"Kung Fu Panda 3" *Non-Spoiler* Review

Kung Fu Panda 3 is a fun, heartfelt, and comical film that you will be able to enjoy. I am a fan of the first two Kung Fu Panda films, and while this one did not reach the quality of those, it is still a fun time to watch. Po (Jack Black), Tigress (Angelina Jolie), Monkey (Jackie Chan), Mantis (Seth Rogen), Viper (Lucy Lui), and Crane (David Cross) are all back and now have to face an enemy like no other, Kai (J.K. Simmons). The film’s main focus is on Po understanding what it is to be a Panda and finally realize who he is. One of the main sources of comedy in the movie comes from the triangle relationship of Po and his adopted father and blood father. The back and forth between the 2 is really enjoyable. The flaws with Kung Fu Panda 3 are the story and really lack of development for characters. The story of Kung Fu Panda 3 is all over the place. There are a lot of holes in the movie and some plot points happen so quickly or randomly you are left scratching your head. Also, there are points in the movie that go directly opposite of what is said in the beginning of the film as well. Finally, character development is a weak spot in the movie. None of the major characters really go under transformation and come out a different person or even seem to have learned a lesson like characters usually do in kid movies. The villain was the weakest of the franchise and his motives were not made entirely clear.  Having said all that, understanding that Kung Fu Panda 3 is a movie for kids, it succeeded at what it intentions were; a fun movie going experience.

Conclusion: While Kung Fu Panda 3 has its story holes and lack of character development, it has enough laughs and overall enjoyment to be a good movie. If you are a fan of the original two, you will enjoy this one as well. The characters are still their fun, goofy selves and make for a fun time at the movie theater. Having seen the movie in a theater packed with parents and young children, it is definitely a family and kids friendly film. So if you have little kids, take them out to see it, because they will enjoy it….and you probably will too.

SCORE:                 6.5/10 – FUN MOVIE

A Look at our 2016 Oscar Nominees

Award season is upon us movie fans. As you all probably saw, last week the nominations for the 88th annual Oscars were released. The big news is the lack of diversity in this years awards. It is such an issue that actor/director Spike Lee and actor Jada Pinkett Smith are both boycotting them this year. Diversity is a problem in this year's Oscars because I do believe that there definitely could have been some African-Americans nominated this year. Even with all the drama, I will be tuning in on February 28th to see who takes home which award. So for those of you who will be watching the Oscars with me, I will be breaking down the 5 major categories and giving you the people I thought were snubbed, and also I think should win. Without further ado, let's get started!

Best Picture Category 

The Big Short

Bridge of Spies

Brooklyn

Mad Max: Fury Road

The Martian

The Revenant

Room

Spotlight

Film Snubbed: Creed

My Winner: Spotlight

My Take: First and foremost, I have unfortunately not seen The Big Short, Bridge of Spies, Brooklyn, and Room, so I cannot make a judgement on any of those films. But from what I am reading, they all mostly belong on there with maybe the exception of Bridge of Spies. I have seen the rest and all but one deserve to be nominated. I finally gotten around to see the supposed movie of the summer, Mad Max: Fury Road, and I was completely underwhelmed. Yes, the movie was beautifully shot, but is that all it requires to be nominated for Best Picture? After the film was over, I could not wrap my head around the love and praise of this movie. There is no plot, the action sequences are overrated, and Charlize Theron's character was the only interesting thing about the movie. I got really bored of Tom Hardy's mumbling real quick. For the record, I have not seen the originals so my opinion is based on this film alone. How Mad Max was nominated over a film like Creed is beyond me. Creed had the better plot, story, characters, and I would even take the 2nd boxing match over the action in Mad Max. Creed gave us a character to care about and told the story of Adonis Creed to near perfection. Okay, I am done whining now. Finally, my pick to win Best Picture is Spotlight. The movie was my 3rd favorite of 2015, and it did a perfect job of making this huge story easy to follow and always keeping us engaged. The cast was stellar and the direction of Tom McCarthy was brilliant. It is just a stunning film. 

Best Actor

Bryan Cranston, Trumbo

Matt Damon, The Martian

Michael Fassbenber, Steve Jobs

Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant

Eddie Redmayne, The Danish Girl

Biggest Snubs: Will Smith, Concussion; Michael B. Jordan, Creed

My Pick: Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant

My Take: This is a tough category to try and predict. From what I am hearing it is a 3 man race between Fassbender, DiCaprio, and Redmayne. I would be perfectly fine with any of the 3 winning because all of them turned in tremendous performances in their respective movies. I went with Leo because his movie was the better of the 3. His performance was not that much better than the aforementioned 2 but the deciding factor was quality in movie, and hey, why not just give it to Leo already? It would be rather funny to see him win for a performance that was not even his best, and also for a film where he is possibly out shined by his co-star Tom Hardy.  My snubs of Will Smith and Michael B. Jordan are for 2 completely different reasons. If you have been reading my blog, you will know Creed was my favorite movie of 2015, and the film simply does not work without Michael B. Jordan's performance. In Will Smith's case, he is the name I am hearing a lot when people talk about diversity in the awards. A lot of people think he could replace Bryan Cranston in this category. Honestly, I'd put Jordan in over Cranston and Matt Damon. But that's just me.

