Category: Movie Review

Simultaneously travel back and leap forward in time with ‘Jurassic World’

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Today’s society gets bored rather easily — everyone is always searching for the next adrenaline high.

Feeling its attractions were becoming as ordinary as a trip to the zoo, Jurassic World theme park developed an ingenious plan to stay relevant and provide a jaw-dropping sight that would leave audiences mesmerized and terrified.

Page design by Caitlin Grove/Alestle

Page design by Caitlin Grove/Alestle

Introducing Idominus Rex

It appears to be the lovechild of a Tyrannosaurus Rex and a Velociraptor.

Part rex, part raptor and the rest is ‘classified information’ — in translation, it was made up of many different animal parts to up the thrill factor.

Born and raised in isolation, Idominus Rex never interacted with another living thing and was unable to develop social skills.

It can sense locations of warm bodies, similar to snakes.

For some odd reason, the folks at Jurassic World felt it was a good idea to cook up this creature in their lab, mixing all sorts of traits from different animals that had unexpected results — for example, the camouflage ability of a cuttlefish, or the ability to go thermally undetected like a frog.

To the creators’ surprise, this demon of a dinosaur outsmarts everyone, escapes and runs rampant across the island, killing for sport along the way.

Since the backbone of the park is made up of high-end executives who have nothing but money on the brain, they don’t seem to be very worried once this dino escapes, thinking they can track it and everything can go back to normal. Once they realize this isn’t the case, they are still hesitant to evacuate everyone — over 20,000 people — because they know the park wouldn’t reopen.

The body of the plot involves two young, feuding brothers — the youngest of which is obsessed with dinosaurs — visiting their aunt Claire [Bryce Dallas Howard], one of the higher-ups at the park. While exploring, the boys think it is a good idea to go off-roading in one of the ride vehicles and what results is a, well — what you would expect from a movie with wild roaming dinosaurs.

When all hope is thought to be lost, the dinosaur-taming badass Owen [Chris Pratt] steps in to save the day, and looks damn good doing it.

The remainder of the film is spent similar to the previous films in the series — with a lot of running, hiding and raptor attacks, all culminating in an epic dinosaur versus dinosaur fight to the death.

The special effects in this film are outstanding. With the exception of a few times when there was so much going on it made it hard to focus, they were excellent — especially during dinosaur on dinosaur action.

One of the coolest parts of the movie was when the two boys Gray [Ty Simpkins] and Zach [Nick Robinson] were wandering through the island, looking for a means of transportation to escape, and they stumble upon the visitor center from the first “Jurassic Park” movie (1993). In the absence of the charming Jeff Goldblum, this scene provides a bit of nostalgia that lovers of the series were longing for.

As for casting — it was impeccable. Howard did very well in the emotional roller coaster of a role she played. She began very calm and in control; however, once things got sticky, she turned into a woman who would stop at nothing to protect everyone around her, especially her nephews.

As mentioned before, Pratt was spectacular in his role as the military veteran turned raptor-tamer. He made you feel that if you were stuck in this crisis situation, or really any situation, you would willingly entrust him with your safety. His ability to not only communicate with the animals, but also his overall kickass demeanor showed he was fully capable of saving the day.

Speaking of saving the day, fans of the show “New Girl” will adore Jake Johnson’s role in the film, as Lowery, the savvy tech guy who braved the storm and stayed to help when all the other technicians in mission control evacuated.

The two boys did surprisingly well for child actors in a role like this. They had very emotionally taxing roles to play, and these two embodied them just right. My only slight complaint was that it was a very overdone storyline when it came to these two characters. If you recall the Jumanji-style movie “Zathura,” where the older brother terrorizes the younger one over something he loves, they bicker until they are forced to go through crazy circumstances together and eventually become best friends. There is nothing wrong with this story and it worked well in this film — it was just something that has been done many times.

