Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker - Lazy Fan Fiction (SPOILERS)

I feel that it is absolutely important for me to acknowledge here and now that I cannot properly review this film without spoiling it. While I would normally avoid them for the sake of my wonderful readers so as to ensure the best movie-going experience possible, I cannot in good conscience write a detailed review of this movie without revealing the very reasons it is a horrendous waste of time. The Rise of Skywalker may very well be the worst Star Wars film since Attack of the Clones. Speaking as someone who loves the original trilogy, enjoyed The Force Awakens, appreciated Rogue One, absolutely adored The Last Jedi, and tolerated Solo: A Star Wars Story, The Rise of Skywalker has to be the most insulting, aggravating, and heartless feature film to ever bare the Star Wars name. The only real achievement this film makes is finally cementing co-writer & director J.J. Abrams as a cowardly one-note talent with no individual artistic voice to speak of. Disney should have known better.

For those who wish to avoid spoilers, you very likely guessed my feelings on this film and I do not recommend you waste your time, energy or money. However, if you are not sensitive about spoilers, or have already seen the film and don't care either way, by all means, please continue reading, as I have much to say about this trainwreck. Otherwise, I suggest you back out now, as there will be spoilers galore from here on out. This film is not worthy of my usual spoiler-free protection.

And with that, let's get into it.

Taking place sometime after the events of The Last Jedi, the story follows Rey (Daisy Ridley) training to become a stronger Jedi while helping the Rebellion fight back against the First Order. Meanwhile, Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), seeks out a mysterious figure claiming to be a Sith lord who will take over the Galaxy. Kylo Ren discovers that the mysterious figure is Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) who somehow survived his encounter with Darth Vader in Return of the Jedi and has been plotting his revenge ever since. With his massive fleet of Star Destroyer ships, each one equipped with a Death Star weapon of its own, Palpatine will begin his reign of tyranny once again. That is unless the Rebellion can find and defeat him first. To do so, Rey and her friends must find a means of determining Palpatine's location, all the while evading Kylo Ren who has joined forces with the ancient Emperor. Further complicating things is he has discovered that Rey is...wait for it...Emperor Palpatine's granddaughter, and for mysterious reasons, wants her dead. Now, Rey must confront her heritage and find the strength to determine her destiny.

Yes, you read that correctly, the big twist of the film is that Rey is Emperor Palpatine's granddaughter. Now, setting aside for a moment that this is an incredibly stupid and incompetent twist, the real issue at play here is the fact that Emperor Palpatine is in this film in the first place. Bringing back the main antagonist of the original trilogy accomplishes nothing for the new characters and storyline that have been established in this new trilogy. As far as I can speculate, the only reason for his presence in this film is twofold: First, to appease the rabid and unreasonable fans who unjustifiably hated The Last Jedi, and to provide J.J. Abrams with yet another opportunity to spend an entire movie telling me how much he claims to love Star Wars as a whole without actually understanding what makes it so great.

That has always been the problem with J.J. Abrams as a filmmaker. He spends so much time geeking out over the things he really likes but never actually stops to think about why he likes them. If you carefully examine any film that J.J. Abrams has directed, you will find that they all follow the same pattern. Visually striking, highly energetic, lots of flair (both figuratively and literally) and very little substance when it comes to narrative. Even when he does put more focus on the story, it never feels like his own, but rather his direct replication of better stories as told by filmmakers more talented and skilled than himself. In short, he is the equivalent of a little kid retelling a joke he heard but without understanding what made it funny.

Another issue I have with this whole twist, as well as J.J. Abram's execution of the whole affair, is that it robs Rey's character of any individual growth. Rey was supposed to become the embodiment of the next chapter of the Star Wars Universe. The one who would bring the series out of the shadow of its own nostalgia and into a brand new era of its own. Instead, J.J. Abrams has effectively taken the whole series a huge step backward, prioritizing an unhealthy addiction to nostalgia and an unreasonable desire to appease an ugly fan base who, in all seriousness, should not be entitled to a say in how any given property must be handled. While I do agree that it is good to at least listen to what the fans of any given property have to say: unless they are directly involved in the creative process, it is not their place to dictate how or when a property as universal as Star Wars should or should not grow and change. By making Rey directly related to Palpatine, the movie has been reduced to nothing more than a fruitless exercise in unwarranted damage control.

