Baby Driver Review

     Certain directors are known for being masters of a specific genre. Scorsese has gangster films, Spielberg has war, Hitchcock has thrillers, and Edgar Wright has action-comedies. Edgar Wright is a British director and writer who first got his start directing various shows back in the 90s, but had his first big break with 2004's "Shaun of the Dead" which is widely considered to be one of the best comedies of the decade, and one of the best zombie movies of all time, it's since become a cult classic. A few years later he released "Hot Fuzz" a ridiculous action-comedy that is lauded as well. And in 2010 he directed "Scott Pilgrim vs. The World," based off the comic of the same name; a movie that many would call one of their all time favorites. Wright has separated himself as one of the most talented British film directors in decades, so when I heard that he had another film in the works I was excited. "Baby Driver" first premiered at SXSW a few months back to wide acclaim from critics and audiences, and instantly became one of my most anticipated for the year. From the time I watched the first trailer, I knew "Baby Driver" was going to be something special. And after an agonizing delay, I finally got to watch it; and it's one of the year’s best movies.

     Baby is a young man living in Atlanta, and is a normal guy for the most part. He loves music, takes care of his disable foster father, and works as a getaway driver for a local crime boss. After, years ago, stealing a car from Atlanta kingpin Doc, Baby is forced to work for him for years to pay off a huge debt he owes him. Despite dreading the idea Baby agrees for fear of his own life and those near him, fortunately for him he's very good behind the wheel of a car and becomes a getaway driver. With only a few jobs left, Baby's almost out; but in the mean time he meets a beautiful young woman named Debora. They begin seeing each other and quickly fall in love; but just when Baby though he was almost out, things get a bit crazy.

     Being a big fan of Edgar Wright, I've been looking forward to this movie for the past few months. Knowing that Wright is an astonishingly talented director, and this is the type of movie he excels at, I had high expectations when walking into the theater; and to my surprise, it's even better than I expected it to be. All the credit in the world has to go to Wright for his exceptional direction, and the well written screenplay filled with clever dialog. He finds a good balance of hilarious jokes, sincere and surprise emotion, and very serious situations. The characters he wrote are memorable, layered, and unique. Each one feels like they could star in their own movie; Wright put more into the minor characters than most writers put in their lead. I really liked the love story as well; often with movies like this, the romance feels tacked on and unnecessary. But in "Baby Driver" it's believable and likable; you really root for the young couple to succeed. It sure does help though that every actor in this movie does a great job, and truly encompass their character. Wright's direction is really shines during the action sequences. There are only a few, but they are awesome. Whether it be the insane car chases or the fast and frantic shoot-outs, this movie has its fair share of thrills. The cinematography is well done as well. Featuring just about every camera trick in the book, the best way I've seen someone describe the cinematography is fluid. You always have eyes on the prize. This movie also does something rather difficult to do, it is always entertaining. At no point during this movie was I disinterested; while I do think the film was maybe 10-15 minutes to long, it never lost me. "Baby Driver" is the perfect mix of style and substance, and is an example of Edgar Wright at his best. Whether it be the action, the comedy, or even the killer soundtrack, there's something for everybody. It's not just one of the best movies of the year; it's one off my favorites.

Pros: Great performances from the entire cast, exceptional direction from Edgar Wright, awesome action sequences, well written screenplay with clever dialog, very funny but surprisingly emotional, memorable characters, killer soundtrack, great cinematography, always entertaining, believable/likable romance, perfect mix of style and substance.

Cons: 10-15 minutes too long.

