Quick Movie Review: The Huntsman: Winter's War (2016)

If you're one of the people who thought there needed to be a sequel to a film that was already adding nothing really new to the lore of Snow White, then at least you saw the first film. If you didn't see the first film, then you're in luck because you don't have to in order to watch this one. This prequel/sequel is only cosmetically related to 2012's Snow White and the Huntsman.

I mean that in both a good way and a bad way. The two films share some of the same cast--Chris Hemsworth, Charlize Theron, Nick Frost--but feels weighed down by the fact that its predecessor wasn't at all as amazing as its trailer lead us to believe.

But let's, for a moment, judge this movie solely on its own being, and not based on how necessary it is or the demerits of its predecessor.

The first installment ends the same way all Snow White adaptations end, except for there being an ambiguous endearment between Snow White and Eric the Huntsman (Hemsworth).

Snow White isn't in this movie. She's mentioned and silhouetted, but basically omitted. Which is fine. She was probably the worst part of the first one anyway.

Even better, we get a couple of cool additions to the cast in Emily Blunt and Jessica Chastain--both of whom do a superb job in their respective roles of the Snow Queen and Sara, the huntsman's wife.

When I say this installment acts as a prequel AND a sequel, it means that it shows the origins of how Eric becomes the huntsman and how he meets Sara, but then flashes forward 7 years after she dies (we know this from the first film).

The sequel portion of the story has the huntsman setting out on a journey to find the magic mirror, which Snow White sends away after it starts making her go crazy and homicidal. This is where the plot gets hairy. It's never clear why the mirror is making her mad, nor how she has the consciousness to send it away, nor why the huntsman needs to retrieve it even though Snow White wants it gone to begin with.

The magic mirror is a MacGuffin in the worst sense. Not only do we not need it as a plot device, but we're not even really sure why it's a plot device. There could've been a more sensible reason why Eric and the dwarves set out on their quest.

The action sequences are, at times, ridiculous and silly--over-saturated with shaky cam so you just accept what's happening. But the thing is, we would've been just as fine without the nausea.

There's plenty of levity from the dwarves, played by Frost and Rob Brydon. The jokes are a fairly even mixture of both hits and misses. But it's okay, at least it keeps the movie fun and not too self-aggrandizing. That is, until it wants to be self-aggrandizing. Jarring tonal shifts and an overly jokey Hemsworth all of a sudden make us confused about what feel we're supposed to be getting.

Truth is, I can't think of a good enough reason not to like this movie. I find it entertaining. There's a lot of meandering somewhere in the middle of the story. The journey to the mirror isn't half as exciting as it should be. Nonetheless, The Huntsman tops its predecessor, not on essentiality, but on a unique premise.

Twizard Rating: 79

Quick Movie Review: Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

Some films try to reboot a classic and fail horribly. Not only did the filmmakers behind Mad Max: Fury Road make an incredible movie, but one that even surpasses the standards set by the originals.

But as much as the franchise owes it to this new movie for giving it life again, Fury Road also owes it to its past. Without those original ideas, we wouldn't have this film. No one would have had the guts to make this movie this day and age as an original idea. And honestly, if this film didn't already have an audience, it wouldn't have been made. It would have gotten a budget similar to Snowpiercer, and then the film wouldn't have been as effective as it is. Because nowadays in order to get $150 million to make a movie, you need some sort of franchise behind it--or the likes of a David Cameron or a Christopher Nolan. If Fury Road were an original concept, it would be groundbreaking and perhaps the most important action film of the last 20 years. But it turns out studios needed to see that it worked before signing off on this one.

But I'm glad that they did.

This time, Max (Tom Hardy) gets captured by a cult, led by Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne), who uses his blood to help a sick warrior, Nux (Nicholas Hoult). Along the way, Max crosses paths with one of the cult's workers, Furiosa (Charlize Theron), who rebels against her leader by smuggling his five breeding wives out of the cult in attempts to get them to freedom.

Hardy's Max is slightly different than Mel Gibson's from the original trilogy. We are with Gibson's character from the very beginning of his transformation and see him progress. We don't see that with Hardy's. He is animalistic from the very beginning and frankly not as lovable. On the other hand, when Gibson's character would get into that mode, it wouldn't be as big of a shock since we know how he usually acts.

The humor in this one is a lot more prevalent. But it's not like your typical Avengers-like action movie humor with one-liners and clever quips--it's a lot more dark and subtle, which makes you appreciate it more.

This is the action film that I've been waiting for. I had been getting tired of the same old cliched action films of the last few years. With a couple of exceptions, they're all starting to blend together. But Fury Road is anything but cliche. And in addition to that, it has some of the best action sequences I've seen in a very long time. It doesn't rely on chance or right-place-right-time in order for the heroes to survive. It's unpredictable and consistently exciting.

While it's not absolutely necessary to watch the original films before watching this one, it's definitely worth checking them out first. Mad Max: Fury Road is the best movie of 2015 so far.

Twizard Rating: 100

Quick Movie Review: Mighty Joe Young (1998)

Maybe at the time this was released it wasn't all that appreciated by some older viewers. However, I love a good '90s movie. 

While not seeing the original yet--although I plan to soon--I can't compare the two. But all I know is that I really enjoyed this film. I was 9 when it was released and hadn't watched it until just now. I have to say that I wish I had grown up with this movie. It's a great family film! It's predictable even when you think they might stray away from it--but it's good clean fun that never becomes too apparent that it's catering to the children. Although the script may not be the strongest, it will do just fine. I wish the characters had been a little deeper, but other than that I think it serves its purpose. Charlize Theron is great and the scene where Joe terrorizes Hollywood is well worth the price of admission. Add the beautiful scenery and the more-than-acceptable effects for 1998, and it's an easy movie to like! Apparently a little TOO easy for some.

Twizard Rating: 89