Jigsaw – 2017

Score: 4/10

It’s getting boring, really fucking boring. Jigsaw is the 8^th movie in the Saw franchise and brings absolutely nothing new to the table. It is simply a rehashing of territories already visited time and time again. At least the first ones had an element of surprise, the traps where actually interesting and novel, but sadly we don’t even get those things here. It is a very disappointing movie all in all and I was seriously expecting much much more from this once very appreciated franchise. I can honestly say I am very disappointed.

The story is what the movie is banking on to impress. It has twists, it wants to shock you with the big reveals about previous installments, but unfortunately, most of them fall flat and don’t manage to arouse your interest. It is obviously forced and they are trying to create stuff in the past that is simply ridiculous. They have strayed away from the pure motivations of the first few movies and now everything seems to only get more and more convoluted. It is a big downside for the movie and unfortunately it should have been its strongest point.

The characters are boring, nothing special, not developed at all, and almost impossible to understand or relate too if you have not seen the previous 7 movies. That is sad for new comers to the franchise and it makes the overall experience lack any emotion at all. It is telling that Jigsaw is still the only interesting and engaging character in a movie that takes place 10 years after his death… Tobin Bell puts in a good performance as the iconic killer, but unfortunately Matt Passmore, Callum Keith Rennie, Clé Bennett, Hannah Emily Anderson, Shaquan Lewis and Michael Boisvert did not impress me at all.

The franchise is still very popular and manages to fill up cinemas each time. The problem is that for me personally it looks like they are totally out of new ideas and just trying to stretch it out past its expiration date. You can go back to the same story over and over again, but only up until one point, and the Saw franchise really needs to come up with something new and reinvent itself if it has any desire to remain relevant in the years to come.

The movie is not scary, not scary at all, and this is a real problem in my mind for a horror franchise. You are never even remotely startled, because by now we all know what these movies are all about and what to expect. Nothing made me jump from my seat, and the big and huge reveal at the end was laughafably obvious after the first 15 minutes. It is not a horror movie, it doesn’t have sexuality at all, the characters are not interesting, so honestly, I have no idea what the point was here and why this film was made in the first place.

In conclusion, Jigsaw might be worth it for long fans of the franchise, as it does bring something new to the universe in terms of story, but for me personally this was far too little to have any impact overall. It is boring, too long and everything seems stretched just to fill up time. The traps aren’t special in any way and the franchise has definitely lost its spark. It is not new and fresh and weird anymore, it is just more of the same. I really hope it will end here, although I am almost sure that they will continue making these until there is literally no more milk to take from this cow…

The Foreigner – 2017

Score: 8/10

I have been waiting to see this for a long time now, and my patience was truly rewarded. It is a joy to see another side of Jackie Chan and to realize that he is more than a simple action star and can actually transmit a lot of emotion. I can say I was very surprised that this works, and together with Pierce Brosnan, The Foreigner proves beyond every shadow of doubt that these legends of the cinema world have still got a lot left to offer us…

The story is the best part of the movie. It is powerful, full of symbolism and visceral to the core. You can’t watch this one without feeling it, and the drama of the loss of a child will leave a big impression on you. It is a gritty experience from start to finish and it manages to elevate the subject of terrorism above just simple violence and great chase scenes. You get to actually understand the struggles and the deep moral dilemmas on both sides and relate to some of the decision taken by the main characters in key points of the film.

Speaking about the characters, they are developed in a very interesting way, not overly revealing but at the same time giving you just enough information to make you care. I would have liked maybe a little bit more backstory on Quan’s daughter at the start, but aside from that, the character development is up to par. Jackie Chan, Pierce Brosnan, Michael McElhatton, Liu Tao, Charlie Murphy, Orla Brady, Katie Leung, Ray Fearon and Dermot Crowley all do great jobs and manage to elevate the movie beyond a simple action flick.

The film tackles very deep themes and manages to do it in a very believable way. It is not over the top, it doesn’t focus on the gloss or the explosions, instead offering us a visceral view into the world of power and terrorism. None of the characters are pure good or pure evil, and that makes you wonder and be surprised on more than one occasion. Everything seems tangled in a deep web of conspiracies and treason and it sends a shiver down your spine to imagine that all of this is happening in our real world.

