Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (Film Review)

Rogue One is the second Star Wars film made under the ever-growing movie monopoly known as the Walt Disney Company.  There’s several comparisons to be made regarding this film and The Force Awakens: both having a female lead, an avoidance on heavy-bearing romance (two modern Disney themes also shared by the company’s latest animated features), and being an overall solid, yet flawed addition to the Star Wars universe.  Conversely, there are numerous differences between the two films: with Rogue One succeeding in areas Force Awakens fell flat, and Force Awakens’ stronger points being some of Rogue One’s weakest.  When examining both overall, however, Rogue One ends up winning as the superior Disney-Star Wars film, if only by a slight margin.

Micro Reviews #2: Arrival, Into the Forest, & Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (Micro Reviews)

Arrival:

Where the hell have I been!?

First off, Happy Halloween!  Second off, where the hell have I been!?

Zootopia (Film Review)

When a modern Disney film starts off without a fun opening short, you know they’re up to something big.

Micro Reviews #1: Captain Fantastic, Don't Breathe, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, & Talluhah (Micro Reviews)

Captain Fantastic:

UPDATE: Micro Reviews & Remainder of the Year Schedule (Notification)

My schedule’s become very restrictive as of late.

Sausage Party (Quick Review)

That ending.

Batman: The Killing Joke (Film Review)

They butchered it…

Eye in the Sky (Film Review)

Eye in the Sky is a prime example of never judging a film by its trailer.

Ghostbusters (Quick Review)

Well I was wrong.

The simple reason I have confidence in the Ghostbusters remake being good (Ideas & Thoughts)

Track record.

Central Intelligence (Quick Review)

What a strange, yet effective combo.

The Brother's Grimsby (Quick Review)

This film is raunchy as f@#% and I enjoyed it all the way!

The Shallows (Film Review)

Ever wanted to see a film based around Jaws’ opening scene, except here, the lady survives the initial attack and fends off the giant great white?  Well here you go!

Pee-wee's Big Holiday (Quick Review)

Modern imitation crab.

Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising (Quick Review)

Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising: a crude, politically incorrect Seth Rogen comedy about a sorority moving next door to the previous film’s couple (played by Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne).  The plot is remarkably similar to the first Neighbors: including several returning gags as well as themes on friendship and parenthood.  I mentioned in my Zoolander 2 review how recycling from previous films is almost always a nail in the coffin for comedy sequels—well here’s a film that puts the “almost” portion to work.

Finding Dory (Film Review)

One word: forgettable.

The Conjuring 2 (Film Review)

Horror sequels are a dime a dozen in the movie industry, and have been since the dawn of cinema.  GOOD horror sequels, however, are a rarity: like trying to find a pearl within a sea of oysters.  Its practically tradition for a good horror film to have a bad sequel—just look at Halloween, The Exorcist, Poltergeist, The Omen, etc…  James Wan’s The Conjuring is a well-made film, taking heavy influence from 60s/70s horror while adding a modern spin with special effects.  Its prequel Annabelle is also a good, albeit less effective, scare flick (though I remain in the minority with such opinion).  Yet Annabelle is technically a prequel (loophole status), while The Conjuring 2 is its predecessor’s true sequel—but is it any good?  Against all odds and forewarning towards its failure (such as Wan’s previous blunder with Insidious: Chapter 2 sequel), The Conjuring 2 is indeed a good horror sequel, which in itself deserves praise.

The Angry Birds Movie (Quick Review)

You know, I really enjoy angry protagonists.

Get a Job (Quick Review)

Get a Job has many issues: it’s mean spirited, unnecessarily crude, and made by an out of touch, older generation director.  Yet, above all else, the comedy’s number one problem is it’s just not funny.

It's Time (Ideas and Thoughts)

It's time for me to get back to blogging.

Captain America: Civil War (Film Review)

Captain America: Civil War is so far the grayest Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film made.

Zoolander 2 (Quick Review)

Wow, this is really bad.

Hush (Film Review)

Pick up a knife.  Pick up a knife.  Pick up a knife.

