Kingsman: The Secret Service Review

     When you look at the spy genre now-a-days, you'll find almost nothing but serious movies. Ever since the "Bourne" trilogy and "Casino Royale," we've seen almost nothing but series spy thrillers. Every once in a while we'll get something a little more silly like the Roger Moore Bond films, but those are few and far between. And to be honest I kind of miss them. It's not that I don't like the series ones, "Casino Royal" and "Skyfall" are some of my favorite movies in recent years, but it's nice to have some variety. Fortunately director Matthew Vaughn is here to give us something a little different. Based off of a graphic novel I really liked, "Kingsman: The Secret Service" is if you took one of the Roger Moore Bond films and gave it an R rating, then added elements from "Kickass," "Men in Black," and "X-Men: First Class." Despite much skepticism of whether a movie like this would work in today's market or not, "Kingsman: The Secret Service" might be one of the biggest fan favorites of the year. 

     Gary "Eggsy" Unwin is a young man living at home with his mother and abusive stepfather; and despite being rather brilliant, he spends most of his time messing around with his friends. One day he gets into some serious trouble and is looking at jail time. He calls a number his mother told him to if he ever got in big trouble. Minutes later he is free to go. When leaving the police station he meets Harry Hart, a friend of Eggsy's deceased father. While grabbing a drink, he learns that Harry is much more than he appears after he beats up a group of hooligans. Harry eventually tells Eggsy that he and Eggsy's father worked for a secret organization called The Kingsman, a private spy agency that saves the world on a regular basis. Harry offers Eggsy a chance to become a agent; and despite the danger, Eggsy feels he doesn't have much to lose. 

     I decided to read the comic this movie was based off of after the movie was giver a release date. Wanting to learn more about the back story, I got a violent, over the top, and fun take on a modern spy thriller filled with cultural references. I immediately fell in love and read it in one sitting; afterwards I got scared for the movie. I wasn't sure if they were going to be able to pull off the tone of the movie without ruining the whole thing; but to my own relief, I think I liked the movie more than the book. It follows the comic for the most part; it keeps the overall plot while changing some characters and minor plot details. Every change works though, and will certainly keep fans of the comic happy. I wish that they had changed one plot point though, it's not a big thing but I would have appreciated if they had done it. What really makes this movie work would have to be the directing by Matthew Vaughn, he did it perfectly. He is great at these types of movies, and you can see him really put his passion into it. The one thing he may be best at though would be action, and you can see that in this movie. There are several awesome action sequences in this movie that will just have you smiling with glee. One particular fight in a church to the song "Free Bird" is enough to appease just about any person who goes to see this movie. The action is fast, furious, and in your face. To complement the action, the movie has a lot of humor that works great. You will laugh more than a few times. I will say though that the movie is a little violent for my taste. I'm not much of a fan of violence for the sake of violence, often it can actually pulls me out of the movie. It is every bit as violent as the comic, but it's just a personal gripe. The movie is filled with great performances that do a great job playing these wild and crazy characters. Of everyone though I think it was the actor who played Eggsy, Taron Egerton, who impressed me the most. This was a really breakout role for him and I hope he gets more parts. The only serious problem that faces this movie would be its pacing. You'll have a lot of excitement, then it stops dead in its tracks; and it does this more than once. The ending also feels like this a bit, but they do have a post credit scene that ends it a bit better. I absolutely loved this movie; from start to finish it was a blast. While it will certainly be to cartoony and silly for some, if you go into it to have a good time that is likely what you will get. The movie has the unfortunate luck of being released the same day as "Fifty Shades of Grey," which will likely crush it at the box office; but if this movie does well enough there has been talks of a sequel, which would just make my day. While it is by no means perfect, "Kingsman: The Secret Service" is a movie that is worth seeing and will likely be the most fun you have at the theater all year. 

Pros: Love letter to classic spy films, great soundtrack, filled with great performances, breakout role for Taron Egerton, does justice to source material, awesome action sequences, comedy works well, perfectly directed by Matthew Vaughn, several interesting characters.

Cons: Some pacing issues, a little more violent than I'd like, may be too cartoony for some.

