Bird Box (2018) directed by Susanne Bier

Upon hearing so many negative things about this film, I am not ashamed to be a part of those who actually enjoy it. Bird Box is one of Netflix's last releases for this year as director Susanne Bier delivers an incredibly entertaining movie. Sandra Bullock and Trevante Rhodes lead the cast of this film and even though its premise may seem silly at first, it will undoubtedly engross you in its story. Despite a weak script and strange pacing, this movie takes cues from various types of movies to create an exciting thriller.

This film follows Malorie, played by Sandra Bullock, as she attempts to survive in a world with two children where you must be blindfolded in order to survive the apocalyptic nightmares outside. This movie seems to take inspiration from a mess of different horror films of recent years, but it is still able to remain its own, mildly interesting idea. The script throughout this movie has some of the best but simultaneously worst parts of its narrative. These best parts include the narrative style that they chose to tell this story. This movie begins five years after the outbreak of the suicidal madness that attacked the world, but contains flashbacks to when it first began. As Malorie and her sister Jessica, played by an unfortunately under-utilized Sarah Paulson, first experience the outbreak, Malorie ends up locked in a house with other survivors, including Douglas (John Malkovich), Tom (Trevante Rhodes), and Charlie (Lil Rel Howery), amongst others. The most interesting part of this film happens as the flashbacks between present day and the outbreak occur. This was a very good way to tell the story, as typical as it may have been. The pacing throughout this movie is one of the narrative's main problems, however. As these flashbacks happen, there is not much between the two simultaneous stories to connect them or make me feel for these characters. It does not help either that the dialogue all the way through felt very lazy and forced. I do feel that this movie would have worked even better as a non-linear puzzle film, though. This could have solved the problems of connecting the two different timelines while also paving the way for some better twists and turns.

First off, if you are producing a horror film or thriller of any kind and do not cast Lil Rel Howery as the comic relief, you are making a mistake. The casting in this movie is perfect as each actor really gives their all. Even if the performances are nothing award-worthy or particularly memorable, the energy that comes from them all is enough to make every scene entertaining. Especially the performances from Bullock and Rhodes, which were enough to carry the entire film (and would have been much more interesting now that I think of it). The other, biggest part of this film that I enjoyed, in spite of its weak script and pacing, was its directing and building of tension. I can honestly say that I was stressed out the entire time while watching this film, as it started and ended very strongly. While there may not be much closure on the invisible monsters that plagued the world, I loved how the camera angles and character writing paved the way for some very tense moments. My only issue with the directing was the fact that this movie is a bit of a tonal mess. It has the signature humor that is needed in a thriller and I felt the tension, but I was never quite scared. The horror aspect never really reached the point of me being worried about the characters or where they were headed. Perhaps it was partly due to the predictability, but I was not entirely engaged as much as I would have liked to have been.

If a Netflix writer tried to combine John Krasinski's A Quiet Place and Seth Rogen's This is the End, it would result in Bird Box. This movie is an enjoyable horror-thriller that is definitely carried by Sandra Bullock and Trevante Rhodes. Even though its script was extremely weak, the direction built up tension very effectively, creating an overall fun movie.

My Rating: ★★★

The Grapes of Wrath (1940) directed by John Ford

AFI Top 100: #23

Never having had to apparently suffer through this book in high school, I began this film with decent hopes of a good story. While many believe films can never be a match to the original narrative in novels, there are just some books which were not meant to be made cinematically in the first place. I feel that The Grapes of Wrath is one of those movies. This film is a painfully dull period piece that emits historical appreciation like a slow burn. The sole purpose of this movie is to give modern audiences a look at how easy they have it compared to Americans in this time, but this story is suited much better for ink and paper.

The main elements of a film that make it entertaining for an audience are typically its story and performances, as those are the two most obvious parts. Unfortunately, this movie did not have a good cast or good writing. The story in this film follows Tom Joad, played by Henry Fonda, who has just returned home after serving a four-year prison sentence. As he reconnects with his family, he finds out that the family home is going to be demolished and they must move out west to California in hopes of finding work. I am sure that in the original novel that this film is based on, there are plenty of interesting and entertaining stories of this family as they struggle to move out west. This novel is definitely not intended to be translated to the screen, however, as the story is excruciatingly slow and turns itself into more of an environmental period piece. The events of this film take place during the Dust Bowl, which makes for one of the only interesting parts of this movie. While I had learned in history class about what settlers had to do in the 1930s in order to survive, I was not aware of the multitude of other struggles that they had to endure. My respect for this generation of people has definitely increased as I personally would not be able to thrive in the kinds of conditions that they were put through.

I truly thought that Henry Fonda, being a part of one of the biggest acting families in cinematic history, would give a much better performance than what he did. In fact, he was the only aspect of this movie that I was looking forward to, but his portrayal of the newly-returned son was very stale and devoid of life. The entire cast of this film was this same way, never showing any kind of emotion or energy towards their characters. Mama Joad, played by Jane Darwell, was the only performer involved where I actually felt she knew she was in a movie. She seemed to be the only one giving any kind of care to her character and I looked forward to her scenes because I knew she would actually be showing the correct emotions. There were actually multiple shots throughout this film of certain actors in which they were clearly staring at either some kind of teleprompter or lines somewhere off in the distance because their facial expressions did not match the dialogue coming out of their mouths.

While Darwell gave an enjoyable performance, I also adored the set design throughout the various locations. The designers for this film were incredible, making some of the most accurate and detailed backdrops for the story. Despite some shooting locations being seen obviously in a sound stage, I really enjoyed the setting that was built. This was, sadly, not due to either the cinematography or editing, however. Gregg Toland's camera work and Robert L. Simpson's editing were woefully mediocre. In an adaption like this one, one might think that there would be interesting technical pieces that can not be seen in the pages of a book. Since there has never been a visual imagining of said book, these technical elements can often create a story of their own that original readers may find interesting. This is not the case for The Grapes of Wrath, however, as there is absolutely nothing to further that case. In the different locations that they shot in, there was so much potential for something vaguely interesting, but that potential was not utilized at all.

There is a reason why The Grapes of Wrath is never referred to nowadays in terms of anything groundbreaking in film, but rather used in high school English classes. This movie is the epitome of a period piece, except there is nothing cinematically that stands out in the slightest. While my appreciation for the struggles of these people has increased, I will surely forget about anything else this movie attempted to offer.

My Rating: ★½

Midnight Cowboy (1969) directed by John Schlesinger

AFI Top 100: #43

I really do not know what to say about Midnight Cowboy at this point; I suppose 1969 was just a year for horrendously-directed American setting films. Along with Easy Rider, this movie provides an excellent look at a certain archetypal character in a distinct part of America, but has such a weak script that it is impossible to follow along with its narrative. Even though this film is considerably better than the Dennis Hopper joint from the same year, the performances and attempted story were simply not enough to even slightly maintain my interest.

Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman star in this film about a Texas hustler named Joe Buck (Voight) who moves to New York City with aspirations to do... something. Perhaps it's because he wanted to escape the rural hometown that he was living in or perhaps it's because he knew that a hustler could never succeed in Texas. The reason why he left was never made clear and his motivations throughout this movie never changed. Once in New York, he befriends a small-time con man named Rico (Hoffman) who persuades Joe to let him be his manager. The two live together in a small, crusty, apartment with no heat or amenities whatsoever. Some of this film's best dialogue comes from the interactions between these two and them struggling to survive, making not much more than $20 or $30 a week. How they were able to get into New York's hottest clubs and hotels is beyond me, but it was at least interesting to see how they did their business together hustling people.