The fight scenes are dark and they rely a little bit too much on shaky cam for my taste, but they still manage to encapsulate what Jackie Chan is all about, while also translating and adapting his technique for this type of film. He is determined, but also weak and that offers up something different from what we are used to from his movies. It is a great transition and it will for sure prolong his career.

In conclusion, The Foreigner is a movie that is totally worth it and you are guaranteed to have a great and meaningful experience while watching it. It will make you think about the world and the perils that we all face while also offering you a very interesting and powerful perspective into the how politics influences our lives. A great job by Jackie Chan and I really hope to see more films like this from him in the future. Oh, and as a gentle reminder, be careful to never wake up the dragon…

Cars 3 – 2017

Score: 5,5/10

It’s difficult to analyze movies like this, because they are part of a very specific franchise and you can’t really dissociate them from their predecessors. So I have to analyze Cars 3 in conjunction to the first two chapters. It is not better or worse than the first two, but that is not saying something good considering that this franchise is considered by everybody the worst Pixar performance up to date.

The story is nothing to speak about. They are trying to tie up some loose ends from the first two movies but they don’t manage to offer something amazing. It is bland in a lot of parts and while you do get to chuckle at times, the whole experience feels somewhat underwhelming. It is not a story that stays with you and you will not feel the need to ever watch it again. Cars 3 is a typical animation that plays on clichés to sell toys…

The voice performances are good. The characters are fleshed out, although not enough. But you can find something there, you can feel for them, you can relate with some of their choices. Owen Wilson, Cristela Alonzo, Chris Cooper, Nathan Fillion, Larry the Cable Guy, Armie Hammer, Tom and Ray Magliozzi, Tony Shalhoub, Bonnie Hunt, Lea DeLaria, Kerry Washington and Bob Costas do a great job and their chemistry really improves the overall atmosphere and feel of the film…

The animation is great, on par with what we have come to expect from Pixar over the years. The style is funny, well adapted to little children and with a lot of marketing potential. The cars are funny, interesting and relatable. Unfortunately, there are a lot of inadvertencies in this universe and over the duration of the movie they start to annoy the viewers. There are no set laws in this world and stuff that shouldn’t happen is accepted to easily. Pixar is usually much more careful when it comes to things like this so this is for me the biggest disappointment of this movie, by far…

Pixar is investing money into this franchise and I seriously question that decision. Cars 1 and 2 have been the worst performing movies from Pixar up to date, and unfortunately Cars 3 does not manage to bring something amazing in order to save the franchise. I really think the studio should just abandon this series and focus on bringing some new ideas to its audiences. It would be a sign of maturity.

In conclusion, Cars 3 is not an amazing movie, but it is worth seeing in the end. If you are up to date with the franchise, it will be an interesting new chapter in the story, and if you are new to it, it will be an enjoyable experience nonetheless… But don’t expect too much and don’t expect for it to make you want to go back and see the first two chapters. It is a decent attempt from the best animation studio out there, but maybe it is time for Pixar to accept that it is perhaps time to put Lightning McQueen to bed for good…

Thor: Ragnarok – 2017

Score: 10/10

Marvel, oh Marvel you so funny… Another great hit from this company that seems to be capable of no wrong. Thor: Ragnarok is one of the best movies of 2017 and one of the best superhero movies of all time. You will enjoy the great action scenes, slick special effects that satisfy all tastes and also joke after joke that will make you simply adore every single character and identify with them and be emerged in their stories.

Speaking of stories, the movie manages to offer a credible one. Everything seems to happen naturally, everything is explained and the screenwriter isn’t afraid to go back to previous installments and to use footage from them while also answering some burning questions about certain characters fates. It is a great example of how to tell a story in a superhero movie and you will watch its 130 minutes without ever getting bored. There is not filler here and it is definitely the best Thor movie in the trilogy.

