just one film to crown the absolute BEST of the entire year, the same way it's difficult to name just one as the worst. Some films simply aren't comparable, due to differences in tone or genre or audience; hence why every entry in this retrospective has two winners. Out of every movie I saw this year, the two standouts in terms of quality were Mad Max: Fury Road and Inside Out. Two wildly different films, but I feel as though they represent the absolute best that this year had to offer. As I mentioned before, Mad Max is an absolute feast for the eyes. A decadently gorgeous display of practical wizardry framed around a series of interesting, well-acted characters. It's not only one of the best films of 2015, but one of the best films I've ever seen. A brand new figurehead in the realm of action movies. On the lighter side, we have Inside Out, a touching, charming, and brilliantly cast return to form for the folks at Pixar. It's the first noteworthy thing to come out of that studio in a few years and it easily ranks among their best work, speaking directly to the child that still lives inside all of us. Pixar seems to work best when it's almost consoling the viewer; Toy Story tells us it's okay to grow up, Up tells us it's okay to grow old, Ratatouille tells us it's okay to be different, and Inside Out tells us it's okay to be sad. The movie focuses on cartoonish representations of our emotions, yet it manages to be one of the most relatable, human films I watched all year. Mad Max is a larger-than-life work of art; a tapestry hanging in a museum, to be admired forever as a symbol of human creativity and skill. Inside Out is more like a warm security blanket, something that, while a little childish, still holds a great deal of comfort and meaning. While these two films couldn't be any more different in terms of content and subject matter, I feel as though they represent the absolute pinnacle of what I saw come out of 2015.

And with that...

I would like to sincerely thank all of you who read and share my reviews. What started as a simple hobby has evolved into something much more, and my little blog likely wouldn't have made it to this point without everyone's support and patronage. Not to sound generic, but I honestly hope you enjoy reading what I write as much as I enjoy writing it. Here's to a whole new year of fun, films, and the occasional piece of trash in 2016, and many more to come!

Thanks for reading, and have a happy and safe New Year!

REVIEW: The Star Wars Holiday Special

The Star Wars Holiday Special is the kind of thing that honestly sounds like a joke the first time you hear of it. Why wouldn't there be a Star Wars Holiday Special? It's just a stupid enough idea that it has to be real; sure enough, in November of 1978, the world was introduced to Chewbacca's family by way of an utterly baffling television event that appears to be the product of every ounce of cocaine the decade had to offer.

The special operates around the framework of Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew) attempting to return home to his family on Kashyyyk for Life Day, a non-secular Wookiee holiday that can be marketed to Star Wars fans of all creeds and religions. While his wife, son, and father wait for Chewie to arrive, viewers are "treated" (I can't put enough quotation marks around that word, so I won't even try) to a number of variety show-style segments. There's an alien cooking show (hosted by Harvey Corman), an art-deco space circus, an android instructional video (hosted by Harvey Corman), a performance by The Jefferson Starship, a look inside the Mos Eisley Cantina (starring Bea Arthur, but featuring Harvey Corman), and many more. Each of these segments is about ten minutes longer than it has any right to be; this is saying something, considering most of these segments are about five minutes long. It's just such an awful premise. When one hears the phrase "Star Wars Holiday Special", a number of things come to mind (most of them completely idiotic). One would hope that, if this special positively needed to exist, the creators would take the absurd "He-Man and She-Ra" route. Something involving the cast of Star Wars all uttering the phrase "CHRISTMAS? WHAT'S THAT?", a plot where Darth Vader tries to stop Santa Claus from bringing joy to the galaxy, and maybe Han Solo ends up delivering presents in the Millennium Falcon; something that, while awful, is at least so absurd that it becomes entertaining. What we got instead basically amounts to "Wookiees watch directionless skits on various monitors with Art Carney for over 90 minutes, not including commercials".

It honestly makes you wonder, what kind of diseased mind came up with the segments found in this special? Who sat down with the intention of writing an entertaining comedy sketch for the whole family, only to end up with a sequence in which an elderly wookiee watches virtual reality porn starring Diahann Carroll? Or perhaps this was written by some unfortunate, yet altogether sane soul who was simply forced into a position of having to deliver a finished script, the first twenty or so pages consisting of nearly nothing but remixed animal noises? The mystery isn't why The Star Wars Holiday Special exists; Star Wars was (and still is) a cultural phenomenon. It makes perfect sense that such a profitable property would be milked dry in any way possible, no matter how ridiculous. No, the real question here is why did the people who made this decide to make it... like this?

Now to be completely and totally fair, I will say this; the special is not entirely without worth. Aside from satisfying my morbid curiosity and being generally fascinating in a horrifying, circus sideshow kind of way, there are a few bits here and there that I actually appreciated. First off is a cartoon animated by Canadian studio, Nelvana. While the short itself is nothing to write home about (considering it looks like a budget kids' show version of Heavy Metal), it's worth noting that it was this special which featured the totally canon first appearance of Boba Fett. To be frank, Boba Fett does way more in this shoddily animated short than in Empire or Jedi combined; while he's essentially reduced to the role of a Saturday-morning villain of the day, it's fascinating to think that one of the most popular Star Wars characters of all time got his start in something as ridiculous and infamous as this special.

