J-Bang Reviews Present: The Hateful Eight

The latest film to come out of the mind of Quentin Tarantino is "the Hateful Eight," starring Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, and Jennifer Jason Leigh. "The Hateful Eight" is a story about a bounty hunter taking his captured bounty to a town to be executed but on the way, they run into a blizzard in the middle of winter and must take shelter in a sketchy cabin, full of sketchy characters. Basically, the story is a game of "Guess Who" in a western setting, because once everyone gets situated, it turns out that everyone is not who they say they are.

The "Hateful Eight" is filmed in that same Quentin Tarantino style he is known for. The dialogue is sharp and the script is quite witty but the film mostly lives of the suspense it builds. The first act helps the audience get to know all of the characters and their backstories, while the second act introduces a conflict that disrupts the "harmony" of the cabin. The third act is obviously the reveal and result, but I put "harmony" in quotation marks because the tension can be cut with a knife when it comes to these characters. Even though they don't know each other, it is the lack of knowledge they have of each other that makes them aggressively defensive towards each other. Since everyone is not "buddy-buddy," it makes it easier to understand why everyone is so twitchy when it comes to their trigger finger.

Though "the Hateful Eight" is packed full of unexpected moments, that does not make it the perfect film. One of the few issues I have with the film is the first act. The first act runs a little longer than it needs to. The exposition feels like it is overstuffed with information that doesn't necessarily matter to the story itself. Yet, because it is a mystery and suspense film, I felt obligated to listen to all of the dialogue, word for word. And while I felt liberated to find out that some of the small details of everyone's story did matter as it corresponds to the bigger picture, some details where left unanswered and without resolution.

Anyways, "The Hateful Eight" is an intriguing piece of fiction that goes on to satisfy the cerebral thinking of its viewers rather than the blood-thirstiness of those who choose to watch it. (Although there is a lot of bloodshed, too) "The Hateful Eight" is as fun to watch as it is exhausting. This film gets a score of 4.2 out of 5.

J-Bang Reviews Presents: Star Wars: The Force Awakens

STAR WARS!!!!!!!!!! It's back baby and better than expected!!!!!! "The Force Awakens" perfectly captures the spirit of the original trilogy while also adding itself as one of the franchise's best! I have some much to say about this movie but thanks to the "super-secret" marketing of Disney, I think that it's best that I keep this review short and sweet. Basically, "the Force Awakens" is awesome!!!

            "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" delivers on all fronts in terms of the cast and the story. The cinematography is stellar and perfectly captures the huge scope that "Star Wars" is known for. Truly, there is no "breakout performance" because every actor in this film puts on a top notch performance. Rey, played by Daisy Ridley, is without a doubt, the best female character in this film as well as one of the best to debut on screen in 2015. She is a strong and likable presence who contributes alot to the story as a whole. Finn, played by John Boyega, is a sympathetic turncoat for the rebellion that brings laughs but also brings a lot of regret and tragedy to his character. BB-8 is practically the cutest little comic relief of the whole movie. Before seeing this movie, I feared that he would end up as the "Jar-Jar Binks" of the movie but luckily, he was cool as he was hilarious. 

             The original cast of Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill were as great and as convincing as they were 30 plus years ago but my favorite of all characters has to be Adam Driver's Kylo Ren. He is just a scary-ass dude in a nutshell! I mean, he is so volatile and so overpowered in this film that it makes me wonder who would win in a battle between him and Darth Vader. Not only that, but he also turns out to be a sad character who, in a way, has the same motivations as Rey and Finn. 

         "The Force" has truly been awaken in this latest entry to the "Star Wars" franchise. It tells a tale that is easy to follow but also serves as a cinematic metaphor for discovering your destiny, and finding you true calling in the unpredictable game of life. It's funny, suspenseful, nostalgic, tear-jerking and action-packed! This is a film I am definitely gonna watch again and again while its in theaters! "Stars Wars: the Force Awakens" gets a 5 out of 5!

J-Bang Reviews Presents: The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2

To be honest, I saw this movie on opening day and I would have posted the review earlier, but I got side tracked by the wondrous world of college. Anyway, a week later and here we are, I finally bring to you the J-Bang Review of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2.

After the lackluster "Mockingjay Part 1", The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 finally finishes the story of Katniss Everdeen and her endeavor to take down President Snow and the Capitol. Even though it is the 2nd half of a whole movie, Part 2 feels like a whole movie on its own. You will pretty much get a feel of the whole movie after 10 minutes. Also, the pacing of the film has approved since Mockingjay Part 1. Everything feels faster and well spaced out. Part 2 packs plenty of unique character moments while also supplying some intense action set pieces using the best visual effects of the series.

Although this movie has improved from its predecessors, Part 2 does include some minor flaws. Due to editing, some of switches from scene to scene end up feeling random and confusing. For example, our heroes would be fighting monsters in one scene, then all of a sudden, our characters are somewhere else, safe and sound. And the love triangle between Katniss, Gale and Peeta comes off as more laughable than it does conflicting, and I'm not sure if that is based off design or not. 

