"Star Wars: The Last Jedi" Is the Defining Chapter of the Saga

We are knee-deep in the new age of Star Wars. The Last Jedi is the eighth episode, the ninth live-action theatrical film, and the third film without creator George Lucas (though he served as a consultant on Episode VII, most of his ideas were ignored). After The Force Awakens revisited the Hero's Journey arc of the original film and Rogue One dramatized the prelude to the original film, it was time for the Disney era to show us what the new age of Star Wars would offer. In a perhaps controversial opinion, I believe Rian Johnson has given us the answer with Episode VIII as the defining chapter of the Star Wars saga.

Rated PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi action and violence

Star Wars: The Last Jedi, easily the most divisive film in the franchise, takes place almost immediately after Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The Resistance, led by General Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher, in her penultimate film role), is pursued throughout the galaxy by the First Order after a disastrous mistake, making their escape a last stand for survival. Lightyears away, the Force-sensitive Rey (Daisy Ridley, Murder on the Orient Express) struggles to convince the once-legendary hero Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) to come out of exile to save the Resistance and help her find her place in the galaxy, while Kylo Ren (Adam Driver, Paterson) resolves to sever his ties to the light forever.

Ever since I saw The Last Jedi opening weekend, I've been wrestling with it. I can tell you I definitely liked it, but I'm not sure how much so. The movie is dense, especially for a Star Wars film, and there are many things I have yet to unpack to come up with a conclusive opinion on it. I've watched multiple videos, read many articles, and had a few conversations and debates with friends on it since seeing it as I try to decipher how much I liked this new chapter in the saga. And I am certain about a few things.

For one, The Last Jedi is visually-stunning. The film has some of the best shots in the entire franchise, especially during a showdown at the end. There were times the frames on the screen were so beautiful--not merely exciting or awesome, but beautiful--I was speechless. When I think of this movie, these shots are burned in my brain, and they make me want to go back to a theater to see them on the big screen again.

While not much time passes over the course of The Last Jedi and its predecessor, Rian Johnson packs a lot into his installment. However, this "a lot" doesn't equate to events in the way it did in The Force Awakens, a planet-hopping adventure. Rather, Johnson chooses to focus on critical points in these characters' lives. Rey and Kylo Ren have to decide what roles they will play in the fate of the galaxy--the dark, the light, or the grey areas. Finn (John Boyega, Detroit) must decide whether he will continue to run from conflict or go all in with the Resistance. Leia's Resistance must make critical decisions to ensure their survival after the First Order makes moves to fill the power vacuum left after the destruction of the New Republic. Luke must confront his philosophy of the Jedi when Rey arrives with dangerously untapped power. In showing the characters' decisions at these critical moments and the immediate consequences, the film is not content to merely be Act 2 in the trilogy's story, so much so that some have wondered what's left for the trilogy. That is to say the film is probably the most complete-feeling Star Wars film since the original. This isn't necessarily a good or bad thing, though The Last Jedi is not perfect.

The Kylo and Rey "A"-plots are always invigorating, and I could watched them develop more or at least see longer chunks in the film. Yet the Canto Bight scenes Johnson cuts to in the meantime, while in theory are important for the plight of the Resistance and the development of Finn's character, feel off. Most of this, I feel, was due to overt messages regarding the aristocrats that run the planet's metropolis. Yes, animal cruelty is bad and the subject is used to give us some insight into Rose (Kelly Marie Tran, CollegeHumor)--but it seemed the overemphasized of Canto Bight's sins, which include child slavery. (The sequence did introduce a new favorite John Williams theme, though!) I was fine with it while watching the film, but it is the weakest part in retrospect. Still, during the movie, I just wanted to get back to anything having to do with Kylo and Rey. Also worth noting is that Captain Phasma (Gwendoline Christie, Game of Thrones) is still the worst character in the trilogy, maybe even in the franchise, and shows that Lucasfilm should never have tried to manufacture the popularity of Boba Fett. However, there is no overwhelming fault in the film, that I could tell anyway, in the way one can call out a script or acting or direction. As my friend said, the film is slightly bogged down by little things. For him, those little things added up. For me, I'm not sure how much they add up, but they are still there.

I loved Grumpy Luke's arc, and it paved the way for surprising story moments.

As this overlong review comes to an end, I should revisit my claim that this is the defining chapter of the entire saga. This film explores the thematic concepts of power, hope, and balance and orients them around everything that has come before this story. We see Kylo Ren corrupted by hate and his lust for power, and Supreme Leader Snoke (the scene-sealing Andy Serkis, The Lord of the Rings) blinded by the pride of power. Luke mentions that one of the reasons the Jedi need to end is because, despite their seemingly good intentions during their association with the Republic, they too were blinded by power and allowed Darth Sidious to conquer the galaxy. This was further developed in The Clone Wars series. Leia fights to save the Resistance to keep hope alive in the galaxy in spite of the darkness of the First Order, a theme emphasized in last year's Rogue One. Luke, the Resistance believes, will be the beacon of hope that will light the spark of rebellion. Will he accept his role as a legend or let his cynical philosophy rule? Finally, the saga always has dealt with the idea of bringing balance to the Force, but this is the first installment that acknowledges that Star Wars's balance means there can't be only light or only dark but an eternal coexistence of the two, the continuing star wars, the duality of the yin and yang.

Perhaps controversially, Star Wars has defined itself for the future. The Last Jedi brings together themes that have been building across the saga while also showing what other thrills and twists the franchise can bring. Some things work, some things don't, and some things make me think. Its worldview is front and center now and challenges the idea that one side can and should prevail. Hopefully, these ideas will be discussed and further challenged by fans and audiences. If not, Star Wars will still be celebrated and enjoyed as a consistent source of stories and entertainment from a galaxy--and a mouse--far, far away. But should that be all that Star Wars is?

