Oscars 2016: Did the Academy get it right?

Happy Leap Day! The 88th Annual Academy Awards have come and gone. Earlier in the year, I did my predictions on who would win in the 6 major categories. (Check it out here) Today's blog I will be revisiting those predictions and saying if the Academy got it right in my humble opinion. I will also give my thoughts on the host, Chris Rock, and my overall thoughts on the night as a whole. Without further ado, let's get started.

Host: Chris Rock

Personally, I really enjoyed Chris Rock's opening monologue. He did a very good job balancing the need to address the #OscarsSoWhite dilemma while making the speech more enjoyable instead of sounding like a political rant. I thought the jabs he threw at both Will and Jada Smith were the perfect examples of how he perfectly balanced throughout the monologue and the night. My favorite bit of the night was the "Black Actors Get Roles in White Movies". (Watch Here) This sketch was both hilarious and confronted the diversity issue that shadowed over this year's Oscars. Overall, even though the ratings for the show were the lowest in 7 years, I thought Chris Rock did a fabulous job hosting this year, and frankly, this was one of the more enjoyable Oscars to watch in the past couple of years. Chris Rock gets a solid two thumbs up for his performance.

Best Supporting Actress

My Pick: Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl

2016 Winner: Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl

My Take: This was an easy layup for the Academy in this category. Alicia Vikander could have been nominated for her performance in Ex Machina this year as well. But she rightfully won for her magnificent performance in The Danish Girl. To co star next to Eddie Redmayne is a difficult task within itself, but to utterly outshine him is almost unfathomable to believe. Vikander did exactly that as she steals the movie away from Redmayne. Overall, The Danish Girl was a bland movie, but her performance is what keeps your attention drawn to it. So it is easy to say that I am very pleased the Academy got this one right and Alicia Vikander completely deserved her first ever Oscar.

Best Supporting Actor

My Pick: Sylvester Stallone, Creed

2016 Winner: Mark Rylance, Bridge of Spies

My Take: Here lied my biggest beef with the Academy on the night. While I knew it was not a lock Stallone would win the award, I was shocked he lost to the actor I had ranked 4th out of 5th in the category. Not to insult Rylance, he did deliver a very good performance, I thought the performances of Stallone, Hardy, and Ruffalo were all better and more compelling than his. Stallone took a historically one note character and delivered a performance that showed the character of Rocky had layers instead of being the Italian boxer known for screaming Adrian. Tom Hardy, one could say outshines DiCaprio in The Revenant, while Mark Ruffalo gave the best performance in the film that won Best Picture. It was disappointing to see Creed, a movie snubbed in so many categories, get snubbed in the one category it was nominated for.

Best Actress

My Pick: Brie Larson, Room

2016 Winner: Brie Larson, Room

My Take: Just like the Supporting Actress category, this one was another slam dunk for the Academy. In the beginning of Oscar season, it was Cate Blanchett, Carol, who was getting all the Oscar buzz for her performance, but as we got closer and closer to the awards show, Brie Larson was gaining more steam and winning all the awards. Rightfully so because she is just magnificent in Room and it was really no contest between her and her counterparts. Brie Larson wholeheartedly deserves her first Oscar and I look forward to seeing what she does next in her career. No complaints to the Academy from me on this one.

Best Actor

My Pick: Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant

2016 Winner: Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant

My Take: Leo gets his first Oscar and now all the "No Oscar for Leo" memes are dead. While it wasn't his best performance in The Revenant, there was not much competition this year in the Best Actor category against him. It's funny how things work sometimes. Many believe he should have won for many of his other brilliant performances, and he wins for the one that is not even his best. As I've said before, I think Tom Hardy is the best part of The Revenant. So it is kind of funny Leo gets his 1st for a movie he is not even the best part of. Anyway, no complaints for the Academy as this one was pretty easy to get and congrats to Leo for getting his 1st Oscar he was so badly overdue. 

