Fans of this long running franchise finally get a film that takes them back to a time before we had Autobots and Decepticons with Transformers One. Directed by Josh Cooley who is best known for directing Toy Story 4 and having a long-time relationship with Pixar Animation.

 

Our story starts from the very beginning of Cybertron’s creation when Primus transforms into a massive planet. Primus then created a group of warriors called Primes to protect Cybertron, but that was not good enough when the Quintessons wiped them out by taking the Matrix of Leadership. The Matrix helped Cybertron produce Energon but once it was taken the planet stopped producing it. Taking over the duties to get the Matrix back is Sentinel Prime (Jon Hamm), the leader of Cybertron and Iacon, who continues to fight the Quintessons on the surface. That’s when we are introduced to best friends and miners of Energon - Orion Pax (Chris Hemsworth) and D-16 (Bryan Tyree Henry). This is before they become Optimus Prime and Megatron. We learn that Pax is an ambitious being who wants to help Sentinel find the Matrix by breaking into government buildings to find clues. D-16, instead, goes about his day keeping his nose to the ground and avoiding any confrontation. That all changes when Pax discovers a message and map from one of the former Primes that takes them to surface of Cybertron. Joining them is their former mining boss Elita-1 (Scarlet Johansson) and garbage worker B-127 (Keegan-Michael Key). This journey will ultimately test Pax and D-16’s friendship and their viewpoint on friendship while they gain the power to transform. Will they find the Matrix of Leadership? And is there a more sinister act happening that the citizens of Iacon might not know about? Who’s to say.

 

Talk about a fun animated movie that brings great action sequences, dramatic scenes, and cool effects. I had some low expectations heading into this film because it was animated, Peter Cullen wasn’t going to be the voice of Optimus Prime, and it was going to be an origin story of Optimus Prime and Megatron. It all worked because they really did a good job homing in on Pax and D-16’s relationship. Hemsworth and Henry do a great job conveying to the audience that these bots are the best of friends. So, when it gets to that point that you start to notice a falling out between the two it pulls at your heart strings. I also enjoyed the style of animation that they went with. It was very smooth and was very easy on the eyes. The sound design was great as well, as it should be for it being a Transformers film. The only thing I wasn’t a fan of was the comedy. Mostly coming from B-127, the comedy felts cringy and forced. I get he is a comedian, but it could have been simmered down a bit. The plot with the Quintessons was also not as important to what the story was trying to convey between the two main characters. I get why they were somewhat useful to the plot, but they were barely in the film.

 

Overall, I had a great time watching this film and I think Transformers fans and movie goers would say the same thing. Go see this at least once at the drive-in or theater to just have a fun time learning about these beloved characters before they became household names.

 

Rating: 4.3 out 5

Whenever you go on vacation always be wary of who you interact with, because Director James Watkins Speak No Evil lays out what could go wrong if you meet the wrong people.

 

Our story starts with mother Louise (Mackenzie Davis), father Ben (Scoot McNairy), and daughter Agnes Dalton (Alix West Lefler) on vacation. While interacting with different couples and families staying at their hotel, they are introduced to a doctor named Paddy (James McAvoy), his wife Ciara (Aisling Franciosi), and son Ant (Dan Hough). For the rest of the trip both families hang out with each other, and both have such a great time that Paddy invites Ben’s family to their farmhouse for a weekend getaway. Ben, who has been completely enthralled with Paddy, wants to go to get his mind off an unsuccessful job search, struggles with his wife who had an affair, and dealing with his daughter’s severe anxiety issues. So, they make the trip to Paddy’s home for what should be a relaxing time. Instead, it will test the family’s strength to make it out alive.

 

That’s really all I can say about the plot of this film unless you want spoilers. Most of the advertising did convey that Paddy isn’t who you think he is and that the son, Ant, does not have a tongue. That is kind of a bummer that those were given away in the promotions, but the movie must sell tickets. Fortunately, it didn’t spoil the whole plot of the film and why this is all happening to this one family. Overall, I thought this was a well-done horror and thriller film. The performances all around were well done, especially by James McAvoy who always brings it with these horror flicks. This film does a good job feeding on your anxiety which is an underlying theme. The movie did drag a bit in the middle, and you were just waiting for the other shoe to fall at any moment. It did, but not until the very end. This drag kind of took me out of the film, but once it got to the climax I was sucked back into the action. 

 

All in all, if you are a horror enthusiast go see this in theaters at least once to get the full experience. It is perfect timing for the upcoming Halloween season, and you’ll get some nice jump scares while you’re riddled with anxiety.

Rating: 3.9 out of 5

It’s only taken 36 years for Tim Burton to come up with a new insane story to bring viewers back into the world of the dead with Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. 

