BREAKING: First Look At Benedict Cumberbatch As Doctor Strange Revealed

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is about to get mystical.

Today, Entrainment Weekly unveiled their latest cover, which hits newsstands on Tuesday, featuring the Sorcerer Supreme himself, Doctor Strange, played by Benedict Cumberbatch.

As expected, the costume seems very much like his comic book counterpart and looks pretty damn impressive. Hoping the film will be another Marvel smash hit!

What do you think of this first official look at Doctor Strange?

"Star Wars" Becomes The Fastest Movie To Pass $1 Billion

Nothing stops this train.

Just today, "Star Wars: The Force Awakens", the film we've all been waiting for, just passed the $1 billion dollar mark, internationally, in just one week and has become the fastest film to pass $1 billion at the global box office.

Will the film continue on this hot streak and beat "Avatar", the current highest grossing film of all-time? Only time will tell. But with this track record, it seems very possible.

Congratulations to the cast and crew over at Lucasfilm. You deserve it.

REVIEW: "The Revenant"

Alejandro G. Iñárritu has certainly made a name for himself over the decade after critically acclaimed hits such as "21 Grams", "Babel", "Biutiful" and most recently "Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)", which won his the Academy Award for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay. So naturally, many of us were excited to hear that his next film endeavor will star Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy. Up until the release of the film, not many of us knew what the film was going to be about as the studio released two extremely vague trailers. Unless you knew the true life events of the protagonist in the film, many of us walked into the theater with a near blank slate. And was Iñárritu's latest film worth the anticipation and mystery?

"The Revenant" stars Leonardio DiCaprio, Tom Hardy and Domhnall Gleeson and is directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu. The film centers around a frontiersman in the 1820's who is left for dead by his fellow hunting party members after he is gruesomely mauled by a bear. With his dying breath, he summons the will to survive and begins a perilous odyssey to seek his revenge against the men that abandoned him in the cold winter forests. This is, without a shred doubt, one of the best films of 2015, if not the best. Even after the film ended, my body was left shaking. As the ending credits came on screen, the audience didn't even have the energy to clap after experiencing such a dreadful, visceral and disturbing film. Iñárritu has done it again with Oscar worthy performances from the film's two leads, breathtaking visuals, a haunting soundtrack and impeccable direction. Everything about this film, from the acting to the camerawork, is crafted meticulously and with great passion, which translates to a masterpiece of cinema.

After being nominated 4 times at the Academy Awards (3 for Best Actor and 1 for Best Supporting Actor), Leonardo DiCaprio was never able to receive the Oscar gold that he has always deserved, however with "The Revenant", I am confident that 2016 is the year he will receive his Best Actor award. His performance in the film never felt like a performance. Not once in the film did I ever think the man was acting. Everything that his character, Hugh Glass, goes through in "The Revenant", we feel personally because of DiCaprio's ability to transcend the silver screen and bring us raw human emotion, giving us the best performance of his career. Even with very minimal dialogue, half of which isn't even English, DiCaprio is able to bring us a strong, uncompromising character that struggles through the worst of what nature has to offer and we as the audience members are with him ever step of the way through his journey for revenge. Truly the best performance of the year. There simply was not a performance this year with more depth, pain, hardship, beauty and humanity in 2015. DiCaprio, I hope you finally take home the Oscar next year.

With "The Revenant", Tom Hardy has worked with Leonardo DiCaprio for the second time, the first being Christopher Nolan's "Inception", but this time around they have a very different dynamic. Without spoiling too much of the plot, Hardy's character, John Fitzgerald, is directly responsible for Hugh Glass' path for vengeance and he plays a conniving, short tempered, violent and ruthless man who will do anything to survive, which the audience can strangely relate to. Although he is capable of doing unspeakable things, he is someone who will survive and that is his one goal in this harsh environment, thereby making his antagonistic wrongdoings, at times, understandable (but in the worst ways possible).

While boasting beyond stellar performances from the entire cast, what shines the most, at least to me, about "The Revenant" is its beautiful cinematography done by Emmanuel Lubezki, one of my favorite cinematographers working today, who previously worked with Iñárritu in "Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)". This is one of the most beautiful shot films I have ever seen as Iñárritu's love for long unbroken takes creates a haunting sense of beauty and despair. The film never shies away from the pain and the brutality of nature as DiCaprio tries to grasp onto his life by any means necessary. There were many times during the course of the film where I honestly did not know how they were able to accomplish some of the amazing shots. And many of the brutal action sequences in the film are seemingly done in one long tracking shot and it is executed brilliantly with meticulous crafting.

Iñárritu has proven himself to be a very accomplished director and his passion for filmmaking and understanding of what creates compelling drama makes this film a masterpiece. Although DiCaprio brings to us an Oscar worthy performance, the star of the film is Iñárritu. Like "Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)", the writing and direction Iñárritu creates in his films allow the actors in the film to breathe and become real. His devotion to character development and deep understanding of complexity and human emotions brings the best of everyone and creates enthralling drama that deserves praise from all lovers of cinema.

What I've talked about here on scratches the surfaces of how amazing "The Revenant" truly is. More viewings of the film are definitely need to carefully analyze it in depth, however, in first viewing, this is a excellently designed feature film that pulls on your every emotions and leaves you broken in pieces. One of the best films I have ever seen and one of the best films of 2015. If DiCaprio doesn't win the Oscar for his beyond amazing performance in this film, it is a true crime to the world of cinema. Iñárritu, thank you for your amazing achievement in film that moved and destroyed me as I was exiting the theater. Such power deserves a perfect 10 and "The Revenant" of course gets a 10 out of 10 from me. If you want to see the most hard-to-watch film during one of the most festive and jolly holidays of the year, definitely head to the theaters immediately.

Go see it in theaters today!