Best Actress

Cate Blanchett, Carol

Brie Larson, Room

Jennifer Lawrence, Joy

Charlotte Ramplings, 45 Years

Saoirse Ronan, Brooklyn  

Biggest Snub: None

My Pick: Brie Larson, Room

My Take: I will openly admit I have only seen the film Joy out of all these films. But I have heard nothing but great things about the rest of the nominees in the category. Jennifer Lawrence will definitely not be winning an Oscar for Joy as all the buzz has been around Cate Blanchett for Carol, and Brie Larson for Room. In all the award shows leading up to February 28th, Brie Larson has been piling up the wins for her performance in Room. So that would indicate to me, that she is the favorite to win this award. The main reason I did not put my snub for this category is because I could not think of who to put in this list. Between Cate Blanchett and Brie Larson, no matter who wins, a very talented actress will be going home with a shiny new toy.

Best Supporting Actor

Christian Bale, The Big Short

Mark Ruffalo, Spotlight

Tom Hardy, The Revenant

Mark Rylance, Bridge of Spies

Sylvester Stallone, Creed

Biggest Snub: Samuel L. Jackson, The Hateful Eight

My Pick: Sylvester Stallone, Creed

My Take: Is it really a surprise who my winner is? While I think Stallone will be pushed hard by Tom Hardy, I am hoping Rocky comes out victorious in the end. Not only did Stallone give the best performance of the year, it was his best performance ever. Now that he did not have to worry about writing and directing, he could just focus on acting. He delivers an epic performance and was the best part of Creed. Tom Hardy is going to be hard to beat; he did act toe-to-toe with Leo in The Revenant and was my 2nd favorite performance behind Stallone. His character was both chilling and gripping. Without a doubt, Samuel L. Jackson deserves to be recognized for his performance in The Hateful Eight. The tricky part with his character is he can be seen as both a lead or supporting. In the end, it doesn't matter to me because he should be on either list. He was just too damn good to be left off. His performance draws your attention and leaves the biggest impact on you in such a great film. It is really a crime The Hateful Eight is not recognized more. 

Best Supporting Actress

Jennifer Jason Leigh, The Hateful Eight

Rooney Mara, Carol

Rachel McAdams, Spotlight

Alicia Vikander. The Danish Girl

Kate Winslet, Steve Jobs

Biggest Snub: None

My Pick: Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl

My Take: Again, I think they did a great job with actresses categories this year. All nominated gave tremendous performances and would be really hard to take out for another to be put in. It is why I have no snubs for the category as well. My pick of Alicia Vikander is no sure thing thanks to the buzz Kate Winslet and Rooney Mara are getting for the respective performances. But to me, Alicia Vikander had by far the best performance out of the nominated. While The Danish Girl had its dull moments and pacing issues, Vikander's performance left no room for criticism. She and her partner Eddie Redmayne carry the film. In a way, The Danish Girl is her movie because she outshines her co-star in this one. You felt for her character and really cared about what she was going through. Her performance was attention grabbing and had such a big presence in a movie that was about such a big issue.

Best Director

Adam McKay, The Big Short

George Miller, Mad Max: Fury Road

Alejandro G. Inarittu, The Revenant

Lenny Abrahamson, Room

Tom McCarthy, Spotlight

Biggest Snubs: Ryan Coogler, Creed; Todd Haynes, Carol; J.J. Abrams, Star Wars: The Force Awakens; Quentin Tarrentino, The Hateful Eight

My Pick: Tom McCarthy, Spotlight

My Take: The Best Director category is a 3 horse race between Inarittu, Abrahamson, and McCarthy. I saw 2 of the 3 movies and I can tell you that while Inarittu, who won last year's Best Directing Oscar for Birdman, did a stunning job on The Revenant, it was just not a superior film to Spotlight. And while actors have a big stake in the outcome of a film, no one is a bigger reason and no one has the most pressure to make a film work than the director. While The Revenant is visually beautiful, there are dull moments in the story. Spotlight does not have a single boring moment and McCarthy does a fabulous job keeping the audience engaged throughout the film. As for my snubs, of course Creed's Ryan Coogler is a snub. What more can I say about Creed? Not many expected it to be a good movie, and Coogler made it great. A lot of people are clamoring for Todd Haynes to get the nod for Carol. I have not seen the film but many of those people clamoring are ones I trust. Tarantino deserves a nomination for his masterful job with The Hateful Eight.  And finally, as you've read above, Mad Max being nominated is a joke. So if George Miller was nominated? Why couldn't J.J. Abrams be as well? He made the better movie and had a much more difficult task of successfully satisfying millions of Star Wars loyalists. 

