Matt Reeves (Let Me In) concludes the Planet of the Apes reboot trilogy with a long-winded and riveting piece of blockbuster-cinema.  War for the Planet of the Apes does what a lot of trilogies cannot, which is end on a high note.  All three of the films in the franchise are good, but War for the Planet of the Apes is easily the best installment.  Andy Serkis (The Lord of the Rings) clearly worked hard on his portrayal of the lead-ape, Caeser.  The trilogy centered around his character and audiences can relate to him more than they can relate to their own species.  

The linear storytelling that War for the Planet of the Apes uses works well for the blockbuster.  The story never dulls or slows down.  Rather, it constantly progresses with new revelations about certain characters.  Every character in the film has a background that is relevant to the story.  Caeser, Maurice, Rocket, and Luca return with new developments in their storylines.  However, we also get a lot of fresh characters to connect with.  Bad Ape, Nova, and The Colonel add different ideas and backgrounds to create an original story.  

As Caeser, Andy Serkis once again stuns audiences with his performance capture.  There is nobody better at performance capture than Serkis.  Every movement he makes is authentic and believable.  These are not the sub-par effects that partially ruined the Star Wars prequels.  As one of the few human characters at the center of the story, Woody Harrelson's (No Country for Old Men, Zombieland) performance is also fantastic.  This is a fitting role for him to portray as a villain with a deeper background than the surface shows.  Throughout the film, he gives chilling speeches that remind us of current human ideologies.

As a whole, the story is unique to the rebooted series.  Of course, there is a war going on between humans and apes.  Yet, there are other things going on as well.  The movie is not as simple as the title makes it seem.  Matt Reeves and his writing crew clearly did not want this film to be a summer blockbuster with meaningless explosions and shallow characters.  The conclusion of the film is emotional because of how well-built the characters are.  I would love to go on another adventure with these characters and hope that Serkis can find the time to advocate for another installment.

The Bottom Line:  War for the Planet of the Apes is a thoroughly-crafted blockbuster conclusion to the new Planet of the Apes trilogy.

Score: 9.5/10

Image credit: ​By Gerald Geronimo, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15934608

Rebooting film franchises can be a tough journey for filmmakers because of the repetitive nature of reworking an original storyline.  Recent reboots have been decent and Rise of the Planet of the Apes is no exception.  Admittedly, I have not seen any of the original Planet of the Apes films.  Yet, I feel as though the premise is well-explained in the first installment of the new trilogy.  When I saw this film the year it was released, I thought that it was slow and at times boring.  However upon re-watching the film, I realize that the dull moments are still necessary for the future of the franchise.

Many of James Franco's (127 Hours, Spider-Man, This Is the End) acting roles before this film were cheesy and hard to take seriously.  Coming off of the disappointing end to the Spider-Man trilogy, Franco re-establishes himself as a serious actor in Rise of the Planet of the Apes.  Franco's depiction of Will Rodman stands out as an emotional portrayal of a moral human, which is hard to come by in this franchise.  Rupert Wyatt (The Escapist) cleverly sets up two warring parties, often times making the audience question if human actions are good or bad.  The film made me cringe and PETA might take issues with the realistic abuse of CGI animals.

The greatest moments of this film occur whenever Caeser walks across the screen.  The CGI looks extremely realistic, bringing the audience into the center of the storyline.  As a master of performance capture, Andy Serkis (​The Lord of the Rings) once again brings a computer generated image to life.  It is impossible to tell that the apes are not real.  Clearly, this is not a man dressed as an ape.  Overall, the special effects are jaw-dropping and as the franchise continues, the effects keep getting better and better.  Although there are only a few action sequences throughout the film, they are perfected and never overdone.  

The Bottom Line:  While Rise of the Planet of the Apes is not the explosive blockbuster that audiences may have hoped for, it does set the franchise up for successful future installments.