Anyways, other than some weird, little issues, The Hunger Games Mockingjay Part 2 is an enjoyable grand finale for the franchise that packs an emotional punch as well as a few unexpected twists and turns. It ties up loose ends and delivers a fulfilling conclusion to the series. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 gets a 4 out of 5! Now, if you excuse me, I'm gonna continue waiting for STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS to be released...

J-Bang Reviews Present: 007 Spectre

Daniel Craig returns as James Bond in "007 Spectre." Spectre is the legendary evil organization that has made multiple appearances throughout the James Bond franchise and has returned to cause chaos in this year's Bond movie.

"007 Spectre" starts off with an impressive bang! The opening stunt is well choreographed and suspenseful, including a helicopter spot that I have personally never seen performed before. After a colorful and artsy opening title sequence, Bond seems to steal the old disavowed trope from the "Mission Impossible" franchise. The whole movie, Bond has to do things without the "sanctioned" help of MI5. It seems weird that this route would be taken but since Bond is going up against a whole terrorist organization on his own, it makes each run in he has with Spectre feel more risky and severe. Plus, without help from MI5, every run-in Bond has with Spectre henchmen is forced to have a definitive conclusion (Which, by the way, is a good thing). The acting is spot on from every member of the cast, including the always talented Christoph Waltz who plays the main villain, "Oberhauser." To be honest, as the movie progressed, I thought Waltz was getting cheated out of screen-time, thanks to the over exposure of Dave Bautista's character, Mr. Hinx, (For those of you that don't know, this is the same guy who played the green alien from "Guardians of the Galaxy") but in the end, I believe Waltz got his well deserved due of camera time. Just to be clear, I'm not complaining that Bautista got so much exposure. It's just that I wasn't expecting it. In the end, Mr. Hinx proved to be a suitable henchman to challenge Bond. I liked him. I liked him alot. 

This entry in the Bond franchise also proved to be the most funny and satirical in my mind. There are a lot of jokes here and there that I would've only suspected from the days Sean Connery played James Bond. In a way, "Spectre" ultimately ended up feeling like the ultimate tribute to the Bond franchise. The snarky jokes! The over the top action stunts! The gadgets! The women! The British-ness?! Everything that made the Bond films famous, appears here in spades! 

             I do have some complaints about the film though. It feels incredibly dense and extremely long. The movie runs for about 2 and a half hours but somehow ends up feeling like 3 hours and 15 minutes. Plus, they throw so much information at you that it is easy to get lost in the shuffle if you loose focus. But of course, most films run into these types of problems, so these cons didn't take away from the pros that come with the Bond experience.

"Spectre" ends up being a fun and explosive joyride that feels more sophisticated than most action movies. If you have the attention span for it, go ahead and buy yourself a ticket for it because it is worth watching! "007 Spectre" gets a J-Bangin score of 4 out of 5.

Top 10 Movies of Summer 2015 (From Worst to Best)

Welcome everybody to another controversial edition of J-Bang Rankings! Today, I am ranking all of the 10 movies I saw this summer from the bad to the best! The summer season has grown to be known as "the season of summer blockbusters" and this year was no exception, but that's not to say that there weren't any truly disastrous films either. But be warned that this list is constructed 100% out of my own opinion, so please respect it, and in return I will respect your opinion. Because, we're all humans, and as humans, each of us have a different taste in what we want and are guaranteed to have different opinions. And if your favorite movie is not listed, it's not because it wasn't worthy, it's simply because I had no interest in seeing it. That being said, let's rev up our engines! Ready? Set! GO!
                                                   
                                                            Number 10: Fantastic Four

The "Not-so-Fantastic Four" was literally one of the WORST MOVIES I HAVE EVER SEEN! I came in with high hopes that 20th Century Fox would have finally produced a good "Fantastic Four" movie the would redeem the comic book team's past iterations. What I got instead was an incomplete 1st draft of a movie with a lame script, no fun, and no action! The characters felt one-dimensional and shallow and the editing from scene to scene was atrocious! This movie was dull from the start to the abysmal finish, and ultimately ended up winning the "first film to be so bad that it actually made me angry" award. 

                                                           Number 9: Tomorrowland

"Tomorrowland" looked to be very promising at first glance. It was the first collaboration between director Brad Bird and Disney since they made Pixar's "The Incredibles." It starred George Clooney, Hugh Laurie, Britt Robinson and was one of the very few "original" movies to be released in the sequel-reboot dominated year of 2015. So what happened? Well, after a very good, imaginative first act, the movie quickly fell apart and struggled to find a plot. By the time the movie reached its climax, it just became a lost cause, bequeathing on to me the same emotion the three main characters felt when they finally found "Tomorrowland:" Disappointed and let down!

                                                            Number 8: Terminator: Genisys

I'm not kidding, this movie actually spelled the word "Genesis" like that on the title card. "Terminator: Genisys" somehow ends up feeling like a generic action movie. The movie uses time-travel to propel its plot but in the rare moments that the film uses to explains what's happening, instead of helping me and the audience understand it better, it just comes off as confusing. The dialogue feels repetitive and unimaginative and the action scenes feel forced and after a short while, also begin to feel boring. I can only be entertained for long until I realize how dull it is to continuously shoot at an "unstoppable" robot from the future over...and over...and over again. Truly, the only redeeming quality of "Terminator: Genisys" was the return of Arnold Schwarzenegger as the T-800. 

