My Day with Film (Monday, 12/19/16)

Monday, 12/19/16

Dear Diary,

I'm sorry that it's been a couple of days since I've written. 'Twas a busy weekend! I tried to keep up by tweeting and retweeting a lot of cool things I noticed online. I saw ROGUE ONE for a second time, yet it did not change my initial feelings towards the film as a whole. 

This morning, I finished this season's viewing of the perennial cult classic SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT. Based on the poster, you can probably guess what this movie is about. A traumatized young man dressed as Santa Claus goes on a Christmas Eve rampage across his town, snuffing out any and all semblances of naughtiness. SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT is most famous for the controversy surrounding it. Upon its release in 1984, no horror film had made a villain out of Santa Claus. That, combined with the film's graphic death scenes, prompted critics, politicians and concerned parents across the country to call for the film's swift ban, as well as the heads of both producer Ira Barmak and director Chuck Sellier, Jr. Among horror aficionados, SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT is most famous for containing one of the all-time great slasher movie deaths - a topless Linnea Quigley impaled on a mounted buck's antlers. Earlier this year, I picked up Anchor Bay's "30th Anniversary Edition" Blu-ray for an extremely low price. This is the complete uncut version of the film and is the only copy I've ever seen. Apparently, the master used for this Blu-ray disc was compiled from both an incomplete HD master and a VHS composite. At several moments, the "high-def" footage gives way to early-VHS-quality video. It's a bit jarring, and one could argue that it ruins the impact of one or two kills, but for me, it reinforces the film's low-budget charm. I can see why this is a cult classic, and just this year, it's become a fun guilty pleasure for me. Not recommended for children, the squeamish, or concerned mothers.

Industry news I saw today noted that ROGUE ONE made about $150 million in North America over the weekend. Worldwide cumulative estimates were just above $290 million. Perhaps unsurprisingly, COLLATERAL BEAUTY, the ensemble melodrama led by Will Smith, struggled to hit pay dirt. Read more about the weekend's box office totals at BoxOfficeMojo.com.

Speaking of ROGUE ONE, director Gareth Edwards spilled to Radio Times that he found some unused footage from A NEW HOPE that made it into the final cut of the new film. Industrial Light & Magic cleaned up the aging celluloid, and Edwards then used it hoping that eagle-eyed fans would appreciate it and that less discerning audiences wouldn't notice. I won't post spoilers for ROGUE ONE on this blog, so if you want to find out exactly which footage was used, read here.

We also got a couple of insanely awesome new teaser trailers today! These two sub-2-minute clips may have singlehandedly rescued me from my cynicism towards the just-passable trailers of the past several weeks, including THE MUMMY and WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES. 

First we got an all-new look at JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 2, and it looks terrific. The last film was a pleasant surprise with franchise potential that nobody saw coming, and the sequel looks to build on that in a valuable way. I can't wait!

Then we got our very first look at BLADE RUNNER 2049! I was skeptical at the idea of a sequel to BLADE RUNNER, but once Warner Brothers confirmed all the talent involved, I grew more receptive to it. This teaser damns skepticism to hell and may just be the best of this year. It shows just enough to make us excited but not so much that any aspects of the plot are given away. I could watch it a million times.

As I wrote this post and finished some other work for the day, I put on Criterion's disc of Terence Malick's THE THIN RED LINE. This is one that's been sitting on my shelf for several months, and I finally got around to it. Such a magnificent film.

Lastly, I'm ending my day with a screening of the new sci-fi romance film PASSENGERS. Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt have been tearing it up on the press junket for this movie, so hopefully it lives up to the hype.

Until tomorrow, 

BC

"Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" Review

It's here folks. It's finally here, which means 2016 can officially end. Rogue One is out there now, and all can be right with the world...

Rogue One represents the first of Disney's attempts to milk the traditional Star Wars timeline for everything it's worth, hence the subtitle "A Star Wars Story" rather than "Episode VII" or even "Episode III.V." As such, the film is also the first in the franchise to begin without an opening crawl. The audience in my screening was so confused when John Williams' classic theme wasn't the first thing they heard. Don't let that ruin the experience for you. Despite several dubious creative choices that may have completely collapsed a non-Star Wars film, Rogue One is still the movie that fans have been waiting nearly 35 years to see.

In the grand scheme of things, Rogue One really serves no worthwhile narrative purpose to the franchise. It's a 2.5 hour movie about the team of rebels that stole the structural plans to the Death Star, as hinted at in the original film's opening crawl.

In truth, it's a 2.5-hour movie about the reason why the Death Star had but one structural flaw that could be exploited with a perfectly placed torpedo from an X-Wing. By the nature of this film attempting to fit into a pre-existing timeline, its stakes are diminished. We've been watching its "sequel" for 40 years; we know how the story of Rogue One ends.

Ironically, it's this film's final thirty minutes that are the most exciting.

Director Gareth Edwards (2014's Godzilla) stages some of the most harrowing set pieces that the franchise has ever seen. The confrontation between Rebel and Imperial forces on the beach planet Scarif has Saving Private Ryan vibes. The Stormtroopers still have terrible aim, but the violence manages to be visceral on a level not seen in a Star Wars movie before. I hesitate to say any more about it so as to avoid spoilers. I'll just say that Dunkirk may be the perfect trailer to show before this film.

To be completely honest, other than the stellar climax, the narrative has astonishingly little else going for it. The film's opening looks and feels like something out of a David Lean film, courtesy of Greig Fraser's franchise-best cinematography. For the following hour and a half, the film grinds almost to a complete halt. Star Wars hasn't been this dry since Hayden Christensen's monologue about sand in Attack of the Clones. There are some shootouts peppered here and there to try and spice things up, but it doesn't really matter when you have trouble finding a reason to care for many of the main characters. The only ones who saved it for me were Donnie Yen as the blind master Chirrut Imwe, Ben Mendelsohn as the villainous Imperial general Orson Krennic, and Alan Tudyk as K-2SO, a reprogrammed Imperial escort droid. Think of him as Chewbacca in droid form if Chewy could crack wise in English. Yen is the character with the strongest Force powers and thus the movie's greatest badass. Seeing his blind character walk through a no-man's-land of blaster fire and kick the crap out of Stormtroopers with his staff never gets old. As for Mendelsohn as Krennic, well, this is Ben Mendelsohn we're talking about. He's a worthy addition to the canon of Star Wars bad guys.