Ridley Scott Is a Freakin' Beast: "All the Money in the World" Review

All the Money in the World was not even on my radar before Kevin Spacey was removed from the finished film in the wake of numerous worrisome sexual harassment allegations. Shortly after the Spacey allegations came out, though, director Ridley Scott (The Martian, Alien) announced that all of Spacey's scenes would be reshot with Christopher Plummer (The Sound of Music, Beginners) assuming the role--one month before the film's release, which it still met. Did the film's quality get lost in the shuffle?

Rated R for language, some violence, disturbing images, and brief drug content

In short, no. All the Money in the World tells the true story (with some embellishments) of the kidnapping of John Paul Getty III (Charlie Plummer, Boardwalk Empire), grandson to legendary billionaire Mr. John Paul Getty, Sr. (Christopher Plummer; no relation) When the young Paul's kidnappers put him up for a $17 million ransom, it seems obvious to his mother Abigail (Michelle Williams, Manchester by the Sea) that the extravagantly wealthy Mr. Getty should take it upon himself to pay the expensive ransom--to him, it's chump change. But Mr. Getty refuses, and stubbornly stays so, even as the stakes get higher and the young Paul's life is on the line. With the help of Italian police and Mr. Getty's security advisor, former CIA op Fletcher Chase (Mark Whalberg, Patriots Day), Abigail resolves to save her son at whatever lengths possible.

This is a story of greed--money as the root of all evil. Mr. Getty's love of his money masks any semblance of love he may have for Paul. He refuses to pay the ransom yet spends extravagant millions on pieces of art and land development projects. He justifies his decision by saying that paying the terrorists' ransom would endanger the other grandchildren with similar schemes. In this, we can hate him and empathize with him, but as the film continues, it becomes disgustingly clear his top priority is preserving his billions. On the other side of the coin, Paul's kidnapper Cinquanta (Romain Duris, The New Girlfriend) appears to start to care for the boy as the film progresses, giving him chances to escape and stressing that he leave Rome as soon as possible. Yet the ransom never disappears, and he shows no regret for allowing Paul to be tortured mentally and physically in graphically disturbing ways.

The film, the crew, Ridley Scott, and the cast have to be commended. To reshoot a good chunk of the film and reedit it within a month was considered an impossible task, yet they pulled it off without a hitch. If someone was unaware of Spacey's previous involvement in the film, they would have no idea that this was not the original version. Christopher Plummer devilishly commands the screen as Mr. Getty. It is crazy to think he only looked at the script a month ago and produced this masterclass villain performance. Though he is unbelievably despicable, Plummer shows that there is a logic and sincerity to every word Getty speaks and every action Getty performs. For the past several months, I have been crossing my fingers that Sir Patrick Stewart would get a Best Supporting Actor nod for Logan, but seeing this film last night makes me believe this is Plummer's award to lose. The rest of the cast is also great. Whalberg is unusually understated as Chase, and Williams brings a quiet power and firm resolve to Abigail that makes us care for her desperation.

All the Money is not flawless. While there are incredibly tense moments, such as the torture scene, there are moments where the film waddles in a place where Paul's survival is not immediately at stake and his family has nothing to go off of to find him. The film introduces a wrinkle that questions the authenticity of the kidnapping, but I was not enough convinced of it, partially because the film does not show enough of the line of thinking that leads to this conclusion and because we are given the dramatic irony that the kidnapping is genuine. Dramatic irony can work for suspense, but the other storytelling elements at this point are not strong enough to make it work alone. The film understandably takes liberties with the real story, but I am disappointed that they do not focus on the psychological impact these events had on the real Paul. Doing so would have added more complexity to the sins of Mr. John Paul Getty and how an evil lust for money can destroy someone else's life in irreparable, nonphysical ways. Still, the film is gorgeously shot, marvelously performed, and captivating enough that the flaws, while not ignorable, do not detract from the strengths.

While time will tell what he will win, Plummer rightfully earned his Golden Globe nomination.

As it turns out, All the Money in the World is another flag of victory for the Weinstein effect. The film is unafraid to objectively call terrible men of power out on their wrongs; it simply shows them for who they are without overstating it through angles or lighting. By replacing one of those men despite the odds, it shows we do not need them and we will not tolerate them. Darn good pictures can and will be made without them. And Ridley Scott, at the ripe age of 80, is a freakin' beast for leading the charge with as much skill as he does.

All the Money in the World opens nationwide Christmas Day.

Coming Down the Home Stretch 2017: The Upcoming Movies I Still Want to See

I did this segment last year, and I greatly enjoyed doing it. There's only two months left in the year, meaning the last blockbusters are filing in and awards season is upon us. I've made it known that since I don't do this professionally and am a student, I won't be getting out to see every single release in the next eight weeks. That said, there are some good-looking ones coming soon that I know I want to see and you may not have heard of either. Consider it a more truncated "Most Anticipated" list! Speaking of my Most Anticipated movies list, some of those movies will pop up here as well. But as an update to that list: God Particle has since been moved to 2018; I have seen and loved Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2 (some day I'll write about it); and Song to Song was never in wide release so I'll be checking it out soon since it is currently available on Amazon Prime. This list also reflects films that have not yet been released, so films that have already come out will not be included here. So let's get to it!

What Are IT's Oscar Chances? - MOVIE NEWS

There's been quite a bit of news that's come out in the past week. From the death of a career, to a return to Middle-Earth, corporate shakeups and even Pennywise the Dancing Clown with a golden statuette--let's dive in!

