REVIEW: The Book of Life

THE BOOK OF LIFE

RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

RATED: PG

RUNNING TIME: 95 MINUTES

SCORE: *****/*****

 

PREMISE: From producer Guillermo del Toro and director Jorge Gutierrez comes an animated comedy with a unique visual style. THE BOOK OF LIFE is the journey of Manolo, a young man who is torn between fulfilling the expectations of his family and following his heart. Before choosing which path to follow, he embarks on an incredible adventure that spans three fantastical worlds where he must face his greatest fears. Rich with a fresh take on pop music favorites, THE BOOK OF LIFE encourages us to celebrate the past while looking forward to the future.

 

THE PRO'S: Fun and imaginative storyline, humor, and set-up. Great framework in making the story more like a bedtime story. Excellent and positive message.

 

THE CON'S: This may be the first movie I can't really think of con's for.

 

 

THE REVIEW:

 

Wow, what is there to say about The Book of Life? I knew from the trailers it was going to be good, but I was no expecting the masterpiece that was presented. It was, without a doubt, the most surprising movie of this year in that respect, and man others as well.

"The Book of Life" centers on Manolo and Joaquin, who are chosen by two Mexican Gods on the Day of the Dead to be the pieces in a wager. Each one choosing a different boy as their champion for the heart of their friend, Maria. Unfortunately, Maria is sent away soon after, causing the three to go on separate paths: Maria becomes a very forward feminist with a love of culture, Manolo trains to be a matador, while secretly wishing to sing, and Joaquin, the military hero of their hometown. Upon Maria's return, however, all three soon find themselves once again in a love triangle, which ends when one of the gods brings about the death of Manolo. Thus, sending him on a quest through the Lands of the "Remembered" and the "Forgotten" to find his way back to the girl he considers his one true love.

And what a quest it is! This is one of the few movies where I will honestly be giving nothing but praise, because it is all deserved. The beautiful world Guillermo Del Toro and his team have crafted is simply breathtaking, which automatically was an aspect I fell in love with. Because on the surface, I can honestly say that this is one beautiful movie to look at on the surface.

 

But that's only the beginning. The Book of Life's story is ultimately where most of the heart lies, as it should. What could have been a shallow story centered on yet another love triangle becomes the exact opposite. The love story between the three leads is very well crafted, written, and dare I say it, though the road isn't very realistic, their relationship progress is excellently paced. Only helped by the fact that each of the characters are funny, often zany, and enjoyable.

It's really hard to point out  just one character as being the "best" in a movie like this. As I just want to applaud the entire voice cast. Each of them are absolutely lively, entertaining, and colorful. With a special big thumbs up to each of the Gods, who were probably my favorite characters in the film. The writers carefully crafted them to be as much the stars of the movie as its three leads, and in some ways, they do steal the show away from them.

I want to also specifically praise the creative team for their AMAZING work on the three worlds. I know I said it before, but the colorful worlds are so filled with imagination that I sometimes couldn't help but get lost in them. Each world stands out very firmly from the next, and though we only get a small amount of time in tow of them, it doesn't matter much in the end, at least for someone like me. Who was to captivated in seeing how this story wrapped up for me to care.

Another thing that makes the movie really stand out is the final delivery of its message. It's not the message you were expecting, but the way it is delivered is a great way of presenting it to kids. It's also done in a way that I'd never have thought of presenting it either. So very, very big points for both the original and exciting execution of a message that a lot of kids these days need to hear.

I could probably write a long, involved essay about just how great this movie is. But at the end of the day, I think I've summed up my thoughts perfectly. And so I leave you with the bottom line...

 

IN CONCLUSION:

The Book of Life was one of the biggest surprises I have seen in my life. From its wonderful characters, fun storyline, vibrant visuals, to its great message, and mountains of heart, it's a must-see for anyone who loves animated films. It's definitely in my top five movies of this year. A true stand-out in every way.

 

5 OUT OF 5 STARS
MY HIGHEST RECCOMENDATIONS

REVIEW: This Is Where I Leave You

THIS IS WHERE I LEAVE YOU
RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

RATED: R

RUNNING TIME: 103 MINUTES

SCORE: *****/*****

 

PREMISE: (Via IMDB) When their father passes away, four grown siblings, bruised and banged up by their respective adult lives, are forced to return to their childhood home and live under the same roof together for a week, along with their over-sharing mother and an assortment of spouses, exes and might-have-beens. Confronting their history and the frayed states of their relationships among the people who know and love them best, they ultimately reconnect in hysterical and emotionally affecting ways amid the chaos, humor, heartache and redemption that only families can provide-driving us insane even as they remind us of our truest, and often best, selves.