Speaking of which, yes, HE returns and, out of a couple appearances, has one of his coolest, most terrifying moments ever. The moment in question is easily one of the film's best sequences. Hopefully you'll recognize it when you see it.

I thought Felicity Jones and Diego Luna were an absolute bore. They lead the film as Jyn Erso and Captain Cassian Andor respectively. They have almost zero chemistry, and their dialogue, rarely ever spoken above a whisper, has all the urgency of drying paint.

Perhaps Rogue One's most egregious sin, however, is Edwards' decision to use CGI for a couple of important supporting characters so as to shoehorn their place into this quasi-"prequel" narrative. If this wasn't a Star Wars film, I would have walked out. It nearly turns Star Wars into Who Framed Roger Rabbit?  One character has far too much screen time while the other only makes a fleeting appearance. If you're a fan, you'll probably geek out for a second and then cringe. These characters look incomplete and totally unpolished, as though their scenes were re-shot and added to the finished product no earlier than a week before release. In the pantheon of Star Wars's kooky CG creations, I know where I'd rank them. I'll leave it to you, dear viewer, to decide which side of Jar Jar Binks to place them on.

In the end, Rogue One proves to be yet another journey to a galaxy far, far away that's worth taking. It's more in-sync with the original films than The Force Awakens and earns major points for being a distinctly original Star Wars narrative that still fits into the same timeline. Some of Edwards' creative decisions are dubious to the brink of catastrophe, but the film never totally crosses that line. If you were disappointed by Episode VII last year, and the word "prequels" makes you vomit in your mouth a little bit, then Rogue One may just be the Star Wars movie for you.

B

My Day with Film (Wednesday, 12/14/16)

Wednesday, 12/14/16


Dear Diary,

Since I last wrote, the first full trailer for Chris Nolan's DUNKIRK arrived online! It looks pretty awesome.

Is that Harry Styles I see in there? He actually looks like a human being! And Tom Hardy as an attack pilot?! Way cool. Allegedly, some IMAX screenings of ROGUE ONE around the country get to see the prologue of DUNKIRK projected from 70mm film. Unfortunately none of the theaters near me are lucky enough to have that. 

Also since writing yesterday, I saw that Alan Thicke died tragically at the age of 69. I heard he was out playing hockey with his son and had a heart attack. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and with anyone else who was close to him. I used to love GROWING PAINS. With only about two weeks left, it'd be cool if 2016 could spare the rest of the greats. 

In the gym earlier this afternoon, I heard "Shake Ya Tailfeather" from the BAD BOYS II soundtrack over the PA system. I nearly forgot how hard that song is. Instantaneously cranked my workout to the next level. 

Then after my workout I went to see OFFICE CHRISTMAS PARTY. Some of the antics rival PROJECT X from a couple of years ago, but overall it isn't quite as memorable. It would've been a hoot to see the all-star cast go totally off-the-wall to deliver something as gleefully unhinged as PROJECT X or the first HANGOVER. They come close but never quite get there. Perhaps the saddest thing of all is that the movie just isn't that funny. Jason Bateman, Jennifer Aniston, T.J. Miller, Olivia Munn, and Kate McKinnon have all delivered sidesplitting work in the past. I can't believe they couldn't push the envelope just a little bit more with this cast. There's a loose plot involving the Chicago branch of a data security company getting the sack unless they find a way to secure a big contract before everyone leaves for the holidays. So, they invite an important client (THE PEOPLE VS. O.J. SIMPSON's Courtney B. Vance) to their office Christmas party with the hope that he'll experience their culture firsthand and choose to work with them over the likes of Dell and Oracle. Holiday hijinks ensue. If you haven't seen this one yet, wait until next Christmas after it hits Redbox. 

I saw on Twitter today were that the nominees for this year's SAG (that's "Screen Actors Guild) Awards were announced. You can check the list out courtesy of Variety. The big surprises that everyone's buzzing about are Viggo Mortensen's well-deserved inclusion in the race for Best Actor race for his turn in CAPTAIN FANTASTIC and Emily Blunt's Best Actress nomination for THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN. Many are calling Blunt's nomination "the shock of the year" as she beat out the likes of ELLE's Isabelle Huppert and 20TH CENTURY WOMEN's Annette Bening who, up to this point, were two favorites to contend for the Oscar. I've yet to see ELLE or 20TH CENTURY WOMEN, but they can't be any worse than THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN. Blunt's performance is okay but certainly not worthy of any major awards.

Another big thing I saw was that the first trailer for BLADE RUNNER 2049 is imminent. It will run exactly 98 seconds (the significance of that number, I'm not sure) and could be online as early as Sunday or Monday. If you ask me, it'd be smart for Warner Brothers to piggyback on ROGUE ONE. Aside from DUNKIRK I'm unaware of any other major blockbuster teases for opening weekend. BLADE RUNNER appeals to the same general demographic as STAR WARS, so why not? Maybe the hype of everything mushed together - DUNKIRK, STAR WARS, AND BLADE RUNNER - would just be too much. We'll see.

The last two news stories I noticed were that ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK's Ruby Rose is in talks to join PITCH PERFECT 3, and DOCTOR STRANGE was the highest grossing film in America during the month of November, raking in an estimated $222 million. According to Box Office Mojo, Marvel's latest has earned just under $650 million worldwide so far.

I'm concluding my day with a very special digital IMAX 3D screening of ROGUE ONE. I couldn't be more stoked! I watched A NEW HOPE and part of THE FORCE AWAKENS last night because the hype was just too real. I also wanted the context and nuances of the original fresh in my mind before going into this one. Hopefully I'll get even more out of it that way. I wanted to play more STAR WARS: BATTLEFRONT beforehand because there's new DLC that just came out, and I've played maybe five minutes of it. It's got maps and heroes inspired by the new film. Maybe I'll play a game or two after I get home. 

I will type up my full review and share it tomorrow so that anyone going to the first shows can be informed. I promise to be as spoiler-free as possible! 

Until tomorrow,

BC

My Day with Film (Tuesday, 12/13/16)

Tuesday, 12/13/16


Dear Diary,

The big news story of the day is that the embargo lifted on reviews for ROGUE ONE and COLLATERAL BEAUTY. Everyone around the internet is scrambling to either avoid spoilers or find out as much as they can before going in. Why on Earth would you do that??

