Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom - "That is one big pile of $#!@." SPOILERS

In 1993, legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg made the classic blockbuster Jurassic Park. Based on the book of the same title by the late Michael Crichton, who also co-wrote the screenplay, it was the story of a theme park featuring genetically recreated Dinosaurs. Before the park can open, it has to be examined by a team of scientists to determine if the practice of cloning some of the most fierce and dangerous creatures that ever walked the Earth for humanities entertainment is genuinely a good idea. After an act of sabotage puts everyone's lives in danger, it was decided that the park must never open and the whole plan was a terrible idea from the start. It is one of the best works of science fiction cinema ever made and one of my all-time favorites. If you have not yet watched it, I would highly recommend you do so. As for all of the sequels, especially this brand new one, stay as far away as possible.

I'm just going to say it up front: This movie is utterly awful! It has no sympathetic or interesting characters, no compelling narrative, and worst of all, no real justification for its existence. In the nearly thirty years since the first movie, there has never been anything close to a good follow up, mostly because there probably should never have even been an attempt at one. Every subsequent sequel has suffered from variations of the same problems: The Dino's are no longer scary, the effects are lame, the characters are not as compelling or as textured, the stories are stupid and make no sense, etc. Each one could not measure up to the quality or charm of the first film, and whatever alternative they had to offer was utterly lackluster.

This movie, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, not only shares all of the problems with the previous sequels, but it also adds a new insult to injury and especially to the audience: it has no heart. It is nothing more than an assembly line manufactured can of expired Mountain Dew posing as Perrier. It is the worst film this year so far and the lamest excuse for a summer blockbuster. In other words, it is this year's Alien: Covenant.

If you have not seen the previous recent movie, Jurassic World, I highly recommend against watching it now. While not as awful as today's movie, it is still merely stupid. All you need to know from the previous film is that the owners of the park created a genetic hybrid of various predatory Dinosaurs, which went on a rampage, and that the main hero of the film, Owen (Chris Pratt), had a unique bond with a Velociraptor named Blue. More on that in a moment.

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom takes place three years after the new park had been overtaken by the Dino's and subsequently shut down. The island where the park is located is now believed to be an active Volcano and is about to erupt threatening yet another extinction of the Dinosaurs. Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard), the previous manager of the park, is now working as a kind of Dino Rights Activist. Demanding that action is taken to save and preserve the Dino's as they would any other endangered animal. After a failed attempt at getting government backing, she is approached by a wealthy old friend who claims to have a new sanctuary for the Dino's and will personally deliver as many as he can, provided Claire helps locate the intelligent Velociraptor named Blue. To do so, Claire will have to enlist the assistance of Blue's trainer, Owen (Chris Pratt), who is the only one who can tame her. (Oh, yeah, forgot to mention, Blue is a girl.) Anyway, once arriving on the Island, and about halfway through the movie, we get the big twist. Turns out the wealthy friend wants the Dinosaurs for himself to sell at a secret auction for big game hunters, arms dealers, and drug cartels. At this auction, he will also reveal his brand new genetically engineered Dinosaur called the Indoraptor. It's not entirely finished as it still needs the genetic information from Blue which makes it follow orders from humans. Now, Owen and Claire must stop the Dino's from being sold and save Blue.

Good...fricking...grief! That was the most convoluted plot I've seen in a movie this year.

As I'm sure you've managed to ascertain from that sort-of summary, the plot and story of this movie are not only overfilled; they're also incredibly dull. Everything that happens in this movie has either been done better in a different film or has already been seen in a previous sequel. Furthermore, the idea that people in this world are still playing with genetic Dinosaur cloning, despite all of the past failures to control them, just doesn't make any sense. The only logical conclusion must be that every single person in this world is a complete and utter moron. Which, given how cartoonishly evil all of the villains in this movie are, would not surprise me. Even so, if that was the case, why were there no stupid people in the first film? Oh, that's right, because it was written by smart people!

None of the main characters have any life to them or anything close to a satisfying arc. They're just walking board game pieces which are being shoved around the board going from place to place just because the plot demands it. The only real character in the movie is, surprisingly, Blue the Velociraptor. She has the most compelling back-story (which was annoyingly absent from the previous film), she's made to be the most sympathetic, and she gets to take down the last evil monster Dino and ride off into the sunset for her happy ending. I am utterly convinced that if both this movie and the previous film were entirely about her, and the story was from her perspective, not only would it have been more compelling, but it also would have been something different for the whole Jurassic Park series. Up until now, the movies have only had the Dino's as a plot device and elaborate set pieces. Here, we have a Raptor who is curious, highly intelligent, and sympathetic towards others. There would be a veritable goldmine of a new series with Blue as the protagonist if the makers of this movie series had the right mind to take advantage of it. Instead, Blue is just another walking plot device with all of her potential shoved to the sidelines to make room for more boring human characters whose fate we care nothing about.

