Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri

With all the big-budget, commercial films that are abuzz during this time of year, it's refreshing to see a dark, quirky, independent film replete with neuroses and dysfunction in the form of "Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri". Not only is it independent, but is based on nothing more than the screenwriter's imagination which in my opinion, is a definite plus considering all the films based on a true story or novel or is a reboot or the like.

 

This is a darkly comic drama about a woman and mother striving to find her daughter's murderer's whereabouts while fighting her small town in the process because of how events had transpired since her death.

After months have passed without a culprit in her daughter's murder case, Mildred Hayes (Frances McDormand) makes a bold move: having three billboard signs put up by an advertising agency head up by Red Welby (Caleb Landry Jones) leading into her town of Ebbing, Missouri with a controversial message directed at William Willoughby (Woody Harrelson), the town's revered chief of police. When his second-in-command Officer Dixon (Sam Rockwell), an immature momma's boy with a penchant for violence, gets involved, the battle between Mildred and Ebbing's law enforcement is only exacerbated.

 

Others to round out the cast are Abbie Cornish as Anne, Willoughby's wife, Lucas Hedges as Robbie, Mildred's son, John Hawkes as Charlie, Peter Dinklage as James, Zeljo Ivanek as Desk Sergeant, Samara Weaving as Penelope, Sandy Martin as Momma Dixon and Kerry Condon as Pamela.

 

This was written and directed with subtlety and a quiet intensity by Martin McDonagh ("In Bruges" '08, "Seven Psychopaths" '12). His ability to extract the subtle nuances of character whatever the emotion is, is remarkable. Such as the emotions that Rockwell displayed ran the gambit which conveyed reality which is talented directing. His writing is quirky and dark laced with dysfunction and violence. If I were to akin his style of writing, it would probably be that of the Coen Brothers. The characters are over-the-top, dysfunctional, neurotic with a powder dry wit. Sound familiar? I'm not saying he's a copycat--I feel this is a homage to the Coen Brothers, and who better to admire than one's that are true artists. Certainly this writer definitely has his own style, but in some ways the crossover is assuredly there. Other than a couple of places of small slowness in storyline, this film, however dysfunctional, was cohesive and well thought out.

The cast was a eclectic as the film itself: McDormand, although was perfection in her role as the truly hurt and angry mother, is certainly something we haven't seen her in before and Harrelson as the chief where we usually see him in over-the-top roles, gave a straight on role as this worried but fairly normal individual. The one who shined here was Rockwell as the second-in-command to Willoughby. His neuroses ran the gambit from anger to depressed to abusive to humbleness and back again. Surely as the deadline for films up for consideration for Oscars comes close, it wouldn't surprise me if Rockwell doesn't nab an Oscar nod as supporting actor.

 

If you like quirky, dark independent films, this is the quintessential indie film that will please. However, if you're not into quirky and different, the performances will more than compensate for an odd script. The characters are richly written and are parlayed with finesse by an amazing cast.

 

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                               Rated: R                                      117mins.

 

 

 

  

Roman J. Israel, Esq.

There are films that are based on a true story and those that are pure fiction, but once in a while we come across a film that is fiction, however it is conveyed so convincingly that it could almost be based on a true story. After seeing "Roman J. Israel, Esq.", you'll understand that fiction could appear as fact.

This film is a dramatic thriller set in the underbelly of the overburdened Los Angeles criminal court system, where guilty and innocent blur together so it's incredibly difficult to know one from the other due to all the legal red tape of plea bargains, continuances, re-trials, and long processes.

Roman J. Israel (Denzel Washington) is a brilliant, stubbornly dedicated, passionate lawyer who has spent his life doing pro bono work for little financial reward. When his legal partner dies and he ends up being hired by ambitious, cutthroat lawyer, George Pierce (Colin Farrell) to work in his firm, Israel subsequently becomes involved in a complicated murder case that offers him an opportunity to get rich if he compromises his ethics.

Others to round out the cast are Carmen Ejogo as Maya Alston, Lynda Gravatt as Vernita Wells, Amanda Warren as Lynn Jackson, Hugo Armstrong as Fritz Molinar, Sam Gilroy as Connor Novick, Tony Plana as Jesse Salinas, DeRon Horton as Derrell Ellerbee and Amari Cheatom as Carter Johnson.