Kevin Spacey's Career Is Kaput

Sarah Silverman Builds Cultural Bridges in Hulu's "I Love You, America"

I was thinking after a month's absence I would be reviewing one of the many movies I've seen yet not reviewed, but while I'm on a Hulu free trial, I checked out Sarah Silverman's new show I Love You, America, which is definitely worth talking about.

Rated TV-MA for strong language and sexual content, including nudity

Alicia Vikander's "Tomb Raider" Jumps Into Action With New Trailer

Way early this morning (or yesterday evening if you're on the West Coast), a trailer for the latest movie adaptation of the Tomb Raider games premiered on IGN Live (fun fact: one of the actors leaked a minute-long bit on his Instagram before removing it almost an hour later). This new film stars Alicia Vikander (The Danish Girl, Ex Machina) as the Lara Croft character in an origin story, taking her from her wealthy life in England and out of her element to find her missing father and seal a tomb to save the world.

Return of the Jedi: J.J. Abrams to Direct "Star Wars Episode IX"

A little less than a week ago, it was announced that Force Awakens director J.J. Abrams would return to close out the trilogy, creating an intensely mixed response among the Star Wars fanbase. Is it really a bad thing, though, that Abrams is back?

Nolan Creates a Tense WW2 Snapshot with "Dunkirk"

A handful of young British soldiers walk the eerily quiet and empty streets of Dunkirk, France. Though the war rages on, this seems to be a rare moment of peace. Flyers rain from somewhere in the sky, obviously from the enemy. A red "X" marks Dunkirk: arrows point at it, all saying "WE SURROUND YOU." A grave message, but they don't seem to be here. The soldiers continue their walk--suddenly, ear-shattering gunfire surrounds them, bouncing off walls and striking them. Only one manages to make it back to the Allied barracks.

So begins the visceral one-hundred minutes of Dunkirk.

Rated PG-13 for intense war experience and some language

"It" Floats with Terror, Character, and Adventure

In 1990, Tim Curry scarred children forever as Pennywise the Dancing Clown in ABC's 1990 adaptation of Stephen King's brick of a novel, It. Now, 27 years later, just like the eponymous character, It returns to theaters.

Rated R for violence/horror, bloody images, and for language

A Note on Logan Noir

I wanted to include this segment in my Logan piece, but because it was already longer than my usual review and because I could not fit this organically anywhere, I am making a separate space for it.

As Logan's home media release drew near, director James Mangold announced on Twitter that he and his team were working on a black-and-white cut of the film. There was no particular reason for it; it was just a treat in the same vein of the Mad Max: Fury Road-- Black and Chrome Edition release. Except for the fact Logan was never intended to be black and white (or a noir, for that matter). When I bought it on Blu-Ray, I made sure to get the copy that included Logan Noir, if only to say I saw it.

"Logan" Continues to Reinvent the Wheel

March's Logan was an important film for a number of reasons. For one, it signaled the end of the run of Hugh Jackman as Wolverine. This was significant because ever since 2000's X-Men, Jackman had become the face of the new age of superhero cinema. Sure, Spider-Man and Nolan's Batman films were pivotal to the superhero ship staying afloat, but X-Men made sure there was a boat to be on after the last one sank with Schumacher's Batman movies and before the Marvel Cinematic Universe created a juggernaut. For long-time fans, they finally got to see a bloody, gritty, and raw version of Ol' Per-SNIKT-ity himself go at it. But I think most importantly, Logan showed the inspired direction the X-Men film franchise will continue to go down.

Rated R for strong brutal violence and language throughout, and for brief nudity

"Annabelle: Creation" Brings Memorable Terror and Iffy Characters

In truth, dear reader, I was terrified. For much of the movie, my knees were shaking. I covered my face in fright with my sweatshirt (but only partially so that I could still see in order to review the film). I hoped halfway through that my bladder wouldn't freak out later as much as I was then. And after it was over, you bet your bottom dollar that I slept with the lights on after reading some good Jesus books. Oh yes, Annabelle: Creation is effective and frightening, a worthy installment in The Conjuring franchise.

Rated R for horror violence and terror

"The Big Sick:" Sweet, Honest, and Shouldn't Be Overlooked

July. It's the middle of the summer, full of the latest chapters in our favorite blockbuster franchises (or in the case of Transformers, just a blockbuster franchise). Yet Amazon Studios, smack dab in the season, decided to drop their latest wide release: The Big Sick.

Rated R for language including some sexual references

"It Comes at Night:" An Unconventional Contemplation on Death

In my experience, the horror film genre gets a bad rap. In a conversation with a friend at the beginning of the year, I recommended The Conjuring, but she responded by saying that horror movies are just evil and don't have anything positive about them. And to be fair, many mainstream slashers are a mindless exercise in seeing people die brutal deaths. At the same time, I strongly appreciate the horror genre. It has introduced us to amazingly skilled artists like Stan Winston (Jurassic Park, The Thing) and Lon Chaney (The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Phantom of the Opera) whose practical effects work would elicit praise from even the casual moviegoer. It can bring us stories of faith under pressure (The Conjuring). It can help us deal with grief (The Babadook). Or in the case of It Comes at Night, it can bring us to terms with the inevitability of death.

Rated R for violence, disturbing images, and language

HOLIDAY REVIEW: Jesus Christ Superstar

This may single-handedly be the most interesting Bible film I have ever seen.