When I say damage control, I mean exactly that. Despite how well made The Last Jedi was, many of the uber-fans disliked the film for unreasonable and invalid reasons. Even so, The Rise of Skywalker spends the vast majority of its time trying to win back these rabid fanatics. The most offensive of which is the lack of screentime given to Rose (Kelly Marie Tran) due to the fan's unjustifiable dislike of her character from the previous film. Basically, the film is trying to pretend that The Last Jedi never happened. Which is not only impossible, it's disrespectful to everything related to the Star Wars story.

Speaking of story, The Rise of Skywalker doesn't seem to actually have a real story of its own. The movie is in such a rush to get through all of its action, space battles, and weaponized nostalgia, that it completely forgets to add any real texture to any of it, thereby depriving the audience of the most essential element of any story: A reason to care. Plot points and new characters constantly jump in and out that are never developed properly or utilized in a meaningful way, the main characters are never given any breathing time to interact and bond like they should, and to top it all off, every single moment of the film is completely predictable. At no point did I ever feel concerned with the characters, not just because I wasn't given any compelling reason to sympathize with them, but nothing about the proceedings ever made me feel as if they were in any actual danger. This is a mortal sin for any kind of story, but it is especially egregious for a Star Wars story.

The Skywalker Saga, as it has been recently branded, is one of the best and most influential cinematic stories ever devised, and it seriously deserved a much better conclusion than this. The Rise of Skywalker does not elevate the Star Wars universe in any meaningful way. I am beyond disappointed in this film and unquestionably frustrated with J.J. Abrams. The only thing I can say in this movies favor is that I am glad it has finally been released because this now means that we can look forward to many more Star Wars content that will, undoubtedly, have more heart and courage to take on new challenges and find more compelling new stories to tell. That is, of course, provided that J.J. Abrams doesn't get his hands on anymore Star Wars content.

Mr. Abrams, despite what you may choose to believe, the force is not strong with you at all. Do us all a favor and stop making movies until you find your real voice, that is assuming you ever had one in the first place. Also, stay far away from Rian Johnson and his own Star Wars trilogy.

Is this movie worth seeing?
No.

Is it worth seeing in Theaters?
No.

Why?
It is a heartless, spineless, arrogant waste of time. An insult to everything great about Star Wars as a whole. Rather than seeing this film, take some time to write your own version of the story. I guarantee it will be a million times more creative than what J.J. Abrams has done here.

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

May the Force be with you, always.

Readers Request - Fist of the Vampire

Well, you asked for it, and here it is. The first Readers Request Review. Not sure if I should laugh or cry about this first entry. 

Honestly, I almost feel guilty about reviewing this one. It's clearly an indie movie with an incredibly limited budget that, I have you doubt, also had a lot of passion put into its creation. Even so, love does not make a good movie. It can play a significant role in the creative process, but it does not guarantee a good or even watchable film. Also, if you succeed in publishing your work in some capacity, be it a theatrical release or a limited run on Amazon or Netflix, you are opening yourself to criticism and constructive input. As such, I don't care what kind of a budget you had to work with, I only care about what you managed to do with it. In all honesty and sincerity, I am not convinced that the people behind this movie did a lot to hide their incompetence. This movie is, in every conceivable way, painful to watch. 

Released back in 2007, the story follows a deep undercover DEA agent infiltrating an underground gambling/fighting ring. Which happens to be managed and operated by a group of Vampires. That is, regrettably, pretty much all you need to know about the story. 

There are at least two positive things I have to say about this movie. A handful of the actors are fun and enjoyable to watch, and the script, despite being cliche and clunky as hell, is actually fairly decent. The general storyline and characterizations presented in the text are well developed enough that had it been polished by a more talented writer, could have a significantly more compelling narrative. Sadly, both of these positive aspects are aggressively bogged down by every other piece of incompetence and arrogance spread throughout the movie. 

