DRAGONLORD'S 2016 MOVIE GUIDE

[Loiosh]

In Limited Theaters (April 8)



MR. RIGHT

Release: April 8, 2016

Genre: Action Romantic Comedy

Director: Paco Cabezas (Rage, Neon Flesh)

Cast: Anna Kendrick, Sam Rockwell, Tim Roth, Anson Mount and James Ransone

Synopsis: Hyperactive at the best of times, Martha (Anna Kendrick) has gone full-on manic since her latest breakup. She babbles, parties like a monster, cooks everything in sight - and is looking to do something terrible when she meets Francis (Sam Rockwell). To anyone else, Francis's approach would come across as creepy, but Martha can't help but be intrigued. They seem a perfect match: she's bananas, he's bananas... except he's a deadly sort of bananas. He's a professional assassin. Francis is a hitman with a cause: he unexpectedly kills the people ordering the hits. Just as Martha begins to realize her new beau wasn't joking when he said he had to step out for a moment to shoot someone, things start heating up for Francis. His services are solicited by a dubious client who's being sought by an equally dubious FBI agent (Tim Roth). As the bodies pile up, Martha needs to decide whether to flee or join in the mayhem.

Mr Right is fun. Some of the dialogue is cheeky. I mean while the whole thing is tongue in cheek, they know they're going overboard. It's fresh and occasionally clever compared to most of the comedies that come out. Not really laugh out loud funny but entertaining. Anna Kendrick shows that she embraces awkward and still manages to be sexy.
See or miss it, it won't change your life.

I really enjoyed Mr Right, but I'm a HUGE fan of Sam Rockwell.

I showed everyone the trailer at work and convinced them all to see it.

 

[Loiosh]

In Limited Theaters (March 25)



GET A JOB

Release: March 25, 2016

Genre: Comedy

Director: Dylan Kidd (P.S., Roger Dodger)

Cast: Miles Teller, Anna Kendrick, Bryan Cranston, Alison Brie, Nicholas Braun, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Brandon T. Jackson, Marcia Gay Harden, Jorge Garcia, Jay Pharoah, Greg Germann, Cameron Richardson, Ravi Patel and John C. McGinley

Synopsis: Miles Teller, Anna Kendrick, and Bryan Cranston star in this wickedly funny comedy about making it in the real world. Life after college graduation is not exactly going as planned for Will (Teller) and Jillian (Kendrick) who find themselves lost in a sea of increasingly strange jobs. But with help from their family (Cranston), friends and coworkers they soon discover that the most important (and hilarious) adventures are the ones that we don't see coming.


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I SAW THE LIGHT

Release: March 25, 2016

Genre: Biographical Music Drama

Director: Marc Abraham (Flash of Genius)

Cast: Tom Hiddleston, Elizabeth Olsen, Cherry Jones, Bradley Whitford, Maddie Hasson, and Wrenn Schmidt

Synopsis: The story of the country-western singer Hank Williams, who in his brief life created one of the greatest bodies of work in American music. The film chronicles his rise to fame and its tragic effect on his health and personal life.


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BORN TO BE BLUE

Release: March 25, 2016

Genre: Biographical Musical Drama

Director: Robert Bodreau (That Beautiful Somewhere)

Cast: Ethan Hawke, Carmen Bejogo, Callum Keith Renne, Stephen McHattie, Janet-Laine Green

Synopsis: Ethan Hawke lights up the screen as jazz legend Chet Baker, whose tumultuous life is thrillingly reimagined with wit, verve, and style to burn. In the 1950s, Baker was one of the most famous trumpeters in the world, renowned as both a pioneer of the West Coast jazz scene and an icon of cool. By the 1960s, he was all but washed up, his career and personal life in shambles due to years of heroin addiction. In his innovative anti-biopic, director Robert Budreau zeroes in on Baker's life at a key moment in the 1960s, just as the musician attempts to stage a hard-fought comeback, spurred in part by a passionate romance with a new flame (Carmen Ejogo). Creatively blending fact with fiction and driven by Hawke's virtuoso performance, Born to Be Blueunfolds with all the stylistic brio and improvisatory genius of great jazz.

Get a Job was a snore. I was not entertained. Felt like they filmed it over a weekend.

Looking forward to I Saw the Light, probably because I'm high on Hiddleston after seeing The Night Manager.

I am SUPER EXITED about Born to Be Blue. Chet Baker was a god and I like Hawke in the role. SUPER EXCITED.

