"X-Men: Apocalypse"

"X-Men: Days of Future Past" deftly rewrites history and opens up an array of possibilities for the future.  The past concludes wisely, a choice made by free will and not by another's control. The future starts off fresh.

16 years after the original trilogy, the final installment of the prequel directed by Bryan Singer, goes back to the past.  All the way back to the beginning of civilization.

3,600 B.C. Egypt, where we're introduced to the world's first mutant, En Sabah Nur/Apocalypse (Oscar Isaac, "Ex-Machina").  The mighty mutant fell into centuries-long slumber during an ancient attack.  Thousands of years later, sunlight is aligned just right and Apocalypse is accidentally awakened.

It is now 1980s, two decades after the confrontational events in "X-Men: First Class."  Humans and mutants are finding an uneasy space to co-exist.  While the School for Gifted Youngsters, led by Charles Xavier/Professor X (James McAvoy, "Wanted"), flourishes with students, mutants are still not accepted in other places.  A clear example is where mutants are deemed as freaks of nature and cheered on to fight one another in an underground entertainment ring.

Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto (Michael Fassbender, "Steve Jobs") presently manages to lead an unassuming life as a factory laborer in Poland with his wife and daughter.  For all intents and purposes, he seems to have escaped his tortured Holocaust childhood and past mistakes.  Until one day, his true identity is exposed during a life-saving act in the factory.   The subsequent events and consequences are beyond tragic.  Erik, once again, loses the people he loves most at the hands of humans.  Fassbender shows Erik's intense pain, agony and anger towards the inhumanity that have befallen his character again and makes him more vulnerable to Apocalypse's influence.

Apocalypse, awakened in the modern era, finds that civilization is far different than what he's envisioned.  In his mind, the strong should dominate.  Instead, he sees the world governed by systems that protect the weak.  The only way to create a new order is to burn everything to the ground and start over from the ashes.  He then recruits a few lost, impressionable mutants as his "Four Horsemen;" Angel (Ben Hardy), Storm (Alexandra Shipp), Psylocke (Olivia Munn).  Magneto, though, is his prize.

In Charles Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, we see young Scott Summers/Cyclops (Tye Sheridan), Jean Grey/Phoenix (Sophie Turner), Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler (Kodi Smit-McPhee) come together under  the guidance of Professor X and his right-hand man, Hank McCoy/Beast (Nicholas Hoult).  Raven/Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence, "The Hunger Games" series, "American Hustle") makes an appearance after she learns about what happened to Magneto.  Peter Maximoff/Quicksilver (Evan Peters) quickly appears, and just like in DoFP, his rescue scenes are vividly cheeky.  He makes dire scenes memorably fun to watch.

The rise of Apocalypse doesn't go undetected for long.  Charles and Alex Summers/Havok (Lucas Till) pay CIA operative Moira Mactaggert (Rose Byrne) a visit.  There's a light and poignant reunion of some sort between Charles and Moira.

When Apocalypse arrives, all hell breaks loose.  In order to accomplish his mankind cleansing ambition, he needs to control the one mutant with the most powerful mind in the universe, Professor X.  Professor X, of course, isn't going anywhere willingly.  The apocalyptic battle, filled with visual blasts of superpowers, takes place both in the real world and in the minds.  McAvoy's acting makes the extended telepathic stuff believable and real.

As always, Professor X tries his best to keep volatile, anti-hero and old friend Magneto in line and appeals to his humanity.  There's a question here, however, about the too sudden change of heart and to what level all can be forgiven.  There's a also missed opportunity of a reveal that would have made the scene more emotionally resounding.

Aside from the underlying theme of tolerance, acceptance and co-existence, the enduring bond between Charles and Erik continues to be the beating heart of X-Men, even as there are scenes that feel like deja vu.

Even with the 144 minutes of running time, there are so many pieces to juggle that there's bound to be characters that are underdeveloped.  All in all though, most characters get to do something.

'Apocalypse' wraps up the current trilogy, but as long as "X-Men" continues, I do hope McAvoy and Fassbender will return.  From the ending, it does look like there will be a new generation of X-Men.

http://www.sdentertainer.com/movies/movie-review-x-men-apocalypse/

Video: http://tinyurl.com/apocalypsevideo
DVD: http://tinyurl.com/apocalypsedvd
Blu-ray: http://tinyurl.com/apocalypsebluray

"Money Monster"

Lee Gates (George Clooney, "Hail Caesar!," "Tomorrowland," "Gravity") is a celebrity host of a popular market watch show, "Money Monster."  The show is slickly and cheesily produced.

