Detective Pikachu  (May 2019)

Jordan Peele, director of 2017's horror sensation Get Out, brings us his newest vision with the release of Us. Starring Black Panther's Winston Duke and Lupita Nyong'o along with newcomers Shahadi Wright Joseph and Evan Alex, Us is a thriller that delivers with a constant air of suspense, urgency, and even a few good laughs. Winston Duke gives a VERY convincing performance as a dad in the sense that he is protective, caring, and slightly out of touch with the culture his teenage and preteen children embrace. He is, as usual, absolutely charming and mixed well with his co-star Lupita Nyong'o, who, as his wife, kept him grounded throughout the film. Nyong'o, on the other hand, was reserved, cautious, nailing the role of a mother with anxiety and slight paranoia. Only problem with what I said about her is only talking about one role that she plays in this double role film. Her OTHER character was genuinely unsettling to watch, but you couldn't look away. Nyong'o commanded the screen in every scene that she was featured, further proving exactly why she won an academy award.

Usually, I'm a tough sell when it comes to kids acting, especially when it is in horror but Shahadi Wright Joseph and Evan Alex were nothing short of spectacular. Wright Joseph channeled her soon to be mid teenager and waltzed across the screen with sass and a sense of pettiness that teenage girls can have. Opposite of Wright Joseph was Evan Alex. Alex, who played the youngest son, was a delight. He was as curious and naive as a kid his age should be and did not hold back in some of the more violent scenes.

Moving on to the mind of all this madness, Jordan Peele has, once again, set the standard for a modern age horror storytelling. His direction and camera work for this movie really shines, setting up some of the better shots I've seen in recent horror films. Some of them even reminded me of classic horror movies that I absolutely adore. The characters written are anything but shallow, but with only one character having a real backstory, if left me wanting a bit more than I was given. While the movie mainly revolved around Nyong'o's character, it felt the only motivation her co-stars had was "because she said so". Don't get me wrong, each of them worked well with each other and had a will to survive, but it felt like Nyong'o was carrying the team when it came to moving forward.

Back to the writing, this film continued peele's trademark style of hiding cryptic little breadcrumbs that would foreshadow what was yet to come. You'll miss them if you look away at the wrong time or if you miss part of a conversation that a couple characters have, so it goes without saying that this movie is one you should pay attention to while watching. It's to the point that while driving home, who I went and saw it with (shout out to you, mom and little brother) were discussing and realizing things we all hadn't while watching it.

I have already seen reviews of people talking bad and after seeing this movie, I have realized what the problem was; everyone wanted Get Out 2 and got something ENTIRELY different. They got an original idea that was written, directed, and acted very well and weren't ready to accept that it wasn't what they wanted. I feel a lot of the naysayers wanted lightning to strike twice in the same place and while lightning has struck twice, it's two COMPLETELY different bolts. All in all, Jordan Peele, you have done magnificent again! This movie definitely warrants a few jumps as well as an overwhelming sense of dread.

Us gets a solid 8/10.

It's been a while, hasn't it? Want a new review? ALRIGHT! Let's do this!

Universal Studios 2017 comedy release, Girls Trip, was directed by Malcolm D. Lee and stars Regina Hall, Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett Smith and Tiffany Haddish, all of which are pretty well versed in comedy projects. When these four friends travel to New Orleans for the Essence Festival, true colors and wild sides come to light in this R rated comedy. 

I went into this film with high hopes, but somewhat low expectations and was not totally let down. This film was genuinely funny and I felt is a good guideline on how r-rated comedies should be done. It was raunchy but no too much so in the sense that the jokes felt overplayed or worn out. Tiffany Haddish was such a standout actress in this comedy, bringing an onslaught of crude humor and effective laughs. I was thankful for a spoken comedy, rather than relying a lot on physical comedy, which a lot of recent comedies have been using. 