This film was made by professional martial artists who, while clearly enthusiastic about making movies, clearly have no clue how to craft cinema. As a result, the movie suffers from any and all problems often associated with High School students trying to make an action movie on their phones. 

The acting, save for one or two of the cast, is horrendous. Half of the cast consists of young women who, while attractive, have no acting talent whatsoever. Most of the men do not fare any better, either. Most of the cast is wooden, continually struggling to remember their dialogue, and has no facial expressions other than "dull surprise." It's roughly the equivalent to watching middle school children give a lecture about the Spanish-American War while trying really hard to not look down at their note cards in an attempt to impress the audience when all their actually doing is showing off a skill and talent they do not possess. 

The special effects, of which there is an overabundance in this film, ranges from terrible to laughter-inducing. Most of the film takes place indoors (in locations that are clearly the homes of the cast & crew), and half the time, especially during action bits (more on those in a moment), the scene is sprinkled with shots where the talent is clearly sanding behind a green screen with the same room protected as background. The only justification I can think of for this practice is that since most of these scenes contained violence and blood, they could not afford to mess up the location. So rather than spend the extra time setting up scenes to accommodate the demands of the area, they did what no filmmaker should ever attempt. They tried to fix it in post-production. 

The action scenes, while decently choreographed, are so unconvincing, so under-rehearsed, so terribly photographed, and so incredibly lame, it felt less like watching a fight scene and more like watching high school kids attempting interprative dance. Made all the more inexcusable by the fact that, as mentioned before, this movie was made by professional martial artists. 

But all of these issues are tame when compared to the most egregious problem of all with this film, the cinematography. Most likely captured on a cheap camcorder or smartphone (IMDB does not list the exact camera), this must be the ugliest, laziest, most incompetent cinematography I have ever suffered through. There is no lighting technique of any kind, no sense of shot composition, every single shot is handheld (terribly), and it eventually becomes clear that whoever is operating the camera is relying too much on the automated features. Not to mention, every single scene, regardless of indoor or outdoor settings, constantly changes from daytime to night in-between shots. Plus, every single frame in this film is coated with some kind of ultra softening filter, which I suspect was an attempt to make the images look more "cinematic," but all it does is make each and every shot aggressively blurry and difficult to distinguish from one another. 

Indie cinema is capable of many things. Small budgets can go a long way if utilized right. Anyone with talent, skill, and wisdom can put together a compelling homemade feature-length film with gusto and heart. Sadly, the vast majority of the people behind this film lack everything I just listed. This isn't just a bad movie, it's insulting, offensive, and disgraceful in its incompetence and apathy. If you want to make a silly action movie about Kung-Fu Vampires, then fine, please do so. So long as you remember this simple truth: Just because you don't need to do a good job, that doesn't mean you shouldn't. 

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

Quick Reviews

Hey everyone,

With the Holidays coming along, and my eagerness to get Reader Requests going for this month, I have seen a few recent movies that I don't really have time to write a full review for. So, in the interest of saving us all much valued time, here are a few quick rundowns on some films that came out in the past few weeks.

Relevant if repugnant. Similar to the critically acclaimed film Erin Brockovich, it's the story of how a major corporation is knowingly and apathetically poisoning all of its customers. In this case, the Du-Pont company murdering everyone with Teflon. While it may not be an easy film to sit through for various reasons, it is incredibly important and must be seen to be appreciated. Don't see this one for the entertainment value, but rather for how much it drives home how important it is for all of us to never back out of a fight for our lives. Recommended. 

Smart, creative, and funny. Writer-director Rian Johnson, who previously made Looper and Star Wars: The Last Jedi, delivers a fresh take on the classic Agatha Christy murder mystery scenario complete with elaborate mansion set, greedy relatives clawing at inheritance, and a super sleuth always one step ahead of the game. Some may criticize this film for not following traditional story structure, i.e., no character growth & change, but Johnson compensates for that with witty dialogue, gorgeous visuals by cinematographer Steve Yedlin,  and a fresh take on an overdone mystery sub-genre. Absolutely worth seeing. 