Another complaint I had was the attempt at villainous characters.­ There were two characters that felt as though they were trying to make them seem like the bad guys, but never actually followed through. Hoskins [Vincent D’Onofrio] wanted to use the raptors for war-like activities, and then decided to bypass everyone and release them on this new beast. There is also the scientist Dr. Henry Wu [BD Wong] who appears slightly evil at times; however, just like with Hoskins, it just felt incomplete and poorly attempted.

Despite these few flaws, “Jurassic World” does not disappoint this historic movie franchise. Would I attend a park of this sort? No. Would I see this movie again? Absolutely.

‘The Age of Adaline’ is a whirlwind of romance, nostalgia and undying love

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“Adaline” — the single word uttered by William Jones (Harrison Ford) the moment he saw his long lost love step into the foyer, more than 40 years after their love affair. Only one peculiar part of this moment, aside from his current wife standing by him as he stared in awe, was the simple fact that the woman whose name had left his lips had not aged one day since their first meeting on a dusty England road.

As people grow older, most share a similar dream — eternal youth. Some wish to never grow old simply to stay beautiful forever, while others desire it so they can live life to the fullest for as long as time allows. In the newly released film, “The Age of Adaline,” themes of aging and immortality are explored in a beautifully moving way.

Adaline Bowman (Blake Lively) once lived a quiet life, marrying a Golden Gate Bridge construction worker and raising her lively daughter, Flemming (Ellen Burstyn) in the quiet suburbs of San Francisco.

Photo via IMDb

Photo via IMDb

However, one stormy night she lost control of her vehicle and was hurled into frozen lake waters — stopping her breathing and slowing her heart rate immediately. Just as Adaline was close to death, a bolt of lightening struck her, jolting her near-lifeless body. Soon though, she would discover there was one catch to this reawakening — Adaline would never age another day as long as she lived.

The movie jumped between flashbacks of her past and the trials of her present as Adaline struggled with concealing her secret. She even relocated and changed her name every decade, in an effort to go undetected.

Over the years, Adaline built a rather large wall around her heart to not get attached to anyone. She made that mistake once, with William in England, and vowed to never let another man have her heart again.

Eventually, however, she is forced to face these fears when a bearded philanthropist named Ellis (Michiel Huisman, “Game of Thrones”) sweeps Adaline off her feet and urges her to free herself of whatever is holding her back. He offers her something she has always been afraid to feel again — love.

“Give me something I can hold on to and never let go,” Adaline implores.

To this, Ellis simply mutters,  “Let go.”

This becomes the plot of the movie that resonated with me. Adaline is a woman who has been through so much and has built her walls up so high; she never felt she would be able to let anyone in again. However, this movie shows that just by trusting one special person and letting go of all fears and qualms, one can be truly free.

“The Age of Adaline” teaches audiences that it is OK to stop running away from our fears — from truly embracing life and living it to the fullest, no matter the circumstances or how long you have left to live.

The cinematography of this movie was exquisite — the shots included brilliant fades, focuses and transitions that gave the feeling of being transported back in time to the 1960s. The film, even in a modern day setting, had a vintage feel to it that made the cinematic experience much more charming.

Casting for the film was phenomenally well-selected and dynamic. Lively has an everlasting quality to her — combining that with antiquated costuming and hair and makeup, her character makes the sense of timelessness believable.

Huisman entices audiences with his brooding, but gentle manner and undying passion once he set his sights on Adaline. At times, his character seemed  a tad on the stalker side, but Huisman’s manner remained gentlemanly — he simply wanted to push Adaline to break out of her walls.

Ford impresses, as usual, portraying the torn lover about to celebrate his anniversary with his wife when he is thrown into a whirlwind of events as his past comes back to haunt him. He embraces emotions in a way that draws the audience to feel what his character is feeling.

This film will tug at the heartstrings of its viewers and allow them to examine their thoughts of eternal beauty and what it really means to let go and let life happen. Also, by the end of the film, you will never be happier to see gray hair in your life.

Article by Caitlin Grove

Article via alestlelive.com

St. Vincent leaves audiences less than blessed

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Bill Murray’s newest film, “St. Vincent,” sets the tone of the film with its first scene featuring a pregnant prostitute, and it didn’t get much better from there.

