Category: Movie

Jason Bourne: An honest, spoiler free review

Jason Bourne. The ultimate Bad-Ass. Was this movie necessary? Not at all. Was it appreciated. Yes, yes it was.

Worth a Watch?

It’s Jason Bourne, it’s Matt Damon. Enough said. Watch this movie if you loved the trilogy, it’s more of the same. Are you expecting a new Jason Bourne experience? Sorry this isn’t it. The Jason Bourne formula works and is classic.

The Action

If there ever was a movie known for action. Michael Bay may be master of explosions, but Jason Bourne has class. Jason is the weapon and no one is safe. Any inconspicuous object can be turned into a weapon and the newest Bourne does not disappoint. The main setting for the movie is during the Greek Crisis, which I personally thought was a great set up for fight scenes. Bourne is on the move, so there’s plenty of variety in venues and it’s always fun to see Bourne make use of each new situation/environment. Oh, and the car chase. It wouldn’t be Bourne without it. So if you want to feel like Bourne is snapping limbs left and right and actually cringe at the brutality, the movie is worth seeing for the action alone (and let’s be honest, Jason Bourne is all about the action).

The Characters

Jason Bourne is back. Too much Jason Bourne is never a bad thing. The supporting cast is great and serve to push the action along in the typical Bourne fashion. You have the Assassin, the friend, the agency (always out to get Bourne), and the person who plays both sides. Standard cast, nothing you haven’t already seen. The movie gives a little more background into Bourne’s personal life and does a fine job of creating a purpose for Bourne to come back.

The Story

The story, for better or worse, is the same Bourne formula we know and love. Bourne accepts the call to action, is being hunted, sneaks around, fights people, has a car chase, and ultimately escapes. I enjoyed it because it is exactly what I expected. This movie is simply more Bourne.

Final Verdict

I was a little worried when I first heard Bourne was coming out of retirement. The Bourne trilogy is one of my favorite trilogies, so I didn’t want to see the Bourne name tarnished. Matt Damon is also one of my favorite actors, so I expected a quality experience. While the new Jason Bourne isn’t blowing anyone’s mind, there’s plenty of action and I was entertained for the entirety of the movie.

Suicide Squad: An honest, spoiler free review

So Suicide Squad, DC’s answer to Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy. If you’ve seen the reviews, they’re not great. I saw the movie and by and large enjoyed it. It wasn’t anything spectacular, but it certainly wasn’t a disaster either. So, without further ado, let’s get started.

Is it worth watching?

What you really want to know, the reason you’re reading this review. As a longtime DC fan, I’d say go for it. It’s a fun movie, just go in with the right expectations. I was expecting an offbeat, wacky, quirky movie. That’s what I got. Nothing more, nothing less.

The Action

If you’re looking for a fight, you’ve got one. The fighting is run of the mill but there were a few scenes that got me saying “now that’s bad-ass”. Not much else to say, there’s explosions, bullets flying, and lots of destruction.

The Characters

The characters were great, all fitting their respective roles well. My favorite of the bunch was Will Smith as Deadshot and El Diablo came in a close second. Each had enough backstory to keep you in the loop but I’d say of all the characters, Harley, Deadshot, and El Diablo had the most time dedicated to their backstories. Captain Boomerang I could’ve done without but I thought the movie did a decent job portraying his character. Amanda Waller was spot on and played the cold, calculating women we’ve come to know from the comics. Jared Leto makes a decent joker, giving more of a mob boss vibe than a completely off the hinges psychopath. The main villain was a mixed bag. On one hand there was complexity to the character yet on the other hand after the intro of the movie I felt the character was underutilized.

The Story

Everyone hates a cliched story yet that’s exactly what we got. Everyone is looking for the “next big thing” when it comes to movies and I say, “why does every movie have to be bigger and better than the last”? Some call the story muddled, but it’s all about context. This movie is creating a universe, a sort of trailblazer for DC if you will. DC doesn’t  have the luxury of creating multiple films when Marvel has already established a rich universe that is ever expanding. So yes, Suicide Squad is a lot of back story and it may seem like filler and intrusive at times, but from the context of the bigger picture, it has to be done. I didn’t notice any glaring flaws with how the story was structured. This is a very straight forward movie, no twists, no turns. It has a good amount of humor, so that is a big step forward for DC. It juggles grit with humor well. It also humanizes the villains, giving more than one dimension to characters many often dismiss as “baddies”.

Final Verdict

It’s a fun movie. It’s not the big blockbuster everyone will love, but as far as the DC cinematic universe is concerned, it’s a step in the right direction. The characters are fun and complex and while the story is very standard and cliche, that by no means makes it a bad movie. So go ahead and spend ten dollars on the ticket, I thought it was worth the money.

Movie Spotlight: Inside Out

This week is very content heavy but I honestly just felt like writing and it sure beats doing homework for my summer classes.So what better way to start (or finish) your Saturday than with a movie recommendation! Inside Out is a fantastic movie and not just for kids, believe it or not (thank you Pixar!). In fact, if you have kids, I would advise caution with this movie as it is one of the saddest movies I’ve watched in recent years, and even though I’m a guy and guys don’t cry, I got choked up multiple times throughout the film. Truth be told, I was dragged to this movie because I thought it was going to be a kids movie! The plot centers around an 11 year old girl, Riley, who moves to San Francisco and chronicles her experience adjusting to school and life in general. The movie goes back and forth between Riley and her 5 main emotions represented as cute little people inside her head: Joy, Anger, Fear, Disgust, and Sadness. The writers managed to envision a world inside Riley’s head and shows the brain as both a machine and a vibrant wonderland of thought and emotion. The world is fully realized and ever structure inside the mind is well fleshed out in what is perhaps the most fun interpretation of the human brain. Move aside, anatomy books, just have your students watch inside out instead. So there you have it, a brief rundown of inside out. I don’t want to go into too much detail in case you still haven’t seen it, but I would definitely give it the thumbs up. One of the best movies I’ve seen in recent years.

Final Verdict: 10/10

One of the best movies I’ve seen, beautifully written and executed, I could not find a flaw even if I tried.

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