Classics: The Magnificent Seven (1960)

The opening theme of “The Magnificent Seven” is timeless. It instantly connects you to the wild west and the nostalgia of when westerns flourished in Hollywood.

In present day, westerns are few. And it’s sad to see the television show “Hell on Wheels” come to an end. But currently a remake of “The Magnificent Seven” is out in theaters and in the spirit of this 2016 remake, I chose to revisit this film.

Let’s talk cast:

Chris Larabee Adams: Yul Brynner
Vin Tanner: Steve McQueen
Bernardo O'Reilly: Charles Bronson
Lee: Robert Vaughn
Harry Luck: Brad Dexter
Britt: James Coburn
Chico: Horst Buchholz

The Story

When a poor Mexican down becomes prey to a group of bad cowboys, a few of the townsfolk seek help. They offer to pay gunslinger Chris to take care of the baddies once and for all. And in the wild west, that usually means a sort of hit men as it were.

Chris can’t do it alone. So he enlists others to help for a total of seven. He first teams up with Vin.

It was a joy seeing these two actors on screen. They were so young, brimming with talent. Yul Brynner played the role with gravitas. While Steve McQueen has a slickness to him, which helps make him memorable since he doesn’t have as much screen time as Yul. And the contrast between the two work well. 

The first half of the movie is about the team, about the seven coming together and teaching the town how to shoot guns. Because let’s face it, once the mission is complete, these townsfolk may have to fend off the next group of baddies that mosey on their way… after all, this is the wild west.

The only weak spot for me was Chico. A young man, overflowing with too much pride… So much so, that it feels unbelievable or overacted. Though as the story progresses, he tones down—thank goodness because he plays a big part in this movie since he’s given the love story. This segment was a bit predictable, but sweet at the same time.

I would have also liked to see a bit more Charles Bronson. Though, he made the best of what he had. Even if Steve McQueen did a better job of capitalizing on his limited scenes with cool quirks like playing with his hat.

The fight scenes are well done. It’s not just a shoot ‘em up. There’s strategy involved.

All in all, this classic will continue to live on. Great characters and fun interactions punctuated with exciting action sequences of horse riding and gunslinging.


 Score: 8.75/10 

 

REVIEW: ARQ

Going into this movie blind, I came out invigorated by the constant tension generated by the blend of mystery and fast pace action scenes that both stimulated my senses and my mind. There are no lull points. This was one of those nice surprises and another win for Netfilx, who is making movies as well as television shows that make us put a pause on our lives as we binge for hours on end. Not sure if that’s a good thing, but it sure is entertaining!

“ARQ” is one of those time looping sci-fi movies. These types of films can be tricky when you have to repeat events, as in “Edge of Tomorrow”. It leaves itself open to redundancy. But like in Tom Cruise’s movie, “ARQ” stays fresh because the very nature of knowing what’s going to happen changes everything because you change events. And the key is to have the main character change quickly and not linger for multiple loops. I won’t go into it so as to not give it away how “ARQ” keeps things different and adds something different that deviates from “Edge of Tomorrow”.

The film centers on Renton (Robbie Amell) who wakes up next to his girlfriend Hannah (Rachael Taylor). And in a day that doesn’t seem to end, Renton is faced with a team of bad guys that invade his home almost as soon as he wakes up, not giving him or the audience much time to catch their collective breaths.

The frenetic pace keeps you on the edge of your seat as you try to figure out who these guys are and what they want along with a confused Renton, while at the same time learning who Renton is and what he knows.

It’s set in a dystopian time when the environment is unhealthy and people have to wear air masks to go outside.

Robbie Amell does a good job as an action hero, who’s just an ordinary guy stuck in a crazy situation. There were several ways the ending could go and it was satisfying enough, but makes me wonder if “ARQ” is intended to be a television series. Though I can’t see it going past the first season unless they do something wild and take the looping to another location, which is possible. The two leads and plots are enjoyable enough to make we want to follow them on any future adventures.

Score: 8/10 

 

Star Trek Beyond, A Reminder Of The Things I Loved About The TV Show

The crew of the Enterprise return in “Star Trek Beyond”, an action sci-fi that shines, not in the heat of the battles, but in the quieter moments that exude between the characters.

The film kicks off with the crew having been in space for quite a while. They miss the loved ones left behind. And the isolation has transformed the ship into a mini society. I appreciate a scene between Captain Kirk and McCoy that is reminiscent of a scene between them in “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan”.

Consistent with this franchise trope, at some point Captain Kirk learns of a distress call which, as we expect, propels him and the enterprise into action.