Score: 7/10  

Image credit: ​By Partha Sarathi Nath - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=49728224

My initial reaction to the release of Spider-Man: Homecoming was to rewatch all of the previous Spider-Man films.  Well, I made it halfway through the first film and then it was showtime for the new release.  I'm pretty glad that I did not watch all of them because I would have been exhausted from all of the web-slinging.

Upon rewatching Sam Raimi's Spider-Man, I realized that the movie is dated.  There must be some reason why I own all three of Raimi's Spider-Man flicks, but now that I have watched the first and half of the second installment, I'm not sure that I was in the right mindset as a child.  Spider-Man is fun and probably caused my jaw to drop when I was a kid, but it no longer means much to me.  The franchise was cheesy, CGI-heavy, and oddly paced.  Spider-Man covers a lot of the character's background, but it feels extremely rushed.  Character backgrounds are pushed into the later films to try and evoke more emotion in the later installments.  

Tobey Maguire (Pleasantville), James Franco (127 Hours, This Is the End), and Kirsten Dunst (Melancholia) proved that they are capable actors, yet there is not much that the audience can relate to with their characters.  All three of them come off as entitled brats at some point in the film.  Franco and Dunst often make me cringe with their relationship, which might be what the writers wanted.  Oddly, the new Spider-Man franchise actors are more mature than the original trio.  The direction for this film was more action based than Spider-Man: Homecoming.  If I had watched all three films before seeing the new one, maybe I would have had a different opinion.  But, the cast is so fun in the new film that it basically makes the original trio completely underwhelming.

I will admit that the storyline in the first film follows the comics more closely than the new franchise.  There is also more action in the original, so kids might enjoy watching it a bit more.  While the CGI is outdated, the sequences are exciting and the costuming is spectacular.  I like this costume more than the new one, especially since it is not a Tony Stark creation.  At least in 2002, Spider-Man did not have to rely on the Avengers to help him out!

The Bottom Line:  Outdated and odd, Spider-Man is still thrilling in this "classic" Marvel flick.

Score: 5.5/10

Image credit: ​By David Shankbone - David Shankbone, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2070935

This is the Spider-Man that comic readers can fall in love with.  Tom Holland (Locke) lifts the character right out of the comic book, applying the comic-formula to the big screen.  As a child, Spider-Man was admittedly my favorite superhero.  Average Peter Parker was always easier to relate to than the millionaire, Bruce Wayne.  Now that I've grown up a bit I'm more of a Batman fan, but Spider-Man will always have a special place in my heart.

Spider-Man: Homecoming portrays a better rendition of the character than previous film adaptations have.  Holland is an interesting choice, but it's nice to have a younger and somewhat innocent portrayal of Peter Parker.  The choice to cast a young actor clearly bleeds into the rest of the film.  Rather than focusing on heavy action, Jon Watts (Cop Car) focuses on the actual character.  Quirky and constantly joking (like every other high schooler), Peter Parker is fun to watch.  The genre for the film is not straight-action, but includes coming-of-age and comedy.  

The one interesting aspect in terms of this adaptation is Iron Man's involvement.  I had a few issues with Parker being mentored at times by Iron Man, but Robert Downey Jr. is always a pleasure in the role.  Luckily even with the Iron Man inspired Spider-Man suit, Peter Parker proves that he is a hero even without it.  Furthermore, Holland proves that he can rake in the Marvel money even without RDJ.  I would not have complained if we did not have RDJ on the screen at all.  At least with RDJ, we get to skip over Spider-Man's origin story (which we already got to see too many times in previous films).

The rest of the cast carries it's weight throughout the story to support Parker's journey.  Michael Keaton (Birdman, Batman, Spotlight) is a fantastic Vulture.  He literally acts like a Vulture even when he isn't in costume, constantly preying on things and scraping up whatever he can.  Keaton has somehow managed to be the main actor to portray flying characters ranging from Batman to Birdman to Vulture.  The supporting cast is also hand picked to perfection.  Marisa Tomei (The Wrestler, The Lincoln Lawyer), Zendaya (Shake It Up!), Donald Glover (The Martian), Jon Favreau (Chef), Jacob Batalon (North Woods), and Laura Harrier (The Last Five Years​) add great performances to the mix.  There are quite a few reveals at the end for each of the characters.  Some are good and some are a bit over-the-top, but I will leave those spoilers up to the audience's discretion.

