Star Wars, The Force Awakens

Actors: Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong'o, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, Max von Sydow

Rating: 10 out of 10, I am a victim of my youth and the promise exhibited in the First Star Wars trilogy that was never redeemed in the prequels. The less said about Mr. Binks and the Portman-Christensen acting chemistry the better. My wife was fully prepped; brought into the galaxy far, far away fold by viewing the first six films over the past couple weeks. She’d resisted my geekiness until overpowered by the constant marketing we’ve all been exposed to. At least it kept the politicians at bay for a while. The promise is redeemed. The Force Awakens completely recaptured the feel of that first Star Wars movie before Lucas “updated” it with CGI. All of the original characters are back, appropriately aged and arced. The story itself is disturbingly similar to the original but that too is forgivable since the new actors, especially Ms. Ridley, are so engaged and likable. There is CGI but it doesn’t become the end all be all that so damaged the prequel trilogy. It was everything I could have hoped for (which is saying a lot) and more. There is a cleverly developed shock near the end but the overall feeling of hope against a monolithic evil is preserved. When the screen went dark followed by the iconic John Williams score and the letters disappearing into the immense star field I was transported back to 1977 and that youthful sense of wonder. It takes a lot for this jaded version of that 1977 moviegoer to be giddy but last night I was and still am. The semi-suppressed inner geek is in full flower today.

MVP: Ridley as the millenial’s answer to Luke as Kylo Ren – kicks serious ass all movie long

The Hateful Eight

Actors: Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Walton Goggins, Demián Bichir, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Bruce Dern, Channing Tatum

Rating: 8 out of 10, This was vintage Tarantino with singular characters that he somehow weaves together for an interesting narrative as well as the obligatory blood and violence. Each character is fully formed and the movie doesn’t lose its way trying to tell everyone’s story but by the end of the film you know them all. Kurt Russell can’t do anything bad in my book and he dominates as a grizzled bounty hunter who reluctantly teams up with counterpart Samuel L. Jackson back to chewing up scenes for Tarantino. They are escorting Jennifer Jason Leigh to the hangman and she is sneakily the best character in the outstanding cast. While this isn’t Tarantino’s best work I walked out amazed that three hours had passed because it was mostly conversation with the odd head being blown off.

MVP: Jackson, as usual when teamed with Tarantino, shines as Major Warren

Point Break

Actors: Édgar Ramírez, Luke Bracey, Teresa Palmer, Delroy Lindo, Ray Winstone

Rating: 7 out of 10, A remake of the classic Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze movie of the early 1990s. While we still had FBI agent Johnny Utah versus the spiritual Bodhi, the plot (what there was of it) is completely different. The best reason to go see this movie on the big screen are the stunts, mainly involving extreme sports. I’m a pretty jaded movie goer but I was genuinely gasping as some of the views, especially during the surfing, wingsuit, snowboarding, and cliff climbing (see what I mean). Given all the excitement that is expertly translated to the screen it was sad to see the characters lack the texture of the original. Pretty sad to say to an actor – “You’re no Keanu Reeves”, but I’ve always said Reeves was better than he ever receives credit for. The bromance that’s central to the plot lines in both movies is never exploited and both Teresa Palmer and Ray Winstone are criminally underused. Still, go see this movie on the big screen for the epic camera shots I described above.

MVP: Teresa Palmer as Sansara, only real person in the  cast

Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2

Actors: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Donald Sutherland.

Rating: 8 out of 10, This ode to teenaged angst was supremely well made and Jennifer Lawrence will elevate anything she’s in well above the mundane. This final movie strays just enough from the literary source material to keep some suspense for those who read the books. The anti-war message is as subtle as a thermo-nuclear weapon and the resulting somber feel keeps the movie from soaring. Katniss and her merry band of sycophants launch the final assault on Donald Sutherland’s capitol and the military guy in me was struggling with the inept planning involved from both sides. This however allows them to introduce the devices of the capitol’s game designers which, while deadly, did lend the needed action around the near constant hand wringing. Katniss ends up in the same heart wrenching final battle as the literal “girl on fire” with enough of a twist thrown in. Entirely too funereal to embrace totally but still a well-executed and satisfying conclusion to the Hunger Games.

MVP: Can only be Lawrence as the difficult Katniss

Spotlight

Actors: Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, John Slattery, Stanley Tucci, Brian d'Arcy James, Liev Schreiber, Billy Crudup

Rating: 10 out of 10, Spotlight just jumped to the top of 2015 movies for me. I wasn’t prepared for the emotional impact this film subtly punches you in the face with. It doesn’t go for cheap thrills but builds up momentum constantly as more and more facts are discovered by the news team investigating clergy abuse of children in Boston. It was absolutely heartbreaking to see this evil allowed to persist as the powers to be refused to accept responsibility and deal with it. I’ve never been a big fan of investigative journalism as all too often they seek to make a story where none exists. In this case they perfectly performed the reason a free press is the backbone of a free society. It was poignant to see the horror of the situation unveiled step by step. The familiar Boston landscape made the whole film all the more impactful for me. I left the movie angry with a new born respect for the Boston Globe and a deep sadness for the all the young lives ruined. It’s rare that a movie really touches me but this one landed a serious body blow. Go see this movie, even if you’re a good Catholic. Too many “Good Catholics” played a role in covering up or ignoring the abuse. Sometimes, with the danger of sounding too pretentious, a movie can be important. This one is.

MVP: Ruffalo stands out as Joe Resendez, the best in a very good cast at the top of their game

The Night Before

Actors: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, Anthony Mackie, Lizzy Caplan, Jillian Bell, Michael Shannon, Mindy Kaling

Rating: 7 out of 10, A Christmas buddy movie where three friends gather each year on the night before Christmas. This year will be the last one as each ages away from the tradition. Rogen, along with Anthony Mackie and Joseph Gordon-Leavitt demonstrate some real chemistry as the three friends. As with most of these type films not all the jokes land but enough of them do for the movie to be genuinely funny. There are the usual celebrity cameos including Rogen's customary obsession with penis pictures and James Franco; so not the kind of holiday film you want to take the kids to. Gross out comedy but after a string of clear misses this one was a lot of fun; if for no other reason than to see the uber-Hebrew Rogen attending a midnight Christmas catholic mass.

MVP: Rogen as Isaac Greenberg, the drug addled future father

Sicario

Actors: Emily Blunt, Benicio del Toro, Josh Brolin, Vincent Garber, Daniel Kaluuya

Rating: 9 out of 10, I was wrong about this movie when I saw it in the theater. I bought it on a whim and after watching it I have to admit, it’s a great movie. I must have been in a bad mood or something but this movie crackles. I was excited about this because it featured Emily Blunt and Benicio Del Toro, two of my favorite actors. I’m a firm believer that a movie should be entertaining even its trying to make a heavy handed “message”. The director is obviously in love with daring camera shots and long aerial views of terrain but there was a pretty good story hidden amongst all his posturing and this time I wasn’t distracted by all the posturing. Blunt and especially Del Toro were excellent, if he doesn’t’ get an Oscar nod for this something’s wrong. It’s an eloquent comment on what evil can do to good people. The truly outrageous and unbelievable scenario he employs savages his credibility; but at least we got long loving looks at the barren Arizona desert to compensate. Seer this movie twice, I guarantee the second viewing will make you appreciate it more.

MVP: Del Toro as Alejandro the riveting anti-hero