The crippling problem with this film's script, though. is its lack of explanation for nearly anything: any character introduction, any scene change, or any details in the story. Each time something new was presented for the lead character to overcome, the situation just simply popped up. The writing in this movie is extremely lazy and introduces new elements with no build-up or rising actions at all. Similar to Easy Rider, events just... occur throughout this film. There are no written connections or any parts of the writing that make this plot flow. However, at least all of the random incidents served a single purpose: hustling men and women in order to survive. Often times a film like this with a poor script that makes little sense can be saved by some artful direction to at least make the film enjoyable. That is not the case with John Schlesinger, however, as his directing only confirms my mediocre opinion for this movie. The pacing contains no logical flow, the characters are handled terribly, and a lot of derogatory terms are in poor taste. I was hoping that Schlesinger would not rely too much on poorly-shot visual storytelling, but unfortunately he was not able to overcome the substandard script.

Some parts of this film that I did enjoy were its performances, editing, and soundtrack. Voight and Hoffman stand out the most throughout this movie as their energy is unmatched. Their characters seem to be exclusively written for them and while that can often be bad, it was excellent for this story. The soundtrack of this movie provides a nice blanket for the story to rely on, even though an unusually large amount of time was devoted to city shots and B-roll. The transition from country to more hip music was great to see as Joe moved from city to city. My favorite aspect of this entire film, though, is its editing done by Hugh A. Robertson. His devotion to the different types of scenes and their editing styles was incredible to watch. Particularly as the editing wildly varied between more standard, dramatic style to more colorful and offbeat during the drug scenes.

Despite its overwhelming nostalgia factor and a classic line from Dustin Hoffman, Midnight Cowboy is just not a well-made movie. I enjoyed its editing and the two lead performances, but I was hopelessly lost when it came to the plot. But at least this is watchable, unlike a certain other "classic" movie released around the same time.

My Rating: ★★★

First Reformed (2017) directed by Paul Schrader

My final (personally) required viewing of this year before I make my Top 20 video has unfortunately let me down. After hearing waves of good things about Paul Schrader's newest, I simply could not agree with many of them. First Reformed is a beautifully-directed character study that features an incredible performance from Ethan Hawke, but I honestly could not have been any less interested. I found this film to be only mildly interesting in its dialogue but painfully stark in its message. Even though there was some thought-provoking character development, I expected a more satisfying story rather than a blatant PSA regarding climate change.

Ethan Hawke's performance is undoubtedly the best part of this film. His character of Reverend Toller was amazing to see as he progressed throughout the few weeks of this movie's timeline. Grappling with the loss of a friend as well as drudging up your own dark past may have been the most interesting conflict in this film. This movie, however, is not much more than an unsettling character study that I felt took too many strange turns. I did not necessarily dislike the writing of this film, but I believe that it could have been much more engaging and subtle in its message. As the character of Michael, played by Philip Ettinger, was introduced in a very slow and uncomfortable scene filled with extremely heavy dialogue, the entire premise of the rest of the film was practically laid out. The obviously political message that was laid out included raising awareness of climate change and environmental dangers that have arisen recently. While I did enjoy Toller's struggle between his religion and the newfound knowledge that Michael had presented, it made way for a very predictable narrative. Even though this film is aiming to be more of a character study, I could not see how or why Toller did what he did throughout the course of the plot. Perhaps it was to continue Michael's activism or perhaps it was because he was dying of some unknown ailment, but Toller did not have the smoothest character transition from reverend to political warrior. And the final shot did not help this fact, either, as I have trouble believing that a simple kiss and embrace was all he needed to stop himself from drinking drain cleaner.

The tone of this film brought nothing but depressing darkness and lack of hope. That is one aspect that I really could not get behind was the lack of emotion in the writing, even though it was made up for by the performances. Many of this movie's scenes are up for debate in their meaning, particularly the levitation sequence with gross stock footage behind it, and I personally do not enjoy films that use this tactic. While Schrader's writing was a bit misleading at times, his direction, the cinematography, and other small elements at least made this a fascinating (one-time) watch. Schrader's direction in this movie is incredible and the story moves along very nicely. He knew exactly what he wanted from the cast and story and was definitely able to express that effectively. This was also due to the great supporting performances and set design. Amanda Seyfried and Cedric the Entertainer are amazing in this, helping aid our lead throughout the whole film and providing a nice backdrop to this small, Eastern town. The set design in some of the houses made for a very dirty setting, which benefitted the narrative very well, especially contrasted to the prim and proper church. The cinematography by Alexander Dynan was fantastic as well. His use of framing caught my eye the most, as almost every shot was perfectly central in its focus. This helped not only to set up the scene but to keep the audience's focus on the dialogue rather than the characters' bleak surroundings.

First Reformed is quite an interesting watch; if you are a fan of more artsy films that utilize attempted metaphors for social change, I am sure you will adore this. I personally prefer a film with an underlying message that accompanies the plot instead of overwhelming it, but I still appreciate what Schrader has done with this story.

My Rating: ★★½

A Simple Favor (2018) directed by Paul Feig

A Simple Favor had one of the most interesting viral marketing campaigns of this year, as one of the lead actresses deleted all of her social media to digitally get into character. This actually intrigued me, as I really believed this film would be a chic, engaging, and stylish thriller. While I did enjoy its style and writing, I was balancing back and forth on the line of whether or not I loved it, just as the movie was balancing on a blurry line of what genre it was trying to be. Despite this film's lack of focus in many various aspects, I loved the story and how it was told, surprisingly coming from the directorial mind of Paul Feig.

Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively absolutely shine in this film about loving mommy blogger Stephanie (Kendrick) who befriends a mildly alcoholic, upper-class mother named Emily (Lively) after realizing their sons go to the same elementary school. After becoming closer and closer and Stephanie learning a bit *too* much about Emily, the latter goes missing without a trace. Kendrick and Lively are definitely the greatest parts of this entire production. Their performances and chemistry together are truly unmatched and I would really like to see some future films that they do together (ahem, a buddy cop movie). They were both able to exemplify their heightened, if not stereotypical, characters very well and the radiant charisma that came from not only them, but the supporting cast as well, was incredible. This film was really made special in the sense that I could not think of better casting for their parts. Jessica Sharzer's screenplay was adapted from the novel of the same name by Darcey Bell and while I have not read the book, I appreciated most of what Sharzer did to translate this to screen. The first and second act in particular consistently built up the suspense and relationships between the characters that had me engaged the entire time. Taking a novelty character trait like mommy blogging to give Stephanie her main personality contrasted very well to the darker and cruder persona of Emily. The twists and turns of this plot in the third act of this movie kept me on the edge of my seat, but none of it really felt necessary. As in some films where the plot twist contains every detail carefully built into the narrative throughout the movie, this film could have ended multiple ways at any time and still been sensical. The multiple "twists" in the end just seemed like extra layers to throw off the audience. While this makes for an entertaining film, it did not really further anything plot-wise or clear up any confusion.