*Remember, feel free to comment below and tell me who you think was snubbed or who should win in their categories. I will be doing a Post-Oscars blog to give my take on all the winners. I will hopefully get to see all the films nominated so I can give you better thoughts on the winners. Enjoy!*

"Ride Along 2" *Non-Spoiler* Review

Ride Along 2 will give you a few laughs but in the end will leave you with the question, “What the hell did I just watch”? The two leads, Ice Cube and Kevin Hart, show that they still have tremendous chemistry together. They play off each other very well and they will sell you on their brother relationship. Unfortunately, Ice Cube is not really strong in the comedy aspect of the movie, so it makes Kevin Hart carry the load for humor in the film. That can be a good thing but also a bad thing. While Hart will make you laugh at times, his act sometimes gets old and stale and will test your patience with the film. Director Tim Story (Fantastic Four) does an awful job in his use of actress Olivia Munn(Magic Mike), as she is just there for sexual appearance. Without getting into spoiler territory, that is her sole purpose to the story, sexual appeal. Ken Jeong (The Hangover) is also a bit wasted as well. His character is not really fleshed out, you do not learn much about him or his motives, and most of his jokes fall flat and lifeless. The plot also is your most generic plot for a buddy cop film. Benjamin Bratt plays the most cliché type of villain role in the film, and while he is the best part of the movie (which is not saying much), there is really nothing special about his character. Finally, the editing in Ride Along 2 may have been one of the worst editing jobs you will see in a film for quite some time. There were times where the characters mouth was moving, seen from a side shot, and the words you hear do not match what his mouth is saying. That is just laziness, pure and simple as that.

Conclusion: Ride Along 2 will make you laugh a few times but all in all, you will want to get off this ride as soon as possible. It is always hard to make a good sequel to a comedy, and it is even harder when the 1^st film is awful. Ice Cube and Kevin Hart have good chemistry, while Benjamin Bratt gives an admirable performance. Other than that, all is bad for Ride Along 2. The story makes no sense what-so-ever, and the plot is as generic as one could get. Olivia Munn is regulated to just eye candy, and for the first time in a while, Ken Jeong is not really likeable in a movie. The editing is god awful, but is all this really surprising for a sequel to a pretty bad comedy film? Save your money, Ride Along 2 is not worth it.

SCORE:    3.7/10 - AWFUL

*Coming Soon: My thoughts on the Oscar Nominees for the big categories! Who shouldn't have been nominated and who got snubbed?*

Top 5 Most Anticipated Films of 2016

Welcome back everyone! Today will be my final "Most Anticipated of 2016" list as now I will focus on non superhero movies. This list was a little tougher to put together because we really don't know a lot about some of the 2016 fall movies coming out and really only have trailers for the big summer block busters and the films that are hitting in early 2016. As usual, I base my anticipation level based on the director, cast, story of the film, and any trailers that have been release for the movie. As always, feel free to comment below and tell me which 2016 movies you are most excited for. And....Here...We...Go.



5) Assassin's Creed
    Release Date: December 21, 2016
    Director: Justin Kurzel
    Cast: Michael Fassbender, Marion Cotillard, Brendan Gleeson, Jeremy Irons, Michael Kenneth Williams, Ariane Labed

For those of you who do not know what Assassin's Creed is, or have never even heard of it before now, it is a movie that based upon a video game franchise called, yep you guessed it, Assassin's Creed. The story of the games and the movie is a certain individual, through revolutionary technology, is able to unlock the memory of his assassin relative and relive those moments. Simply put, he is able to go back through time as his ancestor. One of the main reasons I am excited for the film is because I am a fan of the video games and love the stories they are able to tell. My excitement was heightened when they broke the news that Michael Fassbender (Steve Jobs) really wanted to make the movie and was going to find a director who had as much passion about the movie as he did. He found a good one in Justin Kurzel (Macbeth). I have not had the fortune of seeing Macbeth yet, but everything I have heard about it is nothing but glowing praise. Kurzel, Fassbender, and Marion Cotillard were all involved with Macbeth so that gives me hope for Assassin's Creed. Plus, when you can add the talents of Brendan Gleeson and Jeremy Irons, it can be nothing but a good thing.