4/5 Stars

Killers Review

     Over the past few years, we've seen a surge in the Indonesian film circuit from a variety of genres. Probably the most notable films to come out of the country recently would be "The Raid: Redemption" and its sequel; they are certainly the most high profile and well known, being box office successes outside of the country and drawing considerable critical acclaim. So when I saw that a new film was coming out made by several of the people that worked on "The Raid" films, my interest was immediately peaked. What I was expecting was another nonstop action roller coaster, what I got was pretty far from that. What I got, was a movie that could be listed among the classics of the psychological thriller genre.

     "Killers" follows the story of two men living in two countries; a young and wealthy sociopath named Nomura Shuhei in Japan, and a journalist named Bayu Aditya living in Indonesia. Nomura went off the rails after his sister killed herself when he was young, and has since started killing people for pleasure and taping the executions then uploading them on the internet; usually young women who looked like his sister. Bayu is divorced, barely holding on to any close relationships, whose career was destroyed when he went after a corrupt businessman. Towards the beginning of Bayu's story two men attempt to rob Bayu, but he fights back and kills them. Despite being in shock, he decides to film one of the men who is slowly dying and upload it to the internet; likely inspired after watching one of Nomura's videos earlier in the day. After uploading it online, he is traced by Nomura who then makes contact. Bayu realizes there is something inside of him, something that wants to kill. He then sets out to kill the businessman who ruined his life and slowly slips into his own darkness. Simultaneously, Nomura attempts to cultivate a real relationship with a young woman, only to find that it is more difficult than he thought it would be. Both men set out on their own paths rifled with twists and turns, and while they may not want to admit it, both know that they will crash eventually.

     Great psychological thrillers are few and far between now-a-days; the only recent one that really stands out would probably be David Fincher's "Gone girl." The genre just seems to be a lost art, with only a few modern directors like David Fincher being able to pull it off properly. Earlier I said that "Killers" was not what I was expecting, and that is a good thing; because alongside "Gone Girl", it is one of the best psychological thrillers I can think of released these past few years. This movie does what it is supposed to do; it is absolutely thrilling and incredibly suspenseful during several scenes. I attribute this to the directors, who did a great job. As I said earlier, this movie was put together by several of the people who worked on "The Raid" movies, and you can definitely see the impact those movies had on "Killers." The cinematography, style, and even the score are very similar, which is a good thing. This movie looks beautiful, and it has a certain professionalism we don't see from many movies like it. To be honest, I would say this movie falls under the sub genre of torture porn. For those who don't know, torture porn movies are usually horror or thrillers in which it derives entertainment from people dying. It's a sub genre with a niche following; and depending on the film, I may be a fan. And I will say "Killers" is one of the best, and most professional looking, torture porn films in years, What helps isn't just the style and the look of the film, but the acting as well. The two leads actually do a very good job in their roles, with each bringing something to their character. They are helped by a well written script with interesting themes of pleasure and retribution. The movie almost acts as a character study. Nomura, a man who has walled himself off from the rest of the world, does attempt to have an actual relationship only to realize that it is much more difficult than he realized it would be. And Bayu, a docile and unimposing man, attempts to take action into his own hands and failing stupendously. The way they evolve and change is very interesting to watch, and it is effective. Despite how much I was impressed by this movie, it does suffer some problems. First off, the movie is borderline misogynistic. All the female characters are poorly portrayed, and most are there just to be killed at some point. The movie is also about 15 to 20 minutes to long. If this movie was just under two hours long, it would have been perfect. And one thing worth noting, while it's not a problem for me, I should mention this movie is not for the faint of heart. It is incredibly violent; the opening scene is a woman getting beaten to death with a hammer. If you can get past that scene you should be fine, but if it makes your stomach turn this isn't the movie for year. I think what I liked most about this movie was that it was both different and better than what I thought it would be. From the opening scene to the thrilling final moments, "Killers" is an incredible piece of blood and carnage. Fans of the genre will watch this and instantly fall in love, others will turn away and call it sick; but if you can sit through it, "Killers" will be a movie that stays with you. 

Pros: Solid performances from the leads, beautiful cinematography, great directing from the Mo Brothers, well written screenplay, very suspenseful and downright thrilling, interesting character study, fitting music, themes of pleasure and retribution, the best torture porn film in years.

Cons: Poorly portrayed female characters, not for the faint of heart, 15-20 minutes too long.