I got some words down about Will Smith's latest which can be read here. Thoughts on ROGUE ONE will be coming this week after I see it. I should have something out in time for everyone planning to attend screenings over the weekend.

As I sat down to write my thoughts about COLLATERAL BEAUTY, I also thought about when I should review MANCHESTER BY THE SEA now that I've seen it. I don't think I'm going to on the blog, and here's why:

Full disclosure - I've had a bit of a hard time this year finding a steady job. I've been a college graduate for a year now, and I'm still trying to carve out a direction for myself going forward. If I could make a living writing about movies and podcasting all day, I'd do it in a heartbeat. That's part of what I hoped to accomplish with these daily diary entries. I believe, and other people around me have said (unless they're just being nice), that I have a unique perspective, and people have gravitated towards that. My audience, however big or small, is still an audience, and I love all of you for reading, listening to and supporting me over the past couple of years. I am going to continue writing as much as I can, but I need to buckle in and focus on starting a career. That said, I don't think I'll be reviewing anything aside from brand-new or early releases. That is, if I can have something available to you during the first weekend of release, I'll do it. Otherwise I'm going to focus my attention elsewhere.

The Reel Movies Podcast will continue, and I should have the last episode of 2016 out next week. I'm not giving up; just simply shifting priorities.

I will simply say that MANCHESTER BY THE SEA is magnificent and, I think, one of the finest American-made dramas of the past 20 years. Casey Affleck is as good as you've heard playing a man stuck in arrested development who suddenly finds himself as the guardian to his nephew after the boy's father dies. Michelle Williams has a small, relatively thankless role that doesn't blossom into anything particularly memorable until she confronts Affleck's character one last time before the ending. The kid, Lucas Hedges, deserves every "Breakout performance" award coming his way for his role as young Patrick. I'll probably have more to say on a future podcast episode, so stay tuned, or feel free to discuss with me on social media.

The next big thing I've seen today is a new poster for TRANSFORMERS: THE LAST KNIGHT, courtesy of Michael Bay and Paramount Pictures.

Apparently last week's trailer debut was one of the most successful of the social media era, garnering over 200 million views in under 7 days. It's pretty impressive that half of those views happened within the first 36 hours of the trailer's release.

It seems that as much as everyone loves to shit on Michael Bay and the TRANSFORMERS movies, the market for them is insatiable.


Until tomorrow,

BC

My Day with Film (Monday, 12/12/16)

Monday, 12/12/16


Dear Diary,

I woke up this morning and scrolled through my Twitter feed, as I do just about every day. Turns out, today is when the Golden Globe nominations are announced! You can check out the full list of nominees here courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter. To the shock of no one, LA LA LAND and MOONLIGHT lead with the most nominations. However, I was surprised to see DEADPOOL land two(!) nominations: one for Best Picture - Comedy or Musical and another for Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical for Ryan Reynolds. How well this bodes for the film's Oscar chances remains to be seen. Wouldn't that be something?

Also curiously absent from the list of Best Picture nominees are Denzel Washington's FENCES and Denis Villenueve's ARRIVAL. Personally I'm most surprised about Martin Scorsese's SILENCE being snubbed entirely. Was it not eligible? This is why I do what I do so that one day, when I grow up, I can be an insider and find out how these awards shows work.

I'd also like to know why nobody is seriously considering THE SHALLOWS or WIENER-DOG in every category. MOONLIGHT is overrated af.

Next I happened to watch the first trailer for THE FATE OF THE FURIOUS (a.k.a. FAST 8 or FAST & FURIOUS 8). Man, there is about to be some bat-shit craziness going on in this movie. If you're like me and have followed the series from the very beginning to where it stands currently, this trailer is probably going to mess with your head big time.

I dig it. I dig it a lot actually. I don't much care for the fact that they've essentially spoiled no less than two major plot twists, but still, I'm sold. I'm one of those people who couldn't be happier that this franchise finally embraced its absurdity. Since FAST FIVE, these films have found their sense of identity and have stuck to it. This has translated to billions of dollars at the box office. Few, if any, Hollywood franchises can claim that. I never thought I'd see the day that I'd be excited to line up for the eighth sequel for anything, yet here we are.

In other news, we got the first poster for Christopher Nolan's DUNKIRK, as well as the first set photo from THE GREATEST SHOWMAN courtesy of Hugh Jackman himself.

DUNKIRK's poster isn't terribly special if you ask me. It joins a long list of films whose posters use the cliche of having the main character's back turned as they brood over a hopeless, half-destroyed background. 

I still have high hopes for the film, though.

Now if it wasn't clear from this next photo, Hugh Jackman's next movie after LOGAN, THE GREATEST SHOWMAN, is about P.T. Barnum and the start of the Ringling Brothers Circus. 

Jackman is playing Barnum in this musical-biopic alongside Zac Efron, Michelle Williams, and Zendaya. Sounds interesting enough.

After watching the Critics' Choice Awards last night, my mother is interested in seeing LA LA LAND and MANCHESTER BY THE SEA*. Since LA LA LAND isn't yet playing in our area, MANCHESTER BY THE SEA it is.

(*We just got back. It's amazing. Full review to follow.)


Until tomorrow,

BC

My Day with Film (Saturday, 12/10/16)

Saturday, 12/10/16

Dear Diary,

Today I watched two films at home that I rented from Redbox - MIKE & DAVE NEED WEDDING DATES and HELL OR HIGH WATER. What can I say? I have diverse taste.

MIKE & DAVE was a truly terrible movie. Anna Kendrick is the only reason this unfunny mess was tolerable. HELL OR HIGH WATER has been getting loads of Oscar buzz, and I just saw it for the first time. It's a solid western crime drama, but there's nothing particularly special about it. Not a bad film by any stretch, just certainly not worthy of consideration for awards that are supposed to go to the most outstanding cinematic work of the year.

I reviewed NOCTURNAL ANIMALS today too. You can read that piece here.

Honestly, after this week full of movie trailers and news, I don't mind a day where my interactions with the world of cinema are limited.

Might watch a Christmas movie tonight. I can't decide between THE NIGHT BEFORE or SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT.

Did I mention I have diverse taste?


Until tomorrow,

BC

My Day with Film (Friday, 12/9/16)

Friday, 12/9/16

Dear Diary,

Almost all the feelings I've had towards cinema over the last two weeks have stemmed from movie trailers. There have been so many! I started the day, or rather ended it late last night, with the trailer for SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING.

