Review: Jurassic World

by Trevor Kirkendall
★½

What made 1993’s “Jurassic Park” such a spectacle was the fact that no one had ever seen anything quite like it. “Jurassic Park” is largely credited with popularizing the move to computers for visual effects work. Nowadays, the practice of using CGI in films has become so widespread that it’s in just about every single Hollywood film whether you realize it or not. It’s not like it’s cheap or easy either. But it’s so commonplace these days that audiences have come to expect something bigger and better every time they see something. “Jurassic World” feels the need to up the ante, and boy is it dreadful.

“Jurassic World” is so bogged down with backstory on so many different characters that it becomes flat out boring. We have Zach and Gray (Nick Robinson and Ty Simpkins) who are headed to Jurassic World to spend a week with their aunt Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard), a workaholic operations manager at the park. We have the geneticists, lead by Dr. Henry Wu (B.D. Wong, the only holdover from the original), who have cooked up a new dinosaur from scratch. Claire, along with the park’s owner Masrani (Irrfan Khan) believe that kids are bored with regular dinosaurs and need something bigger and scarier to keep people coming back for more. Masrani is worried this new dinosaur, the Indominous Rex, isn’t too happy in the isolated paddock they’ve built for her. He asks Claire to consult with an animal trainer they have on the island named Owen (Chris Pratt) to analyze the paddock.

Owen trains Raptors and has gotten them to trust and respect him. His supervisor Hoskins (Vincent D’Onofrio) is in awe of this ability and wants to explore how far Owen can go with Raptors. But that’ll have to wait since Owen has to deal with the Indominous Rex paddock. But when he gets there, things go all wrong. And it’s not because he and Claire used to have a little fling going.

That’s all in the first act before the inciting incident even comes along. Did you pay for a human drama piece about romance, or a study of putting work before family? Or did you pay to see awesome looking dinosaurs run rampage through a theme park? 

I’m pretty certain a lot of these characters could have been cut down or combined. I’m also certain the romance side of the story could have been thrown out and no one would have missed it. Not once after watching “Jurassic Park” did anyone ever say, “I hope Dr. Grant and Dr. Sadler got together!” The characters in “Jurassic World” are overabundant in numbers, completely misused, and change their personalities for whatever the scene asks of them. This is Screenwriting 101 stuff being thrown out the window. Hell, this is basic story telling skills being tossed out!

Spielberg knew just how to keep a tight reign on his story. He knew you paid to see dinosaurs, so he got them on screen quick but still held out the anticipation for as long as possible. How breathtaking was it when you first saw the brachiosaurus on screen?

But everyone knows what dinosaurs look like on the big screen. So “Jurassic World” is at a disadvantage already. The filmmakers try to compensate by making up a dinosaur out of thin air and add pieces to it as they go along to make it seem like it’s indestructible and invincible. Why approach it like this? Because they can. Remember that memorable quote from the original by Jeff Goldblum? “You were so preoccupied that you could do it, you never stopped to think about if you should do it.” Same applies here. As a matter of fact, that quote could apply to about nine out of 10 studio pictures these days, but that’s a topic for another day.

Director Colin Trevorrow has one other film to his credit and that’s the indie film “Safety Not Guaranteed,” which is actually a very enjoyable film; one I would recommend everyone watch instead of watching “Jurassic World.” Trevorrow’s inexperience with big budget features is painfully obvious from the first scene in the film. There’s a lot of humor sprinkled throughout the film, which he does know how to handle. It’s well placed and well timed even if it’s uncomfortably corny, most of which delivered by his “Safety Not Guaranteed” star Jake Johnson.

Outside of that, Trevorrow has no grasp on the film. There’s no awe and childlike wonderment that accompanied the original. Instead, the first dinosaurs on screen just sort of appear; no fanfare and no awe. All the film's best shot are direct copies of shots Spielberg and cinematography Dean Cundey already crafted in the original. Even the brilliant composer Michael Giacchino is reduced to playing John Williams's famous musical themes at all the big moments. And even though Indominous Rex is the star of the film, she never really fills the screen quite the same way Spielberg’s T-Rex did. There’s no inspiration whatsoever. They're so drunk on nostalgia they forgot to make something new and original. It’s a completely flat film from beginning to the third act when we do get some dino vs. dino moments, which ends up actually being fun. Too little too late though.

