Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

BRYCE ***
It's crazy that we now live in a world where a movie like this exists.  In the past, this sort of story (a supplemental prequel to the original "Star Wars" film) would have been reserved for a novel or video game.  While I'm still skeptical of the idea of having a new "Star Wars" movie every year for the foreseeable future, this first spin-off is a success.  The new places in George Lucas' universe we get to experience are really compelling.  The characters aren't quite as fleshed out as in last year's "The Force Awakens," but the actors are likable and the story they're a part of is interesting.  The special effects are incredible.  There are a couple of ambitious motion capture characters that the technology doesn't quite pull off, but everything else in the film is totally photo-realistic.  There may come a time when the novelty of seeing a new "Star Wars" movie no longer holds any intruige, but for now, I'm still on board.  "Rouge One" is a lot better than it had any right to be and it's worth a look.

CHASE ***
LANDON ***
LOGAN ***

BANGERANG SCORE: ***

La La Land

CHASE ****
I had high expectations going into this since I loved Damien Chazelle's previous work, "Whiplash."  In my opinion, "La La Land" is even better.  Set in Los Angeles, it is about a struggling actress and a jazz musician (Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling) and their relationship as they try to reach their dreams.  The first thing that blew me away is the musical element.  The songs are full of energy, they're catchy, they're memorable and the dance choreography is great.  It has a really good story about reaching for your dreams and some of the sacrifices you make to achieve them.  It reminds me of the musicals back in the glory days such as "Singin' in the Rain" and it does an excellent job capturing that spirit.  Also, the two main actors are fantastic and have great chemistry with each other.  I absolutely loved "La La Land" and I believe that everyone should see this.  It is spectacular!

BRYCE ****
LANDON ***1/2
LOGAN ****

BANGERANG SCORE: ****