Film Review- "Tomorrowland"

Tomorrowland
Directed by Brad Bird
Starring George Clooney, Britt Robertson, and Raffey Cassidy

Disney's made films around attractions in their theme parks before. Some of them turned out fine (Pirates of the Caribbean), and others not so much (The Haunted Mansion). A film based off Tomorrowland though? The futuristic section of Disney Land/World that's home to Space Mountain and...crap what else is there? I know The Avengers have meet & greet's in Tommorowland, Disney Land now. Man I got to check that out. Anyway, if anyone could pull off a film like this, it'd be Brad Bird, acclaimed director of The Incredibles, Ratatouille, and Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol.

Does he? Umm, kinda...

The film opens with a choppy opening prologue where a young Frank Welker (Clooney in the present, Thomas Robinson here) makes his way to the New York World's Fair to show off his self-built-but-not-really-working jet-pack. Brushed off by fair judge David Nix (Hugh Laurie), he then meets a young girl named Athena (Cassidy). She takes a shine to Frank and his enthusiasm, and gives him access to something extraordinary (I'll let you guess what that is.).

Jump forward to the present, where a young girl named Casey (Robertson) is constantly sneaking out at night to sabotage the construction equipment set to tare down a launchpad at Cape Canaveral, where her father (Tim McGraw) is an engineer. One night when Casey is caught by the cops, who but Athena, who somehow hasn't aged a day since 1964, gives her the same gift she gave Frank (Again, I'll let you guess).

This attracts the attention of some bad...cyborg cops? I don't know. Casey is soon on the run with Athena. Together they set out to find the now older, bitter, Clooney'd up Frank for help, which starts their adventure that will lead them all back to Tomorrowland.

Here's the main problem with Tomorrowland, and it's a pretty big one. That little summary I just wrote for you? Reads like act one or the first half-hour right? Well that's the first half of the film. When it comes to narrative and pacing, the film is a bit of a mess. A lot of questions are raised and aren't answered fast enough. As soon as one question is answered, three more or poised. Chunks of expository dialogue sprinkled throughout don't make it any less confusing. I haven't been exposed too much to the works of Damon Lindelof, but from what I've heard a lot of this reads like his work on Lost.

The film looks pretty enough in terms of production design. Tomorrowland looks like Tomorrowland, but frankly we've seen these sets over and over since that section of Disney Parks opened up, from The Jetsons to Meet The Robinsons. Unfortunately, we don't get to learn too much about the inner workings of Tomorrowland, which is a bit of a letdown.

How about the cast? First off kudos to the studio for having George Clooney take a backseat to two young, female, relatively unknown actresses, who clearly have bright futures ahead of them. Clooney and Laurie, are Clooney and Laurie. Good as they've ever been, and do the best with the material given to them.

Now as messy as this film's script is, I think it's important to note that's its message is clear, and it's an important message. Laurie's character believes society has given up, and fallen in love with the idea of the apocalypse, of the end. Now look at some of the most popular film series out right now: The Hunger Games, The Maze Runner, Divergent, the list goes on. We really almost have given into the notion that things will get worse. It was in this moment I went, "Wow. This film might be onto something." Robertson, Clooney, and Cassidy's characters are the opposite of Laurie's. They're the optomists. They believe things can get better.

The message to hold onto optimism, that we can make things better, is an important one. Some critics argue that Tomorrowland shoves that message down the viewers' throats. I don't agree, but maybe that's the idea, dammnit. In a world, in a culture, where it's almost instinct to go straight for the negative, the idea of staying positive has to stay alive. If we want things to get better, we have to do something, we can't just complain. That's a great message for a film like Tomorrowland to have, but unfortunately, it's message is skewed to a sloppy narrative.

If you'd like to read more into the film, or you've seen it and are still pondering it like I was, I recommend you read Haleigh Foutch's article on the film over at Collider. Her write-up definitely gave me a better appreciation of the film.

As the old Disney song says, there's a great big beautiful tomorrow. Tomorrowland doesn't quite get us there, but it's a step in the right direction.

