READY PLAYER ONE: THE RADDEST BLOCKBUSTER OF THE DECADE

     Sometimes there’s a film that comes around that changes the idea of what we think a blockbuster should be. A film that is not only excellent on a technical level but also changes the way we perceive films and make a thought provoking and memorizing film experience people would ever witness. Ready Player One however is not one of those films. Even despite that though, sometimes there comes a film that is a blockbuster and while it’s not one that has a ridiculous amount of substance and has issues, it still manages to be one of the most entertaining experiences with so many moments that would make you smile from all the imagery that can be best described as AWESOME, Ready Player One is that movie! A movie that knows exactly what it is and takes advantage of being an exhilarating and fun summer blockbuster while also not forgetting to have the heart and decent written that maybe missing from numerous other blockbusters films today.

     The premise deals with the distant future where the world is in shambles and the only real means to escapism is at the Oasis, a virtual reality simulator where people can create, do whatever they want and be whatever they want to be. In this world a contest is held by the creator of the Oasis with the main prize being full control of the system and with many who want to own the Oasis for evil, it’s up to a teenager named Wade Watts to win the contest and make sure the Oasis is in good hands. The plot of Ready Player One is as basic as a story goes, with a straightforward narrative that draws a lot of parallels to various other films, so it could come across as a movie with various clichés and one where you may know where it’s going. What stands out about Ready Player One is while as a narrative it’s not the deepest film in the world, but it does have elements that are missing from modern blockbusters, because this movie has heart and a genuine feel of wanting to be nothing more than a fun romp with a good understanding of its material. Ready Player One is a movie that indulges itself with references of pop-culture from everywhere, from music, video games, animation and film and while some may feel that it can be a downgrade as the film does nothing more than just reference a classic 80s movie for the sake of a cheap laugh, Spielberg’s direction makes it a lot more clever than that.  Spielberg understands the importance of Nostalgia and it certainly shows in this film through how the characters really express their love of pop-culture and how it much like the Oasis itself, is a true escape from the troubles of reality. It exploits and excels at stating about how awesome nostalgia is, it also has a nice message about not having it be too much in your life and how one should make the best of what they’re given. Granted, none of this goes as deep as that but it’s clear there is a full understanding on nostalgia and relying on it and it is told relatively well. Even without the themes in mind, the film manages to be so much fun with not taking itself too seriously and having moments of true genuine humor that makes the films much funnier than it has any right to be and even some neat visual humor that works too. The story still suffers a tiny bit from being a bit simple and also having some plot holes here and there that don’t quite add up, but its charm and understanding of pop-culture makes the story better than it has any right to be.

     Ready Player One’s characters much like its story, the film’s characters while not having the most depth to them also manage to be incredibly entertaining and fun to watch. With the main character of Wade Watts, he does come across as a basic protagonist with a not so great life and wanting to make his better in the Oasis, but the actor Tye Sheridan makes the character as expressive and fun as the performance can go for a character written as a standard protagonist. The downside is the other characters are so much more interesting than Wade that you wish the film centered more around them than him, that being said, the rest of the cast is also great in their own right. Actors like Simon Pegg and Mark Rylance, while do not appear a whole lot in the film, they give it their all in every scene they have and making the film’s charming theme much better. Wade’s team of friends aren’t the most fleshed out team of heroes but they serve as fun characters with Aech being the most entertaining of the group with a lot of funny lines and even some great reveals to their character that aren’t the most surprising but still neat to see. Ben Mendelson plays the evil corporate bad guy who wants to take over the Oasis, which on surface level comes across as a “how cliché can you get?” type of trope,  but the way he deliver his performance and the way the character is written, completely owns up to the fact he’s that archetype. The film makes fun of how much of a soulless manipulative corporate jerk the main antagonist is, and Ben Mendelson hams it up the best way as he can, making this cliché antagonist incredibly entertaining. The final character that should be mentioned is Artemis played by Olivia Cooke who is without a doubt the best character in the movie. Cooke delivers this performance with so much personality and wit, making her incredibly likable from the start, and also given the fact that she’s incredibly knowledgeable, funny and just over-all badass due to the writing, you’ll fall in love with her as much as Wade does. Not to mention, while the film doesn’t go too far to give her some depth to her character, it does manage to add some substance with the real life her being much more inclusive to herself and how the Oasis is a good contrast to that. As a whole character wise, the film is best represented like this as not the most fleshed out and emotional characters to grab onto, especially during sequences that could have benefitted from a more emotional impact, but the writing and actors make these characters entertaining enough where you enjoy the experience of hanging out with them.