Buy tickets now: http://www.fandango.com/therevenant_179969/movietimes

REVIEW: "The Hateful Eight"

For decades, Quentin Tarantino has been hailed as one of the best, if not the best, writers working in the film industry ever since his groundbreaking work on "Pulp Fiction", which made him a household name. Since then, he's gone on to make critically acclaimed works such as "Kill Bill", "Inglorious Bastards" and "Django Unchained (his most recent film), and now, his latest film "The Hateful Eight", which we feared would never see the light of day, has finally come. For those of you who do not know, "The Hateful Eight" almost didn't make it to the silver screen after one of the drafts of the script was leaked online and spread like wildfire. Tarantino originally scrapped the project and later directed a live read of the leaked script at the United Artists Theater in Los Angeles, which eventually led him to change his mind and go forward with the film's production. It's been almost 2 years after the initial leak of the film and "The Hateful Eight" is finally playing in theaters in 70MM. So, how is Tarantino's last cinematic achievement?

"The Hateful Eight" stars an ensemble cast including Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Walton Goggins, Demián Bichir, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, and Bruce Dern and is directed by Quentin Tarantino. The film is set in post-Civil War Wyoming as 8 strangers find themselves trapped in a lodge up in the mountain sides and each person's true motives are revealed one by one. Now, when one sees a Tarantino film, they go in expecting masterclass filmmaking mixed with a terrific sense of humor and violence, well thankfully "The Hateful Eight" is another instant classic from the master of dialogue. All of the trademark Tarantino-isms are in this film and more that's boasted by a spectacular cast, classic-style cinematography, a breathtaking score, impeccable writing and sharp direction. Each of these 8 characters are memorable, likable, despicable and ruthless; characters you come to know and love from Tarantino films. And in typical Tarantino fashion, it's very hard to place this film in a certain genre. It's a Western style mystery film while also being a comedy and a drama, which honestly makes the film a whole lot more charming, like the famed director's other works.

Samuel L. Jackson as Major Marquis Warren (a.k.a. The Bounty Hunter) is simply amazing and is definitely Oscar worthy. Warren might be the best character Jackson has played since Jules Winnfield from "Pulp Fiction". Every single note this man needed to hit was done perfectly as he created one of the most interesting, likable and memorable characters of 2015. From his spine-chilling monologue in the middle of the film to his methodic mind at work, Jackson as Warren was an amazing sight to see from beginning to end.

Who would've thought that Kurt Russel would graduate from "Furious 7" to "The Hateful Eight" in the year of 2015. After working with Tarantino previously with "Death Proof" back in 2007, Russel feels, once again, at home with the director's unique style of filmmaking. Russel plays John Ruth (a.k.a. The Hangman), another bounty hunter who, like Warren, just exudes charm and charisma. He is cool, witty, funny, likable [again] and a complete badass, who is worthy of being listed amongst the other amazing characters from Tarantino's other films.

Now, outside of Jackson as Warren, I believe that the stand out performance in "The Hateful Eight" was from the magnificent Jennifer Jason Leigh who played Daisy Domergue (a.k.a. The Prisoner). Out of the entire ensemble cast, she was the most surprising revelation amongst these top quality actors. Her manic, almost animalistic, features shine brightly through her insane performance as she awaits for the sealed fate that is waiting for her.

Out of all the amazing actors in "The Hateful Eight", I was most excited about seeing Tim Roth back in another Quentin Tarantino film. It's been a while since they collaborated together so I was extremely delighted to see him working with the master himself again, and it was worth it. Roth plays Oswaldo Mobray (a.k.a. "The Little Man") who is a creepily charming British hangman who chews up every line of dialogue that comes out of his mouth. The execution and delivery of each and every line is just spot on and is just amazing to see unfold in the film. His quick witted and polite remarks that are sprinkled all around the film just adds so much layer and character to the plot, which makes his Mobray one of the more unique characters in "The Hateful Eight".

Last seen working with Tarantino on "Django Unchained", Walton Goggins returns to work with the director again as Chris Mannix (a.k.a. The Sheriff) and is at the top of his game. Playing a drastically different character from the slimy Billy Crash from "Django Unchained", Mannix is a man who means well but may not get the respect of the other 7 members so quickly, but through the plot's twist and turns, and Goggins' stellar performance, the character of Mannix becomes more essential to the story and forms into the underdog of "The Hateful Eight", in terms of character development and the actor slowly outshining the other cast members. Goggins, never stop working for Tarantino and never stop wearing a cowboy hat. It suits you well.

Although I knew all of the main cast members of "The Hateful Eight", Demián Bichir managed to slip passed my radar with his predominantly Mexican filmography, which allowed me to observe his performance with completely fresh eyes. Bichir as Bob (a.k.a. The Mexican) was one of the more interesting choices in the film that could have made or broke this film. Thankfully, Bichir was able to bring a certain amount of gravitas to his character and some good comedic timing. After this, Ill d'finitely will check out your other films, Bichir! Promise!

Michael Madsen has been out of the acting game for quite a long time now. Sure, he has been in films but nothing of note. Not since "Kill Bill: Vol. 2" has he had a role this big and I'm pleasantly surprised by his role and also extremely glad that Tarantino was able to bring Madsen back for a much bigger project. Madsen as Joe Gage (a.k.a The Cowpuncher) is that character we all know and love from the classic Western films. A man of few words, doesn't tolerate people's bullshit and has that amazing gravely voice. Madsen really did feel comfortable as his role and brought that classic Tarantino performance once again for us all to marvel at. Thank you, Madsen, for not half-assing your performance in "The Hateful Eight".

Bruce Dern, a man who has worked with a slew of legendary directors such as Alfred Hitchcock, Roger Corman, Sydney Pollack and Francis Ford Coppola, returns to Tarantino world, after briefly appearing for a small role in "Django Unchained", as General Sanford "Sandy" Smithers (a.k.a. The Confederate) and brings of stubbornness and tradition in his role in the film, which contrasts greatly with the other 7 extremely energetic and rumbustious group of actors. As the oldest actor in the film, Dern holds his grounds against the other cast members by delivering a sense of power and authority over the bounty hunters and murderers, which really does balance out the crazy of the whole scenario. There is one scene in particular in the middle of the film where Dern and Jackson have a fantastic scene together, which I won't spoil here. Dern was captivating as his character, Sandy, and we appreciate every second he's on screen.

