2017 Movies TV Recap Thoughts

Just like with 2016's entry, here are my quick thoughts / rankings of what I saw in 2017. Overall, despite lots of talent, diversity and variety, I didn't think 2017 was nearly as interesting as 2016, due to a mix of writing and execution. That said, let's get things started with...

Movies

Favorites
Get Out - Tight script, fantastic direction for Jordan Peele who brilliantly walked the line between horror and comedy, great social commentary re: racism, solid acting, atmospheric music and tension. Would be very happy if this won Best Pic

Kong: Skull Island - Total B-movie that was lots of fun. Went in with little expectations and came out very pleasantly surprised. Sam Jackson once again proving to be an excellent character actor, with John C Reilly being his goofy "self" right behind him.

Kingsman: The Golden Circle - It's more of the same from the first, taking some interesting leaps in creative choices while holding back on others; particularly with how it riffs on James Bond. Definitely flawed with a number of missed opportunities, but lots of fantastic action sequences and a number of fun jokes and callbacks. I had a blast.

Colossal - What a bold and interesting movie! No one's really likable, though Anne Hathaway manages to make her character endearing/tolerable, but the way it handles toxic masculinity amidst Rampage-like giant monsters is utterly unique, which earns it major bonus points.

The Big Sick - There's so much to love with this very personal and based-on-true-events story from Kumail Nanjiani. Is it surprisingly a little formulaic for a reality-based rom-com? Sure, but that doesn't take away from how charming it is. Ray Romano was a surprising delight, along with Kumail's family.


Very Fun
Happy Death Day - It doesn't quite achieve the highs of either Groundhog Day or Scream, but damn if it isn't a fun time and seemingly achieves everything it set out to do. It left me wanting more in a good way.

Thor: Ragnarok - Taika Waititi's direction is basically the biggest selling point for me. Watching him just "play" with all his characters and settings is a treat, even if the stakes and tension are a little on the flat side; Cate Blanchett is a delicious villain, even if under-utilized / under-developed. Tessa Thompson, Jeff Goldblum and Waititi as the CG rock monster Korg steal the show.

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle - Pleasant surprise is maybe the best way to describe this film. It was a treat to just watch the riffs on both the original, video games, and most of the actors playing characters playing other characters - Jack Black absolutely steals the movie, with The Rock and Karen Gillan not far behind him, whereas Kevin Hart for better or worse is largely playing himself. Some really nice life lessons in the film, if a bit direct / on-the-nose.

Fun, But Room for Improvement
The LEGO Batman Movie - High energy and fun, touching on the essence of Batman and filled with interesting explorations of his various relationships. I would have liked a little more breathing room or something, but still good / very good.

Spider-man: Homecoming - Tom Holland quickly asserts himself as THE Spider-man. While fun to see a John Hughes-esque Spider-man movie, the films tones are uneven (fun comedy vs dark action), with the drama CONSTANTLY undercut but humor. Glad to see Michael Keaton as villain the Vulture, but felt a bit out of place / underutilized.

Split - M. Night Shyamalan returns to some familiar areas here. Sure, it can be faulted for using some outdated tropes and psychology info, along with once again having someone with a mental disorder as a villain, and there are a number of poorly written character, but DAMN if that ending isn't fantastic, not to mention the general high-level concept of the film tied to the ending makes for such interesting execution.

The Girl With All the Gifts - Good acting from Sennia Nanua and others. It's a nice story that's a little too video game-esque at times, but entertaining.

Life - This is both a not good and not bad movie, that doesn't really have any characters and is just the slow victory of the alien entity, with an ending that tries to pull something off but really didn't work. More fun to think of it as a backdoor pilot for a Venom movie.

Wonder Woman - Great to finally see DC's third biggest character on the big screen, but multiple weak villains and at least one weak act, plus a number of questionable choices ("hi" relationship to Steve Trevor) hold the movie back. Happy to see it get such success, here's hoping the sequel has more women writing the film with more insight from director Patty Jenkins.

Ghost in the Shell - It does a number of things wrong, like butchering the story, being convoluted, and the controversial casting, but it's also relatively entertaining. The Major deserves better and Paramount butchered this one.

Stephen King's IT - Entertaining, but over-reliance on CG and repetitive plotting hurt. It's almost as long as the original mini-series, but doesn't cover nearly as much ground, though smart to divide the story into two parts focusing on the past and present. The 80s kids group direction was interesting, but didn't fully work for me.

Logan - Sure, I guess? The first half is better, but really, really weak villains, a weak second half and an awful decision to not include Sabretooth to round out the themes of family hurt the film.

OK
Alien: Covenant - It's a more even version of Prometheus, that doesn't hit either the highs or the lows, and the mad scientist angle with David is somewhat interesting, but it's not really a great "Alien" movie and hard to really care about anyone or anything going on - lots of characters still making stupid choices. Ridley Scott needs to get away from this franchise, though I'm mildly curious about him completing his trilogy.