Another element of the writing that I found a bit too cinematic was Stephanie's motivations. Throughout this film, she is constantly tested: whether it be to her loyalty to her best friend Emily or to her newfound relationship with Sean (Henry Golding), her motivations did not make that much sense. Since many of the expository scenes, Stephanie is made out to be this articulate and caring mother that is afraid of change, only wanting to do what's best for her son. As she and Emily become closer friends, however, she begins changing but not how I would typically expect. The two most profound examples of this are her getting together with Sean, Emily's husband, and Stephanie's reasons for sleuthing. After Emily's supposed funeral, Stephanie instantly falls in bed with her "late" husband Sean. I suppose this helped to further these characters but within about a week, she had confessed her love to Sean and began to move in with him. This rapid character change threw me off and I was not quite sure what had even prompted Stephanie to practically take Emily's place, given that was not her personality in the slightest. Once Emily is revealed to still be alive and plotting with her husband to get the insurance money, I still do not know why Stephanie did not simply just walk away. Perhaps the mystery of the Nelson/Townsend family brought lots of viewers to her vlog, but there was no part of her written character that would motivate her to remain a part of the drama.

The tone in this film may work for some and may not for others and I am still not sure of my own opinion. Feig definitely fused the comedy and mystery aspects of this film very well, but there were many scenes that could not decide which side it was aiming towards. A few misplaced lines of dialogue or an awkward encounter would distract me from an otherwise dramatic or sensual moment. I did really love the different genres of media that this film was satirizing, however. Uncovering a mystery like Veronica Mars, engaging in some steamy *ahem* extramarital affairs like Gone Girl, and cracking a joke like Feig's earlier work The Heat all blended decently to make this such a wild story. The design in this film was absolutely exquisite as well. Both the set and costume designers, Jefferson Sage, Patricia Larman, and Renee Ehrlich Kalfus, did incredible jobs in designing each individual scene and character in them.

I was not quite sure where I was headed as I watched this film and that was probably for the best. A Simple Favor threw me for so many different twists and turns that, while not entirely necessary, made for a very entertaining comedy-thriller. Paired with a fantastic cast and stunning design, this is easily one of the most re-watchable films of this year. And thankfully, the more I think about this film, the more I really like it, which is a good sign. I also really wouldn't mind having Anna Kendrick for a mom.

My Rating: ★★★½

It's a Wonderful Life (1946) directed by Frank Capra

AFI Top 100: #20

Well, I've just found my new favorite Christmas film and a new addition to my personal top ten. This is my mother's favorite Christmas film, but it is my first time seeing it all the way through. It's a Wonderful Life is an incredibly sweet and touching holiday film with plenty of fantastic humor and amazing performances. I knew the premise of this film beforehand and have obviously seen its pop culture impact, but I was personally not expecting it to touch me this much. Frank Capra has delivered a wonderful film that absolutely stands the test of time.

The greatest aspect of this film is its incredibly moving story that thoroughly impressed me. This movie follows a struggling businessman named George (Jimmy Stewart) who craves adventure; whether it be through travel or spontaneous choices, he would rather die than be cooped up in his small hometown for the rest of his life. Unfortunately, that is what his life turns out to be as he settles down in the same town, marries a beautiful woman named Mary (Donna Reed), has four cute children, and remains working for the same family bank that his family had run for generations. After a stressful loss of a great amount of money, George practically goes off the deep end and attempts to kill himself. However, his guardian angel who has been watching him since birth saves him beforehand and shows him what his life would be like if he had never been born. It was so interesting to watch as George went through his town when he had never existed and see how everyone's lives were so much different. This was the darkest yet most engaging part of this writing, but I wish the character of George would have spent more time in this alternate universe. I did, however, really enjoy the framed narrative of the universe talking to the angels and narrating George's life. It is incredible that this effect was able to be achieved in the early days of Hollywood without the use of gross special effects. This was a very clever way of setting up the supernatural element of this movie and it only furthered my appreciation for this early filmmaking.

Stewart and Reed's performances, the humor, and the message behind this film are extraordinary as well. George and Mary's relationship was one of the biggest things I was rooting for throughout this film and I am glad the message that was revealed in the conclusion led to a happy ending. Once George learned to base his value on his friends and family rather than his financial success, it led to one of the sweetest and most touching scenes ever. The final scene of all of the townspeople donating money to save George's business and George realizing the positive impact he has had on everyone honestly made me tear up. That whole scene was built up to very well through the many things that George had learned throughout the film. Stewart truly captures every film that he is in and he embodied this character so well. His portrayal of emotions through his dialogue is unmatched and paired with Reed's portrayal of his wife Mary, leads to one of the greatest onscreen romances. Reed is an amazing actress and carries this film just as much as Stewart. The humor in this writing was astounding too; as many films from this time utilize misogyny and homophobia as a means of comedy, but It's a Wonderful Life actually creates genuine laughs from its many different forms of humor.

It's a Wonderful Life is arguably the greatest Christmas film of all time, despite the majority of the movie taking place at different times of the year. Even though I personally wish more time would have been spent in the alternate life, this film has proven itself as a multigenerational, holiday classic.

My Rating: ★★★★★

Roma (2018) directed by Alfonso Cuarón

I have never seen a more heartfelt slice-of-life film than Alfonso Cuarón's newest masterpiece and I am devastated that I was not able to catch this in theaters before it hit Netflix. Roma is an incredibly well-made movie about a young, Mexican housekeeper living with a white family in Mexico City during the political struggles of the early 1970s. Touching performances and an often heartbreaking narrative make this movie one of the most human experiences to see on screen in a long time. Paired with beautiful 65 mm black and white cinematography, Cuarón's newest has become one of my absolute favorites.

Alfonso Cuarón wrote, directed, produced, shot, and edited this film. If just that fact does not make you believe the amount of beautiful passion that was put into this movie, then I'm not sure what else would. Cuarón is very masterful when it comes to his writing, especially since this film is semi-autobiographical. In an interview, he had stated that the main character Cleo, played by Yalitza Aparicio, was based on his housekeeper as a young child growing up in Mexico City. It was a very moving yet poignant choice to base his life story, more or less, through the lens of another. Cleo's story throughout this film brings on just about every emotion possible. From her satisfactory days working for the family to her own personal ups and downs, her story throughout the year-long course of this film was amazing to see unfold. Cleo was portrayed excellently by Aparicio, as she really embodied the struggles and joys that occurred to her while working for this family. Cuarón's cinematography definitely helped this often melancholic performance as well. Almost this entire film is done in very long, extended shots with amazing staging and flow of the story. As the camera moved, the story seemed to also move along with it. This also made way for the incredible set design throughout each location. Cuarón's actual furniture and settings from his childhood were used in this film, which painted a very realistic picture of his early life.

The writing in this film is its strongest and most human aspect. Cuarón is able to take the audience into his world growing up and really make them feel as if they have been a part of his family. However, the most overarching theme that could really latch itself on to this whole cast of characters is contrast. Particularly in regards to Cleo, contrast is what defines her narrative throughout this film. Besides the obvious contrast of being a housekeeper for the more privileged white family that she works for, Cleo's biggest arc includes finding out that she's pregnant by her friend Fermín, played by Jorge Antonio Guerrero. While shopping for a baby crib, there was a violent protest happening outside; this entire scene was masterfully executed, especially since Fermín was one of the fighters that eventually pointed a gun to the women of the store. After Cleo had unfortunately lost her baby during birth in a massively heart-shattering scene, she and the family went on a small vacation, where more contrast was shown between Cleo's depressive episode and the family's splendid getaway. The one shot, shown on the poster, with the family cradling Cleo in their arms, praising her with love, really got to me. After all she had gone through, it was nice to see her wrapped up in the arms of the people who loved and supported her the most.