As you would expect, great acting and great writing are guaranteed in a Tarantino film. This one in particular goes back to Tarantino's filmmaking roots of having the story's location stay in one particular place for the majority of the film, much like his directorial debut, "Reservoir Dogs". The writing on "The Hateful Eight" really does make you feel cold while you're sitting in the theater as the impeccable timing of the actors and the screenplay deliver a claustrophobic and yet hilariously violent scenes that will have you on the edge of your seats until the film closes. It truly is a compliment to a film's screenplay when it allows the audience to really feel like you are in a certain place. While sitting in the theater, I felt goosebumps crawling all over my arms as I watch these fully fleshed out characters in the film, shiver from the sheer cold of the freezing Wyoming winters. The location of the film was so well utilized and Tarantino's skills as a writer only amplifies the emotions all the characters are going through in that very moment. We feel all of the struggles and predicaments these strange and memorable characters are going through and it is all because of the Tarantino's Oscar-worthy screenplay.

Throughout the years, Tarantino has really progressed as a filmmaker, starting from cult-following indie films, like "Reservoir Dogs", to larger Hollywood films, "like Django Unchained". With "The Hateful Eight", we can really see his progression as a filmmaker and as a storyteller. The way Tarantino utilizes each shot to move the story forward with seamless and executed with masterful technique and style. And although Tarantino is usually against creating original music for his films, this time he was able to collaborate with the legendary Ennio Morricone to create an eerie, somber, fun and thrilling soundtrack that I will have stuck in my head for days. It really is amazing to see all the attention to detail the film showcases as we, as the audience, as fully sucked into this warped world that Tarantino has created. The cinematography done by Robert Richardson, who has previously worked with Tarantino on "Kill Bill", "Inglorious Basterds", and "Django Unchained", has shot the film on 65 mm film, using Ultra Panavision 70 and it looks incredible. The extreme widescreen aspect ratio of the film (2.76:1) harkens back to the classic looks of "Ben Hur" and "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World", which obviously gives "The Hateful Eight" a more cinematic and classical look. However, the most interesting choice was to add an opening overture and an intermission in the middle of the film, which marks the first time I've ever seen a new film with an actual overture and an intermission. It was a surreal experience for me as my mind traveled back in time to the late 50's and early 60's. Tarantino clearly knows how to make a cinematic experience that is both classic, stylish and traditional.

How much more praise can I give this film? It really was nice to finally see a masterpiece on the big screen again. Besides "Mad Max: Fury Road", "The Hateful Eight" was the first film that really did 'wow' me. I was on the edge of my seat throughout the entire picture while also laughing my ass off after every amusing quip. Tarantino is back in full force as usual and brings us another instant classic that makes up for all the production troubles the film has faced, even before the film started filming. It was worth seeing on the big screen and I'm extremely glad Tarantino decided to not scrap the project and start from scratch. The acting is perfect, the screenplay is beyond amazing, the cinematography is gorgeous, the score is haunting yet beautiful and the set/costume design are spot on. Everything about this film is nearly perfect. I would give "The Hateful Eight" at 10/10, so please, go out and see the film now in 70MM. It is a one-of-a-kind film that needs to be experienced on the big screen.

Go see it in 70MM today!

Buy tickets now: http://www.fandango.com/thehatefuleight:70mmroadshow_189434/movietimes

BREAKING: "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" Breaks Opening Weekend Record

The force is strong with this one.

As expected, "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" is stampeding its way through the box office and opened with the highest opening day of all-time. And now, it seems the film has broken another record. As of today, "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" broke the record for the highest grossing opening weekend of all-time, earning $238 million domestically, beating the previous record held by "Jurassic World", which grossed $208.8 million in its opening weekend. Outside of the United States, the film went on to gross $279 million, making the international total gross $517 million.

I am so happy to see "Star Wars" back to its usual self and destroying the box office again with a quality film that fans and critics alike adore. "Star Wars" is back!

REVIEW: "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" (SPOILER FREE)

UPDATE: My thoughts on the film have slightly changed after repeated viewing so this review has been updated to fit my new opinions.

Well, it's that time of year, folks. Probably one of the most highly anticipated movie reviews of 2015. Ever since Lucasfilm was purchased by Disney, fans were anticipating the return of, arguably, the most beloved franchise of all-time: "Star Wars". With the last "Star Wars" film being 10 years old, we needed something fresh and new to reinvigorate the franchise, so in order to do so, Disney and Lucasfilm hired J. J. Abrams (the man behind the new "Star Trek" reboots and "Super 8") in 2013 to continue the saga with the 7th episode in the series, "The Force Awakens". Since the film began its production, countless rumors have been circulating on the Internet, hypothesizing what the film would be about and fans just waiting years and years to see if their predictions were true. Now, before this film was released, it already broke several records and crashed several movie ticket selling websites across the globe. No matter what the reception of this film is, it will be a monster hit. But after the dreaded prequel trilogy, critics and audiences wanted the "Star Wars" franchise to regain its glory on the silver screen with a relatively new, young cast, a decently popular director and some of the original staff members. Did this move by Disney and Lucasfilm pay off?

"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" is directed by J. J. Abrams and stars an ensemble cast including Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong'o, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew and Max von Sydow. The film takes place 30 years after the events of "Return of the Jedi", where a former Stormtrooper named Finn (John Boyega) and a scavenger named Rey (Daisy Ridley) have to battle a new villain, Kylo Ren, who vows to finish Darth Vader's unfinished work. Well, ladies and gentlemen, "Star Wars" is back in action, but not in full capacity. Was the film enjoyable and fun? Yes. Absolutely. Is it any good? That is debatable. It does feel like a "Star Wars" film but does fall short on many of the promises we were hoping for. Atheistically it recaptures the magic of practical effects (aside from two motion-capture characters I can't talk about because it's a spoiler) and the tone and spirit of the film does bring back some of the magical experience that "Star Wars" is known for.

Let's first talk about Rey, played beautifully by Daisy Ridley, who is clearly the main character of the film. Not only is Ridley's performance instantly likable, she delivers a good blend of strength and innocence. Something similar to that of Luke Skywalker in the original film. In my humble opinion, following her journey throughout the story was one of the more compelling parts of the entire film. Every time she was on screen, the film suddenly became alive and made everything feel like "Star Wars" again. Her interactions between the characters, especially BB-8, are cleverly written, perfectly executed and contains a lot of chemistry, unlike the characters in the prequel trilogy. Rey has the charm, the looks, the kickassery and the elegance to pull off a "Star Wars" leading lady and I hope to see her in Episode VIII and IX coming up. There is still so much I would like to discuss about her character but that would go into heavy spoiler territory so just wait and see for yourself when you go see the film in theaters.