Even though I said that Haddish was the standout actress in the film, it seemed that Queen Latifah was what held the cast together, all of which had great chemistry and worked together well! I was surprised to see Mike Colter (Luke Cage) in it, as he wasn’t featured in any of the trailers or promotional material for the movie. 

The film wasn’t all laughs though, as it took a step back to view and address the issues that the characters were facing; namely, Halls’ characters marriage. While that took a turn near the end of the film, it also addressed past problems the 4 had that were lightly touched upon. 

All in all, while the movie did have some small issues, the characters were well written and flawed. Girls Trip is a genuinely funny comedy that provides plenty of laughs and a good dose of emotion amid a bunch of drinking and dick jokes . Overall, this movie gets a 7/10

Thank you to AMC Theaters for housing me for this film

The 2017 horror release Wish Upon was put out by Broadgreen Pictures and Busted Shark Productions on July 14th. Starring Joey King from The Conjuring, Sydney Park from The Walking Dead, and Shannon Purser from Stranger Things. All three of these actresses are adept in horror, seeing as they have all come from suspense and horror backgrounds, all of which are fantastic pieces put out! But that’s where things become a bit… distanced.

Wish Upon was a typical modern horror film sporting mildly suspenseful moments, a couple jump scares and a fair share of gruesome deaths. The films story was based around King’s character receiving a Chinese Wish Box from her father. It grants 7 wishes, but each wish comes with a price. We find out later on in the movie that the price is a blood toll due to a curse set on the box.

Because this movie was PG-13, it wasn’t super visually gruesome, as a lot of the ways that characters died were not shown. Horror movies that are PG-13 are a bit difficult to do, but can be done, as shown by movies such as The Ring, Insidious, Devil, and fan favorite, The Sixth Sense! I’m not out here trying to compare these movies to each other, but them falling under the same genre is going to elicit comparison, as it would for other movies if it were a drama or an action flick. But sadly, this movie was mostly lackluster. The acting and soundtrack were not an issue, but rather partially the direction and story. As a matter of fact, the soundtrack was one of the most redeeming qualities of the film, if not one of the only. I felt there was no sense of urgency in any of the characters actions, nor in the way the story was set.

At multiple points in the film, I found myself contemplating leaving the movie but decided against it in hopes that this movie would become more interesting or suspenseful. Sadly, it didn’t; not even a little. I know that everyone tried very hard on this film, but the effort put forward was not strong enough to outweigh the glaring issues with this film.

I feel if I had the wish box, I would wish that there would not be another one of these films.

Solid 4/10

Thank you again to AMC Theaters for housing me for another film!

Third time is the charm, right, Sony?

Released on July 7th, 2017, Spider-man: Homecoming is the third iteration of the Web Head that Sony has put out. After months, even years of legal battles between Marvel and Sony, the two companies finally came to a joint agreement on the IP that is Spider-man. Previously played by both Tobey Maguire & Andrew Garfield, Peter Parker is now being played by somewhat new comer, Tom Holland.

Holland made his premier as Spidey in 2016s Captain America: Civil War, alongside returning marvel veteran, Robert Downey Jr., reprising his role as Tony Stark/Iron Man. The cast is sprinkled with other talent such as Donald Glover, Marisa Tomei, Hannibal Buress, and the always fantastic Michael Keaton. 

Homecoming (directed by Jon Watts) was, in short, a spectacular movie. Both written and directed well, Homecoming offers a coming of age film that both feels and pays homage to 80′s teen comedies such as  “Ferris Bueller's Day Off” while maintaining a familiar Marvel formula that we have come to know and love. 

The film kept the audience engaged with a great blend and balance of comedic dialogue, perilous moments, and action sequences that only a Marvel movie could pull off. The praise that I am giving this movie is not to say that it is without falter, as there are a few moments that seemed a bit rushed or forced, but without going into detail or spoilers. I was a bit skeptical about Holland starring in  his own movie, but it seems that he has officially proven that he can stand along side Downey Jr. and Keaton.

