Not all movies are supposed to be complex mind-benders that make us contemplate life. These movies are the perfect example of fun movies to grab a bag of popcorn and some friends and go see.
The Nominees:
Ant-Man
Jurassic World
Mad Max: Fury Road
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Vacation
If you haven’t watched Jurassic World yet, you should probably stop reading this and go check out my spoiler-free review right here: http://bit.ly/1FS46N9. If you already have seen it, you should still probably go check it out so you can see what I am basing a lot of my points on (I don’t want to write a 1000 word review restating what I just wrote, haha). Now that we have that taken care of and know what I am going off of, let’s look at some of the things that made Jurassic World a good, but not great, movie.
Like I mentioned in the spoiler-free review, the visuals were pretty great. The only real issue I noticed was when the Apatosaurus (the first dying dinosaur that Owen and Claire ran into after losing the kids) looked so fake laying there it actually hurt. It was clear that Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas-Howard were not acting with that thing in front of them because they just seemed a little off. The dialogue was strange and their hand movements seemed kind of all over the place. While it didn’t revolutionize cinema like the original movie (and you can never expect a movie to do that for you), Jurassic World was still pretty solid cinematically.
Acting wise, the big sore-thumbs that stuck out to me were Hoskins (Vincent D’Onofrio) and the two kids.
Hoskins was the military guy who was trying to weaponize the raptors. It was pretty obvious from the start that he was going to die via raptor. It was such a waste of D’Onofrio’s talent because he was just so cliche and one-sided. While his death was satisfying, it didn’t leave as big of an impact because we all knew it was happening 10 seconds after we met him.
The kids were pretty annoying too. Like each of the three Jurassic Park movies, kids have to be some of the main characters to add to scare factor. I am sorry, but there is no way those two are surviving this. They had multiple run-ins with the Indominus Rex and lived to tell the tale. Also, I am sorry but a high schooler and middle schooler cannot hot wire a 1990s jeep that is filled with moss and rust. Even if they did all of that, they should have been scooped up by the Pterodactyls when they were driving to the gate. This is probably the only movie where I wanted the kids to die. There have been far worse child actors, but they were just so annoying.
I did appreciate the references to the original movie, but they felt a little forced at some points. Yes, we get it, the first movie was really good and changed movies forever. Thanks for the reminder
As far as plot holes go, there were a few that stuck out to me. I am just going to kind of list them and not go too in-depth with all of it:
-How could the Indominus Rex have created all of those scratch marks on the wall without any hearing or noticing if it’s under 24/7 watch?
-I am sorry but pouring a little bit of gasoline on yourself does not prevent an animal with thermal vision from seeing you.
-While it is not as much a plot hole, I hate how Owen stopped to kiss Claire after she saved him. There are still plenty of Pterodactyls flying around killing people. It’s like Man of Steel all over again (yes, you think you stopped Zod, don’t stop and kiss Lois Lane, go save the literal hundreds of thousands of people trapped beneath bone-crushing rubble).
-In the first movie, we hear that the T-Rex can run 32 miles per hour. It would have eaten Claire and the flare before she was able to draw its attention to the Indominus.
-Using the same logic as earlier in the movie, the Indominus should have been able to roar at the raptors and have them attack Owen, Claire, and the kids again.
-The biologist mentioned that the Indominus Rex had T-Rex DNA, which means it should have been able to roar at the T-Rex in that last scene and turned it against the people.
-There were also a few scenes where it would be dark going into a certain scene and light slightly afterwards when they left. I don’t think the sky changed that much in the few minutes you were in there.
Okay, despite all of that, I actually really enjoyed the movie (a lot of the positive stuff was in the spoiler-free version). It is tough because in today’s movie age there is no middle ground. You are expected to love a movie or hate it. Instead, I am pretty set in the middle. I did like it a lot more than disliking it, however, I acknowledge there there are flaws. Jurassic World was the best of the Jurassic Park sequels. You should definitely go and watch it – just don’t expect the moon and the sun.
What did you think of Jurassic World? Did I miss something you picked up on? Make sure to comment and let me know.
