Get Out Review

     Over the past few years, if any genre of film has suffered from a lack of quality, it would have to be horror. The horror genre has been struggling for some time now. The golden days of scary picks are long gone, and what we're left with are often found footage, jump scare, cash grabs. It's hard to imagine an entire class of movies suffering, but that's what has happened. While there have been some from the this current decade that stand out such as "Cabin in the Woods," "Let Me In," and "I Saw the Devil," pictures like these seem to be few and far between. So I always try to keep an eye out on potential treasures, and one such has been "Get Out." Acting as the directorial debut from Comedy Central star Jordan Peele, this movie has been turning heads since its first trailer. What has certainly helped its reputation has to be the reviews. Since its debut at Sundance, critical reception has been exceptional; the movie has even managed to maintain a rare 100% approval rating from Rotten Tomatoes (as of writing this review). So with my interest peaked, I went in with high expectations; and to cut to the chase, I was blown away.

     Chris and Rose are two young adults who have been dating for the past few months, when Rose invites Chris to meet her family. Nervous, he does have a question for Rose, "do her parents know he's black?" While apprehensive, he decides to go. Upon arriving in their upper-class neighborhood, he's met with a warm greeting from Rose's parents who constantly attempt to show their approval. While things appear normal, Chris can't help but feel that something is off after talking to some of the black workers around the house. Growing more uneasy by the second, Chris does his best to make sense of the situation.

     Considering how well this movie was received by critics, my expectations were higher than most. To my surprise, it vastly surpassed those expectations. Director Jordan Peele knocked it out of the park with this one. His direction is strong, with a clear vision of how the movie would play out; while incorporating plenty of cool and stylish imagery. If this is how well he does with his first feature film, I'm excited to see what he does in the future. And I got to say, his writing is great as well. Peele wrote the screenplay for this movie, and it really is brilliant. "Get Out" is incredibly suspenseful, and can often be quite terrifying. But at the same time manages to be very funny. There are several laugh out loud moments during this movie that had the entire theater falling out of their seats. Peele does a great job incorporating satire, while having thought-provoking social commentary at the same time. You don't expect a horror movie to have so much to say, but "Get Out" says it perfectly. The plot also manages to be original and constantly entertaining. This movie is like watching a puzzle be solved one piece at a time, knowing that the final picture isn't going to be a pretty one. One aspect of this movie that really surprised me has to be how great the acting was. Most horror movies lack when it comes to performances, but "Get Out" has strong acting all around. Special props have to go towards the lead actor Daniel Kaluuya; I guarantee we'll be seeing a lot more of him in the future. It sure helps that the main cast plays such memorable characters. Chris is a relatable protagonist that you truly root for, and the antagonists are people you love to hate. "Get Out" is something special; a truly unique horror movie, and the best I've seen from the genre in years. The only real problem would have to be some pacing issues between the more intense scenes. But even so, I absolutely loved this movie and can't recommend it enough. We're not even two full months into 2017, but I think I've already found the first movie that has a real shot at making my best of the year list.

Pros: Strong performances from the entire cast, memorable characters, well written screenplay, very funny, great use of satire, thought-provoking social commentary, incredibly suspenseful and often terrifying, strong direction from Peele, plenty of cool imagery, original and entertaining plot.

Cons: Some pacing issues.

4.5/5 Stars

John Wick: Chapter 2 Review

     When it comes to the world of film, few things are more enjoyable than a surprisingly good movie. Going into the theater expecting to see something awful and walking out truly enjoying a movie is one of my favorite things in the world. And few movies in the past few years were more surprising than "John Wick." Released in 2014, "John Wick" was an action thriller movie starring Keanu Reeves. The plot was simple; a former hitman seeks revenge on the people responsible for stealing his car and killing his dog. When I walked into the auditorium to watch "John Wick," I was expecting another run-of-the-mill "Taken" wannabe that we've seen so often this past decade. What I got was an exceptional action movie built around an interesting world where Reeves shines. A few months after its release, a sequel was announced. So for more than two years, fans of "John Wick" have been waiting patiently for the follow-up; finally we get "John Wick: Chapter 2." And much like its predecessor, it's a damn fine action film.

     John Wick was once the most dangerous hitman in the world, and was dubbed the Boogeyman; but after meeting the love of his life he retires from the game, only to come back after some gangsters kill his dog and steal his car. After his short return, he attempts to retire again; but after an old colleague comes by to cash in on a favor, Wick must come out of retirement once again or be killed for denying the favor. And like before, chaos and carnage follows Wick wherever he goes.