Wild on entertainment, the flamboyant financial guru doles out stock tips while pulling out dance and boxing moves.  Directing the show is a rational head, Patty Fenn (Julia Roberts, "Mirror Mirror"), although it's clear that the weary director is looking for a change.

One day, the 'it' stock, Ibis Clear Capital, that Lee pumped up, crashed and lost $800 million in value overnight.  That day is not just another shenanigan-filled show.  A man, Kyle Budwell (Jack O'Connell), enraged that he lost his entire life savings bet on the stock, slips into the studio as a delivery driver and takes Lee hostage.  He forces the crew to keep the camera rolling or he would shoot Lee and blow up the entire building.  Kyle makes Lee strapped with a bomb vest on his chest and he has his finger on the trigger.

Initially Lee offers to replace Kyle his life savings, $60K.  Diane Lester (Caitriona Balfe), Ibis PR, proposes to double his money, but Kyle refuses.  He asserts that he just wants to be heard and demands answers about what really happened.   Meanwhile, Ibis CEO, Walt Camby (Dominic West), who was scheduled to appear on the show, is nowhere to be found.  It's said that the hotshot chief is on the plane and unreachable. Balfe's character, not just a pretty persona, ends up playing a bigger role in helping to uncover the real story.

On stage and in the control room, the scenes are chaotic and filled with fright.  Clooney shows moments of smugness, panic, cluelessness, confusion, realization and empathy, being a victim and also hostage negotiator.  Roberts is the voice of reason, sanely manages to keep the show on the air as the high-stake drama unfolds live - and they're not without tiny twists.  She provides life-saving tips as the co-negotiator, as well as turning into an investigative journalist, working with a network of outside people to find out the truth.  O'Connell does his part; dogged, upset, frustrated and resigned to his fate.

While there's a populist distrust because of the greed of Wall Street and corrupt government entities, Kyle is not a very sympathetic character, so it's not easy to personally root for him per se. Although we're all looking for that payoff.  Is the system rigged?  Is there a conspiracy?  What about a cover-up?  

In the end, the high-frequency trading system, 'quant' and 'algo' terms thrown around in the movie are not laid out for the laypeople.  It's almost irrelevant whether the entire thing makes sense.

The Jodie Foster-directed "Money Monster" is not "The Big Short." Not by a long shot.  So you're not going to be enlightened, but you may just be entertained.  "Money Monster" is a ticking clock action thriller; nothing more.

http://www.sdentertainer.com/movies/movie-review-money-monster/

DVD: http://tinyurl.com/moneymonsterdvd
Blu-ray: http://tinyurl.com/moneymonsterbluray

"Captain America: Civil War"

"United we stand, divided we fall."

"Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice" delivers the first war of superheroes this year, but "Captain America: Civil War" is a league of its own.

The title, 'Civil War,' maybe sounds a bit dramatic, but the reality is the Avengers are deeply divided and they fight tooth and nail to do what they believe is right. They remain the good guys, the same heroes who band together and save the world time and time again.

Saving the world, however, is a serious business and people do get killed when superpowers clash. Collateral damage is easier to swallow when it's just materials, but not when it involves lives.  People who lost loved ones in the crossfire.  And this reality could no longer be swept under the savior rug.

After the vast incidents in New York ("The Avengers"), Washington, DC ("Captain America: Winter Soldier") and Sokovia ("Avengers: Age of Ultron"), and the mission in Lagos that claims fatalities, as seen in the opening scenes here, countries unite under the United Nations umbrella and demand oversight over the Avengers.

The Sokovia Accords, or the Superhero Registration Act, requires the Avengers to sign the agreement and abide by the law.  Essentially, they could only act on missions that are sanctioned by the U.N., with strict respect to sovereignty and safety.

Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr., "The Judge"), weary and ridden with guilt from his Ultron creation, is all for it.  His character has evolved so far from his self-importance stance, "I privatize world peace" in the first Iron Man movies.

Lt. James Rhodes/War Machine (Don Cheadle) stands by Tony's side.  Vision (Paul Bettany, "Transcendence"), shares Tony's vision of accountable safeguards, and comes to his aide.  Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson, "Her") comes around, although it's not black-or-white with her.  Eventually, new recruits T'Challa/Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) and Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Tom Holland, "The Impossible") round up the Iron Man Team.

Steve Rogers/Captain America ("Captain America: The First Avenger") weighs in the options but ultimately declines.  He firmly believes that, as imperfect as they are, the world is still a safer place at the Avengers' own hands, who can move at a moment's notice and take independent actions as necessary.