 

THE PRO'S: An absolute riot, fun characters, great character development, excellent ensemble cast, good message.

THE CON'S: Perhaps a little too short.

 

THE REVIEW:

 

This was a great little movie that I found myself very impressed with! I've saved the review of by far the best movie I've been putting off the review for, for last. And to top things off, it is absolutely one of the funniest movies in a while. But be warned if you've read the book, I have not, so this is from a non-fan of the book.

 

This Is Where I Leave You tells the story of the Altman Family. Who, upon their father's death, must sit shiva as their father's final wish before his death. The problem? This is a very dysfunctional family filled with secrets that slowly, one by one begin to come to light and cause chaos upon the entire event.

 

It's a very simple plot that is executed excellently and with great comedy. Jason Bateman and Tina Fey are by-far the standouts of the cast, but there really is no weak link or even "unfunny" person here. Everyone puts out a fantastic performance, and to top it off, their characters are just exceptionally real and fun. I really enjoyed getting to know each one, and also enjoyed watching them develop.

 

And develop they do. This is one movie with no lack of character development to be had. Each character has a very big evolution over the course of the movie. And for the sake of staying spoiler-free I won't give any of their journeys away. But I will say that I was very impressed wit the lengths the screenwriter went to make sure these were characters you would grow to care about and love.

 

The other thing it has going for it is that it is just so funny. It's not always trying to crack a joke, but when it does, it's side-splittingly funny. With my favorite taking place within a Hebrew school with the three brothers that pretty much stole the whole show. I could hardly keep myself from laughing so hard that I would disrupt the audience 90% of the time, and that is definitely what helps.

 

The only problem I really have to note here is simple: it's a little too short. I felt like the movie could have easily reached two hours or more, and not seemed to long or start dragging. In fact, I really would have loved to spend more time with the Altman family, and see more of their antics, as well as see their stories develop even further.

But that's okay, because ultimately, the shorter running time doesn't hinder it at all. And without a doubt, I can say that it's an enjoyable ride all the way through.

IN CONCLUSION
 

So, in short, this was pretty much one of the best, and funniest movies this year. If you're looking for a funny story, with a great message and a lot of heart, this is the movie for you. I cannot recommend it any more than I already have.

5 OUT OF 5 STARS

MY HIGHEST RECCOMENDATIONS

 

 

REVIEW: Gone Girl

GONE GIRL
RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

RATED: R

RUNNING TIME: 149 MINUTES

SCORE: ****1/2/*****

 

PREMISE: (Via IMDB) On the occasion of his fifth wedding anniversary, Nick Dunne reports that his wife, Amy, has gone missing. Under pressure from the police and a growing media frenzy, Nick's portrait of a blissful union begins to crumble. Soon his lies, deceits and strange behavior have everyone asking the same dark question: Did Nick Dunne kill his wife?

 

THE PRO'S: Excellent on almost every level: Acting, Directing, Story, Visuals, Writing

 

THE CON'S: Falls apart at the end, and cumulates into one of the worst endings in recent memory.

THE REVIEW:

 

Gone Girl is probably one of the best films I've seen this year. It's got everything: a love story, intrigue, suspense, and a great cast of both actors/actresses and characters. But unfortunately, I can't say it's the perfect movie, because, and I'll say this now: the ending ruined its chances of being a perfect film.

 

For those who don't know, and have not been drawn into the hype already Gone Girl tells the story of Nick Dunne. A man who, after returning home on his anniversary to find his house in shambles, and his wife missing, becomes the central figure in a missing person's case. One that has the entire world asking the same question: did he kill his wife?

I have so many great things to say about this movie, so let me explain why I'm not giving this movie a five out of five first. The ending, as I've said, is plain and simple HORRIBLE. I walked out of the movie not only feeling numb, but ultimately, a little cheated. It fit the movie, sure, but overall it was just felt like something that was done for shock value more than anything. And I honestly can't stand it no matter what way I looked at the point of the ending.

 

But the good thing? This is the only real problem with the movie. Because otherwise, it's absolutely fantastic on every level. The acting is superb, with Ben Affleck seriously killing the role of Nick. It is, quite honestly, his best role I've ever seen him in. But quite honestly, everyone's performance here is great. With another huge shout-out going to the film's other star: Rosamund Pike, Carrie Coon, and Tyler Perry, who just kick all kinds of butt in their roles.