The characterization of Finn, played by John Boyega, in the film was something I wasn't expecting but it wasn't an unwelcome surprise either. Boyega had to pull off most of the film's comedy and, for the most part, he does a fairly decent job at keeping the lighter moments of the film humorous and funny. But not only does Boyega handle the comedy, he also brings a lot of emotional baggage in the film. He, along with the audience, are in for a new adventure and we, at times, see this entirely new world through his eyes. However, at times his comedic sensibilities were a bit overplayed by the film's script and direction, but it doesn't drag the film down or make it seem like a comedy. Boyega  as Finn was fully committed to his role with a lot of energy, enthusiasm and fun.

Now, one of my biggest problems with "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" would have to stem from Kylo Ren, played by Adam Driver. Although he starts off as a menacing villain with a short temper, he gradually turns into something I did not want to see in a "Star Wars" villain. Although Ren's character is fully fleshed out and has a backstory we can all understand, there are some specific things he says and does in the second half of the film that cheapens the gravity of his strength and power. This franchise, in particular, is known for having amazing villains throughout most of the movies and to see Ren join the likes of Darth Vader, The Emperor and Darth Maul is rather disappointing. It really is unfortunate I can't go in depths about my problems with his character without going into spoiler territory so to sum it all up: his design is amazing and threatening, but his character (again, in the second half of the film) is not strong enough to pose a sense of danger to any of the characters we see in the film.

But... he was amazing in the opening sequence. Without spoiling anything, I thought he was going to be an amazing villain judging by the intro... But sadly that promise wasn't kept.

Out of all the new cast members, I was most excited about seeing Oscar Isaac, one of my favorite actors working today, in a "Star Wars" film. From "Drive" to "Inside Llewyn Davis" to "Ex Machina", Isaac is a very prestigious upcoming talent, so to see Isaac not have a substantial role in the film was rather disappointing, but he brought a lot of on-screen presence that felt like something out of the original trilogy. As Poe Dameron, the most skilled pilot in the Resistance, Isaac was able to bring something that was akin to 

Not only does "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" bring new cast members, but it also brings back our favorites from the original trilogy. Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Peter Mayhew and Anthony Daniels are back as their respective characters and I honestly was impressed with all of them. Ford, unlike most of his recent roles, actually brought a sense of emotion and levity to the film that I was hoping for. He slipped into the character like he never left it to begin with, along with his partner and co-pilot, Chewbacca. But somewhere in the back of my head, I knew that Ford would be able to pull it, so the biggest surprise for me with Carrie Fisher as General Leia Organa. I really had no idea what to expect from her so seeing to step back into Leia's shoes did surprise me for a moment, although it is, only at times, obvious the Fisher hasn't been acting for a while. However, their performances do suffer slightly from the strange shift in character dynamic that the filmmakers have set up for "Star Wars: The Force Awakens". Yes, Han and Leia do have genuine moments in the film, but they also seem a little out of place due to their new relationship. But overall, seeing Ford, Fisher, Mayhew returning as Chewbacca and Anthony Daniels as C3-PO did actually put a smile on my face and their performances did make this disjointed "Star Wars" film a little more familiar.

Without ruining anything from the film: Yes, Luke Skywalker is in the film. Some people were worried he wasn't but I can confirm that he is in the film for sure.

And also Anthony Daniel's C3-PO voice this time around seemed a little different, which sort of came out of left field. It was odd and I can't quite pinpoint what was in fact wrong about it, but it definitely did not sound like his usual voice from the past 6 films.

Ever since we saw this little cute droid from the first teaser trailer, people fell in love with him. As our replacement for R2-D2 in the sequel trilogy, BB-8 is a sassy, emotional and humorous little droid that  was utilized in all the right moments in the film and also was [thank god] never annoying. The filmmakers knew when to use him and when not to use him; unlike George Lucas' attempt at making Jar Jar Binks an important character in the prequels. Without giving away too much, what J. J. Abrams does with this character is what George Lucas did with R2-D2 in "A New Hope". The roles are extremely similar and their purpose for being in the film is to, of course, progress the plot forward, which is not a bad thing. I'm just very happy that they didn't overplay him in the story simply for the kids, so I wouldn't have to get sick of seeing this metallic ball roll around for the duration of the film.

Could we talk about Captain Phasma for a moment please? This isn't really a spoiler but she doesn't do anything in the film. Literally nothing. She stands around and looks amazing, but doesn't deliver on her potential. I wanted to see Gwendoline Christie own that role as one of the first big female baddies in the "Star Wars" [film] universe but, again, the film just glances over at amazing potential and just passes by it.

The screenplay for "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" was written by writer Lawrence Kasdan ("The Empire Strikes Back"), J. J. Abrams and Oscar winner Michael Arndt ("Little Miss Sunshine"), which sounds like a dream come true and thankfully their collective talents brought us back to the magic and wonder of the "Star Wars" universe that we all fell in love with. It's honestly quite amazing to see these 3 gentlemen get together to make this film for us "Star Wars" fans. However, the script contains everything bad and everything good about J. J. Abrams' style of filmmaking as it does lack some of the depth, strength, motivation and hard-hitting questions that the "Star Wars" films are so famous for. It is an action-packed thrill ride that is enjoyable to watch, but I'm still unsure if I can use the word "quality" to describe the film. "The Force Awakens", while having its moment, does not stand on its own as a solo film (pun intended) and suffers from "A New Hope" envy at times. Some of the references to the previous film do feel a little forceful at times, but I know they are done with love and passion so I can't fault J. J. for wanting to pay tribute to his childhood fandom.

