Insidious: Chapter 2

Before tonight I had no prior knowledge on 'Insidious', so I dedicated 3.5 hours in a theatre watching both Insidious 1 and 2 so I could write this review...and also to see how much horror I could handle. I will say that both films feel less like a horror movie and more like a beating from MMA star Rampage Jackson.

The second film picks up directly where the last left off, the father (Patrick Wilson), has returned from a demention within our own filled with the spirits of the dead in order to bring his son back from a coma. Meanwhile, multiple ghosts and dark demons are attempting to enter the empty boy's body in order to "live" again. This involves the  help of a spiritual guide of sorts, Elise (Lin Shaye), to awaken the young families to see the world beyond what they can see. Without retelling the story, the father succeeds in bringing his son back to reality, but what the family thinks is their father, ends up being a old demon that just wont quit.

The reason I refer to the film as a beating is because at the beginning the director (James Wan), gives you about 5 minutes of story setup before its scare, after scare, after scare until you wish to leave the theatre because you just can't take it anymore. It emotionally drains you and when its finished you have to beg for mercy. The reason I didn't like the movie is because it was too quick, and it was too dramatic and the story became so big it collapsed on itself. I give this film a 2 out of 4 stars.

The young director also directed 'The Conjuring', which I really enjoyed, so this forced me to think, "What didn't he do in 'Insidious', that he did in 'The Conjuring'?", James Wan made Insidious to be one big, huge scare just for scaring's sake. But he never intended for a sequel, so he and the writers had to revive something that should have died while keeping up with the pace of the first. And that's the cause for a film that will be lost to the depths of Netflix. 'The Conjuring' made sense and we were able to connect with the characters while being scared by their situation...quite a difference from being constantly attacked by violin screeches and creepy extras.

Riddick

 

The idea has always intrigued me, and Vin Diesel entertains me, but there's no doubt that the Riddick series will always be a B franchise. The movie follows Riddick still on his sun scorched planet he was left on ten years before, now he has activated an old emergency beacon bringing 2 groups of assassins from earth. We watch these groups bump heads over the thought of Riddick's head in a box, but they realize soon enough that Riddick isn't there only issue.

 

The reason I say Riddick is a B franchise(not only because it is) is because it lacks a great cast, good CGI, the necessary budget and most importantly the planet looks like the most obvious set seen in the last 20 years of film. It is exciting at parts and as far as an action hero goes, Vin Diesel delivers. Riddick gets a 2 out of 4 stars. 

The Butler

 

The Butler is a truly inspiring film that exercises the true story of Cecil Gaines, a slave turned house servant following the death of his father. As he grows, so does his want to leave the cotton farm he's grown up on. Cecil leaves in search of a new job in a new place, after years of work in a high end D.C. hotel, he finds the white house calling asking for his service in the most important home in the country.

Cecil finds himself giving more attention to the first families that come and go then his own. Combined with the danger his son is in while fighting for African American rights, Cecil Gaines( Forest Whitaker) has lost sight of what he might believe. I give the butler 3 and 1/2 out of 4 stars. The whole cast showed how versatile and entrenched each became in their characters. Although my only criticism is the way the film presented himself, it was emotional and true to its roots, but I will say that I feel I didn't connect with whitaker's character the way I wanted to. Not to Forest Whitaker's blame, but to that of the story, I felt the movie was less connected to the characters and more to the civil rights movement, but this is just me being picky.

The Place Beyond The Pines

The Place Beyond The Pines isn't a movie, its a journey. When you feel as if your apart of the film your watching you know somebody did something right, whether it was Gosling or Derek Cianfrance, someone did something right.

The story follows a biker named Luke, who after visiting a past one night stand discovers he has a child. He knows he must help provide for his child and hopes to be around to help raise his kid. But, without any money and only a dirt bike to his name, he and a newly found friend begin a new hobby, robbing banks to provide for his family.

The films director is known for his life sucking film Blue Valentine which some found dull and emotionless, and to some extent I agree. But he successfully reuses the mood set in Blue Valentine in The Place Beyond The Pines without making it dull and unwatchable. In Fact, I was sitting on the edge of my seat for most of the film. I applaud him for his action sequences, camera work, editing,  acting and choice of mood. I also credit the films success to actors like Eva Mendes, Bradley Cooper, Ray Liotta, Craig Von Hook and of coarse Ryan Gosling which I figured out I enjoy more in films where he isn't forced to look good for teenage girls. I give this film 4 out of 4 stars. Sit through the whole thing... its well worth it.