Rated G

NEW MOVIE: Beauty and the Beast

Remakes, adaptations, and sequels have always been part of cinema. Old ghost stories were adapted and made several times over by Universal Studios for their classic Monsters franchise. Ben-Hur was adapted into a play and made into two silent films before the classic 1959 film came around. Fairy tales seem to be as old as time, and the Mouse House has given us versions that have completely reshaped the public consciousness of these stories. Now, in the vein of old and new Hollywood, they are returning to their classic iterations of stories and presenting them in a new, live-action form. Luckily, they have had a good track record: Alice in Wonderland (2010), while not great, made over $1 billion; Cinderella (2015) was well-received, and; The Jungle Book (2016) was an all-around triumph that trumps even the animation for me. Is Beauty and the Beast continuing the streak of worthwhile remakes?

Rated PG for some action violence, peril, and frightening images

NEW MOVIE: Split

M. Night Shyamalan has had an interesting career. Despite making a splash with his debut film The Sixth Sense, after the release of The Village, he began receiving more critical backlash from critics and audiences alike to the point where his name became a punchline in the movie world. However, with 2015's The Visit, he seemed to have gained much of his goodwill back with the horror-comedy. With Split, it would appear that M. Night Shyamalan has established his comeback.

Rated PG-13 for disturbing thematic content and behavior, violence, and some language

NETFLIX REVIEW: I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore

People suck.

At least it can appear that way at times. A few weeks ago, my mom and I were almost crushed on I-4 when a U-Haul trailer crossed into our lane without acknowledging our presence. I saw a guy impersonate a YouTube channel just yesterday promising a giveaway of different devices if people followed him, even though he had none of that. All these nuisances and annoyances that donate to the long-debated Problem of Evil. And that's where Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize winner I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore begins, with a montage of nursing assistant Ruth (Melanie Lynskey, Two and a Half Men, Coyote Ugly) running into the world's small evils: the people in the grocery store who leave things on the ground or cut you in the line; the guy who spoils the end of the book for you; the folks who leave their dog's poop in your yard; and even the ornery old woman who has hate in her heart till her last dying breath. "Everyone's an asshole," Ruth concludes.

Rated TV-MA for strong bloody violence and language

OSCAR REVIEW: Hidden Figures

"We all get to the peak together or we don't get there at all," says Al Harrison, played by Kevin Costner (Thirteen Days, Field of Dreams). So sums up the conflict of Hidden Figures as three colored women at NASA strive to overcome the racial barriers set by society as the administration hurries to move ahead in the Space Race by sending John Glenn into space. Now a nominee for Best Picture and numerous other Academy Awards and repeated box office champion, the film seems to have resonated with general audiences and critics alike.

Rated PG for thematic elements and some language

Top Ten Best Films of 2016

2017 is well under way, and it is high time for me announce my picks for the ten best films of 2016. Fortunately, I was lucky enough to miss several stinkers, so my movie-going experience this past year was pretty great (except for last January's The Boy). I should preface this by saying that, while this was a record year for me in terms of seeing movies the year they came out (over 20, including those I did not review), there were several well-acclaimed ones I did not see and could not include on this list. For example, I did not have the chance to see Terrence Malick's Knight of Cups, or Oscar nominees like Arrival or Moonlight before making this list, nor did I get to see some films I wanted to see like Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them or Hacksaw Ridge. I am sure I will see them before too long, but for now, they must stay off the list in all fairness--I did not see them! With that out of the way, let's get into this!

Honorable Mentions

There are three films that I want to mention before I go into the top 10 since they deserve some recognition. In no particular order, those films are:

Zootopia. This was the last 2016 film I saw, and I greatly admire what it tries to do. Unlike many Disney animated films, the creators took a chance and decided to tell a relevant story about discrimination. The film does not come off as preachy, and it presents strong characters through bunny cop Judy Hopps and fugitive fox Nick Wilde. It was not my favorite animated film of the year, but it was a darn good one!

13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi. This is Michael Bay's best film. Choosing to eschew the politics of the Benghazi attack and focus on the stories of the soldiers, he lets the harrowing drama shine through in a respectful way. Furthermore, David Denham and John Krasinski prove that they are more than just their characters from The Office. It is a war film worth seeing.

Deadpool. I saw this back in March but I could not figure out how to best tackle it. Time has since passed, and I can't pass up including it in my honorable mentions. The main reason it didn't quite crack the top 10 is because of some tonal issues: it goes from high-energy comedy to brutal drama, and I'm not sure it hit its highest highs again once the dramatic sequences got tough with Wade Wilson's cancer arc. That said, the movie's an absolute blast. It is crude, but in a smart way, like Robin Williams's stand-up. It justifies its sexual content as purposes of character, and gave us some top-notch action sequences. It even got a few digs in on Fox's X-Men franchise. I greatly enjoyed the film, and if you can stand a hard R (and are older than 17), you probably will, too.

10. The Fundamentals of Caring

I'm not sure how many people actually got to see this road-trip dramedy on Netflix, but I was pleasantly surprised by this one. The main cast delivers some great performances: the woman who plays Peaches (Megan Ferguson) deserves greater recognition for her hilarious show-stealing performance as a quirky pregnant Army wife. I was moved by this indie story, and I laughed a lot, glad that I saw a film the type of which is just not made that often anymore.

9. Finding Dory

Was my perfect score a bit hyperbolic back in June? Perhaps. That said, a sequel like this deserves to be applauded for feeling so organic despite some of its more crazy set pieces. The film was emotional, funny, and beautifully animated. I really enjoyed being back with Nemo, Dory, and Marlin, and the new cast of characters, especially Gerald, fit right in with the old gang.

