Insurgent Review

     I did not see a whole lot of bad movies last year, and I reviewed only one of them; that movie was called "Divergent," and I hated it with a burning passion. It was the first movie in a planned trilogy and was based off the young adult novel of the same name. The book was made into a movie not because it was good or even super popular, but because companies are still trying to cash in on making movies out of best selling teen books in the hopes of having another financial hit like "Harry Potter" or "The Hunger Games." The problem was that those series were good but "Divergent" was terrible. The movie was nothing more than two hours and twenty minutes of grueling story telling that I did not care about. It was one of the most boring movies I had ever seen in theaters. And in my review I tore it apart, giving it the lowest score of any movie I reviewed in 2014; it even made it onto my list of the worst movies of the year. So you may be asking yourself, "Phillip, if you hated the first movie so much why would you see the sequel?" To be honest, I think it's because I just want to rip this one apart to; because to my own disbelief, "Insurgent" is just as bad as "Divergent."

     "Insurgent" place almost immediately after the events of "Divergent," and everything has gone to hell. The story revolves around a young woman named Tris and her boyfriend Four. In the society they live in, people are put into one of five factions depending on their personality. A small number of people are called divergent; they don't fit into any category and are wanted by the government because they believe that divergents will tear down the system. During the previous movie one of the factions made a power play to control the government, and their leader, Jeanine, has essentially gained control of the city and declared martial law. Tris and Four are in hiding, but are planning a way to get things back to a good place. After meeting some people known as factionless, they start to put a plan together to unseat those in power. While all this is going on, Jeanine has sent her people to find a box containing a message from the people who founded their city a few hundred years ago. The only way to open the box is to pass all 5 of the faction tests, which means only someone who is divergent can open it. Jeanine was hell-bent on killing all of the divergents, but now she needs one; she needs Tris. 

     Last year's "Divergent" was likely my least favorite movie from last year, and it looks like "Insurgent" is on its way to being my least favorite movie of this year. Let's go ahead and get the good aspects of this movie out of the way first. Shailene Woodley as Tris is probably the saving grace of this movie. She gives it her all, and does as good of a job as any actress would do in the role. One thing that this series has had going for it thus far is that the concept of the series is interesting; it gets into the areas of social structure and class warfare and is generally interesting. The overall idea had all the potential in the world, unfortunately the movies have not capitalized on the opportunities. There was one thing I loved about this movie, one huge improvement over its predecessor I really appreciated. And that is the fact that it is shorter. Sitting through "Divergent" was agonizing, partially because it was much longer than it needed to be. "Insurgent" though is quite a bit shorter, which made this movie slightly more pleasant to watch. That brings us to the end of what I enjoyed about his movie, now it's time to get to everything else. The overall concept of the story is interesting, that doesn't mean that the story itself is interesting. The plot of this movie is messy and convoluted. "Insurgent" is based off the book of the same name, and it feels like the author wrote the ending to the book first and then wrote the story leading up to the ending afterwards. The author knew how they wanted the book to end, so they just needed to create a story that fit the ending. But watching the movie, the plot feels like it was just thrown together. One problem with the story was the love interest aspects of it. There is no chemistry between the actors that play Tris and Four, you really don't care about their relationship and the whole thing comes off uninteresting. Like its predecessor, "Insurgent" tries really hard to be an action movie. The problem is that the action sequences in this movie just feel uninspired. They’re lazy and unimpressive, and pretty unbelievable at times. During one section Tris was being attacked by at least two dozen trained soldiers, and even though each one is firing at her from all angles not one manages to hit her. It feels a little cartoony, and for a movie that is trying to be serious it comes off as kind of dumb. The best thing this movie has going for it is Shailene Woodley's performance, every other actor in the movie though doesn't try half as hard as her. Most of the performances in the movie feel phoned in, no one but Woodley seems to even try. Kate Winslet, who is a great actress, plays Jeanine, and she looks like she doesn't even want to be there. No one is bad per say, but I feel that many of the stars could have done much better. It doesn't help that most of the dialog in the movie is pretty bad, and even cringe worthy at times. On more than one occasion I was rolling my eyes at what the characters were saying, especially during parts involving Tris and Four's relationship. Unlike its predecessor, "Insurgent" seemed to rely more on CGI. There were several dream sequences that looked like they took place entirely in front of a green screen. The problem is that the CGI was sub-par. In a world where movies like "Avatar," "Gravity," and "Life of Pi" have taken CGI to the next level, you can't have special effects that are anything less than fantastic. Like the acting, the CGI wasn't necessarily bad but it was lackluster. One of the problems I had with "Divergent" was the characters, they were generally uninteresting and many were unlikable. This movie suffers from the same problem, and the few new characters the movie adds bring nothing new to the series. TO be honest, you really don't care what happens to anyone. This movie does most everything wrong, but there is one thing that makes it truly unbearable. And that is that this movie is boring. Just like "Divergent," I was bored out of my mind watching this movie. I was almost constantly checking the time because I wanted to see how much more of it I would have to sit through. A movie can suffer through many problems and still be enjoyable, but when it becomes boring it is a lost cause. Going into this movie, I was really hoping it would be better than the last one. I don't like to hate movies, I understand a lot of time and money goes into them; but when a movie is bad I'll say it, and this movie is bad. Whether it is worse than "Divergent" is hard to say, but they're within shouting distance of each other. Even with Shailene Woodley at the helm giving it her all, there was nothing that could have saved this movie. I'll say the same thing about this movie that I said about "Divergent," "Insurgent" is just another bland movie meant to get teenagers in the seats. 

