10s Movie Review - Life, Animated

Director: Roger Ross Williams
Genre: Documentary/ Drama/ Animation
Runtime: 89 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: Ron Suskind, Owen Susking, Jonathan Freeman, Gilbert Gottfried, Alan Rosenblatt, Walter Suskind, Cornelia Suskind

Description: A coming of age story about a boy and his family who overcame great challenges by turning Disney animated movies into a language to express love, loss, kinship and brotherhood.

Review: Disney movies form an important part of someone’s childhood, for many people. For Owen, the one “Life, Animated” focusses on, Disney movies were the key to learn how to communicate with the world.
Owen is a kind, talkative toddler when all of a sudden he stops speaking at the age of three. And his developments is behind as well. His parents, Ron and Cornelia, learn that he is autistic. They don’t know what Owen’s future will be like and how they can communicate with him. One thing is certain: Owen loves Disney movies and watches them constantly. The discover that Owen is trying to form his life through the movies and characters and this way also starts talking to his parents again. And for years to follow, they use Disney movies to help him grow up.
When the cameras start following the family, Owen is in his early twenties. And still Disney movies lead him in this world. He bases emotions on scenes from the movies and they help him to open up a new chapter in his life. But now he is an adult, it’s become harder to teach him about things that don’t appear in Disney movies. They always have happy endings. But things like sex or heart ache are hard to understand for Owen.
Owen manages to express in words what autism is and how he has been trapped in his own body. We see him leave his home, to live on his own. A very big step for both Owen and his family. Something that Owen tries to deal with by watching “Bambi” and “The Lion King”. Both movies where the young characters are suddenly on their own.
The documentary is very positive and doesn’t only focus on all the things Owen can’t do. We see him speech about autism and with that we see the proud faces of his parents. As Owen states, many people think people with autism don’t want to make human contact. They want it more than anything, but simply don’t know how to reach them.
What’s also beautiful, are the animated parts of the documentary. It’s a story that Owen wrote, about a boy that became the protector of sidekicks in Disney movies. Because he never feels like the hero himself, he feels like the sidekick.
“Life, Animated” is a beautiful story, a clear portrait full of emotions. It shows us who Owen is. It could’ve been an over-sentimental film, but they kept it very light. Which makes it even better.

Rating: 4,5 / 5

Movie to Look Forward to - July 2019

It's offically summer, so time for some great summer movies. Here are movie to look forward to in July!

July 4th – Spider-Man: Far From Home
Director: Jon Watts
Starring: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jake Gyllenhaal, Marisa Tomei, Jon Favreau, Samuel L. Jackson, Cobie Smulders, Martin Starr
Description: Following the events of Avengers: Endgame, Spider-Man (Tom Holland) must step up to take on new threats in a world that has changed forever.

July 11th – 21 Bridges
Director: Brian Kirk
Starring: Chadwick Boseman, Sienna Miller, JK Simmons, Taylor Kitsch
Description: A disgraced detective (Chadwick Boseman) in the NYPD is given a shot at redemption.

July 11th – Crawl
Director: Alexandre Aja
Starring: Kaya Scodelario, Barry Pepper
Description: A young woman (Kaya Scadelario), while attempting to save her father (Barry Pepper) during a Category 5 hurricane, finds herself trapped in a flooding house and must fight for her life against alligators.

July 17th – The Lion King
Director: Jon Favreau
Starring: Donald Glover, Beyoncé Knowles, John Oliver, Chewitel Ejifor, Seth Rogen, James Earl Jones, Keegan-Michael Key, Billy Eichner, Alfre Woodard
Description: After the murder of his father (James Earl Jones), a young lion prince (Donald Glover) flees his kingdom only to learn the true meaning of responsibility and bravery.

TV Show Review - When They See Us (Mini Series)

Season: Limited Series
Genre: Drama
Number of episodes: 4
Year: 2019
Starring: Assante Blackk, Caleel Harris, Ethan Herisse, Jharrel Jerome, Marsha Stephanie Blake, Marquis Rodriguez, Kylie Bunbury, Aunjanua Ellis, Vera Farmiga, Felicity Huffman, William Sadler, John Leguizamo, Famke Janssen, Joshua Jackson, Niecy Nash, Michael Kenneth Williams, Justin Cunningham, Jovan Adepo, Chris Chalk, Freddy Miyares