8. Captain America: Civil War

I saw this one late so I didn't review it. Since its release in May, though, Captain America: Civil War has been in the conversation for best superhero movie of all-time, and there's good reason for that. Civil War feels not only like a vital chapter in the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe, but it is an excellent Captain America film, giving enough balance to the large cast of characters to let Steve and Bucky's story breathe and take the forefront. It also raises political questions of oversight to which it does not present a clear answer. A fitting conclusion to the Captain America trilogy and an exciting introduction to the MCU's next chapter, this film deserves to also be among the best of the year.

7. 10 Cloverfield Lane

No other film shocked me this year like 10 Cloverfield Lane did. Served with an intense feeling of unease, the film features standout performances by Mary Elizabeth Winstead, John Gallagher, Jr., and John Goodman, who is extremely unnerving as the enigmatic doomsday prepper and War vet Howard. This all leads up to a disturbing and surprising finale. Even though the film leaves several questions unanswered, I was never frustrated because none of it feels cheap. All in all, the film establishes the Cloverfield franchise as one of the most mysterious but excitingly great properties in the film industry today. My hope is that 2017's God Particle ties everything together; if not, 10 Cloverfield Lane is still one of the best thrillers of the year.

6. The Conjuring 2

I never considered myself a huge horror guy, but I loved The Conjuring. Thankfully, The Conjuring 2 is almost as great as its predecessor. While not as oppressively disturbing as the first one, The Conjuring 2 continues to develop the characters of the Warrens and has great moments of drama. More importantly, though, it introduces an effectively scary character through the Demon Nun who fits rather well into the whole affair. With continued great chemistry by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga and the fantastic performance by Madison Wolfe, The Conjuring 2 once again establishes the series as one of the best horror series today. I even had a "Hallelujah Jesus!" moment in the theater, so that says something about the cathartic appeal of the film!

5. The Jungle Book

I didn't like that Kaa had so little screen time; I absolutely loved everything else about the film. Seamlessly blending revolutionary animation with a live actor, The Jungle Book is the owner of the Best Visual Effects Oscar next month. But the film is more than just a $175 million special effects exposition by Jon Favreau. Surprisingly, this is a remake that gets it right, improving upon Walt Disney's final film in almost every way and in spades. Neel Sethi, Bill Murray, and Idris Elba give great performances, and only one of them isn't animated! It is this film's greatness that makes me most excited about the potential of March's Beauty and the Beast.

4. Sing Street

Easily the most underrated film of the year, Sing Street is director John Carney's third music film and perhaps his best. It's the best 80s film that never came out in the 80s. It's a fun movie about friendship, love, and brotherhood. The music exemplifies why this year was the year of the movie musical. It's a crying shame not one of the songs in here got nominated for Best Original Song, but that doesn't change the fact that Sing Street is one of my favorite movies of the year. Please: go watch this on Netflix as soon as you can. If you don't have Netflix, then just buy it. Buy it wherever and however you can. It's such a special film you can't miss!

3. Moana

The best animated film of the year, Moana perfects the Disney formula and introduces a fantastic and inspiring female lead. While it doesn't try to have the social commentary that Zootopia has or really does anything all that new in the genre, it still is a very special film. Lin-Manuel Miranda's debut as a film songwriter elevates the film, providing not only some of the best songs in Disney history, but the most powerful. The greatest testament to this film is that I saw it twice in one day and loved it just the same; I'm still talking about it today.


2. Patriots Day

Patriots Day is the most important film of the year, even more so than the relevant but flawed Snowden. Though coming fresh off the heels of the disaster that it's based on, the movie suitably justifies itself, delivering a tense, emotional thriller that proves the importance of love and unity in the face of terrorism and hate. Furthermore, the film is not content with cardboard cutouts and succeeds in giving us three-dimensional, developed portrayals of the people connected to the Boston Marathon bombing. The film is currently in wide release. If you get a chance to see it, take it.

1. La La Land

This shouldn't come as much of a surprise to much anybody who reads my stuff. I loved La La Land, but not just because it was an enjoyable musical. Damien Chazelle puts so much detail in every frame of the film and makes the simple love story of dreamers something that needs to be experienced several times to fully appreciate the greatness of it. That's not to say the first time is disappointing: not at all! The film is strong, and it only gets better the more you watch. The best way to describe is like a great book, with layers that demand analysis and when that analysis is done, the book is rightfully heralded as a book of art. Lovingly blending music with what only film can do, La La Land is a poignant film that everyone can relate to because we're all fools that dream. The way it's told, though, makes it my favorite film of the year.

That's my list, friends! As tends to happen, my list probably isn't the same as yours. That doesn't make your list more right or more wrong than mine. Let me know your favorite films of 2016 and let's talk about it. I really enjoyed this year in film--from the songs to the scenes to the shots and the drama--and I look forward to what 2017 has to offer. Now, as always, whatever you have to say about me or the movies, comment below!

Most Anticipated Movies of 2017

2016 delivered some really solid films, like La La Land and Moana. 2017 seems to be eager to deliver some great films, too, many of which I am looking forward to. Let's talk about some of them. As a disclaimer, there are two films that could be on this list but won't. The first one is Silence since that technically came out last year, but it doesn't reach a wide release until this month. I already discussed how much I'm looking forward to that in an earlier post, so I feel like it wouldn't be fair to talk about it further here. Also, Patriots Day goes wide this month, too, but I already included that on my Top 10 Films of 2016 list, since I was able to see it when it was limited. I urge you to go see Patriots Day when it opens, and we can look forward to Silence together.