Chet Baker movie, hot damn.

 

[Loiosh]

HOLIDAYS

Release: April 22, 2016

Genre: Horror Anthology

Director: Kevin Smith (Tusk), Gary Shore (Dracula Untold), Scott Stewart (Dark Skies), Kevin Kolsch and Dennis Widmyer (Starry Eyes), Sarah Adina Smith (The Midnight Swim), Nicholas McCarthy (The Pact), Adam Egypt Mortimer (Some Kind of Hate), and Anthony Scott Burns (Darknet)

Cast: Seth Green, Lorenza Izzo, Michael Gross, Andrew Bowen, Ruth Bradley, and Clare Grant

Synopsis: Ravenna (Charlize Theron) is resurrected by her sister, Freya the Ice Queen (Emily Blunt). As the evil sisters prepare to conquer the land, the only ones who can stop them are the two renegades from Freya's band of elite warriors, the Huntsmen - Eric (Chris Hemsworth), who previously aided Snow White in defeating Ravenna, and his forbidden lover, Sara (Jessica Chastain).

I don't watch a lot of horror movies, but for some reason I watched this one.

The writing felt really lazy to me, like they were just delivering horror tropes and gave no thought at all to making the stories interesting.

 

[Loiosh]

Going to post this here

The Jungle Book

9/10

Was an outstanding family movie does the original justice with an excellent voice cast , beautifully crisp animation for talking animals and very good performance from a young actor that is able to capture a full scope of character growth in a nice little arc . The story isn't complicated but the interaction between Mowgli ( Neel Sehti) and basically the voices of some prominent veterans ( Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley , Idris Elba to name a few ) , is something to admire and I give credit to creative directing, definitely bring the kids , they will enjoy it

I am so glad this is turning out well, I had such high hopes for this movie.

Can't wait to see it.

 

[Abezal]

Washington Post - While the funny, action-packed sequences are the best parts, they are indicative of the film's main problems: an inability to focus and an overly complicated plot. 2/4

LoL exactly what the hell is so complicated ?

comedy had me busting my ass.

 

[Loiosh]

LoL exactly what the hell is so complicated ?

comedy had me busting my ass.

I think something went wrong with your quote.

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

I agree with this. I just don't think he's that good.

He was definitely awesome as Thor, though.

It's a mixed bag for me. As a leading man, Chris was good in Rush, Snow White and The Huntsman (movie was bad) and of course, he's great as Thor. Haven't seen In the Heart of the Sea.

Definitely miscast as a hacker in Michael Mann's Blackhat.

As a supporting actor, he was also good in Star Trek, The Perfect Getaway and The Cabin in the Woods. From what I hear, he is pretty funny in Vacation.

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

I am so glad this is turning out well, I had such high hopes for this movie.

Can't wait to see it.

Jungle Book's special effects alone are worth the price of admission.

I kinda feel bad for Andy Serkis' Jungle Book: Origins. Disney beat them to the release first and the Disney movie turned out to be a huge success. Audience might not want to invest in a different version of the Rudyard Kipling adaptation so soon.

Serkis' Jungle Book has a killer cast also - Christian Bale, Benedict Cumberbatch, Matthew Rhys, Freida Pinto, Naomie Harris, Eddie Marsan, Jack Reynor, Tom Hollander, Serkis and Cate Blanchett.

Looking forward to I Saw the Light, probably because I'm high on Hiddleston after seeing The Night Manager.

Definitely check out for Hiddleston in High-Rise.

 

[Loiosh]

It's a mixed bag for me. As a leading man, Chris was good in Rush, Snow White and The Huntsman (movie was bad) and of course, he's great as Thor. Haven't seen In the Heart of the Sea.

Definitely miscast as a hacker in Michael Mann's Blackhat.

As a supporting actor, he was also good in Star Trek, The Perfect Getaway and The Cabin in the Woods. From what I hear, he is pretty funny in Vacation.

Agree that he was good in Rush.

Have mostly forgotten Snow White. I know I saw it but it left no impression.

He was OK in Heart of the Sea.

 

[Loiosh]

Jungle Book's special effects alone are worth the price of admission.

I kinda feel bad for Andy Serkis' Jungle Book: Origins. Disney beat them to the release first and the Disney movie turned out to be a huge success. Audience might not want to invest in a different version of the Rudyard Kipling adaptation so soon.