Is “Jurassic World” a bad movie? Yes, it is sadly. As bad as the other two sequels? No, thanks a few fun moments in the latter half. Still, everyone on the creative and studio side is to blame for its shortcomings. Studio pictures are overrun with too many people concerned with playing to all major demographics across the planet. While “Jurassic Park” may have been targeted to teenage boys, “Jurassic World” will ideally (in the mind’s of executives) grab everybody since they’ve thrown in something everyone can hopefully empathize with. I’m sorry, but if a dinosaur bursts through the trees and starts chasing you, I’m pretty certain running is something everyone can empathize with. The first act of so many movies these days are filled with talk and talk and talk and talk to the point that summer movies are almost unwatchable. What happened to old screenwriting adage “show don’t tell?” I guess Trevorrow skipped that day of class. He and about 90% of all other Hollywood directors need to retake that part of the class again. Either that, or they could screen “Jurassic Park” again so they can remember exactly what a summer movie is supposed to look like.

Review: Guardians of the Galaxy

by Trevor Kirkendall

★★★½

Is it just me, or is “Marvel Studios” becoming synonymous with “quality movies?” In case “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” didn’t make you think that way back in April, James Gunn’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” will.

“Guardians of the Galaxy” follows Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), an intergalactic thief who likes to be called by his outlaw name: Star Lord. He works alongside Youndu (Michael Rooker), a mercenary who steals artifacts from around the galaxy and sells them for enormous profit. Quill has been tasked with picking up this film’s MacGuffin: a small silver orb.

Of course, they’re not the only ones looking for it either. The evil Ronan (Lee Pace), a ruthless fanatic hell bent on destroying the universe, also wants it since he thinks it will help him attain his goal. Working alongside über-villain Thanos (Josh Brolin), who was teased at the end of “The Avengers,” Ronan sends Gamora (Zoe Saldana) to steal the orb from Quill and bring it back to him.

Gamora has no intention of actually doing this since she’s well aware that Ronan is a complete mental case. She ends up getting tangled up in a scuffle between Quill and a couple of bounty hunters, Rocket Raccoon and Groot (voiced by Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel). All four end arrested and thrown into an intergalactic prison where they meet Drax (Dave Bautista). Drax also has a bit of a vendetta against Ronan. It’s up to the five of them to break out of prison and retrieve the orb before Ronan can get his hand on it.

It’s been a while now since I’ve had a truly memorable movie going experience from a summer film. Sure they’re still huge in size and production value, but so many of them just aren’t fun anymore. They’re dark and serious instead of being fun. I’m not trying to say anything bad about the serious films like “The Dark Knight,” but they don’t all have to be like that.

Enter Marvel and “Guardians of the Galaxy” to restore my faith in the mega studios’ ability to make movies fun again. Like Pixar before it, Marvel seems to be on a mission to create movies that contain stories very well told. Sure, you can say Pixar movies are for kids and Marvel movies are for comic book fans, but that’s not the case anymore. These studios are making movies for everyone now.

“Guardians” reminded me a lot of the first “Star Wars” film (that’s “Episode IV – A New Hope” for all you young people who’s parent’s did you wrong by showing you the films in episodic order). From the structure of the screenplay to the design on the characters, the “Star Wars” influence in this film is everywhere. It’s more homage than a direct rip-off though. And if you’re going to make a giant space opera such as this, it’s not a bad film franchise to emulate.

Everything about this film works just the way it needs to. Written by Gunn and Nicole Perlman, the script is sharp and witty. All of the humor in this film is well placed and well timed. The plot is thick and the characters are many, but it is never confusing to follow. And unlike other characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, these characters are all very relatable to every member of the audience. It’s not hard to find likable characteristics, despite being aliens, a raccoon, and a talking tree.

It is hard to pick out a character that steals the show, however. I liked every character in this film, including the villain. Lee Pace has been one of my favorite actors since his stint on the short lived ABC series “Pushing Daisies.” He’s probably one of the best villains I’ve seen in a Marvel film. He’s evil to his core and Pace plays it effortlessly. Chris Pratt is an obvious choice for Peter Quill. As is Zoe Saldana for Gamora. The two work well together and I have a hard time seeing anyone else in these roles. But Rocket and Groot are the real show stealers. Their Han Solo/Chewbacca relationship is the perfect addition to an already motley crew of heroes.

I loved this movie. I can’t think of any simpler way of putting it. I haven’t had this much fun at the movies in a very long time. It’s able to funny without being campy. It doesn’t overuse its CGI. And director Gunn handles it all very well. And the soundtrack is sensational, probably one of the best movie soundtracks to come along in years. Marvel movies aren’t just for the comic book fanboys and fangirls anymore. They’re out to make quality films for everyone. “Guardians of the Galaxy” is proof of that.