10. The Masterpiece

Formerly called The Disaster Artist, The Masterpiece will detail the making of the 2003 cult film The Room, a film known for its absolute terribleness. In the scenes I've seen of The Room, it's hilarious how bad it is. James Franco stars and directs this comedic biopic on how it all went down. I'm curious to see how The Room was made, and there's a stellar cast lined up, with the Franco brothers taking the lead, with Seth Rogen, Bryan Cranston, Sharon Stone, and Zac Efron. I'm looking forward to this, even more than Dunkirk and Spider-Man: Homecoming! Currently, The Masterpiece has no set release date.

9. Song to Song

Terrence Malick has been making a movie about every year since his magnum opus (and my favorite film) The Tree of Life was released in 2012. This one is his long-talked about music drama set in Austin, Texas. Though I haven't quite had the chance to see some of those films, like Knight of Cups and To the Wonder, I really like how this one's shaping up. Malick's style should really complement this story of music in Austin, Texas, perhaps even greater than John Carney has done with Once or Sing Street. It also has a knockout cast with Ryan Gosling, Michael Fassbender, Natalie Portman, and Rooney Mara. I'm liking what I'm seeing so far, so here's to greatness. Song to Song is scheduled for release on March 17, a week after its premiere at South by Southwest Festival. Hopefully this one is actually made easy to see, unlike Voyage of Time, which I'm convinced I'll finally be able to see for the first time in 2032.

Song to Song

8. God Particle

God Particle is the third film in the Cloverfield franchise, after 2008's tense found-footage film Cloverfield and 2016's shocking 10 Cloverfield Lane (which you'll see in another list not too far from now). After marathoning those two films one night, I am absolutely pumped to see what's next for this series. The first two films were very good, unique stand-alones, but they hinted at a greater universe, setting themselves up as great first chapters. I'm hoping God Particle takes the questions raised in those two films and gives us some answers and connective tissue, and with the pitch being that astronauts return to Earth after a long mission and find it nothing like the same, it looks like J. J. Abrams and his team will provide them. God Particle is slated for an October 27 release; by then, the title may change to Mission: Cloverfield or something like that to tie it in, but who knows. Regardless, I'm really looking forward to this.

7. The Greatest Showman

The Greatest Showman is a film that I heard about a while ago on Rotten Tomatoes, and then when I rediscovered it the other day, I remembered how much I wanted to see this. The film is a biopic featuring Hugh Jackman as P. T. Barnum. The unique thing is, this is supposed to be a musical biopic. After the great musical films we got in 2016, notably Sing Street, Moana, and La La Land, I want to see how the genre evolves into this year. Jackman is a reliable leading man, and he deserved his Oscar nomination for Les Miserables. What's there not to look forward to? When a trailer comes out, this could easily jump to my top 5 most anticipated, but for now, number 7 seems a good place. The Greatest Showman is scheduled for release on Christmas Day: joy to the world!

6. Split

Astonishingly, I'm looking forward to a film in January! Split is M. Night Shyamalan's latest film after his apparent return to form in The Visit, and it looks freaky. James McAvoy plays a man who harbors over 20 different personalities. When one of these personalities abducts three teenage girls, the girls must try to escape him before a new hostile personality, The Beast, emerges. It looks like a tense thriller, and with the great buzz it's been getting since its showings at festivals, I can't not look forward to it. If it's as good or better than The Sixth Sense, Signs, Unbreakable (of which this is a spiritual sequel) or The Village, I'm sure we'll see this on my best of the year list. Split comes out on January 20th.

Split

5. Hidden Figures

I'm actually seeing this one hours after I post this list. Hidden Figures tells the story of three African-American women pivotal to the launching of the first man in space. I saw the trailer before Moana and immediately afterwards, my friends and I knew this was going to be a really great film. It looks like a special film, too, and I'm interested to see this story. Starring Octavia Spencer, Taraji P. Henson, Janelle Monae, Jim Parsons, and Kevin Costner, Hidden Figures opens wide today, January 6. My review will come in the next few days.

4. Guardians of the Galxy: Vol. 2

In case you're wondering where all the blockbusters are, here they are! I enjoyed the first Guardians of the Galaxy, even though the end is awfully cheesy; the humor and tone, overall, were great. Vol. 2 looks like it will knock the first one out of the park. Now that the characters and world are established, James Gunn has plenty of room to explore the character dynamics and give us a rockin' good time. Not to mention that the first trailer was the funniest trailer to come out in 2016. I'm so looking forward to this, and it's the only Marvel movie I have the urge to see on opening weekend (sorry, John Hughes' Spidey!). Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2 opens May 5, 2017.

3. Star Wars Episode VIII

The Force Awakens was a nice set-up for the sequel trilogy, now director Rian Johnson has the job to deliver on the anticipation created by the open-ended questions established by Abrams in the last film. Extremely little information has been revealed about the film so far, but I assume it will deal with the training of hero and villain Rey and Kylo Ren, which seems to me an interesting juxtaposition. Also, this will be the last performance we will ever see of the late Carrie Fisher, but I am looking forward to seeing her scenes with her daughter Billie Lourd as well as the young blood introduced in Episode VII, like Finn and Poe. Maybe Luke and Leia will finally reunite? Who knows! Either way, I'm looking forward to this, even if it is an obligation at this point. Episode VIII comes to theaters on December 15.