4.5/5 Stars

5 Movies to Look for in 2015

Honorable Mentions: Inside Out, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay- Part 2, Terminator: Genisys, The Good Dinosaur, Ant-Man, Midnight Special, Mission: Impossible 5, Chappie, Kingsmen: The Secret Service.

Runner-Up: Jurassic World
In 1993, Steven Spielberg's science fiction film "Jurassic Park" took the world by storm; it became the highest grossing film of all time and was praised for having some of the best visual effects ever put into a movie. Over the next several years there were two sequels, neither of which were particularly good. For years most people just assumed that the series was dead, but a while back it was announced that a new film was in the works. A trailer was released in late 2014, and people seem split. Many, such as myself, are optimistic and really want this movie to be great like the original; but a lot of people aren't so sure. "Jurassic Park" was one of those movies that I remember fondly from my childhood, and I want nothing more than this new film to capture my imagination and inspire awe like the first one all those years ago.

5. Mad Max: Fury Road
This was a movie that I had no interest in seeing up until a couple of weeks ago, but once I saw the most recent trailer I was sold. The "Mad Max" series has been rather hit and miss; the first and third film are alright, but the second movie "The Road Warrior" ranks among the greatest action movies of all time. Overall, it's a good series; so when I heard that the series was getting a re-boot, I was nervous. I was given solace that the director of the original trilogy would be returning, but I still wasn't convinced. But in late December, a new trailer was released and it looks awesome. The style, the over the top action, and what appears to be practical effects makes the movie look great. While we won't know how the movie is until its release, "Mad Max: Fury Road" at least looks like it is trying to do justice by the original movies.

4. The Avengers: Age of Ultron
I remember when "The Avengers" came out in 2012 and being very unsure about it. While all the super heroes involved worked in their own movies, I really wasn't sure you could just throw all of them into a movie and tell a good story in two hours; it's not like the comics where you could have however many issues you needed. I thought the movie would have been a "too many cooks in the kitchen" scenario. To my surprise, the movie worked; it's even arguably the best movie of the Marvel cinematic universe. So going into "The Avengers: Age of Ultron," I'm a little bit more confident; and if it's anything like the trailers we've seen so far, it's likely that it's going to be awesome. 2014 was a great year for the Marvel universe, with "Guardians of the Galaxy" and "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" being commercial and critical successes, so if I'm certain of anything it's that "Age of Ultron" has a lot to live up to.

3. Spectre

For as long as I can remember, the James Bond series has been by far my favorite movie franchise. Like millions of others, when I was a kid I wanted to grow up to be Bond. Has every movie been good? No. Of the over 20 movies, I'd say less than 10 are actually good and the rest mediocre to bad. I'd go so far as to say that "Octopussy" could be listed alongside some of the worst movies of all time. Over the past few years though, the series has received some flak from long time fans. The classic, over the top style has been replaced with gritty realism since "Casino Royale" in 2006. Personally, I love it. "Casino Royale" and the latest film "Skyfall" are my favorite movies in the franchise. So when I heard that the next film "Spectre" would be directed by Oscar winner Sam Mendez, revolve around the evil group mentioned in the first film, and have Christoph Waltz as the leading villain, I got rather excited.

2. The Hateful Eight

The day I am not excited for Quentin Tarantino's next movie is the day I decide to end it all. Tarantino is my favorite director of all time, who made my favorite movie of all time "Pulp Fiction." I love all his movies and have just about everyone on DVD or Blu-Ray. His last movie Django Unchained was even my favorite movie of 2012, so as you could imagine the moment I heard he was doing another spaghetti western I immediately got very excited. While it came close to not happening, after the screenplay was leaked and Tarantino threatened to cancel it, he decided to go through with it and is currently being filmed. Set to come out in late 2015, I guarantee that I will be first in line to see it. Tarantino is one of the best directors to ever step behind a movie camera, and his work will always be worth looking out for.

1. Star Wars: the Force Awakens

I've waited my entire life for a new "Star Wars" film, one that doesn't suck anyway; and never has that been more of a possibility until now. When it was announced that Disney had bought Lucas Arts, many hoped that a new film in the series would happen; a true and honest sequel to the original trilogy. It wasn't long before it was confirmed that a new movie would go into production. Set to take place after the events of the original trilogy with some of the old stars as well as a new ensemble, filming just recently wrapped up. With a release date of December 2015, this movie has millions all around the world holding their breath in anticipation. With George Lucas having nothing to do with it, and being directed by a visionary like J.J. Abrams, this is the movie we've all been waiting for. Now we just have to hope.