If I had to name a part of this special that isn't quite as awful as every other part, I'd definitely have to go with the segment taking place in the cantina in Mos Eisley. Bea Arthur appears as the gruff, singing bartender who serenades her drunken patrons after the Empire imposes an immediate curfew on the entire planet. The only reason the bit works at all is directly due to Bea Arthur herself; it seems that she and Harvey Corman are the only people actually trying here. For most of her screentime, she's working off of extras in mute, emotionless alien costumes. It's like a bizarre one-woman show that actually manages to be somewhat engaging and heartwarming, all because Bea Arthur is just giving it her all. I think it's important to let what I've just said sink in for a moment; out of all the segments in The Star Wars Holiday Special, the best moment is the Bea Arthur musical number with all the puppets. If a Bea Arthur musical number is the best thing your special has to offer, it's probably a reasonable idea to scrap everything and start over. Or just scrap everything and never try anything remotely like this ever again.

With all this talk of wookiees and Bea Arthur and Harvey Corman, one would be forgiven for forgetting that the actual stars of Star Wars make appearances here. We have Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker (obviously recovering from his tragic car accident, as he's positively caked in makeup), Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia (who appears to be riding high on literally every illicit substance under the sun), and Harrison Ford as Han Solo (who really wishes he was anywhere else). Peter Mayhew, Anthony Daniels, and Kenny Baker appear as Chewbacca, C-3PO, and R2-D2 as well, and I feel as though the only reason we can't see their shame is because they are for the most part obscured by their costumes (though there is a legitimate kind of sadness to be found in Mayhew's eyes).

The Star Wars Holiday Special is a genuine curiosity to me. It's objectively terrible in every way, yet I can't not recommend it. It's just too insane, something that must truly be seen to be believed. It's the television equivalent of those Silver Age comic books where Superman fights Mohammad Ali; someone decided that there was money to be made, so common sense was thrown clean out the window. It's just so mind-bendingly stupid, to the point that it's almost kind of amazing. If you consider yourself a real Star Wars fan, you owe it to yourself to mix up a strong glass of eggnog and give this baffling, confusing, absurd thing a watch at least once.

REVIEW: Star Wars- The Force Awakens

Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens is everything a Star Wars movie should be. It continues the saga in a compelling new way that feels fresh and original, yet at the same time familiar. Put simply, this is a Star Wars movie that lives up to the legacy. I could honestly end this review right here; it does exactly what it needed to do and that's that. However, I would be remiss if I didn't take a closer look at exactly why this film works as well as it does. When you're dealing with a franchise as sacred as Star Wars, it can seem impossible to live up to the expectations set by fans. While The Force Awakens isn't perfect, the fact that it managed to live up to the monumental amount of hype it generated while still managing to surprise me is definitely worthy of praise.

Set roughly thirty years after Return of the Jedi, the story focuses on the galactic struggle between the Resistance (led by Carrie Fisher as General Leia Organa) and the menacing, cult-like First Order. In the years since the Rebels' victory over the Empire, Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) has vanished. The two factions are locked in a race to find Luke, the last known Jedi in existence; the First Order wishes to destroy him and the Resistance hopes to gain his assistance in their defense of the New Republic. I won't say much more for the sake of spoilers, but the remainder of the plot is heavily reminiscent of A New Hope. While I did enjoy this movie thoroughly (and it does an excellent job of setting the stage for this new trilogy), the number of story beats it lifts from the original Star Wars is easily the greatest detractor here. There are some bold risks taken here and there that pay off quite well, but the fact that the antagonists have built a planet-destroying super weapon that the protagonists need to blow up makes it feel as if things were played a little too safe. There's a harsh desert world, a lively pub filled with colorful alien characters, and an adorable droid carrying vital information; if you're wondering whether I'm describing The Force Awakens or A New Hope, you understand the biggest problem with this film.

Despite the amount of "poetry" there is at play here, the new additions to the story are all welcome and wonderful. John Boyega and Daisy Ridley fill the roles of our primary protagonists, Finn and Rey. Having seen Boyega as the stoic, serious Moses in Attack the Block, his performance as Finn really shows off just how versatile an actor he can be. Whereas Moses was a hardened street tough, Finn manages to be completely relatable, showcasing just how stressful and terrifying a death-defying journey through the Star Wars universe would be. While he has a good heart, he is by no means a hero by his own choice; like Luke Skywalker before him, he is altogether unremarkable when we are introduced to him, forced into action by the circumstances he finds himself in. While I haven't seen Daisy Ridley in anything before this, her turn as Rey has endeared her to me instantly. She gives an excellent performance, managing to be capable and adventurous, yet at the same time sheltered and sentimental. This is yet another example of a strong, female protagonist done right; she can handle herself when she needs to, but she isn't devoid of any and all personality as a result. While I do think that her character was just a little too good at, well, everything, it's at least implied that there's something greater going on with her that will be expanded upon in future chapters of this story. She feels like a real human being, rather than the Whedon-esque "female protagonist who is utterly and emotionlessly infallable except for the one scene where she has a good, mascara-smeared cry" archetype we see so often in modern action/adventure blockbusters.

