bryce-keaton Reviews

Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014)

British Punk Still Lives

[7/10 · 27 February 2015]

Forenote: I always do my best to avoid spoilers. I marked this review as containing spoilers because of a comment about the cast of the film. Any potential spoilers have been marked but are very vague.

For anyone who ever enjoyed the sounds and themes of groups like The Sex Pistols, The Clash, and the The Damned, this is your kind of movie. Matthew Vaughn has given the punk genre a new flame with his new film "Kingsman." While many will see this movie expecting a poorly done money grabber that's riding the coattails of YA movies and James Bond. What "Kingsman" delivers instead is an action packed, in-your-face, anti-typical, punk rock movie (just without all the drugs and the angst... oh, and the music).

Vaughn does not care if you like his characters, he does not care if you support their causes, and he does not care about your political stance. Vaughn only wanted to make a movie that was anti-stereotype, and he succeeded. This is even referenced in the dialogue multiple times throughout the film. While the movie could do without several scenes that only serve to add extra time to the already long duration of the film, there are almost no points in the film where an audience member should be bored or confused. Also, (semi-spoilers) while I was disappointed to see certain cast members be killed off, I had no problems with any of the acting; EXCEPT for Samuel Jackson's ridiculous lisp that is almost impossible to listen to, albeit funny to hear at first.

I gave this film a 7 out of 10 for its uniqueness and purpose. I would have scored higher had it maybe taken itself a bit more seriously, but not so much to lose the punk-feel to it. There are jokes and scenes that I feel took away from the movie quality rather than adding to it.

American Sniper (2014)

Over-hyped, but not Sub-Par

[5/10 · 21 January 2015]

Riding on the coattails of current event relativism and the Bradley Cooper Hype Train, Clint Eastwood's film "American Sniper" promised us that it would be "the best film of the year" as well as "one of the best performances of the year." Naturally, I watched this film attempting to analyze these claims for myself.

Was "American Sniper" on of the best films of the year? Perhaps; it would mostly depend on who you talked to. In my personal opinion, I believe "American Sniper" was very similar to "The Hurt Locker" (2008); however, the latter was far superior. This comparison may come under criticism due to the fact that Eastwood's film is based on a true story while the other is not. To those that would argue this makes it more intriguing or better, pump your brakes. "American Sniper" is loosely based on the auto-biography of Chris Kyle himself, but some rather key character traits are lost in the movie (most likely for some kind of propaganda). If you do not believe me, I encourage you to do research yourself, Kyle is a very interesting study into psychology when it comes to the combination of hate, power, and respect. Moving on, the movie itself has some rather cheesy plot lines that look like they came straight out of "Enemy at the Gates." It is also an extremely fast paced film that covers several years of Kyle's life, but only focuses on a few days. In conclusion, there are plenty of other films that I thought were better this year, including "Fury," another war movie that deals with psychological issues and American heroes. If you want to see a great film on war that also deals with PTSD, please give "The Hurt Locker" a watch if you have not already seen it.

Did Bradley Cooper give one of the best performances of the year? No, but he did give the best performance of his career. Unfortunately for him, many other great actors also had tremendous years. Cooper will most likely get stomped by the other nominees in the Leading Actor category.

In short, "American Sniper" was good, however; the hype, money, and recognition it is receiving are highly undeserved in my opinion. I gave this film a 7 out of 10 for a great performance from Bradley Cooper and for its theater watch-ability. If you insist on seeing any of the garbage coming out in the next few months, see this instead, hopefully it will have an extended release because of its late release date.

The Mule (2014)

A Clever and Joyous Crime-Drama

[8/10 · 8 December 2014]

Tony Mahony and star Angus Sampson tag team this oddball crime-drama that is sure to show audiences an intelligent plot, well acted characters, and no shortage of humor. The characters are all lovable in their own unique ways due to the performances from...well everyone, really. The characters, plot, and cinematography show a healthy mix of influence from the Coen Brothers ("Fargo," "Raising Arizona"), Wes Anderson ("The Grand Budapest Hotel"), and even AMC's "Breaking Bad."

Reading a quick synopsis or plot summary of this film will reflect poorly on the actual depth and cleverness of it all. Despite the seemingly simple and goofy (maybe even downright stupid) story of a man trying not to crap his pants for seven days because he swallowed drugs, "The Mule" is sure to impress audiences with its suspense and unfolding plot. Watching this movie is like being in a room with a time bomb; you don't know when it's going to blow, you can't escape it, and the bomb just happens to be a man doing his very best to not defecate himself.

Angus Sampson, an actor who usually prefers to stay out of the spotlight, shines in his role as Ray Jenkins, a quiet, introverted, momma's boy, soccer player who finds himself making the wrong decisions for the right reasons. John Noble plays as this Australian town's cut- throat kingpin. Hugo Weaving and Ewen Leslie are the typical "bad cop - good cop" detective duo that keep us guessing as to whether they want to help Ray through this or (quite literally) beat the **** out of him.

While I'm sure this movie will receive low scores because of how "drawn out" it may seem or because of...well..."shock factor"... I urge fans of crime-dramas and thrillers to see this film. You will be pleased with its twists and turns right up until the happy ending.