Agonizingly disappointing! A simple if cliche premise that should make for an incredibly exciting time at the movies considering the talent involved is instead a slow, redundant, and frankly stupid dud of a film. The action is repetitive and boring, none of the characters are engaging or relatable (save for Chadwick Bosman's role), the writing is lazy and lacks any kind of texture and the overall production just reaks of apathy and passionless contract obligation. Like everyone involved is only there because they're obligated to be and not because they actually want to. I should not want to fall asleep at a movie likes this, but I did indeed do so. Skip this one. 

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

Frozen 2 - Better the second time around (mostly)

Back in February, I published my reaction to the Frozen 2 trailer, in which I briefly recounted my opinions on the first movie and my renewed interest in the series with the next film. The short version is that I liked the ideas and the characters within the film without actually enjoying the movie itself. I felt that it was a waste of potential and should have been better. Even so, I still appreciated many of the thematic elements within the story and also, like everyone else, fell head over heels for Elsa as a character. So much so that not only do I wish she had more time in her first movie, I was genuinely hoping for her to have a stronger presence in the next. That much, at least, has been made real in this movie, for which I am grateful. As for the rest of the film, while I cannot say that it is perfect on its own merits, I can say that I found it be a significant improvement from the first. If only because it has a much more coherent and satisfying narrative. Oh, and the creators of the film thankfully confirmed that Elsa is indeed what we all thought even though the movie itself will not. Let's just say I'm having Legend of Korra flashbacks. 

Taking place six years after the events of the first film, the story follows two sisters, Elsa (Idina Menzel) and Anna (Kristen Bell) as the Co-Queens of the Kingdom of Arendelle...or is Elsa the Queen and Anna is technically still a Princess?... I dunno! Anyway, They rule their kingdom with kindness and altruism and have settled down into a happy life, for the most part. Things begin to stir up when Elsa starts hearing a strange feminine voice that seems to be calling her to somewhere. Later, it's revealed that there is a mysterious and magical forest that was once an ally to Arendelle until an unknown event put the two at odds with each other, and the wood was sealed off by a magical mist. This particular forest is alive with the spirits of Earth, Fire, Wind, and Water (enter your own Last Airbender and/or Final Fantasy jokes here), and it is they who have suddenly awakened and called to Elsa. Now, to protect her home and her family, Elsa and Anna must venture into the unknown to find the truth, and in doing so, right the wrong that was made. 

For the most part, the film is relatively stable. It makes better use of its main characters, the story is better structured, and the general themes of self-realization and acceptance, as well as friendship, love, and the importance of understanding history are all well presented and always appreciated. I can honestly say, without a doubt, that I did enjoy this movie better than the first. Even so, Frozen 2 is still not without its flaws. 

For one thing, I had an issue with the songs. Not the amount of them or their overall quality, but their placements in the movie. There were moments when, much like the first film, the songs were too close together. A song number, at least in my opinion, should not be followed up with another one immediately after. This over-eagerness to get to the next song number has the potential to diminish their intended impact. Thankfully, that never really happens here, but it got pretty close. Also, some of the songs, while nicely composed and brilliantly performed, felt unnecessary. One song, in particular, titled Lost in the Woods, stands out. I understand why it was in the film, but for some reason, minor spoiler, they played it in such an over-the-top comedic fashion, that it didn't feel genuine. This specific moment was supposed to be about a man overcoming his fear and embracing his feelings, yet the actual scene felt like a cheesy music video on MTV...from the 80s. 