While I have always tried to keep spoilers out of my reviews, I am taking a new approach with Jurassic World. I am writing both a spoiler free version for all of you who have yet to see the movie and a version with spoilers (that you can read here: http://bit.ly/1Ibd7Bu).
For those of you who have been living under a rock and don’t know much about this movie, it essentially takes place 20ish years after the first Jurassic Park movie. After the original founder, John Hammond, passes away, he leaves his idea to his successor who is able to create the island resort Jurassic World. We join the action about 10 years after the park opened and learn that (somehow) people are getting bored of dinosaurs. The new attractions aren’t bringing in as much attention and, while still doing extremely well financially, the board of directors is looking to find something to inject new life into the park’s profits. The special lab technicians from InGen are able to use gene splicing to create the world’s first artificial dinosaurs. Enter the Indominus Rex. When this bad boy breaks loose, all hell is unleashed upon Isla Nubar (which, like I said earlier, is a fully operation resort park housing over 20,000 visitors).
Let me preface all of this by saying that I really enjoyed Jurassic World. It is not a perfect movie; however, I still enjoyed watching it so much (despite a crazy storm knocking the power out for 15 minutes right as it was starting). The movie boldly tried a few new things, some of which worked and some of which didn’t. Without giving anything away, here is my take on Jurassic World.
The first thing that is obvious is the revamped special effects. While the original absolutely blew people away by introducing advanced CGI for the first time (seriously check this out, the effects still hold up 20 years later by today’s standard: http://bit.ly/YT60yk), today’s advancements in technology have led to even bigger and better effects. Although I think there are a few scenes with a little unnecessary CGI, this movie’s visuals are amazing. From the first time you get a glimpse of the park to the ending credits, your eyes in for a cinematic feast .
While the two main actors, Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas-Howard, do a great job in the movie, a lot of the secondary characters do come off as a little one dimensional and cliche. Also, thirty minutes into the film you already have a pretty solid idea of who is going to live and who is going to die. Pratt and Dallas-Howard, however, showed why they were the top-billed talent in this movie. Nobody thought that Chris Pratt could break the lovable simpleton mold from Parks and Rec, but this is back-to-back summers with Guardians of the Galaxy and Jurassic World that he has shown his acting range is a lot larger than initially anticipated. While Dallas-Howard got off to a bit of a stale start in the first half hour or so, she really turned it around and did a great job as Claire, the park administrator. She had been in two other movies which ruined a franchise in Spider-Man 3 and Terminator Salvation, so I am glad that it didn’t happen again with Jurassic World.
The movie had a few minor plot holes which I will go into more detail in with my spoiler review, but all-in-all, Jurassic World was a good movie that thoroughly enjoyed.
Comment and let me know what you thought of Jurassic World.
Spielberg is the best director alive today (sorry Nolan but he has you by a few decades). He has been the brilliant mind behind so many of Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters and is still going strong. Although it’s quite early, he is already the favorite to win Best Director at next year’s Oscars for a movie about the Cold War that hasn’t even come out yet (and it’s the favorite for best picture). Here is a list of the best Spielberg movies in existence.
#5: E.T the Extra Terrestrial (1982)
Wow, you know it’s a great list if E.T is bumped all the way down to number five. This classic movie is perfect for the family to sit down and watch while ordering a pizza. E.T is an alien that accidentally lands on Earth and is trying to make his way back home. He joins a couple of kids and the group goes through adventure after adventure in an effort to get him back home. You will be hard-pressed to find a child who hasn’t seen this movie.
#4: Jaws (1975)
This movie created the concept of a summer blockbuster. Again, it’s crazy that a movie like this could only be number four on the list. Audiences watch a crew go out and try to find a killer shark that has been terrorizing a beach. Jaws is the reason that the summer movie season exists. Plus, we were also given some of the best soundtrack music ever from the movie.
#3: Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
The first movie in the Indiana Jones trilogy (I like to pretend Crystal Skull doesn’t exist), Raiders of the Lost Ark was another successful notch in Spielberg’s belt that has made him the director he is today. Without him, there would be no Indiana Jones. Spielberg was smart and decided to cast Harrison Ford at the height of the Star Wars craze in the early 80s and make the movie even more popular.