Oscar Isaac also appears as another new protagonist, ace pilot Poe Dameron. While I genuinely enjoyed this character (in particular his chemistry with Boyega's Finn), we don't see nearly as much of him as I would have liked. The same is true with Captain Phasma, played by Gwendoline Christie. She has a powerful, commanding presence for all five minutes of screentime she has before disappearing from the movie entirely. While I can't complain too much, given how much I enjoyed the characters in this movie, I can only hope that these two play a larger part in future films in the series.

Returning from the original trilogy, we have Carrie Fisher as General Leia, Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker, Harrison Ford as Han Solo, Peter Mayhew as Chewbacca, and Anthony Daniels as C-3PO. Their performances all feel like the natural evolution of these characters; while Han and Chewie get the most screentime out of the bunch by far, everyone does an excellent job returning to the saga after so many years. Mark Hamill appears for only a brief moment, yet manages to convey so much emotion in the short amount of time we see him. If Chewbacca wasn't your favorite character before this movie, he certainly will be by the end of it; as lovable as Chewie was before, he's more expressive here than ever before, allowing us to actually get a feel for his personality. While Carrie Fisher doesn't have too much screentime, her chemistry with Harrison Ford is still enough to make Star Wars fans all warm and tingly on the inside (especially when accompanied by the brilliant score from John Williams, who once again knocks it out of the park). It's an experience in and of itself to see these classic characters again after so much time has passed, but it's worth noting that their appearances don't feel cheap. This isn't an attempt to further the film's commercial appeal by banking on nostalgia or brand recognition, but rather a genuine continuation of the story these characters are a part of. 

Having gone on and on about the good guys, it would be a crime if I didn't touch on our antagonist, Kylo Ren, played by Adam Driver. There's a heavy amount of mystique to this character that I won't dare spoil here; however, I will say that Kylo Ren is, aside from Darth Vader himself, the strongest antagonist the series has ever seen. Where previous Sith Lords have kept their emotions inside, Kylo Ren wears his anger and fear on his sleeve. He's totally unstable and rife with conflict, managing to appear both intimidating and pathetic, despicable and pitiful. Vader was an effective villain, but he carried himself with a certain level of confidence. We understood that he was evil, but we couldn't help but find him endearing despite his actions. With Kylo Ren, we have a villain whom we can totally hate and rally against; he displays a level of depth and complexity in his first appearance that Vader didn't show until the end of his arc. In a film of great villains (Domhnall Gleeson's General Hux and Andy Serkis' mo-capped Supreme Leader Snoke amongst them), Kylo Ren stands out as the strongest by far, and possibly my favorite aspect of this entire film.

Even if the rest of the movie was terrible, it would still be an absolute wonder to look at. After the clean, sterile look of the prequels, it's clear that J.J. Abrams wanted to make The Force Awakens a return to form for the series in regards to its visuals. Aside from Guillermo Del Toro's Hellboy films and the more recent Muppets movies, I'm not sure I can name a film in the past ten years that displayed such a number of well-designed puppets and creatures. The film revels in its use of practical effects and physical sets; once again, the Star Wars universe feels like a place that has been lived in by countless real, living things. Characters get dirty and battered after action sequences, there's appropriate amounts of dust and grime on the Millenium Falcon, and any fight scenes involving lightsabers are more reserved and deliberate than the heavily choreographed light shows we got in episodes I-III. The new droid, BB-8, is the highlight of these special effects; totally adorable and bursting with personality, BB-8 is proof that special effects can still impress and amaze modern audiences, despite the wonders that can be achieved through the use of computers. The use of light and color is also tremendously strong; there's a number of images from this film that are burned into my memory, thanks to the excellent shot composition and camerawork. Not only does it feel like Star Wars, it looks like Star Wars; most importantly, it is Star Wars.

Despite all my gushing, I feel the need to once again say that Star Wars: The Force Awakens is not perfect. The pacing during the second act becomes a tad disjointed, there's a fair amount of plot conveniences, and some of the dialog felt a little bit on the nose. While it certainly feels like a return to form for the franchise, it definitely plays it safe in regards to the overall plot. Even though I appreciate the return of these classic characters, there are a few winks to the audience that, while cute, tend to take you out of the experience just a bit. However, with all that said, I still found this to be an excellent Star Wars movie. At it's core, that's exactly what it needed to be. It had a job to do, and, despite its flaws, it does it well with both style and substance. Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens manages to pay tribute to the films that came before while standing on its own as a fun, compelling first chapter in a brand new part of the Star Wars saga. And thus begins the tortuous wait for Episode VIII.