     The one element of Ready Player One that makes this movie such a joy to watch for the two and a half hours it goes on for is the world of the Oasis itself. The world building in Ready Player One is incredible, as the Oasis is one of the most visually impressive worlds in recent memory. The idea of it is simple, be and do whatever you want to be, ranging from hanging with characters and even being characters you love from pop-culture, and the world is so inventive and visually pleasing that it’s hard not to find simple joy in seeing this world unfold. It is an overly CGI world yes, however considering that this is essentially a video game, it’s a bit more excusable because this is a fantasy world in the full sense, instead of one that’s trying to replicate reality. It’s a movie that almost feels like an animated movie with all the time spent in the Oasis and for what it is; it looks impressive, with only one weak green screen effect moment outside of the Oasis that looked weak. Although even outside the Oasis, the film still manages to be fun and interesting with certain small set pieces and decent character moment here and there, but for the type of movie it is, it knows not to overstay its welcome in the real world. Being a movie about pop-culture, one would feel like it could have an over reliance on it and while there are moments that may feel like that, the film still manages to tell a fun story without any of the references taking completely out of it. When a film does pay tribute to something in pop-culture, it does it in a refreshing and visually interesting way, one sequence in particular that tributes one of the most iconic horror movies of all time is a prime example of that. It’s a moment that might be one of the best tributes to this movie since The Simpsons while also simultaneously being the exact way a movie like this would be a video game. The film is also filled with so many minor cameos and appearances of characters and nods to pop-culture that it can be an absolute joy to see a quick nod to a movie or game you love even if it is a fraction of a second. The downside to the Oasis and it being littered with pop-culture references is that sometimes it feels maybe a bit overcrowded. With so much CGI and so many characters on screen in the Oasis, that it sometimes feel overbearing to the point where it may feel like too much is going on in the background in terms of trying to notice all the reference. It isn’t quite as carefully crafted as something like Scott Pilgrim or The LEGO Movie, but even with that in mind, Spielberg’s direction certainly takes note of how much joy can be made from seeing beloved characters from any medium to appear on sequence and the film encourages to be seen just to witness all the references one didn’t get on their first viewing. The few big moments that showcase some of the major Pop-Culture references though are going go down in history as some of the most amazing things to ever appear in a big budget blockbuster like this, including a finale sequence featuring three iconic characters that you would never expect to see them all in one film but seeing them all together in an epic battle makes this movie a choice for the best movie ever for any geek out there. It is a film that celebrates and respects geek culture and showcases in a way that you would have to be a pretty big cynic not to get some appreciation out of it.

    Ready Player One is comparable to an average good day at a convention like Comic Con. It may not go as smoothly as planned but witness so much love and passion for the entertainment people love, it becomes easily one of the most enjoyable things imaginable. Spielberg made a film that is easily one of the most entertaining blockbusters seen in years, even with the film being light on plot and characters to some extent; it still has enough heart and passion behind it to be a blast to watch which can be more than said for other more recent blockbusters that barely even try. Style over substance it may be, but there is still some substance with its theme of nostalgia and characters that are cleverly written, and with so much incredibly world building and moments that are just plain awesome, Ready Player One comes highly recommended to anyone who at least a tiny bit of interest in Pop Culture. Ready Player One is a movie that can be described in just one simple word, RAD, and that’s all it needs to be.

