Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens - Thoughts

The Star Wars franchise is perhaps the most popular and beloved franchise ever; like the Coca Cola of soda and Ferrari of sports cars. Releasing a decade after the completion of the previous trilogy, it's been a long wait for fans, and not something that was necessarily expected. To add to the anticipation, was the sale of the Star Wars franchise to Disney in 2012; which left fans with questions as to how Disney would choose to handle what was previously George Lucas's brainchild.

 

 

If commercial success is anything to go by, Star Wars - The Force Awakens has already made big strides. It eclipsed Avatar in the US in 2015 to take the no.1 spot, for all-time highest box office gross. Globally it sits at no.3, just behind Titanic, with predictions saying it'll make it to the no.2 spot eventually. So with all the success, what was The Force Awakens really like? In short, it's more of the same, and though some were left wanting more, for the masses, J.J. Abrams delivers a repeat of the original formula that works. The new narrative seems plausible, especially considering Episode VI ended with a sense of closure to the series. In terms of look and feel, it's more like the original trilogy versus the shiny and new Episodes 1, 2 and 3. The setting, pace, characters, factions and overall plot is in line with the original trilogy. The Death Star even has a bigger brother now! Most of the favorite character’s return, albeit in a much older avatar. Hans Solo steals the show; his performance being seamlessly in line with the original trilogy that ended in 1983. Exhibiting the same spirit of adventure, sarcasm and fun, only that now it seems comfortably legendary. The new characters are interesting enough, though Kylo Ren played by Adam Driver was a bit disappointing. While perhaps doing justice to his young conflicted side, his sense of menacing was poor. Hopefully this will better develop in the following movies. Speaking of which, there are a lot of open questions, so as audiences wait for the next movie in the series to be released later this year, the franchise has scope to intrigue and entertain.

 

If you're a Star Wars fun, you can't help but go watch The Force Awakens. It's only the most talked about movie in recent times, and the quickest to earn a billion dollars, in a record 12 days. As an old school Star Wars fan, you can also seek comfort in the fact that though Disney owns the franchise, it still stays true to its roots, and feels like George Lucas's epic space saga. For the discerning sci-fi viewer, it fails to amaze, as its not sufficiently awe inspiring. BB8, the new droid to join the ensemble is easily the cutest droid ever; who for most part is like an adorable puppy dog.

I was able to experience Star Wars - The Force Awaken in IMAX, and what an amazing experience it was. The positional sound was excellent, and the intensity also stood out. Visual effects were in line with what you'd expect from the Star Wars movies; the 3D being nice as well.

 

My Recommendation: Watch It + (Star Wars…. more of the same, in every sense)

Vampires Suck - Snapshot

I remember watching a trailer for Vampires Suck a little before its release, and thought that it was crazy funny like most spoofs are. 2010 went by, so did the release of this movie, and I figured it wasn’t really popular, as no one spoke of it. I’d made a mental note to watch it, so I finally downloaded an HD rip, which sat on my hard drive for several months, till I finally got around to seeing it today.

As expected with the genre, there are some really silly moments, and some obviously ridiculous humor. But after the first 15 minutes it also starts feeling a little lifeless, and fails to keep audience enthusiasm at a boil. Though the runtime is short, just 82 minutes, it drags, and feels like an effort. I would say that it’s still possible to have casual fun with it, if you’re familiar with the Twilight movie, and are also into the parody genre. Keep in mind that at no point is it more than a totally random movie to watch, to kill a little over an hour. Jenn Proske who plays the lead role of Becca Crane is actually quite good, and is easily the best part of the movie. Incidentally this is her debut performance, and compared to the rest of the cast and their lackluster amateur performances, she is a class apart. The only other familiar face, worth mention was Diedrich Bader of Office Space fame, who plays the role of her dad, Frank Crane. The content I was sampling was a 4.37 gig, 720p rip from a BluRay source. The visuals were nice, and though I was forced to watch the content on a small 23” TN LCD screen, some of the outdoor visuals should look really nice on a big screen TV. I must admit that the setting and locales are in line with the Twilight movie. Sound was presented be means of a 5.1 soundtrack, but was largely forgettable. I noticed the volume on the center channel fluctuate, which was annoying; I had to keep throttling the volume control from time to time, to hear the dialogue properly.   