5/5 Stars

Wonder Woman Review

     Over the past decade, comic book movies have been all the rage. The rise of Disney's "Marvel Cinematic Universe" has brought "nerd" culture to the forefront of the mainstream. The series quickly became the highest grossing film franchise in history, and Warner Bros. wanted a piece of the pie. In 2013, WB released "Man of Steel," a grittier film revolving around the legendary character Superman directed by Zack Snyder. While many were hoping it would be like "The Dark Knight," it was anything but. Drab, boring, and all around bland, it was a bust; but that didn't stop WB. Not only did they confirm they were moving forward with more comic book movies, the announced the "DC Extended Universe." Three years later we received "Batman v. Superman," another dark super hero film that was going to put DC back on top; but it didn't. The film was panned by critics, and while the opening weekend was successful the movie ultimately underwhelmed at the box office. A few months later we got "Suicide Squad," a lighter film about a group of criminals forced by the government to fight an evil force. Much like "BvS," it was panned by critics and made less than the studio was hoping for. Three films, three duds. Many, including myself, had written off the DCEU. Then in comes the most well known female super hero of all. "Wonder Woman" was supposed to be the saving grace for this failing franchise and had fans around the world excited. While I've had my doubts about this movie, publicly saying that I had little to no hope for it, I'm a big enough man to admit I was wrong. "Wonder Woman" is great.

     Diana is a young woman living on the mystical island known as Themyscira, a place meant to shield the Amazonian warriors from the rest of the world. Diana is her people's princess, but has dreams of becoming a warrior herself. She trains daily, and ultimately becomes her people's greatest warrior. One day while on the island's edge she sees something she's never seen before, a plane falling from the sky. She swims out to it and saves the only passenger, Steve Trevor. Trevor explains that he is a spy working for British Intelligence to combat the Germans in World War 1. He has gained information crucial to the war and needs to get it back to the UK. Diana, believing the war is the doing of the god of war Aeries, agrees to help Trevor; and the two travel throughout the Europe to stop the Germans and save the world.

     As you could probably tell, I have not been a fan of the DCEU movies up to this point. They've been all style and no substance, and a waste of incredible source material. But after four years, the fourth movie in the DCEU finally gets it right. "Wonder Woman" may not be perfect, but it's impressive to say the least. First off, Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, she's fantastic, and the absolute perfect actress for the role. She really embodies the character and I can't imagine anyone else in the role. It helps that her co-stars all gave solid performances playing likable characters, with Chris Pine being a stand out. The movie's screenplay is well written, often intense and dramatic; it does a great job incorporating history into what was a rather interesting story; with the occasional splash of humor that works much better than any attempts in previous DCEU movies. And I want to credit the writers for paying respect to the source material in a way that other movies in this franchise have not (cough*Suicide Squad*cough). From the characters to the story, any changes made worked but still respected the classic stories that inspired it. And they also did a great job filling it with some kick-ass action sequences. Despite what it did well, there are a few problems that could have been addressed. The movie ends a bit suddenly, between the climactic battle and the end credits is only about five minutes or so, it feels like they wanted more time to wrap things up but weren't given it. And while the heroes were great, the villains were not. The film's antagonists were rather uninteresting and bland, and brought nothing to the movie. Now this isn't anything new to super hero movies, DC or even Marvel, but I just wish the villains in this movie were a bit more compelling. And if I had to nit-pick, a little too much slow motion shots during the action. But even with these issues, I really loved "Wonder Woman." Director Patty Jenkins helmed what is EASILY the best DCEU movie we've seen thus far and single handedly saved this sinking franchise; now I just hope no other directors drop the ball. I want to like the DCEU, but up to this point it has not unimpressed me; until now anyways. It took four years and four movies, by the DCEU finally produced a movie worth everyone's time.

Pros: Gal Gadot is exceptional as wonder woman, solid performances from the cast, well written screenplay, comedy works, great action sequences, likable characters, pays respect to source material, strong direction from Patty Jenkins, interesting story that uses history, best DCEU movie by miles.

Cons: Too much slow motion, ends a bit suddenly, villains are a bit weak.