This looks fun enough for a Marvel movie. The wingsuit finally makes its big screen debut, and Michael Keaton looks incredible as the Vulture! He may be Spider-Man's best movie villain yet. However, I was sucked out of the whole thing immediately when I saw Peter in class watching footage of the airport scene from CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR on YouTube. Who on earth was filming it??? Giant W.T.F. there. I'm also wary of the relationship Peter has with Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.). Past SPIDER-MAN films have been interesting character studies because they're as much about how a young man grapples with both his personal relationships and his call to a higher duty as they are about action scenes. The whole allure of Peter Parker / Spider-Man is that he's forced to navigate the trials of young adulthood without a father figure. This iteration of the character - especially based on what we've seen in Civil War - feels like its beholden to a babysitter. I appreciate that they've skewed age-appropriate with the new casting, but I don't know if I'm entirely sold just yet. I am looking forward to seeing the finished product for Keaton's Vulture, if nothing else.

Then as I checked into Twitter this morning, I watched part of a live stream featuring the cast of ROGUE ONE. I guess they held some sort of event and Q&A at Lucasfilm, and then stars Alan Tudyk & Riz Ahmed and director Gareth Edwards took a tour of the Industrial Light & Magic offices. It was so cool to see all the different props and artwork in the halls from previous ILM features!

Later I saw even more new movie trailers! Can you believe it?? We got the first full trailer for WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES today and without a stupid fucking 15-second teaser days beforehand too!!!!

I've enjoyed this PLANET OF THE APES prequel series so far, and there's no reason to think WAR will be any different. I'm fascinated by Woody Harrelson's presence as much as I am eager to see Andy Serkis evolve the character of Caesar even further.

I've written before about how much I hate those "teasers for the teasers." Just give me the full two minutes. Universal did it late last week with THE MUMMY, and they're at it again with the first reveal of the next FAST & FURIOUS movie.

FAST 8 is officially titled THE FATE OF THE FURIOUS, and the full trailer will be available online sometime this coming Sunday. This is just another absurd superhero franchise anymore, but I've had a blast with the past few entries. I enjoyed some of the "behind-the-scenes" clips that the cast posted on Instagram during filming. Based on those alone, I'm excited to see what's in store for us next April.

In other news, /Film shared an insider report saying that James Franco has a role in the upcoming ALIEN: COVENANT. The report is a bit spoilery, so I'll leave you to explore further if you wish.

Warner Brothers officially announced the Blu-ray release of Ben Affleck's recent thriller THE ACCOUNTANT. It streets on January 10th.

I enjoyed this movie as much as anybody, but the superlatives they picked are just absurd. How can an acting performance be "action-packed?" That's literally impossible. The story has to be "action-packed." Stupid. Maybe I'm just irritated that Warner didn't contact The Reel for my superlative. A kid can dream.

I watched GANGSTER SQUAD this afternoon. I think it's massively underrated and that it features Sean Penn's best performance in over a decade. I'm sure I'm the only one on the planet who thinks so, but that's fine. I actually saw GANGSTER SQUAD for the first time in the theater as a double bill with ZERO DARK THIRTY. Guess which one I had more fun with?

I reviewed LA LA LAND today, so be sure to check that out!

Lastly, I've got plans to go see Tom Ford's Nocturnal Animals tonight which has been drawing lots of critical acclaim. I also reserved HELL OR HIGH WATER and MIKE AND DAVE NEED WEDDING DATES at Redbox. That reminds me, I need to go pick them up!

Until tomorrow,

BC

My Day with Film (Thursday, 12/8/16)

Thursday, 12/8/16

Dear Diary,

I got through THE REVENANT late last night. It was my first time re-watching it since seeing it in the theater. I feel like if I ever want to watch that movie again, I need to rent out a movie theater. My 32-inch Vizio doesn't cut it. The visual experience of that film is just too good for an average home display.

I feel like there's been nothing to report on but movie trailers in the past two weeks. Today we've got full looks at the BAYWATCH reboot and THE WALL, a war thriller from Doug Liman (THE BOURNE IDENTITY) starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson and John Cena.

If you ask me, BAYWATCH looks like a trainwreck in the making. I understand the commercial appeal of Dwayne Johnson and the cast of insanely attractive people, but, my God, Zac Efron is comedic cancer. He singlehandedly ruins this trailer for me. The script also sounds abysmal from the sound bites included here. As a fan of Alexandra Daddario's (*ahem*) body of work and the likely scene-stealing turn by comedian Jon Bass, I'll probably see this anyway. Expectations couldn't be lower though.

THE WALL could be solid. Liman is a director with marvelous control of action and suspense, which look to be delivered in spades here. If you think this seems like an interesting premise, go watch Mickey Keating's CARNAGE PARK on Netflix. Imagine the concept of THE WALL crossed with THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, and you'll have a modest idea of what to expect.

In other news, Bloomberg reports that Fox, Universal, and Warner Brothers have entered into negotiations with Apple to offer first-run theatrical releases to iTunes & AppleTV users at a premium price point. It was really only a matter of time before something like this happened. The theatrical release window is only going to shrink with the rise of digital platforms. This move really only benefits families who would pay around $100 for a night out at the movie theater. I, for one, would not pay to watch JUSTICE LEAGUE at home for $50 on release day. Now if the studios agreed to release films on AppleTV a week or two before their theatrical run, that might be a different story. Only time will tell.

Paramount announced today that the next film in the CLOVERFIELD universe has been moved from March to October of next year. It's rumored that the film will be titled "GOD PARTICLE," about a team of astronauts who are forced to reckon with a shocking discovery. Sounds like an ALIEN reboot to me. J.J. Abrams would do that to us too. It sounds awesome though, especially with the cast of David Oyelowo, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Elizabeth Debicki, Daniel Bruhl, Chris O'Dowd, John Ortiz and Ziyi Zhang. 

Kodak also launched a new website and mobile app today called "Reel Film." It shows you locations where you can watch movies projected from actual film, as well as where you can see movies that were shot on film stock. I'd have to go to Columbus in order to see IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE on 35mm, but still, that's pretty rad. Check it out for yourself.

