The Nice Guys Review

     Back in the 80s and part of the 90s, the buddy-cop style movie was all the rage. Series like "Bad Boys" and "Lethal Weapon" became huge box office draws and entertained movie goers all around the world. But in recent years that specific genre of film has become less and less popular. Off the top of my head the only two of those types of movies I can think of that came out recently were "Ride Along" (and its sequel) and "Let's be Cops" (none of which were good). It's hard to say why genres of movies gain and lose popularity over time, but most chock it up to the changing of tastes. And now in comes Shane Black. Black is most well known for directing the blockbuster hit "Iron Man 3," and the cult classic "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang." Apparently a few years back Black started to write a buddy-cop style script, but once finished had some trouble getting it made. After being passed around for a while it finally got green lit and started pre-production, and it was later announced that it would star Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling in the lead roles. One of my most anticipated movies of the year; we finally get a look at "The Nice Guys." So now the question remains, can Shane Black save a genre that seems to be on its way out?

     Set in the 70s, "The Nice Guys" follows the story of two unlikely heroes; Jackson Healy, an enforcer who gets paid to beat people up, and Holland March, a private detective trying to work while making time for his daughter. When March picks up a case revolving around a dead porn star, he ends up trying to track down a young woman named Amelia; but when Amelia learns that she's being followed, she hires Healy to beat March up. After Healy does his thing, he heads back to his apartment where he's jumped by two goons looking for Amelia. He manages to escape and meats up with March to figure out what's going on. While reluctant, March agrees after Healy pays him a few hundred dollars. So the two set out to discover what's going on, little did they know this mystery was bigger than they could have imagined.

     In all honesty I have never seen Shane Black's first film "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang," I've only seen his second movie "Iron Man 3." So based off his previous movies, I wouldn't exactly call him a top notch director. But I must give credit where credit is due; "The Nice Guys" is fantastic. Black did an amazing job with this movie, and removed the bad taste left in my mouth from "Iron Man 3." He also co-wrote the movie, and as of right now it might be the best original screenplay we've seen this year. The plot acts as an interesting mystery, and is filled with more than a few funny bits that had me laughing until my sides hurt. The movie also does a great job using its 1970s backdrop to its advantage; the way the movie was designed and made makes it feel remarkably old school and actually reminds me of some of the movies from that era. What I feel most people will walk away with from this movie would have to be the performances. Every actor in "The Nice Guys" does a great job, and the two leads, Ryan Gosling and Russell Crow, have fantastic chemistry together and did a great job playing off each other. I also have to give credit to Angourie Rice, who played Gosling's daughter Holly. She gave a really good performance, especially for a kid, and had some of the best bits in the movie. I also have to touch on the action scenes, which to be honest caught me by surprise. There are a few shootouts and fist fights in this movie that are surprisingly well done and intense. They reminded me of the "Lethal Weapon" action scenes, and they are pure entertainment, my only real problem with this movie would have to be that at times the plot can get a little confusing. Every now and again the plot jumps around, and since so much happens it can be a little hard to follow. But if I had to guess I'd say that I probably wouldn't have these issues upon other viewings. "The Nice Guys" was a pleasant surprise; I hoped it would be good but was unsure what the final product would be like. But to my own surprise it turned out to be one of my favorite movies of the year so far, as well as one of the best. 

Pros: Great performances from the whole cast, fantastic chemistry from the leads, well written screenplay, very funny, interesting mystery, well done action scenes, great direction from Shane Black, good use of 70s backdrop, feels old school. 

Cons: Plot can be hard to follow at times.

