The Legend of Tarzan: I've been looking forward to this one for a while, but it might be to my dismay.  Early buzz is not so bueno right now, but I still have hope for this movie because of its star-studded cast which includes Alexander Skarsgard, Margot Robbie, Samuel L. Jackson, and Christoph Waltz.  That is the most amazing sounding cast so far this year, and I hope they at least act well together.  Let's also not forget that the animated Tarzan is my favorite Disney movie of all time.  This film should be fun to watch even if the story has been told many times before on the big screen! 

The BFG​:  The story that we all remember from our childhood has finally been made into a film with Steven Spielberg at helm.  Fresh off of an Oscar win, Mark Rylance returns to another emotional roll as the friendly giant.  He may have big shoes to fill for the roll, but I am sure he will bring the right amount of charm for the Disney film.  So far Disney has been doing a decent job with live action films, and this one should be another good addition.  Rylance and Spielberg working together has already proven to be a good pairing.

Our Kind of Traitor:  I'm telling you guys that I have seen this film and it is my favorite so far of the year.  Hopefully, that statement stands out to you guys and you decide to see it as soon as you can.  Earlier this year, I posted a review on the film so you have a reference as to why it is my favorite of the year.  Let's just say that John le Carre novels seem to be the formula for story arcs in modern cinema.  This is a character study, a mystery, and a partial homage to noir films.  Not to mention, the cast plays extremely well off of each other.  Stellan Skarsgaard, Ewan McGregor, Naomie Harris, and Damian Lewis all show that they are still capable of superb performances. 

Image credits: 
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e5/The_Legend_of_Tarzan_poster.jpg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/af/The_BFG_poster.jpg/220px-The_BFG_poster.jpg
http://cdn.wegotthiscovered.com/wp-content/uploads/Our-Kind-Of-Traitor_1_final_HR.jpg

Next week, I will be departing on a road trip from San Jose back to Tacoma and will be away from my home starting July 3rd through July 9th.  With the blog I will still be paying attention to any comments or emails received, however it is unlikely that I will be able to post everyday and quite possibly at all.  I would like to extend an offer to any readers of the blog to write some guest reviews.  If you write a guest review, I will read it and post it as soon as I can.  That way, we can keep the posts coming even though I will be away.  The site has grown so much and I am hoping that we will not lose any loyal readers during my vacation.  So please if you've been watching any movies, just write about them!  I would love to see everyone's opinion on films, no matter how you format your review.

You can send all reviews or any sort of blog posts with your name, or "anonymous" if you don't want to be identified to firstflix1@gmail.com starting right now.  I will be checking this email everyday and cannot wait to see what films or ideas you readers have for the blog!

One last note:  Check out the new donations page where you can donate $15 and receive mystery swag, or donate the small amount of $3 to get a shoutout in the following blog post!  If there are any other perks you guys want to see for donation costs let me know.

Here's yet another addition to the blog that will come out on Tuesday's.  Its fun to watch trailers and try to predict how the films will be based on the trailers.  I know that some people refuse to watch trailers because they might give away plot details, but I am in the boat that believes trailers are a vital part of the film industry which bring excitement and novelty to every film.  So here are three trailers for some interesting upcoming films:

A final note:  If you have read this far into the post, check out the donate button to see the new perk that you can get with a $15 donation for the blog.  I've got some mystery swag to send out to some loyal readers!  Or, you can just donate $3 for a shoutout in the next blog post.  That's a pretty good deal as well.

The Holocaust has long been a center topic of cinema, ranging from films such as Schindler's List to Phoenix.  Remember looks at the post-Holocaust world and an aging man searching for a Nazi.  There is a combination of genres in this one including mystery, action, and drama.  The fresh take on the Holocaust topic brings us a slower and less intense flick revolving around an old man who suffers from dementia.  Christopher Plummer (Up, The Sound of Music) portrays his character with finesse and experience, creating a believable aged man who has trouble understanding the world around him.

When I first saw the trailer for the film, I expected much more action and intensity.  Rather, the film is drawn out, moving at the pace of a snail.  Imagine if Memento was directed by Steve McQueen and you will get the idea of how this film rolls.  Choosing this sort of pacing was necessary because of the characters and storyline, but I wanted the film to move faster.  I felt disengaged from the subject matter at times because there was a lot of repetition and a lot of watching an old man with dementia.  This film succeeds in being an art form, but struggles to entertain a younger audience.