This film was directed by seasoned writer, Dan Gilroy ("Nightcrawler" '14). Undoubtedly, he received this project because of his directorial debut of "Nightcrawler". That film's direction was incredibly powerful, and this filmmaker's ability of how he was able to extract the eerie emotions out of Jake Gyllenhaal was amazing. In this film, the same nuances he was able to impress upon Washington was perfection. Of course, Washinton is a consummate actor, still his performance was still motivated by talented direction that Gilroy conveyed so well. It was also written by Dan Gilroy ("Freejack" '92, "Chasers" '94, "Two for the Money" '05, "The Fall" '06, "The Bourne Legacy" '12, "Nightcrawler" '14, "Kong: Skull Island" '17). Where he lacks experience in the director's chair, he more than makes up for as a writer. This is one of a handful of films where even the film moved a bit slow, it was still able to capture my attention from minute one to last. Most films can't do this, but somehow the way this film was conveyed in story simply kept me wondering what was going to happen to this main character the more the film unfolded. Gilroy has already established himself as a seasoned writer guaranteeing him more work, however his ability in the director's chair is equal if not better than his talent to pen a screenplay. I would truly love to see him direct more.

I'm not sure what I liked the most out of this--the direction or Washington's consummate performance as this tired yet passionate, idealistic lawyer. Could Washington be up for another Oscar nod? Not sure, but given this subtle performance as a lawyer incapable of making it in this cold, greedy world, who knows?

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                   Rated: PG-13                                  122mins.

Coco

When it comes to animation, Pixar Animation Studios is probably the best in what they do. Film after film: "Toy Story", "Monster, Inc.", "The Incredibles", "Cars", "Finding Nemo", "Up", "Inside Out", they've done it all. Certainly the sky's the limit with these guys which is why they created "Coco".

Despite his family's baffling generations-old ban on music, Miguel (Anthony Gonzalez) dreams of becoming an accomplished musician like his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz (Benjamin Bratt). Desperate to prove his talent, Miguel finds himself in the stunning and colorful Land of the Dead following a mysterious chain of events. Along the way, he meets charming trickster Hector (Gael Garcia Bernal), and together, they set off on an extraordinary journey to unlock the real story behind Miguel's family history.

Others to round out the cast are Alanna Ubach as Mama Imelda, Renee Victor as Abueita, Jaime Camil as Papa, Alfonso Arau as Papa Julio, Herbert Siguenza as Tio Oscar/Tio Felipe, Gabriel Iglesias as Clerk, Lombardo Boyar as Plaza Mariachi/Gustavo, Ana Ofelia Murguia as Mama Coco and Natalia Cordova as Frida Kahlo.

This was directed by one the core artists of Pixar, Lee Unkrich ("Toy Story 2" (co-dir.) '99, "Monsters, Inc." (co-dir.) '01, "Finding Nemo" (co-dir.) '03, "Toy Story 3" '10) and co-directed by Adrian Molina. The characters in this are probably as colorful and exciting as the production design and lighting, and this is skilled direction. Although Unkrich has the lion's share of the experience, Molina, also a writer definitely had his input as well even though he has no other film to his credit in the director's chair. It is written by Molina ("The Good Dinosaur" '15) and Matthew Aldrich ("Cleaner" '07) based on the original story by Unkrich, Jason Katz, Aldrich and Molina. What is amazing is that these writers aren't seasoned. Surely they have experience, but this was written better than what most seasoned writers could do. The character development was the best ingredient of the writing and with this the characters came alive. Amongst all the creative characters in this, I personally enjoyed that of Dante, Miguel's dog. If I had to akin him to another animated dog character, it would be that of, Santa's Little Helper on "The Simpsons". The dog didn't say a word, but his expressions and body movements spoke volumes. If I had to akin this film to another, it would be that of "The Book of Life" which had a similar feel to it. Matthew Aldrich has another film in post production, "Spinning Man" due for a 2018 release, so it will be interesting to see how he does with that one.

What can I say, as I've said before, these guys at Pixar are amazing. They never produce a bomb because of their writing and character development. I've said it time and again: how do those guys at Pixar do it? Enjoy and pass the popcorn!