4) Finding Dory
    Release Date: June 17, 2016
    Director: Andrew Stanton
    Cast: Ellen DeGeneres. Albert Brooks, Idris Elba, Diane Keaton, Dominic West, Ty Burrell, Eugene Levy, Ed O'Neill
    Trailer: Finding Dory Teaser Trailer

Pixar takes us back into the deep blue sea as some of our favorite characters get their long overdue sequel. Pixar has really never let us down when it comes to movies. I can confidently say I love every single movie Pixar has put out. Yes, some might not be the strongest, but they are usually a fun time and I can always count on getting something out of the movie. I get hated on for this a lot, but even though I loved Finding Nemo, it is probably my least favorite Pixar film (Not counting Cars 2). Now that does not mean I hated it. It just means that there were others I would have rather seen get sequels first (Incredibles 2 cannot come fast enough). I know you probably hate me right about now for saying that, but stick with me. I am still excited as hell to see Finding Dory. The teaser trailer they dropped brought back all the feels and memories I had from watching Finding Nemo 13 years ago. Wow I feel old after typing that one. The original 3 cast are back along with some stellar additions like Idris Elba, Diane Keaton, and Ed O'Neill. While Finding Nemo may have not been on the level of Toy Story, it is a damn good movie and I cannot wait for this upcoming sequel.


3) The Jungle Book
     Release Date: April 15, 2016
     Director: Jon Favreau
     Cast: Scarlett Johansson, Emjay Sethi, Bill Murray, Idris Elba, Ben Kingsley. Lupita Nyong'o, Christopher Walken, Neel Sethi, 
     Trailer: The Jungle Book Trailer #1

The Jungle Book propelled itself up my list the moment I saw the first trailer. Wow, was it visually stunning! This movie is done in all motion capture using some sort of new technology and it shows. It really looked like I was watching a real tiger chase Mowgli to the edge of the cliff. The voice over by Scarlett Johansson as Kaa is beautifully done. As we all know, Johansson is no stranger to doing voice work, her voice work in the movie Her was almost nominated for an Oscar. She is not the only star in this movie though; Bill Murry, Idris Elba, Ben Kingsley, Lupita Nyong'o and Christopher Walken all seem to fit their characters perfectly. I really never got into the story of The Jungle Book as a kid, but damn that trailer had me hooked so much that I watched several times afterwards. Director Jon Favreau lends me a ton of faith in the Disney film as he has turned out several critical hits such as Iron Man, Chef, and Elf. I cannot wait for the next trailer for The Jungle Book and luckily do not have to wait much longer to see the film. This movie will be visually stunning and open the door for so many things down the road when it comes to CGI.



2) Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
    Release Date: November 18, 2016
    Director: David Yates
    Cast: Eddie Redmayne, Erza Miller, Colin Farrell, Jon Voight, Katherine Waterson, Ron Perlman, Samantha Morton
    Trailer: Fantastic Beasts Trailer #1

After a 5 year long hiatus, we are finally going back into the wizarding world of Harry Potter. After Deathly Hallows Part2 was released, I did not think I would ever see a Harry Potter film again. It was a pretty sad film because even though I had not read the books, they were movies I grew up on and it was always a family experience each year going to the theater. Now with David Yates directing, whom has directed four Harry Potter films, and J.K. Rowling writing the screenplay, we are back and it feels awesome. While some may be hesitant about Rowling making her screenplay debut on such a big movie, do not fear because she had plenty of say and input on how to write the screenplay for all 8 Potter films. So I am almost certain she knows how to write a good screenplay when it comes to wizards. Then we got that cast and it is thrilling to see. Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne is the lead role and is a lock to give a grade A performance. He is joined by young comer Erza Miller, who will have his own Flash movie, and some quality actors in Colin Farrell, Jon Voight, and Ron Perlman. We do not know much about the characters in the film, but man, did that trailer not have that Harry Potter feel to it? It was nice and refreshing being able to see people flicking their wands and casting spells again.

MY NUMBER 1 MOST ANTICIPATED FILM OF 2016 IS......

1) Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

    Release Date: December 16, 2016

    Director: Gareth Edwards

    Cast: Felicity Jones, Mads Mikkelsen, Alan Tudyk, Forest Whitaker, Jonathan Aris, Ben Mendelsohn, Donnie Yen

If you have no idea what Rogue One is about and how it relates to the Star Wars saga you are not alone. When I first heard the announcement of Rogue One I was left scratching my head wondering what in the hell it was about. I will gladly inform you that Rogue One tells the story of the rebel soldiers who were able to steal the plans to the Death Star. So essentially Rogue One takes place before A New Hope but after Revenge of the Sith. This film was not number 1 on my list until after I saw The Force Awakens. Yes, I know that goes against the criteria I base my list on but after seeing Star Wars multiple times, I cannot deny that I love being able to dive into the Star Wars universe. So anytime I am able to jump in, I will be extremely anticipated for it. Also the 2 main leads of Felecity Jones and Mads Mikkelsen are just too talented not to get excited for. Jones was nominated for an Oscar last year when she starred opposite Eddie Redmayne in The Theory of Everything. Mikkelsen always delivers a menacing villain and is just overall a fantastic acting talent. Director Gareth Edwards directed Godzilla (2014), and while there were issues with the film, I did enjoy it enough to have me thinking positively about him helming this project. If Rogue One wasn't a Star Wars film it probably wouldn't be number 1, but luckily for us, it is.