4/5 Stars

Samurai Jack Season 5 Review

     During the early 2000s, Cartoon Network was going through some changes. Some of their classics from the past were on the way out, and while they had a solid lineup at the time, they were looking for something new; then in comes Genndy Tartakovsky. Tartakovsky had worked with Cartoon Network for years, having created "Dexter's Laboratory" and his work on "The Powerpuff Girls." Tartakovsky pitched a styled action show about a samurai who was sent forward thousands of years in the future after a battle with an ultimate evil known as Aku. The samurai spends the rest of his life undermining Aku's future and trying to get back to the past. The resulting series, "Samurai Jack," was widely acclaimed and has since become a classic; many even consider it the best show ever produced by Cartoon Network. Despite the acclaim, the show was abruptly canceled after the fourth, leaving fans high and dry with no conclusion. For years, all seemed lost; until Adult Swim came into play. Adult Swim is a branch of Cartoon Network whose shows play on the Cartoon Network channel late at night, and features more adult content. Adult Swim announced that they came to an agreement with Tartakovsky to do a fifth, and final season for "Samurai Jack." Finally, after 13 years, fans get the closure they deserved. And it is truly glorious.

     Our lead character, a samurai known simply as Jack, was a prince trained from birth to kill the evil force Aku. After finally becoming ready he fought Aku, but before he dealt the final blow Aku opened a portal and flung Jack thousands of years into the future where Aku rules over the world. After arriving, Jack realized the only thing he could do was find a way back to the past. He sets out looking for a way back home, fighting Aku at every turn; but Jack never makes it home. Aku was always one step ahead of him, and managed to destroy all the time portals, trapping Jack. 50 years passes and Jack is still stuck; but for some reason no longer ages. Stuck in the future with no way back, and haunted by the past and his personal demons, Jack scrapes by day to day with the only thing keeping him going is helping those in need. Jack is a broken man, but still looks for a way to return to the past, defeat Aku, and save the world.

     I have waited a long time for this series to conclude, but in the back of my mind I was scared about what would come of it. It's a crap-shoot whether or not a series will be good after a 13 year hiatus. In this case though, the show's better than ever. "Samurai Jack" is one of the best cartoons to air this century; it's not just an action show, it's a work of art. The love in care that goes into every single frame of this show are unmatched by most; and that love has continued into this fifth season. Being on Adult Swim, the show is far darker and more violent than what was previously seen. And since for the first time actual living organisms are being killed, unlike the first four seasons which were just robots, this gritty reboot lends itself perfectly to the existing action. Much like what we had seen before, every image is a painting. The style, design, artwork, and cinematography are stunning. Almost every single shot in this show could be a painting on a wall, it's truly gorgeous. Throughout the series there have only been a few recurring characters, most notably Jack and Aku. Both return in full form, shining every time they're on screen. This time around a new major character is introduced, Ashi. Layered, complex, with tons of character development, Ashi is a welcome addition to the series. What most worried me going into this fifth season was how it would pick up. It's been years, what happened, where was everybody, what was next? Fortunately, the story picks up in a logical place; and above all else, gives fans the closure they deserve. I could go on and on about the fifth season of "Samurai Jack," my only notable issue with it is that I felt the show would have benefited from a few more episodes to wrap everything up and send the series off right. Even with that, I was satisfied with the ending to the series. At the end of the day though, I need to give all the credit in the world to the show's creator Genndy Tartakovsky. He's created many great shows over the years, but none as good as this one. When it comes to animation, Tartakovsky is one of the greatest creative minds of his generation. He created a masterpiece in "Samurai Jack," a show that captured the hearts and minds of countless people. And while it took longer than he was probably hoping for, he finally managed to give fans the closure they deserved. So for that, thank you Mr. Tartakovsky for sending such an amazing cartoon out on a high note.

Pros: Beautiful art style and aesthetics, imaginative and unique story, excellent use of both humor and drama, incredible action, benefits from newfound violence, impeccable direction from Genndy Tartakovsky, memorable characters new and old, closure.

Cons: Could have used two more episodes.