I got an email yesterday updating me on the status of an Indiegogo campaign I contributed to for this new '80s-style horror film called THE BARN. I've been following this thing closely for about a year and a half, and I contributed enough money to the campaign in order to receive a DVD. Allegedly, the DVDs had some printing and formatting issues which is why they're now over a month late on delivery. I've heard great things about the movie, and I cannot wait to see it! I'm disappointed it wasn't in my hands in time for Halloween this year, but I'd much rather have a quality product at the end of the day. Tom Holland's Terror Time got an inside scoop on what exactly this DVD will look like, and I couldn't be more stoked. 

Indiegogo contributors get first dibs and then the remaining stock will go on sale to the general public. Visit TheBarnMerch.com for all the goods!

Speaking of DVDs, I went to Best Buy today looking for Seth Rogen's Christmas movie THE NIGHT BEFORE. I found it and then some. 

I've never seen MUNICH, but I've heard that it's arguably Steven Spielberg's best film. MIDNIGHT SPECIAL was an interesting sci-fi thriller from earlier this spring that I've been eager to revisit. CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON just got a 4K remaster for its 15th anniversary and was re-released with a bunch of new bonus material. For the price, it was a wonderful pickup. 

I'm going to see FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM with my sister tonight. It will be my second time seeing it and her first. She's writing a report / review on it for extra credit for a mythology class. 

Okay, I think that about covers everything today. By the end of the night, though, who knows? It's a lifestyle. 

I'll leave you with this badass photo of Josh Brolin and Paul Thomas Anderson on the set of INHERENT VICE. (Courtesy of @TheFilmStage)

Until tomorrow, 

BC

My Day with Film (Wednesday, 12/7/16)

Wednesday, 12/7/16


Dear Diary,

After midnight last night (technically today!) I watched Michael Dougherty's KRAMPUS. I'm convinced that it is a new holiday classic. At least it will be in my house. I love the mythology of its story, as well as Dougherty's creative vision and use of practical visual effects in order to realize that vision. Also, the film features one of the best opening credits scenes of all time. If CHRISTMAS VACATION and GREMLINS are near and dear to your heart, KRAMPUS is for you.

Later, when I woke up in the morning and scrolled through my social feeds, I found two new "teasers for the teasers." These are those 10-20 second clips of a movie trailer you usually see promoted in your Instagram or Twitter feed. In the past week, we've had "teasers for the teasers" for THE MUMMY, GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2 and TRANSFORMERS: THE LAST KNIGHT. Today, we got 'em for SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING and the BAYWATCH reboot. Full trailers for these anticipated blockbusters are coming tomorrow. Perhaps it's no surprise that SPIDER-MAN looks pretty awesome, and BAYWATCH looks like a trainwreck in the making. Decide for yourself.

I'm not sure where I stand on the whole "teaser for the teaser" thing. It's a neat ploy to build hype on social media, but at the same time, nothing beats seeing the full two and a half minutes in a movie theater for the first time. How cool was it when J.J. Abrams shocked us all in January with the trailer for 10 CLOVERFIELD LANE? You didn't see it on YouTube first; you had to go watch 13 HOURS in the theater on Thursday night. Call me old fashioned, but I think that's awesome.

Later in the afternoon, I had to swing by Target to pick up some working Christmas lights, but I found APOCALYPSE NOW on Blu-ray for $4. I nearly had a stroke when I saw that price. It has both the theatrical and "Redux" versions, as well as a separate disc full of bonus features. Both cuts of the film are on and off streaming services constantly, but APOCALYPSE NOW is one of those movies that demands consistency and quality in terms of home viewing. It deserves a place on your shelf no matter what. If you ask me, at $4, that's one of the finest deals you can get as a cinephile.

I saw that a remake of LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS is in the works at Warner Brothers, and they've announced Greg Berlanti as director. Berlanti is known for his work as a producer and showrunner for DC's television universe consisting of Arrow, The Flash and Supergirl. Might be interesting.

Tonight I asked some friends when we'll be seeing OFFICE CHRISTMAS PARTY and ROGUE ONE. One of my buddies is out of town, so OCP may be out. We'll see.

I also saw Will Smith's new film COLLATERAL BEAUTY. Be on the lookout for my full review next week. I'm reviewing LA LA LAND very soon as well. Stay tuned to my Facebook and Twitter pages.

Lastly, I'm thinking THE REVENANT for tonight's at-home viewing.


Until tomorrow,

BC

My Day with Film (Monday, 12/5/16)

Monday, 12/5/16


Dear Diary,

I'm thrilled that the rest of "Film Twitter" seemed to watch the same trailer for THE MUMMY reboot as I did. This looks like an absolute dumpster fire of a film. Universal may want to rethink this whole "shared universe" for Monsters thing. I enjoy being a small part of this business, but I just wish studios could learn to leave well enough alone.

If this new MUMMY trailer under your radar, believe me, you aren't missing much, but if you're interested, here it is below:

To make matters worse, there's supposedly a trailer for TRANSFORMERS: THE LAST KNIGHT coming this week. Outspoken thoughts in the days ahead I'm sure.

There is one diamond in the cinematic rough today though. The 7-minute prologue to Christopher Nolan's DUNKIRK feature will allegedly play before 70MM IMAX screenings of ROGUE ONE later this month. Peter Sciretta over at /Film reported this from multiple sources but has yet to confirm with IMAX or Warner Brothers if the prologue will be on all standard digital screenings as well. If not, only 15 theaters in the world will be showing the DUNKIRK footage.

Lastly, it was revealed today that ABC's Jimmy Kimmel will be the Oscars host in February. I'm still rooting for Louis C.K. someday:

Until tomorrow,

BC

My Day with Film (Saturday, 12/3/16)

Saturday, 12/3/16


Dear Diary,

I'm close to landing a stint as an intern on the set of a new indie thriller shooting in Louisville this week and next. I've been in touch with some great people and now just waiting on approval from the Assistant Director staff. More to come on that in the days ahead.

James Wan is directing the AQUAMAN movie starring Jason Momoa for Warner Brothers. It's part of the whole Justice League / Batman v Superman movie universe. The official release date has been announced for that film: October 5th, 2018. That's the exact day my baby sister turns 21. Damn, I'm getting old.

I just saw an article from Indiewire which said that Johnny Depp, David Lynch and J.K. Simmons recently joined THE BLACK GHIANDOLA, a short film directed by Catherine Hardwicke, Sam Raimi and Ted Melfi. It's about a young man risking everything to save the girl he loves after his family is killed by zombies. The kicker is that the short was conceived and co-written by young Anthony Conti, a teen battling stage IV adrenal cortical cancer. It makes my heart happy to see all this A-list talent coming together to turn this kid's filmmaking dreams into reality. I hope to see the finished product someday.