                                                                 Number 7: Ted 2  

I liked the first Ted movie! It had a compelling story, interesting characters and alot of classic Seth MacFarlane humor. "Ted 2" came back to turn the raunchy, unadulterated humor up a notch but in an effort to be funnier than the first one, it refuses to provide a good, cohesive plot. Ted 2 is obviously the funniest out of the two, and the on-screen chemistry between Johnny (Mark Wahlberg) and Ted (Seth MacFarlane) is spot-on, but with some jokes and scenes dragging on for too long and a plot that slowly reverts back into that of the first film, I couldn't help but to feel somewhat underwhelmed. 

                                            Number 6: Mission Impossible-Rogue Nation

IT PAINS ME to put "Mission Impossible-Rogue Nation" at number 6! It's fun, smart, action-packed, pulse pounding and EASILY has the most unpredictable plot of the year! It is a true compliment to the spy genre and one of the biggest surprises of the summer of 2015. As much of a pleasure it was to watch this movie, it just so happens that I liked the next 5 movies better...

                                                               Number 5: Ant-Man

When you go into a movie theater to watch a film about a superhero whose superpower is to shrink and control ants, you go in with low expectations. Personally, since I'm a Marvel fanboy at heart, I came in to watch "Ant-Man" with zero expectations. Safe to say, considering its position on this list, "Ant-Man" earned my praise! Rather than using the classic "save the world" plot device, "Ant-Man" operates more as a heist film. A stellar cast that includes Paul Rudd, Michael Douglass and even Michael Pena help make "Ant-Man" one of the funniest superhero movies since "Guardians of the Galaxy."

                                                        Number 4: Straight Outta Compton

I'm not a fan of Biopic movies, but if I had to pick a favorite, "Straight Outta Compton" would win my vote, hands down! "Straight Outta Compton" follows the professional and personal life of Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, and Eazy-E. Although it includes funny moments and straight-up awesome acts of rebellion, "Straight Outta Compton" isn't afraid to showcase the harsh repercussions of fame and power as well as showcase the harsh reality of gang life and police brutality. Plus, the soundtrack played throughout this film is stellar!

                                                     Number 3: Avengers: Age of Ultron

Action! Adventure! Boom! Pow! Wham! Avengers: Age of Ultron has the pleasure of being the most EPIC of Superhero movies, based on the sheer size and scope of it all. When Tony Stark creates a sentient robot, with the intention of protecting the world, the robot goes rogue and decides the best way to keep the world safe...is by destroying it, so it's up to the Avengers to stop him. The action is as hard-hitting as a Hulk-Buster, and the pace is just as fast and fluent as Quicksilver. Character interactions feel natural, James Spader is the perfect actor to portray the villain, Ultron, and Paul Bettany steals the show as the newly introduced, but all powerful android known as "The Vision." 

                                                    Number 2: Mad Max: Fury Road

"Oh, what a day! What a lovely day!" I expected "Mad Max: Fury Road" to be good, but I never expected it to be THAT GOOD! With the scenes filmed mostly with practical effects, "Fury Road" delivers the action-packed vehicular warfare better than any "Fast and Furious" movie could ever hope to achieve. But for me personally, it was the character development and the little moments shared between them that really "drove" this film home for me. Max (Tom Hardy), the mysterious man with the irredeemable past, Furiosa (Charlize Theron), the heroin who puts her life on the line in hopes of finding freedom within the savage land, and Nux (Nicolas Holt), the impressionable crony who begins to question his own loyalty towards the villain, Immortan Joe. All stories shared and intertwined with each other and told with practically little dialogue!

and finally, my favorite movie of the summer of 2015 is....

                                                             Number 1: Jurassic World

Are you shocked?! You shouldn't be! "Jurassic World" came out better than I could have ever hoped! Sure, the plot was simple, but it didn't need to be an Oscar nominee, it just needed to be good, better than the last two "Jurassic Park" sequels and it sure as hell was! Watching "Jurassic World" in a theater packed to the brim with people, delivered a rare one-of-a-kind experience where I actually felt that I was at the park itself. The movie is scattered with tense moments of suspense, action, and admirably appreciated usage of nostalgia. It was a great film for the summer, and currently sits as my favorite film of the year!

J-Bang Reviews Present: Straight Outta Compton

I'm gonna be listening to old school gangsta rap for about a month! "Straight Outta Compton" provides a nice and refreshing break from an action-packed season of summer blockbusters, while also giving a detailed and engaging view of the career of hip hop's most notorious rap group.