Film Review- "Avengers: Age Of Ultron"

Avengers: Age of Ultron
Directed by Joss Whedon
Starring Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, and James Spader

It's hard to believe that a sequel to The Avengers could live up to all the hype. It did what no superhero film had done before, teaming up multiple characters from multiple films. It became beloved by fans and critics alike, and is now the third highest grossing film of all time.

So after the months of epic trailers and juicy gossip, how does Age of Ultron stack up alongside Avengers, and other films of the Marvel Cinematic Universe? After seeing the film for a third time in theaters (Judge me), I say it falls in the…upper-middle of the pack. Let's begin.

After going their separate ways for another round of solo films/adventures, Tony Stark/Iron Man, Steve Rogers/Captain America, Thor (and the rest!) have reassembled to take down Hydra (Who you'll remember reemerged in Captain America: The Winter Soldier). While raiding one of the last Hydra facilities in Sokovia, Tony (Downey) makes a startling discovery, and shown a very grim hallucination via Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen). This leads him, along with Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) to jumpstart an artificial intelligence, word-peace keeping program Ultron (Spader).

Unfortunately, Ultron becomes a little too smart for his own good. The menacing machine soon sets out to put an end to The Avengers, and all of mankind. The team sets out on an worldwide mission to stop Ultron, while also dealing with the super-powered siblings of Wanda and Pietro Maximoff (Aaron-Taylor Johnson) aka Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver.

It may not seem like it based on that short summary, but there's a lot going on in this film. A lot of story, and a lot of characters. A heavy burden falls down on Age of Ultron. It has to act as a sequel to not just The Avengers but in some respects to Iron Man 3, Thor: The Dark World, and Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Then it has to continue to set-up this ever expanding universe, as we prepare to go in to a huge Phase Three of the MCU, which will culminate in the third (and fourth) Avengers film, Infinity War.

Age of Ultron manages to balance a lot of its story elements...for most of the film. Some things at times are left unattended or under developed. There's so much going on you might find yourself scratching your head saying, "Wait when did that happen?" or "Wait how did we get here?" That being said, there's so much awesome, fan-pleasing moments here you might forget your concerns, because you're so enamored with what's on screen. The action scenes are some of the best in the franchise. Your eyes will be glued to the screen in awe.

Somehow, all the characters old and new, get their proper chance to shine. The one exception would have to be Thor, who halfway through the film is subjected to an underdeveloped subplot that factors into where this massive franchise is heading. Hawkeye truly get his due in this film, and is one of the best parts of it. What they've done to explain where he's been through all of Phase Two is beautiful. Hulk and Black Widow are given a romance this film. You wouldn't think it'd work, but it really grows on you, and it gives some great material to Ruffalo and Johansson. The new characters, The Vision (Paul Bettany) in particular, are great additions. I won't go into everyone's individual performances, because I think you all know by now how great this ensemble is.

Some people would say Ultron succombs to the cliche that Marvel can't make a good villain. I am not one of those people. Much like Ronan in Guardians of the Galaxy, while his motivations are one-dimensional and his character development is rushed, the actor behind the performance accelerates the character to a higher level. James Spader is at his very best as Ultron.

It's already been revealed that Joss Whedon's original cut of the film was about three and-a-half hours long (That means we missed out on an hour of footage, for those trying to do the math.), and that an extended cut will be featured on the Blu-Ray release. Hopefully this extended cut film and Whedon's original cut are one and the same, because I really feel like adding some of that hour's worth of footage would really strengthen the film.

Let me be clear, I really do enjoy Age of Ultron. It's as funny, action-packed, and fan pleasing as Marvel gets, and is arguably one of the better films in the cinematic universe. I loved it the first two times I saw it, the third time I was starting to see the cracks in the foundation. Another draft of the script, another hour in the editing bay, something could have been done to flesh the story out a bit more.  That being said, do not let that dissuade you from seeing it. It's still a wonder to see all of your favorite characters together again, and the good outweighs the bad here. No doubt Age of Ultron will still become one of the best films of the year.

Yeah...About Spider-Man Joining The MCU

If I may quote John C. Reilly in Guardians of The Galaxy, "This may not be the best idea…"

There was a time when Spider-Man was one of the most popular superhero characters brought to film. Back then though, we had nowhere near as many superhero film franchises on the screen that we do now. Back then, we probably only had Spider-Man, Superman, and Batman with a few failed attempts at The Hulk and Fantastic Four scattered in between.

