The Whole March Slate

As promised, I gobbled through three major films in the last four days. And as I watched all of them, I realized I have watched the whole March slate. Save for that animated film Home, which looks okay at best and I probably won't see because I'd rather go to the surefire funny SpongeBob Squarepants Movie. Hate me all you want for not wanting to see Home, your rare minority-fronted animated film. Let's stop with all the race issues. I think that when you talk more about race, the more people gets hurt. I don't know, let's just all be courageous and be kind.

Run All Night
Another year, another Liam Neeson kicking-butts film. You see, maybe a Liam Neeson action film is equivalent to what the Saw movies were to Halloween. It is an annual event, except that Liam Neeson can kick butts twice or three times each year. This film, directed by Jaume Collet-Serra who made at least two Liam Neeson butt-kicking films, Unknown and Non-Stop is more low-concept compared to those two but it is still stylish and satisfying in almost every level. Liam Neeson plays a henchman to Ed Harris' mob boss. Neeson, the Gravedigger kills his boss' son and his boss vowed for revenge to kill Neeson's son. Honestly, Run All Night is surprisingly good. I was expecting something super low-key given that it is not as thrilling as a mid-air whodunit like Non-Stop or a European spy thriller as Unknown. Liam Neeson is as you would expect these days but the better performance here is delivered by Joel Kinnaman, last year's Robocop and next year in Suicide Squad. Ed Harris is also pretty much what you would expect. Common looks like Denzel Washington in a glimpse but his cold killer character is something like what Peele of Key & Peele did in their skits. Still menacing though but you couldn't help but giggle a bit. The story is pretty good, and it delivered in telling the father-and-son story in the midst of the action scenes. Run All Night: rated 3/4.

Cinderella
In my childhood, Cinderella is one of the films that I watched religiously. Just a couple of years ago, I was exposed to how retarded the film was in its actuality: Cinderella who might have a severe mental problem, the one-dimensional prince, and more. I hated myself to think that of my favorite childhood film. But then come Kenneth Branagh's update on the classic Disney-fied tale. Starring my faves from my favorite TV shows, Lily James/Lady Rose of Downton Abbey and Richard Madden/Robb Stark of Game of Thrones, also boasting incredible supporting cast with the likes of Academy Award winner Cate Blanchett and Helena Bonham Carter. Unlike Maleficent which butchered the original classic older-than-your-parents Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella is the story of Cinderella, without any major changes but merely improvements. It adds the Prince's side, clarifies what happens when the Prince took Cinderella out of the ball, makes Cinderella stronger and even makes the Stepmother more than just a villain (in Cate Blanchett's hands, you wouldn't expect her being a normal villain anyway). I like that the fact the script has room for self-deprecation too, like "these slippers are made of glass""why not?" Branagh's direction is spot-on, magical and majestic. Something that you would expect from someone so accustomed to the Shakespeare world. Branagh's Thor even remained to be one of the best directed films in Marvel Cinematic Universe. I found Lily James really fitting as Cinderella, and the character's relationship with her parents is very touching. Richard Madden is no stranger to royalty. Cate Blanchett is menacingly great. All in all, I find myself liking this film more than the children whom the film are geared towards to. Thank you for not opting for worthless grittiness or revisionist agenda, it's a fairy tale and it is what it should be. I just wished there were more Downton cameos, I mean, when the Fairy Godmother said footman don't you all just think of Mr. Moseley? Cinderella: rated 3.5/4

Insurgent
If you follow my posts, then you should know that I planned a post that revised my ratings on movies. Divergent is among them for revision, I had that film with a 3.5/4 rating which was barely objective since it was all Shailene. Watching Insurgent today, I don't remember little details on the story. I just remembered that Divergent was a pleasant surprise because my expectations were incredibly low. In Insurgent there's this box that only divergents can open. So Jeanine (Kate Winslet) begin searching for divergents, but it wasn't that easy because apparently divergents also has diverging skills. While Tris, Four (HAHAHA), and others who escaped from the first movie keeps on finding shelters that includes the ones led by Octavia Spencer, another by Daniel Dae Kim and the faction-less by Naomi Watts (amazing supporting cast huh?). Much like Divergent, the best scenes are the actions and the simulators scenes which is just amazingly done. New director Robert Schwentke is clearly more used to action as his execution is pretty much spot-on. And much like Divergent, the movie has nothing to offer for at least 3/4 of the movie. Save for Shailene Woodley and Miles Teller who made this movie infinitely more enjoyable, the others are just cashing their paychecks. Also, considering the talent behind the script rewrites, it is quite disappointing to be honest. And that very YA ending (which unfortunately is so similar to The Maze Runner), which answers the burning question of what kind of human only has one trait in their personality? Hi, my mom is really honest so she's Candor, and I live like a peasant and appreciate random rainbows so I'm Amity? What kind of society is that and what kind of sick society creates society like that? [spoiler to follow] if divergents are the answer, then why do they let Erudites hunt divergents? At least this film leaves the audience a cliffhanger than nothing at all like in the first movie. Insurgent: rated 2/4.

 Some bonuses!

A gun-toting Shailene Woodley, which I guess an annual thing for this blog to feature.

And this show-stopping pic of Lily James circa 2012! 

So, next post might be

Fast & Furious 7!

Hoping to see this one in IMAX!

Yes, that silly movie about racing is now an IMAX event