The story is also handled in a fresh and new way. With some great twists, and in a way that really just gets really awesome. The first act is engaging, but without giving anything away? The second act is mind-blowing, and absolutely intense. And for it's part, although the weakest part of the movie? Act three is pretty good too up until it's rather disappointing conclusion.

 

But the film's strongest point, by far, is the writing up until the ending. Everything about it is just fantastic, realistic, and surprisingly, unpredictable. Just when you think you know where the movie is going, it takes one twist after another, and slaps you with a serious case of "you don't know anything". And that's where Gone Girl truly succeeds, because it just is so fun to unravel the mysteries and the deep dark secrets that drive it.

 

And most of all? Gone Girl is just an epic thrill-ride. I don't know that I could call a movie with this subject matter "fun", but it's definitely entertaining and intense. On a level that I haven't really seen in movies of its kind in a while. And I definitely think that in future years, this is going to be a classic. And despite not being "perfect", it earns that title to its fullest.

 

I'm going to cut this review short in hopes I won't spoil this movie for anyone. As a result, I will say...

 

IN CONCLUSION:

 

If you're a fan of movies like this? Definitely see it! It's a thrilling, engaging, and suspenseful story that impresses on every level. Just be sure to go in with somewhat low-expectations for the ending if you're like me. Because it's the one and only part of the movie that falls flat.

 

4 1/2 OUT OF 5 STARS

Highly Reccomended

REVIEW: Annabelle

ANNABELLE

RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

RATED: R

RUNNING TIME: 98 MINUTES
SCORE: **1/2/*****

 

PREMISE: (Via IMDB) John Form has found the perfect gift for his expectant wife, Mia - a beautiful, rare vintage doll in a pure white wedding dress. But Mia's delight with Annabelle doesn't last long. On one horrific night, their home is invaded by members of a satanic cult, who violently attack the couple. Spilled blood and terror are not all they leave behind. The cultists have conjured an entity so malevolent that nothing they did will compare to the sinister conduit to the damned that is now... Annabelle.

 

THE PRO'S: Fun story, a few good scares, Annabelle remains scary, great use of the time period.

 

THE CON'S: Overall very suspense less, definitely NOT as scary as The Conjuring, underdeveloped characters, sketchy acting.

 

THE REVIEW:

 

Let me start by saying this: I loved The Conjuring. It is by far one of the scariest horror movies ever made, and ultimately one of my all-time favorites. I also know a lot about the true story of "Annabelle" (who is actually a Raggedy Ann Doll in real life, believe it or not), so I was very excited for this film. Unfortunately, I felt very disappointed at the end result, and ultimately was left feeling it should have told the TRUE story behind it. Because ultimately, the fictional story they tell here just did not measure up to its predecessor.

 

"Annabelle", which picks up a year before the events in the opening of "The Conjuring" focuses on young couple John and Mia. After a very pregnant Mia is nearly killed by a pair of psychopaths, John and Mia are trying to move on with their lives with their newborn daughter. Unfortunately, one of the dolls in Mia's extensive collection is not about to let that happen. As the night of the attack, an ancient evil entered the doll, and created the porcelain monster known as Annabelle.

 

Considering none of this actually happened, it did not pack the same punch as The Conjuring. But, that's not to say that Annabelle is a terrible movie by any means. First of all, Annabelle is a GREAT story. The plot is really well thought-out, and though at times cliché makes for a great, spooky horror tale to tell with this terrifying doll. This is only helped by the fact that ultimately, it uses the time period it was set in excellently. Though I can't go into detail there without spoilers.

 

And for that matter, Annabelle is as unnerving as ever. If you thought she was creepy in those first few minutes of The Conjuring? She only gets more and more eerie here. Which is what makes the movie so intense and unnerving about 90% of the time. And it kind of shows going by how much they seem to linger on her face. Though there are some really good creepy moments, and even moreso, there is a great and well executed scare found here that ensures it's not a "terrible" horror movie.

 

The problem here is that this is where the pro's end. As, for a well-crafted story, the characters are just beyond dull and lifeless. The actors here try their best to work with what they're given, but most range from clichéd characters, to just boring. And for that matter, the acting isn't always great either. There are some very cringe-worthy moments that just detract from even the best acting of the movie.

 

On top of this, the bottom line is: Annabelle isn't very scary, or suspenseful. The scary bits pretty much amount to one moment where everyone in the theater (including me) screamed at the top of our lungs. Whereas the others seem very predictable, and what's more? With very, very little build-up to be found. A ghost story without suspense is just not a very good move. It seems like they put all of it into that one scene and the rest of the movie there's none of that.