Not a Fantastic Fox, but a Good Dog: Isle of Dogs Review

     No arthouse indie director has been quite synonymous with the term mainstream popularity as Wes Anderson. Despite being labeled as a hipster director, Anderson has now become a household name and for good reason given that his films are often critically acclaim, modest box office success, and also garner award attention. One of the most notable films that helped increase his popularity is his stop motion adaptation of Roald Dahl’s Fantastic Mr. Fox. Fantastic Mr. Fox is an incredible piece of work that’s not only a cleverly written piece from Wes, but also one of the most unique, stylized and mature animated films ever made. It is incredibly exciting to see Wes return to animation with his newest film, the Isle of Dogs, a film that may not get to the heights that Mr. Fox achieved but is such a rarity when it comes to animation, it’s hard not to recommend.

     The film takes place in future Japan where due to an over population of canine infestation, all dogs are exiled to a place known as trash island. Things go awry when a young boy named Atari who is in search of his dog Spots, travels to the island and teams up with a group of dogs to help find his lost dog and also discovers what maybe the solution to save all the dogs from being isolated from Japan. Isle of Dog’s first act might as well be one of the best openings to any animated film; it entices you with its clever writing and also incredibly engaging character introductions and world building. The way the film opens just sets the mood for an incredible experience. However after a certain point, the film doesn’t quite go back to the heights of the first 30 minutes the film had to offer. Nothing is executed horribly, but there are moments that feel as it drags on a bit with characters and elements that feel a bit rushed and under-developed. It film still ends with a lot of very exciting moments and interesting themes about prejudice that albeit a bit overdone, is still profound and told very well through the eyes of man’s best friend. It’s true that Isle of Dogs does reaches the peak of its greatness before the second act even begins but even with that in mind, it’s still very well done.

    A Wes Anderson movie wouldn’t be complete without an excellence cast of characters played by an all-star cast and Isle of Dogs certainly delivers. The cast does an excellent job of providing great performances of their characters and given Anderson’s fun use of dialogue, these characters certainly feel more alive and enjoyable to watch than ever. The highlight is definitely Bryan Cranston as Chief, who out of all the characters in the film, has the most of an arch being more accepting of humans as time goes on and also the one that has the best lines written for him. However, unlike Mr. Fox where that film nearly every character has some sort of purpose to the film for even as minor as they can be and also contains a lot of maturity in their characters, Isle of Dogs doesn’t quite have that luxury. Outside of characters like Chief, some of the other don’t quite feel as developed which may come across as a bit disappointing. The film does have a big cast so it’s not surprising that not every character is fully developed however what makes it somewhat of a bummer is either the side characters that are incredibly enjoyable like Chief’s gang of dogs don’t get nearly as much screen time as they probably should or characters like Atari’s caregiver or the foreign exchange student researching on the situation on trash island, aren’t given that much of a character or backstory to the point where some of their scenes feel kind of like filler. Even with some of the faults the film has with its characters, they’re written well enough to be funny and engaging and characters like Chief make the film much better to watch as a whole.

     When comparing Wes’ previous animated efforts with Fantastic Mr. Fox to other stop motion animated films, it stands out as one of the most unique looking of the bunch. Rather than relying on a horror theme in the vain of a Laika or Henry Selick film or a classic Claymation look from Aardman, Wes Anderson made a film unlike anything you’ve ever seen with a fall aesthetic and characters with way more realism and texture put to them in comparison to previous stop motion animal characters. Isle of Dogs continues that trend of creating a more visually unique animated film. It still maintains the unique character models that something like Fantastic Mr. Fox had but also stands out from that film, looking more gritty and dark while also being more technologically advance where Fantastic Mr. Fox strived to look more old timey and classic. Not to mention outside of the film’s excellent look for an animated feature, Wes Anderson’s directing style is still intact with all of the quick pans, overhead shots and descriptive text one would expect from a film from Wes. His directing style is still prominent and one that helps make Isle of Dogs a very unique animated film and if there is one thing the film was expected to exceed at and does, it was creating a visually immersive world through the time consuming and impressive that is stop motion animation.

    Isle of Dogs may not reach the heights of Fantastic Mr. Fox or Grand Budapest, nor does it get quite as amazing as its first 30 minutes, but the creativity and ambition shine through. It is well written, has engaging characters and visually outstanding even with a few shortcomings here and there. It’s not only a quality movie but also a PG-13 Stop Motion Animated movie from Wes Anderson, something that doesn’t come so often, so it definitely is a must see.