Let's focus on the mid-to-late 2000's. In 2005, Christopher Nolan began his Batman series with Batman Begins, but the world had yet to see how much this series would shake up the system. They would have to wait until 2008 for that, with the very successful sequel The Dark Knight.

In 2006, Superman made a mediocre to return to the screen with Superman Returns. The film failed to get the franchise going again, and fans would have to wait until 2013 for sadly another mediocre, successful reboot of the character in the form of Man of Steel. 

Then in 2007, came Spider-Man 3, making the web-slinger the first of the three to complete a…ahem, successful, trilogy of films at the time (By the way, we're ignoring the Christopher Reeve Superman films, and any pre-Nolan Batman right now).

Now we all know what became of Spider-Man 3, and frankly all of Sam Raimi's original trilogy hasn't aged too well. So while the world would wait for a Spider-Man 4 (and never get it), Superman would return to film-development purgatory, and Batman would continue to soar under the direction of Nolan.

The very same year The Dark Knight came out, Robert Downey Jr. walked up to a podium and said "I am Iron Man", and something truly special began. Of course I'm referring to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. A franchise of films produced by Marvel Studios themselves. These films soon gained a huge fan base, and gave heroes like Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor who weren't well known by the general public, a chance to shine.

After Phase One of the MCU came to a ground-breaking conclusion with The Avengers, the franchise continued to grow. Phase Two would give Iron Man, Capt, and Thor more to do, while taking a gamble with Guardians of The Galaxy. A gamble that turned into one of the most successful films of the year. Marvel was at a point where it seemed like they could do no wrong. The MCU is poised to raise the bar again this summer with Avengers: Age of Ultron, and end Phase Two with an introduction to another lesser known hero in Ant Man.

"Okay what about Spider-Man?" you ask? Well, in 2012 the franchise was rebooted with The Amazing Spider-Man. I myself have often heard mixed reactions to the film, but personally I find it better than the entirety of Sam Raimi's trilogy. Last year, its sequel was released. You'll remember I gave my own review of it, but the general consensus was The Amazing Spider-Man 2 was no good.

Sony Pictures began trying to fix their mistakes. The Amazing Spider-Man 3 was thrown into limbo, and the Sinister Six spinoff was pushed up a year. There was talk of another spinoff featuring all of Spidey's lady friends (Black Cat, Spiderwoman..), and another spinoff about…Aunt May??

Meanwhile, Marvel Studios showed their hand, and revealed the entirety of Phase Three. All of it. A third film for Captain America and Thor. Introductions to more lesser knowns like Doctor Strange, Captain Marvel, and Black Panther. And a culmination of everything that has come before, with a two-part event, Avengers: Infinity War. The world went nuts, while a certain Spider-Man, a character that was once one of the most popular superheroes out there, was taking a backseat to the likes of Rocket Raccoon and Hawkeye, and becoming as big a joke as a George Clooney Batman.

It was clear, Kevin Feige and Marvel were very confident in this plan that had been laid out, and couldn't wait any longer to reveal it to their fans. One has to imagine a plan like this had been years in the making, and carefully thought out.

(Alright. History lesson over.)

Then, a few days ago, what was only a pipe-dream for many fans became a reality. Sony agreed to play nice with Marvel, and Spider-Man was announced to be joining the MCU. After the initial shock, and letting more information get released, I've decided to voice my thoughts on all of this.

First off, I don't have a problem with Spider-Man joining the MCU. I want to make that clear. He's one of Marvel's most popular characters and he deserves to be back home, and under their supervision. My problem is how they're bringing him in. A new Spider-Man solo film has been announced for July 2017. The hardcore-nerds will remember that is when Thor: Ragnarok was supposed to come out. As a circumstance of the new Spider-Man film, the back two-thirds of Phase Three have been shuffled around.