Roma's dynamics between women were very interesting as well. Cleo and her cousin were the main housekeepers for this family and their relationship was not only sweet but at times brought some much-needed light humor to the story. My favorite developed relationship, however, was between Cleo and the mother Sofía, played by Marina de Tavira. Even more contrast between these two was shown in their relationships with men. As the father of the family left them without any support, Cleo's boyfriend took a drastic turn as well. The major difference between the two, though, was that Cleo never gave up hope that Fermín would be a supportive father. Sofía had accepted her husband's departure and this led to a fantastic shared dialogue scene between her and Cleo in the family's garage. Through these themes of contrast and the relationships brought about, Cuarón has nailed this film's writing with a sense of melancholic yet glorious hope.

Roma might be Alfonso Cuarón's greatest film yet, but not just because of his intimate connection with its story. The way the film is shot and the way the characters are developed makes this movie intimate for anyone. I adore the passion every cast and crew member put into the making of this film and how its warming story truly brings in anyone that has ever felt left out or abandoned. Cuarón made this movie feel like home.

My Rating: ★★★★

Aquaman (2018) directed by James Wan

Well, it appears that audiences will be forced to find another superhero to make the butt of a joke. James Wan's Aquaman is a spectacular comic book film that proves itself a leap in the right direction for the DC extended universe. This incredibly well-crafted underwater adventure creates a spectacular world that truly has no match in visual delight, making it one of the most vibrant and colorful stories in the DC film series yet that demands to be seen in theaters. Flawlessly traversing genres and providing a little bit of something for everyone, Wan has given audiences the perfect comic book experience.

Aquaman is the story of Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa), the half-bred Prince of Atlantis, born to a surface-dwelling lighthouse keeper named Tom (Temuera Morrison) and the Queen herself, Atlanna (Nicole Kidman). Arthur is raised knowing about his Atlantean heritage, but not aware that his half-brother Orm (Patrick Wilson) has been declared King in his absence. When Princess Mera (Amber Heard) seeks out Arthur to stop Orm from declaring war on the surface world, Arthur must reluctantly challenge him to claim his rightful throne as the King that the seven seas needs.

The pure passion for a character that was seen in Patty Jenkins' direction of Wonder Woman in 2017 is similarly seen in how James Wan handles Aquaman. Wan embraces the fact that this fish-talking superhero has been a joke for decades, but instead of taking an unnecessarily dark look at this hero's origin story, he has boundless fun with its potential. This film is the splash of creativity and liveliness that was desperately needed in the midst of audience's other favorite heroes going through some rough times after a certain snap of the fingers. Where Wan exceeds most, however, is his ability to take this story in so many different directions without making it appear sloppy. It is quite difficult to place a genre on this movie, as it seamlessly transitions from science-fiction to comedy to horror to romance and everything in between without missing a beat. Throughout the film, Wan seems to take inspiration from his own experience in horror, as well as iconic franchises like Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and Lord of the Rings, just to name a few, while blending them all together beautifully.

Comic book purists will be very satisfied with this film as well, as Wan has certainly done his research on that front. Aquaman is a perfect culmination of the Aquaman mythos that has been constantly built upon since his first appearance in 1941. Paired with an undeniably catchy, synth-pop soundtrack, the balance between this character's original story and its modernity for the current scene in cinema is fantastic. Since the character of Aquaman was introduced in 2016's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and brought back for last year's Justice League, he has evolved to truly make his own film the best entry into this shared universe. There still exists a bit of Zack Snyder's signature polish in this movie as he is an executive producer, but not much of his directorial influence is seen, which is for the best. Wan was the greatest possible choice to helm this character's wild solo film in its vividly royal, underwater setting, making for a picture-perfect fantasy adventure.

David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick and Will Beall's script is the one unfortunate aspect of this film that fails to deliver the same amount of epic quality. This type of story has been told before and much of the dialogue throughout this film was consistently weak. While effective, the majority of the script is full of tropes and one-liners that can venture into painful and cheesy screenwriting territory. The surprising benefit of this, however, is how self-aware the writing is. There two screenwriters knew that they were writing a film about one of the most ridiculed heroes in pop culture history and because of that, the story does not take itself too seriously. This film knows that it doesn't have to pretend to be something that it's not and it has no need to try either. Knowing there is nothing to lose means that the writers have almost free range and are simply there to please moviegoers with a purely entertaining story. Despite the generic writing, Momoa, Heard, and the rest of the ensemble have an absolute blast with their characters. Each actor and actress emits passion and energy through their performances and it is obvious that they put so much care and effort into creating something special.

This film is wonderfully done in all of its technical parts as well. The colors and visuals that entranced the world of the undersea kingdoms were simply stunning as VFX supervisor Kelvin McIlwain has a tremendous eye for not just beauty, but fantasy world-building too. While DC's previous films have had quite a lack of color and even Marvel films stick to a certain grading, this movie breaks that formula in the most appealing ways possible. The fight choreography, coordinated by Jon Valera, was very exciting and brilliantly utilized the different powers and abilities that the various characters had. These action sequences were also aided by the very fluid cinematography from Don Burgess; his use of wide shots and lots of twisting of the camera created some mesmerizing scenes. Regardless of how much CGI was used throughout this movie, there were also many fantastic shots that aimed to establish the absolutely wild tone of whatever genre Wan was switching to next.

Aquaman is an unapologetically fun thrill ride that is the epitome of a great adventure movie. James Wan holds nothing back in terms of gorgeous visuals and relentless entertainment value and the entire cast and crew make this underrated superhero one of the best fantasy films ever. There's also a scene where an octopus plays the drums, so make of that what you will.

My Rating: ★★★★½

You Were Never Really Here (2017) directed by Lynne Ramsay

I completely understand the desire for films that are out of the ordinary; films that take risks and do certain things that would not ever be seen in the typical Hollywood format. In fact, I highly encourage and will always be a strong advocate for breaking this format, as that is one of the best ways to make great art out of a movie. However, to me, there is a line that can be crossed when it comes to separating creative art from nonsensical filmmaking. Unfortunately, Lynne Ramsay's You Were Never Really Here pole vaults over that line in the most confusing way possible.

Lynne Ramsay is a fantastic filmmaker and I remember really enjoying We Need to Talk About Kevin years ago on its release. While I was expecting more of a film among those lines, I was blindsided by Ramsay's directing style in this crime thriller. Joaquin Phoenix plays Joe, a traumatized veteran who makes money as a hired gun and is hired to track down a missing girl from a secret sex trade. Joe uses any method of violence in order to fulfill his goal and in particular, uses a hammer to bash in the skulls of those who stand in his way. The directing and screenplay from Ramsay is my biggest issue with this whole film, which is unfortunate, given that those are its most praised aspects as well. This movie almost entirely relies on context clues for the audience to decipher the story. In fact, I have probably written more up to this point than what was in the script's dialogue. The very quiet and nuanced tone that was built for this environment did not necessarily work for me, as I felt that much more could have been done to create a more understandable plot. However, I do appreciate Ramsay not taking the straightforward plot path, so you must see why I am so conflicted on if I even enjoyed this or not.