Blame! - There are a number of interesting elements and parts to like, but the setup is missing along with compelling characters.

The Void - The ending is when things get good, but before then is less compelling characters, writing and plot. A nice homage to John Carpenter at the end may be worth the watch.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 - Really ham-fisted dialogue + meandering plot + underwhelming soundtrack + Mantis issues + too many flat jokes = Guardians 2. Kurt Russell is entertaining, but also poorly utilized. There is a moment with Drax and Mantis sitting and talking that's really sweet, but isn't enough to save the film.

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword - There may be a really good movie hiding in here somewhere, with a pretty interesting ending, but the intro and rest of the movie are awkward, flat and uninteresting, with some shoddy editing. The brawler aspect of Arthur is interesting.

John Wick: Chapter 2 - Not as good or interesting as the first, but also just didn't quite work for me. I can technically respect the action sequences and practicality, but it's like watching someone play a video game on easy mode.

Tokyo Ghoul - Shrug. Some interesting parts, but falls into the same boat as other mediocre live action anime/manga adaptations. The score by Don Davis (The Matrix) wasn't enough to save the film.

Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You - Some interesting and well-animated parts, but also fairly uneven and the ending is rather questionable - there are some fun videos on Youtube of people's reactions that almost make this worth it.

Resident Evil: The Final Chapter - Low expectations helped make this more "enjoyable." It's completely serviceable and by this point you should know what to expect from the series.

Didn't Care For
Coco - This may be a good or fine movie, but I'll admit I struggled to connect to it, as I can't stand families that aren't supportive, even if there's relative justification for why they are the way they are. To me, too many characters were assholes (who made bad choices). Visually, it's absolutely gorgeous, though, but that wasn't enough to save a fairly by-the-numbers plot. Pixar is feeling tired and could use fresh blood. Great to see Mexican culture on screen, though! Particularly when it connected with so many people.

Baby Driver - I greatly respect and admire director Edgar Wright, and technically this is a fantastic film, but the music selection didn't appeal to me, along with the uneven tones and characters. I'm fully convinced there's an amazing 45-minute cut that better follows the journeys of Baby and Jon Hamm's characters.

Blade Runner 2049 - 2049 offered me nothing of interest - the music, visuals, characters and general story just didn't work for me. With such great talent behind the film, perhaps my expectations were too high.

Justice League - Underwhelming. This was DC's big debut of the team and that was it? Generic villain and plot? Over-reliance on CG? Inconsistent character direction from previous films? Looking at you - Batman (comedic) and Wonder Woman (not as compelling as Jenkins' direction). Time for a reset.

Really Didn't Care For

Bright - Interesting concept, but just bad execution thanks to director David Ayersand writer Max Landis. Underwhelming visuals and direction made the world feel really small. Joel Edgerton is the best part of the film, but can't save it. I'm confused where the supposed $90-million budget went.

XX - Perhaps my expectations were too high, as I really wanted to like this horror anthology by women, but it just fell flat almost every time. Some interesting parts, but outweighed by the not interesting.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi - It's not the worst movie I've seen in theaters (Man of Steel), but I was face-palming frequently at the creative choices, execution and twisted/bad characterizations. Writer-Director Rian Johnson tried so hard to be clever with this one, which really, really didn't work for me. He did a disservice to the history of both the original trilogy and the setups from The Force Awakens (I'm OK with ignoring the prequel trilogy).

Didn't see, but want to:
Your Name
Dunkirk
The Disaster Artist
Logan Lucky
Girls Trip
Call Me By Your Name
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Lady Bird
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets
The Killing of a Sacred Deer
I, Tonya
Mudbound
The Florida Project
Mother!
Okja
It Comes at Night
Phantom Thread?
The Post?

TV:

Favorites
Legion s1 - Such wonderful writing and execution. Highly creative, and a great depiction of both the character and X-Men universe. Phenomenal acting by Dan Stevens, and the rest of the cast is fun, particularly Aubrey Plaza

Master of None s2 - What a gorgeous and delicious season, with poignant writing and beautiful cinematography that's a touching homage to Italian cinema. The unfortunate scandal surrounding Aziz does hurt things a bit.

GLOW s1 - So much fun! Excellent soundtrack, filled with fun characters and clear respect for pro wrestling, the season starts good and just gets better and better.

The Good Place s2 - I may be cheating by including this, but that's the fault of broadcast TV. Season 2 has each episode upping the game, exploring new topics and constantly moving things forward. The season particularly stood out as a brilliant romance that explores philosophy in an almost child-like, storybook way.


Fun
Bojack Horseman s4 - Still entertaining, but not as good as past seasons, being uneven and less cohesive. Favorite episode was the 11th one, Time's Arrow, which is my preferred version of Coco.