REVIEW: Fanboys

In mere hours, a new chapter in the iconic Star Wars saga will be released in North American theaters for the first time in over a decade. I can think of few film franchises that have affected me in the way that Star Wars has; I've spent countless dollars on toys and collectibles and sank endless hours into Star Wars Battlefront 2. I own my own custom lightsaber, a copy of The Jedi Path, and fan-restored copies of the unaltered, theatrical cuts of the original trilogy (which I believe is the only true way to watch those movies). By all intents and purposes, I am a fanboy. With that in mind and The Force Awakens looming on the horizon, I thought it appropriate to check out the 2009 roadtrip comedy, Fanboys.

Taking place in 1998, the film follows a group of childhood friends, all with a strong passion for Star Wars. Eric (Sam Huntington), the only member of the group who has made anything of himself since high school, is reunited with former best friends Windows (Jay Baruchel), Hutch (Dan Fogler), and Linus (Chris Marquette) at a Halloween party, only to learn that Linus is dying of cancer. He's been given four months to live, while The Phantom Menace comes out in six. Refusing to let their friend die without experiencing the beginning of a new era of Star Wars films, the four set out on a cross-country roadtrip to break into George Lucas' Skywalker Ranch and steal a rough cut of Episode I.

It's a great premise, especially when one considers how The Phantom Menace was received by fans upon release. All the pieces are in place for a fun, goofy adventure packed to the brim with Star Wars references and in-jokes. Unfortunately, the film only comes together in such a manner about half of the time. While everyone involved clearly had loads of fun making this, the characters are utterly flat manchild stereotypes. While the attention to detail is appreciated (the protagonists spend their time playing Mario Kart 64 and listening exclusively to cassette tapes of Rush), it still stands that jokes about sexually frustrated twenty-something dorks who live in their parents' garage simply aren't funny or original. One of the few characters with a complete arc here is Zoe, played by Kristen Bell. While she gives a good, enthusiastic performance as the lone female working in Windows' comic shop, her potential is sadly squandered when she is eventually relegated to the role of the hot geek girl love interest (an unnecessary change that comes completely out of the blue). There's a number of subplots (the worst of which is Eric's father asking him to take over his car dealership empire) that are completely dropped and more or less forgotten, only serving to create some false sense of tension or conflict. It's when this movie tries to be an actual movie, rather than a goofy cavalcade of Star Wars jokes, that it falls short. Aspects like the subplots and character arcs (or lack thereof) are wholly unremarkable and drag the rest of the film down with it.

That said, the parts of this that I enjoyed, I really did enjoy. While the first half of the movie is rough and unfocused, it really comes into its own during the final act, when the group actually infiltrates Skywalker Ranch. For every few groan-inducing name drops (for instance, "what in Greedo's name", which doesn't even make sense), there's actually some really clever references and cameos sprinkled throughout (my favorite of which was an excellent series of visual gags in the style of THX-1138). While the characters and performances are nothing extraordinary, it's clear that this was a project made by people who felt passionate about the subject matter. Everyone appears to be having loads of fun, and that sense of fun manages to translate onto the viewer when the film is at its strongest. It's crude and unrefined, but there is good in it. I've felt it.

While it's far from excellent, I can't truly bring myself to call Fanboys a bad movie; even though it honestly kinda is. The plot is practically nonexistent beyond the base premise, the characters are as flat and stereotypical as they come, and half of the jokes amount to little more than enthusiastic name-drops or references to how geeks never seem to get laid. With all that said, it has a good heart; there's a handful of chuckle-worthy cameos and some admittedly really clever references here and there. If you're not a Star Wars fan, there's absolutely no reason for you to ever go near this film. But if you grew up with Star Wars as I did, there's definitely some enjoyment to be had here. It's nothing particularly special, but I don't feel as though I've completely wasted my time, which is far more than I can usually say for other films like this.

REVIEW: A Very Murray Christmas

In recent years, Netflix has been working hard in establishing itself as a legitimate entertainment network, complete with original programming. However, one thing has been noticeably absent from the streaming service's lineup; an exclusive Christmas special. At long last, the gap has been filled with A Very Murray Christmas, Sofia Coppola's festive throwback to the variety shows of old. The question still stands, however; does A Very Murray Christmas have the chops to become a holiday staple? The answer is a resounding "eh, sorta".

The story begins promisingly enough; the city of New York is effectively closed for the holidays thanks to a raging Christmas Eve blizzard. With the streets deserted and the airports closed, there's hardly anyone to attend poor ol' Bill Murray's Christmas special, broadcasting live out of the Carlyle Hotel. It's a strong start; Bill Murray manages to embody pure loneliness and discomfort while still managing to elicit genuine laughs. It gives off the impression that this is going to be a sardonic, cynical Christmas special about making a terrible Christmas special. We get some excellent cameos from the likes of Amy Poehler, Michael Cera, and Chris Rock and the stage is set for a hilariously dour good time, packed to the brim with songs and tinsel. But then it moves into the second act and the tone takes an abrupt, sloppy 180 out of nowhere.

