REVIEW: The Boxtrolls

THE BOXTROLLS
RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

RATED: PG

RUNNING TIME: 96 MINUTES
SCORE: ***** /*****

SPOTLIGHT MOVIE OF THE MONTH - SEPTEMBER 2014

 

PREMISE: (VIA IMDB) THE BOXTROLLS are a community of quirky, mischievous creatures who have lovingly raised an orphaned human boy named Eggs in the amazing cavernous home they've built beneath the streets of a city called Cheesebridge. The story is about a young orphaned boy raised by underground cave-dwelling trash collectors who tries to save his friends from an evil exterminator, the town's villain, Archibald Snatcher. When Snatcher comes up with a plot to get rid of the Boxtrolls. Eggs decides to venture above ground and "into the light," where he meets and teams up with fabulously feisty Winnie. Together, they devise a daring plan to save The BoxTrolls family. The film is based upon the children's novel 'Here Be Monsters' by Alan Snow.

 

THE PRO'S: It's Lakita - and they make dang good movies. Engaging and imaginative storyline. Good mixture of humor and seriousness. Fun characters. The Boxtrolls are just so much fun to watch. Some great messages at the heart of the film.  

 

THE CON'S: A third act plot twist that felt unnecessary.

 

THE REVIEW:

To be straight-forward, this is yet another masterpiece from the creative minds behind the "Coraline" adaptation and one of my all-time favorite films, "Paranorman". Lakita is a company that never ceases to amaze me with each of its absolutely fantastic films, and I can honestly say I have no dobut it will entice many others as well.

"The Boxtrolls" tells the story of Eggs, a young boy who has been raised from infancy by Fish, a Boxtroll (so named for the boxes they wear over their bodies. Resulting in odd names such as: "Eggs", "Fish", "Bucket", etc). The Boxtrolls, for years, have lived in fear of Archibald Snatcher, a nasty exterminator who is kidnapping them all one-by-one for nefarious purposes and in order to make his way into the above-worlds "ruling" party, "The White Hats". Their terrifying situation takes a turn for the worse when Fish is snatched, sending a devastated Eggs on a rescue mission which puts him in the path of a young rich girl, Winnie, and many other colorful characters.

 

At its heart, The Boxtrolls is a story about learning to embrace who you are. The Boxtrolls are, by all accounts, hated for being different. And as a result, live in fear. And at its core, the movie does a fantastic job of portraying this underlying message. Without giving away any spoilers for those who wish to remain spoiler-free.

 

The cast of characters in this movie are among the most vibrant Lakita has given us. The Boxtrolls are all very animated, funny, and surprisingly well-developed. Fish and Eggs relationship, one of the emotional centerpieces of the film, especially is a very touching and well done storyline. If not easily a show-stealing one.

 

Elle Fanning does a great turn-out here in voicing the adventurous Winnie, who just barely falls short of stealing the show. Second only to The Boxtrolls themselves. While Eggs makes for an excellent, and well-developed protagonist, there is no denying Winnie and The Boxtrolls are what make the movie. With Eggs having his own fun moments, especially when it comes to later in the movie.

 

But while the movie is so fabulously put together, it falls just bellow the company's other masterpiece: Paranorman. And the reason is the only complaint I have: the plot twist in act three. I won't spoil it, or even hint as to what it is. But a part of me liked it, and a part of me thought it was just so totally unnecessary. The movie would have likely benefited from nixing it all-together.

 

That being said, don't let this one minor deal fool you, The Boxtrolls is a masterpiece in so-called "children's films". Between the colorful cast of characters, and a story that is not only full of heart, but excellently scripted, how could it not be? I left this movie so enthused and in love with it that I have my fingers crossed for a return to this universe. It's said to be a book series, so I will be interested to see if we might see that happen someday.

 

For all these reasons, I have named "The Boxtrolls" my first spotlight movie of the month. If you're going to see one movie this month and these movies are up your alley, you can't miss this. It's truly one of the best "kids" movies I've seen in a while, Frozen included.

 

IN CONCLUSION:

 

The Boxtrolls is a wonderfully crafted, fun, albeit somewhat-dark adventure the whole family will love. Another modern masterpiece from Lakia, I could not recommend it anymore. Parents, mark this on your must-see list with the kids, it's a wonderful time at the movies you're all sure to enjoy.