Rick and Morty s3 - Still entertaining, but not as good as past seasons. Pickle Rick was my favorite episode, starting kinda meh, but quickly getting better and better, ending with a phenomenal monologue that fully analyzes and takes down Rick.

Doctor Who s10 - Easily my favorite season of Peter Capaldi's, which finally had the writing and plot gel. Pearl Mackie was so refreshing as new companion Bill. It's a shame we won't really get more of either.

Channel Zero: No End House - I like the tone of this show. This season has an interesting premise, that's maybe not as interesting as the first season, but it's a just to watch things unfold.


Good parts, but room for improvement
South Park s20 - Not as cohesive as past seasons, but almost always interesting.

Game of Thrones s7 - With one season left after this, we're in full swing towards the end game, which unfortunately means rushing through time at the expense of all the beautiful pacing of the first four seasons. Now that we're supposedly past the books' content, we're falling into disappointing fantasy and TV tropes. Showrunners Benioff and Weiss will really be proving themselves with the final 8th season.

Castlevania s1 - Only four episodes, with the first being an interesting and humanizing exploration of Dracula, and the fourth featuring some excellent (!) action, but the middle two episodes leave more to be desired.

Stranger Things s2 - Didn't seem nearly as cohesive as the first season. Perhaps changing the show to more of an anthology would be better?

Black Mirror s4 - Hang the DJ was a pleasant treat, but the rest just... left much to be desired, with a number of episodes exploring the same topic - digital consciousness and the exploration of its humanity. 


Didn't finish
Twin Peaks: The Revival - Got 5 episodes in before stopping

Star Trek Discovery - Watched the 2-part pilot when it came out, which left a lot to be desired, will aim to catch the rest once the season's done

Animated Movie Reviews: Blame, Pets and Egypt

Watched Blame!, Secret Life of Pets and Prince of Egypt over Memorial Day weekend, so sharing some thoughts...

1. Blame! - I assume/hope there's more to the manga? Dropped essentially into the middle of the story, the world and general idea are interesting, but the film lacks interesting characters with any depth. It poses a number of questions and doesn't fully answer them, which can be fine, but in this case there's so much more world building that outweighs the story. Some cool sequences and nice music, but a little too reliant on tropes and generics. Meh Recommendation.

2. The Secret Life of Pets - This movie made some odd (bad) choices with regards to story, jokes and timing. Louis CK was not a good choice for the lead role as he has neither the range nor the vocals; not to mention he plays an unlikable dog/character. It's largely misfire after misfire after misfire, with the rare fun sequence. It does have a cute ending, which helps make up for the rest, but not nearly enough. Not Recommended.

3. The Prince of Egypt - Some gorgeous animation, intense sequences and a handful of decent songs, it's not anywhere near a typical Disney animated movie. It may be the darkest animated musical I've seen (save for maybe a Don Bluth movie), though it includes some light-hearted sequences to balance the tone. Religious stories like this aren't really my thing, but the film really delivered on a number of emotional sequences and the pure craftsmanship of it all. Strongly Recommended.

On the Racial Controversy of La La Land

It may be controversial, but part of the beauty of storytelling and movies are the various ways to watch and analyze movies - from individual perspectives to various critical lenses. It's inherent to the ideas of art and beauty being in the eye of the beholder.

From that, I'll share my thoughts on why I think the racial controversy surrounding La La Land is overblown, to the point where it's possibly based more on people's projections and missing/ignoring certain key elements the story. That the film was lauded and released around the same time of Moonlight only further services the controversy.

Goes without saying, but SPOILERS are ahead...

To start, while I'll argue the main concern of the "white savior" narrative regarding jazz is both overblown and possibly non-existent, there are certainly a number of racially charged choices in the film that were either laughable or cringe-worthy, but which could also be viewed from a more positive perspective where diverse actors are still cast in those roles:

-Opening musical number: A truck is opened to reveal a group of black guys ready to play music, smiling
-Pretty much everything that happens in the black jazz club both times - Gosling's initial talk about jazz, then him joining the band later, along with...
-Emma Stone's horrible dance sequence where the black patrons watch amazed (it seemed like a parody, it was so bad)
-Gosling returning a black man's hat, dancing with the black wife then being chastised by the husband (going for a cute scene, but being awkward)
-Towards the end, Gosling jokingly saying the future club owner may be the black jazz pianist

To reiterate, I happily agree there are a number of questionable choices with regards to the story and casting. However, for the central complaint of Ryan Gosling being the "white savior" of jazz, I think the argument falls flat as it's missing the core (psychological) story of the film. To explain, here are the character's arc/stories:

1. Mia - Mia is pursuing her passion of acting by playing the game as it's currently set up, struggling to achieve success. Only when she breaks free of the system and creates her own path does she become lucky and achieve success. She pursues this path by fortuitously meeting someone who encourages her to pursue her passions - Seb. However, as both pursue their passions, the relationship becomes strained, forcing them to separate, mature and grow.