This is, without a doubt, the most disappointing, frustrating, insulting, and unwanted piece of crap I have ever forced myself to sit through this year so far. It has no redeeming qualities, no intelligence of its own, and no sense of wonder or charm at all. If you've managed to miss this one, keep right on doing it. There is no joy to be found here.

Is this movie worth seeing?
No.

Is it worth seeing in theaters?
No.

Why?
It's a lazy, dull, depressing, slog of a blockbuster that can't even live up to the implied quality of its name. Like the cloned Dinosaurs, it's just not as good as the original.

Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm, thank you for reading.

The Incredibles 2 - Not as incredible as it should have been

Back in 2004, PIXAR released an excellent animated film titled The Incredibles. Written and directed by Brad Bird and best described as a mostly more family-friendly version of Alan Moore's Watchmen, it's the story of a family of superheroes in living in hiding from a society that has declared superheroes illegal. It was a fun and witty tale about family and responsibility that also served as a semi-exploration of a political philosophy known as objectivism. Long story short, objectivism basically states that the world would be a better place if society would just leave the extraordinary people alone to do their own thing in their respective fields. Needless to say, there is a lot more to it than that, but that's a discussion for another time. Also, it is the only PIXAR movie that left the gates open for a potential sequel. Yet, for a variety of reasons, it never happened. Even so, fans of the film, myself included, were eagerly awaiting for Mr. Bird to deliver the follow-up, though he had stated that he already told the story he had intended with the first movie and never really expected to make a sequel. Fast forward fifteen years and two live-action failures later, Brad Bird has suddenly been encouraged to make his long-awaited sequel...and it should really have been better than it is.

Taking place immediately after the end of the first movie, it follows the superfamily after failing to apprehend a supervillain robbing a bank. Shortly afterward, they are approached by a wealthy business tycoon named Winston Deavor (Bob Odenkirk) who loves superheroes and wants to help make them legal again. He approaches the family and lays out his plans to help change society's perception of superheroes using Elastigirl (Holly Hunter) as the kind of spokesperson. Meanwhile, Mr. Incredable (Craig T. Nelson) agrees to set aside his ego and be a stay-at-home-dad and watch over the kids. From then on the films becomes a mostly good adventure movie with some family comedy and charm thrown in for good measure.

What bothers me about this movie is that it feels rushed. I don't mean the pacing of the film is quick, it actually moves at a short but comprehensible pace. I mean its ideas are rushed. The film feels like it has five different views as to what it want's to be about, but it can't really decide which one it wants to put more focus on, so it kind of tries to juggle them all hoping one or two will land. It tries to be a family comedy, a classic adventure flick, a traditional superhero story, a political drama, and a feminist movie (my favorite part) all at once and never really commits to one in particular. It feels like Brad Bird grabbed all of his production notes out of order and penned the script in less than a week. Almost like he didn't have a script for this movie lying around all those years.

On the plus side, giving Elastigirl more focus this time around does make the film feels fresher as she is an excellent character, the animation is noticeably better and more advanced, the music by Michael Giacchino is stunning and epic, the action scenes are creative and fun, and most of the dialogue is witty and entertaining. Although, the MVP award has to go to the multi-powered baby Jack-Jack. He is the real heart of the movie.

While this may not be the grand return of a beloved franchise many of us were patiently waiting for, it is still a decent piece of work that has enough charm to it to easily forgive its shortcomings. If you enjoyed the first one, chances are you will also enjoy the sequel, but don't expect it to be the grand epic it's been building up to be...like it should have been.

Is this movie worth seeing?
Yes.

Is it worth seeing in theaters?
Maybe.

Why?
While it may have taken fifteen years to release, it doesn't feel like fifteen years in the making. It's still fun and has a decent amount to offer but, again, should have done more with the time it had to prepare.

Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm, thank you for reading.