Elysium

Elysium was a wildly entertaining action sci-fi film that might very well be my favorite summer blockbuster. Neill Blomkamp directed a film I watched and loved called District 9 back in 2008, when I heard of this new project I knew it would be a win.

Elysium is about a future where the earth is in poverty due to over population and a number of economic downturns. The rich then fled to a man made planet like structure called Elysium. Elysium is run by a corrupt government headed by Delacourt(Jodie Foster).  Once we are informed about this, the story then focuses in on a character Max(Matt Damon), a poor thief with a profound background that separates him from the city scum that surrounds him. After an accident at a robot manufacturing company, he finds himself stuck with five days to live.

We now embark on a journey led by a very capable and fantastic Matt Damon to take down the corrupt Elysium and the government protecting it. the reason the film gets a 3 and 1/2 out of 4 stars is because it kept me entertained throughout its entirety and its story was truly unique like that of District 9. Backed by the wonderful performances by Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, Sharlto Copley I recommend this film as a perfect sci-fi thriller that is a 2013 summer hit.

Main Stream Film Vs. The Independent

 

Since the dawn of film, their has been independent films and the well known blockbusters. Most of us only pay attention to those which land at main stream movie houses like  Regal or Dipson, but their are movies out there that are not financed by big corporations like Paramount, DreamWorks or 20th Century Fox, but rather by smaller companies like  Bad Robot, Miramax and The Weinstein Company.

Now besides that of the budget for the films, much separates these two genres of film art. Large budget mainstream films are bigger, more dramatic, and filled with that of rich actors and directors that are capable of films that put us in awe. Movies like Inception, The Dark Knight Rises, The Matrix, Anchorman, Super Bad and Avatar. Films like these are loved by all and watched over and over again for our enjoyment but there are other films made for  reasons other than big explosions or ghosts making you jump in your seat.

Independent and Foreign films unfortunately don't receive the amount of attention that films like avatar got, mainly because most independent film can't spend the money mainstream films can. So, these films must focus on things other than giant transforming cars, they focus on things we can relate to. Many people who frown upon the chance to see a great independent film don't actually know that many of the most beloved films are independent ones. Movies like Black Swan, Half Nelson, Sideways, Lost in Translation, Paranormal Activity, The Evil Dead, Halloween, The Terminator and Pulp Fiction.

To say one is better than the other is wrong,  because films are meant to entertain all kinds of people. But I believe that independent films are all too overlooked by average movie gowers, they make the viewer experience pain, loss, love, excitement and it gives us a peep hole into our soul for just two short hours and it entertains and takes us on a journey much like mainstream films do. The following is a list of independent and foreign films I feel everyone should see before he/she dies.
1.Doubt
2.Girl, Interrupted
3.This is 40
4.Pulp Fiction
5.Lost in Translation
6.Sideways
7.Inglorious Basterds
8.Dancer In The Dark
9.Brides Head Revisited
10.Garden State
11.The Hours
12.Along Came Polly
13.Borat
14.W.E.
15.A Single Man
16.The Piano
17.Grey Gardens
18.The Pianist
19.The Reader
20.Capote

Wolverine

Despite my love of the wolverine and Hugh Jackman, "Wolverine" is an unnecessary installment for the X- Men story. "Wolverine" was way too long, so long I actually left the theatre for a beverage which I really hate doing, but I just needed a break from mumbling Huge Jacked Man.

The film starts with the wolverine in a cave in Alaska, why, I'm not quite sure. He soon realizes he has been followed by a small annoying Asian girl who was sent by her employer to fetch the wolverine. We find out her employer is a Japanese man who was saved by wolverine during a nuclear bomb that hit Nagasaki during the war.

We are then forced to watch wolverine/ the Alaskan cave man fly to a future Japan where he reunites with Yashida  who is now a big CEO of a technology company in Japan. His dying wish is to see the Wolverine one last time; to thank him for saving his life and to make him an offer he cant resist; mortality. At this point in the film we know Wolverine is deeply unhappy with his life and wishes it would end so he can end his suffering. He declines, but soon realizes he may not have a choice. With the help of his female sidekick Yukio, he must fight his way out of Japan while dealing with the emotions of falling for  Yashida's granddaughter.

The reason the film only gets a 2 out of 4 stars is because it was just too long and drawn out. Also, the film was really unnecessary and the plot really destroys our favorite character in ways that don't quite make sense. This films highlights why most superhero films suck, it forces you to believe the absolutely unbelievable for the sake of the plot. Marvel, just let us enjoy our 20 minutes of Wolverine in the next film and show us some more variety please.