     "John Wick" was a surprisingly great movie, and one of the best we've seen from the action genre in years; and despite its issues, "John Wick: Chapter 2" is a bigger, better version of its predecessor. First off, I've got to give it to Keanu Reeves. He is the perfect actor for the title role. While Reeves isn't the best actor in the world, his mannerisms and movements translate perfectly to a tactical hitman style character like Wick. Like the previous movie, this is a phenomenal action flick. The action sequences are exceptional, with lots of close quarter’s combat that is a joy to watch. The choreography shines in every scene, especially in the up close fight scenes. This is a brutal, exciting film that never loses your interest and is always entertaining. The action is certainly helped by the well shot cinematography that never loses the viewers. One thing that really impressed me from the first film was the universe it took place in. There's so much going on with underworld assassination groups, international crime organizations, and so much more. It almost feels like a comic book universe at times. "Chapter 2" continues to build up this fascinating world, revealing it one step at a time while keeping you in the dark. This is due to improved writing over the first movie. While the overall plot isn't anything to write home about, and the dialog can get cheesy at times, "John Wick: Chapter 2" is a better written movie than "John Wick." Despite a few flaws, I loved this movie. It is an action thrill ride that never ceases to entertain or intrigue. This movie is how you do a sequel, keep what was great and address the problems. It has been confirmed that "John Wick: Chapter 3" is in development (be it a few years out) and I'm glad to hear it. This has become the next great action franchise; and all in all, I think "John Wick: Chapter 2" is one of the best action movies we've seen in years.

Pros: Keanu Reeves is the perfect John Wick, fantastic action sequences with great choreography, well shot cinematography, fascinating world building, exceptional entertainment, brutal and exciting, improved writing over predecessor.

Cons: Plot isn't anything to write home about, dialog can be pretty cheesy.

4/5 Stars

Fifty Shades Darker Review

     In 2005, the world was greeted with the first installment of the "Twilight" book series. A young adult’s vampire-romance novel, the book took the world by storm, selling millions of copies and spawning three sequels and five movies. While the whole series was met with mostly mixed to negative reviews from critics, fans couldn't get enough. You might be asking yourself, "Why is this guy talking about "Twilight?" The answer is simple, it led us hear. "Fifty Shades of Grey" was an erotic novel released in 2011 to immediate financial success, selling millions and spawning two sequels. The series originated from "Twilight" fan fiction, which is why we're here today. Not long after the series’ success, it was confirmed that the books would be made into a film franchise. The first installment was released in 2015; while it was panned by critics, the film quickly became one of the highest grossing R-rated movies of all time. The movie even made so much off of pre-sold tickets, that the studio greenlit two sequels before the initial release. I saw "Fifty Shades of Grey," and it was not good. While the director really seemed to try and salvage the movie, the bad acting, non-existent chemistry, cringe-worthy dialog, and an uninteresting story lead to one of the worst movies of the year. So how does the sequel fair compared to the original? It's more or less the same.

     After the events of "50 Shades of Grey," the series lead characters Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey are no longer together. They both try and get on with their lives, but feel a longing for each other. After running into each other at an art exhibit, the two come to an agreement and start anew. But personal problems and troubles from the past keep getting in their way.

     "50 Shades of Grey" was far from the best movie I've ever seen. It easily ranked among some of the worst movies of the year, and if I'm lucky I'll never see it again. Yet somehow, "50 Shades Darker" manages to be even worse. I'll stand by my belief that with "50 Shades of Grey," the director really tried to salvage that dumpster fire of a movie; but this one doesn't even have that. This movie feels like it has little to no direction for the entire run time, but when it's there it's weak to say the least. Beyond that, "50 Shades Darker" is bad in every way its predecessor was. The performances from the entire cast feels phoned in and unbelievable. It certainly doesn't help that the characters they play are extraordinarily unlikable; watching this movie, at no time was I rooting for the leads. And the story they are within is astonishingly uninteresting. The entire movie is just about two people dating; taking part in what is a very toxic relationship. For some reason, there are also several subplots that happen within the movie for no reason. They're just kind of there for no reason, and are solved quickly with no payoff at all. Like this movie's predecessor, the dialog of "50 Shades Darker" is incredibly cringe-worthy. No one talks like an actual person in this movie, but like cartoon characters of how people would actually behave. I also have to say, for a movie about sex, this movie isn't very sexy. Every "sexy scene" feels like a poorly shot soft-core porno. They've managed to make sex boring, just like they did with the rest of the movie. This is seriously one of the most boring films I've ever seen in the theater. I was checking my watch constantly hoping that it was almost over. And it didn't help that the cinematography was unimpressive and the soundtrack unmemorable. This is just such a vanilla, unremarkable, and boring movie. If I had to say something good about it, it would be that the movie's target market would probably like it a lot more than I did. But in all honesty, I hated this movie; it's worse than its predecessor, it's the worst movie I've seen this year, and is one of the worst movies I've seen since starting this blog. Unless you're someone who loved the series it's based off of, take my advice and do not go see "50 Shades Darker."

Pros: The target market will probably enjoy it.

Cons: Phoned in performances, unlikable characters, uninteresting story, cringe worthy dialog, weak direction, unimpressive cinematography, unmemorable soundtrack, subplots happen for no reason, boring, not very sexy.

.5/5 Stars