Brooklyn Castle - 5 stars out of 10

Brooklyn Castle - 5 stars out of 10

“Brooklyn Castle” is a social commentary on school budget cuts that is disguised as a documentary about chess.  The story follows five students from Intermediate School 318, the inner-city Brooklyn public school and unlikely home of the country’s most successful middle school chess program.  This chess team helps its diverse student population master the game through dedicated educators and administrative support.  The only problem is that, rather than helping the audience to create an emotional connection to the kids, the movie depresses us with today’s grim state of education.  I would have rather celebrated the success stories of these exceptional students instead of being reminded of school budget cuts and suffering extracurricular programs.  “Brooklyn Castle” could have been an amazing, uplifting film but the end result is another average, politically-influenced documentary.

[Pictured: This is one of the most dedicated groups of preteens you will ever see.]

Pleasantville - 8 stars out of 10

Pleasantville - 8 stars out of 10

“Pleasantville” is a fascinating social commentary that is as visually beautiful as it is introspective.  This film is best known for its strategic use of colors in a black and white world and has become an iconic piece of film history.  The contrast is stunning, like “Sin City” without the violence and graphic imagery.  Various films have used this technique to be symbolic but there has never been a story that so effectively integrated the element into its plot.  The vivid colors that fill the screen are complimented by brilliant cinematography.  John Lindley transports us to this “Leave it to Beaver” world through unique camera angles and memorable shots.  The entire film is an impressive work of art and I would have given it the Oscar for Best Art Direction over “Shakespeare in Love” any day.  Unfortunately, the overt sexuality in the film negates the ability for families to watch this fascinating story together.  I understand that this is a story of self-discovery and that is how some of the characters reach the enlightenment of who they really are, but the overemphasis on sexuality clouds the moral of the story.  The film could have been easily been edited at a PG-level by implying things instead of using graphic noises; still, it is tame compared to the teen comedies of today.  This film has a great cast, from the impeccable acting chops of William H. Macy to the scheming J.T. Walsh in his final film.  Other big names include Joan Allen, Jeff Daniels, and a nod to classic television with Don Knotts.  The crew did a great job of finding an entire cast that has that classic 1950's look, and casting twenty-somethings like Marley Shelton and a young Paul Walker that look like teenagers.  Reese Witherspoon’s performance was the best in the film and it really pushed her into the Hollywood spotlight, while Tobey Maguire’s performance made me realize that I didn’t even like his acting in his younger years.  One of the film’s highlights is the memorable theme by Randy Newman that captures the mystery and wonder of this transforming utopia.  Newman’s Oscar-nominated score works well alongside classics that transport us back to the late 50’s, including “At Last” by Etta James, “Take Five” by Dave Brubeck, “So What” by Miles Davis, and Fiona Apple’s cover of “Across the Universe.”  I can't believe that this film is almost 20 years old.  Even in this time of unprecedented digital effects, “Pleasantville” still manages to take my breath away as the vivid colors of enlightenment contrast its black and white world.

[Pictured: So many screenshots from this film belong in an art museum]

Short Term 12 - 10 stars out of 10

Short Term 12 - 10 stars out of 10

“Short Term 12” is a powerful story of resiliency and the transformative power of love.  This genuine, honest portrayal of troubled teenagers is based on the real life experiences of director Destin Daniel Cretton.  Many of the characters and scenarios in the story are based on people that he encountered while working at a group facility.  It is a chilling dose of realism that will immediately engage your empathy toward teens that come from bad family situations.  The content is strong and disturbing at times, but really drives home the dire circumstances of these unfortunate kids.  Stylistically, the film uses just enough shakey cam to make it feel personal but not so much that it makes you sick.  Once it draws you in to its reality, there are a few inevitable tearjerker moments but it is nice to see that every drama does not have to end in the depths of depression.  There are even a few moments that will make you laugh!  My only issue with the script is the excessive language.  I agree that much of the profanity spoken by the teens in the facility is absolutely necessary to create the realism of their mental situations.  My issue is with the conversations of the workers.  A film like this needs to give the audience a break from the profanity so that we do not become desensitized.  By including f-words and s-words in every scene, they become less potent in the most powerful moments of the film.  While the film is set up for success with this profound script, it comes together through strong acting from top to bottom.  Between Brie Larson's powerhouse performances in this film and in "Room," she has established herself as the next big Hollywood actress.  She possesses the ability to harness the raw emotions from deep in her soul and portray them through her characters.  The real surprise is 16-year-old Kaitlyn Dever as the passive aggressive character Jayden.  Her spectrum of emotions ranges from subtle sarcastic facial expressions to a total mental breakdown.  The rap by Marcus (played by Keith Stanfield) is completely heartbreaking.  All of the residents of the facility perform beyond their years, and the cast is rounded out by John Gallagher, Jr. as the balance between normal and disturbed.  “Short Term 12” is not the most well-known film but it is a must for fans of “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” “Girl, Interrupted,” and any other drama that creates a realistic portrayal of life in an institution.