Once a power outage dashes any hopes of actually finishing the special, Bill Murray (along with his sidekick/musical accompaniment for the evening, Paul Shaffer) finds himself snowed in with everyone in the Carlyle's bar. Whereas the first act was dark and funny, the second act is essentially just twenty minutes of celebrity cameos and musical numbers framed around the plight of a young couple played by Jason Schwartzman and Rashida Jones. It's a tonal shift roughly equivalent to an episode of Louie suddenly diverting into A Muppet Christmas Carol; while it's not necessarily bad, it feels like an entirely different kind of special. Act One is Murray lamenting how alone he feels while forcing Chris Rock to engage in a stunning duet of "Do You Hear What I Hear". Act Two is him dispensing schmaltzy, saccharine wisdom in a dimly lit bar. There's no blending between the two, causing the whole thing to feel scattered and disorganized. It's not entirely without merit, seeing as how this segment contained my two favorite songs of the special (a cover of the Beach Boys' "Alone on Christmas Day" by the band Phoenix, and Maya Rudolph putting on a spectacular, powerful rendition of "Baby Please Come Home"), but if A Very Murray Christmas has a low point, it's definitely this.

Things are brought back into focus for the third act, which is composed of an absurd dream sequence featuring Miley Cyrus and George Clooney (the latter of whom got what may have been the biggest laugh of the evening, but I won't dare spoil it here); it feels like this is more in line with what the beginning set up so well, so it's a shame that everything in the in-between ended up plodding along as it did. It hooked me, lost me, then hooked me again, but by then it didn't matter because the special was already over.

A Very Murray Christmas is a perfectly adequate Christmas special. There are parts of it that are good and parts of it that are bad. Everyone seems to be having a nice enough time, turning in good performances, though nothing to write home about. While some of the songs end up feeling somewhat uninspired, there are a few musical numbers here that really steal the show, despite the fact that the cast features only a few celebrities known for their singing ability. A Very Murray Christmas is the kind of thing that manages to be just alright, not by being just alright consistently, but by either being quite good or quite bad in more or less equal amounts. In the end, it averages out to something totally, well, average. I've added a few of the songs to my Christmastime playlist and I absolutely adore that it references The Monument Men more than once, but I don't think this is one that I'm going to be revisiting next year.

REVIEW: Marvel's Jessica Jones

After the rousing success of Daredevil, Marvel Studios has finally released the second of their Netflix-exclusive series, Jessica Jones. Marvel has become a money-making powerhouse in recent years; they've captured our wallets, ingrained themselves in the public consciousness, and now have free reign to introduce projects centered around characters that have little mainstream recognition (such as Ant-Man and the upcoming Inhumans). Regardless of the quality of what the studio pumps out, it's essentially guaranteed money at this point, leaving people asking when this superhero bubble will pop. Eventually there will come a project that falls short and begins to reveal the cracks in the genre, bringing the Marvel money-making formula to a shuddering halt. It begs the question, is Jessica Jones that project? Was Daredevil merely lighting in a bottle? The answer, as I happily found out, is no on both accounts. This is a show that works just as well as Daredevil, all while establishing itself as its own unique entity, both among Marvel's Netflix lineup and the rest of the MCU.

The basic storyline of the season follows the titular Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter), a hard-drinking, foul tempered, super-powered private investigator attempting to escape the demons of her past. After a seemingly ordinary case turns bad and a young woman is framed for murder, Jessica finds herself attempting to track down and capture the real perpetrator, a mysterious figure known as Kilgrave (David Tennant). Compared to Daredevil, Jessica Jones is decidedly less action-heavy; there are a good amount of fight scenes, but nothing anywhere close to the level of Daredevil's now-famous hallway fight. Underwhelming action aside, Jones more than makes up for it with a wholly compelling plot and genuinely interesting characters. Kilgrave is an antagonist with the ability to compel people to do as he says; this is a powerset much more suited to, say, The Avengers' rogue's gallery rather than a street-level bruiser and friends. His powers are just as dangerous as they sound and the show seems to revel in exploring all of the interesting ways a malcontent with such abilities would affect people in the modern day. For example, at one point in the series, several of his former playthings form a support group in which they try to readjust to life after serving as a puppet for an egotistical rapist. It's a show that pulls no punches when it comes to matters of story and subject matter.

This is also another one of those productions where the entire cast give excellent performances. Ritter is wonderfully gruff as Jessica, showing just how hard it can be to be a hero. She isn't rich, she isn't bulletproof, and she has no Avengers or SHIELD to back her up. She's strong enough to handle most of her problems, but is mostly lacking in defense, both for herself and those close to her. David Tennant seems to be having a blast as Kilgrave, channeling personified spite, desire, and greed. The best kind of villain is one that you can understand; while Kilgrave is an abhorrent human being, he represents feelings present in every single person, taken to the extreme. Everyone has always desired love or wealth or power in some way, Kilgrave is simply that raw desire given form. He's relatable in the most disquieting kind of ways, making him by far my favorite of the villains Marvel Studios has committed to screen so far.