Best Director 

My Pick: Tom McCarthy, Spotlight
2016 Winner: Alejandro G. Inarritu, The Revenant

My Take: Even though I got this one wrong, I am not overly upset with the decision of the Academy. The one thing I will never understand though is how Best Director and Best Picture do not go hand in hand. If you were the best director, one would think your movie was the best of the year. I personally went with McCarthy for Spotlight because when I think of directing, I think of the ability of telling the most compelling story. To me, the story of The Revenant was the film's weakest point. The cinematography and performance were both more of standouts than the story of the film. In the terms of story telling, I thought Tom McCarthy did the better job. But again, The Revenant was such a beautifully shot film, I can see why Inarritu won.  

Best Picture

My Pick: Spotlight

2016 Winner: Spotlight

My Take: The Academy absolutely got this one right because Spotlight was by far the best film of the year in that category. Director Tom McCarthy does an amazing job telling the story of the Boston Globe reporters uncovering the scandal going on within the church. The ensemble cast all give fantastic performances, 2 of which were nominated for awards this year, and the movie delivers a heavy story with ease. This one was an absolute shoe in for the Academy and I am very glad they got it right.

The 88th Annual Academy Awards Show

Overall, this years Oscars were very enjoyable to watch but yet again are too long for their own good. One thing they can do to help this problem is taking out the performances. There is not much need for us to listen to the songs up for Oscars. They do not give us a taste of any of the others up for an award, then why do we need that for the songs? If people want to hear the song that is up for an award, they can go online and listen to it. In the end, host Chris Rock was one of the better ones in the past few years which made this years Oscars were much more fun than the previous 2 years.

My Score for the 2016 Oscars:  8/10 - FUN/ENTERTAING

"Eddie the Eagle" *Non-Spoiler* Review

Eddie the Eagle is a fun, heartfelt, and entertaining film that is not a waste of time. The movie tells the true story of ski jumper Eddie Edwards and the bumpy road he took to get to the Olympics for the national British team. The film has you rooting for Eddie the entire movie and enjoying every second of his journey. If there is a movie that is very comparable to Eddie the Eagle, it would have to be the 1993 film Cool Runnings. A fun fact, both movies happen during the same Olympics and Eddie the Eagle gives a nice little nod to that. Taron Egerton (Eddie Edwards) and Hugh Jackman (Bronson Peary) are the movie’s two leads and they both deliver admirable performances. Both have very solid chemistry between each other and make you buy into their relationship. Jackman’s Peary is a former Olympian who never took ski jumping seriously and now is known more as the drunken failure. Both leads have to come over obstacles and people trying to stop them to get where they ultimately want to go. Eddie’s parents (Jo Hartley & Keith Allen) play big parts in his story and are 2 different sides of a coin when it comes to his dreams. Both actors are phenomenal in their roles and make rooting for Eddie that much easier.

Conclusion: Not knowing the story of Eddie Edwards, the film Eddie the Eagle does a very good job showing what he had to go through to achieve his dream of becoming an Olympic athlete. Eddie the Eagle is enjoyable to watch and does hit an emotional chord with the audience as he fights through the people telling him he cannot do what he wants. Taron Egerton and Hugh Jackman give fantastic performances and sell you on their coach/student friendship. Overall, Eddie the Eagle is a fun time at the theaters. The movie will not blow you away but you certainly will be entertained.