[Picture: Larson and Dever deliver an incredible amount of emotion]

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]

The Jungle Book (1967) - 9 stars out of 10

The Jungle Book (1967) - 9 stars out of 10

"The Jungle Book" is a simple story of friendship and finding your place in the world.  I think that it is often overlooked because it lacks the attention-grabbing opening number that immediately draws us into the story; however, each chapter of this episodic presentation works together to create an outstanding progression.  I can't believe that I never recognized this piece as a masterpiece.  I appreciate the complex plots of modern Disney films like "Frozen" and "Zootopia," but there is something beautiful about a simplistic and straightforward story.  After the disappointment of "The Sword in the Stone," Walt Disney decided to be actively involved in every aspect of this film and it shows.  This is the last animated film that Walt personally touched before his death and this straightforward, character-driven story is a tribute to his ability to create pure magic from simplicity.  He managed to “Disney-fy” Rudyard Kiplings's story to remove its dark tone while capturing the important lessons and characters from the original.  I love Baloo so much. He's one of the most lovable and underrated Disney characters.  Perhaps it's the familiarity with Phil Harris' voice in “The Aristocats” (Thomas O'Malley) and “Robin Hood” (Little John), or maybe it's because he improvised most of his lines to give them a sense of genuine honesty, but you can't help but want Baloo to be your papa bear from the moment that you meet him.  Then when you throw in other Disney voices like Sterling Holloway (Winnie the Pooh) as Kaa, Bruce Reitherman (Christopher Robin) as Mowgli, Sebastian Cabot (Pooh Narrator) as Bagheera, and Verna Felton (Fairy Godmother, Queen of Hearts) in her final film role as Winifred the Elephant, the entire film is predisposed to impressive chemistry.  It is interesting that Louis Prima continues to live on through his character of King Louie, who captures the swing style of the famous bandleader.  The cherry on top is George Sanders’ successful provision of a truly evil voice for Shere Khan that is on par with Scar and Judge Frollo, some of Disney's greatest villain voices.  The story entertains with sight gags that enhance the story without distracting from it.  The brief elephant sequence is one of the cleverest in any Disney movie, creating a comical military satire with a ragtag group of elephants.  J. Pat O'Mallet as Hathi, the elephant general, is perfection.  “Robin Hood” later borrowed some animated moments from the film (the elephant trumpet, King Louie’s dance), as well as basing Little John off of Baloo due to budget restrictions.  This may seem like a cheap move but in modern times, it adds awesome Easter eggs to these films.  As usual, much of this film’s magic comes from its expertly crafted musical numbers.  The back-to-back performances of "The Bare Necessities" and "I Wan'na Be Like You" will practically have you out of your seat and dancing along, while "My Own Home" is one of the most beautiful songs composed by the Sherman Brothers.  And let's not forget that there's a great barbershop piece sung by the Liverpool-accented vultures who are awfully reminiscent of a popular 1960's mop-topped quartet.  When you combine these numbers with the heartbreaking string music by George Bruns at two key moments in the film, you have the complete package.  I made the mistake of waiting too long to see “The Jungle Book” through adult eyes.  Don’t make the same mistake as me.  Prioritize this film so that you can fully appreciate the last masterpiece that Walt brought to life prior to his death.

[Pictured: The thick-lined animation gives the film that classic Disney feel]