Resident Evil deserves another chance

While this blog is primarily about movies, I think it's important to occasionally step outside once in a while and look at things that are, shall we say, related to films. Video games are the distant cousin of movies: They're both visual mediums that require sound effects and music to enhance said visuals, they both are popular forms of entertainment, and they both provide incredible opportunities for telling complex and impactful stories. The only real significant difference between the two is that video games are an interactive medium, while movies are presentational. While that has not stopped Hollywood from trying to cash in on video gaming popularity by blindly putting together movie adaptations of various game titles ranging from boring to downright atrocious, there is one series in particular which has always had the potential to be an excellent movie adaptation but has never really got a real chance. Oh, sure, there are movie adaptations of this game series, but we'll get to those in a moment. Even so, in all seriousness, what will it take to make a genuinely good Resident Evil movie? 

For those of you who don't follow the video game world as regularly as I do, Resident Evil (known in Japan as Biohazard) is a video game series first published by CAPCOM in 1996 for the Sony PlayStation. It was a survival horror game series heavily inspired by the Zombie films of the late George A. Romero. Fun Fact: George A. Romero directed some of the television commercials for the games. You play as a Police Officer trying to survive the Zombie apocalypse, all the while looking for other survivors, trying to call for help, and unraveling the greater mystery at hand. Namely, what caused the Zombie outbreak in the first place? Since the release of the first game in 1996, CAPCOM has released over twenty games in the franchise. Sequels, prequels, and spin-offs of various quality. Then, in 2002, Sony Pictures released the first movie adaptation starring Milla Jovovich and directed by Paul W.S. Anderson (who was married to Jovovich at the time). Since then, there have been a total of six movies, most of which included Paul W.S. Anderson, either as a writer and/or director, and all of them starring the same actress and each one has gotten progressively worse, but more on that in a moment. 

What makes the game series so good, at least to me, is its overall silliness, and I mean that in the best possible way. Every Resident Evil game has had a unique charm to them which I think is what makes them so enduring. The best part is, it was likely by accident. The very first game was infamous for having some of the worst and corniest voice acting ever put to a game. Best possible analogy: imagine a community theater show on quaaludes. To be fair, it was one of the earlier games to include voice acting, and it did improve a lot by the second game. Nevertheless, this gave the first game an endearing "so bad it's funny" kind of charm to it. Making it entertaining on multiple levels. Since then, every other game in the series has maintained a level of silliness in its presentation. Ranging from over-the-top villains to cheesy one-liners and the occasional melodrama. It's a kind of self-awareness not often seen in video games that I think we need more of. 

The movies, on the other hand, went with a different, and unwise, approach. 

All six of the movies decided to try a different kind of silliness...by not being silly at all. What I mean by that is, despite the films taking the same general aesthetic, storyline, and visceral action of the games, they never really matched the tone. While the tone of the games was generally creepy and embraced the silly aspects of their presentations, the movies decided to go with a different approach and tried to be more dower and serious. In other words, they tried to be "cool." Unfortunately, writer/director Paul W.S. Anderson doesn't really seem to understand what being "cool" actually means. Much like Michael Bay, he is more concerned with over-the-top action set pieces than he is with story or characters and will go so far as to sacrifice texture in said characters, i.e., the stuff that makes any given character interesting, in favor of vacant avatars who are only on screen to initiate the next action scene. 

This adolescent mindset is best showcased in the fifth movie, Resident Evil: Retribution 3D. The plot of this film involves Alice (Milla Jovovich), returning to a secret facility reminiscent of the location from the first film, and forming a mother/daughter like bond with a mysterious little girl. Which, you may recall, is reminiscent of the plot to James Cameron's Aliens. Both of these movies are indeed cool in their own way. Except there is a glaring difference between their definitions of the term "cool." In Aliens, Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) was cool because, despite being absolutely terrified of the monsters that were haunting her past and were way more powerful than her, she faced her fears, overcame the odds, and had risen to the occasion to save someone she loved. Whereas in Resident Evil: Retribution 3D, Alice (Milla Jovovich), to use a video game analogy, is always in "God Mode." She is never in any real peril, always seems to have the upper hand in every single situation, and always comes out of every struggle with little effort and no signs of exhaustion. In other words, Alice is flawless, thus dull, while Ripley is flawed, therefore interesting. 

Even worse, this schlocky and lazy style of action made its way into some of the more recent video games. Changing out creepy atmosphere and survival priority gameplay for generic action shooting and explosions. All of which would otherwise be fine in the right game but is a complete betrayal to the Resident Evil franchise, at least in my opinion. 