5 Best Shows to Ever be Canceled

Honorable Mentions: Deadwood, C.S.I. Miami, Happy Endings.
Note: This list consists of shows that at were canceled at some point during their run; if a show was canceled but later renewed, it can still qualify for this list.

Runner-Up: Heroes
"Heroes" is a mixed bag if there ever was one, the first season was absolutely fantastic. Praised by both critics and audiences the show was met with stellar ratings and seemed that the show could only go up. Yet somehow, the show just dive bombed. The second season was just terrible, with convoluted plots and losing everything the first season had going for it. The show continued for two more lackluster seasons, but always had a devout following. After ratings plummeted over the course of the series, NBC canceled the show. A fifth season has been announced and is scheduled to air sometime in 2015, but little else is known. Plot, characters, and even actors have been kept in discretion. I loved this show, even the bad seasons, so I want to believe that the new season will capture what made the first season so great. All I know is that we will find out soon.

5. Veronica Mars
I'm not afraid to admit it, "Veronica Mars" is my all time favorite show; despite being made for teenage girls, this was some compelling TV. Premiering in 2004, the show follows the daughter of a private detective who starts to follow in her father's footsteps as she starts to take on her own cases as well as survive high school in her upper class area. The show was loved by critics and had a very devout following nicknamed "marshmallows," but low ratings ultimately lead to the show's cancellation. Despite protest from fans, there was no word of future story lines for over five years; but in 2013, the show's creator put up a Kickstarter for a "Veronica Mars" movie which ultimately aired in 2014. Not long after the movie was released a book taking place after the movie came out, and a second book is scheduled to come out sometime in 2015. As a fan of the show, the continuation of the story and characters was all I needed. While I'll always wish "Veronica Mars" would come back in full force to TV, for now I am contempt.

4. Family Guy
Looking back, it's pretty hard to believe that this show could have been possibly canceled. Created by Seth McFarlane and premiering in 1999, "Family Guy" was essentially a cruder version of the "The Simpsons." The first season was met with outstanding ratings, being one of the most watched shows on TV; but the next two seasons suffered a bit. Even with the dip in the ratings, the show still pulled good numbers; but for some reason, Fox decided to cancel the show after the third season. Outraged, fans protested; yet for two years there was no future in sight. The show gained a strong cult following and had outstanding DVD sales, that plus messages from the fans eventually caused Fox to bring back the show in 2005. Ever since "Family Guy" has stood as one of the network's most popular programs.

3. Futurama

"Futurama" may have been the show with nine lives, unfortunately though it ran out of its lives eventually. From the creator of "The Simpsons," Matt Groening, the show took place a thousand years in the future and revolved around the Planet Express delivery crew. Premiering on Fox in 1999, the show was an instant success with critics and audiences, and won dozens of awards over the years. Despite all of this, the show was not renewed by Fox in 2003. After a few years, it was announced the Comedy Central had acquired the rights to the show and brought it back in 2008 to the joy of many fans. Comedy Central continued the show with a fifth, sixth, and seventh seasons, but in 2013 it was announced that the show would be canceled for a second time. Since the cancellation, there has been no confirmation of future episodes. Even so, "Futurama" will live on as one of the best animated shows to ever air on TV. And if there really are no more seasons in the works, fans can at least be happy with the last beautiful and heartfelt final episode.

2. Arrested Development
We're really starting to see a trend with great shows getting canceled by the Fox network. "Arrested Development" is a comedic sitcom following the misadventures of a once wealthy and prominent family, who has fallen on hard times after the patriarch of the family is arrested. Featuring an assortment of unique and interesting characters, "Arrested Development" may be the greatest comedy of all time. Praised by critics and winning several awards during its original run, it looked like the show was going to have a long and stoic lifetime; but then again, it was on Fox. After the third season the show was abruptly canceled, dashing the hopes of many fans. But in 2012, it was announced that Netflix had acquired the rights to the show and would be creating new episodes. While the fourth season lost much of the charm the first three had, it was great to see it back. While the future of the series is still in question, with a fifth season or the long anticipated movie still unconfirmed I'm sure we haven't seen the last of "Arrested Development."