Here's Phase Three pre-Spidey:

• Captain America: Civil War
• Doctor Strange
• Guardians of The Galaxy 2
• Thor: Ragnarok
• Black Panther
• Avengers: Infinity War Part 1
• Captain Marvel
• Inhumans
• Avengers: Infinity War Part 2

and here's Phase Three with Spidey:

• Captain America: Civil War
• Doctor Strange
• Guardians of The Galaxy 2
• New Spider-Man Film
• Thor: Ragnarok
• Avengers: Infinity War Part 1
• Black Panther
• Captain Marvel
• Avengers: Infinity War Part 2
• Inhumans

I've spared the release dates, but as you can see, everything after Guardians 2, with the exception of Infinity War Part 1 and 2, has been pushed back a slot to make room for Spider-Man. This seems really confusing. Why was everything pushed back but Infinity War? The supposed grand crescendo of the MCU (Assuming whatever Phase Four is, if it even is). Black Panther, which was our last film before Infinity War began is now sandwiched between the two parts, and Inhumans has gone from being in-between the Infinity War's to now becoming the official(?) end to Phase Three, much like how Ant-Man  and Age of Ultron swapped spots in Phase Two.

So my question is, do Panther, Marvel, and Inhumans really have that little effect on Infinity War? I can't imagine so, except with maybe Inhumans. I see that one being like Guardians, off doing its own thing while The Avengers take care of everything on the other side of the universe. Safe money is on all of these characters getting in on the action in The Infinity Wars, just how and when has changed.

Now while I'm sure they already have a storyline/timeline planned for Phase Three, I think it's safe to say scripts for all of these films are still being written (or re-written if Spider-Man's really changing things up). Will what they had in mind for Captain Marvel or Black Panther back in October be completely different to what we'll see in a few years? Most likely. Was this plan for Phase Three not as concrete as originally perceived? Perhaps.

Ask for Spider-Man himself, well he will no longer be played by Andrew Garfield, which is sad. Garfield was a perfect Peter Parker, and unfortunately fell victim to a bad script and studio direction with The Amazing Spider-Man 2. It almost feels like unjust punishment to the poor guy, who was such a huge fan that he dressed up as Spider-Man at Comic Con many years ago, at The Amazing Spider-Man's panel. Reports say they're recasting someone younger, and looking to bring Spider-Man back into his high school days. One can deduce from that the continuity of The Amazing Spider-Man 1 & 2 is being thrown out the window. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 wasn't flat-out terrible. It had its moments, and part of me wishes Sony would finish what they started, but que sera.

So where's the beef? Well, look at it like this. Imagine every year at Thanksgiving dinner, your cousin, let's call him Marvin, got the best seat and say grace. Then he went to go work in some other country, and so gradually you took his seat at the table, and you got the honor of saying grace. Then wham. One Thanksgiving, Marvin finally comes home, and you know what? He took back his seat, and is saying grace. The seat and privilege you earned after he just went and left it, and he just took it back. You're a punk Marvin…anyway…

That's kind of what bringing Spider-Man into the MCU is feeling like. A lot of fuss is being made over the return of this one character, and everything is being changed for him. Captain America, Thor, even Groot, characters that by all accounts weren't expected to have become this mainstream, and dare I say earn their popularity, seem to be getting the shaft because cool kid Spider-Man's back in town.

Then you have Panther and Captain Marvel, who fans have been demanding to see on film for years, poised to finally get their chance to shine, are now getting put on a back burner for Spider-Man. Black Panther is set to appear in Captain America: Civil War, and supposedly so is Spider-Man, set to make his debut appearance in the MCU. I can't bring up too much issue with this. Spider-Man is a key player in the Civil War storyline in the comics, and Black Panther really wasn't, so we'll be getting a more faithful adaptation. Panther's appearing in Civil War before his solo film, and I'm betting we'll get a glimpse of him in Age of Ultron, so it's not like this character is disappearing into Spider-Man's shadow. Let's just hope he doesn't fall to what I'm going to call now "The Thanos Effect", meaning we'll only see one or two glimpses of him for years until his own film comes out.