To be fair, not all of the songs share this issue. Elsa gets most of the songs in the film and, as performed by the unconquerable Idina Menzel, are fantastically radiant! Her two main melodies, Into the Unknown and Show Yourself, are the highest of highlights for the film's music. While they may not reach the level of acclaim as Elsa's song from the first movie, her new songs carry a charm of their own that will assuredly stand the test of time. I should note that I have always been a fan of Idina Menzel and her singing voice. I already own two of her albums and, the first thing I did after watching this movie, was to download her songs from the soundtrack. They are genuinely that spectacular and best showcase how much of a pleasing and resonating voice Elsa has. 

Another issue I had with the film is that it often felt at times as though there was stuff missing. In addition to a few scenes from the trailer that were not present in the film, as well as a number of songs featured in the deluxe edition of the soundtrack that were also not in the movie, it occasionally felt as though some scenes were meant to go on a little longer and possibly go into s specific direction, only to kind of forget about it in the end. I cannot point out a particular moment when I felt like this, but I still had that little feeling here and there while watching the film. It was never so massive as to be distracting or diminish narrative cohesion, but it was a bit strange, to say the least. If Disney releases an extended cut of this film when it comes out on BluRay, I just might have to check it out. 

Setting aside these issues I personally had with the film, it does still have several good points. 

The visuals, as you would expect from a Disney animated film, are absolutely breathtaking. The colorful landscapes, the character designs, the renditions of water, and the flying leaves are all gorgeous to behold. Despite having a stylized presentation, there were one or two shots that looked so convincing, for a split second I forgot I was watching an animated movie. 

The film's strongest point is the enhanced relationship between Elsa and Anna. Compared to the first film, not only is their chemistry more believable, but their relationship feels more genuine and even tangible. To the point that when they were separated at one point in the story, I was genuinely afraid that they were never going to see each other again. This time around, their love is indeed the heart of the film. 

The writing, for the most part, is a bit more intelligent, engaging, and plays around with fascinating themes and ideas. One, in particular, the idea that water can have memory, I personally found to be most intriguing. The concept is utilized in a smart way for the story as well as for some creative visuals. Though some of the jokes didn't totally make the landing for me, the kids I shared the audience with did get a good laugh, which I appreciated. All of the characters, especially Elsa and Anna, have more satisfying character arcs than before and are given more engaging roles in the story. While I was disappointed that Disney didn't jump into the "Give Elsa A Girlfriend" movement as I would have liked them to, I can still say that, at the very least, they're keeping that idea open and not making any effort to shut it down. Speaking personally, I think they should just set Elsa free entirely, but that's a discussion for another time. 

The MVP award must go to Bruni, the Fire Salamander. This little guy is so adorable and so much fun, especially when interacting with Elsa that he makes me wish he had more to do in the story. I have no doubt that he's most likely just there to give Disney a means of making more money with toys and merchandise, but I don't care! Just look at this guy! He's too cute to be mad or frustrated with! 

I cannot say that Frozen 2 is entirely a great movie, but I can say that I personally found it be a more satisfying and enjoyable experience when compared to the first film. Those who share my feelings on the first film can easily cherry-pick events from the first movie and jump right into this one, while fans of the first film are sure to appreciate the callbacks and expansion of the story. There may be moments when the movie feels like it's trying too hard or not hard enough, but it never feels like it doesn't know what it's doing overall. I stated in my blog, as mentioned earlier regarding my reaction to the trailer that one could easily view the first movie as an introduction to the characters and the world rather than a narrative, and jump right into Frozen 2 for a much more satisfying story. Having seen the film, I can hapilly stand by that assesment. This may very well be, for the most part, the Frozen movie I have been waiting for. 

Is this movie worth seeing? 

Mostly, Yes. 

Is it worth seeing in Theaters? 

Maybe. 

Why? 

Unless you have children and are therefore going to see this in theaters regardless, you may prefer to wait until video to check this one out. While I did enjoy watching it, and would gladly do so again, I would personally prefer to do so with the ability to skip specific parts. As I did find parts of the film to be unnececary and just a little annoying. 

Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm, thank you all for reading, and have a Happy Thanksgiving. 

