Monthly Archives: May 2018

ACTION

SOLO – A STAR WARS STORY

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Since Disney bought the rights to the Star Wars franchise a new plan was rolled out with many future releases. In addition to the 3rd trilogy, Star Wars has begun releasing anthology films starting with Rogue One. Let’s see how Solo rates on our report card.

ACTING/CASTING – 2/5 – On paper the casting looked incredible. Donald Glover as fan favorite Lando Calrissian alongside Game of Thrones vet Emilia Clarke and Woody Harrleson. Virtually every member of the cast comes up short, with an origin story there were extremely high expectations.

DIRECTING/EFFECTS – 3/5– Ron Howard is an incredible director and the effects live up to Star Wars standards but with the dark lighting and set unoriginality the film just seemed a bit rushed.

WRITING – 2/5 – With a story about Han Solo there were so many directions the script could have gone, it chose a safe route that doesn’t necessarily fit and leaves die hard fans with more questions than answers.

GENRE STABILITY 2/5 – Star Wars fans will enjoy the cameos but ultimately this didn’t feel like a Star Wars film.  The new planets were uninspired and again felt rushed.

RE-WATCH FFREQUENCY – 1/5 – This is a one timer in the theaters and only consider a Blu Ray purchase if you want to complete the Star Wars collection.

STORY – 2/5 – it is nice to see how Han met Chewie and Lando but other than that fans will be left feeling a little cheated. Personally I wanted to see when Han meets Jabba and see how his character progressed.

ROASTED RIPPER TOTAL – 2/5

ROTTEN TOMATOES (At time of post) – 70% Critics VS 55% Users

IMDB (At time of post) – 6.9/10

FINAL THOUGHTS – As a standalone film, Solo is still entertaining and has some laughs but that’s about the end of its’ substance. In the Star Wars cinematic universe it fails to uphold the continuity and integrity of past films. Had Solo been released prior to Rogue One, it would have been met with a better vibe. Add it to your collection at home but I would not recommend spending the cash to see it in the theater.

 

ACTION, COMEDY

DEADPOOL 2

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The highly anticipated Deadpool sequel finally hit theaters, with a genius marketing campaign and higher budget, let’s go to the report card to see if it’s worth the hype.

ACTING/CASTING – 5/5 – With the addition of Josh Brolin it brings a new chemistry. Brolin playing the serious and vengeful “Cable” alongside Ryan Reynolds….  who plays Ryan Reynolds. There are a few cameos that will make X-Men fans happy, while also developing some of the supporting cast from Deadpool.

WRITING – 6.5/5 – This film could have gone the route of most comedic sequels, rehashing the same jokes/storyline from the original. Not Deadpool 2, it doubles down on comic book trolling while staying true to its’ identity.

DIRECTING/EFFECTS – 4/5 – With a higher budget the effects were obviously going to take a leap forward. While some of the CGI characters lacked realistic representation, they make sure to address it in the script.

GENRE STABILITY – 3/5 – If you are new to the Deadpool franchise, you will need to watch the first film in order to understand his powers and surrounding characters. It will also help to be familiar with other Marvel and DC films but it’s not a necessity.

STORY – 5/5 – Unlike the first installment, this story has a serious undertone. It puts the audience in an awkward spot, while Reynolds is forced to show off some of his range. An element which was absent from Deadpool.

RE-WATCH FREQUENCY – 5/5 – I would see it at least twice in the theater to catch the Easter eggs and any one-liners you may have missed the first time around. An at home buy is also a must, even if just for the gag reel and deleted scenes.

ROASTED RIPPER TOTAL – 4.7/5

ROTTEN TOMATOES (At time of post) – 85% Critics VS 85% Users

IMDB (At time of post) – 8.4/10

FINAL THOUGHTS – Deadpool 2 could have easily taken the lazy cash grab route as most sequels do. Instead, they decided to pack in the action and laughs into two hours that you don’t want to end. With the addition of the X-Force and further development of original characters under a heartfelt script and contagious soundtrack, this is a perfectly balanced sequel that fans will love.

Deadpool 2 also features one of the best “post” credit scenes of all time. It’s run in mid credits and split into two parts, after that feel free to leave as there is nothing remaining (Unless you want to hear more of the original tunes).

NEXT WEEK – SOLO – A STAR WARS STORY

BLURAY/DVD, COMEDY, THROWBACK THURSDAY

THROWBACK THURSDAY – DEADPOOL

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Deadpool 2 hits theaters in a few hours, in anticipation let’s take a walk down memory lane and see the report card from the original.

ACTING – 5/5 – Ryan Reynolds… Green Lantern no more!

WRITING – 6/5 – For a low budget spinoff, this script shows no fear. The film takes shots at their own producers, other Marvel films, and misuse of the  Deadpool character (X-Men Origins : Wolverine).

STORY – 3/5 – There are a few dull moments where the flow of the film is broken up. A minor speed bump in the fun.

GENRE STABILITY – 4/5 – Whether you’re a die hard comic book fan or have never seen a movie in the MCU, you can follow along just fine.

DIRECTING – 3/5 – Again,  this goes back to the pace of the film, nonlinear storytelling for a goofy comedy. Due to a low budget the visual effects also suffered.

RE-WATCH FREQUENCY – 5/5 – Can be seen multiple times in the theaters with endless showings at home.  A must buy DVD or BluRay purchase.

ROASTED RIPPER TOTAL – 4.3/5

ROTTEN TOMATOES – 83% Critics VS 90% Users

IMDB – 8.0/10

FINAL THOUGHTS – Deadpool will go down as a genre redefining film. It not only broke superhero movie rules but also managed to poke fun at them, all while maintaining an original feel. A film where the Audience feels like they were part of the cast. It won’t be remembered as an award winner or the best hero movie of all time but it’s still a classic in my book!

Check back for the “Roasted Ripper Report Card” for Deadpool 2