Pros: Shailene Woodley gives it her all, interesting concept, shorter than "Divergent."

Cons: Convoluted and messy plot, uninteresting love story, uninspired action sequences, most performances feel phoned in, poor dialog, sub-par CGI, boring, old characters are uninteresting and new characters bring nothing new.

1.5/5 Stars

20 Best Movies of the Decade So Far

Honorable Mentions: Gone Girl, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Skyfall, Silver Linings Playbook, Warrior, Inception, Fruitvale Station, Her.

Runner-Up: A Separation
If I were to say one thing about this movie, it would be that "A Separation" is one of the most humanistic movies you will ever watch. Released in 2011, this Iranian film is about a couple that has been married for 14 years getting a divorce. The wife wants to leave the country with her family in order to give their daughter a chance at a better life, but the husband refuses to leave because he needs to take care of his father who is suffering from Alzheimer's. He signs off on the divorce but refuses to let her take their daughter out of the country, and the rest of the film is about the trials and tribulations of their lives. I think what this movie does best is that it feels real. These characters, their dialog, and the situations that they get into feel like they could happen in real life. By the end of the movie you really connect with these characters, and want nothing but the best for them. I love foreign movies, they offer something different than what we traditionally see in American movies. "A Separation" is all business, there is no padding. It is a hard hitting drama that captures and keeps your attention for its entire run time.

20. Whiplash
Everyone, at some point in their life has strived to be truly great at something; work, school, video games, whatever. People have an inherent need to be great at something. What separates people though is how hard you are willing to work at something to become great at it. Unless you're willing to bleed for it you probably won't make it. That dynamic is what is explored in "Whiplash." A student at a prestigious music college named Andrew has real talent on the drums and wants to become one of the greats. One day while practicing he catches the attention of the conductor of the school's top band who shows an interest in him. He ultimately invites Andrew to join his band; this is everything Andrew wanted, but he soon realizes the conductor is a taskmaster who will accept nothing short of perfection. "Whiplash" might have been the most entertaining movie to come out in 2014. A phenomenal soundtrack, great performances, and beautiful cinematography were just some of the things this movie did right. It's not hard to see why this movie was universally praised as one of the best movies of the year.

19. Drive

"Drive" can best be described as a love letter to the movies of the past, director Nicolas Winding Refn wanted to make a movie in the style of some his favorite films. The style, writing, and the way it was shot pays tribute to many movies from many genres. And despite being a hodgepodge of genres like action, neo-noir, drama, romance, and art house, the movie comes together into something truly unique. The film follows an unnamed stunt drive who moonlights as a getaway driver for criminals and his unconventional romance with his neighbor. "Drive" is a movie that polarized people; many go into it expecting a non-stop action thriller and not a sincere calm drama. So upon its release it was met with many mixed reactions. But almost immediately it was met with praise from critics and true movie fans. Highlight by beautiful cinematography, minimalistic dialog, and great performances from the lead, many would list "Drive" alongside some of the greatest art house films of all time.

