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Ant-Man And Wasp Review
Maybe you just need someone watching your back, like a partner. (Cassie to Scott Lang)
In the epic sequel, this is exactly what happens as the Wasp comes into the picture, this time with wings and blasters.
Ant-Man And The Wasp picks up right where Captain America: Civil War left off. Scott Lang on house arrest for two years while trying to spend every moment either with his daughter Cassie or trying not to be bored waiting for her to come back. That’s when Hope and her father realize the only way of rescuing her mother is through Scott’s mind, but how to get him out without the FBI knowing.
Through phenomenal special effects and stunt work, the movie captures the same punch as it’s predecessor marvel movies, as Scott and Hope delve into the search through the phantom zone while going from super small to huge in the a split of an eye. Similarly the chemistry between Scott played by Paul Rudd and Hope played by Evangeline Lily is exceptional as the two race to find her mother while trying to keep Scott safe from the FBI.
That’s where his best friend, Luis, played by Michael Peña comes in, complete with his sidekick ant buddy that copies his every move while inside his house in hopes of fooling the FBI. Pena as in other movies including the Chips remake, adds to the comedic timing which makes the film that much more enjoyable. And like the first Ant Man, there is a moment with expose that Pena handles exceptionally with talking over the characters in a type of truth serum trans.
The finally element to the equation is that of Scott’s young daughter, Cassie which brings a subtle father daughter moment to the action driven film. Young Abby Ryder- Fortson reprises her role and carries herself well as she even helps by him time to get back inside the house before the agents realize he’s gone. She additionally meshes well with Rudd as well as all the other actors and even has a slight comedic flare of her own, which’ll be interesting to see how she pursues it as she matures.
Overall at just under 2 hour run time, Ant-man and the Wasp is a film unlike the other superhero movies as it has the same comic appeal, but kind of fits in more closely to Deadpool in the sense of underrated super hero with less of the offensive langauge. Overall it’s a clean cut movie for all ages and will have audiences laughing and cheering all the way through.
And for those who are avid marvel universe fans, the film does answer the question that all are wondering with Avenger’s Infinity War. That is where does Ant-Man fit into the picture. For that answer, one’ll just have to see Ant- Man and The Wasp exclusively in a theater near you.
“Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” Review
Eli Mills: [to Claire] The island is dying. The dinosaurs must be preserved. We thought you could help.
The park is gone, but now the question is whether to save the last of the dinosaurs or not. The sequel takes place three years after the original left off, as Isla Nublar is being threatened by a destructive volcano where only the strong willed dinosaurs are left, but not for long. One of those is of course, Blue, the last of the raptors.
As part of a secret operative, special agents try to round up the dinosaurs with special interest in “Blue”, but they need help. The ones who know the park and the dinosaurs better. That’s where Claire and Owen come into play, though both are unaware of the real reason for rescuing the dinosaurs. In a comical turn of events, both are enlisted to go to the burning island, unaware of exactly what they will find.
At two hour eight minute run time, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom contains the same thrill as the original Jurassic franchise with a dark twist, that of total destruction. Ultimately the whole cast does an exceptional job portraying their roles, especially Chris Pratt (Owen) who fully captures the humorous moments that he is known for and the chemistry between himself and Bryce Dallas Howard (Claire) only grows in an even more intense way as they realize that they truly are the parents of the “world” that must be saved. The other question, who do they really need saving from and what is the real answer to their survival.
One scene stealer is that of the little girl, Maisie who shares a special connection to that of the dinosaurs, though one doesn’t know exactly what it is until the end, the expression on the actress, Isabella Sermon is exceptional. One can definitely see why she was cast to play the “daughter” of the original little girl from the first Jurassic Park film. In many ways, her addition to the film, brings the Jurassic Park franchise full circle with the picture in the mansion that paid homage to the original founder the park, the late Richard Attenborough (Hammond) to that of the little girl, Lex who attempted to save the dinosaurs with her brother in the first film. As this is Sermon’s first debut film she is starring in, one can definitely keep an eye to see if she branches out to any more films. She’s got a knack for not only expression but portraying sympathy in more ways then one.
The film captures the same emotion as all the Jurassic Films including adventure, suspense, humor and of course one can not leave out a little romance that Pratt is known for. It’s the perfect addition to anyone’s summer movie must see list. Don’t believe me though, one must see it for themselves to make their own educated decision. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom came out in theaters June 22, 2018 and is currently playing in a theater near you.
Show Dogs Review
“So what you’re a cop?” –Daisy
“I am undercover as a show dog.” –Max
Max, the Rottweiler must learn what it means to truly be a show dog if he is to discover what happened to the baby panda, Ling Ling, even if it means learning to trust the bozo FBI agent who is helping him.
In a somewhat twist of Mission Impossible meets Hotel for Dogs, Show Dogs has something for everyone. Kids will enjoy the talking dogs who essentially poke fun at the humans that they are with, while there is a deeper message for the adults. The message centers around what it truly takes to be a show dog as well as the trust that comes with it. It’s something that everyone has to deal with and at an hour and a half, the movie does somewhat succeed.