In other news, I think you'll be pleased to know that GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, VOL. 2 looks even better than the original. Marvel just released a brand-new trailer which you can (and should!) check out here:

Baby Groot is poised to steal this entire movie.

Lastly, I'm trying to decide what movie to watch tonight. I have at least one episode of BLACK MIRROR to get through, but after that I'm not sure. Yesterday BLACK MIRROR had me in the mood to watch my Criterion disc of David Fincher's THE GAME, so maybe that'll be the one.

Until tomorrow,

BC

"Inferno" Review

After a 7-year hiatus, the adventures of author Dan Brown's inquisitive university professor Robert Langdon continue in Inferno. They say "third time's the charm," but let's be honest. Your appreciation of Inferno will depend entirely on your tolerance for The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons.

This time, Langdon (Tom Hanks) wakes up in an Italian hospital wondering how he got there. With the close aide of Dr. Sienna Brooks (Felicity Jones), the professor finds himself unwittingly at the center of a sinister plot to release a worldwide plague orchestrated by charismatic billionaire Bertrand Zobrist (Ben Foster). The virus is expected to halve the world's population. To stop it, Langdon and Dr. Brooks must solve a series of riddles which all bear a striking connection to Dante Alighieri's "Divine Comedy." Hot on their tails are an assassin (Ana Ularu) with an allegiance to a dubious security organization, Bouchard (Omar Sy), a private security officer with a shady personal agenda, and W.H.O. agent Elizabeth Sinskey (Sidse Babett Knudsen), a figure from Langdon's past.

The source material surely has its own Indiana Jones B-movie roots, but the screenplay from David Koepp (Jurassic Park, Mission: Impossible) does precious little to elevate it beyond dreck. The script has a couple of neat twists, and director Ron Howard commands a game cast. However, even the incomparable Tom Hanks can only do so much with lines such as "It's Dante... yes... YES!" The player who seems to be having the most fun is Irrfan Khan who plays Henry Sims, a fixer with no particular commitment to the good or the bad guys. Khan chews the scenery as well as he can, and his presence alleviates the film's monotony at times. The proceedings are fast-paced but largely dry due to Koepp's risible dialogue. There's also just not much direction here. I've always felt that Howard's identity as a director disappears with these Da Vinci Code movies, and that streak continues. He's better than this. Everyone involved is.

It's rumored that Sony declined to make a film out of Langdon's only other adventure The Lost Symbol due to creative similarities with Disney's National Treasure. I think that's for the best.

D+

Trailer Round-Up (Week of 10/21/16)

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WhQcK-Zaok

Logan - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Div0iP65aZo

Assassin's Creed - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4haJD6W136c

A Cure for Wellness - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mcVodJmBlU

"The Accountant" Review

Ben Affleck returns to the screen in The Accountant, the latest of director Gavin O'Connor's compelling examinations of brotherhood.

Affleck plays Christain Wolff, a CPA who moonlights by cooking and uncooking the books for some of the world's most high-profile criminals. Christian is called in to an Illinois firm specializing in applied robotics after a whistleblower (Anna Kendrick) finds millions of dollars missing from some annual statements. As fate would have it, the robotics people are up to something shady, and they'll do just about anything to keep it secret. Christian eludes and fights back against both the federal agents and hired guns who are hot on his tail.

Oh, yeah, and one more thing: Christian has a high-functioning form of autism.

My gut reaction to The Accountant is "two thumbs up." The film is as exciting a caper as we've seen this year with some terrific action sequences and a script peppered with a refreshing dose of humor. Granted there are occasional lapses in storytelling logic; some of the subplots get a bit tangled, but overall I had a great time with this movie. Affleck's "accountant" feels like the return of the "everyman" hero. If you ask me, the current blockbuster landscape has needed a corny "everyman" flick badly.

Perhaps more engaging than the set pieces, however, the story explores some of the coping mechanisms and developmental strategies of people with developmental disorders such as autism and Asperger's syndrome. It's great to have an entertaining flick with mainstream appeal that calls attention to some of these issues. I've heard some criticisms from people who are concerned that the film may be too ableist. In truth, the film examines how Christian's character grows in response to, or in spite of, ableism. Christian's father is a hardened military man who forces his boys into specialized combat training out of fear that young Christian may be picked on for being "different." Perhaps that's an inherently "ableist" attitude, but it's part of the father's character. Also, I say "boys" because Christian has a younger brother, Braxton, and whatever the two of them do, they do together. One is never portrayed as superior to the other. The father wants his sons both to learn how to cope with the harsh stimuli of the world around them. Christian is never coddled or made to be "less than" anyone else, and we see how this pans out from early development through his mature coping years.

No doubt there are capable actors out there who have made successful careers for themselves despite living with a developmental disorder. One day hopefully we'll have someone like that in a role like this. However, even with Affleck in the part, I say that some representation is better than none at all.

And, besides, when have we ever been able to say that the coolest Hollywood "superhero" of the year is an autistic accountant?

B+

"The Magnificent Seven" (2016) Review

I'm running short on time today, so forgive me if I rush through this...

Antoine Fuqua's reboot of The Magnificent Seven doesn't try to outdo its 1960 predecessor or Kurosawa's Seven Samurai before that. Short on pretense, and with this cast, The Magnificent Seven 2016 is the popcorn movie we've been waiting for all year.

Following a brutal attack on a small village at the hands of a greedy businessman (Peter Sarsgaard), a young woman (Haley Bennett) calls on travelling lawman Sam Chisolm (Denzel Washington) to help her find justice. Expecting a fight, Chisolm rounds up a diverse set of reprobates to defend, and hopefully retake, the town.

Chris Pratt, Vincent D'Onofrio, Ethan Hawke, Byung-hun Lee, Martin Sensmeier, and Manuel Garcia-Rulfo round out the "magnificent seven." They all fit wonderfully into their roles and showcase electrifying chemistry. Of course the bigger movie stars get the most screen time, but each character is afforded a satisfying presence.

The action set pieces are also wonderful. This is old-fashioned blockbuster filmmaking at its finest. A large cast of extras (Actual people! Not CGI!), practical explosions, gunfights and other in-camera stunts make the film feel all the more refreshing even as its story retreads familiar plot points.