As shown in the trailers, this mission doesn’t end well for one of the main characters—the star ship enterprise.

I’ve watched all the old television shows, the Next Generation and the movies. And seeing the enterprise torn apart has never been fun to watch. I feel an emotional connection to her and it’s a heart-breaking moment for me.

The crew are forced to abandon the enterprise and end up on a planet where they meet the main villain—Krall. It’s not easy to act in heavy make-up but the accomplished actor (who’s name I won’t say because it might be a spoiler) does an amazing job of expressing himself through facial movements and body language.

“Star Trek Beyond” capitalizes on character interactions by spreading the team out in pairs: Dr. McCoy and Spock, Captain Kirk and Chekov, Sulu and Uhura and lastly, Scotty and new comer Jaylah (Sofia Boutella).

Jaylah is a great addition. She’s smart and can handle herself. And I loved the chemistry between her and Scotty. Speaking of chemistry, anytime you can give us scenes with Spock and McCoy is a plus.

The negative comes in the third act, which feels like too much is happening. Just when you think the movie is coming to an end, it tacks on another portion to elongate it. And it flails here because in order to tack on this second ending, the space fight has a quick and easy solution that makes it feel more like something the writers just needed to rush through so they could to arrive where they wanted to all along—a one on one fight.

This leads to an interesting back story for Krall. Though I would have liked to know more.

“Star Trek Beyond” is an enjoyable ride, which exceeds the second film in this rebooted franchise. The action scenes are fun. The set pieces are very well done. Although the plot in the third act feels rushed and anemic, the film focuses on the character dynamics, which is what made me fall in love with the franchise to begin with, as it hits the right notes of heart felt moments.

 Score: 8.25/10

REVIEW: The Land

There’s an authenticity to the conflict and the portrayal of the characters that fills the screen; but the plot is hindered by trying to weave two stories together. At points it feels like it’s not quite sure which story to focus on until it makes a decision and forces one to the sideline.

“The Land” centers on Cisco, played by Jorge Lendeborg Jr., who struggles to find his way in the inner streets. He hangs with three other teenage boys and the the four of them dream of making a name for themselves in the world of skateboarding. But in the meantime, they carjack for cash.

Carjacking is dangerous and there isn’t much money in it for them. That’s a problem because they need money to enter a skateboarding contest. Their dream is to become professional skateboarders in hopes of escaping a future of mundane labor. 

The skateboarding is fun to watch as they find deserted building to do their thing. But it eventually takes a back seat to the main plot until it’s completely forgotten. And that’s too bad because I never get the sense of what losing this dream means to them; that’s because there is something more pressing going on in their lives.

I think the story should have left the “dream” part out and just have the guys enjoy skateboarding. Because we never really see them pursue it. Instead it feels like a forced plot point to get them to need to make fast cash and quite frankly, needing cash should be enough to work. They’re poor and the necessities of life, such as paying rent and buying food, is good enough motivation.

The second story or main story, that shoves the skateboarding plot aside, is about the four guys finding a stash of drugs.

They are then left to make a decision that would change their lives and strain their relationship.

Caple, the director, takes chances. He tells a story of these inner city boys, who are inexperienced with life and have only each other to find guidance. They are not written as heroes. Caple is not afraid to show their criminal sides. And he manages to create likeable boys while doing it.

The main villain, named Momma, could be stronger. Though Linda Emond does a great job with the role. So the story uses a second villain to compensate and, as a result, he becomes a one-note villain that does things that make little sense except to force the boys into action.

“The Land” takes risks telling the story of characters who break the laws as they navigate through their inner city lives. There are moments that feel predictable as if the story is moving through eventualities that are obvious. But then things take a turn and Caple offers us a chilling introspection on inner city life and the difficult, life-changing choices some find themselves.  


 Score: 8.25/10

REVIEW X-Men: Apocalypse

Dazzling visuals are the cherries atop a a well made dramatic cake that successfully blends an assortment of characters while sifting in some well timed humor without overdoing it.

“X-Men: Apocalypse” begins in the past, introducing us to Apocalypse, the first mutant. It then shifts to the present, which is ten years after the previous installment.

The film has a lot of eggs, yet manages to neatly fold them all together.  Many of the characters start off separated with their own lives and are then united in a way that makes sense to the story and the characters. Their introductions are unique from each other, maintaining a freshness that kept me engaged.