The Huntsman: Winter's War (Quick Review)

No one expected The Huntsman: Winter’s War to be good, but a select few (such as myself) did expect it to be fun.

The Jungle Book (Film Review)

Now THAT is how you remake a Disney film!

Miracles from Heaven (Quick Review)

There’s no question I prefer softer Christian-faith films—with their lighter themes and more open minded ideals—over extremist, Kirk Cameron-faith propaganda (where their “themes” and Christian morals are dropped on the viewer like a two-ton anvil).  I praise 2014’s Heaven is for Real for its tolerant outlook on religious philosophy, in addition to its subtlety and actual touching/humorous scenes.  2016’s Miracles from Heaven is very similar in premise, yet while far from a bad film, it is a rather boring one.  Some may argue a boring film is worse than a bad film, since a bad film at least triggers emotional reactions from its viewers.  While an excellent point, I’d counter argue that, given the choice between sitting in a blank room for two hours versus sitting in a room while getting punched in the face for two hours, I’d prefer the former option (though neither would also be acceptable).

The Lady in the Van (Film Review)

The Lady in the Van initially caught my attention for one reason: Maggie Smith.  It’s here, I feel the underlying urge to write how I’ve been a fan of hers long before Harry Potter—lest I be ridiculed by any snobs as a pseudo fan—that, however, would be a straight up lie.  A child of the 90s to early 2000s, I first learned of Smith from her performance as Professor McGonagall (Heaven forbid a nine-year old not have seen Smith’s 1969, Oscar winning performance in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie!).  Since then, I’ve expanded my Maggie Smith filmography to more than the Harry Potter films, and have grown a great deal of respect for her acting capabilities.  2015’s The Lady in the Van is the third story variant Smith has acted in (the first two being a theatrical production in 1999, and a radio adaptation in 2009), and, expectedly, delivers a wonderful performance.  The Lady in the Van, however, is more than just a good Maggie Smith performance: it’s a delightfully witty comedy, well-balanced with elements of drama and character development.

My Trip to the Franklin Institute (Trips & Travels)

Yesterday—a bizarre April day where a snow shower decided to ruin our pleasant spring weather—my good friend and his dad invited my wife and me on a trip to the Franklin Institute.  There we got to see its latest exhibit, The Science Behind Pixar, as well as view a true IMAX experience called National Parks Adventure: a 45-minute film about the United States’ National Parks.  I figured since both pertain to film, it’d be fun to give my two-cents about both events.

Winner of April Film Poll (Film Poll)

The results are in!

The Best of 2015 Awards Are Out!!!

The “Best of ___ Awards” has been something I’ve wanted to make since creating this blog; think of it as a much grander version of the previous years’s Specific Awards: showcasing the best in specific genres, series, features, performances, scenes, and even television.

That’s right, for the first time ever I’m giving my two cents on the best 2015 TV seasons!

April Film Poll (Film Poll)

So, April Fools aside, where exactly is the Midnight Special review?  To quote myself, “The idea now is to watch and review the film (Midnight Special) as soon as possible, which, by my calculations, will be between the 16th (the film’s wide release) to the 20th of March.”  It’s now April 2^nd, over two week since I promised to review Midnight Special—so what happened?  What happened was that I done goofed up!  Midnight Special did not (despite firstshowing.net stating it would) experience a wide release on March 16^th, and has yet to begin playing within an hour range radius of where I live.  I will, eventually, review Midnight Special, I just have to wait for it to actually begin playing around my area!

Batman v Superman v Rio 2 (APRIL FOOLS!!!)

At long last! The review I was supposed to release weeks ago has finally arrived!  You’ve all been waiting for it, so here it is!  Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present to you, Batman v Superman!!!  The most totally amazing film to release since, dare I say it, Rio 2!

FRJ's Best of 2015 Awards (Film List)

I love making lists.