 

5/5 STARS
MY HIGHEST RECCOMENDATIONS

SPOTLIGHT MOVIE OF THE MONTH - SEPTEMBER 2014

REVIEW: The Equalizer

THE EQUALIZER
RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
RATED: R

RUNNING TIME: 131 MINUTES

CHRIS'S RATING: ****/*****

 

PREMISE: (VIA IMDB) In The Equalizer, Denzel Washington plays McCall, a man who believes he has put his mysterious past behind him and dedicated himself to beginning a new, quiet life. But when McCall meets Teri (Chloë Grace Moretz), a young girl under the control of ultra-violent Russian gangsters, he can't stand idly by - he has to help her. Armed with hidden skills that allow him to serve vengeance against anyone who would brutalize the helpless, McCall comes out of his self-imposed retirement and finds his desire for justice reawakened. If someone has a problem, if the odds are stacked against them, if they have nowhere else to turn, McCall will help. He is The Equalizer.

THE PRO'S: Denzel Washington is always a pro in my book. Interesting premise and story, very stylistic execution.  Great, terrifyingly creepy villain. Excellently picked supporting cast.

THE CON'S: Lack of real backstory for the lead character, mostly.

THE REVIEW:

Let it be known I highly agree with what many other reviews are saying - this is Denzel's best movie in years. It's action-packed, thrilling, has a great story, and so many things going for it. Making it a near perfect action thriller. But it just barely misses those "perfect" marks.

The Equalizer, which is adapted from a TV Show of the same name, focuses on Robert McCall, a man with a special set of skills, and a 9-to-5 job in a home depot-like store. While spending his nights in a diner, he makes friends with Teri, a young call girl who wants to be a singer, and whom he forms a bond with. Things go from pleasant, to sour when Teri is beaten half-to-death. Using his special skills, McCall sets out on a road to helping Teri, and others in his neighborhood from a Russian mobster who rules it with an iron fist.

I'll be honest and say I never saw the television series, so this is a review from a non-fan. The story of The Equalizer, while not "new" per-say is handled exceptionally well, and carried beautifully by Denzel Washington. But I could go on and on for hours about Denzel Washington, who is one of my favorite actors, and who is just awesome in this movie. Who I'd like to highlight more here is the supporting class.

I am very impressed with Chloe Moretz, between her performance here, and in If I Stay. Here, she really pulls a very different, and excellent performance from her previous work. Despite her screentime, she truly is one of the biggest stand-outs here by far. But even she and Denzel were not the real show stealers for me, this title goes to Johnny Skourtis as Robert's buddy, Ralphi. If there's one character to root for in this movie other than the star, it was definitely him. And luckily, he gets a lot of screentime to really let this performance shine.

In fact, most, if not all the cast handles their roles exceptionally well. The characters in the movie are fluid and well fleshed-out. As well as carrying one of the most terrifying thriller villains to date in my opinion, in the form of "Teddy", who just chills me to the bone in each scene he's in. All of these things make for an awesome, if not at times gruesome action-thriller.

The only weakness the movie has, that makes it only near perfect, is Robert's character himself. We never really are given concrete reasoning for why he has his skills. We know he worked for an "agency" but never get past that. And here, I think the film would have benefited from giving us a bit more of a backstory as to fully flesh out the character to his potential. Unfortunately, this knocked the movie down a grade for me as he is, after all, supposed to be the main character.

That being said, the movie is still extremely enjoyable minus this one flaw. The action is fluid, the kills are just absolutely jaw-dropping and epic, and Denzel Washington is simply put a badass. This is an action movie where I can definitely say you get your bang for your buck, a very satisfying bang at that. And has definitely peaked my interested to watch the television series as well.

IN CONCLUSION:

The Equalizer is a finely-crafted, sometimes gruesome, and extremely satisfying action-thriller. If you're looking for a good action-thriller that is not only smart, but tells a good story as well, this is one you don't want to miss. Definitely Denzel's best film in years, hands down.