Dear White People Season 1 Review

     Back in 2014, director Justin Simien released the satirical comedy-drama "Dear White People." Praised upon its release, many called it the year's best indie film. Fast forward to mid-2016, it was announced that Netflix had acquired the rights to a show based off the movie. After that the show went under the radar for a while, until its first teaser anyways. In early 2017 Netflix released a 30 second teaser to promote the show; but what has become standard practice soon turned into a complete and utter sh*t show. The teaser was quickly called racist against white people and received a massive amount of criticism and hate. Some were so upset by the trailer that they even canceled their Netflix subscriptions. Now in all honesty, it's a bad trailer. You see the central character (a black woman who hosts a radio show) talking towards all of her white listeners that blackface is not acceptable. A reasonable enough request, but the way the trailer is cut together paints a picture that all white people are racist. I consider myself to have thick skin, and while I don't think it was a great trailer I was by no means offended like some where. So while many cried foul I was indifferent. I don't think you should judge a show by its trailer, and from what I heard it was not a good representation of the movie (which is a satire that openly criticizes everyone, including the black community). So I decided to wait for the finished product and see what it was really like. Turns out it may be one of the year's best new shows.

     Winchester University is a prestigious Ivy League college that prides itself on being forward thinking and inclusive, but many of small number of black students on campus disagree with that position. While there are some disagreements on campus over how the world is run, up until the school's satirical newspaper decides to through a black-face party in protest of local radio host, Samantha White's, radio show titled Dear White People. After that, sh*t hits the fan. Following several students around campus, what follows is an amalgamation of modern day life for people of color; and one white guy.

     When that first teaser trailer dropped a while back, I was unsure. I had heard great things about the movie but the teaser looked like it was going to be a too heavy handed for its own good. To my surprise, it's become one of my favorite Netflix original shows. First off I have to commend how well written this show is. The scripts are fantastic, filled with great dialog and memorable lines spoken by interesting and colorful characters (all of which are played by talented actors who give excellent performances). The show is intelligent; it's satire that criticizes just about everyone. It does a great job integrating relevant social comedy into an otherwise very funny show. Due to the show's interesting and original premise, it manages to always be entertaining; I don't think I walked away from this first season thinking any given episode was bad. Despite that, the show has a few flaws. While a clever satire, I couldn't help but feel that the show becomes too self-indulgent at times. What could have been clever, but subdued themes, were too on the nose. The problem is that many of the issues discussed in this show, while still timely and relevant, where more in the forefront when the movie came out. Since the release of the movie we've seen countless shows and movies address many of the topics and issues brought up in this show. And it's less subtle and clever than a few of those other properties. So while it may have a few issues, I walked away from this series in love. Not only is it one of the best movies to TV adaptations I've ever seen, I think it may be one of Netflix's best original comedies to date. If you are easily offended in any way shape or form, this show probably isn't for you. But if you're in the market for good television, the first season of "Dear White People" is fantastic.

Pros: Well written scripts, interesting and colorful characters, great acting from the entire cast, intelligent satire that criticizes all, original premise, very funny, always entertaining, relevant social commentary, one of Netflix's best comedies to date, fantastic movie to TV adaptation.

Cons: Feels a bit too self-indulgent at times, a little too on the nose at times.