Logan

2. Logan

I am a huge fan of the X-Men film franchise, and allegedly, this is Hugh Jackman's last go as the classic character Wolverine. The film looks dark and gritty and like a brilliant send-off to the character, the Wolverine trilogy, and Patrick Stewart's Professor X. I have no idea where this takes place in the official X-Men timeline. All I know is that I'm liking what I'm seeing, and if I were given the options, I would see this over a new Star Wars movie. I'm excited to see what they do as an R-rated western, and I'm excited to see Hugh Jackman's farewell performance in the role (that is, until Ryan Reynolds convinces him to do a Wolverine/Deadpool movie in 2022). Logan is slated for release on March 3rd.

1. Beauty and the Beast

It's the tale as old as time, the song as old as rhyme, and perhaps the best cast movie of 2017. Emma Watson, of Harry Potter fame, stars as Belle, leading a cast that includes Dan Stevens, Luke Evans, Josh Gad, Ewan McGregor, Stanley Tucci, Emma Thompson, Kevin Kline, and Ian McKellen. I absolutely love the 90s animated film, and the stage adaptation has a fabulous soundtrack. I'm interested in seeing the new live action take on it, especially after hearing that Alan Menken will return with new songs, and that some of Howard Ashman's unused lyrics will be reinstated into the film as a lovely tribute. I'd probably be more trepidatious if I hadn't seen The Jungle Book, but since The Jungle Book was so great, I have absolute faith in this new adaptation. I've liked most everything I've seen so far, so here's to greatness. It's also the only film on this list for which I've blotted out opening day on my calendar. That should speak for itself! Beauty and the Beast rounds out a stellar release calendar in March on March 17th.

That's my list! I know there are some that people are really looking forward to that I didn't include on my list, like Kong: Skull Island, Spider-Man: Homecoming, and Alien: Covenant, but I'm just not looking forward to those as much as I am these ten. But let's start a discussion: what films are you most looking forward to this year? Whatever you have to say about me or the movies, comment below!

NEW MOVIE: La La Land

Before the first real frame of film begins, we know that La La Land will be a different animal than we've grown accustomed to in the modern age of cinema. After studio logos, we're presented with text we haven't seen in decades on the silver screen: "Presented in CinemaScope," a proud token of nostalgia. The triumphant fanfare of glorious film is replaced with the many sounds of the Los Angeles freeway, endless honking, yelling, and different types of music as the Sun beats down on the drivers. Suddenly, the cacophony gives way to an infectious Latin beat. Though we began this film with the road rage we know and love, we're now thrown into the film's opening number, as the singing, dancing, and jazz-fluting Greek Chorus of Hollywood-Hopefuls-On-the-Freeway establishes the tone for the rest of the film: it's an often-fun, unapologetic, colorful, and nostalgic musical about dreamers with passion, ready to pay the price to achieve said dreams. Of course, this brief synopsis does not do justice to the detail present in this sequence. I haven't even begun to mention the many colors, the extensive choreography, the implications of the lyrics, or even the fact that it's all in one, very long (perhaps ten minute) take; there is not enough room in a single review to do so. The great joy is: this is only a taste of the mastery of Damien Chazelle's latest film La La Land.

Rated PG-13 for some language

As the Greek Chorus returns to their vehicles, we see the first encounter between aspiring actress Mia (Emma Stone, Birdman) and jazz pianist Sebastian (Ryan Gosling, Drive), just two of the many hopefuls on the highway but the two with whom we spend the rest of the movie with. Unlike the cute and witty first meeting of Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds in Singin' in the Rain, our love interests meet rather unceremoniously: a prolonged honking of the horn and the flipping-of-the-bird. From there, we see how they struggle to achieve their passions and how their paths always seem to cross. "Maybe it means something," Sebastian ponders. "Probably not," he concludes. Oh, but it does mean something: perhaps not fate, but their chance encounters pave the way for writer-director Chazelle (Whiplash) to completely sweep us into their musical romance, asking us if it truly is a bad thing to be a dreamer and, by the end, also making us ponder the consequences of every action we make.

I try to analyze a film and look at it from as artistic of a view as I can on the first viewing. When I saw this for the first time on Monday, I just couldn't. I became so emotionally involved in the story, I couldn't even be bothered to try to make out symbolism and themes; it was like the strings that much of the score is composed of took me by the scruff of the neck and took me on a ride, never content to let go. I had to really process the film for a while after I saw it, meditating on it. Then I saw it a second time and was able to pick up more. I could see it again and again and still get more out of it, for sure. La La Land is like a great, beefy classic novel, one that your great-aunt who was an English major annotated so much that the text can't even be read anymore. There's so much detail in most every frame, so much that goes into every shot, long and short. There's unstated symbolism in the colors that our heroes wear and an enchantment in the lighting. It's poetic and not just because a good chunk of its script is in sung verse: the film opens and closes in the same style; the film goes through four seasons, starting and ending in winter; motifs come in and out through the hypnotically beautiful score; the many waltzes and "dream ballets" are more about what they mean than their technique.

Even though it is a very involving romance between Mia and Sebastian, I think it is worth noting the use of CinemaScope--the fact that it was shot on film instead of digital. The first time I saw it, it was kind of frustrating how whenever the camera moved for prolonged periods of time, it left a motion blur until it stopped. While in our age of pristine equipment, it is easy to call if a flaw, I think Chazelle was decisive about this choice and not just for sake of nostalgia. The blur is the "worst" during the opening number when it's sweeping across the many hopefuls dancing on cars, so it's difficult to make out the faces. However, I found it justified itself in a later scene in the first act when Sebsastian is playing at a fine dining restaurant. Panning around the patrons, the camera stops and focuses on Sebastian at the piano, smiling to himself at the idiocy of playing crappy jazz Christmas tunes. He finally decides to play the theme on his heart, an emotional jazz solo that comes to define the rest of the soundtrack and his relationship with Mia. From then on, now that we've found our "Someones in the Crowd," the camera stays fixated on them, culminating in a final audition sequence that salutes and calls out to the dreamers in all of us, "the artists, the poets, and plays," foolish though we may seem in our journey to act, to direct, to create art, to write, to talk about movies, to make movies, to make a difference in the world, to be what we want to be in this life because we darn well can. That doesn't mean there aren't hardships and sacrifices that we have to face, though, and the film is unapologetic in showing us this. The first lyric of the entire film is about sacrifice, for goodness' sake. As a result, despite its fun allusions to classic musicals and films, it is a bittersweet ode. A lovely ode, but bittersweet.