18. The Raid 2: Berandal
In 2011 director Gareth Evans released "The Raid: Redemption," an Indonesian martial arts that was the best action movie in over a decade. Three years late the sequel came out titled "The Raid 2: Berandal," and it will go down as one of the greatest action movies of all time. The story follows a young police officer named Rama who is recruited by an anti-corruption task force to infiltrate one of the largest crime organizations in the country. Going undercover for two years in prison to gain the trust of the boss's son, Rama gets in much deeper than he ever thought possible, and wants nothing more to finish his mission and get back to his family. From the opening scene to the final epic fight, "The Raid 2" is a nonstop thrill ride with some of the best fight choreography ever put into a movie. This was one of my favorite movies of 2014, and considering how great the first film was it is impressive that the sequel manages to top it in every way. It maintained that amazing action that made the first film so great while improving the dialog and story. This is one of the most enjoyable movies I have ever seen, and I am so happy that it will be getting a sequel in a few years.

17. Toy Story 3
From 1995 to 2010, the animation studio Pixar was the king of the animated film industry; and that reign started and ended with the "Toy Story" franchise. The first film in the series released in 1995 was a huge hit and is not considered one of the greatest animated films of all time. 15 years later the series ended with "Toy Story 3," and like its predecessors it is often considered one of the greatest animated movies of all time. The story takes place years after the first film, and as you can imagine it follows a group of toys. These toys had always been owned by a young boy named Andy, now being 17, he is off to college soon and no longer needs them; so he decides to donate them, and they end up making their way to a day care center. At first everything seems great, but they soon discover that everything isn't sunshine and rainbows at their new home. I grew up on Pixar movies, and this series holds a special place in my heart. It has been announced that there will be a "Toy Story 4" released in the next few years; while I'm nervous about how good it will be, if anywhere close to the level of this one, I'm sure it will be great.

16. The Imposter
On a list with several underappreciated films, "The Imposter" has to be the most underappreciated of the bunch. A 2012 documentary, it tells the story of Nicholas Barclay, a thirteen year old boy from Texas who disappeared in 1994. Several years after his disappearance his family received a call from police officers in Spain saying they believe that they found Nicholas. After being sent back to the States, he is questioned by the police and his family and everyone is sure that it is him. But from the second he showed up, something didn't seem right. 2012 produced several great documentaries but none even came close to this one, and yet somehow it didn't even get a nomination for best documentary at the Oscars. Probably one of the creepiest movies you will ever see, this is the type of film that will stay with you long after you watch it.

15. Django Unchained
For just over 20 years, director Quentin Tarantino has been one of the most polarizing, controversial, and beloved members of the film industry. Making his debut with "Reservoir Dogs" in 1992, and just two years later the masterpiece that is "Pulp Fiction," Tarantino quickly made a name for himself as one of the best up and coming directors. Noted for his style, writing ability, and constant homage's to old movies, he has often been called one of the most influential directors of all time. In 2012 he released "Django Unchained," a spaghetti western film with elements of satire and blaxploitation; it was in instant hit with critics and audiences and even won two Oscars. The story revolves around a slave named Django who is hired by a bounty hunter to capture three wanted men only Django can identify, he agrees but only on the condition that the bounty hunter helps him find his wife. Brilliant, bloody, and downright hilarious at times, this movie stands alongside some of Tarantino's best movies and has become a fan favorite of many movie goers.

14. How to Train Your Dragon
On a list filled with movies that I love, this might actually be my favorite. Loosely based off the book of the same name, "How to Train Your Dragon" is a 2010 animated movie that was one of the surprise hits of the year. The story revolves around a young boy named Hiccup who lives in a village in somewhere in Scandinavia and is son of the village chief. In this village the people have been forced to fight dragons on a daily basis because they steal their livestock. While it is a time honored tradition to fight dragons, Hiccup is small, weak, and can barely hold a sword. After devising a contraption used to shoot nets and capture dragons he manages to catch a feared dragon called a Night Furry, but instead of killing it he lets it go; and soon discovers there are more to dragons than meets the eye. I remember reading the book this movie is based off of back in elementary school. And while the movie and the book have almost nothing in common accept for character names, this movie manages to accomplish the rare feat of being better than the book. Fun for all ages, "How to Train Your Dragon" can easily be listed alongside some of the best animated movies of all time.

