Captain America: Civil War

Captain America: Civil War (2015)

After the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron, a new Hero Registration Act splinters the Avengers into opposing factions, led by Captain America and Iron Man.

Bolder and broader than any MCU installment to date, Civil War balances its desire to widen the Marvel canvas with its ability to mostly maintain focus on the two leading heroes. As a stand-alone movie, though, it doesn't quite match its predecessor, Winter Soldier.

Drew's rating: 7/10

Joy

Joy (2015)

Joy (Jennifer Lawrence), a struggling single mother with a knack for creating things, takes her talents to QVC to grab the American Dream by the mop handle in this based-on-a-true-story drama from director David O. Russell (American Hustle, Silver Linings Playbook). Not surprising that it also co-stars Bradley Cooper and Robert Deniro.

My Two Cents: Nothing about this particularly stands out, save for the chemistry between the leads, and we already knew that worked from previous Russell efforts. "Boring" isn't really the right word, but it's the one that comes to mind.

Alternate My Two Cents: Second-best movie that prominently features a mop, behind Weird Al Yankovich's 1989 classic, UHF.

Drew's rating: 6/10

Netflix was Twitter before Twitter

I just realized that the Netflix "$0.02 Reviews" function, which served as the inspiration for this blog more than a decade ago, predated Twitter. I cannot remember what character count it limited you to, but it was somewhere near Twitter's 140.

My first entry came in November 2005, about five months before the now-ubiquitous micro-blogging site debuted (SXSW, holla!). By comparison I sent my first tweet in April of 2009.

The lesson in all of this? Maybe it's: "Less is More."

That was fun!

Four reviews in one day? I'm on a roll.

I think I'll just work my way backward toward New Year's Eve in 2009 when I last updated this blog (before today, of course). When I sort my IMDB ratings from newest to oldest Zack and Miri Make a Porno checks in at No. 245, so this should keep me occupied until about 2021.

And obviously I'll share my thoughts on anything new that comes along... for instance, a certain movie that opens ten weeks from tomorrow (new trailer released today... go watch it!).

St. Vincent

St. Vincent (2014)

Vincent (Bill Murray), a drunken, grizzled Vietnam vet, is the cantankerous old man you don't want as a neighbor. Maggie (Melissa McCarthy) and her young son Oliver find out first-hand when they move in next door. When Maggie enlists Vincent to babysit Oliver in the afternoons she worries about Vincent's influence on Oliver, but the two find they have something to learn from each other.

My Two Cents: If you do not believe that Bill Murray is an American treasure then stop watching movies (and keep your opinion to yourself). He shines as a darker version of some of the characters he's shared with us previously (kind of a Phil Connors-meets-Frank Cross, but with a harder edge and not as dramatic of a 180 degree redemption arc).

Drew's Rating: 8/10

The Danish Girl

The Danish Girl (2015)

Einar Wegener (Eddie Redmayne) lives and works as a painter in 1920's Copenhagen alongside his wife and fellow artist, Gerda (Alicia Vikander). Their lives take a turn when Einar realizes his true nature as a woman - Lili Elbe - and begins a path as one of the earliest known transgendered pioneers.

My Two Cents: Redmayne and Vikander give powerful performances in a film that tackles a topical subject without the sideshow that has accompanied certain contemporary personalities. Its characterization of two journeys - paying equal respect to both Lili and Gerda - provide balance to a compelling story.

My Alternate Two Cents: Alicia Vikander is simply enchanting, and this bohemian portrayal suits her. Behind my wife (I love you, honey!) Ms. Vikander has my current vote as Earth's most beautiful woman.

Drew's rating: 8/10

Further Thought:

I was disappointed to learn that the film largely fictionalizes the real Lile and Gerda.

Battle Royale

Battle Royale (2000)

A school trip goes awry when a group of Japanese students is taken to a remote island where they are pitted against one another in a game of survival that only one of them is allowed to win.

My Two Cents: They only negative here is the unavoidable comparison to the inferior Hunger Games trilogy, which came almost a decade later.* Unless you're too ADHD to read subtitles for two hours. That might also be a negative.

Drew's Rating: 7/10

*The first Hunger Games novel was published in 2008, with the film adaptation following in 2012.

X-Men: Apocalypse

X-Men: Apocalypse (2015)

An ancient mutant (Oscar Isaac aka Poe Dameron) re-emerges in the 1980s with a nefarious plan to wipe out humanity. The X-Men (James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, J-Law, and a dozen or so others) band together, introducing a few new-yet-familiar superheroes, to save the world.

My Two Cents: So. Many. X-Men. I liked the continued origin stories (notably Jean Grey and Cyclops in this iteration), but the "Magneto's inner conflict" bit felt played out three movies ago. He changes sides more often than a WWE character. Isaac's goofy-looking Apocalypse character did not come across as menacing as he should have either.

Drew's Rating: 6/10

Hey, Let's Bring This Back!

Via the IMDB I can see that I have watched (i.e., rated) four new movies in the past few months. Let's review them, shall we?

Show of hands?

I count two hands, but one of them is giving me the finger.

I'm doing it anyway. #blogrebirth