2. Sebastian "Seb" - Seb is an insufferable narcissistic hipster who's so adamant he has all the answers and skills that he pushes everyone out. Only by learning to let go and seek help from others does he gain the success and happiness which allows him to achieve his original dream of starting a business (jazz club). He does this by fortuitously meeting Mia where they enter a relationship and support each other, with Mia encouraging Seb to open up, such as when Seb gets lucky with Keith's opportunity. Similar to above, the relationship becomes strained because, as Seb is growing, he becomes confused with what he wants - career (and what kind) or love.

While Mia and Seb end up parting ways, they still have a love for each other, as seen in the bittersweet ending. It's a very well-done story on growth, maturity and how impactful the people who flow in and out of our lives can be.

I'll argue this was the core story director Damien Chazelle wanted to tell, with all of the Hollywood and jazz parts being set dressing.

That said, regarding the arguments and complaints that Seb saves, then may I present:

Seb does not save jazz. 

Saying Seb saves jazz reveals a misunderstanding of the movie. John Legend's character Keith is the one who saves jazz; Seb just happens to take part it in and use the money he earns to open a club (his original dream). While Seb was constantly, stubbornly argues about what "true" jazz is and how he's the one who's going to save it, Keith eventually corrects him by telling Seb what jazz really is - evolution, change and trailblazing. Remember - Seb is an asshole and flawed character with a flawed perspective, when he's telling Mia what jazz is, he's an idiot with the wrong perspective due to his character flaws.

Something else to think about with regards to the characters - Seb is an entitled asshole and one of Mia's flaws is she does't know jazz. She neither likes it nor knows it.

Again, there are a number of racially questionable elements of La La Land, but being outraged by the "white savior" angle is a disservice to the story being told - a story about the growth and maturation of two characters as they pursue their passions, combined with the benefit of how outside perspectives and encouragement can help us. It's almost a twisted advertisement for more platonic friendships.

Note: A quick review of the film, along with a few others, can be found here. The movie certainly has flaws - such as how I didn't enjoy any of the musical numbers and think the film would be better with those cut, along with some of the other nostalgia elements.

Movies on a plane review: May 2017

Quick reviews of movies marathoned on a plane...

Short list (in the order watched)

1. Split
2. Nocturnal Animals
3. La La Land
4. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Split - Entertaining movie that gets bonus points alone for being an M. Night Shyamalan that doesn't suck. Two of the biggest highlights are the powerhouse performances by James McAvoy and Anya Taylor-Joy (who's on a fast track to being a kick-ass actress); Betty Buckley is also entertaining in a slightly campy way, whereas the two other girls are a bit too campy. Trying to avoid spoilers, but the best part of the movie is the ending. So great to hear that theme again (even if awkwardly edited), with the acting in the last several minutes being top-notch. I am loving the creative/story direction in this saga. While a bit lenient: Highly Recommended and can't wait for the sequel.

Nocturnal Animals - Solid acting by Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Shannon and Aaron Taylor-Johnson in an interesting movie. Great cinematography with interesting ideas in the script, but the story/editing/pacing (something) could be better. Amy Adams plays her character similar to Arrival, which... worked, but maybe a tad too dry. However, I loved her performance at the end, along with the ending itself. Based on the description, was hoping for a bit more of either a John Carpenter or Stanley Kubrick-like story, but still entertaining. Also, great music. Recommended.

La La Land - Within the first opening musical number I was already saying "F*** this movie," not long after thinking "this can be my shining example of what a polished turd looks like," but as it went on and I mentally tuned out all the saccharine, nostalgic musical numbers and elements, I grew to enjoy the character arcs of both Mia and Sebastian, particularly how they matured as humans. Seb explaining jazz to Mia was a little cringe-worthy, among a number of other little moments (Mia dancing), but the general anti-hype towards La La Land and the "white savior" argument is completely overblown. Seb doesn't even save jazz! John Legend's character Keith does, with Seb only being along for the ride. I did hate almost every musical number - I'm confident excising those from the film and focusing more on the characters would be a huge improvement. I would have LOVED to see an alternate version where the colors of the film are adjusted based on the story (starts saturated like old films, then becomes more real, then returns to saturated a bit at the end - or something else to denote their happiness and growth). Acting-wise, I enjoyed both Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling (as someone who typically thinks he's overhyped), particularly since he went from asshole to tolerable. The main jazz song, City of Stars, was kinda lame, though. Regardless of the above, it's masterfully directed by Damien Chazzelle. Hopefully he can apply his skills to something non-jazz next. Highly Recommended, if only for the controversy surrounding it and seeing the various lenses with which to watch the film.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them - Entertaining, but a bit of a mixed bag. I continue to believe David Yates is a bad choice for the Potter-verse - he's tonally inconsistent, among other issues. He might get some great character work, but his storytelling is flawed. I loved Colin Farrel's acting/character (play more villains, please!), and even Eddie Redmayne's take on "Matt Smith's Doctor on the spectrum" was interesting. Definitely nice to see a more pacifist lead, even if he could have been a more active/driving force in the story (seemed often too reluctant). Alison Sudol's Queenie was also nicely played, if not a bit dated/stereotypical. The climax was a bit underwhelming - it needed a smidge more buildup in the sequence for me to be more affected. MINOR SPOILER - but the reveal at the end was pretty cool, though the actual ramifications of the choice make me sad. Meh Recommendation due to the conflicting tones.