It's nice to get a solid western in your cinematic diet every once in awhile. The Magnificent Seven 2016 may itself only be as healthy and invigorating as the popcorn devoured while watching it, but it comes to us at an appropriate sociopolitical time. This is a reboot I don't think anybody realized we needed, but it's here now, and it deserves your attention.

A-

"War Dogs" Review

War Dogs is the latest feature from Todd Phillips, the director of The Hangover. It's based on the true story of David Packouz (Miles Teller) and Efraim Diveroli (Jonah Hill), two twentysomethings who scored a $300 million government contract to arm America's allies in the Middle East.

The movie is told from Packouz's perspective; we find him as a masseur for wealthy clients in Miami but having a hard time making end's meet. When his girlfriend Iz (Ana de Armas) informs him that she's expecting, David takes advantage of an opportunity to work with Efraim, his best friend from middle school. Efraim is a gun runner, and together, the two young men build a company that has them running weapons through some of the world's most dangerous places. David and Efraim meet lots of colorful characters on their way to the top, and the story is the better for it.

The trailers for this film didn't look that great. It looked like another stupid "frat boy" comedy, the kind of which Phillips has largely staked his career in. War Dogs has some of those elements, but it turns out to be a much more engaging dramatic piece. Its execution owes almost everything to Martin Scorsese; Teller's voiceover is reminiscent of Ray Liotta's in Goodfellas. The "rise and fall" narrative for Packouz and Diveroli also follows similar beats to Henry Hill's story.

Performances are great. Teller proves time and again that he's one of the best young actors working today. He cements his spot on a list of actors this reviewer would watch in just about anything - Kevin Spacey, Tom Hardy, Tom Hiddleston, Jake Gyllenhaal and Robert Downey, Jr. to name a few. Hill exudes charisma while handing in an award-worthy turn.

For me, the film doesn't have many glaring issues. My biggest gripe is that the narrative slows down about 3/4 of the way through while David is in Albania. However it picks up again as it comes to its climax. Some may also find the nods to Scorsese as cheap imitation rather than an exhibition of its own director's voice. It didn't come off that way for me; I appreciate how cinema history informs present works. I'm just warning you if you're the type of viewer put off by "original" films which seem beholden to something else.

War Dogs is recommended to anyone who appreciates the works of Scorsese and/or Phillips' oeuvre of male mayhem.

B+

"Pete's Dragon" (2016) Review

Continuing their series of big-budget reboots of back-catalog classics, Disney now brings us an update of the 1977 classic Pete's Dragon. Directed by David Lowery (Ain't Them Bodies Saints), the new film dares its audience to dream big. Although the classic music has been axed, the story is still as heartwarming as you remember, with dazzling visual effects to boot.

A young boy named Pete (Oakes Fegley) becomes stranded in the forest following a violent car accident. With no way of reaching home, Pete's only option is to try to make his way in the forest. Fortunately, he bumps into a legendary creature who becomes his best friend - a dragon named Elliot. When Elliot's way of life is threatened by a local logging company, Pete sets out to save his friend with the help of a nurturing park ranger (Bryce Dallas Howard), her imaginative father (Robert Redford), and a young girl named Natalie (Oona Laurence).

Pete's Dragon is the kind of film that celebrates and rewards imagination. They set up Redford's character as a man who claims to have seen the dragon when he was young, having told stories to his daughter and the rest of the kids in town for years. The payoff is so sweet when Elliot reveals himself to them for the first time as it feels like the climax of these characters' entire lives. It's a confirmation that they haven't been crazy for the past 40 years. It's easy to think that Redford is playing a now grown-up version of the original Pete from the earlier movie. That would've been an interesting subplot to explore in this new movie, but alas, hindsight is 20/20. It's still a wonderful film, and Redford is a welcome addition to the cast.

Bryce Dallas Howard hands in another fine performance as Grace, the ranger who takes Pete in. Wes Bentley fares fine in a supporting role as Jack, Grace's fiance and owner of the logging company. He just doesn't have much to do that allows him to show the chops he's honed in excellent recent stints on TV's American Horror Story. The child actors, Fegley and Laurence, are tremendous, hitting all of their needed emotional beats like seasoned pros. Karl Urban steals nearly every scene he's in as Jack's hotheaded brother Gavin, who manages the logging company. Gavin is a skeptic, so it's hilarious when he finally encounters Elliot in the forest. He winds up playing the villain role but isn't necessarily evil, which is kind of interesting. The biggest villain in this story is, I think, deforestation itself, and Gavin is just a representation of that.

The film leaves us with a sweet "save the trees, save your imagination" message that's so classic Disney that it's almost painful. Everything is tied up in a nice little bow, which is fine. It's nice to have a big, but self-contained, movie that doesn't feel like it's a stepping stone to a wider franchise. At the end of a summer filled with so-so blockbusters, Pete's Dragon is the savior you've been waiting for.

A

"Suicide Squad" Review

After two polarizing first films (Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice), Warner Brothers and the DC Comics Extended Universe could really use a hit. They need a picture that gels both with critics and audiences to prove that they can do everything that Marvel and the Avengers movies can. As such, we've all been anxiously awaiting writer/director David Ayer's Suicide Squad with bated breath. We've seen wacky trailers, incredible posters, and promising promotional images for at least two years now. Surely these "bad guys" would be the ones to right the DCEU ship and deliver a satisfying, offbeat thrill-ride.

This week I sat down in my IMAX seat, 3D glasses on, waiting to fall in love with the Suicide Squad, but they might as well have stood me up. Considering the amount of hype that went into this thing, David Ayer's Suicide Squad is the biggest cinematic letdown in recent memory.

Believe it and accept it, folks. Rotten Tomatoes isn't out to get anybody, and this reviewer sure as shit isn't being paid to say so. The movie just really isn't anything special.

The first act is comprised of the same plot point reiterated at least 3-4 times. Intelligence officer Amanda Waller (a steely Viola Davis) meets with a handful of her superiors no less than twice to discuss her wishes of putting a strike team of supervillains together. With Superman out of the picture for now, the idea is that this "suicide squad" is to act as a contingency against "metahumans" who don't abide by America's best interests. Then we get scenes introducing each individual character as Waller runs down the roster. Each scene has a sort of funky appeal to it, whether by the characters themselves or some slick filmmaking on Ayer's part. For example, there's a great flashback scene between Deadshot (Will Smith) and Batman (Ben Affleck) which also introduces Deadshot's relationship with his daughter. Later, the Enchantress (Cara Delevigne) is introduced by way of some solid horror elements reminiscent of both Indiana Jones and Neil Marshall's The Descent.