"Straight Outta Compton" follows the rise and fall of the N.W.A. (Don't know what that stands for? Google it...) and follows the trials and tribulations of Ice Cube (O'Shea Jackson Jr.), Dr. Dre (Corey Hawkins), and Eazy E (Jason Mitchell). There's alot to like about this film, so I'll get started with the obvious one...the soundtrack! The music is just incredible, which it should be considering it's a movie based on a music group. The lyrics are just as powerful today as they were back then and gurantees a head bop or a foot tap sooner rather than later. Most notably, the best thing about "Straight Outta Compton" is how REAL it is. What I mean by that is that it showcases the real struggles of living in an improverished neighborhood like Compton, that is showcased to share the same traits of living in a Detroit, or Brooklyn. Gang Violence and Dope Dealing is a real problem in multiple neighborhoods and when mainstream society only see those factors as a main representation of that community, it becomes harder for anybody to get out of the hood and be given an oppurtunity to rise above it. The director, F. Gary Gray, makes that point evident by having the name of Compton dismissed numerous times in early moments of the film. It also showcases the harsh politics of show business through the motives of Paul Giomatti's character, Jerry Heller, and R. Marcos Taylor's Suge Knight.

In terms of acting, every one brings their A+ performances to the table. You hate the characters you're suppose to hate and you fall in love with the characters you're suppose to love with. Everyone has cohesive chemistry on screen and Hawkins, O'Shea Jr. and Mitchell bring an abudance of sympathy and empathy to the main three of Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, and Eazy E. Plus, the youthful hip hop appearances of an early Tupac and Snoop Dogg starting out in the biz are fun little easter eggs.

The tone of the movie shifts DRASTICALLY after the second act. It feels like the characters see making music as a personal gateway to form comradery amongst themselves in an attempt to deal with serious issues like gang violence and police brutality, but then, once everyone becomes famous and decides to go solo, blood starts to boil, and jealousy, envy, loyalty and pride somehow ends up becoming a dangerous side effect of being given money and power for the first time. It's truly depressing but understandable. The only complaint I have about this movie is about the same complaint I have with every biopic I watch. It was just so long!

"Straight Outta Compton" truly gives us a much needed break from the action and sci-fi films of summer 2k15 while also giving us a well rounded underdog story as well as a thoughtful tribute to the legacy of the N.W.A. "Straight Outta Compton" gets a J-Banging score of 4.6 out of 5.

 

J-Bang Reviews Present: Fantastic Four

Before I get started I must clarify the "Fantastic Four" is a Marvel movie made by 20th Century Fox, not Marvel Studios! Marvel Studios produced the entertaining, fun, action flicks, Avengers: Age of Ultron, and Ant-Man, whereas Fox produces the X-Men movies. Marvel Studios DID NOT make "Fantastic Four." 20th Century Fox did. Now with that having been said, I declare the Fantastic Four to be ONE OF THE WORST MOVIES OF 2015!!!!

My favorite film genre are comic book movies so trust me when I say this movie is terrible! The plot is Reed Richards (Miles Teller) helps create a machine with the ability to teleport people to other dimensions. When Reed and his friends test this out, things go awry in the dimension they visit, and return to Earth with new cosmic superpowers. Believe it or not, the best scene of this film is when they get their powers. That's literally it! As soon as the movie starts, the pacing is so slow, that it almost gave me a headache. The script is dull and it feels like every actor in the movie's performance is phoned in. Plus, when watching this movie from start to finish, for a movie that feels so dull, it also feels very rushed. It's like the movie starts with Act I, skips Act II, and goes straight to Act III. It's like a whole chunk of this movie is missing. And the action, Oh God, the action in this movie. Guess what?! IT'S NONE-EXISTENT!!! The trailers lied to you!!!There is no action. The only interesting piece of action that comes within this film is in the form of a 20 second highlight reel for a government presentation. 

The other piece of action comes in the form of a disappointing boss battle with the film's villain, Dr. Doom, played by Toby Kebbell. The picture you see above is the character of Doom, which is a far-cry from how he looks in the comic books. In the comic books, he is an evil war-lord of a fictional country called Latveria, and whose only purpose in life is to conquer and rule over all. This Doom is a mutated chrome burrito who wants to destroy Earth because he was left in another dimension for a year. It's easy to understand why someone would be mad about that but "Come On!" His actions leading up to this makes absolutely zero sense! Doom comes across a new team of teleporters, asking for their help, is taken back to the military base to receive medical treatment and to have tests ran on him, then decides he wants to go back home to the new dimension, but not without killing every one he sees and everyone on Earth. This is not only one of the worst film renditions of Doom ever, but also one of the worst villain performances ever. Surprisingly, Doom is not the only unlikable character in this movie. Even our "heroes" of Reed Richards (Miles Teller) Sue Storm (Kate Mara) Johnny Storm (Michael B. Jordan) and Ben Grimm (Jamie Bell) are terrible at acting their parts. Their characters just feel so shallow and uncaring that when they finally become "a team" at the end, it feels unearned and undeserved. 

Fantastic Four has never had a great representation on film, but this movie takes the cake as the WORST VERSION OF THEM ALL. It's so bad that it actually makes me feel ANGRY!!! This movie tries so hard to be different from any previously released comic book movie that it ultimately ends up being flat-out boring and even disgusting to look at. Do yourself a favor folks and don't even attempt to see this poor excuse of a superhero movie. In all honesty, 20th Century Fox should've never released this movie! Fantastic Four gets a 1.5 out of 5. 