In the supporting cast, we have Rachael Taylor as Trish "Patsy" Walker (better known to comic book readers as Hellcat), Jessica's closest (and arguably only) friend. Taylor provides an excellent, upbeat attitude to contrast against Ritter's sardonic murkiness without diverting into "irritating sidekick" territory. There's also Carrie-Anne Moss as Jeri Hogarth, a ruthless shark of a lawyer. While her subplot has very little to do with the overall story, I just loved watching this character on screen. She's a lying, cheating, manipulative person, yet I still wouldn't classify her as a "villain" per-say (at least not next to Kilgrave). Her scenes feel like something we'd never otherwise see in a Marvel production and Moss just gives an excellently despicable performance. There's also Jessica's various neighbors who get roped into her business by proximity and association (Eka Darville, Colby Minifie, and Kieran Mulcare); each of them is really excellent, providing interesting perspectives on metahuman conflicts (considering they themselves are normal, everyday people). Even with Minifie and Mulcare's obvious comedic relief, their characters are far from static or one-note, adding tons to the overall feeling of the show. This is a show where the only time I didn't care about a particular subplot or group of characters is because David Tennant hadn't shown up in a while; everyone here is excellent, but Tennant was easily my favorite.

That said, there was also another very significant character in the supporting cast; Power Man himself, Luke Cage (as played by Mike Coulter). Cage is the next Marvel hero scheduled to receive his own Netflix series sometime in 2016, and his appearance acted as a good introduction to the character. We know very little about him (he mentions offhand that his abilities were obtained in "an experiment"), but Coulter's performance is impressive enough to get anyone who isn't already excited for Luke Cage hooked in before the show premieres. 

If I have to criticize anything about Jessica Jones, I'd probably go with the pacing. Each episode is about an hour long, but feels more like it was written and paced as two half-hour episodes instead. There's some filler here and there and some plot points are swept under the rug with little explanation. It does an incredibly good job of building up a despicable, powerful antagonist and establishing tension and anticipation when it comes to facing him, only for the finale to come off as a little lackluster. Its strongest episodes definitely lie in the middle-end of the season, as the series takes some time to set everything up and find its legs. Once Kilgrave becomes a regular player, things really pick up, considering he is arguably the most interesting character in the entire thing (thanks in no small part to the fantastic amount of gravitas his character is treated with, especially early on).

While it isn't perfect, Jessica Jones is yet another well-crafted Marvel Studios production. Despite the action being a tad lacking and episodes containing some degree of fluff, the tone, performances, and cinematography are all simply excellent and a good load of fun to witness. There are themes here which you won't find in many other superhero movies or shows and Marvel continues to grow and explore the already impressive world they've built on screen. If you're a Marvel fanatic or are just looking for a good, compelling detective-noir style program, I definitely think you owe it to yourself to give Jessica Jones a watch.

REVIEW: Kung Fury

Despite being born in the mid-90's, I've always had a real fondness for the media that came from the 1980's. Even though I wasn't born then, I was raised on movies like The Goonies and games like Duck Hunt; it was the kind of stuff that shaped the older, cooler people I knew, and therefore carried a sort of mystique that pushed me to explore things that were released before I was born. With my love of the 80's, I was naturally very excited for Kung Fury, a Swedish spoof that was funded entirely by Kickstarter and released earlier this year. The trailer looked promising and the 80's as a decade is so thoroughly ripe for comedic fodder; it's a period of time with near universal recognizability and appeal. It seems like the kind of project that would be almost impossible to botch, but Kung Fury somehow found a way to be bland, boring, and unfunny all at the same time.

Taking place in the year 1985, the plot follows the titular Kung Fury (David Sandberg), a Miami police officer with kung-fu superpowers. After a time-traveling Adolf Hitler (The Lonely Island's Jorma Taccone) attacks his precinct, Kung Fury enlists the help of the appropriately named Hackerman (Leopold Nilsson) to send him back in time. Once he is accidentally sent too far back, Kung Fury finds himself adventuring across time itself to accomplish the objectively noble goal of stopping Hitler. If that sounds like the kind of plot that was entirely developed over the course of an afternoon, that's because that's exactly the kind of plot it feels like too. Kung Fury is by far the shortest movie I've ever watched for this blog, clocking in at just over thirty minutes; I'm almost grateful for this, since I don't think I could have taken an extra hour of what little Kung Fury has to offer. This is an over-the-top parody with barely any real, genuine humor. There's some tongue-in-cheek puns and a lot of absurd action, but rarely is there ever an actual joke with a set-up and a payoff; instead, we get a lot of visual cues and references that I think are meant to be funny, but which I didn't laugh at once. If you decide to watch this movie, I hope you like dinosaurs, because Kung Fury seems to find them inherently hilarious for some reason.

