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!