Million Dollar Baby.

Review #1310: Million Dollar Baby.

Cast: 
Clint Eastwood (Frankie Dunn), Hilary Swank (Margaret "Maggie" Fitzgerald), Morgan Freeman (Eddie "Scrap-Iron" Dupris), Jay Baruchel (Danger), Mike Colter ("Big" Willie Little), Lucia Rijker (Billie "The Blue Bear" Osterman), Brían F. O'Byrne (Father Horvak), Anthony Mackie (Shawrelle Berry), Margo Martindale (Earline Fitzgerald), Riki Lindhome (Mardell Fitzgerald), and Michael Peña (Omar) Directed by Clint Eastwood (#1252 - Space Cowboys)

Review: 
We all love underdogs. Or at least we love the idea of someone trying to claw their way out of their past and find a new life for themselves (a second act, if you will). Of course one may have already seen a Cinderella story through the eyes of boxing before with Rocky (1976), but the film finds its own place to deliver a wrenching drama that works wonderfully for its 132 minute run-time with a solid trio to make its foundation stick. The film is based on a short story collection named Rope Burns: Stories from the Corner by F.X. Toole (pen name of boxing trainer Jerry Boyd), with Paul Haggis writing the screenplay. The film plays itself out in realism piece by piece that draws its ensemble with quiet precision. The film plays itself out in realism piece by piece that draws its ensemble with quiet precision. Eastwood does the task of acting/directing with ease, seeping into a grizzled yet well-meaning teacher with confidence. Freeman (who also serves as narrator) does a wonderful sobering job, carrying the soul of the film to where it needs to go whenever he is on screen or narrating about these characters and who they are when down and out in boxing. Swank clearly trained hard to sell such a tough role, where looking the part is only the half of it all - one is invested in Swank because of the drive and raw charisma she brings here. It's no surprise each won an Academy Award (Best Director, Supporting Actor, Actress) for their work - they all play well with each other, no matter whose partnered with who is a scene. The supporting cast (filled with actors who would become known in their own right) give credence to this grizzled atmosphere seen in the film, where one has to find something to stick with to belong and face hard truths - whether it means how one can be as a fighter or as a father or with one's own relatives or with the reality of sudden changes. The boxing looks the part when it comes to giving the right balance of brutality and entertainment, where one is involved with the punches without bellowing for more or being squeamish for less.  It grips the audience like a book you'd find in the store and find reading piece by piece without hesitation, never hedging itself too long on somehing without a clear reason.

The film hits most of the right punches when it comes to mining hard hitting drama in and out of the ring, being more than a typical boxing film through its distinct first and second halves. It forges with its choices without hamhanded compromise or cruelty for its characters, which may work differently for a viewer with their own mindsets about certain uncomfortable decisions. For me, the film hits the landing with a quiet but resounding focus, where a tear may very well come out of a stone composure. After 15 years, it's no wonder why this proves to be a modern classic worth checking out at least once.

Overall, I give it 9 out of 10 stars.

Ant-Man and the Wasp.

Review #1108: Ant-Man and the Wasp.

Cast: 
Paul Rudd (Scott Lang / Ant-Man), Evangeline Lilly (Hope van Dyne / Wasp), Michael Peña (Luis), Walton Goggins (Sonny Burch), Hannah John-Kamen (Ava Starr / Ghost), Michelle Pfeiffer (Janet van Dyne), Laurence Fishburne (Bill Foster), Michael Douglas (Hank Pym), Bobby Cannavale (Jim Paxton), Judy Greer (Maggie), Tip "T.I." Harris (Dave), David Dastmalchian (Kurt), Abby Ryder Fortson (Cassie), and Randall Park (Jimmy Woo) Directed by Peyton Reed (#728 - Ant-Man and #789 - The Break-Up)

Review: 
Three years ago, Ant-Man came onto the screen with a bit of production struggle but also a dynamic cast, with the final result being something that I described as one that "has fun with itself and its premise", which seems easy to still say today. With the sequel, the fear of staleness in terms of its charm and action is avoided, with a good majority of the credit being attributable to the cast, particularly Rudd and Lilly. Rudd (who is listed as one of the five co-writers of the film)does a fine job once again, having a degree of humility and amusement that is always watchable on-screen, whether when dealing with aspects of family or the main plot as a whole, and his moments with Forston are pretty neat. Lilly does fine with making her character an engaging one to see through that brims with confidence and energy (signified during her action sequences) that balances well with Rudd. If you enjoyed the trio of Peña-Canavale-T.I from the previous film, you will get a few laughs from them, particularly from Peña, and they help keep the flow of the movie go fine at times, even if they aren't as the forefront of the movie like with before. Goggins is fine, even if his adversary role is a bit standard for some tastes. John-Kamen does fine with her adversary role in showing a degree of menace but also a degree of vulnerability, and it is refreshing in some way to have one of these Marvel movies to not have a villain and their arc play out in the routine way like other films, and she is just as interesting to watch as the villain (and his arc) from the earlier one, with Fishburne being an acceptable accomplice in her sequences. Her sequences involving her power and the action scenes are also fairly well-done. Douglas is also interesting to see again, and Pfeiffer proves refreshing in her brief time on screen. The effects are to the standard that you would likely expect from these comic book films, with the highlight being the Quantum Realm sequences, and the parts involving size also prove acceptable. The plot moves itself at a fine pace, juggling itself handily without becoming too routine or having the stakes present themselves to be too low (or improbably high). It's a riveting experience that never wears out its welcome even at 118 minutes. On the whole, this is a fairly nice crowd-pleaser kind of film that improves itself from the original in small but crucial ways that will satisfy audiences looking for some neat fun.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

The Martian.