A Wrinkle in Time Review

   

     Despite what is stereotypically seen as a bad film is one that is just made for the sake for soulless cash and nothing more, there have been times were a movie clearly has something more to offer but still unfortunately misses the mark. Sometimes there are movies that have some interesting ideas, great ambition and a good cast and director to boot, but still miss the mark on creating an over-all engaging movie. A Wrinkle in Time is one of those movies, one that has great intentions but sadly doesn’t succeed all that well as a film.

     The story centers around a girl named Meg, who is having trouble with her life after her father disappears suddenly during his research on different dimensions. Things change when three mysterious figures come into her life to not only help find her father, but help her discover herself while having her try to save their own universe. The film’s ultimate goal is one of the few elements that really shine through with its overall theme and message about accepting oneself. It is a message seen many times before, but the way this film executes it is very well done, giving a different way of showcasing how one shouldn’t strive for perfection and try to love them for who they are. It is an important message for kids to learn and the film does it in a very mature and thoughtful way. However, as good as the message is, the story over-all doesn’t impress, as the film focuses too much of its time on exposition. Unlike something like a Nolan movie, where there is a lot of exposition but still manages to be interesting, Wrinkle in Time doesn’t have the inventive world building or tight script to really make the film’s exposition that exciting. Most of the film is just talking about these ideas but not written in a way that’s as engaging as it should be, or in a way where it really fleshes out the film’s characters. It’s a shame to see this film not fleshed out that much because Disney could have had a very fun and inventive science fiction movie on their hands, but it just ends up surprisingly dull.

    

      The other downside to Wrinkle in Time is that the characters don’t fare much better in terms of making the film as engaging as it should be. The main character of Meg isn’t the most developed character out there as we get the basics of her backstory but the way her character progress through the film, doesn’t feel as natural as it should be. The actress playing her does a fine job however, same with most of the other child actors in this film, they’re given a script that makes them talk more like adults rather than children and sometimes it can feel really flat in terms of performance. As for the mythical characters played by Mindy Kaling, Reese Witherspoon and Oprah, for how much of a presence they have in the film their characters are also seen as kind of flat. They’re not given enough screen time to really be developed and they don’t have much of a personality asides from spouting exposition and having a minor quirk that doesn’t really go anyway. Whenever they do have some personality, they come across as ridiculously over the top, but then again with their outlandish costumes, it can be hard to take some of their dialogue seriously. Chris Pine gives the best performance in the film, being not too over the top and also having a bit of heart to his character, with him being the loving father that couldn’t be there due to circumstances. However, that’s as best as the film goes with characters, even if it story was a bit messy, if the characters were a bit more memorable, then it would have made up for some of the shortcomings.

    

  Considering a big budget special effects style movie like this doesn’t come around every so often, you would think the film would be very impressive to look at, and in some ways yes but in other ways no. The film does manage to be incredibly bright and colorful at various points, and it can be very pleasing the eyes and production design wise, there are many elements that look visually unique. When a film uses something in the vain of drawings as an effects sequence, then there definitely needs to be some credit given where it is due. Where the film falls short however is that there are also a decent amount of moments where it goes on effects overload.  It feels like a lot of sci-fi films were it just seems to have an overabundance of CG at numerous points, even if it is well design; it doesn’t quite feel that real. It also doesn’t help that there is some choppy moments of editing at points, too many close up shots of characters faces, lackluster green screen and one of the unintentionally weirdest visual moments ever put in a recent blockbuster. It’s a shame considering that Ava Duvernay has proven herself to create a competent movie in the past, but here, it doesn’t quite mesh as well as it should have.

     Wrinkle in Time is far from an awfully put together movie but it does feel like it was some wasted potential. Its intentions are great and it has a lot of ambition, but as a film, it just doesn’t go together as smoothly as it should. With its weird moments and ambitious ideas however, it could potentially be a cult film in the vain of other Disney Live action movies that try to do something different. But as it stands, it just comes across as a bit of a dull mess that could have been cleaned up much better than how it was put together.