Cars: Standing the Test of Time

 This blog post will be analyzing the movie Cars (2006).  Cars (2006) is a comedy/animation movie that was released by Disney in 2006 and directed by John Lasseter.  Rewatching this movie again felt very nostalgic to me, as I haven't watched the full movie since I was very young.  However, despite myself being a lot older than I was back then, this movie was still very enjoyable.  The animation in the film is very good, even for today's standard.  Many of today's movies fall to the CGI trap, the CGI not being very good, but this film does not have this problem.  The animation on all the cars are crisp and smooth, and they feel like realistic animated cars, which showed that the animators had very good attention to detail.  Another thing this film does well, surprisingly, is the foreshadowing used.  An example of this is when Guido, early on in the film, states that he wants to perform a pit stop.  And at the climax of the movie, he ends up performing an impressive pitstop in the last race.  Funnily enough, the movie also does a fake out a little earlier than that, when he changes Lightning McQueen's tires in Luigi's shop.  Speaking of Lightning McQueen, his character arc/development in this film is very well done.  At the beginning of the film, he's this cocky, young hotshot racer on the rise that only cares about racing and being flashy.  But by the end of the film, he's a much more caring character towards the people he meets, and that he cares about more than just winning.  This is displayed throughout the film, with a lot of character to character interactions between McQueen and other characters, whether he visually realizes he's in the wrong, or has a change of heart.  Cars is a film that can appeal to audience's of all ages, can teach important life lessons to anyone, and can stand the test of time up to today's animated films.

Moonlight: Finding One's Inner Self

 This blog post will be focused on the movie Moonlight (2016).  Moonlight (2016) is a Thriller/Romance film that is directed by Barry Jenkins.  The movie follows Chiron, a black male who is trying to find out who he really is, and this journey is split into three acts, one when he is a child, one where he is in high school, and one where he is a fully grown man.  How the movie is built by these three acts and how they progress is one strong point of the film, as the film feels that it is telling a coherent and straightforward story.  The messages or themes in this film are also very good.  For example, the environment that Chiron grows up in is very realistic to the environment some young kids that live in urban areas are used to, and it isn't cliché either.  Also, as he becomes older and the story progresses from act to act, the amount of people that he feels comfortable being around becomes less and less because he starts discovering who he is, which is different from the community that he lives in, and that community is portrayed to not understand that difference.  

However, the best part of this film is the acting and performances.  Every single important character in this film plays a big role in the film, whether that be a friend of Chiron, his caretakers, or his "enemies".  And in all the situations they are in, they do a great job of making them feel real, and have real, genuine reactions to what is happening around them.  This is especially highlighted with all the actors that play Chiron, they all do a fantastic job of being real in the situations they are in, without forcing anything.  Moonlight (2016) is a film that puts a spotlight on what urban communities are like in the real world, and is a great example of how to do character development through a journey of life.

Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back: How to do a Movie Sequel

 

This weeks blog post will be focused on the movie Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1980), the sequel to the classic Star Wars: A New Hope (1977).  Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back is a Sci-Fi/Adventure film that was released in 1980 and is directed by Irvin Kershner.  Coming off the first film, this film had very high expectations to live up to the first film's success.  But how does the sequel capitalize off the first film's success?  By taking the elements of what made the first film good, and improve upon them.  And one of those elements is the characterization.  In the first film, the characterization was one of the strong points as every character had their own unique quirks and personalities.  In this film, many of those characters from the previous film return, and new characters are also added into the mix and further improve that characterization.  Speaking of that, the addition of Yoda in this movie adds a lot of fun and depth into the Star Wars universe.  In the middle of the movie, Luke Skywalker goes to this planet called Dagobah to receive Jedi training from a Jedi Master called Yoda.  And with Yoda's character, the audience can tell he is very wise and that he's been around for a long time after he stops joking around, even though Luke may not recognize this at first.  His character also makes the Jedi and the concept of the Force very mysterious, and yet intriguing and cool.  The character interactions are another strong point of the film, especially the interactions between Han and Leia, as their love for each other begins to develop in this movie, and the audience can feel how close they've gotten by their last conversation in the film, where a couple iconic lines are dropped.  

