Fifty Shades Darker Movie Review

 

I know, I know. The movie is seriously panned by critics and casual moviegoers, but I watched it anyway. Why? Because I believe in second chances. And the trailer was intriguing enough to warrant viewing.

Never trust trailers.

The teaser trailer hinted on a real conflict with the appearance of “Mrs. Robinson” (Kim Basinger), the older woman who seduced and abused Christian Grey when he was just in his teens. Add Leila Williams, Christian’s suicidal former submissive, into the mix and it has the makings of a real sexy thriller like Fatal Attraction or Jagged Edge.

But of course, it’s NOT!

READ the complete review here.

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ARRIVAL Movie Review

It's hard to catch up on on reading when there are so many wonderful movies out there. Between films and books, I tend to go where the gratification is faster. Though books are arguably more satisfying, there will be times that a brilliant film will come along and just blow you away. 

Arrival is one of those films.

I watched this without high expectations and with little knowledge about the film, All I knew then was that it was based on the novella Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang, which unfortunately I have not read. But I truly believe that having little info about the film added to my viewing enjoyment.

The story starts with a somber mood despite the arrival of extra terrestrials in odd-shaped vessels suspended on air. There's panic and tension, but it's not overplayed. It's unlike any alien invasion film I've seen in recent years. This is because we are challenged to look beyond the invasion and look deeply into human psyche when presented with something extraordinary.

Linguist Louise Banks (played by Amy Adams) is summoned to decipher the alien messages which are not spoken, but instead presented in visual patterns and complex symbols. The two alien heptapods called Abbot and Costello communicate with Louise in a deeper level, with Louise having flashforwards.

Although we are led to believe that Louise is having flashbacks of her daughter's death, what's actually happening is that she is seeing the future, an ability that is a "gift" from the visitors. At that point, we realize that this is more than just an alien invasion story. It poses a quandary. If one could have a window into the future, would one accept a fate as painful as losing someone you love?

This complicates Louise's relationship with physicist Ian (Jeremy Renner). Louise knew that Ian will become the father of her daughter Hannah, But despite knowing in advance her daughter's death and Ian's eventual abandonment, Louise still chose that path. This is where the alien invasion story takes a backseat to human story.

With superb acting, stunning visual effects, and skillful direction, Arrival will move and mesmerize you from start to finish.

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The Lego Batman Movie Review

The Lego Batman Movie may not be the Batman movie you want, but it's the Batman movie you need to watch. When the trailers and the teasers hit social media, there were a lot of criticisms about the trailer revealing too much. That seemed true at that time, but now that the movie is out, not so much. The movie revealed so much more than anyone could have anticipated.

There are at least 10 Batman movies, but most of them don't quite capture the character's innermost thoughts. Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy is perhaps the best representation of Batman's psyche on film. That is until Lego Batman came along. Sure it's kinda silly, but it's dark silly. And it works so damn well.

In the movie, Batman (Will Arnett) hurts Joker's feelings by refusing to acknowledge Joker (Zach Galifianakis) as the ultimate villain. So the Joker devised a plan to make the caped crusader take heed. Joker's wise plan worked and the next thing we know, Gotham is infested by two-bit villains and big named bad guys from other movie-verse.

Of course, there's also the part where Batman adopts an orphan (albeit unwittingly) named Dick Grayson (Michael Cera). Bruce reluctantly fosters Dick and becomes his sidekick Robin. This brings out Batman's parenting skills (or the lack of it).

The movie is teeming with pop culture references, so many of the jokes landed. Kids may not appreciate it, but the adults will have a kick out of it. But don't get me wrong, this movie is made for kids and rightfully so. Just like the The Lego Movie, it has lessons to be learned and kids will see that while being entertained. After all, it's 104 minutes of pure entertainment. 

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