A few aspects that I do know I loved, however, were Joaquin Phoenix's performance, the editing, and the score. Phoenix's character is very intriguing to me because while I felt for him during his multiple flashback sequences, I couldn't help but think that he was still that lonely child who was trying to escape his haunting past. His character was written very well and had a lot of potential to be much more interesting, but I just feel that a lot of his substance was wasted on the directing and given to his senseless yet muted violence instead. The editing in this film by Joe Bini was incredible, utilizing very quick cuts and flashbacks to truly take the viewer out of their comfort zone (the montage of attraction with the feet motif was particularly amazing to see). The score of this film, done by Jonny Greenwood, also added to its peculiar tone throughout as well. The chilling and often uncomfortable music made for a strange experience during many of the violent hammer scenes involving Joe. I feel as if the fraught distance created between the audience and the musically-accompanied death scenes was meant to wean out the weakest of filmgoers and I must confess that I was almost one of them.

You Were Never Really Here is such a divisive film that I am certain many fans of arthouse cinema will adore. While I did enjoy Phoenix's performance and some of the technical aspects, this film is simply not for me. I really wanted to like this movie but the style of directing threw me for the worst kind of loop.

My Rating: ★★

Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018) directed by Phil Johnston, Rich Moore

My experiences with seeing both Wreck-It Ralph films have been absolutely awful, as I have been confined to sitting in the very front row during both, much to the dismay of my eyes and my neck. Luckily, despite the visual distortion I had to suffer through, the content of this film makes the pain worth it. Ralph Breaks the Internet is a heartfelt and comedic animated film about the many dangers of the internet, as well as its boundless benefits. I honestly enjoyed this more than its predecessor as Disney unsurprisingly proves that they can make a clever family film for anyone to enjoy.

The best part of this entire film was its story and how it was updated to fit not just a new generation of Disney-goers, but a generation of new parents who might struggle to protect their children from the internet. This plot follows Ralph (John C. Reilly) and Vanellope (Sarah Silverman) as their arcade is upgraded with WiFi and the two need to find a replacement steering wheel for Vanellope's game Sugar Rush. As they venture into the depths of the internet, they discover that it can be a bright, beautiful, helpful place, but also very dark and relentless. The way that the writers of this film handled the inclusion of the many various websites and online services was actually very clever and provided a fantastic setting for our main characters. Each website was a business in this crowded utopia, every person of the city was someone online, and the ways that each individual website operated were quite humorous for the story. For me, however, the biggest takeaway from this film was the fact that it contained a subplot of internet safety that was handled extremely well. Lots of children can learn from the struggles that Ralph and Vanellope encountered in this film and I am sure parents will be using examples from this movie to help guide their young ones in basic web safety for years to come. One of the most emotional scenes, in fact, was when Ralph discovered the dreaded comment section of his "BuzzTube" page. Despite his spirits being brought down by the disheartening comments, this helped him learn that you should never question your own worth or love based on what a random internet user says online.

Vanellope also had a very interesting and newfound storyline that I appreciated very much. As she was traveling through the web with Ralph, they stumble upon a violent video game called Slaughter Race. In there, they meet a character named Shank, voiced by Gal Gadot, an apocalyptic, badass driver who takes no prisoners but ends up taking Vanellope under her wing. This arc, along with the hilarious and eye-opening scene amongst all of the Disney princesses, gave Vanellope a new look at what her actual motivations were on the internet and paved the way for a progressive and heartwarming conclusion with Ralph. This message of lifelong friendship in spite of distance or differences in goals was very sweet to see and it was refreshing to see a new and more mature take on the classic "friendships last forever" moral.

Unfortunately, I have just seen this film in the wake of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, so my expectations and standards for visual creativity in animation have been raised very high. There has never been any doubt that Disney can make a beautiful animated movie, especially with the technology available today, but I suppose my eyes have just been trained to expect more. Nothing in the animation style of this film was unique in any way and I thought that with the number of different characters and websites that our two leads have met and traveled to, there could have been some room for creativity. Especially because of the amount of humorous cameos and references throughout the film, including the room full of princesses and the numerous Star Wars, Marvel, and other properties. There were also many scenes in this film where I quite literally could not keep up with the countless different things going on. It was too much of a visual spectacle at times, which I suppose fits the tone, given that the internet is a very overwhelming place.

Ralph Breaks the Internet is a fantastic sequel that actually surpasses the original and proves itself through a wildly clever narrative about the internet. Not only does it provide a more modern take on video games and technology, but it is able to express its message in a clearer way for the audience, especially the kids.

My Rating: ★★★½

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) directed by Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman

Yeah, it's true. This movie absolutely SLAPS. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is undoubtedly the greatest Spider-Man film ever made and possibly one of the greatest comic book films ever made, period. With an absolutely loaded voice cast and a realistically emotional story, I could not ask for anything more in a film about the world's favorite web-slinger. Oh wait, yes I can: a lead character of color set in an accurate yet futuristic depiction of New York City and we EVEN GOT THAT. Along with stunning, mesmerizing animation and a heroic, heartwarming message, this film is bound to be a modern day classic.

The best part of this entire film is how fresh it felt. Even though they are completely different tones, it reminded me of Logan in how much the story took me away from the comic book mythos and drew me into the actual story of these characters. The pure, human story of struggling for acceptance and finding your place was such an original take on a character for a superhero movie and it worked brilliantly for our lead Miles Morales, voiced by Shameik Moore. The writing made me (and I'm sure every other audience member) actually feel like we could be the one to wear the mask. In a world full of despair and often times hopelessness, Miles was able to overcome his insecurities and learn that truly anyone could be a hero, no matter how small the action. This message is what stood out to me the most and also defined this fresh take on the typical superhero origin story. While the message behind this film was so sincere and authentic, the plot was incredible as well. Bringing the multiple different universe's versions of Spider-Man into the story was not only hilarious but created so much good dialogue and interactions between these characters. Comic book fans will find themselves very satisfied with this film due to these zany characters, and especially because of its plethora of references and tiny nods in both the writing and the imagery.

Sony's animation department have really outdone themselves in this film, especially in the wake of countless Disney and Illumination products being released. While the use of this new age of animation can be done very well, it all begins to look like the same, cookie-cutter style. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse has proven that a fresh style in animation can be used to not just tell a different kind of story, but to provide the audience with a breathtaking and colorful experience. This animation can be quite an eyeful at times but makes the film appear as a literal comic book come to life. The consistent style throughout this film was the classic comic book ink feel, which fit the tone incredibly well. The Comics Code Authority seal in the beginning was a fantastic touch as well. I also adored how the different Spider-Men from the multiple universes were all animated slightly differently. Spider-Gwen (Hailee Steinfeld) was sleek and modern, Spider-Man Noir (Nicolas Cage) was the black-and-white vintage hero, and Peni Parker (Kimiko Glenn) had a more fun and traditional anime style. And of course my personal favorite, Spider-Ham, voiced by comedian John Mulaney, who had the cheesiest and most ridiculously cartoonish feel to him. All of these different characters blended well together to make this film the most colorful and stylized superhero film ever.