These sort of "non-jokes" rarely pay off in any way; the only one I found even mildly amusing was Hitler's first appearance, in which he shoots a person through a cell phone. The only reason this joke works at all is because it is stolen whole-sale from Danger 5, an acclaimed Australian show about a team of international spies attempting to thwart Adolf Hitler. Plagiarism aside, this movie comes off as something that a bunch of people who have never watched an 80's action flick assume the 80's was like. It's a parody of a parody of the 80's and ends up being too ridiculous for its own good, to the point that it assumes a bunch of absurd, flashy visuals can stand in for humor. The whole thing is like an R-rated farce targeted at 12-year olds; there's swearing and yelling and comical gore, but that's literally as deep as any of the jokes go. Random humor can work well if used sparingly by talented people, but Kung Fury is nothing aside from neon fart-huffing from beginning to end.

It's the kind of movie that completely, 100% banks on the punchline being "the 80's", yet it barely has any connection to the era that it's supposedly lampooning. Yes, there's shots where we see a DeLorean and a character wears a Nintendo Power Glove and David Hasselhoff appears in an utterly cringe-worthy Knight Rider-esque cameo, but the main influences for the majority of this film seem to come from Streets of Rage (1991), Mortal Kombat (1992), and Jurassic Park (1993). It's not as if the 80's is an era lacking in subject matter to lampoon in an over-the-top action farce. Black Dynamite is a similar film that, unlike Kung Fury, actually worked because, while it was over-the-top, it kept itself rooted in the era and aesthetic it was trying to capture and portray. Kung Fury is just too all over the place; the jokes, plot, and set-up to the entire film more or less amount to "someone wacky does something wacky". There's a moment where the main character is attacked by a "laser-raptor". It's very clear that this is meant to generate a big laugh, despite there being no joke aside from the idea of a laser-raptor being more than a little ridiculous. It's random, sure, but it's not a joke. There's no finesse, no substance, and no cleverness to it, which is coincidentally a statement that more or less sums up Kung Fury as a whole.

While I admit that the visuals are honestly very impressive given the budget, and the fact that this film was made entirely through crowdfunding is an accomplishment in and of itself, it still stands that Kung Fury plays like a failed viral video made by the self-appointed nerdy/funny guy in a college screenwriting class. The jokes are either utterly cringe-inducing or nonexistant, the pacing is roughly equivalent to a candy wrapper that's been swept up by a raging river, and the entire thing is like watching a community theater troupe act out the cutscenes to Far Cry: Blood Dragon (only the cutscenes are no longer funny and you don't get to play a cool game afterwards). Kung Fury represents the 80's the way Panda Express represents Cantonese cuisine; it's all style and absolutely no substance and the only way I could see myself enjoying this is if I was twelve and easily amused by internet memes. This is the part where I'd say something like, "if you enjoy X, you should watch Kung Fury", except there's no real reason to watch Kung Fury. It's not even really entertainingly bad, it's more just a crummy way to waste a half an hour. If you really need a fix of over-the-top 80's action, go play Double Dragon Neon; I guarantee it'll be a better use of your time.

REVIEW: Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

I've always wondered why there never seem to be any movies focused on Thanksgiving. There's dozens of films about Halloween and likely even more about Christmas, but Thanksgiving seems to forever be the redheaded stepchild of the Autumn/Winter holiday trifecta. It's not as if it's a holiday with no potential for entertainment or storytelling; it's a time of the year that revolves around often chaotic family gatherings, absurd amounts of food, and the barbaric blood-rite known as Black Friday. Along with all of that, it's got a strong moral center of togetherness and thankfulness while not allying itself with any particular faith or religion. Thanksgiving is by all intents a perfectly marketable subject for a feature film, so one has to wonder why there are so few movies that take advantage of this. After having watched John Hughes' 1987 comedy, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, I can only guess it's because no one expects to top what is essentially the perfect thing to watch with the family once the turkey's been devoured.

Neil Page (Steve Martin) is an ad executive working in New York; it's two days before Thanksgiving and he's promised his wife and children that he'd be home in Chicago in time for the family dinner. After a streak of bad luck, Neil finds himself stranded in Wichita alongside Del Griffith (John Candy), a chatty traveling salesman. The two embark on a journey to be home in time for Thanksgiving (a journey that, as one would expect, involves planes, trains, AND automobiles) which quickly devolves into pure and utter chaos at every single opportunity. This is one of those films like Bringing Up Baby or National Lampoon's Vacation; every possible thing that can go wrong, does. Our protagonists are put through a comic gauntlet, where their simple holiday commute becomes more of a biblical trial, a voyage worthy of Odysseus himself. Just when things start looking up for Neil and Del, yet more punishment and misfortune is heaped upon them, testing both their will and their sanity.

This is the kind of film where the comedy is born from a deftly orchestrated relationship between our characters and the situations they find themselves in. The movie takes the time to set up the joke, let the scene play out, and then spring the punchline on us; we know the payoff is coming, but the execution is what catches the viewer off-guard and makes the film work. It's far from high-concept, but it runs like a well-oiled comedy machine, generating consistent laughs for essentially the entire runtime. 