On a side note, it was fun to compare the choices for diversity casting between La La Land and Fantastic Beasts, with La La Land receiving (a bit too much) flack for it's choices whereas Beast received nothing for arguably being too diversely cast for its time-setting (though kudos to it for casting the way it did).

Additional Thoughts on Moonlight - The Power of Sadness and Control

When I first finished watching Moonlight, my immediate thought was - "that was it?"

It was clear that Chiron was sad throughout the film and had a difficult life, but I unfortunately wasn't able to connect with the film the way others were; at least at first. After several days of reflection and conversations with friends, as well as soaking in the sorrow of the movie, it finally hit how profoundly sad the film was - with regards to how effective the film is at conveying that sadness (in other words, making me feel that sadness).

That said, I think I finally realized what one of my main "gripes" with the movie is, in which is caused me to have the initial reaction - we never actually see Chiron do anything. We see how he reacts based on how others are acting (or reacting) towards him, but he doesn't really do anything. He's not really a driving force in his own life, save for the third act. He's just depressingly, profoundly sad.

And that's the beauty of Moonlight. It's an almost documentary-like capture of a person who's experienced so little love in his life (and damn the people who caused him to retreat). It's a fantastic story reflecting on the importance of friends and family (or lack thereof), as well as how homosexuality is handled in certain cultures.

Highly recommended, and allow the film to gestate and ruminate with you afterwards. Discuss with friends, read think pieces like this article from Variety on Chiron's name.

Movies on a plane reviews: April 2017

Quick thoughts on movies watched on a plane in April 2017...

Moana - Loved it. Very enjoyable. The humor was fun, even if a little too meta/self-referential. The songs were mostly good. Arguably directors Ron Clements and John Muskers' best Disney musical; easily my favorite and one I'd be happy to rewatch (though I haven't seen Aladdin in a long time). The visuals were amazing, seriously top-notch, particularly water, hair and general design aesthetic. Kudos to Auli'i Cravalho as the voice of Moana (and Rachel House as Grandma Tala). Possibly top 5 of 2016. Easily better than Zootopia, possibly better than Kubo, though Kubo still has a special place for me (better score, simply different production design). Highly recommended.

Moonlight - Was a good, very sad movie. The impact took a little time to fully kick in, but once it did I was more onboard with it than I was immediately after finishing. A little surprised Mahershala Ali won for his little screen time, particularly as I enjoyed him more in Luke Cage as Cottonmouth (similar characters/acting techniques) - but big kudos, he's a talented actor. Reminiscent of Boyhood. Naomi Harris as the mom was really enjoyable. Didn't really think it was cinematic in the sense it could have been a play; but still powerful. After initial viewing, Moana, Handmaiden and Kubo stood out more for 2016, but Moonlight's up there. Also, really enjoyed Chiron showing different sides of his personality depending on who he's around (e.g. shyness) - so few movies do that. Highly recommended.

Doctor Strange - It starts very cliched and by-the-numbers, but once it eventually gets going it's enjoyable. The forced humor mildly works, but is clearly forced. Benedict Cumberbatch was the wrong choice for Strange (his accent didn't work for me). Rachel McAdams was wasted. Colorful visuals and some inventive sequences. Tilda Swinton kicked butt, regardless of any whitewashing controversy; glad to have seen her do her stuff rather than another Asian male stereotype. Music was... OK - consistent with Michael Giacchino's Star Trek and Speed Racer scores, but not anything special; the end credits suites were good, but that's to be expected with Giacchino. Modestly Recommended.

La La Land - Wanted to watch, especially right after Moonlight, but decided to sleep instead.

Movies and TV of 2016

2016 was an interesting year for movies. A number of big blockbusters came out, but it was the indie movies that were the real winners, though it appears general consensus is hard to pinpoint one particularly "big" movie.

In any case, here are quick thoughts and my rankings for the movies I saw circa 2016.

Favorites
Kubo and the Two Strings - Hands down favorite movie. Amazing craftsmanship, production design and musical score, among others, help overshadow any story or character issues. It's message on the importance of memory and storytelling is beautiful (especially compared to self-indulgent Hollywood stories).