This movie is about a newly divorced mother Maggie (Melissa McCarthy) and her young son Oliver (Jaeden Lieberher), who become neighbors with the grumpy, disgruntled Vincent (Murray). Vincent then finds himself short on cash and makes a deal with Oliver’s mom that he will babysit her son for money in return. What follows with these two are fighting lessons, gambling, bar-hopping and gallivanting with a lady of the night.

This movie was advertised as a comedy, and while there were funny moments, that is all they were — moments. Instead of being a comical movie with touches of sadness here and there, it was more along the lines of a depressing movie with comedic touches sprinkled in. Just when you begin to think the movie was picking up and getting to the hilariously promised parts, something sad would happen and you would be left wondering why.

I spent the entirety of the movie waiting for it to take off and be full of raunchy, comedic gold; however, it never quite got there. The ending was touching, but that was the only notably worthy moment of the movie. Overall, it left much to be desired.

Minus the disappointing plot, the casting was what made this movie worth it. Murray is always entertaining when it comes to his roles and this one was no different. He did a perfect job of embodying the essence of the rude, yet secretly caring, old man. During those few funny moments, Murray was on point and did not fail to bring his A-game. I was very happy to find that even though the movie wasn’t the best, Murray was still his typically hilarious self.

Lieberher, who plays the young boy, was phenomenal as well. He kept up with Murray’s attitude and humor like it was second nature. Seeing him interact so well with such a brilliant actor was an enjoyable sight to see.

McCarthy was also superb, despite not being her usual spotlight-stealing funny lady. Her character in this movie is similar to her role in the show ‘Gilmore Girls,’ so fans of the show will be thrilled to see McCarthy portraying the role of the calm, caring friend.

With a talented cast mixed with a second-rate plot, this movie will leave you with mixed emotions — frustrated it didn’t live up to expectations. Assuming you don’t set your expectations too high, you may have a chance of enjoying this movie.

Caitlin Grove

Via alestlelive.com

“The Maze Runner” keeps audiences on its toes

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Imagine one day, awakening to find yourself trapped in an enormous maze, unable to escape or recall any details from your past.

In the film “The Maze Runner,” Thomas, played by Dylan O’Brien, along with a handful of other boys, find themselves trapped in a field that is entirely surrounded by large walls. What lies on the other side of these towering walls is somewhat of a mystery. The maze dwellers are slightly certain there is an outlet somewhere inside, however every time someone ventures into the maze, he has not survived the night.

Prior to Thomas’ arrival, these boys had become fairly content with their living conditions. The boys decided they had a better chance of survival if they remained in the field as opposed to testing The Maze. However, once Thomas arrives, he quickly makes it clear he is having none of this and soon makes many efforts to escape the trap.

This movie shows audiences the meaning of bravery. These boys have grown to accept they will be trapped in this maze forever, but Thomas thinks realistically—they will either die inside this maze or die trying to escape.

This movie was well done, the acting was superb, the sets were realistic and the special effects were thrilling. While there were times during action-filled scenes where the special effects made it difficult to distinguish between the actor and the creature they were fighting; overall, the effects were impressive.

Casting for this movie was amazing. Emerging star O’Brien excites in his first lead in an action movie, portraying the role of the heroic and fearless Thomas.

While O’Brien’s character clearly took the lead, he had many supporting actors who impressed as well. “We’re The Millers” star, Will Poulter, took on the role of Gally the ringleader in the effort to remain within the maze. It was fascinating seeing Poulter in such a serious role, considering he usually is quite the opposite. However, he was notable playing this intimidating part.

Newcomer Blake Cooper melted the audience’s hearts as Chuck, the youngest member of the maze crew, who never failed to bring a touch of humor to every situation.

The vast majority of this cast was young; there were a few adults toward the end, but mostly the movie was filled with rising stars. Another distinctive aspect was how there were only two girls in the entire film, one of which, Kaya Scodelario, became trapped in the maze with the boys. With such a young cast, the acting performances threatened to disappoint, however that was far from the case.