The score and cinematography are fantastic as well.  John Williams in this film, like the last film, delivers a film score that makes the audience feel like they are on a gigantic space adventure.  This film also has some of the most iconic themes in a movie ever, like The Asteroid Field and Darth Vader's theme, The Imperial March.  The cinematography is very pretty in this film, and the film still looks very good today.  Every planet that the audience goes to has it's own good look and mysterious aura that makes the audience want to find out more about the world in these films.  The action in this film is also improved from the first film, especially the lightsaber battle at the end of the film, which is much more improved from the lightsaber battle in the previous film.  And the plot twist at the end of the film is still one of the most shocking plot twists in cinema history.  Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) not only improves off of its predecessor, but it also keeps the audience on their toes from start to finish, and it establishes itself as a classic film in film-making history.

Jaws: A Thrilling First Blockbuster

                

 This weeks blog post I will be sharing my thoughts on the movie Jaws (1975).  Widely considered to be the first blockbuster, Jaws (1975) is an adventure/thriller film that was released in 1975 and is directed by Steven Spielberg.  Going into the movie, I had high expectations considering that it is the first blockbuster film, making it the first of a long line of movies that is still going today, and it did not disappoint.  One of the strongest parts of this movie is when there is tension/suspense in a scene or when a scene is building tension/suspense.  From the first scene of the shark taking its first victim, the audience is already on the edge of their seats, intimidated by the beast.  Spielberg was also smart not to show the shark too much in the movie either, as it would have devalued the scariness of the shark, as well as not make him as mysterious.  Furthermore, the score in the film is also fantastic, and it further elevates the suspense in the film.  John Williams, the music composer of this film, elevates every scene that features his score whenever music is used.  Without John Williams' score in the film, this is a completely different movie.

The characters in this film are another strong suit.  There are three central characters in this film, but they all get their chance to shine in the 2nd half of this film.  They all complement each other very well with their differing personalities, which helps them work together as a team.  Robert Shaw's character is more of the brave, tough-nosed guy that takes nothing from anybody, Richard Dreyfuss' character is the more of the smart, expert character that knows a lot about sharks and the water, and Roy Scheider's character is more of a leader and negotiator character that brings everybody together, and wants everyone to be safe.  This all culminates for a great 2nd half of a film with iconic scenes, iconic lines, and great character moments.  The only downside of this film is that the pacing of the 1st half of the film can drag a bit after the first scene, but it also makes the climax of the film that much more satisfying.  Jaws lives up to its title as the first blockbuster and is a true classic in the art of film.

Swiss Army Man: A Crude but Sweet Journey

         

 For this week's blog post, I will be giving my thoughts on the film Swiss Army Man (2016).  Swiss Army Man is a Drama/Comedy film that was released in 2016 and is directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert.  This is one of those films where when you're watching it, you have to accept what is happening on the screen, because if you don't it won't be as good of a watching experience.  An example of this is a good amount of the comedy bits in the movie.  There's a scene in the movie where Hank, Paul Dano's character, rides Manny, Daniel Radcliffe's character, like a jet ski on the water, and the "jet ski" is powered by Manny's farts.  Not realistic, but you also have to accept from this scene that the movie won't be super realistic.  

The comedy in this movie is mostly crude, and is also inconsistent throughout the film.  In particular, there are a few scenes where Manny and Hank are talking/joking about sex/simulating a conversation between a guy and a girl.  There are words said by Manny that are inappropriate relating to sex that did get a few laughs out of me, but that crude humor also isn't every viewer's type of humor, and it could go by some viewers as unfunny or "cringe".  However, when the comedy lands, it sticks the landing very well.  But when it doesn't, the comedy crashes and burns.  But, the big thing that this film does well is the journey of Hank's character throughout the film.  At the start of the film, the audience can see that Hank is not in a very good state mentally, as he tries to hang himself right when the film starts.  However, when he sees Manny wash up on the island, he stops doing that as he sees life other than himself.  The character of Manny in this film can be interpreted in different ways.  I see Manny's character as a pathway to get Hank back into a good state mentally, and enjoy his life again.  This is conveyed all through the film, with the many interactions and conversations between Hank and Manny about life, and Hank teaching Manny life essentials, like how to speak to people, what people do in their lives, and what certain things are, like food or buses.  The ending of the film not only is a good conclusion for the mental state of Hank, but it also leaves it to the audience's interpretation to if the Manny character is real.  What he an actual moving corpse, or was he a figment of Hank's imagination?  The film overall has some inconsistent comedy, but it follows a coherent and sweet journey that leaves a satisfying feeling for the audience at the end of the journey.

