Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017)

Director: Jake Kasdan

Cast:

Dwayne Johnson – Spencer

Karen Gillan – Martha

Kevin Hart – Fridge

Jack Black – Bethany

Bobby Cannavale – Van Pelt

Nick Jonas – Alex

Summary:

“Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” is a spiritual sequel to the 1995 cult classic “Jumanji.” This film stars Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black and Karen Gillan as videogame characters in the world of Jumanji. The story follows four high school kids who spend detention together and they find the game and get sucked into it. Each of the four kids becomes one of the characters avatars and are each equipped with their own abilities and weaknesses. They utilized this for gags. Johnson is being played by a nerdy kid. Kevin Hart is played by a six foot football player. Karen Gillan inhabits an outcast girl and Jack Black is a blonde instagrammer. These four worked well with one another but the standout in the film was Jack Black. He perfectly exhibits a teenage drama queen and lavishes in it. Kevin Hart continued to do his same thing but at times he had me dying. Johnson and Gillan build a relationship throughout and it was compelling as it was conveyed from a kids perspective. Bobby Cannavale plays the villain and he was a straight up cartoon character. Nick Jonas has a fun supporting role as a character whose been stuck in the game for a while. “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” is a suitable sequel that does no harm to the original.

Score: 3.5/5

The Lost City of Z(2017)

Director: James Gray

Cast:

Charlie Hunnam – Col. Percival Fawcett

Robert Pattinson – Henry Costin

Sienna Miller – Nina Fawcett

Tom Holland – Jack Fawcett

Angus Macfadyen – James Murray

Ian McDiarmid – Sir George Goldie

Verdict:

“The Lost City of Z” tells the true story of how Col. Percival Fawcett (Hunnam) went missing in the Amazon in search of an ancient city he called “Z.” James Gray directs this film to a tee as he paints this fantastical journey of one mans passion to discover a lost civilization. The supporting cast includes Robert Pattinson, Sienna Miller and Tom Holland. I didn’t notice Pattinson at all in the film. He completely blew me away with the level of acting he showcased. Miller’s portrayal of Nina Fawcett was very good as she played a strong female character that matched perfectly well with the lead. Tom Holland plays Jack Fawcett, the son of famed explorer Percival Fawcett and he played well off of Hunnam. Charlie Hunnam was excellent as Col. Fawcett as he exudes passion from his speeches to his exploration. This film is beautifully shot and James Gray uniquely directs this film with euphoria and mysticism. An issue I have with the film is its pacing is a bit slow at times and peoples opinion of Fawcett change without ever being showcased. “The Lost City of Z” shows how one mans passion became obsession through a mix of euphoria and symbolism. The performances all around are top notch and this movie is a must for genre fans.

Grade: A-

The Legend of Tarzan(2016)

Director: David Yates

Cast:

Alexander Skarsgard – Tarzan

Margot Robbie – Jane

Samuel L. Jackson – George Washington Williams

Christoph Waltz – Captain Rom

Djimon Hounsou – Chief Mbonga

Verdict:

The Legend of Tarzan is directed by David Yates and is the live-action take on the Tarzan

tale. Alexander Skarsgard plays the lead role and he did a solid job playing the wild man.

He’s a set up character that has become used to society and through flashbacks and the

journey home, we get more character story. Margot Robbie was essentially good as Jane as

she plays a tough woman that is smart and passionate for the African people. Samuel L.

Jackson was great comedic relief and he played well off of Skarsgard. Christoph Waltz was

a serviceable villain as he plays your regular diamond smuggling villain. Djimon Hounsou

had brief scenes but they were effective and he was great. The beginning of this film feels

resonant to that of King Kong from 2005. From there, the tone lightens to fun action and

adventure. I had some problems; 1) the African tribesman are really good with guns and 2)

some of the flashback scenes don’t have the closure we need. The Legend of Tarzan is a

fun action/adventure film with a well-rounded cast and light and dark tones.

Grade: B+

Raiders of the Lost Ark(1981)

Director: Steven Spielberg

Cast:

Harrison Ford – Indiana Jones

Karen Allen – Marion Ravenwood

John Rhys-Davies – Sala

Verdict:

This swashbuckling action film about a archaeologist and a part time

teacher was a breaking point for action movies in the 80s. This film wasn’t

your typical action film but had depth to it with a character that you can

care about and also a tough leading lady played wonderfully by Karen

Allen. Spielberg’s Raiders makes you interested in the study of

archaeology and how fun and exciting it would be to go out on an

adventure to go discover ancient artifacts.

Grade: A+