MY SCORE:         6.8/10 – FUN, ENTERTAINING

*The Oscars are tommorow, I will do a post Oscars reaction blog*

"Deadpool" *Non-Spoiler* Review

The Mirk with the mouth makes his big screen debut and he will leave you smiling ear to ear from the beginning to the very end credits. Calling Deadpool a homerun would be selling this movie short; it is that good of a film. This movie is action packed, heartfelt, and most of all, just pretty damn funny. Ryan Reynolds (Wade Wilson) absolutely kills it as Deadpool. He was born to play this role as he brings the charisma and energy needed to pull off this type of character. You can see how much passion he had for this character through his performance. Not to be outdone, T.J. Miller (Weasal) is comedic goal in his supporting role. When he and Reynolds are on screen together there is rarely a moment where you will not find yourself laughing. The main story of Deadpool is Wade Wilson going through surgery as a last ditched effort to beat his terminal cancer diagnosis and save his life with his girlfriend Vanessa (Morena Baccarin). The relationship between Wilson and Vanessa works perfectly. Unlike in some other superhero films, the romance between the main protagonist and the kidnapped woman actually works to the advantage of this film. Baccarin delivers a great performance and gets you to care about not only her, but the relationship she is in. Finally, villain Ajax (Ed Skrein) is a formidable foe for the hero. While he probably won’t go down as memorable and his motives are not made quite clear; he is the perfect villain for the first installation of the Deadpool franchise. Yes, this movie is that good, it definitely will get a 2^nd and 3^rd.

Conclusion: Deadpool has set the bar high for the many superhero films that are following later in 2016. The movie holds nothing back and is one hell of an entertaining time. Ryan Reynolds makes his case for the most perfectly casted superhero, and T.J. Miller is comedic gold whenever he is on screen. Director Tim Miller successfully gets you to care for Wilson’s girlfriend and the villain serves his purpose. One of the best aspects of this movie is the fact it does not take itself seriously. It knows exactly what it is and what its purpose is. I cannot say enough just how much fun it was to watch this film. My anticipation was high for this movie, and it surely did not disappoint. I highly recommend seeing Deadpool. You will have a blast with this one.

MY SCORE:         9/10 – AWESOME 

"Hail, Caesar!" *Non-Spoiler* Review

The Coen brothers are back with their new film Hail, Caesar and they successfully bring to life Hollywood in the 1950s. Everything from the outfits everyone wears to the movies the industry was making; the Coen brothers did a tremendous job making you feel as if you too were in the 50s as well. Unfortunately for them, they completely forgot they were making a film instead of just paying homage. Without being too harsh, Hail Caesar may be one of the most pointless movies you will ever watch. The story of the movie is just flat out weak. Not only is the story scattered throughout the movie, it is more in the background of what is actually going on in the film. Without giving away spoilers, Hail Caesar is about movie star Baird Whitlock (George Clooney) being kidnapped and studio head, Eddie Mannix (Josh Brolin), must do whatever it takes to get him back….or at least that is what the trailers intended you to think it was about. There are so many subplots to this film, you lose track of what is going on and exactly when the film will get to its point. There are so many stars that are utterly wasted in this movie; Ralph Fiennes, Scarlett Johansson, Channing Tatum, and Jonah Hill all have a max of just 2 scenes. Again, the trailers touted such a prestigious cast, yet they were sparingly used. The lone bright spot of the film was Josh Brolin. If there is any reason to see the film it is for his character and his portrayal of that character. He is the one you will spend the most time with and the only one you really get to know….well sort of get to know. This is no knock on George Clooney, but his character is the next biggest character, but there is nothing that stood out in his performance or with his character. Do not worry though, there is one or two scenes that will make you laugh.

Conclusion: Hail, Caesar fooled us all with its marketing campaign showing off a star studded cast immersed into a fun comedy, thriller trying to get back a kidnapped star. The film was the exact opposite by focusing too much time on the subplots and really not letting the cast flaunt their talents. The Coen brothers do an excellent job capturing the essence of the industry in the 1950s, while Josh Brolin delivers the only decent performance. Yes, there are some laughs when it comes to Hail, Caesar. But in the end, you will want the movie to be over with. And when it is over, you will leave the theater wondering what the hell did you just watch. If you know the answer, please let me know.

