Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)

Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)

8/10

Starring

Harrison Ford

Adam Driver

Daisy Ridley

John Boyega

Directed by J. J. Abrams

Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Star Wars Episode VII) is more than awesome it is moresome. The movie takes its time to introduce us to the new heroes of the galaxy. Finn the rebel storm trooper and Rey the scavenger who is waiting for the return of her parents.

The last addition to this cast is Kylo Ren who is a grandson of Darth Vader and is the new antagonist and like Darth Vader he has a mentor teaching him the powers and advantages of being on the dark side.

The movie blazes through time fast and slick. There isn't any dull moment while I sat through the film with my friend. We found ourselves drawn into the movie by familiar scenes:

1) The destruction of Starkiller quite similar to the destruction of the Death Star

2) Father meet son introduction

This 2015 space opera was directed, co-produced and co-written by J. J. Abrams and it is the seventh installment in the Star Wars film series and the first of an upcoming trilogy. The movie is set approximately 30 years after Return of the Jedi (1983). Luke Skywalker has begun training a new Jedi race until his apprentice turns on him. Luke, the last Jedi, disappears because of the incident.

A new dark side order has risen from the fallen Galactic Empire, they are called The First Order and they seek to eliminate Luke and the Republic.

A group known as The Resistance, backed by the Republic and led by Luke's twin sister, Leia, stand between The First Order and their galactical conquest. But The Resistance are not strong enough to take down The First Order on their own and search for Luke to gain his assistance in stopping this new dark force.

Disney wanted to cash in hard on this movie to recoup their $4 billion purchase of the franchise and Lucas Films so they brought back the old team, Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), Han Solo (Harrison Ford), Chewbacca and the droids C-3PO and R2-D2.

What I appreciated most in this movie is the plot, it is not too restricted for the old faithful that new lovers will not be able to follow. The movie had the awesome Star Wars opening with an introduction note scrolling bringing both new and old Star Wars lovers together on the same page.

Thanks to CGI we get to see awesome and memorable flight scenes with enough explosions, thrill and drama for your sight.

Disney is sure to set a record with this movie for sure, the movie has attained critical acclaim and breaking box office records as the day goes by. You must see this.

Creed (2015)

Creed (2015)

7/10

Starring

Sylvester Stallone

Michael B. Jordan

Directed by Ryan Coogler

Creed (or Rocky VII) is a movie I watched an appreciated. This is a spin-off from the Rocky Balboa movie and it is the seventh movie in the Rocky series the last being Rocky Balboa (2006) nine years ago. The character Rocky is undeniably awesome, when Stallone created this character in his early days struggling to make it big, I can bet you he didn’t believe the movie will get this far.

Stallone has created a boxing character that will stand as one of the most memorable fictional fighter in history. Rocky Balboa “The Italian Stallion” story is a complete rags to riches story with all the needed twist to make it lovable. This movie did respect to the series and in the end we get to see Donnie and a frail Rocky climbing the iconic “Rocky Steps" at the entrance of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The steps we saw him run up way back when he had to take on Apollo Creed, and shadow box while we see the camera spin round him. Now our hero had to walk up the famous steps and taking breaks in-between.

Creed is about Apollo’s illegitimate son Donnie, Donnie is adopted by Creed’s wife Mary and when he had grown he gave up his white-collar job to chase after a dream of being a boxing champion. Donnie approaches his father’s best friend Rocky Balboa, who now runs a restaurant named after his late wife Adrian.  Rocky decides to train Donnie and after Donnie got his first win, he was given a shot at the title because of his surname.

Now Creed has to train to win with an old boxer who is also fighting to stay alive.

Stallone reprises his role in this movie as the famous Rocky Balboa and Donnie Creed was played by Michael B. Jordan. If the name sounds familiar, it should. Jordan was in the crappy, no good for nothing movie Fantastic Four (2015) where he played the Human Torch. To be honest if not for Sylvester Stallone I would not have taken the time to see this movie, but I’m glad I did.

Both Stallone and Jordan stole the show in this movie displaying acting at its best and making sure every scene they were in would stand out memorable.

This may be the last Rocky film the 70 year old Stallone will do and if this is so, I will like to say, “Well done sir.”

The Hateful Eight (2015)

The Hateful Eight (2015)

7/10

Starring

Samuel L. Jackson

Kurt Russell

Jennifer Jason Leigh

Walton Goggins

Directed by Quentin Tarantino

There is nothing wrong with The Hateful Eight, in fact the movie starts strong introducing the characters one at a time. Quentin has a style of developing each characters before the movie's real action gets started, allowing the audience to better identify with the leads.

Here each of the main characters had either an introduction where they had to tell their tale or someone tells it for them explaining to us and the other characters why they are how they are. Add that to the numerous backstories being thrown in the air, what you will notice is that you are in a movie with so much testosterone that it is bound to get ugly very quickly.

The Hateful Eight is Quentin Tarantino’s ninth film set in the post American civil war era with a bad musical score.

The movie’s plot starts with the introduction of John Ruth (Kurt Russell) a bounty hunter who is taking his prisoner Daisy (Jennifer Jason Leigh) to be hanged. On his way he meets another bounty hunter Major Marquis Warren (Samuel L. Jackson) who is also taking his dead prisoners in for a bounty. The Major hitched a ride with Ruth as his horse was in an accident making him stranded in the blizzard.

On their way they meet Chris (Walton Goggins) a Sheriff of Red Rock where both The Major and Ruth were to collect their bounty. The Sheriff's horse too had an accident so he hitched a ride with the other three.

As the blizzard grew worse they stopped off at a cabin where they met 4 other men who were taking shelter away from the blizzard too.

Now we have 8 people together in a cabin, with stories so dark that will make your hair stand. The best part is, seven of them have guns.

The movie masquerades as more of a bounty hunter’s trip with his bounty encountering a series of unfortunate events. To lifting up the mask to reveal straight out violence, dark humor and all round thrilling fun that will make you sit up and enjoy every bit of what Quentin Tarantino has to deliver.

The movie had enough controversy surrounding its release, with Tarantino’s comment at a rally causing some police officers to boycott seeing the movie. Another of Tarantino’s comment about Disney’s bullying, claiming the release of Stars Wars VII: The Force Awakens (2015) will affect his movie sales, as cinema houses are choosing to give Stars Wars VII: The Force Awakens (2015) enough show time during the festive holidays. The other issue of piracy will affect the movie’s performance in the box office, there is a DVD-rip release circulating the internet, which has had more than 300,000 downloads as of the time of writing this review.

The movie has reached critical acclaim. It has been nominated and has won numerous awards. This is a great movie to see, and I suggest you go see it as I consider it one of the best Quentin Tarantino movie out there.