Legion - Season 2
9.0
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The second season of the American cable television series Legion is based on the Marvel Comics...
Brothers (2009)
8.0
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Movie
While on tour in Afghanistan, Sam's copter is shot down and he is presumed dead. Back home, it is...
Castlevania - Season 3
8.0
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TV Season
In the aftermath of Dracula’s defeat, Trevor and Sypha are traveling, Alucard remains at the...
Brain on Fire (2016)
8.2
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Based on the true story of Susannah Cahalan and her book by the same name, this movie follows a 21...
American Sniper (2015)
7.8
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From director Clint Eastwood comes American Sniper, starring Bradley Cooper as Chris Kyle, the most...
Gareth von Kallenbach (965 KP) rated 12 Strong (2018) in Movies
Jul 8, 2019
This true story is a well told and evenly paced film. It showed a moment in history and the immediate response by the military. It also told one of the more original stories of war. The Nicolai Fuglsig (Exfil) has some well-done action scenes and overall interesting cinematography. I enjoyed the story and for the most part the cast, which also includes Michael Shannon (The Shape of Water, Boardwalk Empire), Michael Pena (End of Watch, Crash) and Trevante Rhodes (Moonlight). Negahban as Dostum is good as the tough, untrusting warlord. I also enjoyed the mix of action and dialog on strategy. Where this film tends to fail is that for a true story it is made more like a typical action film. It is full of semi-cheesy one liners and poorly timed cliché a motivational moments. I really did enjoy the film but at times I found myself trying not to laugh out loud during what should have been serious plot points.
As far as an action film this was a fun story and brought the gun fights and explosions that you would definitely look for. It also shows some the strategic side of the war. At the end of the night I enjoyed the film even though I thought that it could have been a little more serious and a little less campy.
Legion - Season 3
8.0
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TV Season Watch
**New Season Premieres June 24th, 2019* Based on the Marvel Comics by Chris Claremont and Bill...
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Aladdin (2019) in Movies
May 25, 2019
All complaints that were written regarding the live action remake of the beloved 1992 Animated classic, ALADDIN.
And...they would be wrong...as this ALADDIN is fun, fanciful, fast(ish) paced and fantastical. It also has something that I was surprised by...heart.
For those of you living in the "Cave of Wonder" for the past 20+ years, Aladdin follows the adventures of a street urchin who falls in love with a Princess and battles the evil Vizier, Jafar, for power via an enchanted lamp that houses a Genie that will grant 3 wishes.
Disney has shown it can do these remakes well when sticking to the source material (as was evidenced by the 2016 live action remake of the 1967 animated classic THE JUNGLE BOOK), but also has failed when it takes the characters, but not the story (the recent DUMBO), so Writer/Director Guy Ritchie (of all people) was smart to "just take the animated movie" and remake it as live action.
And...it works! Ritchie (SNATCH, the Robert Downey SHERLOCK HOLMES) seems to be an odd choice to helm this film, but he acquits himself quite well, relying on the pageantry and spectacle of it all to carry the day. The chase scenes are serviceable, but Ritchie's direction does get a bit clunky when the film slows down and focuses on the central love story.
Using performers - for the most part - of Middle Eastern descent, Ritchie coaxes "good enough" performances from Mena Massoud as Aladdin and Naomi Scott as Jasmine. They are pleasant enough on screen but was stronger apart than together. I wouldn't call it "lack of chemstry", but rather, "medium chemistry". But when they are paired with others - or get the chance to shine on their own - they do quite well.
Scott plays well against Navid Negahban who brings a deepness of heart to his character of Jasmine's father, the Sultan and, especially, Nasim Pedrad (so that's what she's been doing since leaving SNL) as her handmaiden, Dalia (a character not in the animated film).
Massoud, of course, spends a great deal of this film playing off the Genie character. So let's talk about Will Smith's performance in the iconic Robin Williams role. EVERYONE (including myself) was asking why Smith would take on this role. It's a "lose/lose" proposition, trying to fill the shoes of one of the wildest, wackiest and most frenetic performances in screen history. So Smith does a very smart thing - he doesn't even try. He makes this Genie "his own" not trying to mimic Williams' performance, but rather creating a charming, friendly and funny Genie with heart (there's that word again) behind his eyes. It is a strong performance by Smith - one that only a performer with his charm and charisma could pull off. His presence in this film elevates the proceedings and I wanted more of this character.
The music you know and love is all there - and they are welcome presences in this film - though they felt abbreviated (maybe it's just because I'm more familiar with the Soundtrack performances of these songs and not how they were used in the original film) and there is an Original number, a "girl power" song for Jasmine that felt a little too "Disney Channel" to me - but I don't think I'm the target audience for that song, so I'll cut it some slack.
A slight downgrade in the final rating of this film needs to be made because of the "meh" characterization and performance of the main villain, Jafar. As played by Marwan Kenzari, this Jafar was seething and menacing but never really bigger than life and threatening - qualities that make Jafar one of the better villains in the Disney animated canon.
But, ultimately, this film will succeed or fail, I think, by your reaction to Smith's interpretation of the Genie. It's NOT Robin Williams, and that's a good thing. For me, Smith...and this film...succeeds.
Letter Grade: A-
8 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(OfMarquis)