4/5 STARS
Very Recommended 



DVD REVIEW: EQUILIBRIUM (2002)

EQUILIBRIUM

RELEASE DATE: DECEMBER 6TH, 2002 (Limited)/NOW ON DVD

RATED: R

RUNNING TIME: 107 MINUTES

CHRIS'S RATING: *****/*****

 

PREMISE: (Via IMDB) In a futuristic world, a strict regime has eliminated war by suppressing emotions: books, art and music are strictly forbidden and feeling is a crime punishable by death. Cleric John Preston (Bale) is a top ranking government agent responsible for destroying those who resist the rules. When he misses a dose of Prozium, a mind-altering drug that hinders emotion, Preston, who has been trained to enforce the strict laws of the new regime, suddenly becomes the only person capable of overthrowing it.               

 

THE PRO'S: Extremely stylistic, fantastic premise and storyline, Christian Bale is a badass in this plain and simple, fantastic acting all around, some very nicely placed twists.

 

THE CON'S: Ends a little too abruptly, lacks proper development for some key players.

 

THE REVIEW:

 

This movie came highly recommended from my older brother, and as such, he and I sat down to watch it this weekend. And while it is definitely not the best movie I have ever seen, it definitely ranks high up there and overall makes its way high up on my list of favorites for a variety of reasons.

 

To sum up the story as best I can, Christian Bale plays John Preston, a man who lives in the distant future, where, after World War III, the world has destroyed emotions and rendered them unlawful. As a single father to two children, Preston watched, and helped with his own wife's execution, as well as that of his partner. The latter of which causes him to begin down a dangerous path, a path of feeling.

As far as dystopian stories go, this definitely ranks very high up there as far as originality goes. The story is told in a very stylistic fashion almost reminiscent of The Matrix Trilogy. Much of the action in the movie is well placed, and for the most part, the movie relies on its actors, dialogue, and exposition to tell the story. With an especially excellent exposition that opens the movie in a way that instantly grabs your attention much like a good book.

 

The acting is excellent here as well, with its two leads, Christian Bale and Taye Diggs carrying the movie with relative ease. I find it interesting to note that there are some very early shades of Bale's Batman portrayal here, which are of note, especially when he's kicking butt. You can very easily see what he's capable of here, long before he became The Dark Knight.

5/

But, where it's leading characters shine, the movie seems to underuse and undervalue its supporting cast. Most notably William Fischner's character, and the main villain of the film. Both seem to be there mostly as plot devices to push the story along, and while they do their job, they just seem to be there. While it doesn't ultimately hinder the movie in any way, it does detract from some of the enjoyment that comes from it.

 

Another, albeit minor issue I had with the movie was the final scene. The movie very much leaves you desiring more of an ending than it provides. The way it ends is excellent, and while predictable, very well executed. But the final shot leaves you rather wondering "Well, that's it? What happens next?" and overall, I believe a little more should have been added to correct this issue.

 

That being said, it is still an expertly crafted, well acted, and well-written sci-fi epic. If you like other Dystopian stories, it's very easy to find a lot to like in this. Much like The Maze Runner, which I previously reviewed, it does a lot to stand out from the norm. Here, foregoing a love triangle, and teenage angst for a power struggle, and a set of mature, and intriguing characters. In short: it's an action packed thrill-ride which I enjoyed from beginning to end.

 

IN CONCLUSION:

Equilibrium is an action-packed, fun, and intriguing take on a desolate Dystopian society. Christian Bale and Taye Diggs both give stand-out performances that are awesome. And while the supporting characters are underused, the movie does an excellent job of enticing you in many other ways. A must-see for any lovers of the genre.

 

5/5 STARS
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED





REVIEW: LET'S BE COPS

LET'S BE COPS

RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

RATED: R

RUNNING TIME: 104 MINUTES

CHRIS'S RATING: ***1/2/*****

 

PREMISE: (Via IMDB) It's the ultimate buddy cop movie except for one thing: they're not cops. When two struggling pals dress as police officers for a costume party, they become neighborhood sensations. But when these newly-minted "heroes" get tangled in a real life web of mobsters and dirty detectives, they must put their fake badges on the line.               