Show Dogs stars a long list of celebrities as the voices of the dogs as well as the companions and the interesting thing, though the dogs are talking, is not whether the characters can understand them word for word. Let’s get to our main character Max, voiced by Ludacris along with his FBI partner, Frank (Will Arnett). This relationship is interesting because when we first see Max, he is all alone, tracking down the culprits who kidnapped the baby panda. At the same time, he encounters Frank, in a somewhat hilarious manner, chasing him down when he thinks he is in on the whole case. Right away, there is an uneasy feeling between the two of them that gets even more interesting in the NYPD police station when the chief pairs them together to go undercover at a dog show.
Funny from the start, the pairing of Ludacris with Arnett is ideal as the two, though Arnett is dealing with a voice-overed dog, it meshes well in the finished package and credit thus also goes to the dog handler offset as they were able to perfectly match the dog’s movements with that of the voiceover. I’m always a fan of voiceovers done the right way with live action animals as I know animals’ mannerisms are not easy to control.
Subsequently, the film also stars voices including Alan Cumming as Dante, Stanley Tucci as Phillipi, Shaquille O’Neal as Karma and Jordan Sparks as Daisy. All of these voices ring out of the dogs they are portraying. The director, Raja Gosnell, did a great job working with the stars to match each breeds’ temperament. For example, O’Neal’s peace and love rings out of Karma as being a big dog with a soft heart, and Tucci’s spunky temperament as a Papillion did justice as well.
As a whole, the film flowed quite nicely as it opened with a kind of spyish quality, mirroring that of Mission Impossible or a 007 parody. The camera angles paid off as they perfectly captured both animal and humans, blurring reality and CGI. The wise cracking pigeons were one element that did leave me short, as the editors could’ve very easily used CGI on real pigeons for an extra level of authenticity.
Shot on location in Las Vegas, it was refreshing to see various elements of the Las Vegas strip superimposed with dog like qualities, such as the runway for the dog show smack dab in the middle of Caesar’s palace. Though Show Dogs may not be for everyone, especially if one doesn’t like dogs, it is a quite enjoyable ride. It’s refreshing to see the difference in dialogue between the dogs as opposed to their human counterparts and yet in the end, the dialogue mirror each other as the heart of the situation is to rescue the baby panda. The writers did an adequate job of developing the storyline and appealing to all ages as a whole.
At an hour and thirty minute run time, Show Dogs will take you on an adventure with Max and Frank, as the matter of trust is put to the ultimate test. Recommended for kids and dog lovers at heart, it is truly an enjoyable film for all who wish to let the dogs take control.
Show Dogs came out in theaters May 18 and is currently playing near you.
“Infinity War” Review
When I’m done, half of humanity will still exist. Perfectly balanced, as all things should be… I hope they remember you. (Thanos)
The summer movie season is official on us with the blockbuster Avengers: Infinity War that swept the box office with Friday estimates alone totaling over 105 million domestically.
The Marvel film is a mash up off nearly every single superhero one could imagine including the latest “Guardians” who discover Thor while in space and discover that Thanos is threatening Earth by seeking to find the rest of the infinity stones hidden throughout the heroes which thus give some of them their powers. Now it is up to all of them, from Ironman to Black Panther to ban together and protect everyone. But the question is can they really do it in time?
At roughly 2 and a half hours, Infinity War is packed with so much information that the ending, without giving to much away, leaves audiences saying, “What?” Ultimately, its not the typically ending of a blockbuster, although the ending is a similar concept to that of another film that came out a few years ago, Batman v. Superman. All I can say is one has to watch it and make their own mind as to whether or not those are dead or if there’s a possibility of something else.
Overall, the film’s director’s Mark and Joe Russo did an exceptional job of combining all the stories into one and showing where they all fit on the Marvel Universe timeline. Nothing seemed rushed at all as the story flowed from the opening scene with Thanos and Thor where we see his plot to get all the stones to the obvious first encounter with Thor and the Guardians, which we saw in the trailer, and ultimately the question that we all had, how did they fit Black Panther and the country of Wakanda. In addition, the choice of Peter Dinklage to the Marvel cast was a smart move as he played Eitri, the one that one didn’t know if he was a villain or just trying to protect himself.
The film had so many comical lines, one can’t see it just once to get the full exposure to everything. The funnest scenes would have to be the self dialogue between Hulk/Bruce Banner, where Mark Ruffalo shined in his portrayal of someone who just can not change into his green self. Another breakthrough performance is the addition of Spiderman played by Tom Holland. Though he is just a kid, Holland has matured in his portrayal of Spiderman, taking Ironman’s (Robert Downey Jr.) advice and sticking to being the “friendly neighborhood spiderman” but when the neighborhood is threatened, he is finally brought on board as an Avenger. His comedy as an awkward kid shines on the scene as he really does come in handy when the other more experienced heroes start to fall.
Overall, Avengers: Infinity War came out this weekend on April 27 and is definitely worth seeing at least once on the big screen. One won’t regret it but it will leave you wanting more as it has unanswered questions that we’ll have to wait for the next Avengers movie to hopefully answer them.