The Best in Women's Cinema 2015 Edition: Gender in Film Part 2

It’s no secret I was disappointed by 2014’s alarming lack of strong female roles (discussed in my We Are The Best! review and 2015 Mid-Year List), which, admittedly, had been heightened by a then recent binge on 70s era films: one of the weakest decades for women’s cinema.  The 70s was a very depressing chapter for women’s cinema, predominately because the 60s was quite the opposite: an explosively progressive decade filled with new and fleshed-out female roles.  The 70s took such progressive thinking and, with the exception of the occasional outlier, pushed it back around 40 years.  It’s taken another 40 years to catch back up to where the 60s were heading, and yet, 2014 gave a shiver of worry that such backtracking was once again happening—that was, until 2015 came into play.  Not only has 2015 made up for 2014’s disappointment by surpassing expectations, it's also gave, quite possibly, the most abundant, diverse and well-rounded year for women in all of cinematic history.

Allegiant (Film Review)

What a bland, generic mess.

10 Cloverfield Lane (Film Review)

Director Dan Trachtenberg describes 10 Cloverfield Land as a “spiritual successor” to 2008’s Cloverfield—a found footage, disaster flick about a group of young adults escaping a giant monster attack on New York City—which is a fairly accurate description towards the film.  10 Cloverfield Lane is very different from Cloverfield, in both plot, perspective, and genre.  The only real similarity between them is the alien-monster attack, and even that has several alterations.  This is neither a disparagement towards the original nor the “sequel”, but an indisputable fact that both films are very different, yet offer very enjoyable concepts.  Cloverfield is a pure popcorn flick: exciting, thrilling, and mindlessly entertaining.  10 Cloverfield Lane is more a combination between 10% War of the Worlds and 90% Misery: offering a fleshed out story, fleshed out characters (all three of them), actual character development, great performances, and an engaging, well-constructed sci-fi thriller.  The two are like day and night, though if I had to pick between them, 10 Cloverfield Lane would win as the superior film.

Deadpool: The R-Rated Review (Film Review)

This review is rated R for raunchy humor and excessive, uncensored language; in particular, a whole lot of the F-word.

Enjoy!

Hail Caesar! (Quick Review)

There’s always two sides to a coin.

10 Hidden Gem Films: 2015 Edition (Film List)

Here are ten remarkable 2015 films that:

1. Are not blockbusters
2. Got completely snubbed by the Oscars
3. Are nearly, if not completely, unknown to the general public
4. And are extraordinarily unique creations

Each one deserves to be given at least a single viewing—far more so than a good deal of mainstream films.  I highly recommend checking them out.

Risen (Quick Review)

Well crafted, Christian-faith films are a rarity to come by, but do happen every so often, as is the case with 2016’s Risen—an alternate take on The Greatest Story Ever Told (or, more accurately, its epilogue), shown from a Roman tribune's perspective.  The alternate perspective is a refreshing twist to a done to death story (though amusingly, the Coen Brother’s recent Hail Caesar! satirizes the idea as a film within their film), yet what successfully sells the film are three aspects: acting, subtlety, and cinematography.

Winner of March Film Poll (Film Poll)

The results are in!

Feminist Films vs. Female Focused Films: Gender in Film Part 1

Is Pitch Perfect 2 a feminist film?

According to multiple reviews on the film—such as this one, and this one, and this one—the answer is undoubtedly yes.

I say no, but not for the reasons you may think.

FRJ's Top 20 Films of 2015 Is Out!

My best of the year list is finally out!!! Here's the link:
http://thefilmguystash.blogspot.com/2016/02/frjs-top-20-films-of-2015-film-list.html

Sanjay's Super Team (A "Short" Review)

Director(s): Sanjay Patel

Date Released: 2015

Theatrically Released Alongside: The Good Dinosaur

Chalk Sanjay’s Super Team up as the fourth Pixar short to outdo its feature-length film.

Which March Film would You be Most Interested in Me Reviewing? (Film Poll)

Thought I'd try something new this year.  For the first time on Film Reviewer Jr., you can vote on which March release you're most interested in seeing me review!  The film with the most votes will be guaranteed (barring unexpected injuries and/or emergencies) a review by yours truly.

FRJ's Top 20 Films of 2015 (Film List)

Rarely do the Oscars and I agree.

