I didn’t go to the movie theater for many weeks after the summer blockbusters wound up for the year. I honestly thought quite a few of the films being offered early this fall looked pretty lackluster, but that tends to be the case every year. Now with new films coming out during the holiday rush and award season, I thought I would sit down and write a few notes about what I did see the past few months.
Everest: Based on the 1996 true story when a group of climbers faced a huge storm as they were summiting Mount Everest, Everest is an intense and devastating film. Even though I was expecting a bleak ending, I did have some trouble feeling much sympathy when they all had the choice of not climbing. Although the movie does briefly show the characters explaining their reasons for wanting to climb Everest, I left the movie with the simple question of “Why?” as I pondered what really would make a person so focused on doing something so dangerous. Even though climbing Everest is obviously something I would never have the desire, or strength, to do, I did find the film fascinating and beautiful, albeit very stressful. Fans of Jake Gyllenhaal or Kiera Knightly will be disappointed by their small roles, but the cast is rounded out by good performances from Josh Brolin, Jason Clarke, and John Hawkes.
Maze Runner: Scorch Trials: Having been surprised with how much I liked the first Maze Runner movie, I was looking forward to seeing what the sequel was all about. While the first film was no masterpiece, it was fun and the concept was unique. Scorch Trials unfortunately seemed to struggle with finding a distinct story, which made the film a bit unclear or odd at times. It was revealed in the first film that the characters were placed in a maze in order to attempt to find a cure for a disease that devastated the world. The group behind this, WCKD, is one of the more confusing aspects to the plot, as I struggled to figure out their motives and point to the whole story. What I found the most disappointing and unexpected was that the devastating disease they are trying to cure turns out to be something that turns humans into zombie-like figures. I have not read the books, but I think this was a big departure, and one that I wish they would have decided against. The zombie craze is already featured enough (just like when vampires were everywhere) and makes the film feel familiar and somewhat predictable. What sort of saves the film for me though is my fondness for some of the actors (Dylan O’Brien, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, and Ki Hong Lee for the win!) and characters. While this film doesn’t necessarily come together perfectly and I’m not exactly sure in which direction it is heading, I will still see the next film in the series, and continue to root for the characters.
The Martian: I was on the fence about seeing The Martian, as I’ve felt a little burnt out on astronaut-themed movies after both Gravity and Intersteller were released during the past few years. The previews intrigued me enough though and I felt like I needed to see just how exactly Matt Damon’s character would get off Mars (it seemed obvious he would have to!). In addition to Damon, the film also boasted an intriguing and diverse cast including Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Jeff Daniels, Sebastian Stan, and Michael Peña…just to name a few! I enjoyed the supporting cast so much I found myself wishing we could have had more scenes with their characters. The focus was obviously on "the martian" himself, Damon’s Mark Watney, who was good in the role. The film was certainly better than I anticipated, and while it maybe could have been a bit shorter, I liked that there were humorous moments to combat the highs and lows the characters go through during their journey. I was rooting for Matt Damon throughout and enjoyed watching how he got himself out of each debacle. Even though I have no idea if the science was correct, the film was fascinating and made me think about how life would be like on a planet all alone.
Goosebumps: While this film wasn’t quite as humorous or awesome as I wanted it to be, what I really liked about Goosebumps was that it felt like some of the family movies I grew up with. Similar to other Halloween-themed 90s classics, like Hocus Pocus and Casper, the story follows a teenager who moves to a new town. The teen then meets new people who bring him into a huge adventure. In this case, the lead character is wrapped into an evening of mayhem when he accidentally opens a locked book, which releases monsters from R.L. Stine’s (played by a bespectacled Jack Black) world of creepy characters. I honestly wasn’t a reader of the Goosebumps books as a kid, but I often perused the covers when I was a kid at the bookstore (or the awesome book fairs at school!), but was too scared to actually read any of them (“The Haunted Mask” cover always made me severely nervous). My biggest Goosebumps memory though is that one of my grandmas had a large Goosebumps poster with a large, possibly glow in the dark, skeleton on it. I presumed it was one of my cousin’s posters, but it made me scared to go in the attic, as I always felt he was watching me. As for the movie, I personally liked that they made it more fun and adventurous, versus actually scary, but I think there was better material to work with than what they put together. Except for Slappy the Dummy as the evil leader of the released monsters, too many characters from the books are crammed into the movie, meaning many didn’t get much screen time. There is a rushed romantic plot between two of the teens, but even though we don’t have long to get to know the characters before the night begins, the cast did gel well together. As a Jack Black fan, I was happy to see him in this role (and noticed he also was the voice behind Slappy and the Invisible Boy). The film ends with a bit of a cliffhanger, so a sequel could definitely happen. If it does, I hope they find a bit of focus and give more characters, and actors, time to shine.
Suffragette: The previews alone for Suffragette made me tear up and I knew it would be a tough one to watch. Starring Carey Mulligan, the film tells the story of Maude, a young mother in London who joins the fight for women’s rights. While Maude is hesitant at first, as she starts to truly see the injustices she faces, she wants to better her position in life. After their peaceful protests do nothing, the women turn to harsher measures, but are only met with violence and resistance. Maude is determined to make her life matter, even when she loses almost everything during the fight. Similar to a few actor's roles in Everest, if you are looking forward to Meryl Streep, you will probably be disappointed as her role is only a few minutes long (although photos of her can be spotted on walls throughout the duration of the movie). All of the performances are top notch though, and along with Mulligan, Helena Bonham Carter and Brendan Gleeson (I love seeing actors from the Harry Potter films in more projects together!) play important parts. I can’t say for sure the accuracy of the details in the film, especially since the lead character was not a real person, but the movie made me want to learn more about the feminist movement in England at this time, as well as other parts of the world. The film ends a bit abruptly, but before the credits roll, the screen displays what year women earned equal rights in various countries (with many still not there or just recently promised) which puts a nice bookend to the film.
Bride of Spies: While some might find Bride of Spies a bit slow in pace, I enjoyed the gradual buildup and time the film took to reach its climax. The story follows insurance lawyer James B. Donovan, played by Tom Hanks, who is ask to defend a Soviet spy. To everyone's surprise he takes the case on and fights for his client as hard as he would for anyone else. While his actions gain him some upturned noses at work and on his commute, he soon becomes the key part of an exchange after an American is captured by the Soviet Union. He secretly begins to work with the CIA and heads to Berlin, where he sees how unsettling life is there as the Berlin Wall is at the final stages of its construction. The sets and actors were greatly directed by Steven Spielberg, and unlike so many films, this isn’t loud and showy, but a great true story come to life. Tom Hanks is one of the few actors that I would probably see anything he is in, and I found him to be great as usual. Mark Rylance, who plays the Soviet spy, is also excellent, and it is hard to not smile as he and Donovan become fond of each other.
I saw the final Hunger Games film yesterday, which I’ll have my review up in a few days. Other upcoming films on my must-see list are The Good Dinosaur, Spotlight, Brooklyn, and Room. There are so many movies coming out now with the holidays, it will be hard to keep up! Plus I am about to watch all six Star Wars movies with my mom to prepare for The Force Awakens. It has been many years since I watched them, so it will be good to refresh!
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