Fury (2014)

A Movie the War Genre Desperately Needed

[8/10 · 8 December 2014]

I was very excited to see David Ayer's "Fury," not just because I love war movies or Brad Pitt, but because the War Movie genre seemed to have covered every aspect of modern warfare except tank warfare, which was a HUGE part of World War II. I'm certainly no expert, and I certainly did not ride a Sherman tank across 1940s Europe, but I believe Ayer put audiences inside the belly of the beast with his realistic adaptation of this World War II hero story.

Not only is the cast magnificent (shout out to Shia LaBeouf for his OUTSTANDING performance. I naively made the assumption, based on his previous films, that he should not be viewed as a serious actor. This movie proved that notion to be very wrong), but the visual effects and realness of it all made me almost feel what it was like to be in an American Armored battalion facing a seemingly unstoppable opponent (for those that don't know, German tanks were considerably more advanced than our own; imagine a fox trying to fight a Bengal tiger). The fear, anger, and bravery of the characters are brought out through the terrific cast and Ayer's outstanding writing.

I would have rated this film a 9/10 had it not been for the slow developing overlying plot; and I, unfortunately, am very picky when it comes to plot development. The first half of the film seems to be an introduction of the characters in order to show their changes in values and relationships during the conflict. There are also a few scenes that I cannot identity a purpose to, other than character development, that are rather uncomfortable and confusing to watch. Overall, "Fury" is a great war film that any action and/or drama fan should enjoy thoroughly.

Nightcrawler (2014)

A Delightfully Evil Thriller

[8/10 · 7 December 2014]

One of the few times I can recall legitimately loathing the main character of a film, Jake Gyllenhaal's performance as the awkward and twisted Louis Bloom is arguably Oscar-worthy. He is awkward enough to inspire pity, smart enough to impress, and evil enough to repulse. The film takes a brave dive into the behind-the-scenes drama of modern TV News that should make an impression on audiences as to never watch the their local news the same way again. Many who watch this will be disappointed about the end of the movie, as typical stories usually tell us that "everything will work out in the end," but "Nightcrawler" hits audiences with reality and is extremely unapologetic about it.

Dan Gilroy's directing debut is sure to impress. The movie wastes no time on background, or subplots, but instead thrusts viewers directly into a story that moves downhill quickly. The low-budget special effects and makeup are also equally impressive, serving as a breath of fresh air for viewers tired of their screens being filled with a mess of nearly incomprehensible CGI effects. If audiences everywhere do not at least like the film, it is sure to etch itself into the minds of viewers for a long time.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 (2014)

A Disappointment to Movie-watchers and Book-readers Alike

[4/10 · 7 December 2014]

Acknowledge: as a book-reader who did not like the third installment in the first place, you may find my review a bit biased.

"The Hunger Games" series has failed to grab my attention on both the big screen and on paper. However, due to the vast improvements made between the first and second installments of the film series, I was rather excited to see how the writers would continue to improve upon Suzanne Collins' disappointing finale to the book series. Unfortunately, "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay (Part 1)" delivers no such improvements and is just as slow and frustrating as the first half of the third book. If you go to see this, when you walk out of the theater, please seriously ask yourself, "what was accomplished in this movie?". The answer you give yourself should have one, maybe two, bullet points despite the 123 minute running time. This movie made it painfully obvious that producers only want to squeeze as much money out of fans as possible; there is absolutely no reason to have a two part film adaptation of Collins' "Mockingjay".

I do not believe screenplay writers should keep true to books they base their screenplays off of, that is totally up to the original author and the writer. That being said, book-readers should be happy with any changes that were made, and mad that more were not implemented. This was a BORING movie. It also makes you hate the characters we are meant to love by making them seem like the most selfish and naive people despite the experiences they have lived through. While the acting is not bad (quite the opposite really, the actors are excellent with what little they have to work with), I was relieved when the main characters were taken off the screen in order to show what was happening outside of their "bubble". I found myself much more interested in the stories of the extras rather than the boring and almost irrelevant plot that follows the main characters. It makes you want to slap them and scream "stop throwing a pity-party for yourself and do something useful for a change".

I gave this film a 4 because, while there is no doubt in my mind that I will see the final installment in theaters as well, I urge movie- watchers to wait. Wait until you have the chance to watch the first and second parts together, otherwise you will be mad and anxious until it is released. Hopefully by doing this, you will have a better impression of the film(s) than I have.

The Babadook (2014)

A Refreshing Ray of Light in a Storm of Terrible Money-Makers

[9/10 · 5 December 2014]

Jennifer Kent's "The Babadook," took me by surprise. Watching the trailer, I was expecting an average monster flick full of jump scares and forced scenes. Instead, I gripped the arms of my chair as I was taken for a ride on what I would say is the best horror movie since James Wan's "The Conjuring," and the most original horror story since "Insidious."

Actress Essie Davis- stepping out from behind the stage curtain and onto the big screen -gives a tremendous performance as a widowed mother who cannot outrun her past. In his early age acting debut, Noah Wiseman's performance as a very troubled young boy is exceptional, especially for an actor his age. While many movie-goers will be disappointed in the lack of on-screen presence for the antagonist, Kent makes sure to keep you on the edge of your seat for the duration of the film. This is not your granny's haunted house movie; this is a pure psychological-thriller and a True Horror film that does not need frightening images or sudden loud noises to make you shake in your chair or sleep with the lights on. True Horror fans will love "The Babadook," and look forward to future Jennifer Kent films; however, movie-goers seeking cheap scares, gore, expensive CGI creatures, and teen romance will be extremely disappointed.