Out of 4 Stars: 4                                   Rated: PG                                    105mins

Short "Olaf's Frozen Adventure"-- 23mins.

Wonder

Ever so often, Hollywood will give us an original film that is not based on anything other than fiction--this one based on a novel. And with so many films today based on some person, event or situation, it is certainly refreshing to see something that comes directly from a writer's imagination, as with the case of "Wonder".

 

This tells an inspiring and heartwarming story of August Pullman (Jacob Tremblay). Born with facial differences that, up until now, have prevented him from going to a mainstream school, Auggie becomes the most unlikely of heroes when he enters the local fifth grade. As his family, mom, Isabel (Julia Roberts), dad, Nate (Owen Wilson) and sister, Via (Izabela Vidovic), his new classmates, Jack Will (Noah Jupe), Julian (Bryce Gheisar), Charlotte (Elle McKinnon), and the larger community all struggle to find their compassion and acceptance, Auggie's extraordinary journey will unite them all and prove you can't blend in when you were born to stand out.

 

Others to round out the cast are Mandy Patinkin as Mr. Tushman, the principal, Daveed Diggs as Mr. Browne, Nadji Jeter as Justin, Danielle Rose Russell as Miranda and Millie Davis as Summer.

 

This was directed with heart by Stephen Chbosky ("The Four Corners of Nowhere" '95, "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" '12). His ability to showcase his actors in a compassionate way without being maudlin was not only well executed, but difficult as well. Any filmmaker has to walk that emotional tightrope in a way of presenting characters of this type of film without making these characters look like saccharine, and Chbosky succeeded in spades. It was also written by Chbosky ("The Four Corners of Nowhere" '95, "Rent" '05, "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" '12, "Beauty and the Beast" '17) plus TV, Steven Conrad ("The Weather Man" '05, "The Pursuit of Happyness" '06, "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" '13) plus others and TV and Jack Thorne ("The Scouting Book for Boys" '09, "A Long Way Down" '14, "War Book" '14) plus TV, which is based on the novel by R.J. Palacio. With all the respective experience of these writers--check out their resumes, It is no surprise that the writing would have been as cohesive, tight and well thought out as it was. Interestingly, it was written as a quasi outline centering on the different main characters and tying all the segments together in an extremely delineated script.

 

Even though you'll need a half a box of Kleenex to see this, it was still presented in a very real way--like this could've been based on a real small boy. This film has humor, fear, love and the obvious sadness--all the elements of life, but it truly packs a wallop with its message that we all are important and special, and no one is better than anyone else. Wouldn't it be amazing if society could see each other in this same light?

 

Out of 4 Stars: 4                                     Rated: PG                                     113mins.

 

Justice League

Just when you thought it was safe to be away from the comic book films, Hollywood has got to give us, at least, one more in the form of "Justice League". If one superhero bores you, not to worry--this has many of them rolled up into one film. Not sure why this wasn't released in the summer--it being the season set aside for this fare, but I suspect the post production process was so involved, that this release date was the best they could do.

Fueled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman's (Henry Cavill) selfless act, Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) enlists the help of his newfound ally, Diana Prince (Gal Gadot), to face an even greater enemy, Steppenwolf (voice of Ciaran Hinds). Together, Batman (Affleck) and Wonder Woman (Gadot) work quickly to find and recruit a team of metahumans to stand against this newly awakened threat. But despite the formation of this unprecedented league of heroes--Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman (Jason Momoa), Cyborg (Ray Fisher) and The Flash (Ezra Miller)--it may already be too late to save the planet from an assault of catastrophic proportions.

Others to round out the cast are Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Jeremy Irons as Alfred, Diane Lane as Martha Kent, Connie Nielsen as Queen Hippolyta, J.K. Simmons as Commissioner Gordon, Joe Morton as Silas Stone, dad of Cyborg/Victor Stone and Amber Heard as Mera.