The good news is that the uninteresting action schlock priority seems to be wearing off. The most recent game in the franchise, Resident Evil 7, has returned to its horror roots and is a more adequate addition the series. Even better, CAPCOM announced a remake of the game Resident Evil 2 (considered by many including myself to be the best game in the series) and they're making said remake much more like the kind of survival horror game it initially was. Once more, Hollywood is putting together a reboot of the Resident Evil movie series, and all signs indicate that Paul W.S. Anderson will not be involved. 

So, where do we go from here? 

While I won't go so far as to insist that the upcoming new movies follow any particular guideline, I do have a few things I would personally like to see in the forthcoming reboot. 

1. Puzzles. 

One of the main elements of the games which have been mostly absent from the movies is puzzle mechanics. Every game features a wide variety of unique and clever puzzles the player must solve to advance to the next stage. Granted, this idea works better in games because of their interactivity, but I do believe it can be employed in the movies. Maybe make the villain a narcissist, not unlike The Riddler and put some secret passages that can only be opened by solving a puzzle, all the while Zombies are breaking down the barrier. It can work if it's done right. 

2. Meta-humor. 

I do not mean to imply that I want the movie to copy the humorous style of Deadpool, just that I think it would do the film right to occasionally crack a good joke about its source material in good fun. Example: Another element of the game is healing herbs and first-aid sprays. Maybe the film can include a scene where someone is treating a would and closes it with a bottle of spray-on adhesive, or someone offers a character in pain an herb to address it only to discover it's Marijuana. Sure, it's silly, but it would be a subtle nod to the silliness of the games. 

3. Three-dimensional characters. 

It goes without saying that none of the characters in the movies have ever been exciting or engaging. What makes any movie, book, game, or television show interesting is sympathetic characters and a reason to care about them. You can put the whole world in peril all you want, but unless we have at least one character with relatable steaks to make us care, why should we give a damn? A flawed protagonist is always more engaging than a perfect one. 

Well, that about sums up my feelings on this situation. Hopefully, we will get better Resident Evil movies in the future. Until then, we have the brand new games to look forward to, and they look so very promising indeed. 

Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm, thank you for reading. 

Won't You Be My Neighbor? - A true labor of love

"The greatest thing we can do is to let someone know that they're loved and capable of loving."

-Fred Rogers 

Mr. Roger's Neighborhood was, and still is, one of the most influential children's show ever devised. From 1968 to 2001, Fred Rogers educated, inspired, entertained, and enlightened children, and adults, all over the world. He was one of the rare people in history who indeed was one of the kindest and most bold personalities you've ever seen, both on television, and in the real world. Even so, over the years, many rumors about Fred Rogers began to build up. Was he really the kind and well-mannered person he was on television? Was he a former Navy Seal who wore long sleeves to cover up his tattoos? Did he have a secret hatred for some people or maybe a dark fetish of some kind? Well, if you're looking for answers, not only will you find them all in this documentary, but you will also learn what real love looks like. This has to be the most heartwarming and hopeful films I have seen so far this year. Mainly because it's almost hard to believe that a man like Mr. Rogers was ever actually like he was on his show. And yet, he really was that amazing.

Won't You Be My Neighbor is a new documentary from director Morgan Neville, late of the Academy Award-winning documentary film from 2014, Twenty Feet from Stardom. It chronicles the origin, highlights, and trials & tribulations of Mr. Roger's Neighborhood. It also dives into the life of Fred Rogers himself discussing his own childhood and his personal reasons for creating his show. Though he was an ordained minister (which I didn't know until this film), Fred Rogers was most interested in helping children, and that television was an excellent tool for accomplishing that goal. He set about to create a program for children that would educate them about feelings, the power of make-believe, and the importance of self-worth, self-acceptance, and the beauty of the individual.

What makes this documentary so amazing, and sometimes emotionally charging, is Fred Rogers himself. Learning just how much of an incredibly kind person he was, and how committed he was to his mission of helping and teaching children for no reason other than he wanted to do so, and that it was the right thing to do, is incredibly awe-inspiring. Hearing testimonials from people who know him and worked with him paints a portrait of a genuinely dedicated man, and reminds us all of the impacts one person can indeed have on the world.

There is so much to enjoy from this film. It provides a ray of hope in these troubled times of ours. It reminds us that there are still good people in this world and that we are all capable of being better. In this strange and alienating world of ours, we need more people like Mr. Rogers. We need to remember his example and keep love alive.