So there are my top 5 films I am looking forward to the most in 2016. Comment below and tell which ones are on your list! Remember to like and share so everyone can get in the conversation. Thank you!

Most Anticipated Super Hero Movies of 2016

Welcome back everyone as today I will give you my most anticipated superhero movies of 2016. Now there is 7 total films coming out this year, most of which you have probably already heard about. As you will find out, I am a huge superhero movie fan. The reason I am doing a separate list for them is because they would all be in my top 5 so I figured I'd do a separate list so I could focus on other films in my next list. When it comes to the whole DC/Marvel thing, I will admit that I am more of a fan of Marvel but that does not mean I don't like or look forward to anything of DC. So let's get started with my most anticipated superhero movies of 2016!


7) Gambit
    Release Date: October 7, 2016
    Director: Doug Liman
    Cast: Channing Tatum, Lea Seydoux

In all likeliness Gambit will not be coming out in 2016 at all. When original director, Rupert Wyatt, dropped out, it send FOX's mutant property into a frenzy. Then finally, they landed Doug Liman to helm their stand alone film. While it is not a huge step down from Wyatt (Liman did direct Edge of Tomorrow), it certainly was not a positive sign for the movie. Personally, I was never a big fan of the character Gambit. I really never connected to him, nor did his powers ever wow me. I like Channing Tatum, but I don't know if I like him that much to lead his own superhero movie. How does he stack up against his fellow X-Men counterparts? Hugh Jackman, Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy, and Jennifer Lawrence. They are all better actors then Tatum. The only other actor attached to the movie, Lea Seydoux (Spectre), has not really had a lot of a big roles yet in her young career. She was good in Spectre, but a comic book film is a totally different beast. So those are the main reasons I am the least excited for Gambit. But as I said earlier, do not be surprised if this movie gets pushed back to 2017.


6) X-Men: Apocalypse
   Release Date: May 27, 2016
   Director: Bryan Singer
   Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Oscar Isaac, Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy, Olivia Munn, Evan Peters, Nicholas Hoult
    Trailer: X-Men: Apocalypse Trailer #1

I really enjoyed X-Men: Days of Future Past. Without giving anything away, even though it has been out for almost 2 years, the ending showed us how the present day X-Men ended up. So with X-Men: Apocalypse being set in the 1980s, do we not know how this movie will already end? Plus, this film will be the 1st X-Men movie not to feature Hugh Jackman's Wolverine in any capacity. That is just a bummer for everyone involved. The main reason this film is so low on my list is because I am just becoming more and more complacent with the X-Men movies. What I mean is, while I do not get all that excited when I hear a new one is coming out, I will still go see it, and will gladly admit that they are generally good movies. The 1st trailer for X-Men: Apocalypse felt as generic as of a superhero movie trailer as it can get. We've seen it a hundred times, a powerful mutant wants to destroy the unworthy of existence human race. Oscar Isaac's Apocalypse looks weird but I am sure he will deliver a solid performance like always. That is one thing the X-Men franchise always has going for it; a very solid cast.

5) Deadpool
    Release Date: February 12, 2016
    Director: Tim Miller
    Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin, Gina Carano, Ed Skrein, T.J. Miller, Rachel Sheen
    Trailer: Deadpool Red Band Trailer #2

This is where my list got difficult. The next 3 movies on my list could shuffle at any point in time. As of right now, Deadpool comes in at #5 on my list. This is by no means a bad thing for the Ryan Reynold's led film. I think the marketing for this movie had been absolutely amazing. The two red band trailers FOX has put out have been hilarious. I am glad that the studio had the guts to make Deadpool a rated R movie. This was the role Ryan Reynolds was born to play. As some of you may recall, he played Wade Wilson (Deadpool's alias) before in Wolverine: Origin. He was the best part of that film until they sewed his mouth shut. And if the trailers are any indication, he will more than make up for that in this film. All the jokes hit, T.J. Miller looks as if he will be equally funny as well. Some of the best parts of the trailers are when Deadpool breaks the 4th law and talks to us, the audience, directly. My only cause for concern with Deadpool is the director. He does not have much experience, and this is really his first major movie. That is a lot of pressure. 