13. 12 Years a Slave
Believe it or not there are formulas that have been designed for movies to help them win Oscars. For example, an autobiographical period drama about a slave is an almost sure fire way to win best picture. And despite the fact that these Oscar bait type movies get a little old after a while, they can still produce a damn fine film. "12 Years a Slave" tells the true life story of Solomon Northup, a free black man who lived in the north but was kidnapped and sold into slavery. The film chronicles his 12 year journey going from plantation to plantation, and the struggles he faced along the way. Directed by a very promising director named Steve McQueen, this is easily one of the best movies ever regarding slavery. Phenomenal acting, a great screenplay, and beautiful cinematography are just some of the stand out features of this movie. This is one of those films that they should show in school when they talk about slavery, because it showed what a truly dark period that time in America was. But despite the darkness there was a light at the end of the tunnel.

12. Gravity
Every year there is at least one movie that comes out of nowhere and takes the world by storm, in 2013 it was Alfonso Cauron's "Gravity." The plot centers around two astronauts doing repairs on the Hubble Telescope, a veteran on his last mission and a rookie helping in the repairs. While working they learn that several satellites have been destroyed and are spinning around the planet at breakneck speeds and are heading right towards them. They manage to survive the first wave of debris, but they are now stuck on the most hostile environment known to man with no contact to those on the ground. Upon its release the movie was hailed as one of the best of the year going on to win six Oscars, and at the box office it made over 700 million dollars. "Gravity" is one of the most thrilling movies I've ever seen, I was on the edge of my seat through most of its run time. It also featured some of the greatest cinematography and jaw dropping CGI ever put into a movie. While some complained that the science behind the movie wasn't accurate, the general consensus is that this is a truly amazing movie.

11. Before Midnight

If you ask me there are only three truly great movie trilogies, where each movie was phenomenal. You look at the "Indiana Jones" trilogy example, the first and the third film were great but the second was not up to par. The three great trilogies are "The Lord of the Rings," the original "Star Wars" trilogy, and the little know "Before" trilogy. The series revolves around a love struck couple through different stages of their lives. "Before Sunrise" in 1995 was about them meeting for the first time, "Before Sunset" in 2004 was about them reuniting after not seeing each other for years, and "Before Midnight" in 2013 is about them having an established relationship with kids and their personal interests competing with one another. This movie trilogy tells undoubtedly the best love story ever captured on film. Stars Ethan Hawke and Julie Deeply have phenomenal chemistry together, the screenplay is one of the best in recent years with some of the most realistic dialog I can recall in a long time, and director Richard Linklater manages to tell a heart breaking and uplifting story of a couple that fans of the series have come to adore. When it comes to romantic movies, I can't think of another film where I cared about the characters as much as I did in this one.

10. The Place Beyond the Pines

Right off the bat I feel I should say that I hold this movie in much higher regard than most. Many reviews for "The Place Beyond the Pines" were positive but critical. I on the other hand saw something rather special in it on my first viewing. The plot follows the story of fathers and sons, and how the sins of the past are passed onto the future. Split into three very distinctive parts, "The Place Beyond the Pines" is a greatly underappreciated movie. With gorgeous cinematography, fantastic performances from the leads, and one of the best musical scores of 2013 come together into a movie I love. I feel this will be one of those movies that years down the line will be seen as a movie ahead of its time. It is dark, emotional roller coaster that is worth the watch just to see if you love it as much as I do.

9. The Act of Killing

I don't believe I have seen a movie that is more powerful than this one; it is a movie that will rock you to your very core. "The Act of Killing" is a documentary that illustrates the horrors of the Indonesian Killings of 1965-1966. Under fear that Indonesia would become a communist country, the US supported a military coup that overthrew the government. While this was going on, gangsters and paramilitary groups were tasked with killing innocent people who were labeled "communists." Over the course of a year, more than a million people were slaughtered. The worst part of it is that instead of facing a UN tribunal for genocide, many of the men who committed these crimes are still in political power; some have even become local celebrities. War crimes are defined by the winners, and according to them they did not commit war crimes. The film follows several of these men, and tries to illustrate the horrors they have committed. "The Act of Killing" is one of the greatest documentaries I have ever seen and is a movie that everyone should watch.