The second act sees the team of misfits out on a mission in Central City, home of The Flash. One might expect him to turn up if there were evil afoot in his hometown. In fact, that would've been an interesting dynamic to explore - the Squad and Flash showing up to fight the same baddie and then, perhaps reluctantly, joining forces. Sadly that never happens. First, the Suicide Squad is tasked with rescuing a target from the top floor of a high-rise building. Next, they're sent to stop the Enchantress from building a machine which will wipe out most of the world.

Zzzzzzz...

When the Squad finally gets together, the whole movie ends up following a hokey plot we've seen a million times before in comic book movies and video games - kill a horde of monster henchmen to get to the final boss who's hellbent on global domination/destruction. Not to mention all of this stinks of the Joel Schumacher era. But where his Batman movies embraced and explored cartoonish camp, Suicide Squad still curiously remains grounded in reality. By trying to capture both the campy side and the gritty side of the material, the film loses its sense of identity, if it even had one to begin with. It tries so desperately to capture the manic outlaw spirit of Guardians of the Galaxy and the irreverent nihilism of Deadpool that the story feels like a shallow afterthought.

Speaking of shallow, the only characters worth their salt out of this entire cast are Deadshot, Amanda Waller, Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), and, for me, Diablo (Jay Hernandez). Diablo has an interesting backstory which informs his character and makes his arc possibly the most interesting of the film. As Harley, Robbie pulls off the seductive killer minx thing as well as anyone could've expected. The movie shines when she's on-screen, as long as it's not alongside the Joker (Jared Leto). Historically, I've enjoyed Leto's work both as an actor and musician, but I was disgusted by this interpretation of the Joker. As he sits in a secluded booth at the back of the strip club, decked out in gold chains and fur coat, with bodyguards on either side and Rick Ross bumping in the background, we have to wonder just when exactly the Joker became Suge Knight. Leto plays it like Tupac-meets-Tony Montana-meets-Jim Carrey. That's a curious combination which never once worked for me. We'll likely see him again, but I'm not looking forward to it.

The remaining members of this refreshingly diverse cast are all mostly squandered. Slipknot (Adam Beach) is around maybe for five minutes. Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman) is your average military-man character. Killer Croc (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje) mostly just growls in the background save for a couple of barely-audible lines. But, hey, that makeup is impressive! Captain Boomerang (Jai Courtney) has a few kitschy lines and probably represents the high point in Courtney's career. Katana (Karen Fukuhara) is given precious little to do as the Squad's watch dog. Her backstory is glossed over almost completely, which is sad because she could've been great with more focus.

Really the film's biggest problem is an overabundance of characters and no clue how to handle them. Most of the backstories feel forced, and with so many subplots, it's difficult to tell where the movie's ultimate focus is. Still, all things considered, Suicide Squad is entertaining in spurts. A couple of action scenes here and there are cool, and many of the actors do strong work. The film also certainly represents a welcome shift in tone for the DCEU, but it should've come in a film with a stronger story and a deeper understanding of its characters. If you've been excited to see Suicide Squad, by all means, go buy a ticket. I don't think anyone should ever be dissuaded from seeing a movie they've been eager to support. Just temper your expectations and pray that the excellent Wonder Woman trailers don't go down in history as evidence of a similar fluke.

C-

"Jason Bourne" Review

After a 9-year absence, director Paul Greengrass and superstar Matt Damon return for fourths on Jason Bourne. For a franchise that, at one point in time, reinvented spy thriller movies, it's so depressing to see the Bourne we supposedly know and love in a film that falls spectacularly short of the series' soaring heights. Dare I say Damon's long-awaited return to the role comes in a movie that's even worse than the Jeremy Renner-led The Bourne Legacy.

We catch up with our hero laying low in Europe, keeping in shape by fighting in underground boxing matches. We also find Nicky Parsons (Julia Stiles), Jason's former contact, working with a WikiLeaks-like hacker group. She tracks Bourne down in Greece and shares sensitive information with him about Treadstone, including a conspiracy involving his late father. Fueled once again by a need for answers, Jason traverses Athens, London, Berlin, and Las Vegas trying to find out what happened with his dad. Meanwhile, shady CIA director Robert Dewey (Tommy Lee Jones) looks to cover his tracks as Bourne's quest points to a collusive backdoor deal between the agency and Deep Dream, a popular social network.

This film's weakest point is its story. This is a completely original scenario devised by Greengrass and co-writer Christopher Rouse. It is not adapted from any of the previously published Bourne stories written by Robert Ludlum. The pathos of this new film doesn't resonate as clearly as it did in the earlier trilogy. I think this is due to the fact that the plot itself feels both frustratingly convoluted and all too familiar. Bourne has been here before - a quest to uncover an unsolved mystery about the hero's past, shady government Black ops organizations, CIA directors with something to hide, informants who may or may not be on the hero's side. We've seen it already, and therefore the stakes are all but moot this time around.

Jason Bourne also lacks the breathless, non-stop action sequences that defined its predecessors. It has maybe 3 marquee scenes, and that's it. Save for a satisfyingly gonzo chase scene down the Las Vegas strip with an armored truck, the action is shot terribly. The chase sequences and fight scenes in the earlier trilogy were so tense and memorable because you could actually see what was going on, and frenetic hand-held cinematography made it feel as if the audience were part of the fight. Here, all the action is cut to ribbons to the point where it's nearly impossible to appreciate the stunt choreography. The climactic fight scene between Bourne and Vincent Cassel's hitman feels anti-climactic because of this. For a series which, in the past, has hinged on its game-changing stunt work, this is such a crushing disappointment. 

With seemingly less action scenes, there are several dry stretches punctuated by silly dialogue between Jones and Alicia Vikander who stars as CIA agent Heather Lee. These are two great actors, but they're given far too much pull in this film. It's supposed to be Damon's show, but you'd never know it. 

Although this isn't one of his finer efforts, Paul Greengrass still has an assured hand as a director, if not so much as a screenwriter. Jason Bourne simply lacks the intrigue and the execution that made its predecessors great. This is a series that would've been best left a trilogy.

D+