1. Firefly

Was there really any other choice for the top spot on this list? Created by Joss Whedon, Firefly is a western, space opera taking place about five hundred years in the future. After most of the resources on Earth are used up, humans terraform another solar system consisting of dozens of inhabitable planets and hundreds of moons. The story revolves around a crew of smugglers, who unknowingly take on two wanted criminals but decide to help them out due to their hatred of the government. "Firefly" was something special; it featured great characters, smart writing and story lines, and one of the most fantastical universes ever put into a TV show. Despite acclaim from critics and fans the show was ultimately canceled after the first season, and all because Fox is run by a bunch of f*cking morons. For some reason, Fox decided to air the episodes out of order, including the pilot which set up the entire show. And since the show's plot can be hard to follow at times, the series was doomed from the beginning. There is still a little piece of me that wishes the show would be brought back in some capacity, but I know it's not going to happen. There was a movie follow up entitled "Serenity," as well as several comics, but it's not the same. "Firefly" is one of my all time favorite shows, and it was canceled long before its time.

Selma Review

     I was born in a time were racism was only a fraction of what it once was in America. Now-a-days you are considered a son of a b*tch if you are racist in any way. During the early 1960s, it was normal in many parts of this country to hate a person because of the color of their skin. The institution of segregation and Jim Crow laws made life difficult and dangerous for any non white during the mid 20th century in America. There were many who opposed those laws, but only a few were truly successful; but of those who were, none did more to help the cause than Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. An advocate for nonviolent civil disobedience, MLK gained a huge following and organized dozens of mass protests to show opposition towards the way African Americans were treated in the United States. Despite his early demise, he managed to make more of a difference towards the betterment of our society than almost anyone in American history. So when you decide to make a movie about one of his most important acts of protest, it better be a damn good movie. Fortunately, that's exactly what "Selma" is.

     Taking place in 1964 and 1965, "Selma" picks up where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wins the Nobel Peace Prize. Shortly afterwards, it shows him in Washington D.C. as he talks to the president in an attempts to make that all blacks are given the opportunity to vote, especially in the south. After the president says there is no radical and immediate solution to the problem, MLK and his group decide to travel to Selma, Alabama to protest. After encountering opposition from the country sheriff and the state governor, MLK plans a march from Selma to the state capital Montgomery; but MLK has to make a choice. March and face potential death for him and all the other marchers, or live to fight another day. 

     Since the first review came out, there has been nothing but positive buzz about this movie; and after watching it I can see why. "Selma" is one of the best movies on race relations in America we've seen in years. It highlights a dark time in American history that often gets overlooked. It shows the time for what it was, sad. Like I said in my review of "The Imitation Game," in movies like this the entire film follows upon the shoulders of the lead actor. David Oyelowo is a British actor I had never heard of before this movie, but after seeing it I will make sure to remember that name. He gives a powerful performance as Dr. King, one of the best we've seen in a 2014 movie. He will almost certainly be nominated for best actor, and I would not be overly surprised if won. He manages to bring justice to Dr. King in his portrayal. Oyelowo is not alone though, every other actor and actress does a great job. It is often the job of the director to pull great performances from the actors, and director Ava DuVernay manages to do that. She does an absolutely fantastic job as the film’s director, and I really hope she gets nominated for best director. "Selma" also features a great and well written script; it has several incredibly emotional scenes that had people crying in the theater. One thing that I appreciate is that the movie doesn't only paint MLK as a saint all the time; so many movies like this portray the real life figure in a way where they can do no wrong. "Selma" points our MLK's flaws, both with his personal life as well as the failures he suffered fighting for civil rights. It does what a biographical drama should do, it shows why they're important but they are still human. "Selma" is great, there's no other way to put it. Despite being slow at times and being about 10-15 minutes longer than needed, it is great. The movie was only recently released in my area, but had a limited release back in December; making it a 2014 movie; if I had seen this back in December, it certainly would have been somewhere on my list of the 10 best films of the year. This is an important movie, a movie that everyone should see. If "Selma" is playing anywhere near you, it is a must watch; I can't recommend you enough.

Pros: Oscar worthy performance from David Oyelowo, fantastic directing by Ava DuVernay, very emotional, well written script, several great performances, great representation of MLK, points out MLK's successes and failures, fitting soundtrack.

Cons: Slow at parts, a little longer than necessary.

4.5/5 Stars