Is this movie worth seeing?
Yes.

Is it worth seeing in theaters?
Yes.

Why?
It is a real vision of how a little kindness can go a long way.

Ladies and gentlemen, I am TheNorm, thank you for reading.

Ocean's 8 - Familiar yet fresh

NOTE: This film is a spin-off of the new rebooted Ocean's 11 movie franchise starring Geroge Clooney.  While I am aware of the very original film starring Frank Sinatra, I will not be making any references or comparisons to that movie. Mainly because, as of this writing, I have not yet seen the Frank Sinatra film, and Ocean's 8 does not seem to draw any similarities to that movie. Any and all comparisons made to Ocean's 11 in this review will be drawn from the rebooted George Clooney movies only. 

A YouTuber personality I regularly watch once said: "Everything is a remix, originality is so overrated." At first, I didn't really understand what he meant. It sounded to me as though he didn't really care for originality. However, over time, I realized what he really said: There really isn't such a thing as pure originality, but instead there are countless ways to take something familiar and make it feel fresh. People have been taking familiar stories, characters, and styles, and have been finding new and inventive ways to make them attractive again. While Ocean's 8 doesn't hit that mark entirely for reasons I will explain momentarily, it runs the center of the target just close enough to earn itself a proper place in high regard. It's a nostalgia trip with some new tour guides, and it's incredible. 

The story follows Debbie Ocean (Sandra Bullock), sister of Danny Ocean from Ocean's 11, who has just been released after five years in prison. Just like her brother (who has passed away), she is a top-notch Con Artist. Anxious to get back to work she meets up with her best friend Lou (Cate Blanchett) and presents her brilliant plan for the greatest jewelry heist in history. She plans to steal a rare diamond necklace from Cartier worth well over one hundred and fifty million dollars. The two women quickly put together a team (all women) of various talents to put the plan in motion. As the story progresses, there are hints that there is another motivation for the heist, which has the potential to compromise the whole affair. Will they succeed in their endeavor? You'll have to find out for yourself.

What makes this movie work is the characters and the script. Everyone on the team, despite being criminals, are likable, entertaining, and funny. Everyone gets a moment to shine and play with the opportunity to either play a role they don't get to play very often or poke fun at the kinds of parts they usually get. It's an actors movie where the whole cast gets to be cool, funny, and very slick. The script is excellent and surprising. There are moments of wit and cleverness I surprisingly didn't see coming. Even though I knew there was going to be some kind of twist at the end, having seen many heist films like this before, I was still genuinely surprised when it happened. Both of these elements make for a fun time at the movies.

The only real nitpick I have with the movie is that it is too similar to the original Ocean's 11 with George Clooney. It almost follows the exact same story beat for beat from beginning to end. Honestly, the only thing that keeps this movie from being a complete remake or another reboot is the fact that they establish the story is taking place after the previous Ocean's films. While this kind of repetition would typically make a movie feel stale and creatively bankrupt, this movie succeeds in transcending that issue with its overall quality and charm. It's almost like the film took me aside and said: "Hey, we know we're not doing a whole lot of new stuff here, so we're gonna make sure we still do it in our own way to stand out more." In other words, it's familiar, but still very different.

Ocean's 8 is the kind of movie that makes you aware of its roots, reminds you why you liked the original in the first place, and then proceeds to make you love it all over again by providing a new perspective on it. It is the cinematic equivalent of painting your bedroom a new color. It's the same room, but it feels different, and you love it, maybe even more so than before. This is one con you definitely should check out.

Is this movie worth seeing?
Yes.

Is it worth seeing in theaters?
Yes.

Why?
It's a sleek, smart, fun, and long overdue new take on a familiar franchise.

Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm, thank you for reading.

Solo: A Star Wars Story - Unnecessary but lots of fun

Star Wars movies are slowly but surely becoming their own genre. Because the world of Star Wars is so universal in its mythology, technology, and especially design, I am of the belief that you can make just about any kind of movie with a Star Wars coat of paint. I personally can't wait for the day when we see a romantic comedy, a James Bond-style spy thriller, and maybe even a murder mystery, set within the Star Wars universe. While Solo: A Star Wars Story does not fit that bill entirely (due to its heavy reliance on the nostalgia value of familiar characters), it is yet another step in that very direction. It's a fun heist movie set inside the Star Wars world chronicling the early days of one of the most important and iconic characters in the Star Wars canon, and the friends he makes along the way. The force is sort of strong with this one.

