Mr. Holmes

LANDON **1/2
Ian McKellen presents us with one of the best performances of the year as the elderly version of the titular detective known as Sherlock Holmes.  He's electrifying and really makes up for the film's lack of narrative depth.  It's actually a really interesting story, it just never leads up to a rewarding closure.  With that being said, it's unarguably a well made movie.  The production and costumes look great, but what needs to be especially noted here is the makeup.  Ian McKellen plays two versions of Holmes here.  He plays him in his late 50's/early 60's in flashbacks, and then in his 90's in the supposed present timeline.  The makeup looks fantastic in the latter years, and McKellen accordingly performs terrifically at both ages.  Again, it's not a particularly rewarding experience, but it left me intrigued just enough to give it a thumbs up.

LOGAN ***

BANGERANG SCORE: **1/2

When Marnie Was There

CHASE ***1/2
It's been rumored that "When Marnie Was There" is going to be Studio Ghibli's last film and, if that's the case, I'm really saddened by it.  Not only do they release timeless classics, but they also gave us a great swan song with this incredible movie.  The story is about a friendship between a very introverted girl, Anna, and her mysterious friend Marnie.  This is a beautifully animated movie with very rich atmosphere that captures not only the loneliness, but also the calmness of the setting.  The connection between the two girls is really heart-warming and knowing the backstories between the two of them individually adds great emotional heft to the movie.  There are some scenes that drag out longer than they should, but this is a great movie for anyone who wants a deeper movie than just your standard, run-of-the-mill family fare.

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

BANGERANG SCORE: ***1/2

Jurassic World

BRYCE **
What would Jurassic Park have been like if it had actually been open to the public?  The latest edition to the ground-breaking dino franchise seeks to answer this question in yet another misfire sequel to the 1993 classic.  "Jurassic World" is entertaining enough, but fails to deliver the same sense of awe and dread the original is famous for.  An over-reliance on CGI is partially to blame, but the primary culprit is director Colin Trevorrow's insistence on making this less of a dinosaur movie and more of a traditional monster movie.  This is essentially "Godzilla" in "Jurassic Park" pajamas - a monster run amok that has to be brought down by other monsters.  The whole thing has a very cartoonish feel as a result that betrays the spirit of the original.  If you can separate the film from its predecessor and view it simply as a B movie with a big budget, there is some enjoyment to be had here.  It's just terribly unworthy of the "Jurassic Park" legacy.

CHASE **1/2

LANDON **
LOGAN **1/2

BANGERANG SCORE: **

Mad Max: Fury Road

CHASE ****
I want to say up front that I had never seen a single "Mad Max" movie before I watched this one, so my perspective is from someone who's new to the franchise.  With that being said, "Mad Max: Fury Road" absolutely blew my mind.  This is an incredible movie.  The story is really about Charlize Theron's character, Furiosa, as she tries to get a group of people away from a cult leader who's chasing them down and Mad Max (Tom Hardy) is stuck in the middle of the conflict.  Director George Miller brilliantly keeps you on the edge of my seat from the very beginning to the very end with one brilliant set piece after another.  The plot is very simplistic as the entire movie is basically just one huge chase scene.  Usually that type of storytelling tends to make the movie stale as it goes on, but for whatever reason, it really works to this movie's advantage.  The film always found a way to keep me on the edge of my seat and the action scenes in this movie are some of the best I've ever seen.  The realistic sense of it all and the fear that I get from seeing our heroes in real danger is gripping and exciting.  But something that I applaud the movie for is that it balances out the insane moments with some legitimate heartfelt moments as well, as we see the humanity in our characters in an insane world.  The only thing I have against the movie is that I wished there was a little bit more time to get to know the characters, but I feel that's a very nit-picky thing when the movie does everything else so amazingly well.  "Mad Max: Fury Road" is an incredible action movie and for those who love the genre, it's required viewing.

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

BANGERANG SCORE: ***1/2

Tomorrowland

BRYCE **1/2
Yet another Disneyland attraction has yielded a feature film in Brad Bird's "Tomorrowland."  This is Bird's second foray into live-action filmmaking and while he has proven he knows what he's doing in this realm, he hasn't quite been able to match the brilliance of his animated offerings.  This is a great-looking science fiction film with a creative premise and good talent in front of the camera.  The visuals are, at times, nothing short of stunning.  The plot is really interesting and suspenseful for the majority of the film but somewhat loses its way in the third act as it sputters into a pretty cheesy and heavy-handed conclusion.  That being said, this is an uncommonly fresh and original effects-driven film and is worth a look despite its flaws.

CHASE ***
LANDON **1/2
LOGAN ***

BANGERANG SCORE: **1/2

Woman in Gold

LOGAN ***
Woman in Gold follows the story of Maria Altmann (Helen Mirren) who wants nothing more than to be reunited with an old family heirloom which was taken away by the Nazis during World War II.  Together with Randy Schoenberg (Ryan Renolds), they find a way to retrieve the item from the government of Austria.  The best thing about this movie is the performances.  Both Helen Mirren and Ryan Renolds are very good here.  They both work well off of each other and bring some good emotion with their chemistry.  While the story is engaging and well written, there are parts that were unnecessary and dragged on.  There isn't much more to say about "Woman in Gold," other than it is a good movie with good performances and an interesting story.

BRYCE ***
CHASE ***
LANDON ***

BANGERANG SCORE: ***

Avengers: Age of Ultron

LANDON **1/2
The more Marvel keeps releasing films in their seemingly endless Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise, the more tired the audience progressively gets.  Which is very unfortunate, because in the past they've brought us solid superhero entries such as "Iron Man," "Guardians of the Galaxy," and even the original "Avengers."  Sadly the sequel to the latter film feels like nothing more than just another superhero movie.  Marvel still impresses in the fields they've always been good at though.  The action is fairly entertaining with some good visuals and legitimately comical quips from our protagonists.  We still love Tony Stark and Steve Rodgers and the gang and hope for their success to fight evil for humanity.  But amidst all the thrill and excitement, their's still the realization that there is nothing special about this flick.  The story doesn't progress to virtually anywhere and there are some added elements (such as a romance between Black Widow and the Hulk) that fall completely flat.  In other words, if you've seen the first film, you've already seen this one.

BRYCE **1/2
CHASE **1/2
LOGAN **1/2

BANGERANG SCORE: **1/2