4) Suicide Squad
    Release Date: August 5, 2016
    Director: David Ayer
    Cast: Margot Robbie, Will Smith, Cara Delevingne, Jared Leto, Jai Courtney, Viola Davis, Joel Kinnaman
    Trailer: Suicide Squad Trailer #1

Suicide Squad really took me by storm when the 1st trailer was released online. While it did not reveal anything about the movie, it still gave us our first good look at Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn and Jared Leto's Joker. I am a big fan of director David Ayer from his latest movie Fury. That movie was beautifully shot and the story was told well as the character were fleshed out. With Suicide Squad, he will have even more interesting characters at his disposal to play with and a pretty cool story he can tell as well. In the trailer, Robbie's Harley Quinn steals the show and Will Smith's Deadshot is 2nd in screen time. If I was a betting man, I would venture to say that those two will be the 2 biggest characters in the film. While I am not a fan of how Jared Leto's Joker looks. He is an Oscar winning actor, who transforms into the character he plays. It may be hard to imagine a Joker better than Heath Ledger's, but Jared Leto has the acting chops to not disappoint and bring a new version to the big screen. All in all, Suicide Squad has a fantastic cast, except Jai Courtney (hurtful but true), that will be able to showcase their talents come August.

3) Doctor Strange
    Release Date: November 4, 2016
    Director: Scott Derrickson
    Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Tilda Swinton, Rachel McAdams, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Mads Mikkelsen, Scott Adkins, Amy Landecker, Michael Stuhlbarg

I will just come out and admit it right away. Marvel's Doctor Strange rocketed up my anticipation list the moment they announced Benedict Cumberbatch was play Stephen Strange. I am a huge fan of Cumberbatch (Sherlock is my favorite show) as he has been fantastic in everything he has been in. He was also nominated for an Oscar for his performance in The Imitation Game. My excitement for Doctor Strange was only heightened when Marvel recently released images of Cumberbatch as Strange. (Click to see images) Look at the rest of that cast. Not only is that the best cast of any super hero movie, it may be one of the best cast of any movie in 2016. Mads Mikkelsen (Casino Royale) plays the main villain and Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave) plays a character whom he describes as both good and bad. Tilda Swinton (Michael Clayton) plays The Ancient One who trains Cumberbatch's Strange and Rachel McAdams (Spotlight) character is still unnamed but is important to the story of the movie. I have my pauses on director Scott Derrikson (Sinister) but Marvel has shown it is able to get directors who don't have much of a track record and deliver great movies (see Russo Bro's Captain America: Winter Soldier). I could go on forever about this one but have to get to my top 2.



2) Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice
    Release Date: March 25, 2016
    Director: Zach Snyder
    Cast: Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, Amy Adams, Jesse Eisenberg, Gal Gadot, Jeremy Irons, Diane Lane, Holly Hunter, Laurence Fishburne
    Trailer: Batman v. Superman Trailer #3

We finally get to see Batman take on Superman on the big screen. That is really the main reason Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice is so high up on my list. If I went by my regular standards for ranking my anticipation for movie (cast, director, trailers, and story), this film would probably have dropped down to number 5 or 6. Now before you go off on me, let me tell you why I have it so high. The 2nd trailer to this movie, which was shown at comic con (See here), left me in awe. It did not give away the story but showed off the conflict between Batman and Superman. The casting of Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne was perfect. I was a bit skeptic at first, but when I first saw him as Batman, all my fears about him went away and I predict he will be the best Batman we see on the big screen. And finally, how could I not get excited about seeing Batman take on Superman? The 2 biggest superheros going at it. What's not to love? Well, let me tell you what I don't love. I am not a fan of Zach Snyder. The 300 movies have cool action sequences, but they are not movies that I watch when I see they are on. Watchmen was boring as hell, and I thought he did a mediocre job with Man of Steel; A movie with so much potential. The 3rd trailer for Batman v. Superman showed too much of the story for my liking, and I do not like the cast of Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luther. Honestly, he has been my least favorite parts of all the trailers. Other than all that, Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice is a movie I am extremely excited for. 

 
THE SUPERHERO MOVIE I AM MOST EXCITED FOR IS.....



1) Captain America: Civil War
  Release Date: May 6, 2016
    Directors: Joe & Anthony Russo
    Cast: Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Paul Rudd, Elizabeth Olsen. Tom Holland, Paul Bettany, Don Cheadle, Chadwick Boseman, Daniel Bruhl, William Hurt, Martin Freeman
     Trailer: Captain America: Civil War Trailer #1