Voice acting is quite an impressive art these days, as it can truly make or break whether a character seems believable or not. Every voice in this film fit their respective characters brilliantly and brought that much more enjoyment to their scenes. Shameik Moore was fantastic as Miles Morales and his mentor Peter Parker, voiced by Jake Johnson, was great as well. Johnson, despite being type-casted in many projects, is good at what he portrays and in this case, it was a middle-aged, out-of-shape, divorced Peter Parker from an alternate reality. These two stood out to me the most but the entire cast was fantastic, along with vocal cameos from Mahershala Ali, Zoë Kravitz, Kathryn Hahn, Liev Schreiber, and even Chris Pine. The soundtrack of this film brought another level of creativity as well, fueling the futuristic New York setting with hip-hop and modern music that actually felt authentic.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is my favorite animated film from this entire year and most likely will be for some years to come. Children will love it, comic book fans of all ages will adore it, and most importantly, it is a touching and relatable family film that anyone can enjoy. I've been quite worn out of superhero movies lately but I would absolutely recommend this film as it provides many things that the genre has failed to provide, including an actual human story and a splash of beautiful creativity.

My Rating: ★★★★½

Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942) directed by Michael Curtiz

AFI Top 100: #98

In a film best fit to be watched on the Fourth of July, Yankee Doodle Dandy is an exceptional, patriotic film. Starring the legendary James Cagney as the also legendary writer, producer, and actor George M. Cohan, this movie is a musical biography of the late performer's life. Blasting with loud, brass musical numbers and a decently-interesting story, I am surprised at how much I enjoyed this. While the directing and pacing is quite a bit awkward in many scenes, I can see how this film has become such an important, American classic since its release in 1942.

The most interesting aspect of this entire film is the writing of the story revolving around George M. Cohan's life. It was actually riveting to learn about his family's history with stage performing and vaudeville and how he rose up the ranks of stage performance, eventually earning the Congressional Medal of Honor from President Franklin D. Roosevelt. However, this best part of the writing was very limited. This entire film is put through the narrative of George receiving the medal as he recounts his life to FDR. This was a creative technique, especially for the time, but the beginning threw me off very quickly. Michael Curtiz's directing and pacing is incredibly fast and at times, I was hopelessly lost in the dialogue, searching for any kind of context clues. So much was thrown at the audience from the very first shot and it became a bit flustering. The main issue with the pacing, however, was that the musical numbers and high-energy performances overwhelmed a lot of the biographical element of the story. There were few scenes that truly showcased the cast's acting talent, including the marriage conversation between George and his sister Josie, played by Jeanne Cagney, and George's marching in the parade in the very last shot of the film. These extremely emotional moments were amazing to see and I would have liked to seen more of them shared between George and his family to show more of their development.

Production value is obviously a very large factor in these older, classic films, and this movie is no exception. The large-scale, theatre-esque tone of this film works incredibly well for the story, particularly during the performance sequences. As mentioned before, even though his productions were very important, I wish there would have been less of a focus on the constant show tunes. However, that does not mean that they were not extravagant and amazing. The costumes and set design were fantastic and really showed how important these parts of a movie were for audiences back in the 1940s. The songs included in this film that Cohan wrote and produced also helped to set the shamelessly patriotic feel throughout. Hits such as "Yankee Doodle Boy," "Over There," and "You're a Grand Old Flag" helped to not only further Cohan's expansive career but also to set the stage for WWI as it was introduced in the third act of the film.

Yankee Doodle Dandy is quite the epitome of an all-American film. The production and musical numbers were incredible and it is amazing to see how many of them I recognized due to generations of patriotism through learning about this country's history. I would definitely recommend this film, especially if you're a fan of good ol' 'Murica.

My Rating: ★★★½

Toy Story (1995) directed by John Lasseter

AFI Top 100: #99

No other film could possibly bring me as much joy and nostalgia as Disney-Pixar's classic Toy Story. Okay, except for maybe its sequel, which I wore out on VHS after watching nearly every day for years straight. This film truly brings me back to a much, MUCH simpler time and rewatching it, I have noticed so much that I never have before. The incredible story, the relationships developed between the characters, and the complex, clever levels of humor absolutely blow me away every time. Disney-Pixar were truly at the top of their game with this film and there is not a single thing I would change about it.

Tom Hanks and Tim Allen lead the voice cast of this film, as the two already legendary actors have become solidified in history as these two characters. There is simply no other pair of actors that I could ever imagine voicing these lovable enemy-turned-friends and they bring so much life to their respective roles. The life that they bring can also be seen in a lot of the development of the characters and their evolving relationships throughout. While Tom Hanks' Woody stays quite constant throughout, Tim Allen's Buzz Lightyear will forever be one of the greatest vocal performances. The range he is able to show throughout the film in different scenes from his initial introduction to the Mrs. Nesbitt tea party is hilarious to watch unfold. I will always enjoy how these characters react and learn from each other. The obvious theme of this film is learning friendship in spite of jealousy but there is so much more that these plastic toys learn from their experience together.

The humor utilized in the writing throughout this movie is absolutely perfect. It blends excellently well together with the drama and emotional aspects of the story. While there is the humorous slapstick and fighting that children love to see, there are so many more levels of comedy that adults can plainly see. Even now, after watching this film for such a long time, I am catching small gags or one-liners that I have never figured out before; such as the "kiss-ass" joke that Mr. Potato Head makes as Slinky is addressing Woody or the Marie Antoinette joke that Buzz mutters after one too many cups of Darjeeling tea. The complex levels that different age groups understand is what makes these animated films, especially of this time period, so entertaining. My favorite aspect about this film, though, that was partially abandoned in the two sequels, is that it only takes place in very limited locations on a very small scale. While this would seem obvious, as all of the main characters are small, plastic, toys, there are only three main locations in this entire film: Andy's house, Sid's house, and Pizza Planet. While this is very small to humans, from the perspectives of toys, this seems like a boundless universe. The entire production of this film and having the main characters be six inches tall is the best part in creating this sandbox for the characters to adventure around in.

Toy Story is an absolute gem of a film and I am glad that the AFI decided to include animation on their list because this is absolutely worthy. Nothing defines my cinematic childhood as much as this film and it is always such a treat to revisit Andy's favorite toys and the creative adventures that John Lasseter takes them on.

My Rating: ★★★★★

Ben-Hur (1959) directed by William Wyler

AFI Top 100: #100

Ben-Hur: the only film to ever put Jesus Christ himself on the sideline as a supporting character. William Wyler's 1959 biblical epic is truly a film to behold in all of its nearly 4-hour glory. It is unbelievable that this long of a film could hold up so well after almost 60 years, but I surprisingly enjoyed almost every minute of this. With some incredible performances, cinematography, and storytelling, Ben-Hur stands its ground as not only the epitome of a comeback story, but as an amazingly well-made film as well.

My New Year's resolution is to watch and review all 100 of the AFI's Top 100 films, but I have been putting off starting for a while simply because of the ridiculous length of this. I am glad that I did, however, because I loved this film much more than I had originally thought I would. Charlton Heston and Stephen Boyd absolutely shine in this movie as Judah Ben-Hur and Messala, two close childhood friends who end up on opposing sides of history. The tyrannical Messala gives the peaceful Judah the choice to either join his conquest or face the wrath of the Romans and as Judah refuses to join him, he ends up in slavery for years as he works to get revenge on the man who wronged him, his family, and his country. The writing by Karl Tunberg, adapted from the novel by Lew Wallace, is incredible and paves the way for a storyline that I have now realized as being one of the most recycled plots in film history. This classic revenge story can be seen in countless different films, but the way that it was introduced and executed in this movie is perfect. The grand, triumphant music of this film, done by Miklós Rózsa, helped with the story too, flourishing the film's ups and dramatizing its biggest downs in the best ways possible.