J. J., in the past few years, has shown us that he can direct an amazing looking action sequences and that tradition continues here. For the most part, everything in "Star Wars: The Force Awaken" is shot beautifully with intensive care and staging with cinematographer Dan Mindel ("Star Trek" (2009), "Star Trek Into Darkness" and "The Amazing Spider-Man 22") returning to working with Abrams again for the 3rd time. And combining Mindel's camerawork with state-of-the-art special effects (practical and computer generated), the filmmakers gave "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" a sleek, beautiful look that is worthy of the "Star Wars" name. The use of amazing practical effects and real sets was the right decision for this amazing team of filmmakers, which gave "The Force Awakens" a distinctive aesthetic. However, two new characters, played by Andy Serkis and Lupita Nyong'o, were created entirely through motion-capture technology and are very distracting. While Abrams was so adamant about using practical effects in his films, why these two characters couldn't be created through puppetry and/or make-up is still a mystery to me. For a moment, it did feel like I was watching the prequel trilogy, which is honestly the worst insult I can give to this film. Although the scenes involving those two characters are short, they are very distracting and rather noticeable.

For most of us, the most recognizable and iconic things in all the "Star Wars" films is, by far, the music. John Williams' score is, arguably, the most famous film theme song of all-time. Everyone knows the "Star Wars" fanfare and hearing it again as the text crawl comes on screen almost did make me cry in the theater. However, it is unfortunate that the new soundtrack to "The Force Awakens" is honestly quite forgettable, which is hard for me to say. Although the score featured in the film sounds beautifully, it doesn't resonate with me as it did with the original trilogy and, to some extent, even the prequel trilogy. Each "Star Wars" film has a least a few tracks that I find to be emotionally powerful pieces of music but I unfortunately can't pinpoint a single jaw dropping track from this film. However, Williams is getting rather old (83 years old) and since he composed most of my favorite film scores, I will give him a pass for creating a slightly normal or mediocre one.

After having said all of my problems and gripes about the film, most of you may think I actually don't like this film. No, I don't. It's definitely not "Attack on the Clones" or "The Phantom Menace". While the film does have its problems, "The Force Awakens" is a definite return to form for the franchise and opens doors for more interesting stories, compelling villains, and new planets to be explored. Abrams' love for the original films, practical effects and shooting on film instead of digital really does show here in this film and seeing it all come together in a beautifully crafted film is a marvel to behold. Although I have numerous complaints about this film, I do recommend seeing it. "The Force Awakens", while not resonating or powerful enough to be the masterpiece we wanted, is an outrageous fun and entertaining film that we deserved after struggling with the prequel trilogy. I would give the film a 7.5 out of 10 (tied with "Revenge of the Sith" in my opinion).

Go see it in IMAX 3D, Digital 3D and 2D!

Buy tickets now: http://www.fandango.com/starwars:theforceawakens_169229/movietimes

Announcement Trailer "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" For Hits The Web

The magic continues!

The first official announcement trailer for "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" has finally dropped online and, although it doesn't show much, it is already a promising start for this new prequel story. The film has absolutely nothing to do with the characters in the "Harry Potter" franchise, which enables to film to breathe new life into its story, making it feel fresh.

Overall, there's much to talk about here but I can't wait to see this film!

Watch the announcement trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wj1devH5JP4

What's Wrong With "Fantastic Four" (2015) - Review

NOTE: I've just seen the film recently now that I am back in America and it is out on Digital HD so this review is very late. I just wanted to share with you my thoughts on the "Fantastic Four" reboot with this extensive article. Apologies for taking so long to talk about this.

The Fantastic Four. The first superhero team in comic book history, created by Stan Lee along with artist Jack Kirby. They first debuted back in 1961 in their own comic series and ran until this year with issue #645. The Fantastic Four consists of four superhero: Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic), who has the ability to stretch this entire body; Sue Storm (Invisible Woman), Reed's love interest, capable of turning invisible and creating force-fields; Johnny Storm (the Human Torch), Sue Storm's brother who can manipulate fire and fly; and Ben Grimm (The Thing) who has turned into a large stone-like monster. It was because of these four charming individuals that Marvel Comics has turned from a small division of a publishing company to [arguably] the biggest name in the comic book world.

Since 1961, comic books have made their way into the world of cinema with big screen adaptations of "Superman" and "Batman" leading the charge for a new wave of superhero flicks in the 70's and 80's. After "X-Men" and "Spider-Man" revived superhero films from obscurity, with films like "Batman and Robin" and "Steel" almost killing the genre, we've been blessed with dozens up dozens of films that were, for the most part, top quality stuff. The sequels to both "X-Men" and "Spider-Man", "X2: X-Men United" and "Spider-Man 2" respectively, grossed more than their predecessors and were hailed by critics as some of the genre's finest works. Then Christopher Nolan dropped his metaphorical mic with his dark and gritty take on the Batman in an origin story, "Batman Begins", in 2005, which garnered universal acclaim from fans and critics alike. Afterwards in 2008, Kevin Feige of Marvel Studios launched their Marvel Cinematic Universe with "Iron Man" starring Robert Downey Jr. as the titular character. A mere 2 months after "Iron Man" debuted in America to stellar reviews, praising the film's actor, writing and action scenes, Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight", the sequel to "Batman Begins", became one of the highest grossing films of all-time and was the first superhero film to be nominated for a non-technical Academy Award, for Heath Ledger's now iconic performance as Batman's arch-nemesis the Joker. Ever since "The Dark Knight" stunned audiences across the world, film studios were more keen on making superhero films, not just entertaining, but quality films. Rarely did we get a film with the likes of "Superman IV: The Quest for Peace" in the past few years. In our new golden age of superhero films, we did get films like "Green Lantern" or "Jonah Hex" but for every bad comic book movie, we got films like "The Avengers", "Man of Steel", and "X-Men: Days of Future Past" that proved critics and audiences that the superhero genre is meant to be taken seriously.

And now in 2015, we've had an amazing roster for highly anticipated films that included "Star Wars: The Force Awakens", "Avengers: Age of Ultron", "Jurassic World", "Mad Max: Fury Road", "Spectre", "Ant-Man", "Furious 7" and more. In a time when sequels, prequels and reboots are all the rage in Hollywood, filmmakers are trying their hardest to make their entries in their respective franchises memorable and/or great. Because of this, we got films like "Mad Max: Fury Road", which is now being hailed as one of the greatest action films of all-time and has won the National Board of Review Award for Best Film. The days of films like "Independence Day", "Twister", "Godzilla (1998), "Deep Impact", "Die Another Day" and "The Day After Tomorrow" winning at the box office were over, so naturally my expectations for a new "Fantastic Four" film were set to a pretty high standard. A new superhero film reboot with a talented cast and the director of "Chronicle"? What could go wrong? Little did I know that everything that could possibly go wrong went wrong...