4.5/5 Stars

Uncharted 4: A Thief's End Review

     Over the years Sony has had many icons for their PlayStation consoles. Crash Bandicoot, Ratchet & Clank, Sackboy, Kratos, Sweet Tooth, as well as several others. But since 2007, the character that has become PlayStation's most significant icon has been Nathan Drake. "Uncharted: Drake's Fortune" was released in 2007 to wide acclaim from critics and audiences, and was considered to be one of the PS3's first significant and outstanding exclusive games. Developed by Naughty Dog, the game was lauded for its impressive action set pieces, but more notably its storytelling. The plot, characters, and dialog were nearly universally praised, and was considered to be one of the finest single player experiences ever made. Two years later a sequel was released, "Uncharted 2: Among Thieves," which to this day is still considered to be one of the greatest games ever made. It improved upon its predecessor in every single way, and while playing it you felt you were in an "Indiana Jones" movie. And two years after that, a third game was released titled "Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception." While critics and audiences weren't quite as impressed as they were with the previous games, it still was the recipient of many "game of the year" awards from various publications. For years, people were certain that "Uncharted 3" was the final game in the acclaimed series. But in 2014 a sequel was announced, "Uncharted 4: A Thief's End." Originally slated for a 2015 release, the game was met with a handful of controversies, the lead writer of the series Amy Hennig leaving Naughty Dog, and technical issues resulting in the single player having a lower frame rate than originally planned, the game was pushed back to 2016. But now after two years of waiting it is finally out. And I can say without a doubt that not only was waiting for "Uncharted 4" worth it, the game ranks among the best I've played in years.

     Nathan Drake spent most of his life hunting for various treasures all over the world, but for the past few years he's left his wild adventures behind. He married the love of his life Elena, and works for a salvage company. Everything is perfectly normal until he hears a knock at his door, his brother Sam. After a job gone bad 15 years ago that resulted in Sam being shot, Nate assumed he was dead. Turns out he survived his wounds and has been rotting away in a South American prison. He escaped with the help of his cellmate, a notorious drug lord; and the only reason he helped Sam was because of pirate treasure. For years Nate, Sam, and their partner Rafe spent years looking for the lost treasure of Henry Avery, a pirate who in the late 1600s, with the help of various other pirate crews, pulled a heist that would be worth around $400 million. While in prison Sam told his cellmate about the treasure and that he knew where to find it, so in exchange for half the treasure he broke him out; the problem is that if he doesn't receive it in three months he'll kill Sam. Given no other option, Nate comes out of retirement one last time to save his brother. But of course, things are never easy with Nathan Drake. 