Steve is not the same, trusting man from 'The First Avenger.'  The faithful soldier who followed  rules and made his country proud.  That was before Hydra's infiltration of government bodies and before his childhood friend, Bucky Barnes/the Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), was mind-controlled by the corrupt authority and became a killing machine for decades.

Sam Wilson/Falcon (Anthony Mackie, "The Adjustment Bureau") never leaves Steve's side.  Wanda Maximoff/Scarlett Witch (Elizabeth Olsen, "Oldboy"), a foreign citizen bearing the public blame from her role in the faulty Lagos mission, puts her foot down and supports Steve.  Clint Barton/Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner, "Mission Impossible" series) comes out of retirement.  Scott Lang/Ant-Man (Paul Rudd, "Ant-Man") completes the Captain America Team.

In the background, a villain, Zemo (Daniel Bruhl, "Rush"), takes advantage of the highly charged political climate and manages to put Bucky back in public view, framing him for an explosive event.  This divides the Avengers even further.   Meanwhile, Steve remains steadfast in his belief about his friend and wants to clear his name, even if he has to operate outside of the law.  Tony, on the other side, is tasked to detain and bring him in.

There's a sense of joy watching these superheroes come to a head in the airfield.  Not that you're happy to see them trying to knock one another out, but you can easily tell that deep down they are friends.  It shines through in their demonstration of powers and banters.  While there are no surprises in the staple lead characters, the newcomers bring in a novel element into the scene.

Black Panther carries a regal presence and grace.  Ant-Man and Spider-Man are delightful in their antics.  In a movie stuffed with so many superheroes, Marvel manages to create a mini-arc for Black Panther and a cheery introduction to Spider-Man.  Spider-Man, seen here as a wet-behind-the ears teenager, is a refreshing contrast with his mature counterparts.

But the battle doesn't end there.  An intense fight between the lead superheroes, Iron Man and Captain America, is saved for last.  With world affairs filled with conundrum and calamity, the Avengers have been at a moral crossroad and battlefield, but this duel is due to deeply personal reasons.  An emotional twist is revealed and it's the highlight of the movie.

Free will versus authority.  Longstanding friendships are tested.  Alliances are broken.  And fracas among friends is not without sacrifice.  Who determines what's right or wrong anyway, when it comes to saving the world?

Once again directed by the Russo brothers, "Captain America: Civil War" presents a more complex conflict than the typical good versus evil.  And when all is said and done, there's no clear-cut conclusion.

It's a marvel to think that it's been eight years since we're first introduced to the Marvel Cinematic Universe with the premiere of Iron Man.  Nearly a dozen movies later, and with 'Civil War' concluding Phase 2 of the grand plan, there are still more stories to tell.

Fractured, the Avengers will have to unite somehow in the final installments, "The Avengers: Infinity War."  Part I will come out in 2018 and II in 2019.

http://www.sdentertainer.com/movies/movie-review-captain-america-civil-war/

DVD: http://tinyurl.com/marvelcivilwardvd

Blu-ray: http://tinyurl.com/marvelcivilwarbluray

"Cafe Society"

[Originally posted on 8/21/16]

'Life is a comedy written by a sadistic comedy writer' pretty much sums up "Cafe Society."   A bittersweet comedy of love and family, soaked in high society style of the past.  Gilded nightlife and all that jazz.  The characters and chemistry are flat, but it sure is a pretty picture.  If you enjoy "Hail, Caesar!" you may find this light, Old Hollywood rom-com mildly entertaining.

CD: http://tinyurl.com/cafesocietymusic

Comic-Con 2016 Preview

[Originally posted on 7/21/16]

[For a blast from the past, check out: 

http://sdmoviemaven.blogspot.com/p/comiccon-wondercon.html]

It's Comic-Con!  TV pilots night was super packed with a half dozen showings, including small town teen drama, superhero-and-alien-related dramedies, parallel timeline cop drama and time-travel adventure.  

The parallel-timeline cop drama, "Frequency," where a deceased father and his now grown-up daughter connect through a frequency radio (adapted from the 2000 movie with the same name), 20 years apart in the same universe, looks pretty promising. The time-travel epic adventure, "Time After Time" is the most intriguing.  Jack the Ripper, H.G. Wells and time machine - need I say more?  Actually, I will...  More to come later.  