But back to the likes of Captain Marvel, which brings me to my final point. If you asked me if I wanted to see another Spider-Man film or a Captain Marvel film…I'd pick Captain Marvel. I honestly think we've seen enough Spider-Man for awhile. If it were up to me, I'd save him for Infinity War, ushering him in as a key player in Phase Four or whatever the MCU becomes once Phase Three ends. I like that Marvel keeps giving us new characters to fall in love with, new heroes to root for. Spider-Man…I think we need a break from him. It's like Batman. Not a few weeks after Nolan's trilogy had ended, rumors of another reboot of The Dark Knight was coming. Now it's pretty much here with Superman Vs Batman: Dawn of Justice next year (A new solo Batman film has yet to be announced). Then there's the show Gotham, but another topic for another day.

I am not a studio executive or Hollywood insider. To self-depreciate for a moment, this is nothing more than the ramblings of a cranky nerd. I'm well aware that everything is still in a stage of "what if". Scripts are probably still being written, actors are probably still being cast, and this deal was probably months in the making. Feige and Marvel probably had this as a Phase Three-Plan B if the deal with Sony ever went through. Call it the result of the North Korean/hacking of Sony awhile back, or the failure of The Amazing Spider-Man 2, but this is now happening. Perhaps Spider-Man joining the MCU will have a barely noticeable change to Phase Three. I mean as of right now, the shifting of Ant-Man appears to have had no effect on Phase Two, so who knows. Only the people at Marvel and Sony know. For now, I remain cautiously optimistic.

One thing that can be certain, is we can expect to see a fresh and superior take on everyone's friendly neighborhood Spider-Man in a few years. Welcome Home, Spidey.

Film Review- "The Interview"

The Interview
Directed by Evan Goldberg & Seth Rogen
Starring James Franco, Seth Rogen, and Randall Park

Unless you've been living under a rock, you already know the story of this film's release. I don't want to spend too much time on the controversy itself, though I feel that film is an art form, art is form of freedom of speech, and the threats against this film was unjust. I mostly want to talk about the film itself though.

At last free of North Korean threats, and having to drive twenty-something miles to the nearest theater showing it, The Interview arrived on Netflix this weekend. After having see this film for myself, I can honestly say this film was not worth all the hullaballoo. If it was a better film, maybe it would have been. Let's begin.

The film focuses on Dave Skylark (Franco), a television talk-show host, who's biggest stories are getting Eminem (playing himself) to come out of the closet, and talking with a goat Matthew McConaughey supposedly had relations with. His producer/best friend Aaron (Rogen), wishes they could do more serious journalism. They get there chance when North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un (Park) reveals he's a big fan of Skylark and grants him an interview. This is when the CIA steps in a recruits the two men to assassinate Kim Jong Un.

The story isn't that bad. It's the usual formula we get out of these Rogen & Goldberg/Apatow & Friends films. Friend A is loving life, Friend B wants a change. Friend A & B have a falling out, then make up in time to save the day. What makes this formula fail here, is that unlike Pineapple Express or This Is The End, the film just isn't that funny.

There were very little times where I actually laughed out loud. Some jokes got a smile or soft chuckle, but most of the time the jokes fall flat. Franco and Rogen are again probably as good as they ever been. Lizzy Caplan as the CIA agent tasked with supervising their mission is delightful. Randall Park gives a pretty good performance as Kim Jong Un.

The characterization of Kim is for the most part, harmless. It's clear this film was never meant to be a piece of propaganda against the North Korean Leader. There are little moments that comment on the actual man and how he leads his country, but for the most part, the film is concerned with saying he's a guy with daddy issues, who loves Katy Perry's music and partying. Because of this, the tone of the shift is slightly unbalanced, teetering between satire and lowbrow comedy.

The hype and controversy around The Interview will definitely overshadow the film itself in the years to come. If this had been a better film, things might have turned out different, and maybe the people who lashed out against it may have had a stronger argument. On the other hand, if they had seen the film before jumping to conclusions, they would have realized that they were really making a fuss over nothing. This is just a ridiculous, lowbrow comedy, that has next to no real laughs, and nothing more.

Top 10 Films of 2014

That I've seen….so far….let's just get this over with.