Before we begin talking about the new reboot, I'd like to briefly touch upon the 2 previous films that 20th Century Fox produced in 2005 and 2007. "Fantastic Four" starred Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Michael Chiklis and Chris Evans (yes, Captain America) as the titular characters. While Jessica Alba was clearly out of her element in the film, I found that the rest of the cast was pretty solid. Granted they never had nothing interesting to say or do in the film due to bad writing, they were all fairly likable as their respective characters in the films (again, aside from Alba). While the 2007 sequel, "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer", is only a fraction better than its predecessor, the franchise was in need of something fresh. And with Marvel Studios and DC Comics launching their cinematic universes, Fox was clamoring to find a way to throw their hat into the mix with a new reboot.

Now there's no way I can talk about "Fantastic Four" without addressing what happened behind the scenes of this film. After Josh Trank impressed Fox with his directorial debut "Chronicle", which received generally positive reviews and grossed $126.6 million on a $12 million budget, he was tasked to direct the reboot of the "Fantastic Four" with screenwriter Jeremy Slater. Then on October 2013, Simon Kinberg, who produced and co-wrote "X-Men: Days of Future Past", was hired to co-write and produce the film. It appeared that Frank and Kinberg developed the story together and was going for a sci-fi horror type tone, citing David Cronenberg's "Scanners" and "The Fly" as their major influences. After finishing the script, actors Miles Teller, Kate Mara, Jamie Bell and Michael B. Jordan were cast as the Fantastic Four themselves, which was not received well by fans due to their young age. Despite all that, and hearing rumors of Doctor Doom (played by Toby Kebbell) being an anti-social hacker, I stayed optimistic about the film, believing in Josh Trank's company and the studio behind them.

The film began principal photography on May 5, 2014, in Louisiana, and ended on August 23, 2014, lasting for 72 days. However, it was reported that during filming, producers Hutch Parker and Simon Kinberg rewrote Trank's original script and made many other last minute changes, which resulted in a completely different ending to the film. Other reports have been circulating online of Josh Trank's erratic behavior on set, claiming to be indecisive and not communicating with the other filmmakers. Then, on top of all of this, reports of massive reshoots that were made, without Trank's supervision, surfaced; saying that the studio was unsatisfied with Trank's original cut of the film. The reshoots were apparently done under Hutch Parker and Simon Kinberg's supervision; shooting over 40 pages of additional material. These reshoots are... *extremely* noticeable. To a painful degree. One of the most glaring and inexcusable mistakes is what they've done with actress Kate Mara's hair.

Her hair color in the film will switch between her natural hair color (seen on the right) to a very obvious wig (seen on the left) as Kate Mara would enter one scene with one hair color and leave the scene with a different hair color. The same also happens to actor Miles Teller, who's facial hair, at times, changes from scene to scene.

It seems that the film was already facing a million different problems and it wasn't even time to edit it yet. And once editing for "Fantastic Four" began, it was reported that Josh Trank was locked out of the editing room, which would explain why there is almost no sense of coherence in the film's storytelling. It was also reported that 3 major action scenes were cut out due to budget constraints. The scene in the trailer where we see The Thing dive bombing out of a helicopter is no where to be seen in the film, again, most likely due to a lack of production time and budget. Why the scene was put in the trailer, I will never know...

But action scenes weren't the only things that were cut from the film. The first official teaser trailer for "Fantastic Four" indicated that the film will be released in RealD and Digital 3D, however the 3D conversion was scrapped during post production, possibly due to time and budgetary reasons.

In response to the cancelation of the 3D conversion, Trank said that he "want the viewing experience of 'Fantastic Four' to remain as pure as possible for the audience, which means in 2D, just as we shot the movie." Without knowing any of the film's productions problems, it is already strange to see a major motion picture cancelling their 3D conversion plans, especially in a time when 3D ticket sales are at its highest point.

And strangely enough, before "Fantastic Four" was even released to the world, 20th Century Fox has already greenlit a sequel to the film that was originally slated for a July 14, 2017 release date, which is now taken by highly anticipated "War of the Planet of the Apes"; meaning that Fox, at some point, had a decent amount of confidence in the film's chances at the box office.

But as the film's release date came closer and closer, film critics and movie fans were uneasy when it was reported that Fox would not allow critics to see the film until its release. It was also not very reassuring when we heard that even the main cast members haven't seen the final cut of the film until the world premiere on August 4, 2015 in New York City. And to add fuel to the fire, Josh Trank, one day before the film's release, took to Twitter and posted this tweet concerning the final cut of the film:

Although not direct, we can infer a lot from this one tweet, which was soon deleted by Trank (or someone who has access to his Twitter account). After this tweet, fans were left to ponder what really happened behind closed doors on the set of "Fantastic Four". Was Trank forced to give up creative control of this project about a year ago, which resulted in other people tainting his story? Or was he the cause of all of this mess? Unless you worked on set of this film, you will never know. What we do know is that the film lacks in quality because of these numerous production problems as it is beyond messy, with continuity being something that is consistently ignored and the special effects looking like something that was done in the 1990's.

We all would love to see the "real" version of this new reboot (screenwriter Jeremy Slater revealed a lot of what he wrote in the original screenplay was not in the finished product and that the film would've had Galactus, Dr. Doom and Mole Man as the main villains), however we must face reality, like Josh Trank said, and review what we have in front of us.

The film begins in Oyster Bay, New York in the year 2007 as a young Reed Richards (Owen Judge) talks to his fellow classmates and his teacher about his dreams of being "the first person in human history to teleport himself." Naturally, all the kids in the class, including the teacher (Dan Castellaneta), shun his fantastical aspirations. While everyone in the class laughs at Reed, a young Ben Grimm (Evan Hannemann), sitting in the back of the classroom, intently listens to his impossible ideas.

