Star Wars: The Force Awakens

CHASE ***1/2
"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" has finally arrived and it was worth the wait.  While it’s not the best "Star Wars" movie (that award goes to "The Empire Strikes Back"), I do think it is a great addition to the series.  One of the things I think the filmmakers did very well was captured the feel of the original films.  The action scenes were fun, it had a great sense of humor and the character drama is done really well.  It is a bit disappointing, however, that they borrowed a little bit too much from the original movie.  That being said, my favorite aspect of the movie, by far, is that the new characters are fantastic!  I honestly believe we will remember these characters as fondly as those from the original trilogy.  They include Finn, who is super entertaining, BB-8, who is charming and funny and Kylo Ren, who is a great villain that doesn’t feel like the rehash of Darth Vader that many feared.  My personal favorite character is the female lead, Rey.  She is smart, interesting, and has great emotional depth.  I’m really satisfied with this movie and I cannot wait to watch the next episode.

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

BANGERANG SCORE: ***1/2

Creed

LANDON ***1/2
I'll be the first to admit that I thought the original "Rocky" was a little overrated.  You have some good characters and good inspirational story, but there was an emotional connection that was lacking for me.  "Creed" more than makes up for that.  This is one of the best movies of the year.  Instead of Rocky Balboa, we have the son of Apollo Creed, Adonis Creed, taking the spotlight.  Michael B. Jordan is fantastic as the lead character and brings a lot of heart to his performance.  Sylvester Stallone gives perhaps the best performance of his career and certainly of the year as the aged Italian Stallion.  This is a film that's sensitive, steady, and surprisingly emotional.  I haven't even started talking about the fight scenes.  They're all exhilarating and totally immersive.  I'm especially talking about Adonis' first professional boxing match, which uses only one take and is utterly gripping and incredibly filmed.  There's really no other way to say it.  This movie is awesome.

BRYCE ***
CHASE ***1/2
LOGAN ***

BANGERANG SCORE: ***

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2

CHASE ***
We have finally meet the final movie of the popular Hunger Games franchise.  Just like in the fashion that most franchises are taking, they split the last story into two movies.  While I hate the idea of them splitting the movie in two, what the filmmakers did with the last one was actually well done.  A huge part of it has to be in thanks of the good actors that we have, especially Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss as she gives a really good and surprisingly emotional performance.  They also do a lot of interesting action scenes to keep the movie engaging and even intense.  It's also satisfying on how they wrapped everything up and it feel really fitting on how everything concluded.  It's not the best one of the franchise, but it did a good job to make itself an entertaining movie, despite stretching the story more than they should.

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

BANGERANG SCORE: ***

The Good Dinosaur

LOGAN ***
Pixar returns with a story about dinosaurs this time around.  The little apatosaurus, Arlo, wants to find his place in life and prove that he can be strong.  When he suddenly gets separated from home, he teams up with a human boy named Spot so they can help each other return home.  The concept of the movie is very strange, as it depicts apatosaurus' as farmers and t-rex's as cowboys, rounding up other dinosaurs.  However, the animation is breathtaking to look at, almost looking as if it was a live action film (aside from the characters of course).  The characters are likable and have very good chemistry, and establish a good emotional connection.  But the movie veers from the storyline at times, and not only does it feel slow, but much of the story feels pointless.  This isn't one of Pixar's best movies, especially compared to "Inside Out" that came out the same year, but it is an enjoyable movie that provides a good time.

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

BANGERANG SCORE: ***

The Peanuts Movie

CHASE ***
This is certainly a very interesting movie to say the least.  First of all, I haven't talked to anyone who doesn't like the Peanuts and all the characters associated with the brand.  Each one is memorable in their own way.  Usually when a studio gets their mitts on a classic property like this, they find some way to ruin it.  Usually by trying to modernize the characters and situations in an effort to make it "hip" for today's kids.  Thankfully, Blue Sky has treated the source material with as much respect as possible and it really shows on screen.  This is a really enjoyable movie that had me smiling from beginning to end.  It has a great sense of humor and is very charming.  All the classic characters that we know and love (except for maybe Lucy) are here and they haven't changed a bit.  They are classic characters for a reason and the filmmakers have done a great job translating them to the big screen.  My favorite aspect of the movie is that the computer animation is implemented in a way that compliments the source material and looks both modern and classic at the same time.  The visuals are simply revolutionary and I applaud the animators for their innovative work.  The only negative I can think of is that some of the side stories seem to be there solely to pad the running time.  Segments like Snoopy's Red Baron adventures and other series call-backs are entertaining, but they feel out of place and a bit forced.  That being said, there is definitely something for everyone, both young and old, and that really works to the film's advantage.  If you're a fan of the "Peanuts" on any level, you'll definitely like this film.  It's a lot of fun.

BRYCE ***
LANDON ***
LOGAN ***

BANGERANG SCORE: ***

The Walk

LOGAN ***1/2
Despite its lackluster showing at the box office, I thought "The Walk" was a great movie!  Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars as Philippe, a European circus performer who wants to walk across a tightrope between the World Trade Center towers in the 70's.  Although the time it takes to build up to preparing for the climactic walk is kind of slow, there is a lot to like about this movie.  First off, it has some great acting, particularly from the french-accented Joseph Gordon Levitt and Ben Kingsley who were very convincing in their respective roles as the circus performer and his mentor.  The visual effects are absolutely stunning, as they are in all of Robert Zemeckis' movies, not one effect felt fake or out of place.  Lastly, it is an intense ride.  This movie will have you on the edge of your seat when the second half of the movie rolls around, from the time that they prepare the tightrope, up until the actual act.  Robert Zemeckis still proves that he is a great director with this underrated flick.

BRYCE ***
CHASE ***1/2
LANDON ***1/2

BANGERANG SCORE: ***1/2

Bridge of Spies

LOGAN ***1/2
Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks team up yet again in "Bridge of Spies," a historical thriller about an American attorney acting as a negotiator between the US and the Soviet Union during the Cold War.  Tom Hanks gives one of his classic, everyman performances that makes his character easy to root for because he's such a great actor.  Besides that, there is a lot of talking in this movie.  It's similar to Spielberg's last film, "Lincoln," in that sense.  However, like Lincoln, the pacing of the movie is solid, it keeps you on the edge of your seat, and the screenwriting is great (from the Coen brothers), and provides some very intense moments and some light-hearted moments as well.  Some of the movie can seem pretty long, it especially the drags at the end and without John Williams, the music doesn't leave much of an impact.  But the directing is superb by the great Steven Spielberg.  This is a must-see movie.

BRYCE ***
CHASE ***
LANDON ***1/2

BANGERANG SCORE: ***