SCORE:      4/10 – DON’T WASTE THE MONEY

Most Anticipated February Films

The month of February is upon us and that means it is time for me to give you the top 3 films of February I am most looking forward to. February is usually a slow month for films but luckily for us we have some interesting ones hitting the theaters. I was unable to do this for January because of the big blizzard that hit which kept me inside for several days. As always, I base my anticipation off of cast, trailers, director, and story. I also added a new feature to this where I will give you a number out of 10 based on how excited I am for the film. Remember, feel free to comment below and tell me which February movies you are looking forward to the most. Without further ado, here are my top 3 most anticipated February films!


3) Eddie The Eagle
    Release Date: February 26
    Director: Dexter Fletcher
    Cast: Taron Egerton, Hugh Jackman, Christopher Walken, Tim McInnerny, Jo Hartley, Rune Temte
    Trailer: Eddie The Eagle Trailer

Eddie the Eagle just beat out Hail Caesar for me based on my reaction to the trailer. Just a few weeks ago I hadn't even heard of this film and I stumbled upon the trailer while on YouTube. The trailer to Eddie the Eagle just hit an emotional chord with me that immediately had me interested in the story. I do not know the story of Eddie Edwards and what happened to him in his quest to become an Olympic athlete, but what I do know is that the trailer did a damn fine job in getting me to want to know what happens and also had me rooting for Eddie by the end of it. Taron Egerton (Kingsman: The Secret Service) and Hugh Jackman (X-Men) are the 2 leads and they have both historically been able to turn in very good performances. But as I stated above, it really was the trailer for this film that got me. If not for that, Eddie the Eagle would have been an after thought for me.

Anticipation Level - 5


2) Triple 9
    Release Date: February 26
    Director: John Hillcoat
    Cast: Teresa Palmer, Gal Gadot, Kate Winslet, Aaron Paul, Casey Affleck, Woody Harrelson, Anthony Mackie, Chiwetel Ejifor, Norman Reedus
    Trailer: Triple 9 Trailer #2

Triple 9 falls under the genres crime and thriller. The trailers certainly do a good job at establishing that. What has this movie up to number 2 on my list is the magnificent cast this movie has to offer. There is a load of trophy winning talent on the cast list. Now just because the movie has an excellent cast, does not mean it will be a successful movie. There will be a lot of pressure on the writer Matt Cook and director John Hillcoat to deliver the best possible story and put the actors in the best situations to give us the performances all of them are capable of doing. The only negative I have on this film is I do not like how the trailers pretty much gave away whose on the good side and whose on the bad side. I think my anticipation level would have been a lot higher if I went into the film with knowing who is on which side. Other than that, it does look like this could be a surprise hit in the slow month of February.

Anticipation Level - 5.5


1) Deadpool
    Release Date: February 12
    Director: Tim Miller
    Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Karan Soni, Ed Skrein, Michael Benyaer, Brianna Hildebrand, Taylor Hickson, T.J. Miller
     Trailer: Deadpool Trailer #2

No surprise here. Of course Deadpool is my most anticipated movie for the month of February, I mean what else could have been? For the longest time I have been dying to see this character on the big screen and in just over a week we are finally getting that. The marketing to this film has been incredibly brilliant and has done nothing to derail me of my excitement and expectations of the movie being fun and overall good. Ryan Reynolds has had many flops over his acting career (Green Latern) but this was the role he was made for. He was Deadpool earlier in the God awful Wolverine movie but was the only saving grace. But now, he finally gets to play the character without his mouth sewn shut. The fact that FOX was able to let this be rated R is just icing on the cake. The trailers have been funny, action packed, and have done their job. I have high expectations for this movie and hoping that FOX can finally get a superhero movie right that isn't named X-Men. Deadpool's marketing has done everything right. Now let's see if the movie itself is any good.

Anticipation Level - 8.5

*Remember, feel free to share this blog and comment below to tell me which February movies you are looking forward to the most as well. Also, be on the look out, I will be starting to write movie news related blogs and other movie related blogs in the near future. Thank you!*