Persona 5 Review

Note: As of writing this review I have not finished "Persona 5." If upon completion something arises that sours my view of the game I will update this review accordingly.
     The Japanese RPG franchise "Persona" first began over 20 years ago by Japanese development studio Atlus. While the series has advanced greatly throughout that time, they finally reached their prime with "Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4" (simply known as "Persona 4"). First launched on PS2 in 2008, the title was praised by critics, becoming one of the generation's defining JRPGs. Noted for its personality, mechanics, characters, combat, and lengthy campaign (with playthroughs ranging from 50 hours to just complete the story, or even over 100 hours if you want to do as much as you possibly can). A few years later a remastered edition titled "Persona 4 Golden" then came out on the PS Vita. Improving on some issues and adding more variety, it's often called the system's must have game. While the franchise has grown in popularity, and is celebrated as one of the greatest series the genre has to offer, it doesn't change the fact it's been 9 years since the last major installment. During that time fans waited patiently, until they were finally given a glimpse into the future. "Persona 5" was on its way, but fans would have to keep on waiting. After numerous delays, its winter 2014 release was finally pushed back to fall 2016; unfortunately, everyone outside of Japan would have to wait a little longer since the developers announced that they needed more time for the translations, localization, and quality voice acting. But finally, after over two years of delays, its finally here. Now fans just have to find enough spare time to play one of the longest single player campaigns I've ever experienced; but trust me, they'll enjoy every minute of it.
     You play a nameless, mostly silent high school student from a small town. One night while walking through the streets, you see a drunk man trying to force a young woman into his car. You step in to stop him, causing him to fall down and smash his face. It turned out that man was a powerful politician, who used his connections to have you arrested and charged with assault. Now having a criminal record, you are expelled from your school and forced to relocate to Tokyo in order to go to the only school that will accept you; but when you arrive you soon realize something is off in the city. It's almost as if a dark shroud come over the city, causing countless accidents that can't be explained. One day while walking to school, you and a classmate end up at some mysterious castle. You enter only to realize that the castle is somewhere between reality and a dream, and is ruled by the shadow of a sadistic teacher at your school. While being attacked you unlock a rare power deep within you, summoning a Persona (a magical force used in battle). You learn that the evil within one's heart have corrupted many within the city, so with the help of your friends and a mysterious man named Igor, you set out to right the wrongs and stop these individuals under the name "The Phantom Thieves."
     A few years back when I first got my PS Vita, the one game I was told I had to get was "Persona 4 Golden." When I finally got into the game and put in some serious time, I quickly realized it was one of the best games ever made. Despite the limitations of the hardware at the time of its release, the developers managed to put together a truly brilliant and engaging game. So, "Persona 5" sure has a lot to live up to; and fortunately, it does. On paper, this game does everything right. It does have one noticeable flaw that bugged me, which I will get to, but for now bare with me while I list out why this game is brilliant. Let's start with the visuals, this is one of the most beautiful games I have ever played. While, on a technical level, this isn't the most impressive game out there; its particular style is gorgeous. The in-game gameplay is anime inspired, and along with the game's aesthetics it is truly beautiful. This is the type of game where you can tell everything was lovingly hand crafted. The cut-scenes, most of which are done in traditional anime style, are also wonderfully done and a step up from its predecessor. And I have to say, this is probably the most stylish game ever made. From the animations, to transitions, to the loading screens, and even the menus, the game game oozes style out of every crack. Finally, I just have to commend the overall visual designs. The world, characters, enemy, and level designs are exceptionally well done, with plenty of personality and passion; as well as depth and variety. Visually, this stands among the best looking games ever made. But while beautiful, the game is more than just style. 
     The game's story is interesting to say the least, you really get invested in what is going on. And while this game's predecessor had a pretty dark plot to begin with, but the overall tone and nature of this story feels more mature. What helps is a wide array of colorful and layered characters. While most of the characters fall under a certain archetype that are often common in modern Japanese story telling, each character in "Persona 5" feels far more layered than you'd expect. You're fellow compatriots are often damaged with tragic backgrounds. Even the side characters have a lot going for them; like the local doctor who was once a respected physician, but was ostracized by the medical community for testing an experimental drug on a patient that made them suffer. Or a local political who was caught stealing funds from a charity 20 years ago, but still runs for office because he truly believes