8. The Social Network

In 1995 Director David Fincher released "Seven," a violent and controversial psychological thriller about a serial killer murdering according to the seven deadly sins. A few years later he released a film titled "Fight Club" based off the book of the same name, and while it was met with mixed reviews upon release it has since been called a classic and one of the best films of the 1990s. Ever since his early films he has often been regarded as one of America's best directors. And despite his already stoic filmography, 2011's "The Social Network" might be his best movie. The movie tells the true life story of Mark Zuckerberg, the creation of Facebook, and legal battles he had to enter involving several different parties. Fincher's films have often been highlighted by blood and serial killers, but this movie was something different. A sincere drama about a strange man's troubles with everyone else; this movie is filled with great acting, a fantastic soundtrack, and some of the best cinematography we saw in a movie in 2010. Auto biographical dramas have become popular over the years, especially in regards to winning awards. Yet of all those released of the 2010s, this one has to be one of the best.

7. Take Shelter
If implemented properly, an underlying theme can really help add to a movie; and over the years I've noticed that I have discovered a theme that I consistently find fascinating, the decent into madness. "Take Shelter" is a 2011 drama-thriller, and only the second movie from director Jeff Nichols. His first film was "Shotgun Stories," an intense family drama that was one of the stand out films of 2008. "Take Shelter" revolves around a middle class family living in Ohio. Curtis works hard at his construction company in order to provide from his family and help take care of his deaf daughter. One day Curtis starts to suffer from hallucinations and apocalyptic dreams. It turns out that he might be showing early signs of paranoid schizophrenia, which his mother does have. He becomes obsessed with his families safety and starts to build a shelter in their back yard, while simultaneously losing himself with the depths of his mind and growing farther from his family. "Take Shelter" is one of the most terrifying movies you will ever watch regarding mental illness. It is intense and emotional, and shows why Jeff Nichols will one day be considered one of the great American directors.

6. Birdman
It takes a special movie to be able to beat out the number 5 movie on this list for Best Picture at the Oscars, and it wasn't even that surprising of a choice. Likely my favorite movie of 2014, "Birdman (or the Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)" can best be described as a tour-de-force. Directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, the film follows a down and out actor who is attempting to revitalize his career with a Broadway play. At the same time he must battle with his family, co-stars, and his personal demons in order to have this play be any kind of success; also, he might have telekinetic powers. I loved everything about "Birdman," the cinematography made to make the movie look like one continuous shot, the score that is made up almost entirely of percussion and classical music, and the writing that brings this story together and lets the dialog flow seamlessly from the actors' mouths. Years from now when I reminisce about 2014, the movie that will likely come to mind will be "Birdman."

5. Boyhood
Richard Linklater's "Boyhood" first debuted at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2014, and since its debut it has been met with almost nothing but universal praise. Filmed over the course of twelve years using the same cast, it tells the story of a young boy in Texas growing up from a child to a young adult and all the trials and tribulations he must go through on his path to becoming an adult. This movie is something special, the dedication and heart put into it are like noting we've ever seen in cinema before. The movie made me nostalgic, it made me remember my childhood. I think that's why this movie has connected to so many people, because it is easy to connect to. This is one of those rare movies where future generations will look back at and just wish that they could have seen it in theaters.

4. Mud
Director Jeff Nichols is one of only two directors to have two movies on this list, and for good reason. While he only has three films, each has been phenomenal, and the best of those three has to be 2013's "Mud." The story takes place in rural Arkansas and primarily revolves around a young boy named Ellis. One day Ellis travels to a small island in the middle of the Arkansas River with his friend Neckbone. On the island they find a boat that has been logged in a tree after a recent storm, while inspecting the boat they discover that someone is living out of it. When they head back to their boat to get home, they discover a man named Mud fishing on the beach. They soon learn that Mud is a fugitive that is hiding out on the island, and after some persuasion, Mud convinces them to help him gather the parts he needs to fix the boat so he can travel down the river and get out of the state with his true love. "Mud" feels like something out of a Mark Twain novel, the movie really manages to capture the American spirit like few movies do. Greatly underrated, "Mud" is sure to one day become a true American classic.

