Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)

Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)

6/10

Starring

Alden Ehrenreich

Woody Harrelson

Emilia Clarke

Danny Glover

Directed by Ron Howard

The new Star Wars movie, Solo: A Star Wars Story is not bad (it is nothing compared to 2016's Rogue One), and I urge anyone who hasn’t taken the time to go see it to do so. The movie depiction of the life before Han Solo joined the Rebellion is not something hard to envision and the CGI plus the universe we get to fly through is nothing but amazing.

It is the second Star Wars anthology films following 2016's Rogue One. The movie is a stand-alone installment in the Star Wars franchise and it is set before the events of A New Hope (1977).

We get to experience the early adventures of Han Solo (Alden Ehrenreich), how he met Chewbacca and how he was able to acquire the Millennium Falcon from young Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover).

The movie’s main plot is very easy to share, Han was always a rebel by heart and he wanted to get out from under the powers that keep him from being free. One escape attempt gone wrong left him seperated from his childhood sweetheart Qi’ra (Emilia Clarke).

He joined the forces with one goal in mind, make enough money to get a ship and go back and save his love. But things didn’t go the way that Han wanted quickly, and time didn’t standstill for Qi’ra either as she waited for him. Soon their paths cross in the future and a lot has changed between the two.

The movie had a great musical score, impressive acting by the cast and it will take you by surprise in some places and somethings will be very much expected. It helps to fill in the gap for those who do not follow the Star Wars franchise as I noticed from those with me, on how the Rebellion span many planets and on how they were able to fund such a huge rebellion force to start with.

For those who follow the franchise the movie didn’t add anything new and the movie’s up and down pacing can be exhausting, it was like Disney wanted to make sure the movie was over two hours long.

With that said, the argument has been should Disney have even bothered?

When it comes to money we should not mistake the urge to make more money with that of maintaining a steady franchise. Back to the Future maker Robert Zemeckis wants to maintain the authenticity of the franchise, that is why he has not agreed to let the movie be remade. Disney, who we know is making a live-action adaptation of all their renaissance animation is looking to make more money.

The movie faced some challenges getting on the screen when the direction duo of Phil Lord and Christopher Miller were fired due to creative differences. Ron Howard took up the role to finish up the quarter of the movie left.

Due to reshoots and others the movie budget cost Disney at least $250 million in production alone. If this movie breaks even in the box office, Disney will continue in their production of more stand-alone Star Wars movies. If it doesn’t, Disney may have to retract a little and look for a more appealing tale to spin off, giving the stand-alone movies one more try.

I did enjoy this movie for what it is and what it brought to the table and I can arguably say it is not the worst Star Wars movie in franchise and It is one movie you will enjoy seeing if you take your time to do so.

Pacific Rim 2: Uprising (2018)

Pacific Rim 2: Uprising (2018)

3/10

Starring

John Boyega

Scott Eastwood

Jing Tian

Cailee Spaeny

Directed by Steven S. Deknight

The first question will be, how great was the first Pacific Rim (2013) movie?

I recall it coming out during the time of remakes and superhero movies. There was nothing unique happening in the box office so the first Pacific Rim movie which was directed by Guillermo del Toro was it, the new thing and I for one didn’t like it.

I now have a different view and respect for the first Pacific Rim (2013) movie as this second one, released five years after the first, is worse.

This movie just packs into it a long take off time and a delayed middle to give us an ending that was so silly and nonproductive that, I feel so sorry for the people who had to sit through this with me.

What did this movie had to offer?

The answer to that will be nothing. The movie had nothing to give in excitement, ingenuity or even acting. They tried to do some hero not get a girl thing in the movie, by changing the ending to a cliché tale. We all know the tale of guy leaves the force to go enjoy his life, he is back in and his partner is upset with him. Then there is a girl, they now decided to spice that up by not letting the lead get her in the end.

 

The movie is so predictable, I wished I could just skip though some parts, it was easy to guess how some events were going to be, or the sex of some characters before they are even shown.

Ok, remember the first movie and how it ended?