With everything previously stated, I definitely encourage everyone to watch this film solely because of the ending.  It may be a struggle to sit through, but the payoff is extremely rewarding.  A twist creates the perfect ending for a slow film based around such an emotional subject.  Eventually, I really want to re-watch the film to see if I can identify certain hints for the ending.  I am sure that Atom Egoyan (The Sweet Hereafter) placed certain hints throughout the whole film since he is such a creative director.

The Bottom Line:  More of an art film than a blockbuster, Remember is slow and hard to watch but still successfully adds to a plethora of films already revolving around the Holocaust.

Score:  8/10

Image credit: ​http://www.impawards.com/intl/canada/2015/posters/remember.jpg

From the directors of Tangled and Wreck-it Ralph comes this animated film about a world comprised of animals.  The animals are divided by certain characteristics and the story is about the struggle to break their stereotyped features.  This is all coming from the studio that brought us the hit movie, Frozen.  Unlike Frozen, this is the most diverse animated film I have ever seen.  Its definitely the most diverse animated film from Disney, featuring all sorts of animals with different backgrounds.  That is funny to say about a movie that does not have any humans whatsoever.

One of the reasons I love the medium of film is because it is an object of the arts.  In my opinion, fine arts are used to spread culture.  Zootopia is a clear example of how culture is spread through cinema.  When the writers create a message about diversity and equality, the film comes out with a deeper meaning.  Zootopia not only struggles with race equality, but also sex equality.  Ginnifer Goodwin (Walk the Line) acts as a symbol for women through her character, Judy Hopps.  Hopps is an adorable bunny who is tired of being seen as prey.  She sees all hunting animals as evil, and believes that they see all of the weaker animals as wimpy and easy targets.  These ideologies are heavy-handed throughout the film, which starts to become preachy.  Everyone in the film is wrong with their judgement of others.  Personally I liked the use of diversity and the message of Zootopia, but the message was so deeply entrenched in the film that I could not feel entertained in any way.  Its as though Disney is trying to create something that will engrain itself into the minds of the youth.  The ideologies portrayed in the film are agreeable, but overall I felt brainwashed by the end.  To me, cinema needs to walk a fine line between message and fun.  It is easy for us to forget a film without both of these traits.  If something is fun to watch but leaves me without any afterthoughts, then I no longer have any feelings for the film when the lights come back on.  However if a film is too much like a sermon, then I eventually tune out the jargon and feel a disconnect from the screen.  Zootopia acted as too much of a sermon and started to annoy me because I was tired of listening.  I should not have to feel so downtrodden after a Disney film, especially when it points out everything that I am seeing in the news nowadays.  I left without much afterthought, but rather the thought that big studio cinema is no longer the same because of how modern society is evolving.  That being said, Zootopia is a very creative and intelligent film that serves as a good start to a more diverse Disney studio.

The Bottom Line:  While being the most diverse Disney film yet, Zootopia struggles with subtlety and enjoyment.

Score: 8.7/10

Image credit: http://img.lum.dolimg.com/v1/images/movie_poster_zootopia_866a1bf2.jpeg

July 1st marks Canada Day this year, so I thought it would be fun to base this week's "What to Watch" series around the holiday.  So here are some Canadian suggestions, eh:


1.  Brother Bear:  The film is set in North America, so we're gonna go ahead and count that as Canada.  The film features another fantastic Phil Collins soundtrack too and lost Best Animated Feature to Finding Nemo.

2.  Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: Set entirely in Toronto, this film will make you fall in love with Edgar Wright and video games.

3.  ​Juno: This one features Michael Cera and Ellen Page, both Canadian.  Also, its directed by Jason Reitman.  Not sure if you can find a more Canadian film on this planet.

4.  Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father: This very emotional documentary will leave you with questions, tears, and meaning for life.

5.  Monsieur Lazhar:  I haven't seen this one yet, but it looks amazing and I've heard some great things.

6.  Blades of Glory:  This hilarious comedy about ice-skating is filmed mostly in Montreal.  It features Will Ferrell in one of his arguably best roles of all time.

7.  Titanic:  You know, because Celine Dion!

8.  Mean Girls:  This one was filmed in Canadian high schools, showing the possible types of adolescent mind-sets involved in youth.