     I remember playing "Uncharted: Drake's Fortune" very shortly after its release back in 2007; I rented it from Blockbuster and played it non-stop since I had to return it within a week. Over the course of that week I fell in love with it and was excited to see where it would go. When the sequel was released in 2009, I picked it up on launch; and was blown away by how much of an improvement it was. My mom was so impressed by the game when she watched me play it she asked if she could give it a try. And in 2011 when "Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception" came out, I lost myself in that world again. A lot of people criticize the third installment in the series, but I still think that it's an amazing game with some truly memorable set pieces. Upon completion the third game I was sad; because I was sure it was the end. So when one final game was announced I was so happy, and going into 2016 it was my most anticipated game of the year. And after playing it, the game certainly met that anticipation. First off, I just want to say how happy I am to see these characters again. Nate, Elena, and Sully are some of my favorite characters in all of gaming and seeing them in action again is so much fun. I also really like the new characters, Sam and the various antagonists are a welcome addition to the series in my opinion. The "Uncharted" series has always been known for its top notch voice acting, and "A Thief's End" is no different. Every actor puts a lot of character and emotion into their roles. And as always, Nolan North is amazing as the game's lead character. For those who don't know, North is one of the most famous, experienced, and respectable voice actors in the business. When it comes to games, he's often considered the guy who put the profession on the map. And in this game he partners up with another voice actor who has become a legend recently, Troy Baker who played Sam. Over the past few years Baker has played the lead roles in "The Last of Us," "Bioshock Infinite," "Infamous: Second Son," "Middle-Earth: Shadows of Mordor," and "Tales From the Borderlands;" as well as playing the main villain in "Far Cry 4," Ocelot in "Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain," and even voicing the Joker in "Batman: Arkham Origins." He really has become the go to guy for voice acting, and he was great as Sam. One of the biggest improvements over the previous games has to be the visuals. The "Uncharted" games have always looked good, but this one takes it to a different level. The graphics are incredible, the world design and aesthetics are beautiful, and impressive characters models make "Uncharted 4" the best looking game I've ever seen on console. The PS4 has been criticized for its lack of power in the past, but this game shows that a talented development team can get a lot out of the system. The game also has an astonishing level of detail, both in the environments and its interactions. During one portion of the game you slide down a rocky hillside, and if you shoot at the rocks you can actually cause them to slide. That is a level of detail that most developers would have ignored. But "Uncharted 4" is a showcase proving that Naughty Dog is the best development studio working right now. What has also improved is the overall gameplay. Everything feels more refined and tight. The previous games felt a little sluggish when you moved around, but I felt it a lot less with this one. The combat feels more dynamic and free-climbing feels more responsive. Now, what this series has always been lauded for has been its storytelling; and this installment is no different. The story is interesting and engaging from start to finish, filled with non-stop excitement, clever puzzles woven into the story, and astonishing set pieces and action sequences that I might never forget. The story and the dialog is well written and can go from happy and hilarious to somber and intense in a second. Very much like "Uncharted 2," this game manages the impressive feet of bridging the gap between video games and movies. The quality of the story telling, plot, dialog, set pieces, and performances feel like something you would expect from a big summer blockbuster. Making this one of the most exciting games I've ever played. In summation, I loved this game. It is the best game I've played so far this year, and one of the best games I've played in years. My complaints are minimal; the single player runs at only 30 frames per second which is a turn off for some people, and the big open-exploration areas can feel overwhelming at times. But other than those, I can't find much fault with this game. "Uncharted 4" is an astonishing piece of gaming that may go down as one of the best games ever made. As far as we know this will be the final installment in the franchise, if so "Uncharted 4: A Thief's End" is an incredible ending to one of the greatest series we've ever seen in gaming. 

Pros: Incredible graphics, improved and refined gameplay, beautiful world design and aesthetics, impressive character models, great characters new and old, interesting and engaging story, well written story and dialog, top notch voice acting, bridges gap between movies and games, amazing set pieces and action sequences, almost non-stop excitement, several clever puzzles, shows why Naughty Dog is the best studio working, impressive level of detail, an incredible ending to one of the greatest series in gaming, 

Cons: Single player runs at 30 fps, big open-exploration areas feel overwhelming.

5/5 Stars

Captain America: Civil War Review

     For years now, Disney has dominated the film industry with their massive Marvel Franchise. Consisting of 13 movies since 2008, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has dominated the box office with more than a few smash hits. Divided into phases, the franchise's second phase ended last year with the introduction of Ant-Man. Now phase three kicks off with one of the most anticipated movies of the year, "Captain America: Civil War." While the first "Captain America" was met with Luke-warm reviews, the sequel "The Winter Soldier" was met with much acclaim and is considered by a lot of fans to be the best Marvel movie. Many praised it for not just being an exciting action movie, but an intense spy thriller as well. It set a new standard for Marvel movies, and made "Captain America" the flagship series of the entire franchise. The latest installment, "Civil War," has had every fan jumping for joy since its announcement. Based off the comic of the same name, it brings in most of the existing characters in the franchise, as well as a few new faces that we've wanted to see for years. Made to set the stage for the movies to come, "Captain America: Civil War" might be the most important Marvel movie since "The Avengers." But not only does it manage to achieve those lofty goals, it stands out as the best Marvel movie made so far.