J-Bang Reviews Present: Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation

Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation follows Ethan Hunt and his disavowed "Impossible Mission Force" on a journey to expose and stop a secret group of terrorist known as the Syndicate. The Syndicate is basically the evil opposite of Ethan Hunt's I.M.F. so it's safe to say this proved to be a fun and exhilarating dynamic for this latest entry of the Mission Impossible franchise.

Rogue Nation is your typical summer action movie (which is funny because this film was originally supposed to be released the same time Star Wars was) filled with big moments and slick espionage, but the best characteristic of this movie is its unpredictability. Since the Syndicate is a shadow organization, it hard to tell who is either an innocent bystander or an agent of the enemy. There are twists and turns all over this film, and it is because of that, I never lost interest while watching it. That being said, the action is top-notch too. I was surprised to see that the biggest stunt of this movie just so happened to be in the first scene. I thought opening up with that action stunt was a bad move at first, but as the film progressed, evidently there were more action set pieces that were bigger and more fun to watch than the opening scene, my favorites specifically being the Opera House fight, water tank task and the motorcycle chase.

Rogue Nation's biggest strength also lies within it's characters, specifically Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg, Sean Harris, and notably Rebecca Ferguson, Ferguson's character, Ilsa, proved to be the most interesting character of the movie, simply because she was, in fact, unpredictable. Her allegiance to which side was questioned and unknown to both parties, she was cool and calm with her approach in situations and best of all, she wasn't a damsel in distress. She was simultaneously kick-ass and mysterious. Just as mysterious was the film's villain, Soloman Lane, played by Sean Harris. His methods seemed sinister and just his LACK of presence questioned the characters own motives. Like "Did we steal this, or did Lane want us to steal it as part of his bigger plan" type dynamic. It was cause for an interesting play of cat-and-mouse, trying to figure out who was who. The only flaws I had with Rogue Nation was that I had trouble comprehending Lane's true motivations. Did Lane want to destroy Ethan Hunt, keep his organization and himself secret or did he want to get rich and get revenge? It was kind of weird and murky towards the end. Plus, with all the swerves and 180's in the movie, I feel it's only worth seeing once rather than multiple times. Certain films like that tend to loose their novelty after one or two viewing because then, after the third time, you will know what's gonna happen. But that just an opinion of my own, it could be a different scenario for someone else, but that's just me. 

Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation is a fun and engaging spy thriller that's sure to capture the attention span of those that view. it. Rogue Nation gets a rather compelling 4 out of 5.

J-Bang Reviews Present: Ted 2

Ted 2 debuted in theaters nationwide June 26th, I finally got around to seeing it...today! Today as in "July 23rd" today. I'm usually never this late to seeing a movie but with Ted, it just seemed like I never found the time. So since I've figured most of you have already seen Ted 2, for this J-Bangin Review, I've decided to do something rare. This piece will not only be a review but it will also be a "spoilercast," meaning I'll specifically talk about the things and scenes that I did, and didn't like in the film. Glad we cleared the air, now lets begin!

After the events that occurred in "Ted," "Ted 2" follows the foul-mouth talking teddy bear, Ted and his wife, Tami-Lynn's quest to adopt a baby. Once they find out they can't adopt a baby, they also find out that Ted is technically not a person, thus, he is considered property and has no human rights. Distraught over this revelation, Ted (Seth Macfarlane), his best friend, John Bennett (Mark Wahlberg), and their new friend/ lawyer, Samantha Jackson (Amanda Seyfried) go on a mission to get Ted his rights back. The movie is hilarious, no question about it. When you get the same mind that has created "Family Guy" and "American Dad" to direct a comedy like this, that classic Seth Macfarlane humor is expected.

Ted 2's biggest strengths is the on-screen chemistry between Seth Macfarlane and Mark Wahlberg. The two of them together makes the idea of a grown man having a talking teddy bear as a best friend seem plausible. The jokes seem to be more gross than usual between the two as well. Whether it was smoking weed from a penis shaped bong, or being drowned in a sea of semen, Ted 2 isn't afraid to gross out the audiences. Ted 2 also gets bonus points for some equally hilarious cameos from celebrities. My favorite was definitely the Liam Neeson cameo that included a weird interest in Trix cereal. Ted 2 has it's moments, but not all of them are positive either. Some scenes ultimately didn't land there mark with me. Certain scenes ran longer than needed, such as the opening credits dance sequence. It first it was kind of funny how unorthodox it was, but the longer it went, the more quickly I wanted it to end. The same could be said for the library montage between Ted, John, and Sam. It was funny at first but moments later...meh. Another issue is that as the story continues, the plot seems to get lost among the jokes and somehow reverts back into the finale of the first movie, with Ted getting chased by his creepy stalker, Donny (Giovanni Ribisi) who somehow found his way back into the movie.I absolutely hate the character of Donny, not because I'm suppose to, but because he seems to come off as the Wile E Coyote villain from the old Roadrunner cartoons. He was fine in the first movie simply because he worked as the conflict the plot needed, but in Ted 2, he just seems like a straight cartoon character. Hell, he even dressed up as a ninja turtle to disguise himself.

