Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets 3D Movie Review

July 23, 2017 by adolph vega in 3D, 3D or 2D, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, 3D Movies

Valerian and the City of A Thousand Planets

3D Movie Review Written By: Adolph Vega

Screen Shot 2017-07-20 at 7.16.06 PM.jpg

Screen Shot 2017-07-20 at 7.15.48 PM.jpg

Screen Shot 2017-07-20 at 7.16.27 PM.jpg

Screen Shot 2017-07-20 at 7.17.42 PM.jpg

Screen Shot 2017-07-20 at 7.17.19 PM.jpg

Screen Shot 2017-07-20 at 7.17.31 PM.jpg

Screen Shot 2017-07-20 at 7.15.33 PM.jpg

Screen Shot 2017-07-20 at 7.20.40 PM.jpg

Watch my video review for Valerian below :

3D

The 3D visuals for this movie are very impressive and make an enjoyable yet flawed experience. This movie mostly uses the diorama 3D visual effect. This visual effect gives the viewer a perspective into the screen and makes great use of 3D depth. Occasionally the movie uses pop out 3D and it looks nice. I do feel like the pop out 3D element is muted and not as pronounced as it could have been. The 3D doesn’t look good in a few scenes within the darkness of space. Those dark scenes look slightly out of alignment and give the viewer a disorienting ghosting double effect. Fortunately those dark disorienting scenes are rare. Overall the 3D is definitely a worthwhile addition to this movie, but it’s far from a perfect 3D visual presentation.

Final Verdict: Good 3D

Movie

Prior to watching this movie I had no knowledge of Valerian and it’s comic book history. Sadly this movie does a pathetic job of introducing this universe to a wider audience.

Valerian is actually the name of the male lead character that works with his partner Laureline. Valerian and Laureline work together for the galactic federation. Dane DeHaan plays Valerian and Cara Delevingne portrays Laureline, and sadly I didn't like these lead characters. This movie shows them working together as a team and sadly they have zero chemistry together on screen. I also question the acting ability for both individuals. The acting is bland and wooden for both of the main characters. Dane DeHaan as Valerian sounds like a bad impression of Keanu Reeves throughout this movie. Cara Delevingne as of Laureline seems bored throughout this movie. Laureline will often become frustrated at Valerian and his antics and she is always criticizing him. Many times the criticisms are justified but regardless I found this back and forth banter between these characters to be tedious and annoying to watch. Sadly this movie is focused on two very unlikeable protagonists.

The movie throws the viewer into the deep end and doesn't do a decent job of setting up this universe. This movie is a science fiction movie that is set several hundred years into the future. In some ways the movie is similar to “Star Trek” and humanity has joined an intergalactic federation of planets. Unlike most “Star Trek” stories (excluding Deep Space Nine) this movie is set mostly within one location, which is a gigantic intergalactic space station. This space station is called Alpha and is home to over a thousand planets and cultures that live together in peace. This movie has a massive cast of characters that are not properly introduced. It’s really hard to keep track of all these characters and their motivations. The main story is about Valerian and Laureline discovering the truth about an alien species that was thought to be extinct. The story flies by at the speed of light and the movie rarely takes the time to give the viewer an explanation to what is going on. When the movie does try to explain itself it feels forced and inorganic. The movie is extremely rushed and underdeveloped and I felt like they crammed too much into one movie. The premise within this movie is interesting and captured my imagination with many fascinating elements. One scene within this movie has a character interacting with a parallel invisible dimension while being present in a visible dimension. This inter-dimensional scene is very creative and is fun to watch. The alien designs are inspired and look unique and new. The movie introduces a trio of small brown aliens called the Shingouz. These aliens’ trade secrets for money are full of personality. These aliens looked similar to the 1980’s “Alf” character and I really loved these silly aliens and they were a wonderful element of this movie. Another alien named bubble can morph itself into different forms, and makes for a very fun strip tease scene. Many aliens within this movie are not bipedal humanoids and I appreciate that element of the movie. Too many works of science fiction portray space aliens that look extremely similar to humans or other earth approximating creatures. So I applaud when works of science fiction take some effort and make creative creature design. Even the aliens that look humanoid do look distinctive. I really enjoyed the ideas represented within this movie; I just wish it were better executed.