Later that night, when Reed is looking through the Grimm family junkyard, Ben finds him and agrees to help him finish his prototype teleporter. In Reed's garage, the experiment with the machine and successfully teleports a model car to another unknown location.

7 years pass as Reed Richards (Miles Teller) and Ben Grimm (Jamie Bell) presents their completed teleporter at a 48th annual Nassau County Science Fair. The same teacher from the opening scene, along with the science fair judges, disqualifies Richards' machine; calling it a magic trick. However, the invention catches the eye of Dr. Franklin Storm (Reg E. Cathey) and his adopted daughter Sue Storm (Kate Mara). He recruits Reed to his government-sponsored research organization, the Baxter Foundation, to continue his work and to complete the Quantum Gate, a prototype teleporter that was designed by Dr. Storm's former protégé, Victor von Doom (Toby Kebbell).

Already the film's tone switches from being a Spielberg-esque sci-fi drama starring children to a light-hearted rom-com, with Richards flirting with Storm in the Baxter Foundation library (probably one of the most cliche places for young adults to flirt in). Very rarely does this first act have any genuine moments with these characters, and even when the film has a chance to create an interesting dynamic, they completely lose sight of it. For example, when Reed moves into the Baxter Foundation, he is leaving his childhood friend, Ben, behind to become a greater and smarter man. They have a very short good-bye in Reed's new dorm but that could have been a very emotional scene if we got a chance to know these characters more.

Another issue with the film is the portrayal of Victor von Doom. While Kebbell is a more than capable actor to play the part, his anti-social shut-in hacker character is not faithful to the original character. Granted, he doesn't have to be the leader of Latveria, a fictional nation in the Marvel Comics Universe, but at least make him menacing or physically imposing compared to the other members. Here, he just looks like any other Internet hacker and we've seen plenty of those in other films. The writing and direction, not the actor, is to be blamed here.

Anyway, the film continues as Dr. Storm reluctantly recruits his biological son, Johnny Storm (Michael B. Jordan), to complete the Quantum Gate. After Johnny comes into the labs, there is an extensive montage sequence of Reed, Sue, Johnny and Victor working on the gate, and here lies one of my major problems with the film. In another superhero film, "Iron Man", we were able to connect to, not only the character, but to the machines that he built because we were emotionally invested in what he was making. Here, we don't really care about this Quantum Gate. We don't any time to be emotionally invested in this invention. And during this montage, there is a particular shot that looks a heck of a lot more interesting than the entire sequence:

Here is the entire team eating Chinese food, chatting and having a good laugh. Why wasn't this scene extended? Much like the scene in "Avengers: Age of Ultron" where all the superheroes attempt to lift Thor's hammer, there could be a sense of levity here that might have added some interesting character interactions. Because we don't know any of these characters, we are not emotionally invested in anything or anyone (this is a phrase I'll be saying over and over again in this review). With a well written scene of them just talking and being their characters, we can relate to them more and get to know them better so that when certain events down the line occur, there is some emotional weight to it. But this scene that could've been a nice way to get some character interactions going was just completed wasted. Brilliant.

And then there's this bit during the montage...

This hurts me on an emotional level. Reed Richards, the Mr. Fantastic, is taking a selfie with a model of his invention... I just don't know what to say here. Yes, it's nice to see him connecting with Ben with this picture, texting him that he couldn't have done it without him, but again, we aren't invested in their relationship so this scene doesn't feel as sweet or, if this was meant to be comedic, as funny. And Jamie Bell's reaction to the text in the film was cut way too short. We could've had some more insight to what he felt about Reed's new operation. This is the first time that Ben was not a part of this project so wouldn't he bit a lonely that he can't be with his best friend during this big moment in his life? The drama is completely missing from the film and it just keeps on going like nothing ever happened.

During the last segment of the montage, we get a moment of Reed and Sue flirting at the lab as Victor watches from afar with a sad look on his face. Even though his feelings for Sue are hinted at in a previous scene, this moment feels like it's coming out of left field and derails the film entirely. Is it necessary? If you deleted this scene, would it change the film? Not at all. So why include it? I guess they wanted to shoe-horn a romance in this somehow but this is very sloppily done.

After the montage ends, the Quantum Gate is complete as the researchers begin organic testing. They first send a chimpanzee through the gate and it is a success. The chimpanzee safely returns to the lab and they receive visual data from the unknown dimension they named "Planet Zero". Seeing that the project was a success, Dr. Allen (Tim Blake Nelson), one of the Baxter Foundation's supervisors, decides to give the gate to NASA where they will begin sending humans to Planet Zero. Down on their luck, Victor, Reed and Johnny, while drunk, decide that they want to be a part of history and plan to go to Planet Zero without letting Dr. Storm and the others know. 

This may honestly be the only genuine scene in this entire movie. 3 talented actors interacting with each other as their characters, talking about their feelings and what they stand for, instead of just spitting out exposition after exposition. But this scene ends way too quickly and doesn't have good enough writing to sustain itself, rendering it almost pointless. This scene is entirely driven by the charm and likability of these actors.

Before embarking on their mission, Reed calls Ben to come to the Baxter Foundation to join them on their mission. Reed, Ben, Johnny and Victor go through the Quantum Gate and onto Planet Zero, where they discover a mysterious green substance that seems to harness some sort of energy.

When Doom attempts to touch the mysterious green substance, the surface of Planet Zero begins to erupt as the crew desperately tries to make it back to the gate. While Reed, Ben and Johnny make it back, Victor falls into the mysterious substance and is presumed dead.  Meanwhile on Earth, Sue tries to get the crew back to the Baxter lab, but as the gate travels backs to Earth, it explodes and mutates Reed, Ben, Sue and Johnny on a molecular level, giving them superpowers. Once they are all captured by the military, they are sent to a classified base where they are placed under custody and tested.

The 4 members all exhibit the iconic superpowers they are all known for. Reed being able to stretch, Sue being able to turn herself invisible and create force fields, Johnny engulfing his entire body in flames and being able to fly, and Ben turning into a rock-like humanoid creature.

The special effects used on the Fantastic Four themselves are, for the most part, pretty well done. The computer generated The Thing, animated and rendered by the Moving Pictures Company, looks absolutely fantastic. Never before has The Thing looked so life-like in a motion picture.