Serkis' Jungle Book has a killer cast also - Christian Bale, Benedict Cumberbatch, Matthew Rhys, Freida Pinto, Naomie Harris, Eddie Marsan, Jack Reynor, Tom Hollander, Serkis and Cate Blanchett.

I'll definitely see them both.

Definitely check out for Hiddleston in High-Rise.

Excited about that one, no doubt.

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

Update: April 26, 2016

Dragonlord’s Review of CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR (No Spoilers)

Bottom Line: Masterfully juggling the innumerable characters and storylines with magnificent action pieces and high personal stakes, the Russo Bros. once again delivers one of the best MCU films ever made.

In 2014, Directors Joe and Anthony Russo surprised the world with Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Combining good storytelling, espionage drama and outstanding fight choreography, The Winter Soldier became everybody’s favorite top Marvel movie. The Russo Bros. are back with Captain America: Civil War and they prove that it was no fluke the first time around.

The script from Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely is so jam-packed and condensed (in a good way) but big props to the Russo Bros. for skillfully balancing all the storylines and numerous characters and narrating everything naturally. Clocking in at 147 minutes, Civil War is Marvel Studios’ longest (and darkest) movie to date but the film is so entertaining that you don’t wish for it to end.

Loosely based on Mark Millar’s popular comic book miniseries, Captain America: Civil War splinters the Avengers in half when the United Nations wants to regulate the team’s activities. Both sides are given ample opportunities to convey their reasoning and motivations, making the situation more ambiguous when both camps’ stances appear valid. To make matters worse, Bucky has been framed for a terrorist act which tests Steve Rogers’ loyalty to his childhood friend.

The beautifully weird thing about this film is that it’s both a solo Captain America movie and a pseudo-Avengers sequel. Under the expert hands of the Russos, Cap is once again portrayed as one of the coolest, badass superheroes ever while Tony Stark’s obnoxiousness and corny quips are drastically tone down. I would even go as far as to say that Tony is more likable here than all his previous film appearances except for Iron Man 1.

One of the best aspects about the film is how each supporting characters get a chance to shine. Bucky has several kickass fight scenes and riveting chase sequences. The Falcon is now considerably cooler with the various ways he utilizes his cybernetic wings and assorted weapons upgrade especially his drone, Redwing. We get to see the human side to the Vision as well as his density shifting abilities. The ever-lovable Scott Lang/Ant-Man steals the show in a big way.

Two popular characters also make their Marvel Studios debut – Black Panther and Spider-Man. Chadwick Boseman was pretty good as T’Challa but the Black Panther was just amazing in action. Tom Holland as Peter Parker was simply perfect, tentatively making him my favorite Spider-Man actor so far. His youth and joyful exuberance were infectious and served as a fantastic comic relief as well as an excellent contrast from the other grown-up characters. Spider-Man in action was just jaw-dropping spectacular. The new suit looks great as well. Welcome home, Spidey.

Though he isn’t anything like his comic book counterpart, Helmut Zemo (Daniel Bruhl) was a decent main villain. Though not very memorable, at least Zemo was portrayed in a serious manner unlike the pathetic Baron Von Strucker in Age of Ultron. Brock Rumlow (Frank Grillo), now fully transformed as Crossbones, was wonderful for the brief appearance he was in.

Overall, Captain America: Civil War raises the bar for comic book movies with its awesomely choreographed action, well-rounded characters, high personal and global stakes, and cohesive storytelling. Guaranteed to leave you smiling, the airport scene boasts the best superhero battle ever captured on screen yet. Stick around for two post-credits scenes.

Rating: 9/10

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

In Theaters Nationwide (April 29)



KEANU

Release: April 29, 2016

Genre: Comedy

Director: Peter Atencio (The Rig)

Cast: Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele, Luis Guzman, Method Man, Gabrielle Union, Will Forte, Darrell Britt-Gibson, and Nia Long

Synopsis: The film follows two “blerds” (read: black nerds) who impersonate gangstas and infiltrate a drug cartel to rescue a stolen cat (named Keanu).


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RATCHET & CLANK

Release: April 29, 2016

Genre: Computer-Animated Adventure Comedy

Director: Jerrica Cleland, Kevin Munroe

Cast: James Arnold Taylor, David Kaye, Jim Ward, Paul Giamatti, Armin Shimerman, John Goodman, Bella Thorne, Rosario Dawson, and Sylvester Stallone

Synopsis: Ratchet and Clank tells the story of two unlikely heroes as they struggle to stop a vile alien named Chairman Drek from destroying every planet in the Solana Galaxy. When the two stumble upon a dangerous weapon capable of destroying entire planets, they must join forces with a team of colorful heroes called The Galactic Rangers in order to save the galaxy. Along the way they'll learn about heroism, friendship, and the importance of discovering one's own identity.