Professor X maintains his school with the new addition of a young Jean Grey, nicely played by Sophie Turner from Game Of Thrones. Her powers are strong and she can see the future, but has some issues with control. We soon meet Cyclops. And thankfully, he is treated with more regard than in the original trilogy. We watch him come into his powers, which forces him to move into the academy. The relationship between him and Jean is believable, using their concerns over what their powers can do to others as a connection that felt real and natural.

Magneto has been living in Poland but bad things happen, as they tend to do with this tragic character. And he ends up ethically lost.

His story was the most compelling and the film did a good job of keeping Magneto on that gray edge, which has always made him a fascinating counterpart to Professor X.

Coming into the film, I was the most interested in seeing how Quicksilver and Nightcrawler would work within the team and it didn’t disappoint!

Quicksilver had one of the best scenes.

I liken it to his scene in “X-Men: Days of Future Past”. He didn’t just bring the speed, he brought humor with him as well.

As for Nightcrawler, the effects of the remnants of smoke he left behind every time he jumped was very well handled.

The scene between Angel and Nightcrawler was handled very well and highlighted the development with which the film was willing to give to the non leading roles, particularly for Angel. It doesn’t take a tremendous amount of time to have an effective subplot as the film proved here.

There was a lot to love about this film, but it’s not perfect. One of the weak spots is Apocalypse. He’s an intimidating figure and has amazing powers that were eye popping to watch.The things he can do with sand… And I love the etchings on his face. 

His interactions with other characters were intriguing particularly with Professor X. But I still felt like I didn’t really know him. X-Men always does such a tremendous job with their characters, especially the villains; but this time it felt a little flat. I knew what his goal was, but I really wasn’t as sold as to why he just couldn’t “get along” so to speak. Though with so much to cover, it’s difficult to give Apocalypse his full attention.

And I’m still not sold on Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique. But I did enjoy her scenes with Nghtcrawler.

Tone

The serious tone makes the story feel real and more like a sci-fi film. The coloring was fantastic and added to the gravitas. And there were times when the scenes had a level of violence that treaded on the dark side, blood and all.

Visuals

But the story really excels in the special effects and its impact on the enormity of what was happening. I loved how things disintegrated. Watching the world wither away was spectacular. Though at times it felt redundant. Seeing it a couple of times was awesome, but after a while, I got the point. And I would have liked to have seen more from Magneto in the final act but I loved the team work. This is the kind of movie that needs a theatrical watch.

All in all, “X-Men: Apocalypse” was a treat with rich characters and stunning visuals. I really want to continue with this new group of X-Men and hope they stay together for the next installment.


Score: 8.75/10

REVIEW: The Invitation

 

“The Invitation” to a dinner party that serves up a plateful of foreboding that has you at the edge of your seat, wondering ‘do I want to stay for dessert?’ and the answer is ‘yes’.

The premise itself offers uneasiness as the film centers around Will—a divorced man who gets an invitation to a dinner party hosted by his ex-wife and her new husband. And if that’s not uncomfortable enough for our hero, throw in the fact that he hadn’t seen her in two years. So they clearly weren’t close after the break up. This is sure to be one interesting get together.

However, there is a small reprieve in all this. He won’t be alone with them. Several of his friends also got an invitation. So it was like a reunion of sorts. Except for the new husband and the two weird strangers that had befriended his ex-wife during the past two years. Of course, Will goes albeit reluctantly but brings his girlfriend with him for support.

This sets the stage for a compelling night as we watch Will emotionally break down from memories that permeate his mind, which are shown to us in flashbacks. He descends into some kind of neurosis worsened by the confines of that house.



Depression fills his mind and as the night goes on he has an internal sense that things aren’t right. His ex-wife is acting strangely to him. And her husband and those two strangers he just met seem questionable.

Paranoia and mistrust sets in. And director Karyn Kusama brilliantly used the color schemes of the house to feed into our own anxiety. The walls are muted shades of brown mixed with shadows and dim lighting that generate a haunting effect. And what began as a sense of calm and coziness morphed into uneasiness as the night went on.

There’s an unnerving contrast from Will’s suspicious nature to that of his friend’s joyfulness and with that of his ex-wife’s pleasantness. He can’t relate to any of this and turns himself into an outsider.

And we the viewer follow him unsure of what is really going on. Is something sinister going on? Or is Will an unreliable narrator? Either way there is a sense of dread festering in every scene.

And so the journey builds, creating a roller coaster ride of emotions. Though it does feel like it goes on a tad too long at one point but course corrects itself.

Sometimes a thriller like this leaves me unsatisfied, unable to close out. But that wasn’t the case here. “The Invitation” ended on a high note.


Score: 8/10