10. Big Eyes
Directed by Tim Burton
Starring Amy Adams, Christoph Waltz, and Danny Huston

Finally, another great Tim Burton film, and it looks and feels nothing like a Tim Burton film. While the story didn't sound too compelling at first, it's the cast that brings it to new heights. Christoph Waltz is absolutely despicable, in one of his best performances. Amy Adams is as perfect as ever. It pains me that neither of them have received Oscar nominations this year. Nevertheless, Big Eyes is a wonderful little film led by two wonderful actors.

9. Dawn of The Planet of The Apes
Directed by Matt Reeves
Starring Andy Serkis, Jason Clarke, and Toby Kebbell

A sequel that both surpasses its predecessor, and at that same time, stands well enough on its own. The rare summer blockbuster that's also thought-provoking. For a film with little to no dialogue, its heavy on drama and emotion. The action in the film is fantastic. Of course, Andy Serkis's motion-capture performance as Caesar is again the tour de force. He, alongside Toby Kebbell as Koba give unforgettable performances. One slight fallback, is the human characters and side of the story fall short. Nevertheless, Dawn remains one of the strongest films out of 2014's summer box office.

8. X-Men: Days of Future Past
Directed by Bryan Singer
Starring Hugh Jackman, James McAvoy, and Michael Fassbender

I love the Marvel films, specifically the Marvel Cinematic Universe films. The Spider-Man films, don't get me started. The X-Men films, I've never been a huge fan of. Then First Class came along, and they had my attention. Then The Wolverine, and I found it pretty entertaining. Now we have Days of Future Past. This was the first X-Men film to geninuenly blow me away. It takes the strongest elements from both the old and new films, including a remarkably strong cast. Funny, action-packed, and emotionally gripping, I'll go so far as to say Days of Future Past is one of the best superhero films ever made. The X-Men films have won me over.

7. Foxcatcher
Directed by Bennett Miller
Starring Steve Carell, Channing Tatum, and Mark Ruffalo

This is a unique film. Throughout the entire thing, I felt very awkward and uncomfortable. The whole tone of it is very unsettling, like waiting for a two and a half-hour time bomb to go off. Yet I could not look away. Foxcatcher is a gripping thriller, and all the credit goes to the three men leading this film. Carell is unreal. It's a complete transformation for him. Tatum is incredible, and Ruffalo is the rock the other two characters both lean on and clash against. It does stink that only Carell and Ruffalo got nominated (Not happy about this year's Oscar nomination by the way), but no doubt this film is a high point in the career of all three actors. Foxcatcher is an intense, gripping film.


6. Into The Woods
Directed by Rob Marshall
Starring Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, and James Corden

In a world where updating/twisting/remaking fairy tales has become a regular trend in film and television, Into The Woods is one of the strongest efforts in the category. Probably because the Stephen Sondheim musical it's based off of was around before the whole trend became a quickly tiring effort. The songs are memorable, wonderful, and will stick in your head for days. The ensemble cast is incredible, personal favorites being Emily Blunt as The Baker's Wife, Anna Kendrick as Cinderella, and Chris Pine as Cinderella's Prince. While the film does start out slow as we jump through each character's story, once they all start to intertwine and interact, that's when things start getting good. Into The Woods is a very entertaining film that the whole family can enjoy.


5. The Lego Movie
Directed by Phil Lord & Chris Miller
Starring Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, Morgan Freeman, and Will Ferrell

Lord and Miller have done it again. After Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs and Jump Street, they've taken an idea that probably shouldn't have worked, and made it work. Incredibly I might add. Originally I wasn't thrilled, but in repeat viewings I fell in love. Of all the animated films I've seen, this is one of the best voice casts ever assembled. Chris Pratt as Emmett, Alison Brie as UniKitty, Will Arnett as Batman, I could go on and on. The animation is incredible, you would have no idea it was CGI and not stop-motion. Then at the end of it all, is a touching message that can resonate with any viewer. "Everything is Awesome" with The Lego Movie…including that song.
Also again, Oscars, what the heck? No Best Animated Feature nomination??