Review #739: The Martian.

Cast
Matt Damon (Mark Watney), Jessica Chastain (Melissa Lewis), Kristen Wiig (Annie Montrose), Jeff Daniels (Teddy Sanders), Michael Peña (Rick Martinez), Kate Mara (Beth Johanssen), Sean Bean (Mitch Henderson), Sebastian Stan (Chris Beck), Aksel Hennie (Alex Vogel), Chiwetel Ejiofor (Vincent Kapoor), Donald Glover (Rich Purnell), Benedict Wong (Bruce Ng), and Mackenzie Davis (Mindy Park) Directed by Ridley Scott (#100 - Blade Runner and #530 - Alien)

Review
This is the 13th movie from the local movie theater, and what better way to cap the lucky number with a science-fiction movie? Quite well, I'd say. Talk about a fun movie. Without getting much in the way, I recommend seeing it. Why? Because it's a tremendous way to spend two hours in an adventure that manages to be more than the sum of its parts, while also managing to treat its audience with respect. The movie (based off the novel of the same name by Andy Weir) is not about the isolation of a man trapped in a planet all on his own as one would guess, but about how he adapts with his personality also playing a factor. Damon can be funny, but his main performance is excellent because you believe that this man is trying and doing everything to stay alive. The movie never wavers, balancing the scenes on Earth and the scenes with Damon on Mars nicely. The rest of the cast is also excellent, managing to be convincing while also likable. Chastain makes an effort to resemble a Commander, acting with grace and authority that never comes off as fake sounding. Her crew are also pretty good, especially in the last half, where it really is fun to see them all come up with a plan. Daniels, Wiig & Ejiofor also do a good job, having some quick chemistry. Lastly, Glover (though not in the movie much) is memorable and a good kind of quirky that adds a little more charm to the movie, while also being helpful, so that's another plus. It's certainly an interesting movie to listen with regards to science, and it's always nice to remind me about the Mars Pathfinder and make me want to know a little more about hexadecimals. The effects and sets are wonderful, never looking fake at all, as we instead are gazing at the beauty of it all. Mars is certainly an interesting planet to think (and watch) about, and that's why it matters when we discover something new, or about any planet, really. Yes, we live on Earth, but that doesn't mean we should shun ourselves of hearing about attempts to discover something new or learn new things, while keeping an open mind. Enjoy the movie, and enjoy every day on this planet.

Overall, I give it 9 out of 10 stars.

Ant-Man.

Review #728: Ant-Man.

Cast
Paul Rudd (Scott Lang / Ant-Man), Michael Douglas (Dr. Hank Pym), Evangeline Lilly (Hope van Dyne), Corey Stoll (Darren Cross / Yellowjacket), Bobby Cannavale (Paxton), Michael Peña (Luis), Judy Greer (Maggie Lang), Abby Ryder Fortson (Cassie Lang), David Dastmalchian (Kurt), T.I. (Dave), Wood Harris (Gale), Anthony Mackie (Sam Wilson / Falcon), Hayley Atwell (Peggy Carter), John Slattery (Howard Stark), and Martin Donovan (Mitchell Carson) Directed by Peyton Reed.

Review
Admittedly, having four writers credited and having a director replaced during production is a bit troubling. But I went into Ant-Man to have some fun, and I ended up being satisfied. Really satisfied. This is a movie that has fun with itself and its premise, exhibiting snappy dialogue when needed while also having brilliant (pint sized) action. Rudd makes for a good lead hero, and her certainly works well with Douglas and Lilly, especially when trying to train him. The movie doesn't take too long to have some action...and a laugh, and it keeps going from there, never really stopping. Stoll does fine hamming it up when he's in the film, and the fight at the end of the movie is both exciting and fun. It's not just a superhero movie, it also is a heist as well, and that certainly changes up from most origin stories, though most don't involve ants. Lots of them. It's a good looking movie with the effects dealing with our mini sized hero, and seeing shots of Ant-Man fighting from a distance generates some laughs, especially at the end. It's a good time for what it's worth, and it certainly manages to be just the right amount of entertainment. The Marvel movies are a well oiled machine that keeps on going, increasing itself movie after movie, while having fun with itself and having a story that knows where its going. Watch the movie, and enjoy yourself.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: Fury.

Review #694: Fury.

Cast
Brad Pitt (Don Collier), Logan Lerman (Norman Ellison), Shia LaBeouf (Boyd Swan), Michael Peña (Trini Garcia), Jon Bernthal (Grady Travis), Jason Isaacs (Cpt. Waggoner), and Scott Eastwood (Sgt. Miles) Directed by David Ayer.

Review
When it comes to World War II movies, we watch regardless of the era. Whether it is Patton, or Sands of Iwo Jima, or The Dirty Dozen, or various others, it's a subject that is endless. And this just happens to be another one, though this one is influenced by evens, which I guess makes the movie less susceptible to criticism of inaccuracy. And what we have here is a movie well fit for war. Watching war movies takes a little endurance because the subject matter has to hold itself to a standard while taking the brunt of horror. In that case, this movie works just fine for it. The performances are well done, and I like Pitt's tone. I was a bit surprised that LeBeouf does a pretty fine job, mostly because he really seems into this role. The action and effects are well done, which is good because had the effects not been up to par, it would've made for a distracting mess. The movie has just enough edge to make for a brutal, but ultimately functional movie. If you're not a fan of war movies or a fan of happier times, I'd suggest anything else. But for the rest of the audience at home, this is up their alley.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.