The Shining: Revolutionizing the Horror/Thriller Genre

 This week's blog post will be analyzing the movie The Shining (1980).  The Shining (1980) is a drama/horror film that was released in 1980 and is directed by Stanley Kubrick.  This is somewhat based on Stephen King's original novel of The Shining, but the movie takes a different approach to the story, and this was a great decision.  From start to finish, the movie had me on my toes and engaged, trying to anticipate what is going to happen.  And then when you get to the end of the film, it leaves you with a sense of wonder and gives you an unsettling feeling, like you didn't know what you just watched.  The ending leaves it up to the audience to interpret what the film means, and what its ending means.  

Now, there are many things in this film that elevate the film to a high level.  The acting in this film is just one of these excellent pieces.  Jack Nicholson's performance in the lead role is outstanding, and as his character is slowly deteriorating mentally due to the haunted presence in the hotel, you can believe that he is truly losing his mind, because with how Kubrick has written and directed the film, he keeps what is happening in the movie realistic, and without going over the top in key scenes and character interactions.  Danny Lloyd's performance as the child of the Torrance family is surprisingly great, and is impressive for child acting.  In the film, Lloyd's character has a psychic ability that he can use to communicate with people, and this is displayed in a way where, once again, the audience can believe this is happening because it is realistic to what psychic communication could look like.  The tone in this film, for a horror/thriller, is not only very good, but also consistent.  Throughout the whole film, it makes the audience feel on edge and uneasy, especially in key scenes in the movie where Kubrick wants the audience to have this feeling of uneasiness.  Speaking of key scenes, there are a lot of excellent scenes in this film.  There's the obvious "Here's Johnny" scene that is terrifying, but also a little funny at the same time.  There are also many scenes of Nicholson's character interacting with the spirits that are present in the hotel, and these scenes also show his slow spiral into madness.  All in all, this film encapsulates what a horror/thriller film should be, keeping the audience on edge and at the edge of their seats the whole way through, and this film has inspired many other horror films to come about and innovate off of what The Shining (1980) was doing right.

Pulp Fiction: Molding a Movie through Dialogue

 This week's post will be a review of the movie Pulp Fiction (1994).  Pulp Fiction (1994) is a indie/drama film directed by Quentin Tarantino, one of the more revered movie directors of the 90s and 2000s, and is still making films today.  Going into this film, I expected a lot of mafia/crime action within the film, but to my surprise I did not get that.  However, that didn't make the movie less enjoyable at all.  The dialogue in this film, especially the dialogue between characters, is what elevates this film the most.  Within most of the character interactions/conversations in the film, they talk about a lot of obscure topics which I won't get into to avoid any spoilers.  But that's what makes this movie more entertaining, is that the dialogue isn't boring and cliche, and brings life into the film.  However, there is a lot of strong language in this movie, which I didn't mind, but if you don't like a lot of that then this isn't the movie for you.

The characters and acting by the actors in the film is another bright spot in this film.  Every character of importance in this movie seems to get their chance to shine, whether it be through certain scenarios in the film, or through dialogue or character interactions.  There are also a lot of A-list actors like Samuel L. Jackson, John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Bruce Willis, etc, and they all do a great job with characterizing their characters in this film through their acting.  And like stated before, this is especially apparent through the dialogue usage in the film, whether it just be a normal conversation between characters, or if the actors are putting some emotion into their dialogue.  The music choices in the film are also very good, and the music is timed very well in a lot of the scenes where music is used.  A good example of this is when there are action scenes, the music starts when the action starts, and ends where the action seems to end for the most part.  The film, overall, was an enjoyable film, but this film is also not for everyone.  If you're someone who likes a lot of action in a film, or doesn't like heavy dialogue, then this film probably isn't for you.  However, I would still recommend it to anyone who would be interested in it or is on the fence of wanting to watch it.