The dialogue in this film accompanies the story in one of the best and most engaging ways possible. I tend to find myself hyper-critical of older, classic films, and while I was carefully watching this one, I can honestly say that there is not a single line that I would change. The dialogue is simply elegant and suits each and every character in their own, unique way. Every single scene of this epic film is articulately planned and performed with the utmost extravagance and passion and I am certain that Tunberg and Wallace were overjoyed at how well the entire cast and crew were able to pull off this magnificent feat. The only piece of the writing that I did not particularly care for was the inclusion of the shift of focus to Jesus Christ's storyline in the last half an hour or so. Jesus himself made an appearance towards the beginning of the film when he gave Judah water, which was very clever to set up the environment and time period, but I did not feel it was necessary to continue his story in the conclusion. Despite being a biblical film, the movie is titled Ben-Hur after all, and it was a bit distracting to not end the film with the plot of the titular character.

Charlton Heston and Stephen Boyd stood out as two of the best performances that I have ever seen from this era of film. Even though this time was riddled with white men in stereotypical roles, Heston and Boyd both gave very compelling and emotionally-believable portrayals of their characters. In fact, every cast member involved from a minor character like Tirzah, played by Cathy O'Donnell, to Judah's love interest Esther, played by Haya Harareet, were astounding. The acting from the entire cast honestly reminded me of a Shakespearean production, as the phenomenal dedication could be seen in every minuscule gesture. Other aspects that I adored were the cinematography and production quality. The camerawork by Robert Surtees was so grand and colorful that I could not look away from the screen. His use of framing and setting up the characters in this film's environments was absolutely beautiful. Of course, this was aided by the incredible sets and filming locations that were used to create this biblical atmosphere. The quality of this production is unmatched and while some obvious early green-screen techniques could be seen, the rest was quite glorious. And lest we forget the breathtaking chariot race action scene that is excruciatingly brutal, even by today's standards.

Ben-Hur, while painful for some to sit through, is an experience that is worth the time spent. Even though there were some parts that I did not think of being necessary, the absolute spectacle of this movie overshadows it all. I would strongly recommend this film, especially to anyone who dares say that older, classic movies cannot be good.

My Rating: ★★★★

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989) directed by Jeremiah S. Chechik

This holiday season, I had to visit a family that I haven't seen in quite a while: the Griswolds. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, while not the best of the Chevy Chase-led franchise, is one of my favorite holiday films ever. It never ceases to make me laugh and has honestly become a staple in my family for Christmas cinema. From cousin Eddie's surprise visit to the uptight couple next door, this film provides some of the most memorable and wacky, slapstick humor of this series.

Chevy Chase plays Clark Griswold in the third installment of the Vacation series and has definitely proven himself to be the best and most irreplaceable character. Along with his wife Ellen, played by Beverly D'Angelo and his two kids Rusty (Johnny Galecki) and Audrey (Juliette Lewis), this family has instilled themselves in every American household and TV in the funniest way possible. The best part of this franchise that I adore so much is also the biggest aspect holding back this particular film's script. Its constantly-evolving humor makes way for some different breeds of comedy, but not always in the best way. While Vacation and European Vacation were both packed full of adult humor and raunchy National Lampoon satire, Christmas Vacation seems to abandon that boat completely. This film is rated PG-13 and almost entirely relies on weak jokes and slapstick humor to make the nearly nonexistent plot entertaining. One of the biggest issues is that this film could have been shot in a day or two and is completely situational; the whole plot is simply Clark surviving the Christmas season and his in-laws. Even though it does accomplish solid humor by providing some of the most memorable one-liners and funny scenes, it, unfortunately, does not provide enough content to be humorous all year-round. I will forever enjoy this film for the ridiculous fun that it brings, but unlike Santa Claus, does not appear to bring much more than that.

A majority of the technical parts of this film and its script were a bit underwhelming and did not provide the same amount of originality that the previous two have. Much of the dialogues' jokes in this film were recycled, as a lot of running gags and callbacks were used to bring the Griswold nostalgia back for the holidays. The one aspect that redeems this part of the writing is the fact that it actually takes place at the Griswolds' home for the first time, which was a nice change of setting. However, as previously mentioned, the majority of the best humor in this film came from its slapstick qualities and cheap but effective laughs. I only wish that the same unabashedly risqué humor was utilized in this script and not toned down to fit more like a family film. One of the best parts of the writing though was Clark's arc with his boss and the Christmas bonus, as I feel many corporate workers can relate to this holiday financial struggle. I also loved the use of the animation for the opening title sequences and how reminiscent it was of many cheesy, animated Christmas films. National Lampoon has always been the most clever in the way of comedic storytelling and their use of holiday satire was one of the best recurring themes.

Overall though, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation is a classic holiday film that never fails to put me in the mood for the holidays. While I wish the production value would have been up to par with the previous entries of the Griswolds' adventures, I will forever cherish this movie for the unforgettably funny moments that it is known for.

My Rating: ★★★

Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018) directed by Christopher McQuarrie

Yeah, Ethan Hunt could kick James Bond's ass. Marking one more from this year off my list, Mission: Impossible - Fallout is an absolute must-see and a flawlessly-made action film. The culmination of everything great about this franchise comes full-circle as Tom Cruise leads this incredibly powerful movie. Every scene riddled with intensity, every character overflowing with emotion, and every fight choreographed perfectly, this film is much more astounding than previous entries and managed to completely impress me. Even though I'm mad at myself for not seeing this in IMAX, I'm grateful that I could live in a time where Tom Cruise has strangely become my favorite action star.

Tom Cruise has proven himself over many years how diverse and talented he is, whether it's a romance film or a nonstop action thrill ride. This film is no exception and might even be the best example of the latter genre. Cruise is incredible and absolutely lives up to the hype built into this modern franchise. While Ethan Hunt has evolved over the years, so has Cruise's dedication to this character. In what may be his most riveting and believable performance, Cruise brings so much life to Hunt. Along with the supporting cast including Rebecca Ferguson, Ving Rhames, and Simon Pegg, this movie makes it clear how important these characters are to the actors and actresses involved. They have been in this universe for years now and I could clearly see how much care and effort the performers put into their characters. The greatest addition to this film, however, is Henry Cavill as the antagonist August Walker. Cavill's stoic performance and hulking but fluid stature made for some of the greatest scenes, especially between him and Cruise. He has given amazing life to the best villain of this franchise so far and it was incredible to see him take on such an exciting role that's not the Man of Steel.

The writing and directing in this film were also given as much care and it was incredible to see unfold. Christopher McQuarrie, writer and director of the previous entry into this world, took the helm once again, but in a much more effective way. The way he balanced these characters within the world of the events that have occurred was excellent. While much of the plot was nothing completely innovative or groundbreaking, I enjoyed the fresh and darker take on Hunt's secret world of the IMF. Many of the scenes throughout this film surprised me too at how well the twists in the plot were hidden. The scenes with the fake nuclear explosions and the reveal of Solomon Lane's body double were some of the most exciting parts of the entire story. That type of writing, along with much of the action, made for a classic spy movie atmosphere which was fantastic to experience.