 

We find ourselves being re-introduced to Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder) as she hosts her own TV show called Ghost House. She uses her powers of seeing the dead to rid people’s homes of evil spirits. Lydia receives a call from her stepmom, Delia (Catherine O’Hara), about the sudden loss of her father and learns that the funeral will be held at the house from the first film. This reunites Lydia with her daughter, Astrid (Jenna Ortega), who is resentful towards her mother after the death of her father. Astrid also does not believe in ghosts. Tagging along is Lydia’s new love interest and manager, Rory (Justin Theroux), who is supposedly there to support Lydia but seems to have some ulterior motive. As this is all going on we head to the underworld where Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton) is running his very own telemarketing service to aid other dead people with getting revenge on the living. So, he must have made it out of the waiting room at the end of the first film to start his business back up again. The only issue is that his former wife, Delores (Monica Bellucci), is back and wants to suck Beetlejuice’s soul from his body. Learning that Lydia is back home in Winter River, Beetlejuice wants to pursue her and get re-married to avoid his soul sucking ex-wife. We are then introduced to Jeremy (Arthur Conti) who is a possible love interest for Astrid as she explores the town Lydia grew up in. Her newly formed relationship with Jeremy sends her to the underworld where Lydia must team up with Beetlejuice to get her out. Is this really a smart idea? Can Beetlejuice be the hero? Most likely, not.

 

I was so excited to see this film. I remember watching the first one as a kid and was enthralled with the unique style that Burton brought to the film. Now, Burton did it again with a lot more practical effects, actual sets, and very little green screen and CGI use. It really felt like this film was made back in the late 80’s early 90’s. I think everyone’s performance was great, especially Keaton’s, Ryder’s, and O’Hara’s. The original three characters from the first film really brought their A-game. It felt like it was effortless for them to get back into those characters mentally and physically. The only issue I had with this film was the overall story. It was kind of all over the place and there wasn’t a straight plot point. There were several stories interwind with each other and all were solved quickly. I think Burton was more focused on the gags, effects, and performances than the actual story. This makes sense because the first film was a bit random too. In the first film though, there was a linear plot line with a feeling of satisfaction at the end. With this film it’s kind of the opposite. It’s mostly a lot of bits added to the plot with a not so satisfying ending. I still had a good time watching this movie. 

 

I suggest seeing this movie at least once in theaters to experience the practical magic that Tim Burton brings to the big screen, and witness a phenomenal performance by Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, and Catherine O’Hara. Don’t be too focused on the plot and enjoy the wackiness and fun this film offers.

 

Rating: 3.9 out 5

Making her directorial debut is Zoe Kravitz with a mind bending and anxiety driven thriller with Blink Twice. 
 
 
The film opens with our main character Frida (Naomi Ackie) living with roommate and best friend, Jess (Alia Shawkat), in a not so glamorous apartment while working server jobs. Well, that situation changes when given the opportunity to work an event hosted by billionaire Slater (Channing Tatum) who runs a popular company but is known for his child like party behavior. Frida has a bit of crush on him and decides to change out of her server outfit into some nice formal attire to get her chance to meet him. Her strategy works and she is invited to his private island where he has been going for therapy because of his questionable behavior. Several other people also tag along to go to the island to relax and party. What appears to be a fun time with new friends - relaxing, eating, drinking, and dancing - seems to be all a bit too good. Frida is focused on competing with Sarah (Adria Arjona) for the affection of Slater, but Jess starts to notice that something seems to be a bit off. She’s not remembering what time of day it is and how long they’ve been on the island. What could be causing these lapses of time, and will Frida listen to her best friend? Who’s to say when one is having a strangely good time. 
 
 
Kravitz’s directorial debut is impressive. From start to finish this film really has you on the edge of your seat. I was really trying to figure out when this dream like state would finally fall apart and the people on the island would find out the sadistic nature of what was really going on. I think this was a testament to how well the actors and actresses made the script come to life. It is an emotional film. Plot wise, I was happy that I couldn’t solve the film in a matter of seconds. The downside was that the ending didn’t go the direction it could have to produce a better finish. There were some areas of the plot that left things unexplained, so you have to draw your own conclusions. I’m not saying that it’s flat out bad, but it does hurt the plot a little. I did enjoy the filming technique used. Close up shots forced the viewers to see things from the perspective of the actors. As a result, you don’t really get the full picture of what is going on. This really foreshadows the whole meaning of the story. This also represents real life issues that can be difficult for people to watch. There’s a warning that plays before the film starts letting viewers know that, so be aware that there is some disturbing imagery in this film. 
 
 
Overall, this is a great first film for Kravitz and I hope to see more from her soon. If you don’t see this in theater that’s fine. I view this more of a streaming type of film and not a film that requires the big screen for the experience.