FRJ's Bottom 10 Films of 2015 (Film List)

Fun fact: both last year and this year’s bottom ten lists have six films I went to see with positive expectations.  Over half of both years’s most hated films were unexpected failures, with seven on this list having fresh ratings on Rotten Tomatoes.  These statistics emphasize how I rarely seek out “bad” films, choosing which pictures to see based on:

FRJ's Top 5 Romance Films of 2015 (Film List)

I make lists for three reasons: declaration, recommendation, and self-entertainment.  The latter reason is self-explanatory (I really enjoy making lists), the other two may need some expansion.  The first reason refers to expressing my opinions and thoughts on personal interests, such as film.  Lists provide a great way to organize my thoughts and convey them in an easy to understand format (particularly since I decline to use any rating system for film reviews).  The other reason, recommendation (or disparagement for worst-of lists), indicates my desire to open readers to new films they may enjoy, but haven’t seen due to false trailers, initial disinterest, or being under the radar.  The latter happens to the majority of low-budget, foreign, and independent films—getting swept aside by the year’s major blockbusters.  Just last week, after reaching my goal of seeing one hundred 2015 films, I discovered—by complete accident—two unique, highly acclaimed 2015 films I hadn’t even heard of: The Lobster and The Diary of a Teenage Girl (both which will be considered leftovers for 2016).  If I can miss two very intriguing films despite searching diligently all year-round for under the radar cinema, then there’s certainly a few hidden gems the average moviegoer missed too—which is where my lists can help out.

FRJ's Top 5 Horror Films of 2015 (Film List)

I make lists for three reasons: declaration, recommendation, and self-entertainment.  The latter reason is self-explanatory (I really enjoy making lists), the other two may need some expansion.  The first reason refers to expressing my opinions and thoughts on personal interests, such as film.  Lists provide a great way to organize my thoughts and convey them in an easy to understand format (particularly since I decline to use any rating system for film reviews).  The other reason, recommendation (or disparagement for worst-of lists), indicates my desire to open readers to new films they may enjoy, but haven’t seen due to false trailers, initial disinterest, or being under the radar.  The latter happens to the majority of low-budget, foreign, and independent films—getting swept aside by the year’s major blockbusters.  Just last week, after reaching my goal of seeing one hundred 2015 films, I discovered—by complete accident—two unique, highly acclaimed 2015 films I hadn’t even heard of: The Lobster and The Diary of a Teenage Girl (both which will be considered leftovers for 2016).  If I can miss two very intriguing films despite searching diligently all year-round for under the radar cinema, then there’s certainly a few hidden gems the average movie goer missed too—which is where my lists can help out.

FRJ's Top 10 Drama Films of 2015 (Film List)

I make lists for three reasons: declaration, recommendation, and self-entertainment.  The latter reason is self-explanatory (I really enjoy making lists), the other two may need some expansion.  The first reason refers to expressing my opinions and thoughts on personal interests, such as film.  Lists provide a great way to organize my thoughts and convey them in an easy to understand format (particularly since I decline to use any rating system for film reviews).  The other reason, recommendation (or disparagement for worst-of lists), indicates my desire to open readers to new films they may enjoy, but haven’t seen due to false trailers, initial disinterest, or being under the radar.  The latter happens to the majority of low-budget, foreign, and independent films—getting swept aside by the year’s major blockbusters.  Just last week, after reaching my goal of seeing one hundred 2015 films, I discovered—by complete accident—two unique, highly acclaimed 2015 films I hadn’t even heard of: The Lobster and The Diary of a Teenage Girl (both which will be considered leftovers for 2016).  If I can miss two very intriguing films despite searching diligently all year-round for under the radar cinema, then there’s certainly a few hidden gems the average movie goer missed too—which is where my lists can help out.