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MOTHER'S DAY

Release: April 29, 2016

Genre: Comedy Drama

Director: Garry Marshall (Pretty Woman, New Year's Eve)

Cast: Julia Roberts, Jennifer Aniston, Kate Hudson, Timothy Olyphant, Jason Sudeikis, Hilary Duff, Sarah Chalke, Britt Robertson, Jon Lovitz, Ella Anderson, Shay Mitchell, Margo Martindale, and Loni Love

Synopsis: Intertwining stories revolve around a television host (Julia Roberts), a divorcee (Jennifer Aniston) looking for love and a woman (Kate Hudson) who wants to strengthen her relationship with her mother.


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GREEN ROOM

Release: April 29, 2016 (Expanded)

Genre: Horror Thriller

Director: Jeremy Saulnier (Blue Ruin, Murder Party)

Cast: Anton Yelchin, Imogen Poots, Patrick Stewart, Alia Shawkat, Callum Turner, Joe Cole

Synopsis: A band straying into a secluded part of the Pacific Northwest, stumbles on to a horrific act of violence. Because they are the only witnesses, they become the targets of a terrifying gang of white power skinheads who want to make sure all the evidence is eliminated.

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

In Limited Theaters and VOD (April 29)



THE FAMILY FANG

Release: April 29, 2016

Genre: Comedy Drama

Director: Jason Bateman (Bad Words)

Cast: Nicole Kidman, Jason Bateman, Christopher Walken, Maryann Plunkett, Kathryn Hahn, and Michael Chernus

Synopsis: Two siblings, Baxter and Annie Fang (Jason Bateman and Nicole Kidman), return to their family home in search of their world famous parents (Christopher Walken and Maryann Plunkett) who have disappeared.


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THE MAN WHO KNEW INFINITY

Release: April 29, 2016

Genre: Biographical Drama

Director: Matt "Not Immortal" Brown (Ropewalk)

Cast: Dev Patel, Jeremy Irons, Toby Jones, Stephen Fry, Jeremy Northam, Kevin McNally and Enzo Cilenti

Synopsis: The Man Who Knew Infinity is the true story of friendship that forever changed mathematics. In 1913, Srinivasa Ramanujan (Dev Patel), a self-taught Indian mathematics genius, traveled to Trinity College, Cambridge, where over the course of five years, forged a bond with his mentor, the brilliant and eccentric professor, G.H. Hardy (Jeremy Irons), and fought against prejudice to reveal his mathematic genius to the world.


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TERM LIFE

Release: April 29, 2016

Genre: Crime Action Drama Thriller

Director: Peter Billingsley (Couples Retreat)

Cast: Vince Vaughn, Hailee Steinfeld, Jonathan Banks, Bill Paxton, Mike Epps, Jordi Molla, Shea Whigham, William Levy, Taraji P. Henson, Jon Favreau, Annabelle Gish, Terrance Howard and Cain Velasquez

Synopsis: Everyone wants Nick (Vince Vaughn) dead. A desperate man, Nick takes out a life insurance policy on himself, payable to his estranged daughter (Hailee Steinfeld). But the policy doesn't take effect for 21 days and he might not live that long.

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

Critics' Reviews for KEANU

Rotten Tomatoes: 76% approval rating (71 out of 93 critics like it)

Critics Consensus: Keanu's absurd premise and compulsively watchable starring duo add up to an agreeably fast-paced comedy that hits more than enough targets to make up for the misses.

Entertainment Weekly - Thanks to Key and Peele’s top-notch comedic chemistry, the jokes are more hit than miss. Keanu is a solid first step into movie stardom for both Key and Peele. But the true breakout stars are the seven fluffy kittens who played the movie’s namesake. B-

New York Daily News - Maybe Keanu would have been stronger in the hands of a more experienced director, but Key and Peele know how to deliver the laughs and killer chemistry. 3.5/5

Toronto Star - This scenario allows free rein for patented Key and Peele riffing on race, rap and drug stereotypes while also freestyling on pop-cult obsessions ... 3/4

Rolling Stone - I've heard complaints that the feature film debut from Comedy Central's Key and Peele is uneven, overlong and really just a cat video disguised as a movie. Yeah, maybe. But I laughed my ass off. 3/4

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

Critics' Reviews for GREEN ROOM

Rotten Tomatoes: 88% approval rating (121 out of 137 critics like it)

Critics Consensus: Green Room delivers unapologetic genre thrills with uncommon intelligence and powerfully acted élan.