Stone and Gosling bring their impeccable chemistry to a powerful film.

La La Land is a beautifully-made film that is not comfortable to only be a homage to classic cinema. Instead, it sets itself in modern times to deal with the real concepts of pursuing passions and loves and what we are willing to do to keep them if we can. Its songs are perfect for the occasion, but also speak volumes to us as dreamers. In a serendipitous happenstance, I came across some friends of mine in the same theater the film was showing in; afterwards, the lot of us talked for an hour about it, and we never veered far from the door of Theater 12, even as the next showing began. The late great Roger Ebert, when discussing the idea of what makes a great film, once wrote:

It is said that the human brain divides its functions. The right brain is devoted to sensory impressions, emotions, colors, music. The left brain deals with abstract thought, logic, philosophy, analysis. My definition of a great movie: While you're watching it, it engages your right brain. When it's over, it engages your left brain.

That may be the best way to describe La La Land, a sure-to-be classic. If you truly value a star rating, dear Reader, it has 5 out of 5 stars. This is a special film that you must see in the theaters. There are all walks of people who are loving this movie. In the two matinees I attended, the theater was packed with middle-aged and elderly folk who applauded the film at the end. A high school friend of mine, who you would never say was the biggest musical nerd, has seen this three times (if not more) and has declared it to be his favorite movie. An older friend said he felt like he became a changed person afterwards. It has affected the cinephiles, the theatre nerds, and the common man. One old man came to the theater with his oxygen tank just to see this film--what dedication! The film opens worldwide on January 6th after a long expansion from limited release: see it as soon as you can, and if you somehow can't, rearrange everything so you can.

Have you seen La La Land? What did you think about it? Whatever you have to say about me or the movies, comment below!

NEW MOVIE: Moana

Frozen took the world by storm in 2013, for many setting a new bar for Disney's future animated films to live up to. Zootopia also struck a chord with kids and adults alike earlier this year. How does the Mouse House's latest outing, Moana, do?

Rated PG for peril, some scary images, and brief thematic elements

Moana tells the story of the young future chief Moana (Auli'i Cravalho) and her perilous quest to find the demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson, Central Intelligence) in order to restore the long-lost stone, "The Heart of Te Fiti," in order to stop an impending darkness from destroying her Polynesian village and the world. Along the way, they'll come across Mad Max-style coconut monsters, a giant killer crab (Jemaine Clement of Flight of the Conchords), and the lava demon Te Ka. One of the greatest elements of the film is the plot. Though very much a Disney film and feels familiar in that regard, it really makes an effort to tell a different kind of story, one unreliant on a love story, on a princess complex, or a simplistic good vs. evil duality. It's essentially a Polynesian Odyssey with a wicked (in the New Englander sense) strong female protagonist without feeling like a "Social Justice Warrior" kind of thing that some people complain about on the Internet. Of course, this isn't the first strong female character in a Disney movie--Belle, Esmeralda, and Mulan all were. But with such a strong character as Moana, the rest of the movie feels fresh and original without over-parodying the tropes like Frozen. It all feels organic.

What also feels organic is Lin-Manuel Miranda's songs. Coming straight off of Hamilton, this guy proves he's a musical force to be reckoned with. Even though the songs are noticeably his style, it doesn't feel distracting in the least. In fact, his music provides some of the best moments in the film, including Maui's "You're Welcome" and the climactic "I Am Moana." After walking out of the film, I declared this would have 3 Oscar noms guaranteed in the Best Original Song category, but with so many musical films coming out in 2016, like Sing Street and La La Land, the competition will be tougher than I thought. Ironically, the weakest part of the film is the crab Tamatoa's Bowie-style song, "Shiny." It's not that it's a terrible song, but my friends and I did note its oddity after the film; it seemed a little out of place, but I think that was the point. Regardless, I feel like the majority of the songs are the strongest in a Disney movie in a long time. Sure, everyone remembers the Frozen soundtrack, but those seemed designed as earworms; when remembering the songs from Moana, they are accompanied by the memories of their emotional context; they are more substantive. To compare the two, Moana's songs are like a fine steak dinner and Frozen's are a bag of Hershey's Kisses. There's a deep goodness to this film's songs, while Frozen's are fun to sing along to but aside from "Let It Go," all the goodness melts at the surface.

The animation is beautiful, and the characters are given depth and sufficient motivation. It's great to see not only the journey Maui and Moana go on, but also the inner journey as the cast discovers their identity and worth. It is easily directors Clements and Musker's best film yet and it really perfects the Disney musical. If Disney suddenly declared they were shutting down their animation division, this would a most excellent swan song. Given a score of 4.5 out of 5 stars, Moana is a very special animated film that you must see in the theaters (and given its consistent box office numbers, it will be around for a long time). It is a film I can't wait to show my future children should I ever them, and it ranks very highly on my list of best Disney films.

"And no one knows how far it goes..."

So what did you think about Moana? How do you think it stacks up? Whatever you have to say about me or the movies, comment below!