Original Review: http://flahertysfilmfindings.blogspot.com/2014/02/film-review-lego-movie.html

4. Gone Girl
Directed by David Fincher
Starring Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, and Neil Patrick Harris

My God this film. Kudos to the people who edited the trailers and ran the marketing campaign. I can't even go into too much detail about this film without spoiling. All I can really say is there's a huge game changer halfway into the film, and when it happened, simultaneously, my friend and I turned to each other, jaws dropped. This film is edge-of-your-seat, mind-rattling incredible. Rosamund Pike gives one of the best performances of the year, Ben Affleck is once again a strong leading man, and Neil Patrick Harris all but destroys his How I Met Your Mother persona with a positively creepy character.
And for the FOURTH time in this post, I damn this year's Oscars because why did this film not get more nominations?!?

3. Birdman
Directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu
Starring Michael Keaton, Emma Stone, and Edward Norton

This film is a ride. A really, really fun ride. As someone who loves the entertainment industry, show business, I couldn't help but enjoy this film. The story of Riggan Thomson is one surely anyone in the business can relate to, and Michael Keaton is absolutely perfect casting. Emma Stone gives a compelling performance as Riggan's daughter, and Edward Norton has some great moments as an actor cast alongside Riggan in his play. The way this film is shot is remarkable. I could barely tell when the camera cut between shots. It's appropriately filmed like a play, and that feeling resonates with the whole film. Birdman is a wonderfully crafted film, led by a career-defining performance by Keaton.

2. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Directed by Anthony & Joe Russo
Starring Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson, and Robert Redford

I originally said this one of the best films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and I still stand by it. It ups the ante from Captain America: The First Avenger, from The Avengers, and for the entire franchise. It's  like a gift to Marvel fans. Heavy on drama, action, and plenty of Easter eggs for the fans to hunt for. The film displays some of the best performances from Marvel's usual players. This film is a complete game-changer for the MCU. Sophisticated and packed with non-stop thrills, Winter Soldier is one of the best films of the year.

Original Review: http://flahertysfilmfindings.blogspot.com/2014/04/film-review-captain-america-winter.html

1. Guardians of The Galaxy
Directed by James Gunn
Starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, and Bradley Cooper

Back in 2012 when I heard this film was being made, I thought Marvel was heading for a disaster. A talking raccoon and a talking tree? A film heavily set in space? I mean we all saw Green Lantern. How wrong were my suspicions. This has quickly become another one of the best MCU films, my favorite film of the year, and one of my all-time favorite films. This cast is so diverse in terms of where all these actors come from, but they work together so well. Each is given the proper amount of time to shine. This has been quite the year for Pratt, between this and The Lego Movie. You can't help but love all these characters. The action in this film is as good here as it is in any other Marvel film. The soundtrack is fantastic. The jokes, gags, and one-liners are hilarious. Most importantly, the film has a huge heart. Who would have expected that from a film with a talking raccoon and tree? I understand that the "group of ragtag losers joining together to save the world" storyline isn't the most original, but it's all these other elements that bring Guardians to spectacular heights. This is my top film of 2014.

We Are Groot.

PS: 2015 New Years Resolution: Write More.

Film Review- "How To Train Your Dragon 2"

How To Train Your Dragon 2
Directed by Dean DeBlois
Starring Jay Baruchel, Cate Blanchett, Gerard Butler, and America Ferrera

It may not mean much for me to say How To Train Your Dragon 2 is one of the best animated sequels ever made. The likes of Disney direct-to-video aside (Not quite done talking about those by the way), many are quickly pumped out of a studio for a cash grab, and are often a significant downgrade in quality compared to their predecessors.

Regardless, I still say How To Train Your Dragon 2 is one of the best. If I had to list the top 3, it would definitely go Toy Story 3 and 2, and then Dragon 2.

Set a few years after the first film, the village of Berk has fully accepted dragons into the community. While many vikings enjoy the sport of dragon racing, Hiccup (Baruchel) and his dragon Toothless are out exploring the world outside their island. Hiccup's father Stoick (Butler) is eager for his son to take over his place as chief, but Hiccup would much rather be out with Toothless.

It's while out on one of these explorations that he and his girlfriend Astrid (Ferrara) are ambushed by a gang of dragon hunters, led by the dragon trapper Eret (Kit Harrington). They soon learn of Eret's employer, Drago Bloodfist (Djiimon Hounsou), and his plans to take over the land with an army of dragons. Hiccup and Toothless set out to confront Drago. It is then they uncover a secret dragon oasis, protected by Valka (Cate Blanchett) who is revealed to be Hiccup's long-lost mother. I'm not spoiling that by the way. They haven't made any effort to hide it in the trailers.