If you want to talk about any of the spoilers, I have some strong opinions that we can discuss over Facebook!

The Bottom Line: This is undoubtedly the best big screen adaptation of our friendly neighborhood superhero!

​Score: 9.3/10     

Image credit: ​By Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America - Stan LeeUploaded by maybeMaybeMaybe, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=22896794

The self-proclaimed, All-American boy band BROCKHAMPTON is a hip-hop collective formed in Texas and based out of Los Angeles. The group’s first project was the 2016 mixtape All-American Trash. They now follow up with their studio debut, Saturation. Clocking in at 50 minutes and 17 tracks (three skits), Saturation is a longer and more ambitious venture for the collective. All together the band consists of around 15 members of artists, producers, designers, and managers. The core of the group, however, is the six vocal performers: Kevin Abstract, Ameer Vann, Merlyn Wood, Dom McLennon, Matt Champion, and JOBA.

Having heard many of these artists for the first time on Saturation, the immediate standouts include the two emcees Ameer Vann and Merlyn Wood, and the singer JOBA. Vann delivers through a deep and captivating voice with a smooth flow. He has a similar sound to Daveed Diggs of Clipping, but with a slower rhythm. Merlyn comes through with the most versatility in his style. He transitions from a bombastic Jamaican accent on "Heat", to a more methodical conscious rap on "Milk", and an insane delivery on "Bump". He even provides soft vocals on the song, "Swim". JOBA substitutes for Kevin Abstract on a few of the hooks, hitting the higher registers with skill. He shines as the lead in the chorus of "Face", giving a soulful performance. He also mixes it up with punk-rock style screams on the bridge of "Heat".

"Heat" is an absurd beginning to the album. It’s a fantastical banger filled with dirt, grime, and horrors over a monstrous drum and bass line. The next track, "Gold", turns it down a notch but keeps the pace going with a smooth instrumental. Kevin Abstract’s hook on the song is best and catchiest of the album. Horn samples peak through the thick bass and gives the song extra life. BROCKHAMPTON continues to deliver hard-hitting tracks with the album’s third, "Star". The entire song is filled with funny and clever references of actors and movies.

The track "2Pac" is a short, sentimental interlude performed by Abstract and Vann, and serves as a great transition from a boisterous beginning to project’s lighter side. "Fake" is the first laid-back song of the album with lighter sounds, a strong synth, and good chorus. "Bank" follows up with one of the strongest instrumentals. Metallic, spacious drums are filled in with a repetitive vocal sample and bass, creating a heavily layered groove. Ameer Vann particularly stands out on the song. His delivery, flow, and voice are perfect, making his verses a satisfying experience every time. On "Swim", the members of BROCKHAMPTON continue to show their versatility. Rappers Merlyn Wood and Dom McLennon reach their sweeter sides by pulling off some auto-tuned crooning. In the intro, JOBA and Abstract combine together for a lovely and melodic passage. The song then breaks into a catchy hook with a short instrumental eruption. The watery guitar and soft drums meld seamlessly with the synths.

"Bump" is a curious track, initially returning to the louder sound of the album with a booming and distorted beat. Merlyn unleashes on the opening verse, before the song abruptly transitions into a somber chorus delivered by Abstract. It’s perfectly produced, naturally melding the back-and-forth between the aggressive sounds on the verses and the sad melody of the hook. "Bump" does not fit into any molds or musical preconceptions. It’s just one of the band’s many songwriting examples that separate them in the hip-hop landscape.