What's not to be excited about when it comes to Captain America: Civil War? The Russo brothers are back and now are tasked with telling the story of 2 Avengers (Captain America vs Iron Man) pitted against each other. The Russo brothers directed my favorite Marvel film to date, Captain America: Winter Soldier. They did such a tremendous job making a Captain America movie feel like a 1970s political spy thriller. Also, look at that cast. It is amazing to think that we are lucky enough to get such a-list talent in superhero movie. What makes Civil War so big is that we have now had 7 years of watching most of these characters mold into who they are. We care about these characters and are invested into them. Captain America: Civil War deals with everything that has happened in the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) to this point. The government wants to control superheroes and that pits the 2 biggest against each other. Another big point of this film is we will finally get to see the 1st ever big screen appearance of Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman). He looks absolutely fantastic in the trailer and plays a major part in this film. The biggest aspect of the movie, Spider man will make his 1st appearance in an MCU movie as well. Tom Holland plays the web slinger who will have a minor role in the film but I would not be surprised if it was an important one. Ever since Iron Man, we have all been wondering and dreaming about Spider-man interaccting and fighting alongside The Avengers. Well come May 6th, those wishes will finally come true. Marvel has a tremendous track record, and with so much to look forward to with Captain America: Civil War, it is sure to be a hit.

 So there you have it. My most anticipated superhero movie list. Do you agree? Tell me what your list is down below. Also, coming soon is my top 5 most anticipated movies of 2016 (non-superhero). Look out for that. Enjoy!

My Top Movies of 2015

With 2015 having come and gone, it is now time to look back at my top 5 movies of the year. I had the fortune of seeing some very good films, and the misfortune of watching some not so good films. Now this list is a personal top 5, meaning I may have a film with a higher score ranked higher than some on my list. Remember, feel free to comment below and give your personal top 5 movies of 2015. That is one of the best things about movies, everyone has different opinions on each movie. Without further ado, here is my top movies of 2015!


5) Mission Impossible - Rogue Nation
    Director: Christopher McQuarrie

This one really surprised. Tom Cruise is back in the newest installment of the M.I. franchise. Rogue Nation gets off on a running start with one of the best openings to an action movie. Returnees Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, and Jeremy Renner all give amazing performances and their chemistry with one another is still at its peek. Newcomers,Rebecca Ferguson and Alec Baldwin both hold their own and add new dynamics to the M.I. franchise. Rogue Nation had the difficult task of following up Ghost Protocol, but it outdoes its predecessor in every aspect of film making. The film had a great blend of action, humor, and emotion. Rogue Nation has some of the best action sequences of the year (Cruise hanging onto to a flying plane), and was truly the gold standard of summer movies for the year 2015. Mission Impossible - Rogue Nation is OnDemand now, and I highly recommend watching it.

MY SCORE:  9/10 - GREAT


4) The Martian
    Director: Ridley Scott

The Martian was in my 2nd most anticipated fall movie only behind Star Wars. Man oh man did it not disappoint me at all. This movie was far funnier than I originally thought it was going to be. Matt Damon absolutely kills it as stranded astronaut Mark Watney. Beginning to end, The Martian is just a blast to watch. The supporting cast of Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, Kate Mara, Jeff Daniels, Michael Pena, Sean Bean, Sebastian Stan, and Chiwetel Ejiofor all give outstanding performances and elevate the film to an even higher level. The Martian is also a visual spectacle to behold. The film made me feel as if I was on Mars, stranded alongside Watney as well. Another aspect that stuck out in the movie was its soundtrack. It brought some levity and this sense of humanism in a film that mostly set in space and on a distant planet. The Martian is another movie that is available now, and is a must watch.

MY SCORE:   9/10 - GREAT


3) Spotlight
    Director: Tom McCarthy

The story of Spotlight was immensely gripping and had my attention throughout. Spotlight tells the story of a team of reporters from the Boston Globe, uncovering the massive molestation scandal and cover-up involving the local archdiocese. I will easily admit that Spotlight had the best story and performances of the year, Micheal Keaton, Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdam, Brian James, Liev Schreiber, and John Slattery all give award worthy performances. The cast ensemble carries the film and left me in awe. The events the movie covers are so disturbing and made my stomach turn. Tom McCarthy does an excellent job portraying what the reporters had to fight through just to get the story told. Spotlight is a film that I had to sit back and decompress afterwards because of the heaviness of the story but how beautifully it is told and shot. Spotlight came out of nowhere for me, but it certainly was quite the experience.

MY SCORE:   9.2/10 - GREAT


2) Star Wars: The Force Awakens
    Director: J.J. Abrams

The movie I was the most anticipated for did not let me down at all. The 3 trailers we got leading up to December 18th were perfect. They did not reveal anything about thStar Wars more than once and I can confidently day that it really does get better after each viewing. The feelings I get when I see the old characters show up never go away, along with the goosebumps that arrive on my arms when I hear the classic Star Wars melody played during the film. Star Wars: The Force Awakens is just an absolute awesome movie going experience and just a great film all together. The new cast of Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, and Oscar Isaac give us hope that, even though they most likely won't live up to the job Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, and Carrie Fisher did, they will definitely do a great job in their own perspective. The Force Awakens does a tremendous job setting up the next 2 movies that it leaves me anxious already for Episode 8 in May 2017.
e story but at the same time made me even more hyped for the movie. I have seen

MY SCORE:    9/10 - GREAT


MY #1 MOVIE OF 2015 IS.......


