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Wonder Woman (2017)
A mostly good superhero movie
The movie takes place during World War I. When a fighter pilot (Chris Pine) crash lands onto her home island, the title character (Gadot) decides to go to his world to defeat the Greek god of war, Ares, thus ending the war.
This movie follows a traditional superhero movie formula. There are very few surprises in the story, but there is enough charm to make up for that.
Gal Gadot gave a show-stealing performance in Batman v Superman, and her version of Wonder Woman holds up as the front and center of her own movie. She pulls off the warrior attitude very well, but also has moments of wonder and naivete, as she is introduced to the unfamiliar human world. She also has great chemistry with Chris Pine, who acts as a love interest for her.
The tone is also much more lighthearted than previous DC movies. It isn't nearly as upbeat and funny as The Avengers or Guardians of the Galaxy, but it is definitely a move away from the darkness of Man of Steel and Batman v Superman.
However, it is still held back by its unoriginal story, and by its overlong run-time of two and a half hours. But if you don't mind seeing the same old superhero origin story, Wonder Woman is a perfectly decent superhero movie.
jaythemovieguy.blogspot.com
Alien: Covenant (2017)
A triumphant return to form
Alien: Covenant is uninterested in answering any of the questions presented in Prometheus. Instead it focuses on what made the first Alien movie work so well: creating a sense of terror and isolation in space where no one can hear you scream.
This film takes place between Prometheus and the original, focusing on a mission to colonize a remote planet. They receive a transmission from another planet that is seemingly better suited to support human life. As you may have expected, this does not go well.
This movie is a triumphant return to form for the franchise. It is the same form of the original classic, with a crew in space hunted by an alien. With the exception of a few subplots, the story doesn't stray far from that description. But Ridley Scott directs it with the same sense of dread that made the original such a classic.
It is full of graphic violence, but the real scares come from the aliens themselves. They are brought to life with terrifyingly realistic special effects, and their on screen presence is very menacing. I feel like they could have shown less of them, maybe having them lurk out of sight, but they were still scary when shown in all their glory.
Alien: Covenant is significantly better than the previous outing, Prometheus, and an effectively creepy thriller. Though I am disappointed that it didn't continue the story of Prometheus, I am still glad we got another Alien movie that focuses on tension and atmosphere.
jaythemovieguy.blogspot.com
Kong: Skull Island (2017)
Kong: Skull Island is not the traditional King Kong. But if you accept that, this is a really fun time.
I say that this is not the traditional King Kong for many reasons. This is not the same story that you all know and love. This is barely even the same monster; this one is much taller. The whole movie really only exists to set up 2020's Godzilla vs Kong. That being said, this is a fun, action packed movie, that rarely feels like a cheap setup to another movie.
The story revolves around a group of scientists and soldiers in the nineteen-seventies who conduct experiments on Skull Island, unaware of the monsters that inhabit it.
The concept is not taken as seriously as many previous renditions of Kong. It focuses mostly on intense action, and features comic relief, mostly via John C Reilly's character. But it is still suspenseful, with many characters dying unexpectedly. It also has some pretty good cinematography, and many scenes reminiscent of Apocalypse Now.
This new version probably won't appeal to all King Kong fans. A lot of people will probably hate the lighter tone and the liberties taken with the monster. But it does what it set out to do: deliver a fun action movie. It is nowhere near as good as the original, or even the Peter Jackson remake, but I was thoroughly entertained by it. I'd also say I'd prefer it to the recent Godzilla movie it's set to crossover with. This is a good movie if you know what you're getting into.
jaythemovieguy.blogspot.com
Colossal (2016)
A delightfully weird mixture of genres
Indie hit Colossal is a weird movie. It is all at once a monster movie, a romantic comedy, and a story of alcoholism. And for the most part, it pulls it off.
Anne Hathaway plays an unemployed alcoholic who moves back to her childhood home after breaking up with her boyfriend. Upon arriving, a giant monster attacks Seoul, South Korea, and she gradually finds out that she is connected to this. Every time she sets foot onto a playground in her neighborhood, the monster appears and does whatever she does, on the other side of the world. Jason Sudeikis also stars as Hathaway's childhood friend.
The monster is treated as a representation of Hathaway's problems. She is an alcoholic and spends a lot of time around men who treat her like dirt. This destructive behavior is shown as literally destructive, as the monster tramples the city.
But the monster is rarely treated as the center of the movie. This is about Hathaway and her struggles. It is true that the monster is the driving force of the story, but very little of the rampages are shown. There may be points where it looks as if the movie is headed toward a big Pacific Rim style climax, but, to put it simply, it's not. But it is still an entertaining movie, nonetheless. Anne Hathaway's character is relate-able, and is played very well. The movie also has plenty of funny moments, even though it's rarely hilarious.
I guess my main complaint with this movie would be Jason Sudeikis' character. I felt the motives for what many of the things he did in the second half of the movie were not very believable. The movie does not try to justify these actions, but it felt more like they were trying too hard to make him into the bad guy.
Despite the weird concept, Colossal is a very entertaining comedy and monster movie. It is a bizarre fusion of genres that stays entertaining throughout.
jaythemovieguy.blogspot.com
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
Almost as fun as the original
At a time when many superhero movies are starting to look similar, the new Guardians of the Galaxy movie is fresh and different.
In this installment, Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) finally meets his father (Kurt Russel), a celestial being who may have a sinister agenda.
The Guardians of the Galaxy has proved itself to be the most fun franchise in the MCU. And this movie is just as entertaining as the original. It is full of intense action, good special effects, a lot of humor, and a fun soundtrack.
Like the original, this one doesn't feel so much like a traditional superhero movie. It plays out more like a more colorful, retro, comedic version of Star Wars. The Guardians are a conceptually bizarre team, and the movie knows this and has as much time devoted to comedy as it does to action. And James Gunn, who also directed the previous movie, perfectly replicates the fun of the original.
That being said, this is still not as good as the first movie story-wise. However, it is as FUN as the first movie. This is a very entertaining, funny, and visually stunning time at the theater.
jaythemovieguy.blogspot.com