"Cash" once again uses a guitar as the main part of the instrumental. It creates a lo-fi, indie rock vibe to the song, especially with the addition of the backup singing and horns laced into the melody. The group also delivers another catchy chorus. "Milk" is arguably the strongest cut off Saturation, with a low-key instrumental and a fantastic chorus. BROCKHAMPTON writes a personal song about self-improvement and recognizing what kind of person you are. Merlyn dishes out his best verse of the project with his most methodical delivery. The outro by Dom is poetic and emotional. He performs a spoken-word passage that sounds like something you would hear in a Macklemore tune. Dom certainly appears to be the most introspective of the group, and features the best wordplay. All members are at their best in this song.

Despite all its praises, there are just a few problems with the album. The songs, "2Pac" and "Fake" both feature vocals that are pitched to a higher-register, similar to what Frank Ocean did on his record Blonde. Ameer is prominent on both tracks, and his voice is captivating without edits. It makes me wonder what the high pitch does for the track and to what purpose does it actually serve? It can certainly come off slightly annoying when Ameer is getting sentimental on "2pac". It is the only two times this happens on the record. This vocal editing is not exactly unique anymore, and could be removed without changing the song’s impact. The closer, "Waste", fits into place with the rest of the album, but sounds like a poorly executed, very sad rock song. The guitars are generic and the vocals sound overly whiney.

With Saturation, BROCKHAMPTON proves it's one of the most interesting hip-hop groups currently working. Every member has their own unique personality and style, giving great performances throughout. They complete what a lot of hip-hop artists fail to do – deliver consistent hooks, strong verses, and personality. The lyrical and instrumental structures in each song are varied between different bridges, hooks, and verses. They manage to avoid any feelings of repetition. The band’s writing shows maturity, focusing on themes of loneliness, relationships, being yourself, and overcoming problems of your past. This hodge-podge of artists who met on an online forum just a few years ago have come together with top-tier songwriting and a forward-thinking mindset. The chemistry between them is paralleled only by the likes of Run The Jewels.  Saturation is one of the best albums 2017 has to offer so far, and is a great example of the many alternatives that exist in today's mainstream hip-hop.

Score: 9/10

Favorite Tracks: "Heat", "Gold", "Star", "Boys", "Bank", "Swim", "Bump", "Cash", "Milk", "Face"

Least Favorite Tracks: "Waste"

Before I went into this movie, I had a basic idea of the tone that Brett Haley would be going for.  The audience around me was older, which is seemingly Haley's target audience.  Based on my previous viewing of I'll See You In My Dreams at SIFF 2015, I expected something similar.  Just as I'll See You In My Dreams nearly invoked me into a trance, The Hero is an equally draggy and inactive film.  This film would play better in a nursing home than it would on the big screen.

The film has a star-studded cast, but never takes off.  The only exciting part of this film is the pleasure of listening to Sam Elliott's (Hulk, Up in the Air) voice for an hour and a half.  The cast is not bad, but the writing is just so-so.  There are a few chuckles here and there, but nothing too clever pops up.  The subject matter is deep and clearly relatable for older actors, but I never felt the connection to Elliott's character that I should have.  There is only one or two emotional scenes in the film, which had the potential of being a tearjerker.  Krysten Ritter (Jessica Jones, Breaking Bad), Laura Prepon (The Girl on the Train, Orange is the New Black), and Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation, The Founder​) do a decent job in their respective roles, but feel interchangeable.  Any actors in similar age groups could have portrayed these characters.

Another problem that I had with the film was the dull color palette.  Haley basically replicates the palette from his previous work, sacrificing creativity for reality.  If the color palette were a bit more exciting, my eyelids wouldn't have felt so heavy.  At times, flashbacks try to bring the audience into the perspective of Elliott's character.  Yet, these deeply symbolic flashbacks are vague and uninteresting.  The symbolism is easy to figure out, mostly involving aging and death.  It feels as if this film has been made too many times before.

The Bottom Line:  The film subject and slow story drags down the acting abilities that Sam Elliott fans have become accustomed to.

Score: 6/10