By the end of this movie, I consider the first Ted to have a better story than Ted 2. Yet, Ted 2 has alot more funny moments than the first Ted. It kind of has a "Ying-Yang" dynamic to it, but overall, I found Ted 2 to be a fun good time, despite it's flaws. Ted 2 gets a score of 3.7 out of 5!

J-Bang Reviews Present: Ant-Man

Before it was released on July 17th, Ant-Man was being predicted as Marvel Studios' first flop, simply because of how ridiculous and unrealistic the title character's skill set was. I mean at first glance, a hero who has the power to shrink and control ants does sound a little ludacris, but such a synopsis didn't stop me from seeing it on opening day. 117 minutes later, I found myself gasping for air because I laughed too much and too hard from watching this film. To put it in layman's terms, Ant-Man is one of the funniest movies Marvel has produced since Guardians of the Galaxy. Besides its upbeat humor though, Ant-Man does manage to tell a compelling and entertaining story while depending on character motivations and actor performances instead of special effects (Although the Visual Effects were pretty rad too)

Ant-Man is still a superhero movie, but it is a heist film at heart. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) recruits common thief, Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) to help him steal a militarized replica of the Ant-Man suit called "The Yellow Jacket," before it can get sold to warmongers by Pym's former protégé, Darren Cross (Corey Stoll). As the story progresses, it feels like the main theme of the story is redemption. Whether it's Scott trying to redeem himself of his past crimes, or Hank trying to redeem himself of his past failures, every characters' intentions have a clear and understandable motive.   

And speaking of characters, everyone mostly fits into their roles. Michael Pena's Luis is a surprising show-stealer while Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas and Evangeline Lilly continue to give out the great performances you expect from them. Hell, even the ants have been given such good personality traits, that it even makes the most annoying of insects likable. The action is spread out gracefully, and fun to watch transpire on screen.

The only problems Ant-Man has are relatively small (no pun intended). The film, although perfectly spaced out, does feel somewhat short. Like out of all the Marvel movies that have come out since 2008, this feels like the shortest in terms of run time. (Which might be good for mainstream viewers) And the villain (Darren Cross/ Yellow Jacket) is problematic in a strange way. He's more sinister than he is evil. I can buy into his motivations before he puts on the Yellow Jacket suit, but after, he feels like he's suppose to put on the suit and become Yellow Jacket because the script demands a final showdown between the hero and the villain. Granted, the final battle is pretty entertaining and tastefully different from other superhero movies.

 

Other than it's minor problems, Ant-Man is a hilarious, good time at the theaters. Ant-Man gets a J-Bang score of 4 out of 5.

J-Bang Reviews Present: Terminator: Genisys

So I walked into the theater to watch Terminator: Genisys with zero expectations. My thoughts were if I were to see this movie with no opinions about it whatsoever, it would be easier for me to allow myself to enjoy it. (if that makes senses) Once the movie started rolling its credits, I was left, well, indifferent and uninspired.

 

Terminator: Genisys follows Kyle Reese (Jai Courtney) time-traveling back to 1984 to stop a Terminator sent from the future to kill Sarah Connor (Emilia Clarke).  Sarah Connor just so happens to be the mother of John Connor, (Jason Clarke) the leader of the resistance that fights an army of robots called Skynet in a post apocalyptic future. Instead of traveling back to save Sarah Connor, Kyle is transported into an alternate timeline, where Sarah Connor is a fearless warrior that is protected by a Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger) sent prior to 1984 to protect her. As they attempt to figure out what causes the alternate timeline, they rush to stop an artificial intelligence called "Genisys" (Skynet in disguise) from launching a catastrophic assault on humanity while also fending off John Connor, who is now a new version of a Terminator. Now usually, I would consider the whole "John Conner-conundrum" a "spoiler," but since the studio decided that they would release that bit of info any chance they could get in every trailer/ tv spot, I see that I am doing no damage whatsoever. Dumb move on the part of the studio, because that John Connor/ Terminator plot could have been a really good twist for the story. Too bad, I guess.