“The Maze Runner” introduced audiences to the first film in the trilogy, based off the best-selling novels by James Dashner. This movie thrills fans with a brilliant portrayal of fear, excitement and the burning desire to break free.

Caitlin Grove

Via alestlelive.com

Raunchy family comedy leaves audiences feeling grateful for family ties

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Every family has their own interesting set of dynamics and in the film, “This is Where I Leave You” the Altman family is no exception.

Judd Altman (Jason Bateman) has everything going for him—a great job, a perfect wife and a dream apartment. Then, in the blink of an eye, it all disappears as Judd walks in on his wife with his boss. Not long after, news of his father’s death reunites him with his three siblings: the responsible sister Wendy (Tina Fey), the eldest brother Paul (Corey Stoll) and the youngest sibling and wild child Phillip (Adam Driver).

Following the funeral, their fabulous mother (Jane Fonda) informs her children their father’s dying wish was to “Sit Shiva,” a Jewish ritual that requires the whole family to remain in one house for seven days. As the rest of the movie unravels there is never a dull moment, from nearly causing a fire in a temple to brotherly fistfights.

This movie was filled with a mixture of crude comedy and serious relationship mending. It began as a funny film and quickly turned into a heartfelt heartbreaker. While it is not the most thrilling movie to hit theaters this fall, there was never a moment where I checked the time or found myself wishing it was over because it was nonstop drama-filled fun.

The casting in “This Is Where I Leave You” is phenomenal. Bateman shines with his usual dry humor and him and Fey bounce humor off each other nonstop. Fonda does a wonderful portrayal of a mother who is struggling to remind her children how important family is.

While the main cast was exceptional, the supporting characters did not disappoint either. “We’re the Millers” Kathryn Hahn brings her endless comedy per usual as the role of eldest brother Paul’s wife. “Neighbors” Rose Byrne provides laughs as well as Judd’s long lost love interest.

This is a film that will make you appreciate your family. It shows no matter how far you may drift from your loved ones and how beyond repair you think your relationships are, those bonds will always remain and if you are willing to dig a little deeper, you may be surprised where it will leave you.

4/5

Caitlin Grove

Via alestlelive.com

‘If I Stay’ haunts audiences with its depiction of best-selling young adult novel

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When people endure near-death experiences, they tend to say their lives flash before their eyes, and they see the good, the bad and the ugly in the process. This is exactly what happens in the film “If I Stay.”

“If I Stay” is a film about love, heartbreak and everything in between. Mia Hall (Chloe Grace Moretz) is a quiet high school student who has everything going for her — a potential acceptance to Juilliard, a fun, lively family and a loyal best friend. Until one day, while driving down an icy road, an oncoming truck strikes her family’s car, and Mia’s world is changed forever.

The remainder of the film is spent with Mia having an out-of-body experience, watching herself in the hospital, and flashing back to memories from her past. She looks back at the good and the bad, in an effort to decide whether to keep fighting and wake up from her coma or to let go.

This film did a wonderful job of making the movement between the flashbacks and the hospital scenes easy to follow. At first, it is a little difficult to catch on to the fact that they are flashing back and forth, but once that is established it becomes easy to understand.

Mia reminisces about many things during her looks back in time, but the most prevalent memories are concerning a boy named Adam (Jamie Blackley).

Adam is a local rock musician who fell in love with Mia the moment he saw her playing her cello. He is the type of boy every high school girl dreams of; he waltzes into your life, unannounced, and changes everything. He adores her love of classical music, takes her to the symphony and even dresses up as Beethoven for Halloween in an effort to express his feelings.

I do not normally like love-at-first-sight stories because I feel they are unrealistic and predictable, but the story of Mia and Adam’s love is one I enjoyed very much. It seemed so real; they had real struggles in their relationship. For example, they had completely opposite music choices and they got into fights about stupid things just like every other couple in the world. It is the classic story of falling too hard too fast and I appreciate that they did not try to sugarcoat it like many Hollywood movies do.