The fire effects on the Human Torch, also done by the Moving Pictures Company, are also fine. However, I can't honestly tell which of the films did it better, this one or the previous two...

Sue as the Invisible Woman clearly had the easiest effect to achieve, however they don't cheapen it at all. Pixomondo provided the effects for her force fields and invisibility, which are definitely upgraded from the previous two films.

And there's Mr. Fantastic himself... Why did you make him look like actual rubber? I know his main power is to stretch like rubber but why are these effects not rendered properly? Weta Digital, the company responsible for the Oscar-winning effects of "The Lord of the Rings Trilogy" and "King Kong", animated the Reed Richards stretchy effect and... it honestly doesn't look like something that belongs in a post 2010 blockbuster film... Just atrociously bad.

Moving on.

During their containment, Reed is able to squeeze out of his constraints and escapes the base, leaving his other teammates behind. Once gone, Dr. Allen uses this opportunity to begin using The Thing as a government weapon in various covert operations.

An entire years passes as Dr. Allen plans to open the Quantum Gate once again to create an army of super soldiers, after The Thing being a complete success.

Now, here we face another problem. Why did the film just skip an entire year?! The film just cuts to black right after Ben agrees to work with the government and the only bits of information we have of what happened in that year is a title card reading "1 Year Later" and some archival footage of The Thing's missions as Dr. Allen narrates overtime to a boardroom. Hell, the covert operations involving The Thing sounds like a more interesting movie than the one we are already watching. You had so much potential to create new character dynamics and dilemmas with Ben taking orders from the government, but no. The film decides that it wants to skip over everything and explain it through dialogue. Great. Because more expositional dialogue is what this film needed. And in this entire year of plot the film decided to skip through, the other team members are able to control and harness their powers with ease... But just a few minutes prior, they were completely unstable and uncontrollable, so how were Sue and Johnny able to control their new abilities? How long did it take? What have they been doing the whole year in Area 57? None of these important questions are answered, leaving us with only scraps of dialogue and archival footage to work with. This is just sloppy filmmaking.

Anyway, the plot continues to rear is ugly head as Dr. Storm tells Sue that she has to find Reed in order to save everyone from the clutches of the government. Reed, hiding in Central America, is eventually caught by the U.S. military and Ben and is taken back to Area 57.

This scene between Reed and Ben actually does build their characters and their dynamic to a progressive point, which felt natural. There is finally a scene with some genuine emotion and not more dry exposition. It took time to let the film breathe for a moment and let the emotional weight of the story sink in for once.

Once back in Area 57, Reed is soon put back to work by Dr. Allen who wants him to complete the 2nd Quantum Gate in exchange for a cure of some kind for their mutations. He reluctantly agrees and finishes the gate and allows a new team of people to travel to Planet Zero. In the desolate outer-dimension, they come across a deformed Victor, who has somehow fused with the mysterious green substance. Thinking Victor needed medical help, the scientists bring him back to Area 57 for questioning but he quickly escapes and begins exploding... everyone's... heads...

I think we've all heard the complaints by now. "He doesn't look like Dr. Doom!" "He's not menacing enough!" "He looks dumb!" We've all heard them so I don't know what more I can add to this argument. The only thing I can really say is is that this design would be cool and unique if it were in an original sci-fi alien film but this is Dr. Doom! One of the biggest and baddest villains of the Marvel Comic Universe and this thing is the design you went with? Who designed this? Who approved this? There are just so many things wrong with this design, I honestly don't know where to begin.

But as the film progresses, Victor, now going by Doom, sees humanity and Earth as expendable so he plans to destroy the human race to rebuild Planet Zero through a portal energy beam. Before entering through the Quantum Gate, Doom kills Dr. Storm in front of Sue and Johnny as he enters Planet Zero.  Our four main heroes, enraged by the death of Dr. Storm, chase after him through the portal and arrive on the planet.

And here we go... HOW ARE THEY EVEN BREATHING?! THIS IS AN ALIEN PLANET AND THEY CAN JUST BREATHE NORMALLY WITHOUT ANY SPACE HELMETS ON?! Then what was the point of all those containment suits they wore when they first entered Planet Zero? How could they just breathe in this alien atmosphere all of a sudden? I can buy that Doom can breathe and interact with this new environment because his entire body was fused with the alien substance, but how are these 4 still able to breathe on this alien planet?! It's so infuriating! Did the filmmakers not care for logic or common sense when making this film?

Nevertheless, the Fantastic Four and Doom have a very short and generic fight on this desolate planet that you are not emotionally invested in with a blue light shooting up into the sky. We already had "Iron Man" and "Man of Steel" pull off the beaming blue light shooting up into the sky so we don't need more of this odd cliche. The logic of this entire fight sequence, which is actually the only action set piece in this entire film, is just to punch hard and when that doesn't work, punch harder. It really does feel like a 2nd grader wrote this scene.

After some more punches and squabbling, Ben punches Doom right into the portal, disintegrating him. Doom, presumed dead, is stopped as Johnny closes the portal and they all return back to Earth.

Once arriving back in Area 57, they are hailed as heroes and are rewarded with their own military base of operations. It is there that Reed decides that they need a name for there new team, calling themselves the Fantastic Four, after hearing Ben use the word 'fantastic' when describing their new base.

Roll credits.

Well, that was it. Everything wrong with the 2015 reboot of the "Fantastic Four". Now, I'm not going to sit here and say that it was all bad. The four main leads are incredibly likable and talented young actors who embodied their roles with a certain level of dignity and strength. The clear homages to Cronenberg's "The Fly" and other body horror films are also something that most film fans would probably enjoy seeing, which also gave this film a very distinct look and feel to it. However, everything else just does not work. The writing, the directing, the editing, the special effects and the list goes on and on. It's almost amazing how this film even got made after hearing all the project problems its had, but why did it have to be this story? The Fantastic Four deserve a good film and we've been waiting for a long time to see a faithful, entertaining adaptation of the first superhero team ever. Hopefully Fox will revert the rights back to Marvel Studios so that they can take a crack at the iconic 4 and let them join the Avengers in the future.

What did you think of "Fantastic Four"? Fantastic or not fantastic?