Anyway, the plot gets really confusing and somewhat repetitive as the plot progresses, (Which is predictable when it comes to time-travel stories) but for such an ambitious plot device, I was disappointed in how conservative they were with the time-traveling concept. For example, the only years Kyle, Sarah and the Guardian explored was 1984 (the past), 2017(not our present but I guess it was suppose to be?), and 2029 (the future). The best movie out of the Terminator franchise was and still is "Terminator 2: Judgment Day," so why not give us the chance to explore the nostalgia of the 90s? There were plenty of Easter eggs and nods of the original Terminator movie. The only nods to "Judgment Day" are basically small characters name-dropped in 2017 and the existence of the T-1000. This is unacceptable. What is also unacceptable is how surprisingly generic the action is. The basic blueprint of Terminator: Genisys's action scenes are basically: Shoot the indestructible robot with as many bullets as you can! (It won't do damage, but it's better than doing nothing...) Robot vs. Robot fight scene! Keep shooting! Human vs. Robot fight scene! Car chase! Are we out of ammo yet? Nope! Keep shooting! Chase scene but with helicopters! Robot vs. Robot fight yet again! and etc. Although there are a few cool moments in those action scenes, for me personally, they're not as memorable as the ones in "The Terminator" or "Terminator: Judgment Day." Besides its notable negatives, the positives of this movie do come from the cast itself. The character interactions are great between Jai Courtney, Emilia Clarke, and especially Arnold Schwarzenegger, who delivers a just as memorable performance as he did in Terminator 2. Arnold is a more humorous character in this film than he was in previous iterations, but he still kicks ass as an older model of a T-800. He is by far, the best character of the movie. Another thing I also liked about the movie is even though the action is somewhat generic, the finishes to them are spectacularly different in their own unique ways. Whether it's a bullet to the robotic neck, an acid bath, or a dive-bomb to a helicopter, I admire the different methods of defeat that keep this film from repeating itself.

 

If you want to go and see Terminator: Genisys, that is your choice and yours alone, but if you want to skip seeing Terminator: Genisys, believe me, you're not missing anything special. I give Terminator: Genisys a score of 3.5 out of 5.





J-Bang Reviews Present: Jurassic World

Holy f*#&in S%^! Jurassic World was fantastic! It was a welcomed sight to see this franchise back in theaters, and I must say, I was more than impressed with what I saw in theaters. Before I continue, I will say that the best way and the only way to experience this movie is in IMAX 3-D. Feeling every "roar" and bone-crunching moment gets the blood boiling and the heart racing.

Anyway,out of all the things that make Jurassic World great, I'll first start off with the tension. This movie lives on tension. Whether it's the fear that ensues when the Indominus Rex is stalking its prey, or whether it's the unsettling feeling of not knowing who is going to survive, the tension is real and you can feel it just as much as the characters feel it. But as much as there is tension, tension is not as good unless there is a great payoff from it. In Jurassic World, the payoff is death, and that death is gory and perfectly executed. You would think that for a movie rated PG-13, the Dino-kills would be tamed and censored, but really that's not that the case with Jurassic World. The Dino-kills are animalistic and quite creative. And yet somehow, every death that was showcased to us, I felt sympathy for everyone in the movie that died because their deaths were just so grizzly, barbaric, and out of their power and control to stop it.

Besides the action, the story is pretty solid as well. Over 20 years after the events that occurred in the first Jurassic Park, Jurassic Park is rebuilt and rebooted into "Jurassic World," a Dinosaur theme park. Once Jurassic World's yearly attendance and ticket sales drop, the company decides to construct a genetically-modified dinosaur titled "The Indominus Rex." The Indominus Rex breaks out of it's cage and goes on a killing spree throughout the park, and it's up to Owen and Claire (Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard) to stop it while also trying to keep the park's attendees, which include Claire's nephews Zack and Gray (Nick Robinson and Ty Simpkins) safe and unaware of the danger that is the Indominus Rex." The story is pretty simple to understand and the characters that occupy the story help bring it to life. And the music, my God, the music is so perfectly executed that it recaptures the magic and wonder that I felt from watching the first film. And speaking of first film, the parallels and connections that this film makes with the first film will make any fan feel nostalgic and satisfied. "Jurassic World" basically is the perfect sequel to "Jurassic Park."

 "Jurassic World" gets a score of 5 out of 5!

J-Bang Reviews Present: Mad Max: Fury Road

Oh what a lovely day. After seeing Mad Max: Fury Road I was surprised to see that it is more of an artistic piece of film than it is just an action movie. The film is just beautiful with its usage of vibrant colors and I love how for a film coming out in 2015 it gives me a sense of retro 70's low budget cult classic feel similar to what the old Max max's movies used to look like. The characters are likable and fun to watch and it is a joy to watch them evolve over the course of the film.

 

Earlier when I mentioned artistic feel what I mean by that is that Mad Max can be interpreted multiple different ways depending on the viewer. If you're a simple minded Joe you can watch Mad Max as just an action film but if you want to put more thought into it, Mad Max could be about feminism, it could be an allegory for an idea of what a savior supposed to be in a world where there is no hope, or it can be a tell that doesn't just have cool awesome stunts that involve exploding cars and people flying all over the place but also display the constant struggle between survival and redemption.

 

 

The different ways you can watch this film proved as the perfect reason to watch Mad Max: Fury road over and over again in the future. There are just so many ways to watch this film. Mad Max: Fury Road gets a J banging score of 4.2 out of 5.

 

 

J-Bang Reviews Present: Tomorrowland

Tomorrowland is the latest addition to Brad Bird's directorial resume, and it stars George Clooney, Britt Robertson, and Raffey Cassidy. As I sat in my seat, watching my number 7 most anticipated movie of 2015, I felt I was watching an entirely different than from what the trailers were advertising. Let me explain...