1) Creed
    Director: Ryan Coogler

Yes, you read that right. Creed is my favorite movie of 2015 because it delivered a phenomenal story with a fierce emotional punch. Like Star Wars, Creed is a reboot/sequel to a very successful franchise. Also like Star Wars, Creed hits a lot of the same beats that of the original movie of that said franchise. I will be the first to admit that on 1st watches alone, Creed hit me harder emotionally than Star Wars. I am not even a big boxing fan, but director Ryan Coogler shot the fight scenes perfectly that they grabbed my attention immediately and had me feeling as if I was in the stands watching as well. The best part of Creed is that it does not feel like a boxing movie at all. Michael B. Jordan makes us all forget about the horrendous Fantastic 4 with his outstanding performance, but only to be overshadowed by Sylvester Stallone. Stallone gives an Oscar worthy performance (it is still weird saying that) as Rocky battling an opponent tougher than any he had faced in the ring. Being from Philly, it was easy to get the emotional impact of the film. Creed was shot brilliantly and the story had very few holes. I thought Creed did a great job by not feeling like a Rocky movie. Yes, Rocky was in it and the best part, but it didn't feel like his story at all. Kudos, Mr. Coogler.

MY SCORE:   9.25/10 - GREAT

There you guys have it; my top 5 movies of 2015! What did you think? What were some of your favorite movies of the year? Let me know below! Reminder, be on the look out for my Most Anticipated 2016 Movies. There will be 2 lists, a superhero movie list and all other movies list. Have a great night!

Best and Worst Movies of December

Happy Holidays everyone! I am back with my monthly top 3 movies of the month and my least favorite of the month as well. I will gladly admit that December was a good month for movies. There was really not a lot of stinkers (Of the ones I saw). Just a reminder, coming really soon is my most anticipated January films. Also because it is a new year, I will be giving you my favorite movies of 2015 and the movies I am looking forward to the most in 2016. Anyway, without further ado, here is my top 3 movies of December!

TOP MOVIES



3) The Revenant

The Revenant is a spectacle in its own right. The two leads of Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy turn in Oscar worthy performances, while director Alejandro Innarritu works his magic again as he draws in the audience with his almost flawless camera work. Even though the story has its problem, and the movie could have been shorter. The Revenant is a satisfying movie going experience. I was lucky enough to see The Revenant earlier than I expected and it is really did not disappoint. 

MY SCORE:   8/10 - VERY GOOD




2) The Hateful Eight

Quinten Tarantino’s 8^th film, The Hateful Eight, was his best film to date. While it is both gory and long, the film leaves you wanting more and more. The quartet of Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Walton Goggins, and Jennifer Leigh carry the load of the movie but it does not affect their performances because they were all outstanding. The story and plot keeps you on the edge of your seat with every twist and turn it provides. The storytelling technique Tarantino uses are done to perfection. Even though certain characters could have been fleshed out more, which does not deteriorate any of the movie experience The Hateful Eight will provide you. Unless you don’t like blood, The Hateful Eight is a must see movie. 

                                     MY SCORE:   8.8/10 - VERY GOOD

1) Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Star Wars: The Force Awakens is a great action packed, space opera that does an excellent job in reopening the doors to the Stars Wars saga. Director J.J. Abrams does a noble job in making The Force Awakens feel like a Star Wars movie. The new cast brings a fresh flavor to the film, while the old cast brings the nostalgic energy that had us all excited from the beginning. While we don’t get to learn enough about some characters, and the story has its issues. I assume that both those issues will be resolved in episodes 8 & 9. One does not have to see the original trilogy to enjoy Star Wars: The Force Awakens. But it would definitely help make the experience much more exiting. Star Wars: The Force Awakens is a must see movie. My personal hype for this movie was not disappointed one bit.

                                   MY SCORE:  9/10 - GREAT

AND THE WORST MOVIE OF DECEMBER GOES TO.......

1) Krampus

Krampus is just not a scary movie at all. The creatures do not really lay fear into anyone’s eyes and most of the time they are not even on screens. While the cast give great performances and hit on almost all of their jokes, the horror side of this film does not do it any justice. The last thing Krampus has going for it is that I could see this becoming sort of a Christmas classic where it is played on family’s televisions because I will admit that it was pretty cool to watch a horror movie set in the Christmas season. Krampus will make you laugh, but the Santa at the mall is scarier than this movie.

                                    MY SCORE:  5/10 - OKAY

*Reminder! Please feel free to comment below and give your best and worst of December! Remember to share this blog if you wish! Thank You!*