The characters are amazing, we love them already but here they are even more endearing and fun. This is pure joy to watch, every single one of them has character traits that helps us identify with them and they make us laugh and become invested. It is a perfect movie in terms of casting and I have to praise the impressive performances from Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Idris Elba, Jeff Goldblum, Tessa Thompson, Karl Urban, Mark Ruffalo and Anthony Hopkins.

The special effects are another strong point of the movie. They are not over the top and they manage to integrate nicely into the action, providing flow and pacing to the interactions of the characters. The world created here is believable and it is a joy to behold, especially considering the brightness of this one compared to the previous two Thor movies. This film is amazing to look at, plain and simple.

The comedy here is at a level never seen before in a Marvel movie. Nothing is taken too seriously and the whole film feels like a gift. Taika Waititi knows how to make you laugh and relax and at the same time bring up so many powerful themes. The effects that this movie will have on the franchise and on other superhero movies that will come after it will be huge, because people will start expecting this type of madness. And to me, this is a very good thing, because when you have this high quality of humor in your blockbusters, it can only elevate them and make them more appealing to audiences.

In conclusion, Thor: Ragnarok is an amazing movie that every single one of you should see right now if they haven’t already. You will laugh out loud a million times, you will rejoice in one of the most well thought-out stories in a superhero movie and you will want to see it again as soon as it is over. A great movie to see alone, with friends, with your children, I mean seriously, you can’t go wrong with this one. And it makes me shiver with anticipation for Infinity Wars and I can’t help but ask myself what are they going to do next?! Oh, and of course, almost forgot, I also have to ask myself, what are you the God of again? 🙂

Boo 2! A Madea Halloween – 2017

Score: 5,5/10

I know, I know, a lot of you would have expected a far lower score for this one, but that really isn’t the case. After watching Boo 2! A Madea Halloween I can really say that I understand why this series will continue to pump out films and why they will all keep on making money. They are nowhere near as bad as critics portray them and, as a comedy, this one actually made me laugh out loud a couple of times and managed not to bore me to death and make me want to quit watching. So all in all, for me the experience was not bad and I do not regret seeing it.

The story is typical Tyler Perry stuff and it has become formulaic for the franchise. It is a sequel for the 2016 film which had literally the same name, minus the 2 of course. And the story is copy pasted from that, even though they did try to mix it up a little bit in the end. Still, the overall feeling is that you watched this before and you will not get any twists to make it seem new. Unfortunately you do feel that in many instances the story is just a pretext for a standup routine that although has its charm, has gotten a little bit tedious over the years.

The characters are the best part of this universe. Love or hate Tyler Perry, his characters manage to hit some right notes and you find yourself understanding them at some points and even identifying with many of their actions. It is not a movie to watch without subtitles for people who don’t have a good grasp on the English language, because it can be hard at times to understand the heavy accents. Nevertheless, Tyler Perry in a triple role, Cassi Davis, Patrice Lovely, Taja V Simpson, Yousef Erakat and Diamond White are fun to watch…

Tyler Perry is focused a little bit too much in my mind on his multiple roles and that hurts the immersion a little bit, because there are a lot of characters that never appear together on screen and it kind of makes you aware that this is a movie and that the same guy is playing them all. In the future I would like to see a little bit more work put into the editing and maybe then the overall feel of the atmosphere will improve.

The problems with this film are not as many as the critics would likely point out, but they still exist. Some of the scenes are too long, especially the endless banter between Madea and her family, and even though good jokes come up, they are drowned out by all the filler in between. And you also get the feeling that the movie is playing it too safe in some instances instead of going full out racist and sexist, which I must say is where it shines the most. Uncle Joe Simmons telling the 17 year old white girl that once you go black you never go back is by far the best scene in the entire movie. We want more of that and less of everything else please…

In conclusion, Boo 2! A Madea Halloween is an interesting movie to see, especially with friends. It has a lot of over the top humor and some scenes that will simply make you want to cringe. On the horror side don’t expect anything at all, not even jump scares. This is more like a sketch from a Saturday Night Live kind of show but nevertheless, it is worth it if you want to simply witness an interesting perspective into the gospel cinema of Tyler Perry. Love it or hate it, I can definitely tell you that Madea is here to stay!