that the government is failing its people. The developers of "Persona 5" put more thought and care into a minor character, whom you may never end up talking to, than most developers put into their main protagonist. It also helps that the English voice acting is better in this game than its predecessor, as well as the localization (which makes conversations easier to handle). Now it's not the best voice acting in the world, since some of the voices don't always seem to fit the character. And in all honesty I actually play the game with the Japanese voices, but the English is far from the worst I've seen in a Japanese game. Looking back at "Persona 4," it is a truly exceptional game; the problem is that it has some clear flaws. The biggest being it's combat. While its story, life simulation, and time elements were exceptionally implemented, the action oriented parts of the game were lackluster. Whenever you needed to go into an enemy dungeon, every player was left with a sense of dread. Each dungeon consisted of long corridors that all looked the same, filled with enemies that could see you from a mile away (preventing you from sneaking up on them, giving them a chance to attack first). Then when encountering an enemy you must engage in a turn based combat system that was slow and tedious (especially if you had to target an enemies weakness). But with "Persona 5," they fixed these problems. The dungeon crawling has been greatly improved, with each dungeon feeling unique and well crafted. Even going floor to floor feels like a whole new level. They've also littered the dungeons with treasure you can find, and even implemented puzzle mechanics that mix things up. The combat has also been streamlined; it's much quicker than "Persona 4," and gives you more options when entering a fight. If the character you currently control has an attack that an enemy is weak to, a single press of the R1 button automatically brings up that attack to use. Fights are also much faster, and if you get all of the enemies into a critical state (where they are unable to attack) you are given the option to do a massive team attack or talk to them. If you talk to the enemy, you can get money, items, or even have them join your team as a new persona. The developers have managed to take the worst parts of "Persona 4," and actually make them a pleasant experience in "Persona 5."
     Over the years, what this franchise has become most notable for has been the game's extreme lengths. "Persona 4: Golden" was at least 60 hours to beat the campaign, and upwards of 100 hours if you are extra thorough about everything; and "Persona 5" is no different. As of writing this review I'm about 40 hours into it, and from what I understand I'm barely getting started. I've heard that a single playthrough is at least 70 hours, but in reality most players will take about 100 to complete this game. And on top of that, the way this game is designed encourages multiple playthoughs. Being a time management game, you'll never be able to do everything; which means certain characters and story lines will be over looked on any given playthough. While this may bother some, I actually like it. It gives players choices, and lets them decide how they want approach things. Do you better your relationships which will give you bonuses in battle, do you go into a dungeon and grind to level up, or do you partake in various activities to boost certain stats that will unlock specific conversations and story lines? It forces the players to evaluate their options, and makes it so no two players will have the same experience. To do everything (of which there appears to be an endless amount of things you can do), you will have to beat this game several times. This is the ultimate "bang for your buck" game. If I had to fins fault in this game, it would be that it takes several hours before you're given your freedom. Much like its predecessor, the first few hours of the game are on rails; they explain how the world works, and what the various mechanics are (but does so in a way that is more welcoming and straight forward than its predecessor). I understand the need to do this since there is so much to this game, but when you're four hours in you're ready to go off into this world and make it your own. That being said, once you fit that point, the freedom is exceptional.
     Since I started this blog back in 2012 I've reviewed many amazing games" "The Last of Us," "Grand Theft Auto 5," "Bloodborne," and "Uncharted 4: A Thieve's End" just to name a few. "Persona 5" may be the best game I've ever reviewed. It truly is a masterpiece, and the best JRPG we've seen since "Persona 4." Whether it be the mature story, the improved dungeon crawling, fantastic soundtrack, or memorable characters, at no point while playing this game have I felt anything but love and admiration for it. This is one of the best game's to come out this decade, it's one of the best RPGs of all time, and is one of the best games I've ever played. And I can't wait to play it some more.

Pros: The most stylish game ever made, stunning art style and aesthetics, anime cut scenes are lovely, gorgeous visual/world/character/enemy/level design, improved and varied combat, huge array of colorful and layered characters, dungeon crawling is far more engaging and enjoyable than predecessor, fantastic soundtrack, incredible bang for your buck, an endless amount of stuff to do, encourages multiple playthroughs, gives players lots of choice in how to approach things, the best JRPG since "Persona 4," better voice acting and localization, interesting and mature story, more welcoming than its predecessor.
Cons: Doesn't give you your freedom for several hours.

5/5 Stars