3. The King's Speech
Everyone loves an underdog story, ones where people must overcome great odds in order to achieve greatness themselves. Released in 2010 and directed by Tom Hooper; the film is based off the true life story of King George the Sixth, who took the thrown upon his father's death when his older brother refused to take the thrown. The problem was that he had severe speech impediment, to the point where he couldn't even give public addresses without sounding like a stammering idiot. The film chronicles his work with speech therapist and overcoming his impediment. "The King's Speech" ended up winning best picture at the Oscars, but it is often called highly overrated and that the Oscar should have gone to "The Social Network." I never saw how people could consider this movie overrated. The acting is fantastic, the directing is top notch by Tom Hooper, it was well written with some very emotional moments, and some of the best production value we saw in a movie that year. I love this movie, it is the type of movie that makes me want to go out and conquer obstacles. So if you're looking for a feel good movie anytime soon, look no further.

2. Argo
It is truly hard to believe that Ben Affleck, the actor who starred in cinematic abominations like "Daredevil" and "Gigli," has become one of the most respected directors currently working in Hollywood; talk about a career comeback. Affleck made his directorial debut back in 2007 with the mystery film "Gone Baby Gone," which was widely considered one of the best films of the year. In 2010 he directed the crime drama "The Town," which received wide acclaim and a best supporting Oscar nomination for Jeremy Renner. While both of those movies were great, his third film "Argo" blew both of them out of the water. It tells the true life story of a secret CIA operation to save several Americans who were taken in by the Canadian ambassador in Tehran during the Iranian Hostage Crisis. While the movie did receive some criticism for not being entirely historically accurate, the film was lauded by both critics and audience; it went on to become a huge box office success and even won three Oscars, including best picture. Great acting, a fantastic screenplay, and an almost unbelievable story add up to one of the most suspenseful movies you'll ever see.

1. Zero Dark Thirty
In 2001, the terrorist group Al Qaeda committed the worst terrorist attacks in human history when they hijacked several planes and flew them into the World Trade Centers and the pentagon. After that the leader of the group and one of the master minds behind the attack, Osama Bin Laden, became public enemy number one. "Zero Dark Thirty" revolves around a CIA agent named Mia, who helps lead the charge in the hunt for Bin Laden. Directed by Kathryn Bigelow, from the first minute to the final scene this movie was nothing short of astounding. Showing the dark and dirty side of war and the questionable tactics the American government used during the recent wars in the Middle East, this movie is not for the faint of heart and drew a lot of controversy for its depiction of American torture tactics. For the entirety of the 21st century, the entire world has stood in fear of the threats of terrorists. It wasn't until Osama Bin Laden's death in 2011 that many were able to rest easy and breathe. Thrilling from start to finish, an intense screenplay, one of the best performances from a female lead ever, and one of the single greatest and nerve racking scenes ever shown on the silver screen are featured in this movie. While not for everyone, in my mind this film is astonishing; I think it was Forbes Magazine that described this movie best, "Zero Dark Thirty is a film to define a decade."

Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number Review

     In the video game industry, publishers have often given themselves bad names. Electronic Arts, Activision, and Ubisoft are the three biggest publishers in the in the business, but are absolutely hated among fans. EA was even voted the worst company in America twice by consumers. Fortunately though there is at least one publisher out there that people absolutely love, Devolver Digital. Known for publishing indie games that would have trouble getting made without their support; Devolver Digital is loved among many hardcore gamers. They published the recent "Serious Sam" games, "Shadow Warrior," "OlliOlli," "The Talos Principle," and several highly anticipated upcoming titles; yet there crowning achievement was bring Dennaton Game's "Hotline Miami" to the masses. An immediate success, the game was met with wide critical acclaim and good sales. Highlighted by difficult combat, a unique art style, and one of the best soundtracks ever put into a game, "Hotline Miami" became an instant fan favorite; personally, I'd rank it among some of my all time favorite games. So ever since the sequel was announced, I've been jacked. So after over two years waiting I finally got to play it, and "Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number" is everything a sequel should be.