Entertainment Weekly - What makes Green Room more than just a giddy, gory slice of gonzo B-movie mayhem ... is both its ace cast and the vise-tightening mastery of the man pulling the strings behind the camera. A-

Empire Magazine - A riotous, rough-hewn and rousing punk reinvention of '70s-style grindhouse exploitation-with-a-brain-cinema. Writer-director Jeremy Saulnier is among the most inventive, versatile filmmakers working in low-budget, indie genre movies. 4/5

Rolling Stone - Green Room is a high-tension siege thriller spiced with black humor. Saulnier also has an artful way of pushing your fear buttons with machetes, guns and attack dogs and then making you scream for mercy. It'll do you no good. Green Room means business, the nastiest kind. 3/4

Richard Roeper - Writer-director Jeremy Saulnier’s “Green Room” is a wonderfully nasty, gruesome, jagged-edge gem of a horror film. The cinematography, the set design, the all-important soundtrack, the editing: all first-rate. 3.5/4

James Berardinelli - The production doesn't offer much in the way of originality but it's a tense 90-minute ride that will result in elevated pulses, increased respiration, and white knuckles. The film works for two reasons: Patrick Stewart’s presence and Jeremy Saulnier’s execution. 3/4

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

Critics' Reviews for RATCHET & CLANK

Rotten Tomatoes: 20% approval rating (10 out of 51 critics like it)

Critics Consensus: Ratchet & Clank is an uninspired and sadly dated animated adventure is out-classed by most of the family films released over the last few years.

Entertainment Weekly - Ratchet & Clank based almost entirely on the plot from the games—as an animated feature. The transition ends up doing neither medium any favors as it jostles along an action-packed 94 minutes that look and feel no different from the titles upon which it’s based. C-

We Got This Covered - Those who are curious about what Ratchet & Clank has to offer are better off picking up a controller and experiencing the adventure for themselves. It's certainly going to yield a better time than this forgettable misfire. 3/10

Empire Magazine - There’s fun to be had here for those of a certain age, but adults will struggle to engage with this most basic of cinematic re-renderings. More clunk than Clank. 2/5

James Berardinelli - Generic animated cash-grab. The parody elements of Ratchet and Clank show promise but, by disposing of subtlety in order to reach a younger audience and focusing on one-liners, the film never achieves depth to its satire. 2/4

 

[Mondo Freaks]

Just got back from Keanu. It was aight.

A little boing at times but the funny parts are really funny. It's not a black movie btw. It's more of a mistaken identity kind of movie. Lots of cameos and the kitten surprisingly steals a lot of scenes.

6/10

Might be 10/10 high.

 

[Anung Un Rama]

Critics' Reviews for TALE OF TALES

Rotten Tomatoes: 76% approval rating (35 out of 46 critics like it)

Critics Consensus: Visually splendid and narratively satisfying, Tale of Tales packs an off-kilter wallop for mature viewers in search of something different.

Entertainment Weekly - Garrone's previous films (including 2008's harrowing Gomorrah about the Neapolitan mafia) haven't hinted at the sort of playful, mischievous whimsy found in Tale of Tales. B

IndieWire - Monty Python by way of Tim Burton and The Princess Bride, Italian director Matteo Garrone's first English language feature Tale of Tales is a nutty compendium of outrageous fairy tales unfolding within the constraints of a single unseemly kingdom. B

IGN Movies - Grimm-like, grim and gorgeous, Tale of Tales is a fine reminder that fairy tales weren't always only, you know, for kids. 7.5/10

Rolling Stone - What Garrone & co. have concocted is a Grand Guignol pop-up storybook, full of metaphorical dark woods and morality plays. 3/4

Available to rend on AppleTV. I think I'll watch it today. Looks great.
@Loiosh

edit: sonuva bitch....

 

[Anung Un Rama]

I agree with this. I just don't think he's that good.

He was definitely awesome as Thor, though.

Scared to ask... Did you see Rush?

 

[Kick Strickland]

The Keanu previews are actually really funny. Looking forward to that one