Stay tuned!

http://www.sdentertainer.com/entertainment-events/comic-con-2016-feature-films-talk-shows-fan-experiences/

[click to enlarge pictures]

Upcoming Movies: August 2016

[Originally published on 9/04/16]

August 5
"Suicide Squad" (http://www.suicidesquad.com/) - A secret government agency recruits imprisoned supervillains to execute dangerous black ops missions in exchange for clemency.

"Nine Lives" (http://www.ninelivesmovie.com/) - A stuffy businessman finds himself trapped inside the body of his family's cat.

August 12
"Pete's Dragon" (http://movies.disney.com/petes-dragon-2016) - The adventures of an orphaned boy his best friend, a dragon.

"Sausage Party" (http://www.sausagepartymovie.com/site/) - A sausage strives to discover the truth about his existence.

August 19
"Ben Hur" (http://www.benhurmovie.com/) - The epic story of a prince falsely accused of treason by his adopted brother, an officer in the Roman army.  After years at sea, he returns to his homeland to seek revenge, but finds redemption.

August 26
"Mechanic: Resurrection" - A man thinks he has put his murderous past behind him when his most formidable foe kidnaps the love of his life. He is forced to travel the globe to complete three impossible assassinations and make them look like accidents.

"Complete Unknown" (http://completeunknownmovie.com/) - As a man contemplates moving to a new state with his wife for her graduate program.  An old flame, a woman who often changes identity, re-enters his life at a birthday dinner party.

"The Huntsman: Winter's War"

“The Huntsman: Winter’s War” is a prequel-sequel to "Snow White and the Huntsman," telling another angle of Evil Queen Ravenna’s (Charlize Theron, “Prometheus”) life pre-Snow White and post-Snow White's emergence and reclaim to the throne.

Queen Ravenna, who craves for royal power and timeless beauty, first learned black magic through a tragedy and found that beauty would give her the ultimate power.  She wins the hearts of kings, kills them and takes over kingdoms.  She's devilishly ruthless to the core.

It turns out that Ravenna has a sister, Freya (Emily Blunt, “Edge of Tomorrow,” "The Adjustment Bureau").  Romantic-at-heart, she believes in true love, even as Ravenna tells her that love would eventually hurt her.  When an unspeakable act befalls her newborn daughter and her lover is shown to have betrayed her, she unleashes a frosty power she never knew she had.  Out of grief and anger, she leaves Ravenna’s side, creates her own kingdom up north and rules as an Ice Queen.

Queen Freya builds her empire by taking children away from their parents, raising them to be warriors (Huntsmen), and creating an army out of them to win wars.  Love is forbidden in her wintry kingdom.

Two of the children, Eric/the Huntsman (Chris Hemsworth, "Rush," “The Avengers” and “Thor” series) and Sara (Jessica Chastain, “The Martian,” “ Zero Dark Thirty”) grow up, and despite of the frigid rule, fall in love.  They commit to each other and consider themselves married.  Freya finds out and tears them apart through a cruel deceit.

The movie then flashes seven years into the future.  Ravenna is presumed dead and the kingdom is now under Snow White’s rule.  One day Ravenna’s golden mirror is missing and the Huntsman is called back to track it down and return it to the castle.  He’s tagged along by several dwarfs.  They bring comic relief, but extended goofy scenes between the jovial Huntsman and the dwarfs are a bit much.  They feel tonally inconsistent with their journey, which is mired with danger.

The Huntsman encounters a long-lost ally and gains the mirror back with the help from his team.  Freya, who also wants Ravenna’s missing mirror, entraps them.  It’s not as straightforward as it looks; there’s a reason why Freya and her army are able to find them easily.

As predicted, Ravenna eventually reappears and it’s showdown time.  If you want to know what true evil looks like, Ravenna takes the crown.  Freya, behind the frozen exterior, still has humanity inside of her.

The costumes are at an award-winning level.  The head pieces and dresses are regal and intricate with contrasting colors and fabrics.  Feather, leather, spiky metals, ice crystals, high collars and long capes in metallic, silver, indigo, black and liquid gold.

Plot holes and inconsistencies from the previous installment won't earn the movie points, but if you're enchanted by fantasy action adventures in general, you may enjoy this one too.  Blunt is menacing and melancholic in her iciness.  Theron has such a magnetic presence that you'd wish Ravenna were given more screen time. The movie has a good story with twists and is lavish in visuals.

"The Huntsman: Winter's War" may not be the fairest of them all, but it's a pretty escapism.

http://www.sdentertainer.com/movies/movie-review-the-huntsman-winters-war/

DVD: http://tinyurl.com/huntsmanwinterswardvd
Blu-ray: http://tinyurl.com/huntsmanwinterswarbluray