Spectre (2015) - 7 stars out of 10

Spectre (2015) - 7 stars out of 10

“Spectre” is a worthwhile one-time watch in the world of Bond films.  It has an interesting story balanced with impressive action sequences but it didn't grab me in the same way as "Casino Royale" and "Skyfall."  Besides, I don't ever want to watch that sequence with the miniature drills again.  You can count on a successful execution of the Bond formula when you pair up an Oscar-winning director like Sam Mendes with quality actors.  Daniel Craig continues to masterfully interpret the role of James Bond with his smooth delivery of sophisticated dialogue.  Léa Seydoux is a worthy addition to the “Bond girl” legacy and is more of a sidekick than a fling.  Inevitably, I would have liked to see more of Christoph Waltz.  He makes a great villain in any film and his relationship to Bond gave this story a cool twist, yet he appears in a much smaller percentage of the film than you would expect.  It helps to build the mystery of his character but Waltz’s charisma would have helped to keep the film in the moments when it began to drag on.  In regard to the special effects, they are stunning.  There are explosions, collapsing buildings, and an amazing car chase through Rome.  I do feel that the film goes a little too far over the top with two helicopter sequences and a plane sequence.  I'm pretty good at suspending my disbelief but they were pushing it by the second set of helicopter acrobatics.  Still, it has everything that you expect from a Bond film.  It actually may have been too formulaic.  There is something to be said for the extended opening sequence (the Dia de los Muertos setting was particularly cool), artistic title sequence with Sam Smith’s Oscar-winning song, and debriefing scene at MI6 that we expect from the Bond series.  After that, there weren’t many surprises in the pacing of the film as we could predict “There’s probably going to be a big chase scene coming up in the next few minutes.”  Even though “Spectre” inevitably falls short of the highly lauded “Skyfall” that preceeded it, this is a positive addition to the Bond catalog of films and is worth experiencing once.

[Pictured: The filming of this scene with the bad guy hidden by shadows is classic Bond]

Ant-Man (2015) - 8 stars out of 10

Ant-Man (2015) - 8 stars out of 10

“Ant-Man” has rejuvenated the neverending string of Marvel movies that have all started to run together.  I love Iron Man, Captain America, and the rest of the Avengers as much as the next guy but this film has given the superhero universe a much-needed break from itself.  Marvel films are great at incorporating comedy into their serious plots but “Ant-Man” is all about poking fun at the dramatic superhero moments (albeit on a much lesser scale than “Deadpool”).  The fight with Falcon and the giant Thomas the Tank Engine are just a few moments where the writers aren’t afraid to completely take us out of the serious moment with something hilarious.  The training sequence is another great example of the film’s perfect ration of comedy to action.  It's a little cheesy when he's riding around on flying ants, but all great superhero comedies need that cheesiness.  I typically wouldn't want to see Paul Rudd in a superhero role but he works well for this one.  So much of the film’s humor is dependent on his chemistry with Michael Douglas, Evangeline Lilly, and his band of misfits.  Michael Peña and David Dastmalchian create laughs every time that they’re on screen, with the “Titanic” reference being my favorite of the film.  The actors bring life to the characters but the key factor for this film is the design of its script.  The writers use some sleight of hand to distract our attention from the far-fetched shrinking concept and onto something more believable.  Somehow, the entire thing seems feasible.  Even the tank.  By centering the story on the heist, we question how the Ant-Man suit can help the main characters accomplish their mission instead of questioning the science of the suit itself.  Not to mention, any story that involves a heist gets bonus points and this one has two!  Pair this story with super-sized special effects and you have one of the coolest superheroes in the universe.  The fight sequences where he's transitioning from big to small are visually magnificent while the fight in the helicopter is unforgettable.  “Ant-Man” is a comedy first and a superhero film second, which delivers a healthy dose of levity to a genre that is often too serious.

[Pictured: The constantly changing perspective between large and small keeps this film visually interesting from start to finish]

Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey (1991) - 4 stars out of 10

Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey (1991) - 4 stars out of 10

“Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey” is pretty much what you would expect from the sequel to a dumb comedy.  The jokes were funnier the first time around, the quirks of the characters were more amusing the first time around, and the story isn’t as interesting.  The movie does have its moments.  The possession scene the Grim Reaper challenge sequence, and the “Uranus” joke will have you laughing out loud, but there are so many other moments that remind us that the novelty of the first film has worn off.  The airheaded charm of the main characters in the first film feels more like bad acting in this sequel.  “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure” works because of the historical characters in anachronistic situations.  But when you remove the situational comedy of the historical characters, the film relies solely on the character development of Bill and Ted and there isn't really anywhere for it to go.  The redeeming quality of this film is William Sadler’s performance as the Grim Reaper.  The character was very well written and Sadler creates the best comedic moments of the film through his line delivery and accent.  Even after providing us with a few laughs, the disjointed resolution of the story does not deliver much of a payoff.  “Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey” strikes a few positive chords but I would much rather watch “Excellent Adventure” than watch this sequel again.

[Pictured: The situational comedy surrounding Death saves this from being a total waste]