The movie has multiple references to other films in the MCU, including 2012s The Avengers, and a quick nod to 2014s Captain America: The Winter Soldier. It even takes the time to set up the (very real) possibility of a Spider-man universe, that I hope we get to see before there is another inevitable reboot. 

Spider-man: Homecoming gives a very strong and very charming full length entrance for our favorite spider themed superhero that stacks up well against even the better MCU movies. 

For that, Homecoming receives an 8/10

Thank you to AMC Theaters for being a great film venue once again! 

I know, I know, I’ve been away for a very long time. Life has been very sidetracking lately, between moving, new jobs, money issues and music stuff, I have had little to no time to see movies, much less review them. I am hoping to change that! Let’s get back to it with a review of Spider-man: Homecoming! 

The world just became a lot less funny. 

Robin Williams,63, has been reported dead. 

Starring in movies such as Aladdin, Mrs. Doubtfire, August Rush and Good Will Hunting, Williams was a beloved actor and comedian. He was also a human who was battling depression for most of his life. While, no, I can't say that I knew him personally or even by some extent, I can say that I do know what he was going through. Depression affects 1 in 10 Americans with 80% that show symptoms not being properly treated.* This isn't so much a post about movies and cinema, I know,  but it is a bit of a way of reaching out to my readers and those who may just be passing through. 

It is ok to ask for help, because someone will always help. Today, depression took one of my favorite actors and comedians. I am at a loss for words with this. 

May he rest in peace. 

*statistics from here.

Hey Guys, when I write a review, I work hard on those. If it says not to delete the text, don't delete the text! That's all I ask of you guys! Thank you!

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*Hooked On A Feeling plays in the background* 

Released on August 1st 2014, Guardians Of The Galaxy is the 10th release for the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and from Marvel Studios. Directed by James Gunn, GotG was a big risk for Marvel Studios to create, due to the characters being relatively unknown, except by comic buffs. 

Starring Chris Pratt (Parks and Recreation, Her), Zoe Saldana (Star Trek, Avatar), Dave Bautista (WWE, Riddick), and the voice over work of Vin Diesel (Riddick, Fast & Furious franchise) and Bradley Cooper (American Hustle, Hangover franchise), GotG follows the story of Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), a human abducted from earth at a young age. Quill grows up among the stars in the care of a band of thieves and their leader, Yondu (Michael Rooker). 26 years after he is abducted, Quill finds himself stealing random artifacts for money and of course, gets caught. After being incarcerated again, he comes into the company of a few misfits named Rocket (voiced by Bradely Cooper), Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel), Gamora (Zoe Saldana), and Drax (Dave Bautista). When their universe is threatened by the villain Ronan (Lee Pace), these five found out they have a common enemy. 

As a big fan of the MCU, I had very high hopes for this movie and was very excited for it. I am more than glad to say that this movie not only met, but exceeded my expectations! It was a pretty incredible movie to the point that I am going to see it a 2nd or 3rd time. The cast complimented each other well, especially on the part of Chris Pratt. An excellent actor working with other excellent actors. But props can and must also be given to director and writer James Gunn and writer Nicole Perlman. Both did an fantastic job with this film and I can't wait to see what they do next! 

On a scale of 1-10, Guardians Of The Galaxy gets a yes/10

Preceding GotG (in order) is

Iron Man,

The Incredible Hulk,

Iron Man 2

Thor

Captain American: The First Avenger

The Avengers

Iron Man 3

Thor: The Dark World

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Guardians Of The Galaxy

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totally agree with your purge review, its fantastic! However you said the cast are relatively unknown except for Ethan Hawke. C'mon, Lena Headey is pretty well known! Game of Thrones, 300 and 300: Rise of an Empire, Mortal Instruments!

You know what, you are right and I do admit to that mistake. Next time, I'll one up my research! Thank you! 