Review: Guardians of the Galaxy

by. Joe Moss
★★★1/2

The Marvel Universes’ newest blockbuster to be, “Guardians of the Galaxy,” directed and co-written by James Gunn, starts firing on all cylinders right off the bat. Not a shoot ‘em up, blow ‘em up adrenaline junkie rush, rather an emotional rush—foreshadowing events for later in the film. However, from that moment on, the movie is hilarious, pretty much a non-stop adrenaline rush til the final credits. I laughed wholeheartedly and am planning on a return visit to the theater to see it one more time within the week.

Peter Quill (Chris Pratt…and Wyatt Oleff in the beginning sequence) is a young boy of the 80’s in the throws of personal agony. His mother is dying of cancer, and the only way he knows how to cope is to lose himself in the world of “awesome mix”-tapes from his mother. On her deathbed, she gives him one last gift (which he refuses to open) and wants to hold his hand to say good-bye. Rather than take her hand, he cannot cope with the pain and loss of both of his parents, so runs away. Not only runs away, but is abducted by a traveling group of mercenary-thieves led by Yondu (Michael Rooker). [Yes…All of this within the first 10 minutes of the film.]

Flash-forward to today, and we see a very tech-savvy Peter in the midst of acting out a sequence much like an Indiana Jones film, but with a lot more galactic gadgetry. He steals a silver orb from a dead planet, and just as he is about to leave, is confronted by Korath (Djimon Hounsou) and emissary of Ronan The Accuser (Lee Pace) who desires the orb for himself as a means of taking over the galaxy and destroying anything that may get in his path. No plot spoilers here…

Peter barely gets off the dead planet, and makes his way to Xandar to trade his trinket [no we still don’t know what this REALLY is] for cash (units) when he is confronted by a lethal, green beauty, Gamora (Zoe Saldona) who also wants the orb for her own nefarious purposes—and 4 billion units. As she attempts to take the orb, Peter and she are confronted by Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper) and Groot (Voiced by Vin Diesel) who want to abduct Peter and turn him into Yondu for 40 thousand units. Much shenanigans ensue and the lot finds themselves in prison. And it is here we are finally introduced to the last Guardian, Drax (Dave Bautista), who desires to kill Gamora since she works for the psychotic Kree, Ronan, who is in cahoots with Thanos (Josh Brolin), to destroy the universe.

No more plot lines….now let’s get down to brass tacks. The plot I have summarized for you is only about 12%  of what occurs within the film. If you think this is insane, just watch. While overly convoluted, the screenplay never seems to lose itself and all of the main points are well addressed and answered by the end of the film—yet, a few new caveats are well planted to lead us into the sequel.

Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista and Bradley Cooper are a great team. They work so well together, and get so into character, they you almost completely forget who they are as individuals. I think that Chris' ability to infect every line he delivers with a great amount of facial sarcasm and joy is what truly sells the film. Between his facial expressions and Bradley Coopers quick-tongued barbs, there is not a scene of the film where I wasn't laughing, crying, or both.

The entire plot, while loosely based off of the Marvel stories by Dan Abnett and Andy Landing, is a completely new twist on who each of these characters are and from whence they came. The writing team of James Gunn (Scooby-Doo, Super) and Nicole Perlman have re-envisioned the entire Guardians universe so that they have complete freedom to inline the script with the other Marvel movies already completed and in the pipeline. And while they do try to remain true to a few points of the comics, the entire Star Lord premise for this film is given a new evolution.

The editing team of Hughes Winborne, Fred Raskin and Craig Wood was amazing. The movie seemed to flow seamlessly through each sequence--even with all of the green screen. Additionally, I LOVE the soundtrack. The music is almost a 6th main character...it makes the movie what it is. A film that does not take itself seriously (much like the Guardians themselves), and yet...works! As I stated at the beginning, this will be another summer blockbuster for the Marvel Universe. Go...Have Fun...Laugh hard.  AND remain through BOTH of the credit Easter Egg sequences...

Review: Her

by Trevor Kirkendall
★★★★

As a society, we’ve become completely dependent on technology to keep us connected to the world. Some would even suggest that we’ve become too dependent on it to the point that we’re missing out on life and everything that comes with it. Reading social networking sites when we should be enjoying the company of others around us. Taking pictures of things we’ll never look at again rather than just enjoying the moment as it happens. We all know we do it, and we all continue to do it. If it’s not socially acceptable at this moment in time, it will probably become that way one day. And every year, we’re given new enhancements to technology that could catch up to our level of intelligence at some point. This is what Spike Jonze looks at in his latest film “Her”.