     The majority of the story takes place after the events of the first game, where an unnamed character only known as Jacket massacred the Russian mafia in Miami when he was manipulated by phone messages. After he finished off the boss, he was almost immediately arrested, but public reaction to his arrest was mixed; many calling him a hero and others want to burn him at the steak. The story follows several different characters; a group of Jacket's fans, a detective investigating Jacket, an actor in  a slasher movie slowly losing his mind, a writer wanting to learn more about Jacket, a man named Jake who is being influenced by the same people who controlled Jacket, and a few others. Each character has their own motives and is willing to do anything to complete them. At the center of each story is a conspiracy, but by the end of the story will the characters even want to know the truth.

     There is a proverb from an old Hindu scripture called the Bhagavad Ghita that goes, "Now I am become death, the destroyer of worlds." Throughout my entire time playing "Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number," that quote describes how I felt. Playing this game, you are death incarnate. It is fast, furious, and phenomenal. For me what has really set this series apart has to be the gameplay, which can be hard to describe without actually showing any. In essence, the game is a top down, hyper violent action, stealth, and strategy game where you and enemies die from one hit. You can use a variety of weapons, both firearms and melee weapons, as well as your fists. I fell in love with the first game because of its combat; it's incredibly difficult and requires split-second timing. The gameplay has been tweaked from the first game to make it even better, small things but when playing it you can tell. An interesting element of the first game was the use of masks; at the beginning of the level in "Hotline Miami" you chose a mask to put on and each had a special ability, like the ability to see farther or take an extra hit before you die. They were small assists but they helped, in "Wrong Number" not every character has a mask but the masks feel much more useful when you can use them. For example, choosing the duck mask allows you to play as two people at once. One wields a chainsaw and the other a gun. Another example would be the bear mask, which allows you to dual wield SMGs at the start of the level and shoot in opposite directions. So while there are fewer masks in "Wrong Number" than in its predecessor, each mask feels like it makes a bigger difference. The game also features even better level design. The game feels more diverse, taking place in a variety of locations; each one featuring something different. Each character you play as also has something interesting about them, for example, the journalist you play as isn't a killer. When you play as him many of his attacks are non lethal and he can't use guns, adding a new challenge to overcome. The only problem I have with the game play would be the difficulty in some levels; I love the fact the game is challenging, that's what made the first game so fulfilling, but this one has a few levels that feel nearly impossible to beat and takes away from the fun. When you talk to gamers about "Hotline Miami," what you will hear most about is the soundtrack. The first game has one of the greatest soundtracks you will ever hear in a video game, it's as simple as that; and as amazing as it sounds, the same goes for "Wrong Number." When I play video games I will often watch Netflix or YouTube in the background, but I never did that when playing this game. The soundtrack is so good, I actually downloaded it to my phone. Even if you don't play the game, the soundtrack is worth the listen. One of the problems I had with the first game was that I never really paid attention to the story. As interesting as it was, I never really cared about what happened; I can't say the same for this one. The variety of unique characters plus the several different stories make the whole game that much better. I also feel that the game was more confident with its storytelling and was willing to go where the previous wouldn't. This was a game that I had been waiting two years for, and after playing it I am satisfied. It takes what already was a great game and improves on it with several new mechanics and elements. "Wrong Number" feels like the game the series was always meant to be; for what it is, it is near perfect. If you liked the previous game you will like this one, if you didn't like the previous game you probably won't like this one. If you haven't played the first one, you are living your life wrong. One thing that is important to note it that this game is controversial to say the least. It is incredibly violent with lots of blood and gore, and is not meant for the squeamish. What really rubbed a lot of people wrong was the opening level. In the opening level you play the movie star who is filming a scene in which you sexually assault a woman. It was so controversial the game has been banned in Australia. If you are really uncomfortable regarding that subject matter, there is an option to skip the scene which may appease some people. So while it may not be meant for everyone, it is something I live. This game is like a combination of "Drive," "Miami Vice," "A Clockwork Orange," and "Grindhouse." "Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number" is something special, a sequel that truly does its predecessor justice. From the opening level you get to step into the role of the destroyer of worlds, and it will make you wish other games were as awesome as this one. 

Pros: Award worthy soundtrack, pitch-perfect gameplay, challenging but satisfying, great art style, variety of unique characters, interesting story, phenomenal level design, masks play a bigger role, small tweaks to gameplay work great.