Well, some additional things have happened, and this movie beginning fills you in. Then the movie introduces the lead a former Jaeger pilot called Jake (John Boyega) who now spends his day stealing Jaeger parts and selling it on the Black Market.

Based on some series of events, which I will not like to spoil for you he met a young girl, and both were caught as they attempted to get away from a yard, after stealing some Jaeger tech.

To not end up in jail, they were drafted into the Jaeger squad he told to get back into his pilot uniform and she sent to be a cadet.

Things started to go crazy as a company called Shao Corporations are creating hybrid drones of Kaiju-Jaeger machines, which they plan on releasing to end the who Jaeger double pilot program.

Things get out of hand when the drones started having a mind of their own and refuse to listen to commands and were trying to kill the pilots and cadets of the Jaeger program.

Further investigations later revealed that the problem was man made, and a human is behind this.

This new addition ended with links created to a third movie. The first movie didn’t do so well in the box office and this directorial debut of Steven S DeKnight, well seems to have not broken even in the box office.

The movie did have the much fun you can have when it came to Kaiju vs Jaeger, but to me this franchise needs to have not spawn a second part, not to mention of the hopes the makers were having that it will lead to a third one.

Do save yourself the trouble.

Gringo (2018)

Gringo (2018)

6/10

Starring

David Oyelowo

Charlize Theron

Joel Edgerton

Amanda Seyfried

Thandie Newton

Directed by Nash Edgerton

Gringo is one movie that does not have the necessary ratings for many to go see it. This dark comedy will go under the radar of many, but I can safely say it should not go under yours.

The movie is a dark comedy with some overly silly characters and overly wicked ones. The movie’s idea of a blackmail gone wrong is extremely interesting to watch. It’s ending is just simple, with not too much complexity and for me this is how movies should always end, simple – no need for the guy to get the girl or anything like that.

What is Gringo about?

First the movie has many metaphors about animals that can be really annoying, which was the idea as our lead Harold/Harry (David Oyelowo) seems to always be at the end of one, until he too got pissed of it.

Harry is the regular guy, who does his work and does the right thing, but gets run over, this whole movie is how Harry managed to survive all this.

Harry works in a company which makes medical marijuana, but the company have devised a way to turn medical marijuana it into pills, and still give the same effect. This idea of turning it into pills has made the company rich and ripe for takeover by bigger pharmaceutical companies.

Now, many shady things are happening in the company especially at its factory located in Mexico, which Harry the operations guy oversees. A big company has shown interest in merging with Harry’s and the owners (Harry’s Boss) Richard (Joel Edgerton) and Elaine (Charlize Theron) decided to go to Mexico and straighten out somethings.

Harry is a friend of Richard, and Richard hired him because he needed someone who would not ask many questions and will look the other way while many funny things went down. Harry was the man for the job, as he looked wherever Richard pointed and never asked any questions. Until he found out about the merger through his accountant who was also warning him also about his pending financial problems at home. Harry’s wife was draining the roof out of Harry’s account and he is now in debt.

Harry shocked by both news, decided to face up with Richard and ask about a merger rumor and what will happen to him in this merger. Richard lied to him about any merger while he continued the merger plans.

When in Mexico where Richard and Elaine wanted to clean up the shady things in the factory, Harry found out that the merger was true, but then also found out that his wife was leaving him. Now unhappy and not knowing what to do, Harry decided to kidnap himself and ask his company to pay a ransom.

That idea was not a good one, as unknown to Harry the people that his company was dealing with illegally in Mexico, are aware that he runs operations in the company and since Richard and Elaine wants to cut ties with them, they have sent men to kidnap Harry.

Now Harry has kidnapped himself, some men are trying to kidnap him and his company has decided not to pay the ransom he asked when he kidnapped himself. Instead Richard hired a mercenary to go see if he can save Harry or maybe just kill him.

You must see this movie as many things keep happening that will make you wonder how everything will make sense in the end, but somehow the writers managed to tie up all the loose ends (well not all).

David Oyelowo’s acting was great and so was that of Charlize Theron.