“Her” is set sometime in the future when technology has completely taken over our daily lives. Theodore Twombly (Joaquin Phoenix) is a slightly introverted man who works for a company that writes beautiful handwritten letters for people who can’t put their own expressions and emotions into words. He’s separated from his wife Catherine (Rooney Mara) but has not signed the divorce papers yet. It’s not a divorce he really wants either; it’s more her idea.

He’s not a total introvert, however. He has decent people skills, just not very good at handling relationships. He’s got a great friend at his work, receptionist Paul (Chris Pratt). His oldest friend is Amy (Amy Adams) who he sees quite often. She’s married to Charles (Matt Letscher) and all three get along well. That’s about it for everyone in this futuristic world. Everyone has become so dependent on technology that no one communicates face-to-face with people when they’re out in public. If you think it’s bad now, the vision that’s displayed here is almost unthinkable. People talk to themselves while they walk around during the day, but what they’re talking to is a much more polished version of Siri.

That is until one tech company comes out with a piece of software called OS One. This operating system uses artificial intelligence that’s so powerful and intuitive, it will almost seem like you’re talking with another human being. Theodore decides to try it out, not because he’s lonely and needs a new friend, but because he’s curious. The computer creates a female voice for him that calls itself Samantha (Scarlett Johansson). She’s smart, funny and has a very sensuous and fun loving voice. She learns all she can about Theodore from the contents of his computer and just listening to everything he says. Eventually, Theodore begins to develop feelings for her. Samantha even develops artificial emotions for him as well, and the two seemingly begin to fall in love with one another.

“Her” is definitely a unique take on the romance drama genre. Why would anyone expect anything less than unique given director Spike Jonze’s involvement? The man has built his enormously successful career on making things different than anyone else. “Being John Malkovich” was one of the most memorable films of the 1990s. Its follow up “Adaptation” was just as great. And who could ever forget Christopher Walken dancing around the lobby of the formerly known Marriott Hotel in the music video for Fatboy Slim’s “Weapon of Choice”? Yes, Spike Jonze has done many memorable and unique works in his career, but “Her” is his masterpiece.

This is one of the most polished and perfectly crafted screenplays of the year. Even with the little bizarre antics and strange scenes that occur throughout the movie, this film is a full on romance story. It shouldn’t matter that one doesn’t really exist in a human form. The voice on the other end is very real and the emotional bond that’s formed is genuine. Jonze has crafted one of the most real film relationships of the year with “Her” and you only ever see one person in that relationship.

Furthermore, the social subtext he explores is worth noting. We can walk around any public venue these days and constantly watch people walk around with their heads down staring into the screen of their smartphones. We can sit at a restaurant and watch a group of friends hang out or a couple on a date. What are they doing? Heads down, phones out. This is becoming prevalent in the highly connected society in which we live. Jonze explores the idea of this turning into a social norm at some point in the not-so-distant future. He doesn’t render judgment on whether or not this is acceptable; he’s just there to show you the vision he sees taking place.

Jonze’s vision includes people communicating to their smartphone devices via a Bluetooth-like ear piece. They communicate with a much more polished and much more helpful version of Siri. Theodore walks through the city listening to his emails. “Next. Next. Reply later,” he says. He stands on the subway as his phone reads the day’s news headlines. “Next. Next,” he continues until he hears one they piques his interest. And he’s not the only one. Everyone else is doing the exact same thing. No one is capable of having a human interaction in public.

Joaquin Phoenix is sensational in this role. He is one of the best actors working today and receives very little recognition (thanks to his little actor-turned-bearded-rapper gag a few years ago). Once again, he completely embodies this role and truly losses himself in it. He’s fascinating to watch. And since almost all of us have been in a relationship at one point or another, the stages are easily identifiable and relatable (even if you never dated your computer, which some of you reading this review probably do and don’t realize it).

But the most fascinating performance in this film comes from Scarlett Johansson. She was a late addition to this film and didn’t take part in any of the actual filming. Her role is never delivered in physical form, only in voice. Using only her voice, she is able to convey so much emotion and give this character a vast amount of depth that it’s easy to forget she’s never physically with Phoenix in this film. Even though you never see her, she delivers one of the finest performances of the year.

“Her” is nothing short of a masterpiece. It’s a creative gem delivered from one of the most visionary thinkers in Hollywood. Jonze delivers this film to us with a powerful story full of emotional depth, and is able to make an entertaining futuristic science-fiction film without hitting the overkill button on the visual effects. This is about as solid as filmmaking gets from all aspects. It’s films like this that should serve as a reminder to what movies used to be before technology killed the human interactions between the story and the audience.