     About one year after the events of “Age of Ultron,” most of the Angers team are still together and fighting the good fight. But after an accident in Nigeria involving the Avengers that resulted in the deaths of several citizens from Wakanda, many of the world leaders started questioning the team. After that, a proposal was drawn up putting the Avengers under the control of the United Nations. While half the team, Led by Tony Stark, is on board saying that it's for everyone's protection, the other half, lead by Captain Steve Rogers, is against the proposal saying that it would take any sort of authoritative power the team had. While in Vienna at the ratification of the treaty, a bombing outside the building where the summit is being held results in the death of several innocent people. After security footage is released, many believe that the former Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes is behind it. An old friend of the Captain, he sets off to find Bucky but gets caught up in a whole new mess. With the team split in half, and many world governments against them, Captain America has to make a choice; do what he believes is right, or go against so many of his friends.

     Towards the beginning of the year I read a poll of a few thousand voters that claimed that "Civil War" was the most anticipated movie of the year, beating the likes of "Rogue One" and "Batman v Superman." And after seeing this movie, not only does it meet the high expectations people had for it, it greatly surpasses them. In short, "Captain America: Civil War" is the best entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe; and I'd go so far as to say that behind "The Dark Knight," it is the best superhero movie ever made. And the people behind this movie's greatness are the directors, the Russo Brothers. The Russo's were also the directors of "The Winter Soldier," and you can tell that they took what they learned from that movie and cranked it up to 11. And I am very happy that they will also direct both of the "Infinity War" movies. Like the previous movies in the franchise, "Civil War" is an always entertaining action movie at heart. But going even a step further than that, this is one of the best action movies I've seen in years. There were several incredible action sequences that are among film's greatest, and with some well done CGI and practical effects, the best stunt coordination I've seen since "Mad Max: Fury Road." But like "The Winter Soldier," this film is more than just another action movie. The story is exciting and engaging and always keeps you guessing. It also raises some interesting political questions that people could have long debates about. One of my biggest concerns going into this movie was about the two opposing sides of the movie. From the trailers they made it look like it was going to be hard to go against Captain America since he is one the side of personal freedom and making your own decisions. But they actually did a great job showing why Iron Man has made the choices he has. He makes some really good points about the greater good and taking responsibility for your actions, and I wouldn't be surprised if he changed a few minds. When it comes to performances, everyone did a great job. More than a few of the actors gave their best performances in their respective Marvel movies. But the movie didn't just have great returning actors, but some new ones as well. The MCU finally got its first look at Black Panther and Spider-Man played by Chadwick Boseman and Tom Holland, and they were fantastic. They both have the acting chops to pull these characters off and the portrayals as their heroes were great. Both stole a lot of the scenes they were in, and I immediately became excited for their upcoming movies. What really helped these characters was the movie's writing, which was great. The script and dialog was very well written, and the movie could turn from funny to heartbreaking in an instant. But with the story comes the film's single biggest problem, the villain. The entire movie, the villain was just used as a plot framing devices meant to move from scene to scene. I wasn't impressed by his plan or his motives, and by the end the reason he did everything just turned out to be cliché. Nothing against the actor who did a fine job, it's just that the character was so unmemorable; which is a shame because "The Winter Soldier" has one of the most intimidating antagonists of the whole franchise. Now this isn't a new thing, the MCU has had problems with making great villains in the past; but by now I was hoping they could fix that. But other than that one issues, this movie is damn near flawless. "Captain America: Civil War" managed to exceed my very high expectations and instantly become one of the best superhero/comic book movies ever made. It is exciting, action packed, and has a story that draws you in and never lets go. Marvel was looking to start off phase three of the MCU with a bang, and they managed to do that and then some. 

Pros: Best performances from the cast in Marvel movies, incredible action sequences, impressive stunt coordination, great direction from the Russo Brothers, funny and heartbreaking, well written dialog and script, engaging and exciting story, interesting politics, well done CGI and practical effects, always entertaining, great portrayals of new heroes, both Captain America and Iron Man have good points.

Cons: Unmemorable villain used only as a plot device.

4.5/5 Stars