First, a little background.

During this films early development, it was initially slated to be directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller. The comedic directing duo behind The Lego Movie and the recent 21 Jumpstreet movies. They were given a script penned by the legendary writer of The Empire Strikes Back, Lawrence Kasden, and his son Jonathan Kasden. However, as soon as the directing pair got to work, things didn't look so well. Lord & Miller wanted to make a total goofball comedy as that was what they were accustomed to making. As such, they encouraged as much over-the-top silliness from the cast and insisted upon lots of on-set improvisation. This rubbed the original writers, as well as producer Kathlene Kennedy, the wrong way, as they wanted a more traditional adventure movie with some comedy thrown in for good measure. So they all approached Lord & Miller and insisted that they stick to the script. Needless to say, Lord & Miller didn't like the "restrictions" they were placed under and promptly left the project, causing the studio to hire a replacement director. They found one in Ron Howard, mostly known for A Beautiful Mind and The Da-Vinci Code, who then proceeded to reshoot over 70% of the film. Also, they hired an acting coach to help the cast unlearn what Lord & Miller forced upon them during their initial run.

So, after all that, how did the actual movie turn out? Well, a lot better than it could have been, but still not entirely great.

The story centers on the early days of the greatest scoundrel in the Galaxy, Han Solo (Alden Ehrenreich). In his youth, Solo had a lady friend named Qi'ra (Emilia Clarke), more on her in a minute, who was taken away from him. He vowed to become a great pilot and make enough money to come back for her. After dropping out of the Imperial Academy, Solo meets up with a team of thieves & smugglers who happen to be working on a big score. They reluctantly agree to let Solo join the gang, and we see just how Solo became the man he is today. Along the way, we learn about his friendship with Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover), we see the Millenium Falcon in its early stages, and, most importantly, we look at the beginnings of Solo's relationship with his best friend of all, Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo).

For the most part, the film is quite stable. The characters are fun without being entirely fascinating, the action is thrilling and looks wonderfully realized, and most of the acting is very entertaining. Especially Alden Ehrenreich as Solo. He manages to put in just enough of a good Harrison Ford impression to remind us of who this character is but still manages to put in enough of his own style to indeed make this iteration of the role his own.

Even so, the MVP award must go to the supporting Droid character L3-37 (Phoebe Waller-Bridge). She gets to have a lot of great lines, is the most sympathetic and entertaining character, and even gets the opportunity to comment on how Droids deal with the property/personhood they seem to struggle with. She is a rare kind of original character that is always welcome in a Star Wars movie.

However, as you can probably guess from this films troubled production history, it is not without some flaws.

Starting with director Ron Howard. While he is still technically a competent director who can handle actors very well, he seems to have gone downhill when it comes to visual style, especially with the color palette. Most of his films as of late have ranged from mildly ugly to "what the heck am I looking at" ugly, mostly due to his colors continually looking overly washed out. Like a watercolor painting that got rained on. The most extreme example of this phenomenon is with is film In The Heart of The Sea, which looks like it was photographed through a half-filled Coka-Cola bottle. Not to mention the pacing of the movie is faster than it probably should be. Though, to be fair, it's more likely because of the reshoots.

The cinematography is just terrible to me. This film was photographed by Bradford Young, late of Arrival, A Most Violent Year, and Selma. His lighting style is either aggressively dark or intensely bright with no in-betweens. At the very least I was still able to see enough of the scene to make out the action, but most of the time I found myself struggling to adjust between the two extremes of lighting within the film. I mean, there's having a dark style, and then there's "I can't afford a light kit."

Finally, there's Emilia Clarke. Not only is her character not as compelling or fully developed as she really deserves to be, but Clarke has still yet to convince me that she is a versitile actress. She is not really terrible as she is just kind of one-note. To be fair, it is not entirely her fault. The writers didn't seem to have put as much time or effort into developing her character, and Emilia Clarke may have had a harder time dealing with the transition of directors. I should emphasize that this is pure speculation on my part. Even so, if she is capable of performing a wider varity of emotions and character, I have still yet to see it. Hopfully she will get a better chance to shine in the future.

Solo: A Star Wars Story is not a perfect film by any means, but it is a fun one and relishes in its freedom to be an exciting and occasionally silly adventure. It's a decent distraction to tide us all over until the more interesting Star Wars movies start coming out over the next few years. If you're in the mood a decent distraction, check this one out.