My Recommendation: Dicey (If you feel like ridiculing the Twilight saga, and are up for a parody)

Inside Out - Snapshot

There was quite a buzz around Inside Out, around the time of its release, and most critics had good things to say. I personally didn’t pay much attention to it, up until recently when reviewing the IMDB top 10 movies of 2015 list, where Inside Out was the highest rated, taking the no.1 slot. I decided I should watch it and got my hands on an HD copy. In short, I was blown away! Conceptually it is easily one of the most amazing animated movies I've seen. The idea of emotions, and the smart use of them to better understand their contribution to the various aspects of everyday life is great. The crux of the movie and the build-up to the finale is also based on this, towards better understanding how life and emotions work. The movie manages to mesh entertainment and fiction with reality and life-lessons wonderfully. The pace is perfect, and there are some truly hilarious moments, especially the equivalents of emotions in parents’ minds. The look and feel of Inside Out is lovely; the animation, and colors bringing imagination in its truest sense to life. As much as it’s a very entertaining and fun movie, the movie has some truly deep and moving moments; expect to feel them. There is no doubt that this movie is superb; its easily one of the best movies of the year.

My Recommendation: Kick Ass (Creativity at its best, depicted in an animated movie for all ages)

Django Unchained - Snapshot

Though I didn’t know much about the premise of Django Unchained getting into it, I was fairly certain it was gonna be impressive, the 2 Oscars it won aside, Tarantino's work seldom disappoints. Set in the mid-18th century, when slave trade was prevalent, the movie showcases the inhuman treatment of Afro-American slaves, and the depravity of the period. In keeping with Tarantino's style, intensity is evident in every scene, every shot, every expression, and every dialog exchange. The production design by Michael J Riva was stunning, with set design and the atmosphere being immaculate. Django Unchained is smart, with the bulk of its strength being the performances of Jamie Foxx and Christopher Waltz, who play the lead roles of Django and Dr. Schultz. In fact, the narrative keeps the action to a minimum, until the latter part of the movie which has a classic Tarantino action scene, set in the 'Big House'; expect it to be graphic, gritty, and splattered with blood. The use of positional sound in the scene is excellent, with the Dolby Digital AC3 soundtrack doing complete justice. In line with Tarantino's focus on strong visual elements, the movie has several memorable moments, including the kissing shadows, and the walking shadows. While there is no customary Tarantino Trunk Shot, probably cause modern day motor cars hadn't been invented yet, there is a similarly interesting shot from within the prison cage on a carriage. Though the movie is long, with a runtime a little shy of the 3-hour mark, it makes from a great watch. It is fairly serious though, so be prepared to pay attention to the dialog.  The music from the movie was also really good, and worked with the scenes well. I intend to get my hands on it soon. 

My Recommendation: Watch It + (A western themed outing by Tarantino)

The Gates: Season 1 - Thoughts

I downloaded The Gates a few years ago, as it seemed like a fairly interesting show. The plot follows the Monohan family, which moves into the Gates community; the move serving as an opportunity for a new start, particularly for the protagonist, Nick Monohan. Leaving behind controversy and taking on a new job in the Gates, as head of security. Though on the surface the community comes across as very normal, there are secrets that unravel over the course of the season, that’s quite intriguing. It's safe to say that the residents of the Gates are not your average neighbors. The show combines family drama elements, as Nick and his wife Sarah make friends and learn more about the residents, while their teenage son falls in love with one of his classmates. At the same time, there's a crime-drama element to it, as every episode follows the exploits of Nick as he leads and solves various cases. Not to mention the mystery that unfolds, by means of the slow unraveling of the supernatural secrets that lay within the Gates. The show succeeds at balancing these different elements, while remaining intriguing. The season ends with some sense of closure to the ongoing plot, while also setting in motion new problems, as a cliffhanger per se for Season 2. Sadly, the show was not renewed for another season, so audiences probably need to make do with Season 1.

Notable stars include Rhona Mitra, of Underworld: Rise of the Lycans and The Last Ship fame, and Marisol Nichols of Vegas Vacation and Felon fame. Their performances, as well as Frank Grillo's, who plays Nick Monohan are quite good. You may remember Frank Grillo from his tough, bad-guy, role as Brock Rumlow in Captain America - The Winter Soldier. Interestingly in The Gates, he shows a lot more emotional depth and capability as an actor. Nick's character is challenged to adapt to his new surroundings and run with it; especially as certain truths become evident to him. Initially he struggles, constantly considering other straight forward options. Rhona Mitra plays Claire Radcliff, one of the Monohan's odd neighbors. Its interestingly a different role for her; not the usual powerful ones she plays. Fairly more emotional for her as well, being torn between her carnal desires, and her want for a peaceful family life. Often being stuck in hard situations, and clearly struggling. As for Sarah Monohan, played by Marisol Nichols, she plays her usual pleasant self, which works well with the rest of the character mix for the show. Kudos to the casting efforts for picking the right people for the job.

The content I was sampling was a rather unimpressive 480p rip from an HDTV source. Video tone looked a little dull, which I imagine was intentional; but that the overall presentation wasn’t as crisp or clear as I'd have liked. Sound was provided by means of a 2.0 Stereo track. It was about okay to understand the show, but a far cry from a 5.1 soundtrack with a dedicated center for dialog.

My Recommendation: Watch It (A well balanced Crime, Drama, Fantasy, Thriller)