The Handmaiden - Fantastic movie. It's like Hitchcock meets Paul Verhoeven meets feminism. Beautiful visuals and music.

Moana - Incredibly vibrant movie with luscious visuals and good humor, if occasional a little too post-modern. Enjoyable songs, with great messages and themes throughout the film.

Sing Street - It may be relatively cliche, but the overwhelming charm, 80s setting and fantastic soundtrack make it a near-instant classic. Also has probably the best song of the year: Drive it Like You Stole It.


Very Good, with minor flaws
The Hunt for the Wilderpeople - Great performances by Sam Neill(!), Julian Dennison (the kid!) and Rima Te Wiata (Bella!), with plenty of charm and goofiness. The dynamic between Neill and Dennison are great, losing only a little steam towards the end.

Don't Breathe - Great filmmaking throughout. Some excellent shots, interesting enough characters and solid tension.

Moonlight - Profoundly sad love story. Took a little time to fully sink in, but haunting.

La La Land - Didn't care for most of the musical numbers or Hollywood nostalgia, but loved the growth of the characters during the film. Great maturity.

Train to Busan - Doesn't add much to the zombie genre, but is a great ride.

Kung Fu Panda 3 - The weakest of the three, but still great music, visuals, style and message

Deadpool - Very fun characters and relationships help elevate the mundane plot, but is also helped by it being partly a satire.

The Mermaid - STEPHEN CHOW!!! It's a great return-to-form for Chow, plus more modern elements.

The Lobster - Quirky, creative and very original. The third act may be a smidge on the weaker side, but that final scene!

Swiss Army Man - Incredibly inventive film with some inspiring sequences, but it's weirdness may be polarizing - occasionally simultaneously good and bad.

Arrival - The philosophy presented in the film, combined with the direction, cinematography and music elevate an otherwise cheesy plot (global crisis) with hit or miss acting/characters.

Green Room - Not the most interesting characters, but once the film and tension gets going it does not let up. Even up to the last shot. Incredibly excellent job of tension.

Finding Dory - Incredibly well made, very sentimental, but also strangely almost completely superfluous

The Jungle Book - Gorgeous visuals help elevate an otherwise shallow nostlagia trip with some nice genuine emotional beats.

Zootopia - The relationship between the two leads plus social commentary help the film stand out, even if some of the jokes fall flat and the message is a bit garbled by the end. Zootopia is the more adult version of KFP3.

The Wailing - Interesting Korean horror regarding exorcisms and various religions. It starts as a comedy then slowly gets darker and darker.

Hell or High Water - Great relationships and dialogue save an otherwise paint-by-numbers plot. The movies screams TEXAS, but not in a bad way (similar to Fargo in MN). Nice commentary on land/history.

13th - Insightful documentary on the connections between slavery and the US prison system. The narrative could maybe have been structured better, but lots of information.

Enjoyed, but flawed
Batman vs Superman: Extended Cut - Acknowledging its made some disagreeable creative choices with regards to characters, the plot makes sense and may have received some undeserved hatred. Certainly better than Man of Steel or Suicide Squad.

Nocturnal Animals - Great cinematography, music, performances and ending, but it was missing something to really gel for me.

Star Trek Beyond - As the third entry, the film solidifies the series' direction of action-adventure. Entertaining, but fluffy, with zero new ideas (and a number of half-assed ones, like the new female character).

Captain America: Civil War - One of the more enjoyable Marvel movies, but very, very messy. Bit too self-indulgent at times.

Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates - Crass and sophomoric, but knows what it is and has a number of funny (and cring-worthy) moments.

Under the Shadow - An interesting story, with nice visuals, but not as compelling as the comparable The Babadook.

Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping - Pretty much what you'd expect from an Andy Samberg/Lonely Island satire on pop music, but well done, with good creativity and music.

Sausage Party - An almost South Park-level of satire with great commentary on religion/faith, but significantly marred by an overly crude and sophomoric script.

The Siege of Jadotville - Pretty entertaining war-action movie telling a lesser-known perspective from a real-life event, though lacking a bit on story and character development.

Lights Out - Completely serviceable horror with nice visual design.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children - It's fine. Not Burton's best or worst. Could have used more runtime and fleshing out of ideas/characters. Lead actor (Asa) could have been better and Sam Jackson could have been better utilized. 

The Nice Guys - Somewhat closer to the "meh" side. Russell Crowe is a bunch of fun, along with the daughter (though she has a few off moments), whereas Ryan Gosling is uneven. The film borders on a boring, been-there-done-that Shane Black story, though has nice moments and ideas. A lot of great trailer moments don't actually fit in the movie. Needed better editing for story and film.

Magnificent Seven - Probably more interesting if this is one's first exposure to this story, otherwise it adds nothing new to the narrative/genre. Good music and some elaborate, if not overly long, action sequences are the highlights, with some nice character moments when you can hear the dialogue.