Description: Chronicles a true story of a notorious case of five black teenagers who were convicted of a rape they did not commit. Review: The world knows the story of the “Central Park Five”, the five boys (four black, one latino) that were convicted for the rape of a white woman in Central park, New York City in 1989. Director Ava DuVernay retells their story in the four-part series “When They See Us”. After the release on Netflix, it was labeled as ‘the horror film for the black community’. And I understand why, because it’s a tragic and depressing story.
The series opens light hearted, with the daily life of the five boys. Young and innocent, “Fight the Power” by Public Enemy is playing in the background, a group of mostly black teens are hanging in Central Park.
But it’s only six minutes that DuVernay spends on the innocent youth of Antron (15), Kevin (14), Korey (16), Raymond (14) and Yusef (15). Enough to get sympathy for each of them. And that’s when the horror starts for the boys.
In the first episode we see how they boys are taken to the police station, as suspects of a rape. And how the detectives work in selecting the five. We see how they manipulate the boys into saying things they don’t want, pointing to the others as the suspect. They were interrogated for hours, without getting any food, rest or bathroom breaks and without an adult being present. And if they tell the cops what they want to hear, they are promised to go home. For the five boys, lying is the only option, because all they want is to go home.
The second episode focuses on the trial and the verdict. All the testimonies, from all the boys, conflict. And no physical evidence was found to connect the boys to the crime. It’s clear they are all innocent, they didn’t commit the crime. And still they will get convicted. Donald Trump even advertised to bring back the death penalty, especially for these boys.
In the third episode we see how Antron, Raymond, Yusef and Kevin deal with their time in jail and how they are affected by it still when they are released. How hard it is for them to join society again, find a job, start a relationship, their damaged bond with their families. Each of them deal with it differently. For example, Yusef devotes his life to religion. And Kevin, who always was a good boy, eventually becomes a crook because everyone sees him like that anyway. Both the portrayal of the young and adult actors are convincing, touching and strong.
In the final episode, it’s totally focusing on Korey. He wasn’t arrested in the first place, but decided to accompany his friend Yusef when he was picked up. He just happened to be at the police station and the cops decided to use him as ‘the glue to their shaky story’. Since he is the only 16 year old, he is convicted as an adult, instead of being send to a juvenile prison. And he was incarcerated the longest. Korey was abused and molested and spend most of his years in solitary. Jharrel Jerome is the only actor that played both the young and adult version of his character. Impressive performance.
Not only were they convicted for a crime they didn’t commit, they were sentenced for life. Because it scarred them for life. Everyone will always see them as criminals, they won’t be able to get a license or a good job. Relationships will suffer from it. The boys eventually were acquitted for their crimes, but it still feels bittersweet. Because a big part of their life has been taken from them, their freedom was taken from them. And only because cops where seeking justice for a crime and convicted the wrong people who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong place and it seemed convenient.
A series like “When They See Us” is necessary. In a country were black and latino men have more chance of getting into jail than white men, and where Donald Trump has the big stage. The series doesn’t only tell the story of this one case, DuVernay points to the entire justice system. And it’s a realistic fear. People like Linda Fairstein and Elizabeth Lederer ruined a lot of lives because of it.
“When They See Us” is a powerful, heartbreaking, tragic story that everyone should see. They should show it at schools and to people who still think the world is just.

Movie Reviews - Slaughterhouse Rulez

Director: Crispian Mills
Genre: Horror/ Comedy
Runtime: 99 minutes
Year: 2018
Starring: Asa Butterfield, Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Michael Sheen, Margot Robbie, Finn Cole, Hermione Corfield

Description: An illustrious Britisch boarding school becomes a bloody battleground when a mysterious sinkhole appears at a nearby fracking site unleashing unspeakable horror.

Review: Slaughterhouse is an elite boarding school. Boys and girls are prepared for greatness. The old and structured school is about to be confronted with something they could ever be prepare for, when a giant sinkhole appears nearby and unspeakable evil is unleashed.
I think the main reason for most people to watch this film, is that it stars Nick Frost and Simon Pegg and it’s a horror comedy. Sadly enough the two share only one scene together and both don’t have a leading role. But, the scene with them in it, are the best. Pegg and Frost lift the film to a higher level.
The first act is an introduction to the main characters and a build-up to the disaster that is going to happen. And when it all turns to shit, that’s when this film gets funny. And gory, but that’s what I love most about horror comedies.
If the main characters were as fun and interesting as Pegg and Frost’s characters, this film would have been much better. Now it’s still real fun, but they underused their best players.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

Five to Watch - Monster Movies

With “Godzilla: King of the Monsters” rocking it at the Box Office, it’s time to look at more monster movies. And I will only pick those monster movies that I think I better then most people think they are, or maybe you’ve never heard of them. Here are five films I think are not as well-known or deserve more attention. And I think you should definitely give them a shot.

Arachnophobia
A species of South American killer spider hitches a lift to the US and starts to breed and kill. If you weren’t afraid of spiders, you will be after seeing this film. I think it’s one of the most underrated films in the genre, it’s such a strong thriller. And you will see and feel spiders everywhere once you watched “Arachnophobia”. There is going to be a remake, but I don’t see why. This is a perfectly good film.