Cons: Story can be hard to follow, some levels are annoyingly difficult. 

4.5/5 Stars

Chappie Review

     In 2009, South African director Neil Blomkamp broke onto the film making scene with his directorial debut "District 9." Noted for its small budget, complex themes, unique plot, and world class CGI, it became a huge critical and commercial success. Four years later, Blomkamp's follow up film Elysium was released; while the film was met with much less positive reviews it still garnered many fans and made even more money at the theater than "District 9." Since "Elysium" many have wrote Blomkamp off as a one hit wonder, a director whose ambition is greater than his skill and that "District 9" was a fluke. I never believed that, I saw a visionary director who is only trying to find what works for him. I've always thought that he has the talent to be the next great science fiction director. And considering he has been slated to write and direct the next film in the "Alien" franchise, it looks like I'm not the only one who thinks he has talent. He had a hit and then a miss and now with his third science fiction film "Chappie," it might actually be time for me to give up on Blomkamp.

     In the near future Johannesburg, South Africa has descended into chaos. With a crime rate through the roof the local police department is looking for anything to help. A private military comes forward to show a type of defense robot called the scout. Programmed to help the police, they make the company an instant success. The robots were designed by a brilliant young programmer named Deon Wilson, who hopes that he can create artificial intelligence. One day while programming at home he thinks that he has finally created a self thinking program and wants to be able to upload it to one of the robots, but is quickly shut down by his boss. He decides to take one of the robots himself and upload the program at home, but while leaving the factors he is kidnapped by some local criminals. They want to know a way to be able to shut down the robots. Deon claims they can't be shut down and promises that in exchange for his life he will give them the robot he has. Working quickly he uploads the program, and surprisingly it works. While it essentially has the mind of a child, it learns quickly. And from then on, Chappie was alive. 

     Like I said earlier, I have faith in Neil Blomkamp; I think he is a talented director with a lot of potential. That being said, "Chappie" is an overwhelming let down. One thing Blomkamp always does right with his movies is the CGI and cinematography, both of which are highly featured in this movie. The film looks phenomenal, and has some of the best CGI you'll likely see in a movie this year. It also takes place in a very interesting world. The run down Johannesburg shown in the movie is reminiscent or Detroit in "Robocop." Probably the highlight of this movie would be the character Chappie. He is the most lovable character we've seen in a movie since Baymax from "Big Hero 6." Watching him grow from what is essentially an infant into a hero is really cool, and he is the best party of the movie. Another thing this movie does well is that it will make you think about what constitutes as life. Just like the movie "Her" this AI thinks and feels like any other person, so would you say it is alive or not. I like movies that make you step back and think about things like that, it adds an extra layer to the movie. Unfortunately though, those few things are all that this movie did right. Arguably the biggest problem with this movie would be the characters, other than Chappie you never care about any of them; several major characters you won't even like. By the end I didn't care who lived or died; and that brings us to another serious problem, the ending. It can best be described as disappointing. I can't go into detail without spoiling it, but if you see this movie you'll watch the last 20 minutes and say "well that was kind of stupid." "Chappie" is an underwhelming movie, it had so much potential but it was wasted; and Neil Blomkamp is the one to blame. Not because of his directing, he's pretty good at that, it's his writing. He co-wrote this screenplay and it's pretty poorly written at times. The dialog and story arcs just didn't work a lot of the time, and his future movies would benefit if they were written by someone else. I really wanted to like this movie, but I didn't. This movie had so much potential, it could have been something special, but it was just sub-par. Blomkamp has a lot of talent when it comes to directing, it is obvious he has a vision of what he wants his movies to be, and I think the best thing he can do is let someone else write them. Blomkamp reminds me of George Lucas; they're great at creating interesting worlds, unique stories, and have some very good directorial abilities. But they lack what is needed to pen a great script. "Chappie" was one of my most anticipated movies of the year, but after sitting through it I can say with confidence that it is not a movie I feel the need to watch again. 

Pros: Great CGI, very nice cinematography, presents some questions about what life really is, takes place in an interesting world, Blomkamp has directing skills, Chappie is a lovable character.

Cons: Several unlikable characters, poorly written, disappointing ending, ultimately underwhelming.

2.5/5 Stars