Doctor Strange - Inventive visual sequences weren't enough to elevate a cliched script and origin story. Benedict Cumberbatch didn't work for me as Strange, though he was great in the end credits sequence. Lots of forced humor that didn't work.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them - A number of interesting ideas and elements weren't enough to save this from an odd, if not inconsistent, choice of tone (not a fan of Yates). I did love Colin Farrell as the villain (more roles like this please).

Didn't Enjoy
The Witch - Started very promising, almost like Kubrick, but I didn't care about any of the characters. Interesting ending, but fairly standard witch movie.

Keeping Up with the Joneses - Interesting characters and relationships aren't enough to save an incredibly cliched and predictable plot. There are some good ideas, for which I would be either open to a sequel or perhaps a TV series.

Gantz: O - Mostly impressive animation, though the humans are on the weaker side. The dialogue is very weak to average, with a number of dumb/forced creative choices. Also, it's pretty sexist.

War Dogs - Probably wanted to be Wolf of Wall Street, but failed. Too slowly paced with unlikable characters.

Midnight Special - This felt like an incomplete, pretentious movie.

High-Rise - Started interesting, then falls apart. Never quite achieves the highs it wants to.

50 Shades of Black - Funny, but forgettable and generic.

Ghostbusters - Starts out OK, but becomes less funny after the first-third. Unearned action sequence at the end, combined with a messy plot/bad writing hurt the movie. An unfortunate misfire for the talented lead actresses.

Now You See Me 2 - Better off rewatching the first, which was dumb-but-fun.

Batman: The Killing Joke - The original content is the most interesting part, then taking a big dive when it goes into an accurate adaptation of the comic. We never really follow any one character, which hurts.

Joshy - Forgettable indie melodrama.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story - The weak characters prevented me from being invested in the story, which could probably shave a good 40 minutes and not miss anything.

Suicide Squad - Hard to care about any characters, let alone the plot. The tone is uneven and the editing is sloppy. Becomes more consistent towards the end, but it lost me by then.

Spectral - Found the film to be very flat and bland. The name of the villains made me roll my eyes.

X-Men: Apocalypse - Can't spell "Apocalypse" without "POS"


2016 movies I've yet to see, but want to:
Elle
Don't Think Twice
Hidden Figures
The Edge of Seventeen
20th Century Women
Tickled
Justice League Dark
Lion
Jack Reacher 2
Secret Life of Pets


As for TV shows, I didn't watch much, but here are the highlights:

The Expanse: Season 1 - It may have technically started in 2015, but this was a great first season. First few episodes move the plot forward quickly, then do a better mix of plot and character afterwards.

Luke Cage: Season 1 - Great style, characters and music. Really enjoyed this, even if I wish they had extended the first story arc a bit longer, if only to get more of one character.

Black Mirror: Season 3 - Easily the best season of the series yet. San Junipero is a great episode of television, though I did have issues with the two characters falling in love so quickly. The season opener was a bit weak, but each subsequent episode gets better and better.

Lady Dyanmite: Season 1 - Delightful. The season's a bit uneven, but the highs are incredibly high. The lows are fairly enjoyable, as well.

South Park: Season 20 - First two episodes were brilliantly hilarious, then the show got a bit too real for awhile, while also scrambling to match the then-current political events, but brilliantly picked things back up again towards the end

Westworld: Season 1 - I was compelled while watching, but ultimately ended the season underwhelmed. Some really great episodes, but the show mostly worked via storytelling gimmicks that fall apart upon reasonable analysis.

Game of Thrones: Season 6 - The last episode was the real money episode, otherwise it was a slow season (though certainly better than S5) with some nice moments scattered throughout.

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Season 2 - While the first season had rough moments, it was pretty fun, on the whole. However, with season 2, I gave up after four episodes.

2016 shows yet to watch:
Atlanta
Insecure

Quick assessments of the Princes in Disney Princess movies

For fun and per request from a friend, and as a "sequel" to this column, here are some quick assessments of the Disney Princess movies with regards to their messaging based on the Princes (apologies to my Disney fan friends):

Note: I haven't seen some of these movies in awhile, so these may be off...

Snow White - You only need two skills in life: singing and kissing. You don't need a name, though, but you do get to embrace your necrophilia. Also, be handsome.

Cinderella - Get her some shoes and you'll win her heart. Also, money and charm don't hurt. And be handsome.

Sleeping Beauty - Sometimes your parents can pick out a hottie for you, especially when you come from money. Also, use that money to learn how to use a sword, because you're going to have to fight to protect her. And be handsome.

The Little Mermaid - When the world is at your fingertips, you can wait for the right girl to come to you. Through song (avoid the silent ones). Also, use your money to learn boating. And be handsome.

Beauty and the Beast - It doesn't matter what you look like on the outside, as long as you have plenty of money and servants to help you find a pretty girl who sees the inner you. An inner you who is handsome (with money and servants... and a library).