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood - I like you just the way you are

Just last year in June, a documentary about the life and legacy of children's television show host Fred Rogers graced the silver screen. It showcased the achievements, philosophy, and impact that Mr. Rogers and his show had on the world at large. In the eyes of many children, as well as adults, he was a genuine hero and an incredible human being. Now, a little over a year later, Sony has released a narrative feature film starring Tom Hanks (regarded as the nicest man in Hollywood) that delves just a little bit deeper into the impact and importance of Mr. Rogers. Reminding us all how important it is to remember some things from childhood and what it truly means to grow up. This is, without a doubt, a special treat. 

The film makes the intelligent decision to not make Mr. Rogers the protagonist of the film. Instead, the story follows a professional journalist named Lloyd Vogel (Matthew Rhys), who apparently has a reputation for ticking off the people he writes about. His wife just had a baby boy, and, rather suddenly, his estranged father Jerry (Chris Cooper) reemerges trying to reconnect with him. However, Lloyd is not at all interested as he has some massive issues with his father that he has not forgiven him for. One day, his boss gives him the assignment to interview Mr. Rogers (Tom Hanks) as part of a particular collective article about heroes. Lloyd is skeptical at first, as he finds a man as genuine as Mr. Rogers challenging to believe. That is until he actually meets the man, and begins to discover not only how kind Mr. Rogers is, but also how much more growing up that he himself needs to find his true happiness. 

The most significant accomplishment this film makes, aside from a fantastic performance by Tom Hanks (more on that in a moment), is how much it understands Mr. Rogers and how relevant he and his ideals are even today. Many people assume that because his show was intended for children, there's not much there worthy of an adult's attention. That once you've grown up, you don't need nor should bother with stuff like this anymore. This could not be farther from the truth. Mr. Rogers was many things, but he was not exclusive to children. His ideas, philosophy, methods for emotional management, and emphasis of your own self-worth, applies to everyone, child and adult alike. We all have issues or times of frustration that we're not sure how to deal with, and it seems like no one else out there cares. But if you look in the right places, you just might find someone who can help you, in one way or another. 

The cast is lovely all around. Tom Hanks especially delivers his usual professional performance with an uncanny embodiment of Mr. Rogers. From his voice to his make-up, all the way to his mannerisms, Hanks has successfully captured the essence of Mr. Rogers. Not at all surprising considering that Mr. Rogers's widow was quoted as saying that Tom Hanks was the only man in Hollywood who could play him. Matthew Rhys has more emotional baggage to work through, thus getting more opportunities to show off his emotional range. Needless to say, he shines through. 

The production design is especially noteworthy. One of the trademarks of the original Mr. Rogers show was his use of miniatures. Model towns with moving cars usually used as transitions. The film pays homage to this aspect by utilizing models similar in style as establishing shots of new locations or cityscapes. They even change the aspect ratio to the old fashioned squared shaped 4:3 style for good measure. In fact, the whole film is treated like an episode of Mister Rogers Neighborhood, complete with the original opening jingle and occasional cutaways back to the main set. It's a smart way to showcase the classic style of the program. 

The cinematography is just plain gorgeous. Photographed by Jody Lee Lipes, the film has a 1970s style to the color and lighting, which I adore. I have always enjoyed the photographic style of the 70s for its perfect imperfection. How colors can be vibrant yet a little off. How the lighting seems to only be coming from natural sources. It's a kind of naturalistic style that I often find myself emulating in my own work. 

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood is just the kind of film we needed this Holiday season. It's a warm and beautiful story about one man's inspiration and how it remains relevant to this day. It will, one way or another, enrich your life and just renew some of your faith in humanity. Please do not miss this one. 

Is this movie worth seeing? 

Yes. 

Is it worth seeing in Theaters? 

Yes. 

Why? 

It's a heartwarming experience that will make you feel like a kid again in more ways than one. 

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

Holiday Special - Readers Choice

Hello everyone, 

Well, the Holidays are just around the corner. As you probably recall, the Holiday season is when movie studios put out a bunch of films they want to show up as contenders for the Oscars. It's also the most profitable time for movie theaters. Meaning they get incredibly crowded on a near-constant basis, making it difficult for me to see everything that comes out in a timely fashion for review. 