#2: Jurassic Park (1993)
This movie changed cinema. Jurassic Park was the first movie to utilize CGI. It has now become a staple in Hollywood that would have never become what it was without Spielberg. He has helped shaped the industry into what it is today. Imagine the movie technology of the early 90s and then watch this: http://bit.ly/1jtNViK
Honorable Mention
Lincoln (2012)
Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Munich (2005)
Minority Report (2002)
#1: Schindler’s List (1993)
1993 must have been a great year to be Steven Spielberg. With the success of Jurassic Park and Schindler’s List, Spielberg had one of the best year’s for a director ever. Many of you have heard me talk about how great Schindler’s List is and I even included it in my list for the top 10 movies of all-time (http://bit.ly/1CcueTd). Liam Neeson and Spielberg were able to work together to bring a movie about an extremely dark spot in human history to light while keeping a serious tone. If you haven’t seen it by now, you really have to.
What is your favorite Steven Spielberg movie? Which other directors do you want to see with top five lists? Make sure to let me know!
Movie soundtracks can be one of the most underrated parts of a movie. Few people realize the difference a good soundtrack can make a movie versus a bad one (imagine watching the fellowship march through the mountains in Lord of the Rings without that epic music). I decided to show my appreciation of these unsung heroes with a list of the top 5 composers in movie history.
#5: Howard Shore
Best Known For: Lord of the Rings Trilogy
Speaking of that epic Lord of the Rings Music, Shore was slingshot into the mainstream after his work with Peter Jackson to create one of the most memorable soundtracks of all-time. Along with the Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit franchises, Shore has composed the music for The Aviator and Ed Wood, two other movies known for their great soundtracks. Although he has been working on movies since the 1970s, he is finally getting the recognition he deserves here in the 2000s.
#4: Bernard Herrmann
Best Known For: Psycho
The man behind the Twilight Zone theme and Taxi Driver, Herrmann has helped create some of the most haunting recognizable scores. Not to mention, who doesn’t imagine the shower scene in Psycho every time they hear that high pitch horror track. Alfred Hitchcock originally wanted the famous shower scene without music before he heard Herrmann’s track. He launched himself to popularity with his first soundtrack–Citizen Kane. Considered one of the greatest movies every created, Citizen Kane‘s soundtrack is one of the many great aspects of the movie.
#3: Alan Silvestri
Best Known For: Back to the Future
Silvestri’s accomplishments stretch far beyond the Back to the Future trilogy. Forrest Gump, The A-Team, The Polar Express, and multiple movies from the Avengers Marvel Cinematic Universe are only some of the musical masterpieces penned by Silvestri. He has shown his broad diversity covering all genres of movies. Silvestri is definitely one of the best musical composers of all-time. Starting his career in the 1970s, Silvestri continues to compose great soundtracks to this day.
#2: Hans Zimmer
Best Known For: The Dark Knight
Considered the best modern musical composer, Zimmer has created a plethora of great scores. Pairing up with Christopher Nolan, Zimmer has created the scores for The Dark Knight trilogy, Insterstellar, Inception, and The Prestige. He has experienced great success outside of Nolan as well. He won an Oscar for his work on The Lion King and has been behind the scenes for many great movies: Gladiator, Castaway, Man of Steel, Black Hawk Down, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Bee Movie, and Sherlock Holmes. He started his musical career assisting the The Buggles with the first MTV music video “Video Killed the Radio Star” and his career has shot off from there. He is by far currently the best in the business.
#1: John Williams
Best Known For: Star Wars
Williams has been at the helm of some of the greatest movie franchises to ever be produced. Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park , Harry Potter, Jaws, Superman, and Schindler’s List are just the tip of the iceberg. Williams has been creating music for movies since the mid-1950s. While he has slowed down his pace, Williams is far and away the greatest composer ever. His work is unrivaled. Almost anybody could hear some of his work and immediately recognize the movie. It will be a long time before somebody tops Williams as the greatest of all-time.
CinemaStickler 