This was directed the action king of many films based on comic books, Zack Snyder ("Dawn of the Dead" '04, "300" '06, "Watchmen" '09, "Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole" '10, "Sucker Punch" '11, "Man of Steel" '13, "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice" '16) plus videos and shorts. One of the downsides to staying in one's comfort zone is that so many of the films made can appear similar in their staging, pacing and development, and this is where Snyder could be looked upon. But although this can be a problem, he still directs films that are action-packed, in-your-face entertaining productions. If you like his style, "The Last Photograph" is in pre-production. It was written by Chris Terrio ("Argo" '12, "Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice" '16) and Joss Whedon ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer" '92, "Toy Story" '95, "Alien: Resurrection" '97, "Titan A.E." 2000, "Serenity" '05, "The Cabin in the Woods" '12, "The Avengers" '12, "Much Ado About Nothing" '12, "In Your Eyes" '14, "Avengers: Age of Ultron" '15) plus TV based a story by Terrio and Snyder which is based on the DC Comics. Even with the experience here, especially Whedon, there was a bit of choppiness. I believe there was so much going on that it came across confusing and unclear in spots. The upside is that with all the characters in this coupled with the enormity of the production, I'm surprised it wasn't more choppy than it was. Hopefully "Justice League: Part Two" which has been announced will be a better vehicle to convey all these superheroes is the light that will truly enhance them. And, of course, one of the stars is that of the visual effects predominantly designed by MPC (Moving Picture Company), Weta Digital and Double Negative which were seamlessly created.

If you need your comic book film fix, this will be the film for you, but even if you're not, it is still entertaining and action-packed that will leave you with a fulfilled feeling that has you yearning for more. This being as grandiose as it is, a 3D, 4DX or IMAX format will give you an even more impact. This is the quintessential popcorn film.

Out of 4 Stars: 3                                 Rated: PG-13                                   120mins.

Daddy's Home 2

As I mentioned in the past review, Hollywood has produced a plethora of reboots and remakes. Even though "Daddy's Home 2" is a sequel to 2015's "Daddy's Home", at least it is a somewhat original film or based on an original idea. And what would the Christmas season be without, at least, one Christmas based comedy?

 

Biological dad, Dusty (Mark Wahlberg) and stepfather Brad (Will Ferrell) have set aside their differences, and are content to work together to care for their children for the sake of the kids. However, the perfect family Christmas get-together that the two devise becomes complicated by the arrival of Brad's ultra affectionate and emotional dad, Don (John Lithgow) and Dusty's old-school, hell-raising, macho dad, Kurt (Mel Gibson). Will the neutral place--a ski lodge in the mountains, to celebrate Christmas--an idea of Kurt's, really bring these family members more together or farther apart?

 

Others to round out the cast are Linda Cardellini as Sara, Brad's wife, Alessandra Ambrosio as Karen, John Cena as Roger, Owen Vaccaro as Dylan, Scarlett Estevez as Megan and Didi Costine as Adrianna.

 

What actually helped this film was that it was directed by the same director of "Daddy's Home" '15, Sean Anders ("Never Been Thawed" '05, "Sex Drive" '08, "That's My Boy" '12, "Horrible Bosses 2" '14, "Daddy's Home" '15). With this part of the equation, it keeps the characters very similar with this film's predecessor in order to have the smooth transition it probably wouldn't have had given a different director. Certainly this is this filmmaker's comfort zone at hand and is effective in this capacity. It was also written by Anders and writer John Morris ("She's Out of My League" '10, "Mr. Popper's Penguins" '11, "We're the Millers" '13, "Daddy's Home" '15) plus others which is based on characters created by Brian Burns. Again, like the directing, this works because the writers are the same as its predecessor. I have found that when sequels are written by different writers, they have a tendency to have a skewed script-- the continuity between films lacks--sometimes tremendously. With these ingredients, it made this storyline flow much better. Don't get me wrong, this wasn't a perfect film--far from it. There were a few places of lack of cohesiveness as a couple of slow places, but all in all, the plot worked. What made this work more than anything was the two lead actors--Ferrell and Wahlberg. this wasn't their first rodeo in a film together. Besides "Daddy's Home", they were in the cop comedy, "The Other Guys" '10. Even though that film was lackluster, I could see promise in its two stars, Ferrell and Wahlberg. They are so extremely opposite in the roles they play that the refreshing contrast worked.

 

If you like comedies or are either a Ferrell or Wahlberg fan, you will really get into this film, but even if you're not, this film has an interesting story and the chemistry between its two stars is funny. And it was wonderful seeing two seasoned actors, John Lithgow and Mel Gibson obviously having a ton of fun with this one.