 

THE PRO'S: Some extremely funny moments, good acting, very fun and fast-paced, relatable characters, avoids any "potty humor", and instead goes with straight up slapstick and classic humor.

 

THE CON'S: The last ten-fifteen minutes start getting borderline silly, somewhat-cliché, some of the humor does fall flat.

THE REVIEW:

 

In a year without many "comedy" options, I was a little weary of Let's Be Cops. Yes, it looked very funny, but so did one of the biggest dud's of the year: A Million Ways To Die In The West. That being said, Let's Be Cops was a very excellent and well-written surprise with some great laughs and surprisingly great acting.

 

As the premise denotes, the movie tells the story of Ryan, a former college football star turned wash-out and Justin, a struggling video game designer. After they (in rather comedic fashion) show up to a fraternity party dressed as cops, they take to the streets, and end up saving a small business in the process. As a result, they are mistaken for real cops, which they decide to roll with, tired of being "losers" in life. The problem? They've just busted the biggest crime ring in the city, and now the mobsters behind it are looking to get even.

 

It's a rather comedic story that makes for many, many laughs and stupid antics from the two. Damn Wayans, Jr. and Jake Johnson make an excellent pair, and play off each other rather well. While other noteworthy side-characters come from Nina Dobrev's Josie, and a Rastafarian man named Pupa, played by Kegan Michael Key. All of these characters drive the heart of the movie and excellently handle their comedic roles and timing excellently, with Pupa easily stealing the show in every scene he's in.

 

I want to especially commend the movie for avoiding any "potty humor". There are no poop, fart, and juvenile jokes inside the movie, and instead, it's mainly well written slapstick and classic humor. And while at times, the movie does not always hit its mark with humor, it always manages to at least earn a chuckle. I cannot deny in any way that this is, a very funny movie.

 

The problem here is not its humor, but rather how much it has. Towards the end of the movie, it becomes very clear that they are running out of ideas. With the jokes starting to get borderline silly, or repeated too often. And this is overall, the biggest downfall the movie has: it feels like it should have ended about twenty minutes earlier, and it could have been wrapped up more quickly.

 

The only other complaint to note is that the movie is not the most creative comedy ever. The storyline has been done a million times before in a different context. But this is helped overall by the fact that the script is written so well. I can easily ignore the clicheness of it in order to appreciate the writing and humor, but in the end, it's still a very cliché movie, unfortunately.

 

This all being said, it truly is one of those movies that utilizes the buddy-comedy genre well, and knows what kind of movie it's making. Between the great humor, and its many stars, the movie is a great way to spend a couple hours at the movies. Even if it probably only offers one watch, given it's hard to see much rewatch value once the story is over.

 

IN CONCLUSION:

 

Let's Be Cops is an above average buddy-comedy that had me in stitches. While it's not the most original story, it's fantastic use of its actors and fantastic writing save what could have been a rather subpar movie. It's definitely worth giving a watch, being this is one of the better comedy choices this year.

 

 

3 AND A HALF/5 STARS
RECCOMENDED



REVIEW: THE MAZE RUNNER

THE MAZE RUNNER
RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

RATED: PG-13

RUNNING TIME: 113 MINUTES

CHRIS'S RATING: *****/*****

 

PREMISE: (VIA IMDB) Thomas wakes up in an elevator, remembering nothing but his own name. He emerges into a world of about 60 teen boys who have learned to survive in a completely enclosed environment, subsisting on their own agriculture and supplies. A new boy arrives every 30 days. The original group has been in "The Glade" for two years, trying to find a way to escape through the Maze that surrounds their living space. They have begun to give up hope. Then a comatose girl arrives with a strange note, and their world begins to change. There are some great, fast-paced action scenes, particularly those involving the nightmarish Grievers who plague the boys.                

 

THE PROS: Excellent story, fantastic acting, nice , brisk pacing. Follows the book nicely with changes working well to not ruin any of the future movies. If you're a fan of the book, you're sure to love it.

THE CONS: Only a few minor ones of note here, mostly nitpicks as a fan. Downplaying of Glader lingo made me a little sad. Somewhat weaker-acting from Teresa's actress. Lack of telepathy.