Rogue
An American journalist is on an assignment in the Australian outback. He, and a group of tourists, encounter a man-eating crocodile while being trapped on a rapidly flooding mud island. The thought of that little island flooding soon, is really scary. Because you know that all those people have to get into the water at some point. It’s not the best acted film and the special effects don’t always convince, but it’s a pretty terrifying film that always keeps me on the edge of my seat.

Slither
A small town is taken over by an alien plague, turning residents into zombies and all forms of mutant monsters. It’s a film directed by James Gunn and one of the better not-so-known horror flicks featuring creatures. It’s pretty gory, yet very humorous.

Lake Placid
A gigantic crocodile is terrorizing residents in Black Lake, Maine. I always watch this movie when it’s on television. It’s entertaining and a movie you shouldn’t take too seriously. And it has Betty White in it, which is always a plus!

Tremors
Natives of a small isolated town, defend themselves against strange underground creatures which are killing them one by one. The film can be compared to “Slither” somehow, a creature feature with humor in it. I love Michael Gross in this film (he’s the dad from “Family Ties”).

10s Movie Review - Mowgli

Director: Andy Serkis
Genre: Action/ Adventure
Runtime: 107 minutes
Year: 2018
Starring: Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Benedict Cumberbatch, Naomie Harris, Eddie Marsan, Andy Serkis, Peter Mullen, Tom Hollander, Matthew Rhys, Freida Pinto

Description: A human child raised by wolves must face off against a menacing tiger named Shere Khan, as well as his own origins

Review: After his parents were killed by tiger Shere Khan, Mowgli is taken in by a wolf pack lead by Akela. Not all animals in the jungle accept Mowgli and as he grows up, he has to work harder to proof himself. As Mowgli gets older, he starts to have doubts about who he is. When Shere Khan announces war between him and the other jungle citizens, Mowgli is forced to live with the people in the village.
In 2016 director Jon Favreau gave us his take on “The Jungle Book”, based on the Disney animation. It had charm, with, adventure and was suited for all ages. Andy Serkis has a different take on the story. It’s still the same basic story. But it’s all a lot darker, has no sing-a-longs and is filled with bloody hunts and has a grim atmosphere. However this is more like the original source material, the novel by Rudyard Kipling, it never convinces completely.
What made “The Jungle Book” so great were the visuals. And although “Mowgli” looks good too, the animals and the special effects aren’t always that great. The somewhat wooden computer animations really don’t work well. And what was the least interesting part of the animation from 1967? Were Mowgli meets the other people. And that’s a big part of this film.
The voice cast is amazing though. Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett and Benedict Cumberbatch were chosen perfectly for their roles. And that the film choses a different path then its predecessor is also a good choice. Too little, too late is definitely the case for “Mowgli”.

Rating: 3 / 5

Movie Reviews - Godzilla: King of the Monsters

Director: Michael Dougherty
Genre: Action/ Adventure/ Fantasy
Runtime: 132 minutes
Year: 2019
Starring: Vera Farmiga, Kyle Chandler, Millie Bobby Brown, Charles Dance, Ken Watanabe, Sally Hawkins, Thomas Middleditch, Aisha Hinds, David Strathairn, O’Shea Jackson Jr.

Description: The crypto-zoological agency Monarch faces off against a battery of god-sized monsters, including the mighty Godzilla, who collides with Mothra, Rodan, and his ultimate nemesis, the three-headed King Ghidorah.

Review: In 2014 Mark and Emma’s son was killed in the disastrous fight between Godzilla and two MUTO’s. in flashbacks we see how their daughter Madison did survive and how Mark left the family to try and cope with the death of his son. Emma on the other hand, works for the Monarch, a zoological agency that shows high interest in Titans. A groups a creatures that Godzilla is a part of. When she is in the middle of awakening Mothra, eco-terrorist Jonah Allen enters the room.
“Godzilla: King of the Monsters” is one giant spectacle. There is hardly any room to breathe, because it’s constant action. And it all looks amazing. It’s a visual treat.
Even though this film is mostly about the monsters, there is a moral to the story: restoring the natural balance. And although Emma and Jonah are portrayed to be the ‘bad guys’ of some sort, I really think they have a point. Emma’s drive and motivation for what she is doing makes sense strangely enough.
The audience’s biggest complaint about “Godzilla: King of the Monsters”, is the characters. They have no depth and are disposable. Well people, they are not what’s important in this film. The focus is supposed to be on Godzilla and the monsters. Off course the people should be somewhat interesting as well. And I find Emma and Jonah both a very interesting characters. The rest is indeed not that special. But if you’re a Godzilla fan, you don’t care about the characters and you get exactly what you want: Godzilla!!!
The cast is very talented. Vera Farmiga, Kyle Chandler, Millie Bobby Brown, Ken Watanabe and Charles Dance. All very solid. Nothing really noteworthy.
“Godzilla: King of the Monsters” is a good sequel to 2014s “Godzilla”.

Rating: 3,5/ 5