Marvel has officially announced the release date of the sequel to Captain America 2 and is pitting it against the long awaited Man Of Steel 2, aka Batman Versus Superman, movie. With a box office fight like that, who will you be placing your money on?

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Ready to fight with the captain?

Captain America: The Winter Soldier, the follow up film to Captain America: The First Avenger, was released on April 4th 2014. 

TWS sees the return of our heroes, Steve Rogers (Captain America), Natasha Romanoff (Black Widow) and Nick Fury in a new adventure against an old friend, turned adversary. 

Chris Evans reprises his role as Steve Rogers along with Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick fury. We see some new characters played by Robert Redford and Anthony Mackie.  

As a Marvel fan boy, I basically automatically like this movie without watching it, but I decided to watch it anyway just in case. Just like the recent string of Marvel funded movies, it did not disappoint in the slightest. The lighting in some parts seemed a bit dark, but it did seem to set the proper tone for the movie and upcoming films.

Much like the rest of the "Phase 2" films that have premiered thus far, it did have a darker feel to it, both in story and character development. The company has done a great job at showing how the characters have progressed after the events of the NY invasion, AKA The Avengers. 

The movie was full of references, innuendos and plenty of easter eggs. 

Overall, this was a great movie! In my personal opinion, not better than Thor: The Dark World, but way better than Captain America:The First Avenger. 

If you love Marvel movies and wish to keep up with the Marvel universe movies, see this for sure. 

This movie gets a 8/10! 

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God bless America

I felt that since the new one will be coming out soon, I should watch and review the first one, right?

Released June 7th 2013, The Purge is a set in a not too distant future where an annual "purge" is held. "Well what is the purge, Jacob?" is what you are asking right now, right? Well if not you should be. The purge is a yearly even where all crime is legal for a 12 hour period. This includes but is not limited to arson, stealing, beating, murder, public intoxication, and (for the real thrill seeker) jaywalking. All emergency services (including paramedics) are suspended and will not respond to any calls made that night. This movie follows the story of a wealthy family who let a stranger in need into the house, little do they know, a murderous group is pursuing him and will use any means necessary to get inside the house that he has gained sanctuary in. 

Now... On paper, this movie sounds like a great idea, right? Plenty of action, cool story line, not gore, but good old fashioned all american violence? Can you see where this sentence is going? Much like the twist near the end of the movie, you shouldn't. This movie, I thought, was absolutely wonderful! Right off the bat, what caught me was the idea of something that we had never really seen before on the big screen; people murdering each other for no other reason than it was legal. 

The cast is relatively unknown (with the exception of Ethan Hawke) but still work together really well. 

The Purge gets a sold 7.5 from me!

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Ready to return to the further? Me either.

Released on September 13th 2013, Insidious: Chapter 2 is the sequel to the 2010 horror film Insidious. 

Insidious: Chapter 2 shows the continuing horrors of the haunted Lambert family. After the events of the first movie, the police are investigating the murder of Elise Rainier (Lin Shaye), the Lambert family make a temporary move into Josh Lambert's (Patrick Wilson) childhood house. Living with his mother again, Lorraine (Barbara Hershey), Josh and his wife, Renai, (Rose Byrne) start seeing spirits again. When things become violent, they get very violent. 

Despite the predictable ending of the first Insidious, I was a big fan. This movie was (in my opinion) better than the first one, in the sense that it had more paranormal activity and a deeper look into the story line of the family.

The sets, both built for the movie and the houses they filmed in, were fantastic! Especially the lighting and coloring in the further (or lack thereof) was superb. For the most part, if it is written or directed or both by James Wan, I will watch it and more than likely enjoy it. 

Though this movie may not have had an all-star lineup, it was still really well acted. Including the child actors in this, they knew how to show fear without making it look bad. 

If you haven't seen the first movie, be sure to see that first to understand better what is going on in this movie. 

Insidious: Chapter 2 gets a 8.4/10

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