THE REVIEW:

Let me first start out my review by saying that I am a huge fan of James Dashner's Maze Runner series, which I only discovered a month ago. The books rank very high up for me in the "Dystopian" series, ranking high above Divergent, and even The Hunger Games, but just bellow the truly mesmerizing "Legend" trilogy by Marie Liu. So going into this movie, I was very excited, but admittedly had very high expectations for this adaptation.

I can honestly say, that much like other fans, my expectations were blown away.

First of all, I think the biggest, and hardest thing to nail about this movie was the acting. Especially because I was going into this knowing the emotional centerpieces that drives the sequels. And I was VERY impressed to find that nearly the entire cast absolutely killed it. Dylan O'Brien, who, as our lead, Thomas, has to drive the film gives an excellent performance and so beautifully interprets the character I grew to love over the book trilogy. Other big stand-outs here to me were Thomas Brodie-Sangster, who turns out an excellent performance as "Newt", which makes me happy, given later on, he is a big emotional pull of the series.

But by far, I was most impressed with the actor they chose for my personal favorite character in the books, "Minho". Ki Hong Lee, being an actor that I had never heard of, had huge shoes to fill in my mind because of this. But boy, did he deliver! If he wasn't a name already and I just hadn't heard of him, I definitely can imagine that this could be the series that gives him his start. And if this was just his acting in the first movie, given Minho's somewhat-smaller role in the first one, I can only imagine how he'll do as he's thrust into main character status in The Scorch Trials.

This being said, despite all the good actors/players in this movie, there was a weak link. And unfortunately, its one of the most key players in the series. Kaya Scodelario, who plays Teresa, while not a bad actress by any means, seemed a little out of place as Teresa. For a girl who is supposed to be tough, and a bit of a badass, she didn't play up these elements, and instead gave us a more stoic Teresa. And while it was not a big problem, I think that I would really like to see her try to step up her game for the already confirmed sequel, "The Scorch Trials".

On this note, I will voice one of my minor problems with this film. And that's probably the biggest one, which is: the lack of telepathy between Thomas and Teresa. While I understand why it would be "silly" to the director, it took away some of the character development from Teresa, and definitely needs to be re-implemented in the sequel. It's a very necessary element, so I trust they will find SOME way to get in there. But it was a somewhat-missed element in the film.

That being said, the rest of the changes here were handled exceptionally well. There are quite a few changes to how things go down, but I am impressed by the fact that everything played out the same regardless. The changes are noticeable, but don't detract from the overall story arc of the novel, and thankfully, every element that needs to be there for the sequels IS there. So bravo for that. I think that it may have even helped clean the pacing up a bit, just a tiny bit, which impressed me. Though, and I will say this, I wish they had used the Glader lingo a little more. Yes, they do use "Shank", "Shuck Face", etc, etc. But it's not nearly as much as in the novel and kinda made me a little sad. At the very least, Greenie is very prominent.

Last, but most certainly not least, I will say that this was a fantastic adaptation. As a fan, it was amazing seeing the world come to life before me with all the story so well in-tact (changes and all). It's a very enriching, sad, dark, and intense story. I wouldn't say it's the feel-good film of the year, but I definitely think it's a very big stand-out in the "Dystopian" genre where we see a new franchise every day. I definitely think that whether you're into the genre, or not, it's one of those franchises that is worth giving a chance and I am at least certain will not disappoint.

IN CONCLUSION:

The Maze Runner is a fantastic adaptation of the young adult Dystopian series I have come to know and love. It's a great, intriguing, well-acted, and well-paced movie that should capture the imaginations of both fans, and newcomers alike. I cannot recommend this movie more, I am so glad that this was worth the wait, and definitely will be looking forward to "The Scorch Trials", "The Death Cure", and "The Kill Order" with great enthusiasm. This is one fan that has been impressed beyond measure.

5/5 STARS

HIGHLY RECCOMENDED 



WELCOME!

So, I've been a movie fan for my entire life, and absolutely LOVE seeing what new stories that Hollywood or otherwise, comes up with. For a long time, I've been told by friends who read my Facebook about how I should start a blog or a vlog of my movie opinions and reviews, and so here I am! Bringing my reviews to you starting today, I hope you'll enjoy reading my opinions. :)