 

And this is ultimately why I can only "like" and not "love" Annabelle. It was truly a disappointment to me when its supposed to spin-off from something as terrifying as The Conjuring. I wasn't looking for perfection, but I definitely wanted a scarier, more suspenseful movie, with characters that didn't feel cheap and leave me feeling empty.

 

I feel as though the filmmakers are better off sticking with true stories for these movies. Because if this is anything to go by when it comes to "original" ideas out of true ghosts, then we're in for a bumpy road ahead before we ever get "The Conjuring 2".

 

IN CONCLUSION:

 

While Annabelle could have been something great, it just does not achieve it. Bland characters, acting, and a lack of suspense all make Annabelle very disappointing. I personally wish I had just rented it, but for what it's worth, other people in the theater and my friend really liked it. So it is still worth giving a chance. I just wouldn't go in expecting anything as good as what we were given before.

 

2 1/2 OUT OF 5 STARS

Very Disappointing; See It At Your Own Risk

REVIEW: Dracula: Untold

DRACULA: UNTOLD

RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

RATED: PG-13

RUNNING TIME: 92 MINUTES

SCORE: ****/*****

 

PREMISE: (Via IMDB) At the turn of the century, the young lord Vlad and his family live a peaceful life ruling over their small kingdom, but when a Turk warlord demands from Vlad a thousand boys and his son to create an army Vlad seeks a terrible power that will allow him to protect his kingdom and family from the Turks at a terrible cost.

THE PRO'S: Dracula stays Dracula while getting a face-lift in a way, great acting, great storyline.

THE CON'S: Shorter running time, could have gone more -in-depth on some aspects, could have taken more time to develop secondary characters.

THE REVIEW:

So, I'm going to start out the reviews of movies that I owed reviews for with one that I was quite iffy about. But I must say, I was very impressed by it. As you can see this is everyone's favorite vampire, Dracula.

The new movie, which brings us the "untold origins" of Dracula, tells the story of true historic figure: Vlad The Impaler. When a Sultan from another land demands his young son for his army, Vlad fights back, and in a desperate attempt to save his family, decides to fight back. But in order to do so, he ultimately makes a deal with a demon, a deal which begins his decent into darkness, and begins his journey to becoming the most feared vampire of all time.

 

It's an ambitious project to take on, mixing real history with the mythology of Dracula. Vlad The Impaler, was, of course, the real-life inspiration for Dracula though, so it was a fun and original idea. And for the most part, the film works really well, though it never reaches a level of "fantastic", it definitely ends up being fun and thrilling, both important aspects of a "Dracula" film.

Let me start by saying Luke Evans was a fantastic casting choice for Vlad. I was very impressed, both by his screen-presence, and his acting. He plays a character that is sure to seduce women, as well as terrify them, and others. All qualities you need if you're going to play Dracula, and he seems to do it without any problems at all. I did like the fact his Dracula also felt more human, and less cardboard cut-out movie monster. It's a fact that works really well for the movie, and really well for this new take on Dracula.

And this is where the movie really shines: with its acting. All its stars churn out excellent performances, without a real "weak-link" amongst them. With Sarah Gordon and Charles Dance both giving stellar performances as Vlad/Dracula's wife Merina, and The Master Vampire respectively. Another one that truly stood out to me was the atmosphere, which is just so fantastic and spooky. It was very unsettling the whole way through, as a good horror film should be.

But unfortunately, for all the fun to be had, the movie does have its faults. While his origins are interesting, and his decent into darkness and madness are intriguing, the movie seems to rush them a bit. I feel as though more time could have been given to see Dracula's full transformation into the monster we know and fear. They did such a good job concocting an interesting origin for him, could they not have spent a little more time on it? Such as seeing more of Dracula honing to his new powers, or more on his relationship with his wife? Surely more could have been added to the running time to incorporate more.

On top of this, the only other complaint is that it really needed to give better use to its secondary characters. Many of Dracula's underlings seem to blend together after a while, and his son at times seems to be just there (which is too bad, as he's a great young actor). And I felt this could have really given the movie the drive it needed to be a modern day monster classic.

All this being said however, Dracula: Untold is well worth the admission price. And if you ask me, is getting far too much unnecessary hate. If this is the start of an actual Universal Monsters Cinematic Universe, I truly look forward to seeing where it heads.

IN CONCLUSION:

Dracula: Untold may not be the best Dracula movie ever made, but it is a worthy addition to the mythology. With a great cast, clever story, and creepy atmosphere, it's a fun, wild ride at the movies that, despite its flaws, is a great start to a universe I hope to see come together.

4 OUT OF 5 STARS

Very Reccomended