 

Among the things I liked about this film was the chemistry between George Clooney's Frank and Britt Robertson's Casey. Frank represents the cynical harsh inventor whose dreams have been shattered by complicated situations while Casey represents the optimistic adventurous side of that dynamic. Both work well together with their back and forth banter and support of each other. I also liked Raffey Cassidy's character, Athena. She's a small little British girl who brings laughs while also kicking some robotic ass. Did I also mention she's a robot. (I'm starting to guess evil robots are going to be a running theme of 2015) My favorite moment of the film though was not the action of escaping a house full of robots or the wonder and excitement of escaping the Eiffel Tower in a rocket ship. No, it was Hugh Laurie's speech about humanity's lack of inspiration and motivation. It was a dark and brooding speech but the sad thing about it was that it was a pretty accurate description of our world. By the time he was done with his rant, the audience ended up looking at each other, nodding their heads in agreement.

 

 

Unfortunately, the cons of this movie outweigh the pros. Sure, the characters are likeable but the movie itself has problems. For example, the place of Tomorrowland itself ends up being treated as a MacGuffin rather than the amazing place it advertises itself. Roughly 85% of the movie is spent trying to get to Tomorrowland instead of "actually" being there. Once we finally got to Tomorrowland, I was left disappointed. Sure you can make the case that the glimpses of Tomorrowland at the beginning and in Casey's pin-touching visions should have been a good enough representation of the world, but for me, it felt fake. The conflict presented once we get to Tomorrowland also felt lame and easily solvable. It was like once the characters realized the danger was imagination, the whole fight among characters to stop it felt pointless and unnecessary. Also, the way our heroes tried to explain the danger and how to solve it felt somewhat convoluted. Lastly, the connection between Frank(George Clooney) and Athena ( Raffey Cassidy) kind of creep me out. All I'll say is it felt weird and somewhat forced. Maybe it's because she's a robot or maybe it's because she's a little girl. 

Tomorrowland has its moments but the closer it got to the end, it all pretty much fell apart and left me uninspired. Tomorrowland gets a 2.9 out of 5. Also, here's a link on social justice https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzxKJZzHZfw

J-Bang Reviews Present: Avengers: Age of Ultron

Eight months I have been waiting to see this movie! Hell, it was even my number one of "Top 10 most anticipated movies of 2015" instead of Star Wars. So it's safe to say my expectations were high...but were they too high? As a big fan of Marvel movies, I'm gonna give you the answer to the number one question that surrounds the existence of this movie first, "Is it better than the first Avengers movie?!" Simply put, the answer is...No. But, it's still a fun and exciting blockbuster with extremely awesome moments! Confused? Well, let me first tell you what I liked (and loved) about "Age of Ultron" and then what I actually didn't like. Let's get started!

"Age of Ultron" is a blockbuster in every sense of the word. The set pieces are bigger, and action is more creative, and every character in this film gets their moment to shine. James Spader is perfectly casted as the sentient killer-A.I. Ultron. His dialogue is surprisingly witty and charismatically funny, and the scenes that he and Paul Bettany's Jarvis, a.k.a. the Vision share together are one of my favorite moments in this film. I wouldn't say there is one scene that steals the show because there are so many "Marvel-ous" moments that it may differ among viewers. The story is surprisingly easy to follow, and the special effects in this film are much better appreciated in IMAX 3-D.

Now, it's time to dive into the negatives. As much as I had fun watching this movie, it felt like there were too many characters that really didn't need to be there. For example, Nick Fury. Yes, we love Samuel L. Jackson. Who doesn't? But the fact of the matter is he really has no purpose in this Marvel universe if he isn't the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. like he was in the first Avengers movie. It feels like he's in this movie just because he has to be. There are other characters too, that I would like to complain about but I'm keeping it "Spoiler Free." Also, although there are lots of amazing Marvel moments, I kind of wished the movie went longer just to space things out and give the audience time to breath. I know! Crazy right! The movie is long enough with a run time of 2 and a half hours. It's just that there are a few things in the movie that are left unexplained and then are left alone without reason. I would prefer everything be explained to make the story more cohesive rather than skip over it like it didn't exist and keep moving forward. Last thing I want to mention on my soap box is the ending. Sure, the third act is more or less the same concept as the first Avengers, but that I can forgive Director Joss Whedon for because the same things people complained about in the 1st film, he fixes in the 2nd film. I would love to elaborate on why I just don't like the ending. I really would, but all I can say is for me personally, it felt anti-climatic.

 

"Age of Ultron" is a great movie, don't get me wrong! Hell, I plan on seeing it again soon! It's just that it fails to capture what made the 1st Avengers so awesome! It feels like less like a sequel to the Avengers, but more like another Marvel movie. It still has the potential to be the best superhero movie of the year, considering it's competition is "Ant-Man" and the "Not-so-Fantastic Four." But to sum up how I feel about this movie: It's not better than the first Avengers, but it's not worst either. In fact (despite it's flaws), it currently holds the position of best movie of the year in my book simply because it still tells a great and understandable story that somehow doesn't collapse under its own weight while being highlighted by some of the best choreographed action in superhero film history. I give it a 4.5 out of 5!