The Disaster Artist (2017)

The Disaster Artist (2017)

7/10

Starring

James Franco

Dave Franco

Directed by James Franco

It is not everyday you get to watch and enjoy a biographical comedy/drama film of the worst movie ever made. The Disaster Artist is a true-life story based on a non-fictional book of the same name by Greg Sestero and Tom Bissell.

The book and this movie (which share the same name) is about the production of Tommy Wiseau’s The Room (2003).

The Room is popular as being tagged the worst movie ever made, and that tag has turned the movie to a profit. Upon its initial release the movie clinched on $1,800 from the box office based on a more than $6 million production budget. After the bashing of the movie, it has since then become a movie everyone wants to watch or has seen and like said above sold out in many evening screenings turning to a profit.

Now this biographical film starts from where Tommy Wiseau the stranger from nowhere, his existence on this earth is better known to him and his near insatiable wealth is also a mystery and has remained one. Tommy met Greg at an acting class, when Greg approached him for some acting lessons as Tommy no matter how bad he was at speaking and acting, was never shy to go up and do his lines.

Tommy being weird and off, made friends with Greg and invited him to come along with him to Los Angeles where Tommy has a home, for them to give their acting careers a chance.

This journey went well, but the purpose was lost for both actors. After numerous rejections Tommy wanted to give up, but Greg talked Tommy out of giving up and a comment about if it was only possible for them to make their own movie, gave Tommy an idea.

Tommy decided to make his own movie, a movie he will finance all by himself, write, produce, star in the leading role and direct.

This begun the huge financial investment for this movie, which turned out to be one crazy ride filled with sadness, discomfort and all form of weirdness as the movie picks up and ends.

The movie premiere was attended by the entire cast and crew, to the surprise of Greg himself who had distance himself from Tommy after the movie production was over.

This movie (The Disaster Artist) was produced, directed and starred James Franco as Tommy Wiseau with his brother Dave Franco as Greg Sestero. James Franco’s acting in this movie is worthy of recognition.

The movie is worth seeing as it has begun collecting the needed accolades for its work.

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017)

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017)

6/10

Starring

Dwayne Johnson

Jack Black

Kevin Hart

Karen Gillan

Nick Jonas

Directed by Jake Kasdan

A much different take from the first movie that I can tell you.

The actors here are all well-trimmed for the role they played (not saying they performed than the ones in the first), and their reactions and characterization will leave you anticipating when they will be in the position to show forth such magnificent acting again. All together with the script and the production I feel the movie is just a little above the bar of mediocrity for me.

We remember the first Jumanji done in 1995 and starring the Late Robin Williams, this movie is a standalone sequel to that and payed tribute to Williams as his character Alan Parrish home for twenty-six (26) years in the game was shown, with his name engraved on it.

What is this movie all about?

This standalone sequel is also based on the children’s book Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg and it is the third installment in the Jumanji franchise (the second named Zathura: A Space Adventure (2005) which is also based on a Allsburg children’s book, it is not worth remembering or seeing.)

The movie had this similarity to the first, in the beginning a young man picked up the game this time the board game changed itself to a cartridge for the user to be able to play on his gaming console. The new user named Alex Vreeke slotted the game into the gaming console and was sucked into it. Twenty Years later, a bunch of high school kids were all placed on detention together when they came across the game.

The group plugged the game and had to select characters on the screen, the moment the game starts they are sucked into it and their high school bodies were transformed to the various characters they selected when they tried to play the game.

Now they are in the game for real, with three lives and must overcome many obstacles, find the treasure, defeat the boss of the game and complete the main task to get back home.

The main challenge to this plot was not just the three lives each had, which was fun to see how each lost their lives, but the change in body had nothing to do with each one’s real persona. This was a challenge to them and they had to learn to adapt to these new characters as those characters had the strengths needed to complete the game.

The movie is not bad to see with the kids who will more than enjoy this movie, but do not be expecting much than a above average script with good acting performances.
A sequel was done in 2019 called, Jumanji: The Next Level.

Paddington 2 (2017)

Paddington 2 (2017)

7/10

Starring

Hugh Bonneville

Sally Hawkins

Hugh Grant

Ben Whishaw as Paddington

Directed by Paul King

After Paddington is convicted and sent to jail the movie starts to test you, the test is how hard can you hold yourself from falling while laughing as Paddington clumsy his way through prison.

We see him adjust with some help and transform the prison using his regular Aunt Lucy teachings to make everyone a little nicer.

Paddington 2 is a live-action/CGI animated comedy film and it is full of the same characters from the first movie [Paddington (2014)] and some new additions many of whom you will love to see, one of which was Hugh Grant and his character was very much enjoyable.

Here, Aunt Lucy is going to be a hundred (100) years old and Paddington wants to get her a present and he has his eyes set on a unique pop-up book of London in Mr. Gruber's antique shop. The reason he wants this is because Aunt Lucy has always wanted to visit London, so he wanted to take London to her. The price for the book is much expensive than Paddington could spare, and he had to get odd jobs to raise money for the book.

On his way home one evening after being busy working through the day, he made a detour to the antique shop to look at the book through the window, when he spots a thief breaking into the shop. Paddington of course goes after the thief, but in doing so he too had to get into the shop and out chasing the thief who latter evaded him.

The whole incident triggered the alarm and alerted the police, but Paddington was the only person standing there. He told them he was innocent and mentioned the thief he saw, but his paw prints and marmalade stains were the only evidence at the scene and was all they needed to put poor Paddington away.

The Brown’s believed Paddington and took on the task of trying to locate the criminal, the only challenge the faced was he happens to be a master of disguises.

The Paddington films are fun family movies set in a fictional world where an anthropomorphic bear migrates from the jungles of darkest Peru to the streets of London. The movie is based on the stories of the character Paddington, from a children's book of the same name created by Michael Bond.

I will advise you to take the whole family out to go see this movie and Mr. Curry played by our beloved twelfth Doctor, Peter Capaldi (of the Doctor Who series) is still available to hate on Paddington and drive the whole community together to go save and clear his name.