 

Out of 4 Stars: 3                                       Rated: PG-13                                      100mins.

Murder on the Orient Express

In recent years Hollywood has been producing a plethora of remakes and reboots of past films. I would list them, but the list would continue endlessly. Usually I feel like remakes are a cheap way to make a film, but when I saw the trailer of "Murder on the Orient Express", I felt this would be the exception.

In 1930's Europe, legendary detective Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) probes a murder that occurs aboard the luxury train known as the Orient Express. As the thirteen passengers, including Pilar Estravados (Penelope Cruz), Gerhard Hardman (Willem Dafoe), Princess Dragomiroff (Judi Dench), Ratchett (Johnny Depp), Hector MacQueen (Josh Gad) and Mrs. Hubbard (Michelle Pfeiffer), grow paranoid that the killer will strike again, Poirot realizes there's more to the case than meets the eye. Whodunnit? Will Poirot ascertain the identity of the murderer?

Others to round out the cast are Tom Bateman as Bouc, Derek Jacobi as Edward Masterman, Leslie Odom Jr. as Dr. Arbuthnot, Daisy Ridley as Mary Debeham, Marwan Kenzari as Pierre Michel, Olivia Colman as Hildegarde Schmidt, Lucy Boyton as Countess Andrenyi, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo as Biniamino Marquez and Sergei Polunin as Count Andrenyi.

This was directed by the incomparable Kenneth Branagh ("Henry V" '89, "Much Ado About Nothing" '93, "Hamlet" '96, "As You Like It" '06, "Sleuth" '07, "Thor" '11, "MacBeth" '13, "Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit" '14, "Cinderella" '15) plus others. This is an actor that has  successfully made the transition from actor to director effortlessly. Others have succeeded: Clint Eastwood, Ron Howard, Tom Hanks, Denzel Washington and others. As with these directors, Branagh has earned his dues as an actor and knows actors who can trust him. This is definitely an important aspect in that director's chair--knowing your actors. He truly is able to extract the most subtle of emotions out of his actors. If you enjoy this artist's direction, "Artemis Fowl" is in pre-production. It was written well by Michael Green ("Green Lantern" '11, "Gotham" (TV movie) '12, "Logan" '17,  "Blade Runner 2049" '17) plus TV and shorts, based on the classic novel by Agatha Christie. This was creatively developed and concise both in storyline and expertise of script. Although the 1974 version written by Paul Dehn was slickly executed, this new version was even improved over its predecessor. There were a couple of small places about mid movie that were a bit slow, but certainly not enough to detract from this script. If you find this film well written as I thought it was, not to worry. "Call of the Wild" is in pre-production for a 2019 release. And what can I say about Branagh's role of Poirot? This has got to be one of his meatier, inventive roles of his career, and this actor is consummate! When I listened to Patrick Doyle's sweeping score, it was reminiscent of the haunting score Richard Rodney Bennett wrote for the 1974 version.

I loved the 1974 version of this film, so when I went to the multiplex to see this it, my expectations were certainly high. I know this can backfire on you, but after seeing this, this definitely matched my expectations. It's lavish, stylish, well directed, acted and photographed. This is one that surely needs to be seen on the large screen, so head to the theater and enjoy.

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                      Rated: PG-13                                    115mins.

 

Boo 2! A Madea Halloween

There are many comedies out there, however when it come to Tyler Perry, he practically owns his own genre with his brand of comedy. Some of his work falls in the drama genre, some is a combo of both drama/comedy as I like to call dramedy, but "Boo 2! A Madea Halloween" is virtually a whacky comedy which he does so well.

 

Madea (Perry), Bam (Cassi Davis) and Hattie (Patrice Lovely) , after eavesdropping on Madea's niece, Tiffany (Diamond White) about going to a teen party on Halloween unbeknownst to Tiffany's dad, Brian (Perry) end up following her to Lake Derrick, a campground where the party is happening, to bring her home. However chaos soon ensues when the trio end up running into real ghouls who are slowly picking off the teens one by one. What is Madea to do? Run for her life along with Bam, Hattie and Joe (Perry), Madea's brother.