FRJ's Top 5 Comedy Films of 2015 (Film List)

I make lists for three reasons: declaration, recommendation, and self-entertainment.  The latter reason is self-explanatory (I really enjoy making lists), the other two may need some expansion.  The first reason refers to expressing my opinions and thoughts on personal interests, such as film.  Lists provide a great way to organize my thoughts and convey them in an easy to understand format (particularly since I decline to use any rating system for film reviews).  The other reason, recommendation (or disparagement for worst-of lists), indicates my desire to open readers to new films they may enjoy, but haven’t seen due to false trailers, initial disinterest, or being under the radar.  The latter happens to the majority of low-budget, foreign, and independent films—getting swept aside by the year’s major blockbusters.  Just last week, after reaching my goal of seeing one hundred 2015 films, I discovered—by complete accident—two unique, highly acclaimed 2015 films I hadn’t even heard of: The Lobster and The Diary of a Teenage Girl (both which will be considered leftovers for 2016).  If I can miss two very intriguing films despite searching diligently all year-round for under the radar cinema, then there’s certainly a few hidden gems the average movie goer missed too—which is where my lists can help out.

FRJ's Top 5 Action Films of 2015 (Film List)

I make lists for three reasons: declaration, recommendation, and self-entertainment.  The latter reason is self-explanatory (I really enjoy making lists), the other two may need some expansion.  The first reason refers to expressing my opinions and thoughts on personal interests, such as film.  Lists provide a great way to organize my thoughts and convey them in an easy to understand format (particularly since I decline to use any rating system for film reviews).  The other reason, recommendation (or disparagement for worst-of lists), indicates my desire to open readers to new films they may enjoy, but haven’t seen due to false trailers, initial disinterest, or being under the radar.  The latter happens to the majority of low-budget, foreign, and independent films—getting swept aside by the year’s major blockbusters.  Just last week, after reaching my goal of seeing one hundred 2015 films, I discovered—by complete accident—two unique, highly acclaimed 2015 films I hadn’t even heard of: The Lobster and The Diary of a Teenage Girl (both which will be considered leftovers for 2016).  If I can miss two very intriguing films despite searching diligently all year-round for under the radar cinema, then there’s certainly a few hidden gems the average moviegoer missed too—which is where my lists can help out.

Micro Reviews: Ten Reviews for the Price of One! (Micro Reviews)

Youth (Quick Review)

There are many, many films that contemplate and examine life and its nature: when we’re young and seemingly invincible, to when we’re old, frail and melancholy.  Some of these films are sad, some are happy, most are bittersweet.  The majority use some combination of philosophy, psychology, wealth, fame, ambiguity and hedonism to examine human life.  The trick, I believe, in successfully pulling off such contemplation is to entertain alongside examining, in addition to not patronizing the audience.  It’s easier said than done, but it’s where Youth succeeds, gleefully entertaining with comedy, character, eroticism and imagery together with its melancholy examination.  Youth contains a large, unique cast of characters where even the smallest roles leave lasting impressions.

Spring (Quick Review)

Spring is a strange oxymoron.

Big Game (Quick Review)

It’s popcorn flicks such as Big Game that reinforce how much fun it is to sit back and enjoy good old-fashion, nonsensical action films.

Slow West (Quick Review)

After missing out seeing Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight, I didn’t expect to see a 2015 western, let alone a great one.

I was wrong.

Kung Fu Panda 3 (Film Review)

I am very disappointed.

Creed (Film Review)

In 2013, short film director Ryan Coogler made his first feature length film FruitvaleStation—a wonderful, emotionally intense film starring Michael B. Jordan about the events leading up to the death of Oscar Grant by the hands of a BART station police officer.  The film made the number one spot on my favorite films of 2013, the very first “best of the year” list made on Film Reviewer Jr.  Creed, at the very least, confirms Fruitvale Station wasn’t just a fluke great film, and that Coogler’s director skills are as prodigious as they appear.  Creed is undoubtedly the best Rocky sequel by a long shot, and rivals the original in terms of classic, effective storytelling and stunning cinematography.  The film has the air of a pure sports story, and homages itself in many ways to the original Rocky; yet Creed transcends being a stale repetition with fleshed out characters, touching relationships, great performances, intense editing, and a subtleness rarely seen in the sports genre.