As well-written as it is, a buddy-comedy is only as strong as the dynamic between its two main characters. Thankfully, Martin and Candy work brilliantly off one another. At first glance, it appears to be your standard straight-man/funny-man setup, but the film goes for something a little deeper than that. The characters of Neil and Del are fleshed out more than one would expect, each one showcasing individual moments of brilliance and buffoonery. Neither of these characters ends up becoming a cartoon, so we still feel some sense of connection with both of them; we care about who they are and where they're going, despite their personal faults and failings. It's because we relate to them and want to see them succeed that the comedy works in a fantastically cringe-inducing sort of way. It's emotional slapstick; it's funny because it's not you, but it's endearing because it easily COULD be you.

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles is one of those utterly timeless films that's definitely earned its reputation as a classic. No matter who you are, we've all felt that pressure of being late or delayed; this is a film that blatantly feeds off of those feelings and makes comedic gold out of our anxiety. John Candy and Steve Martin give some of the best performances of their careers, bouncing wildly quotable bits of dialog off one another in every hilarious, heartwarming, memorable scene. If you're burned-out on football and can't stand the thought of surfing through a sea of commercials hawking Black Friday deals and Christmas savings, then I highly recommend you gather the family around and pop this gem in for a watch. Like a good Thanksgiving dinner, there'll be smiles, laughter, and good feelings all around.

REVIEW: Atlantis- The Lost Empire

Atlantis: The Lost Empire is one of the few films I've reviewed for this blog that I had actually seen before. Like The Master of Disguise, it was one of those movies that I distinctly remember renting as a child. Thankfully, unlike The Master of Disguise, Atlantis did nothing but improve with age. As a kid, I recall not being overly fond of this film's more serious tone and dialog heavy scenes (compared to the brighter Disney fare that was released around the same time). However, as time has gone on, I've come to really appreciate the distinctly Jules-Vernian action and adventure the movie has to offer.

Taking place in 1914, the plot follows linguist and philospher, Milo Thatch (Michael J. Fox). Reduced to a laughing stock at the Smithsonian Institute for his extensive research on the mythical lost city of Atlantis, Thatch finds himself recruited by the enigmatic and wealthy Preston Whitmore (John Mahoney). Whitmore, a former colleague of Milo's grandfather, has come into possession of an ancient tome known as the Shepherd's Journal, a book said to lead those who can decipher it directly to the resting place of Atlantis. Along with a crack team of engineers and excavation experts, Milo sets off on a journey to uncover what secrets lie at the bottom of the ocean.

The first thing I would like to call attention to is something about the plot that only became apparent to me during the film's climax. Here we have a story about a young man whose deceased father figure would regale him with stories about a mythical lost city. He finds himself developing a bond with the princess of this civilization, a young lady who wears a glowing crystal around her neck; this crystal is the key to everything, keeping the civilization alive while also controlling an army of giant, robotic guards who protect the city with their lives. The young man boards a series of fantastical ships and crafts, adventuring to this lost city with a team of colorful mercenaries. Eventually, he is betrayed by the head military type, who suffers a horrible demise. The film ends on an optimistic note, implying the civilization will rebuild and thrive once more. If this sounds at all familiar to fans of the works of Hayao Miyazaki, that's because the plot of 2001's Atlantis: The Lost Empire bears a striking resemblance to that of 1986's Castle in the Sky.

Now I'm not implying that this is a case of plagiarism, but it's obvious to anyone who's seen both films that Atlantis had to have been heavily inspired by Castle in the Sky. If it wasn't then that's surely a monumental coincidence; it's not as if "life-crystal-wearing princess of a lost civilization" is a well-established character trope in creative fiction. Similarities aside, I feel that Atlantis definitely stands on its own. While the work of Studio Ghibli is objectively gorgeous to look at, Atlantis showcases some of the best animation of one of the most visually impressive eras in Disney's history, boasting revolutionary use of computer animation and a fantastic art style brought to us in-part by Mike Mignola, creator of Hellboy.

As excellent as the visuals and voice cast are, the film somewhat suffers when it comes to characterization and story structure. The pace fluctuates from incredibly fast to surprisingly slow with little middle ground in between. Characters are fun to watch, well-written and well-acted, but there's hardly an arc to be found amongst them. This is a movie that relishes being a pulpy, sci-fi adventure and not much more. While this may sound like a point against the film, Atlantis is by and large a movie that knows exactly what it wants to accomplish and does so with skill and style. The antagonist is an overtly evil metaphor for the dangers of capitalism and imperialism, the hero doesn't have any real flaws despite some social awkwardness, and the princess only enters the story about halfway through. Despite all this, the villain is excellent, the hero is likeable, and Kida (Cree Summer) manages to be one of the best Disney princesses in ages.

What Atlantis: The Lost Empire lacks in depth, it more than makes up for in sheer charisma. It's a World War I-era pulp adventure that takes advantage of the medium of animation to bring us something wholly larger than life. While the characters aren't particularly dynamic, they're portrayed by an excellent cast of talented actors working off of a smartly-written script. It's not perfect, but it's definitely something unique that proves that Disney is capable of making something other than the tried-and-true fairy tale musical/comedy. If you're looking for something daring from the end of the Disney Renaissance with more gruesome death than showtunes, definitely give Atlantis a watch.