Is this movie worth seeing?
Maybe.

Is it worth seeing in theaters?
Maybe.

Why?
While it is a substantial journey down nostalgia lane and a fresh adventure, its shortcomings may be too much to look past for some viewers. If you can see past the dim cinematography and eclectic pacing, it might be worth your time.

Ladies & gentlmen, I am TheNorm, thank you for reading.

Upgrade - Everything good science fiction should be

Those of you who watched my video review of Sinister 2 some years ago may recall my personal criteria for good horror films. Being a proud nerd, I am also a huge fan of Science Fiction. In particular, the works of Ray Bradbury and Rod Serling. In my opinion, good Science Fiction should accomplish three things: First, it should present an idea that feels relevant and parallels an aspect of modern society. Second, it should provide a commentary on the human condition. Third, it should leave a lasting impact. Films like Brazil and Blade Runner have succeeded in accomplishing all of these goals. Now, I am happy to announce that we finally have a brand new film worthy of the distinction of good Science Fiction. Summer starts with a real bang this year. 

Set in the future, the story follows a mechanic named Grey (Logan Marshall-Green) who loses his wife, and his mobility from the neck down, to a seemingly random act of street violence. After months of dealing with his depression and anger, he is approached by a wealthy technological genius who offers Grey the chance of a lifetime. To partake in an experiment that could make him walk again. The treatment is an artificial intelligence named STEM (Simon Maiden) which is implanted inside Grey's spine recommencing communication between his brain and nerve system. Shortly afterward, STEM begins talking to Grey and offers to help him find the people who killed his wife. During their investigation, Grey discovers that, with his permission, STEM can temporarily take control of Grey's body and basically turn Grey into a Ninja. Now, with his new friend, Grey will hunt down the people who killed his wife, and hopefully, unravel the greater mystery at hand. 

On the surface, and judging by the trailers, it would be easy to assume this was just another ugly action B-Movie with no real merit to it whatsoever. This could not be any farther from the truth! Without spoiling anything, while the film does contain some great action scenes, as well as a few moments of gore (albeit few and far in-between and done rather tastefully), the primary focus of this story is that of the potential relationship between man and machine. The film is not afraid to ask unsettling questions about the advancement of specific technology and its potential impact on people as a whole. It's a bold, original, and viscerating story about control, revenge, and the fragility of human nature.  

Many of the films positive points go to its leading man. Logan Marshall-Green is a fantastic presence on screen. He manages to convey the wide variety of emotions demanded of his character. Especially when STEM comes into the picture. There's one scene in particular (which was featured in the trailer) where Grey allows STEM control of his body for a fight scene, and it has to be one of the most thrilling and hilarious fight scenes ever. Grey's character spends the whole fight in shock at what he's doing despite him appearing to dispatch his enemy like a Kung-Fu Master. It is a challenging ordeal to portray appropriately and Logan Marshall-Green does so with ease. There are many moments like this throughout the film that playoff this sense of duality, and they could not have asked for a better actor to carry the weight. I hope I see this guy in more movies soon. 

The film was written and directed by Leigh Whannell, best known for his collaboration with director James Wan on movies like Saw and Insidious. While Whannell has written, co-written, and produced some well-crafted horror films over his career so far. Not only is this his first step into Science Fiction, but it is also just the second film he has directed so far. While I can say that he is a competent director, what with handling framing, actors, and tone very well, I cannot tell if he is on the path to becoming a great director just yet. This being his debut as a writer & director is undoubtedly a promising first step, as it demonstrates Whannell's interests in real human stories, but his real test as a director will be if he can bring that same level of enthusiasm and command to a project not penned by his own hand. I for one look forward to seeing how that will pan out for him in the future, as I am already a big fan of his talent.

Upgrade is the very kind of Science Fiction story that makes me love the genre. It is a smart, thrilling, thoughtful, occasionally tough to look at, solid piece of Science Fiction that belongs up on the top shelf with some of the most excellent examples of the genre. If you're a fan of classic movies like Robocop or Brazil, then you owe it to yourself to see this movie.

Is this movie worth seeing?
Yes.

Is it worth seeing in theaters?
Yes

Why?
It's an intelligent and entertaining film that will leave you with an incredible impact that you won't see coming. Just like good Science Fiction should do.

Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm, thank you for reading.