Apart from the love aspect of the film, the film did a fabulous job of incorporating the world of classical music through Mia’s love for it. I have personally never been exposed to music of the sort, but hearing how beautiful the cello sounded changed my views on this particular music style. Mia is passionate about her music and unapologetic about how much it means to her. The way they show her following her dreams and embracing her talents is inspiring.

The casting in this film was brilliant. Moretz was phenomenal; she was able to portray the many different emotions that went along with this role and did it in a way that illustrated all the trials and tribulations that go along with teenage life and a traumatic event such as this, in a way that is relatable and realistic.

Blackley did a wonderful job as well, embodying exactly what it means to be a love-struck musician. Stacy Keach played the role of Mia’s grandfather and had a few heartbreakingly wonderful scenes.

I will admit, I cried more than I wanted to at this film; there are so many scenes that, if you put yourself in Mia’s shoes, will cause you to tear up. There was a point during the film where the actors were silent, and all you could hear was the sniffles and crying of everyone in the theater. I was prepared for it to be an emotional film; I just was not sure if it would be overly emotional to the point where it is depressing, but it was not. It was the perfect amount of happy and sad that will make you walk away thinking how beautiful of a film it was.

“If I Stay” is based on the best-selling novel by Gayle Forman. I have not read the book myself, but from the chatter I heard from moviegoers after the screening, the film matched the book nicely. So if you are a fan of the novel, you should not be disappointed either.

This is a film that will make you laugh, cry and appreciate every person you have in your life. It makes you realize that everything you have done and everyone you have met up until today has made you exactly who you are and if you choose, can give you reason enough to stay.

Caitlin Grove

Via alestlelive.com

‘The Giver’ hands audiences authentic interpretation of its novel

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Imagine a world where everything is black and white — no one lied, love was forbidden and emotions were not felt by anyone. Anyone, that is, except for The Giver.

“The Giver” is a film based on the beloved, best-selling novel by Lois Lowry about a colorless and impassive futuristic world. As bizarre as it sounds, this film depicts what the world would be like if past memories were stored only by one person in the society.

Members of this community do not see themselves as trapped or miserable because they do not know the extent to which they are missing out — they are simply accustomed to the strict way things are. That is, until one boy is given the opportunity to feel things he never knew were possible.

In this society, on an individual’s 18th birthday, The Elders of the community assign them to their futures. They are placed in jobs such as nurturer, groundskeeper or drone pilot, among many others. However, a young boy named Jonas is assigned the unique position of the Receiver of Memory.

What occurs between The Giver and The Receiver is straightforward — The Giver passes along stored memories of those who lived before the society existed to The Receiver.

Some memories are good, others are bad and painful, but all the memories cause Jonas to realize the emotions and experiences the society is missing. He then sets out on a rebellious journey to release these memories to the community.

Growing up, this was one of my favorite novels. When any book is made into a movie, I am hesitant to see the film for fear of disappointment. But I can confidently say this film exceeded my expectations and anyone who has read the novel will enjoy it. “The Giver” remains close to the novel and it even provides viewers with a more in-depth look into the world this society lives in.

It may benefit moviegoers to have background information about the story before they waltz into the theater. The film does not do a superb job at explaining why the society is the way it is and what certain terms they use mean, so having an idea of how the society works could help to better understand the film.

“The Giver” has a stellar cast, including newcomer Brenton Thwaites as Jonas, the film’s lead character. Thwaites is accompanied by Jeff Bridges as The Giver, Meryl Streep as The Chief Elder and Katie Holmes as Jonas’s mother. Casting actors who would be able to properly embody the characters from the novel is a huge task, and I feel as though each contributed to the successful representation of these notable individuals.

The Giver is an excellent film about truth, love, fear and self-discovery. Those who have experienced this classic story through the novel will be pleased by the way in which the story is brought to life right before their eyes.

Caitlin Grove

Via alestlelive.com