While one might be sad to see Peter Jackson finish his last Middle Earth film, one is probably glad to see him finish after this film.  This film is not a Hobbit film, rather it appears to be Peter Jackson's take on a giant battle involving five armies.  With the experience that Jackson has under his belt in making the Lord of the Rings films, he seems to be overreaching in the Hobbit trilogy.  Yet, this film is still fun to watch for all of its craziness.

After the three Lord of the Rings films, I thought that Peter Jackson could do no wrong.  Then I started to watch The Hobbit trilogy.  All of my faith was suddenly vanishing as he started to make additions to the films that were not in the book.  Having read the Fellowship of the Ring, I found that Tolkien's world was too complex for me to continue.  However, I decided to go back and read The Hobbit which I thoroughly enjoyed.  This was a much easier read for me and contained a bit less jargon that is in the LoTR books.  So, clearly I was excited for these Hobbit films.  However, I was left with sheer disappointment by the end.

While Jackson screwed up the book aspects of the film, he still managed to keep my attention toward the big screen in the final film.  After all, who doesn't love a giant battle of CGI and not-so-practical effects?  Furthermore, who doesn't love to see Cate Blanchett go full demon within the first hour of the film?  Of course this is no cinematic masterpiece, but I found it much more entertaining than I probably should have! 

The Bottom Line: If you are a die-hard Hobbit fan, I would not recommend even glaring at the cover of this film.  If you aren't go for it with an open mind, ready for a two and a half hour look into what special effects have become.

Score: 8/10

Right when I saw that Ian McKellen was starring in this film, I was sold.  However, what I saw was not exactly what I expected.  McKellen brings a fresh look at an aged Sherlock Holmes that I ended up enjoying, even though some of the story felt cluttered.  Possibly, this cluttered story might add to a view of the aging Holmes.

Without Ian McKellen's acting, this film may not have been quite as enjoyable.  If any other actor spend 60% of the time lying in a bed and reminiscing on past memories, I probably would have gotten bored at the half hour mark.  Somehow, even at age 76 McKellen is capable of being Sherlock Holmes.  Of course, he portrays the annoyingly witty side of Sherlock, but also masters the compassionate side of the character.

The one part of this film that felt wrong to me was the timeline.  Of course, Sherlock Holmes films are going to be a bit cluttered to reveal the mysteries involved.  Yet this one just felt a bit too cluttered.  The scene jumps from past to present so oddly that I felt lost after a while.  Aside from the time jumps, there are three different stories going on at once (one involving Japan, one involving a woman from Holmes's past, and one involving Sherlock's caretakers).  The film has interesting mysteries, yet they all collide towards the end creating a material mesh.

The Bottom Line: This film brings a new look at Sherlock Holmes as an aging man played by the ever-so-great Ian McKellen, yet comes out a bit jumbled towards the end.

Score: 9/10


 

Straight Outta Compton creates a startling connection between the past and the present, bringing the audience into the center of a rap group full of attitude.  The first half of the movie introduces the four artists that would later become legends.  Each of the characters is portrayed with a unique background giving space for later character development.  Throughout the film, the characters are shown as diverse individuals through the superb acting of O’Shea Jackson Jr. (Ice Cube), Corey Hawkins (Dr. Dre), Jason Mitchell (Eazy-E), and Aldis Hodge (MC Ren).  Each of the characters goes through a different storyline, yet they stay connected through N.W.A.

The use of four diverse characters causes the film to move at a quick pace, keeping the audience’s attention for a full 147 minutes.  The combination of action sequences, compilation soundtrack, and character development keeps the audience on their toes wondering what will happen next.  The soundtrack features music from Snoop Dogg, Eminem, 2Pac, individual members of NWA, and of course many other talented rap artists.  While I found this music smooth and heartfelt, certain audiences may not enjoy it quite as much.  Yet, you cannot argue that the group's music changed the nation.

The film shows some of the changes that the world was going through when N.W.A. was formed.  One of the most powerful performances in the film is seen through Paul Giamatti’s character.  While the members of N.W.A. are outside his studio, a squad of cop cars pulls up and the cops harass the rap group.  The group’s manager Jerry (Paul Giamatti) comes out of the studio to argue that his clients cannot be harassed just because they are black.  Scenes like this one reflect that the U.S. still has race issues.  Seeing the Rodney King beating on the big screen brings out more emotion for the audience that can connect the beating to current use of police force against minorities.

The Bottom Line: Director F. Gary Gray creates a film that is strongly acted and builds a connection between the past and the present through images of violent events. 

Score: 9.5/10