Therefore, I have decided that it's time for a new event. It's time to get a little more interactive with this Blog. Starting December 1st and going all the way to New Year's Eve, I will be taking Readers Requests for movies to review. It can be an old favorite, an obscure indie flick, or something random on Netflix. You name it, I'll watch and review it. 

If you have a movie that you would like me to check out for you, send me a request in the comments of this Blog. Alternatively, you can send me a request via email (the address is listed below) or, if you happen to have spotted this on my Facebook page, send me your request in the comments there. 

I look forward to watching and reviewing whatever you guys choose for me. Remember, you can make your requests now, but they won't start appearing until after December 1st. 

Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm, Thank you all for reading. 

Send requests to: 

normanlucecinema@gmail.com 

Ford vs. Ferrari - Revving up for a good time

American car culture is something that I have always admired but only enjoyed on an incredibly base level. I am not what some would call a "Gear-Head" when it comes to cars. To paraphrase a classic comedian, all I know about sports cars is that if they go "VROOM" they work, and if they go "BONK" they're broken. This is why of all the films in my mental list of "Sports-related Movies I like," only a handful of them are about car racing if car related at all. Therefore, I am delighted to report that a brand new entry has made my list. Ford vs. Ferrari is a fun, energized, heartfelt, and entertaining story about friendships, ambition, and the joy of craftsmanship. Not to mention exciting when the engines roar.

The story follows race car driver & designer Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon), who is approached by the Ford Motor Company to design and build a car that can defeat Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans race. Shelby takes on the challenge and enlists the help of a man named Ken Miles (Christian Bale), a professional race car driver and master mechanic who is facing some troubling times and needs a break to support his family. Together, they make their way through corporate interference and political wish wash as they pursue their dream of crafting the best and fastest car possible. All the while, building up a meaningful friendship and reminding the audience that there is art in just about everything in life.

The film's best feature is its focus on the characters and their relationships to one another. Although the plot revolves around the design and construction of a new and powerful car, the story is more invested in the people who put their hearts into it all. Yes, there are a few shout-outs to the technology on display, and it does spend a lot of its runtime in the garage with lots of fancy cars, but they're all just props in service of the characters and their connections to each other. Not at all dissimilar to how The Social Network wasn't really about the founding of Facebook, but rather the relationships of the people. Regardless of historical accuracy to the events depicted, or lack thereof, the meat of the film is in the relationships between the characters. Making this a genuine human experience.

The cast is flat out remarkable. I have always been a massive fan of Matt Damon. In fact, I would say he is one of my heroes. His performance here is enhanced even further by his remarkable chemistry with Christian Bale, whom I am also a big fan of. Their dialogue, scene interactions, and characterizations make every second they are on screen together absolutely joyful to watch. Bale especially seems to be having the most amount of fun with his role. His depiction of Ken Miles is sympathetic, funny, engaging, and never delves into the stereotypical toxic masculine jerk typically seen in movies about race cars. From his very first scene onward, I loved this guy. At least, I loved the version of him, as depicted in the movie.

Director James Mangold, known for Logan, Kate & Leopold, and Cop Land, is a director I have come to enjoy a lot. His emphasis on character and story makes him on par with the likes of some of the all-time greats such as Frank Capra and Sidney Lumet. While I would not call every one of his films entirely great, I would say that he knows how to keep an audience engaged, even when the script doesn't.

I look forward to seeing his next project.

Regardless of how you feel about race car driving or cars in general, Ford vs. Ferrari is an absolute blast. It's entertaining, funny, has lots of heart, and tells a remarkable story that is, as I've said before, genuinely human. I will be rooting for this film at the Oscars.

Is this movie worth seeing?
Yes.

Is it worth seeing in Theaters?
Yes.

Why?
It's a fun ride all the way through with witty writing, textured characters, and a satisfying narrative. The racing cars are a great bonus. Check this one out.

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