9.  Brokeback Mountain:  This one was filmed mostly in the gorgeous Canadian Rockies.  Admittedly, I have not seen this film yet, but it did quite well at the Oscars so I'm sure its fantastic.

And finally the featured pick of the week:

10.  50/50:  The film takes place in Seattle, but it was actually filmed in Vancouver, BC.  There are a few easter eggs that show its true filming location, such as Seth Rogen's license plate.

Image credit: ​http://filmshortage.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/made-in-canada.jpg

Part 1: Cinemark Theaters
This theater is really close to where I live, so it will probably be frequented whenever I can go.  One awesome deal at the theater that I have yet to take advantage of is the $6 Tuesday screening offer.  This is an offer at most Cinemark theaters so you should probably check that out if you live near one.  Another sweet awesome thing about Cinemark is their mobile app.  The app includes their rewards program which offers points when you scan it.  The points can then be redeemed for certain items or downloads.  Right now, I have enough points to either get a download of TMNT or The Purge: Anarchy.  That's cool since I have only seen one film so far at the theater, but I think I will save up my points for something more entertaining or useful.

Part 2: The Loungers
The best feature at this cinema in my opinion is the lounger that I got to sit in.  This is a new trend that cinemas are using.  Everyone loves to sit back, relax, and enjoy their movie in the most comfortable way possible.  This is a fun way of seeing a movie with an enhanced experience, but there are downsides.  First of all, its not great for taller people whose legs dangle over the leg rest.  Second, my chair made a loud noise whenever I extended the leg rest.  This did not appear to be a problem for the rest of the audience, but I was self-conscious because I did not want others's movie experience to be bothered.  Finally, the screening feels more casual with loungers.  This is a mostly good thing, but when the person next to you starts snoring it becomes annoying.  Overall, the loungers enhanced my movie experience and I will definitely go to that Cinemark theater in the future.  However, there are of course the flaws that always appear in upgraded technologies. 

Theater Rating: 3.5/5

They're back!  The aliens that attacked Earth 20 years ago have regrouped and come back for vengeance after their defeat.  With some original cast members returning, this film charters familiar territory.  Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum (Jurassic Park, The Grand Budapest Hotel), Judd Hirsch (A Beautiful Mind), Brent Spiner (Star Trek: The Next Generation), and a few others return as their characters from the original film.  New actors including Liam Hemsworth (The Hunger Games), Jessie T. Usher (When the Game Stands Tall), and Maika Monroe (It Follows, Labor Day) also join the veterans on screen.  Similarly to Independence Day, the sequel does not have any real character focus and feels disjointed and disorganized.  With so many iconic actors, the film just feels like a giant waste of time and money.  I cannot help but feel bad for Hemsworth who just can't find a role that suits his acting caliber.  Why would you cast so many actors and not create any sort of emotional connection for the audience?

The sequel does add a new factor of excitement with its updated special effects, but still underwhelms the viewer with a lack of attention to quality.  The new alien abilities were cool to see, such as gravitational pulls and more mind control, but the aliens themselves look awful.  I think I like the aliens in the newest Indiana Jones more than in this film.  The original film barely showed any aliens, but this one relies heavily on the alien design.  I wish they never even showed me the aliens, because they only detracted from the experience.  Of course there are plenty of explosions and destruction scenes that are much more authentic than in the original film.  New technologies have created this authenticity and realistic approach to film-making, but most of the technology is poorly used in this one.

Furthermore, it seems Roland Emmerich (The Day After Tomorrow)  suffers from poorly written storylines.  There is no real reason to care about anything in this story.  The aliens are given a dumb background and the humans are so un-relatable.  At least in the sequel the aliens are given a reason to attack Earth, but the reason has been used before.  There is nothing new about this story.  At this point, Emmerich is beating a dead horse and the franchise will most likely continue to beat the dead horse.  It looks like there will be a sequel, which is probably going to continue down the disjointed path that the franchise has already started.  Yipee...

The Bottom Line:  Old actors and old stories combine to make this franchise about as stale as week old bread.

Score: 5.5/10

Image credit: http://cdn2-www.comingsoon.net/assets/uploads/gallery/independence-day-resurgence/independence_day_resurgence_ver12.jpg

Let me know what films y'all are watching in the comments below!