 

Others to round out the cast are Yousef Erakat as Jonathan, Lexy Panterra as Leah, Andre Hall as Quinton, Brock O'Hurn as Horse, Taja V. Simpson as Debrah, Tiffany's mom, Tito Ortiz as Victor, Mike Tornabene as Dino and Hannah Stocking as Anna.

 

This was written and directed by the very funny Tyler Perry ("Diary of a Mad Black Woman" '02, "Madea's Family Reunion" '06, "Daddy's Little Girls" '07, "Why Did I Get Married?" '07, "Meet the Browns" '08, "Madea's Big Happy Family" '11, "Good Deeds" '12, "A Madea Christmas" '13, "Boo! A Madea Halloween" '16) plus others and TV. This is obviously the sequel to "Boo! A Madea Halloween" and since the writing could have been more polished in that film, this was simply a tired follow up to its predecessor. As with its predecessor, this was a clumsy script with poor staging and tired jokes. The original to this was much funnier even though it still needed work, this was practically the same as its original--just take out the fraternity and put in campground. Don't get me wrong, this had some funny moments, especially at the beginning. Perry still portrayed Madea as the icon that we wish we could be--saying what is on her mind in whatever way, under whatever situation and not care if she's politically correct. This is probably the funniest character trait Madea has and is why she is so loved by her fans.

 

If you're a Madea fan, you will like this regardless of the writing or stiff pacing, but if you're not, if one really feels they need to see this, rent it or Netflix it. Although it had funny moments, they just were not enough of them to compensate for a choppy, hackneyed script that, in my opinion, should have been written better considering the writer. Bad day at the laptop? Not sure.

 

Out of 4 Stars: 1.5                                Rated: PG-13                                   101mins.

 

Thor: Ragnarok

As we are entering the end of the year movie season, Marvel Studios has got to get, at least, one film released since summer wasn't enough time to barrage us with their summer flicks. And what a better one to release than that of "Thor: Ragnarok". What is amazing is that considering this is the third installment of this franchise, it is probably the best one.

 

Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is imprisoned on the other side of the universe without his mighty hammer and finds himself in a race against time to get back to Asgard to stop Ragnarok-- the destruction of his home world and the end of Asgardian civilization--at the hands of an all powerful new threat, the ruthless Hela (Cate Blanchett). But first he must survive a deadly gladiatorial contest hosted by a tyrannical Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum) that pits him against his former ally and fellow Avenger--The Incredible Hulk (Mark Rufallo).

 

Others to round out the cast are Tom Hiddleston as Loki, Idris Elba as Heimdall, Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie, Karl Urban as Skurge, Anthony Hopkins as Odin, Benedict Cumberbatch as Dr. Strange, Taika Waititi as Korg, Rachel House as Topaz, Clancy Brown as Surtur, Taranobu Asano as Hogun and Ray Stevenson as Volstagg.

 

This was directed by accomplished Taika Waititi ("Eagle vs Shark" '07, "Boy" '10, "What We Do in the Shadows" '14, "Hunt for the Wilderpeople" '16) plus shorts and TV. What's interesting is the fact that this filmmaker is a very eclectic director hence his resume which is admirable. And this installment of the Thor franchise is probably the best directed. The characters came alive right off the page of the script much more than the other two installments. It was equally cleverly written by Eric Pearson (shorts and TV), Craig Kyle (videos and TV) and Christopher L. Yost ("Thor: The Dark World" '13, "Max Steel" '16) plus TV and video games, based on the comics by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber and Jack Kirby. Considering that Yost is the only one here that has any feature film experience, I am amazed that this script was as taught and cohesive as it was. This one definitely contained more humor than its predecessors which truly helped it. In fact, the humor in this was very much similar to that of "Guardians of the Galaxy". I am extremely curious of what these guys will do next considering how well written this was. And, of course, the visual effects predominantly created by ILM (Industrial, Light & Magic), Double Negative, Digital Domain and Framestore were absolutely seamless.

 

Other than the "Guardians of the Galaxy" franchise, this has to be a second favorite franchise based on a comic book mostly for the humor which gives it more of a human element to it. And you can see this in a plethora of ways: IMAX, 3D or 4DX. This is the quintessential escape film. Hit the multiplex and enjoy this gem!

 

Out of 4 Stars: 4                               Rated: PG-13                                130mins.