Aladdin - Lie and manipulate your way to success, until it backfires and you realize being true to yourself is the way. Of course, getting REALLY lucky and having the support of Robin Williams certainly helps. Also, being cute is the poor man's handsome.

Pocahontas - When in doubt, Mel Gibson your way out

Mulan - Be a Man. You must be swift as a coursing river, with all the force of a great typhoon, with all the strength of a raging fire, yet mysterious as the dark side of the moon. Also, have no respect for women (unless they act like men (and kinda look like one)). And be handsome. And manly.

Princess and the Frog - Don't entirely remember... When you have money (or don't and pretend to), it's OK to be a manipulative, obnoxious and entitled brat and use women for your pleasure/survival. Also, be handsome.

Tangled - Eh... this is taking too long, so... work your way up the ladder of life, keep some secrets, be handsome.

Brave - N/A

Frozen - Be an evil conniving bastard who can sing, dance and has money, or be a total clown dimwit. Either way, have looks.

Moana - Be The Rock

Feedback is welcome in the comments.

Quick assessments of the Disney Princess movies based on the lead

For fun, here are quick assessments of the Disney Princess movies with regards to their messaging based on the lead protagonist (apologies to my Disney fan friends)..

Note: I haven't seen some of these in awhile, so they may be off (friend corrections are noted below the list)

Snow White - Dated and no

Cinderella - Being oppressed sucks, but wishing for a man to save you vs taking your own actions? No (*friend correction below)

Sleeping Beauty - HELL NO (yay being molested while sleeping)

The Little Mermaid - Fuck you, Ariel, you entitled child. Keep changing yourself for your man more, you stupid piece of shit

Beauty and the Beast - Stockholm syndrome. No (*friend correction below)

Aladdin - Lie and manipulate your way to success, until it backfires and you realize being true to yourself is the way. Of course, getting REALLY lucky and having the support of Robin Williams certainly helps

Pocahontas - Eh... there's a degree of empowerment, but it's for the purpose of romance... Also historical inaccuracies

Mulan - Being empowered, yes and breaking flawed norms/traditioms. This is good

Princess and the Frog - Indifferent/don't remember (*friend correction below)

Tangled - Largely OK? Characters seem independent, yet also goofy/dorky

Brave - Not too shabby. Wanting independence, with a focus on family bonds

Frozen - Eh... the sisterly message is great, but both characters are pretty bad

Moana - TBD

I'm very curious about Moana, particularly since there's apparently no romance element.

Friend updates
When I first posted this list, a few friends had pointed out some corrections for the following (these are verbatim and definitely welcome feedback; the above were admittedly flawed quick thoughts for fun):

*Friend 1: Princess & The Frog - work hard to make your dreams come true - you can't wish on stars - but don't let the joys of life pass you by. Best Disney Movie.

*Friend 2: That is a misunderstanding of Cinderella on a core level. She was not waiting for anyone, let alone for a man, to save her. She was trapped in an abusive household, and she wanted a night off of being a slave to her family to be happy - and equal - for once. She did take her own actions whenever she could, and then used the support system she had when she couldn't. Excellent.

*Friend 2: Ariel wanted to be human long before she met Eric, and Part Of Your World is about how she, existentially, feels complete among humans and not merpeople. Eric gave her a focus point, but she would have made that deal sooner or later. And the thing is... she didn't change for Eric at all, really. She changed her body for her, but her personality remained exactly the same. Eric fell in love with her genuinely. (Sidenote: the entire story makes more sense once you realize it is a metaphor about class relations (HCA original) or a queer coming out story (Disney). Can elaborate on that one.)

*Friend 2: Beauty and the Beast is definitionally not Stockholm Syndrome, as Belle never considers the Beast an authority figure and does not align herself with him over the course of the movie until he changes his behavior. In fact, because Belle is actually in charge in their relationship and the Beast aligns himself with *her*, you could make an argument for Lima Syndrome, if you wanted. But that still rests upon the Beast holding her captive, and it's established very quickly that "holding her captive" is a flimsy formality in their relationship. Belle does whatever she wants from day one.

*Friend 3: Beauty and the Beast is in no way Stockholm Syndrome. Belle is actually one of the strongest feministic characters Disney ever created. She is intelligent in a world that only respects brutality, she is kind and loving, she fights WOLVES head on, and every action she does for the first two acts of the movie are to protect her family and her town. The third act was to literally break out of a prison cart and prevent a mob from murdering an innocent man.

TL;DR: Belle's a badass and a nerd, and easily one of the greatest female characters created.

Also, debunking your Stockholm Syndrome: http://thefederalist.com/2016/08/10/7-reasons-beauty-and-the-beast-is-not-a-tale-of-stockholm-syndrome/

*Bonus: Here is the version with regards to messaging based on the Princes.