Dragon 2 goes bigger in emotion and action, and the animation is once again spectacular. You'll be on the edge of your seat, while at the same time reaching for some tissues. The story isn't too heavy, and it continues the "coming-of-age" tale that began in the first film. It's the characters that really drive the script. They're well-crafted and performed. This is one of the best voice casts I've ever seen in an animated film. Props to Jay Baruchel and Gerard Butler for being as incredible in their roles as they were the first time around. Once again Craig Ferguson as Gobber is one of the funniest things in the film.

One thing brings the film down though, and that's its villains. Eret is a very annoying character. Maybe it's Kit Harrington's voice, maybe it's how he was written, but I didn't like him nor did I see any real purpose for him in the film. Drago, is a weak villain. While he does do some horrible things that make you hate him, we learn virtually nothing about him. There's a few lines of expository dialogue in a scene with Hiccup, but it's not enough for the audience to connect with the character.

Weak villains aside, I still give How To Train Your Dragon 2 a 9 out of 10. It's a more than worthy successor to the original, and builds wonderfully off the foundations it set. It is definitely one of the best animated sequels ever made, and maybe even one of the best sequels ever made, in general.

Film Review- "A Million Ways To Die In The West"

A Million Ways To Die In The West
Directed By Seth MacFarlane
Starring Seth MacFarlane, Charlize Theron, Liam Neeson, and Neil Patrick Harris

I guess you could say in the debate of wether to like or dislike Seth MacFarlane, I lean more towards like. I lost interest in Family Guy a long time ago, although I do enjoy the older episodes. Ted is one of my favorite films, I thought his album "Music Is Better Than Words" was good, and I know I'm in the minority when I say I thought he was good hosting the Oscars.

However, I know that MacFarlane can do as much bad as he does good. I'm looking at you The Cleveland Show, American Dad, and short-lived Fox sitcoms Dads and The Winner. After the success of Ted, combined with my love for Blazing Saddles (The original western-comedy), I had high hopes for his next feature film, A Million Ways To Die In The West.

It goes without being said, but A Million Ways is no Blazing Saddles.

The film centers around Albert (MacFarlane), a sheep farmer in the old west. After chickening out on a gunfight, his girlfriend (Amanda Seyfried) leaves him for mustache aficionado Foy (Harris). Shortly afterwards, the wife of an outlaw (Theron) comes to town. She takes a shine to Albert, decides to teach him how to shoot, and hopefully win his girl back. Of course they start to fall for one another, which of course is a problem, seeing is how Anna's husband, outlaw Clinch Leatherwood (Neeson), is on his way to town.

It's a unique enough story for the western setting, but what about the comedy? Where Ted was  charming, outrageous and crude, A Million Ways is outrageous and crude, sans charm. A lot of the jokes seem like they were scrapped from an episode of Family Guy. There is plenty to laugh at, but I found throughout the film I was chuckling and smiling to myself, more than laughing out loud.

At some points, MacFarlane is definitely at his crudest. I never thought I'd see a Neil Patrick Harris take a dump in a hat, or a sheep's penis in a film, but there it is. That's not a spoiler by the way, no, that's a warning. Speaking of spoilers, while one great cameo was given away in the trailers, there a few more that are just fantastic.

This is an impressive cast as you can probably tell. The big problem is they aren't really given the chance to exercise their funny bones. Most of the comedy is given to MacFarlane, who as a leading man, is just okay. Charlize Theron get some laughs. Sarah Silverman and Giovanni Ribisi get their fair share of the comedy, but others like Neil Patrick Harris, Liam Neeson, and Amanda Seyfried are criminally underused.

A Million Ways To Die In The West is not Seth MacFarlane's best, but it's also not his worst. The good outweighs the bad, and you'll definitely laugh. But the cast isn't giving the performance you'd hope they would, and the script isn't as well polished as Ted was. If you see it once, that's probably enough. If you don't see it all, no big deal.