While the writing and characters were great, nothing builds up a spy movie as much as its exciting action sequences. The humorous cheesiness of typical spy action is a staple for the genre, but this film was anything but. The brutally raw action of this film fit the tone exceptionally well and its handful of IMAX-shot scenes were just breathtaking. From the perilous thrills of the skydiving shot to Tom Cruise's ankle-breaking chase sequence, I can not rave enough about how gorgeous and authentic the action and choreography were. My favorite two scenes, in particular, were the motorcycle chase and the initial bathroom brawl. Audio played a very big part in making these scenes stand out to me as well, as the supervising sound editor James Mather made this production a complete adventure. No dialogue at all was needed to ramp up the intensity of these scenes, but the sound effects and atmosphere created were fantastic. Paired with Cavill and Cruise's bone-crunching and ferocious punches, this scene alone made the entire film for me.

Mission: Impossible - Fallout is, without a doubt, the best action film of this year. Tom Cruise and Henry Cavill shine as the two leads who eventually end up in a race against the (literal) clock to outsmart each other. This film's production quality is phenomenal and I can't wait to wear out my Blu-ray copy of this over the next few weeks.

My Rating: ★★★★★

BlacKkKlansman (2018) directed by Spike Lee

Now that it's nearing 2019, it's time for me to catch up on this year's movies that I have yet to see. I'm late to the party on this film, but WOW. Spike Lee's BlacKkKlansman is one of the greatest and most impactful movies that I have seen this year. Filled with astounding performances and an incredibly engaging narrative, this true story has affected me much more than I was originally expecting. Paired with the film's uncanny relevance to today's society, I was absolutely blown away at the social effects of this movie and I am disappointed that it did not get more traction when it was out in theaters.

This true story, based on the book by Ron Stallworth himself and adapted by Spike Lee, is the most unbelievable part of the writing. This film has one of the most original premises ever surrounding race relations and white nationalism in the 1970s and is a perfect blend of drama and dark humor to keep the audience engaged. It was incredible seeing the relationships between the characters develop and how each person, regardless of race or beliefs, shaped the story. There were also many points where I was literally on the edge of my seat with the drama as the character arcs intersected and majorly stressed me out. My only issue with this film is that some of the content in the second and third act felt a lot like filler and it began to drag on a bit too long.

Lee's racial and political filmmaking suits his directing style very well, especially in this film. The biggest shock for me from this film was the shift in narrative in the last few minutes of the movie. I understand why many people were upset about the ending of this film, but I thought it was pure genius. Lee built up this film the entire time to relate to current events happening today and I thought it was a very clever form of storytelling. In addition to almost directly calling out Trump in multiple lines of dialogue, the conclusion consisted of a montage of footage and interviews from the events in Charlottesville last year. Seeing how frighteningly similar the events of this film set in the 1970s were compared to these events from a little over a year ago was terrifying. This was an obviously bold choice for Lee to make in his film, but the way he told his story and set up the modern-day ending is a perfect example of his talent regarding political filmmaking.

While the message and writing of this film is its most prominent aspect, I really enjoyed the performances and editing as well. John David Washington and Adam Driver absolutely steal this film in their practically shared portrayal of Ron Stallworth. Not only did their voices sound surprisingly similar but they played off each others' mannerisms and personalities very well. Topher Grace was also incredible as David Duke, the Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan. While David Duke is (surprise, surprise) not a great or humorous human being, Grace was able to bring some ironic humor to his version of the character. In fact, in a real-life interview, David Duke  The editing by Barry Alexander Brown was notable as well, providing a lot of interesting contrast between the different plots. Showing the multiple perspectives of both the KKK members and the police detectives investigating them made for a great narrative. The scenes with the organization meetings showing the hard cuts between the white nationalists chanting "white power" and the Black Student Union chanting "black power" was very powerful to see as well, showing the absolute intensity of both sides.

Spike Lee is such an unabashedly outspoken filmmaker who is able to make a politically relevant film both humorous and engaging. BlacKkKlansman accomplishes so much in both of these realms, providing an incredible narrative that should be seen by everyone. I would very strongly recommend this movie, not just for the interesting true story but for the eye-opening pertinency of today's political climate.

My Rating: ★★★★

Keeping Up with the Joneses (2016) directed by Greg Mottola

I had HBO and Starz for free this past weekend and you bet that I recorded as many movies as possible that I had not yet seen. Keeping up with the Joneses was one of them, but I probably should have saved the DVR space for something more worthy (at least its gone now). This film is truly the pinnacle of mediocre action-comedy that serves no purpose whatsoever. Even though the cast involved performed decently, every other aspect of this film was an absolute and utter waste of time.

The only part of the action-comedy genre that is managing to keep it alive anymore is casting. Zach Galifianakis, Isla Fisher, Jon Hamm, and Gal Gadot lead this movie as two wildly different suburban couples; the former two as a normal couple while the latter two are secretly undercover agents. The one (almost) redeeming quality of this film is the obvious chemistry between the four leads. They are all amazingly talented actors and actresses who have made quite the name for themselves through some of the biggest films and TV in recent years. Galifianakis and Fisher were fantastic together and are actually able to give off a decent impression of a normal married couple. Hamm and Gadot were also great as the sleek and sexy CIA couple who successfully infiltrated the other couple's life and they were able to provide some actual character development in some of their shared scenes. Even if this development was simply a minor argument, at least they were attempting to take their characters somewhere. The rest of the film was painfully dull in how the characters aided the story. Not enough bold choices were made to give the characters any kind of distinct, comedic features and because of that, all of the dialogue and attempted humor blended in together. The writing by Michael LeSieur was very lazy, as audiences have seen this exact formula countless times. Not to mention LeSieur's grossly exploitative and male-oriented arc of his writing between Fisher and Gadot that was only present to get them both in lingerie, serving no other purpose for the story.

Neither LeSieur or the director, Greg Mottola, made enough creative choices to keep me interested at all. It almost seems as if this script was meant as a pilot for an old TV show that they attempted to remake for Hollywood. The lack of focus between the action tone and comedy tone made for a weak stab at both. None of the action was noteworthy and it did not even seem like there was a choreographer or stunt team for the mindless action that was done. Because of this weak action, one might think that the comedy side of the writing would make up for it. Unfortunately, I only got maybe two laughs out of this entire film, both from Jon Hamm. I feel like the PG-13 rating of this movie was definitely holding it back as well. If this film had been rated R or given better writers, it could have been a much more entertaining piece. That way, there could have been a better effort to make the drama more exciting and the comedy much more sensical and full-circle. The absolute mediocrity of this entire film is what frustrated me the most; so much talent with the cast and so much potential with the narrative, but I can guarantee this movie will inevitably end up in the $5 DVD bin at Walmart if it isn't already there.

Keeping Up with the Joneses is your typical, run-of-the-mill, PG-13 action-comedy that is too afraid to take any creative risks. Because of this, I found myself mindlessly bored during the entire film. Despite being filled with some talented star power, I would not recommend watching this movie. Seriously, save yourself the trouble.

My Rating: ★