Before I conclude this review I must discuss the visual effects. The visuals for this movie are simply gorgeous. The special effects are a real treat and are the definition of eye candy. Many scenes look lush, with rich vibrant colors that look appealing and attractive. The visual style is distinctive and it works well for this sort of movie. I enjoyed the computer graphics and how they presented other worlds, and other dimensions. This movie looks beautiful and compliments this movie perfectly.

In closing this is a movie that I wanted to love, but I couldn’t get over it’s many flaws. I was entertained by this fun action sci-fi movie. Miserably the awful wooden acting and the poor story development hamper a remarkable premise. The ideas within this movie are compelling but are poorly executed within this movie. Unfortunately this is a beautiful mess of a movie.

Final Verdict : 6 / 10

Valerian Official Website

Click here to listen to our audio podcast review of Valerian

War for the Planet of the Apes 3D Movie Review

July 16, 2017 by adolph vega in 3D, 3D or 2D, War for Planet of Apes, 3D Movies

War for the Planet of the Apes 3D Movie Review

Review Written By: Adolph Vega

Check out my Video Review on YouTube below:

3D

Unfortunately the 3D visuals for this movie are not impressive and don’t do much of anything. Occasionally you will see rifle barrels pop out of the screen. A few scenes have snow falling and the 3D looks decent as the snowflakes fly around in 3D space. The 3D visuals do help make the digital apes seem more lifelike because there a three dimensional shape instead of flat 2D shape. The 3D visuals never wow the audience and are a subtle and minor aspect of this movie. Overall the 3D visuals for this movie are mediocre, forgettable and simply not worthwhile.

Final Verdict: Weak 3D 2D RECOMMENDED

Movie

“War for the Planet of the Apes” is the third movie within this rebooted movie franchise. I really respect what the filmmakers have done with this franchise and how they created an interesting and believable world of apes. This trilogy is possibly one the best trilogies of cinema with all three movies being enjoyable.

The first thing I must mention about this movie is how misleading the title of the movie is. The title of this movie “War for the Planet of the Apes” seems to imply an action movie when that isn’t the case. The trailers are also very misleading and give an impression of a non-stop action spectacle. I mention this because the title and trailers give the audience an inaccurate picture and could potentially set up false expectations. This movie is very dramatic and serious and has lots of subtitles instead of spoken dialog. In many ways this movie feels like a thoughtful independent movie instead of a summer blockbuster. The movie does have some action scenes but the story is more focused on characters and plot than action. I feel that some people may find this movie boring because of the slow pacing and lack of action. This movie isn’t your typical summer blockbuster; it’s very cerebral, tense and suspenseful. I am not a marketing expert so I don’t know how to accurately make the trailers showcase this style of movie and give a correct portrayal of the movie. I usually don’t discuss the title of a movie or the marketing within the review, but for this occasion I believe that it must be mentioned.

The movie takes place several years after the events of the previous movie in this series “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes”. This is the third movie within the rebooted “Planet of the Apes” franchise and it continues the story of Caesar and the super intelligent apes that follow him. This movie builds upon the previous two movies of this franchise, and they are required viewings before watching this movie. The movie begins with a few blocks of text on screen that give the viewer some context going into this story. This movie is about the ape of Caesar (the leader of the apes) and a small group of apes that follow him to investigate a nearby human military base. Broadly speaking this movie is about family, survival and the concept of mercy. The performances of the various apes are perfectly captured by cutting edge special effects. The acting and writing for this movie is truly excellent. I never once doubted the computer graphics on screen and it was a spot-on showcase to what the power of computer-generated characters can do under capable filmmakers. The characters might be digital creations but the have depth and substance. The movie does an excellent job of making these apes relatable and makes it easy to have empathy for them. This world that this movie presents is realistic, gritty, sad, tragic and is totally believable and thought provoking.

This movie has many returning characters but also several new ones. One of those new prominent characters is that of The Colonel. The Colonel is portrayed by Woody Harrelson and is the villain of this movie. This is easily one of the best performances by Woody Harrelson in his entire film career. This character has one excellent speech where you understand everything about this character and his history. I wanted to stand up and cheer after this speech because it was so perfectly delivered and it hit all the right notes. Another new character that is notable is that of an ape who used to live in a zoo. This character is used as comic relief and is very charming and very helpful to the plot. Many times he says what the audience is thinking and is a wonderful addition to this movie. Another new character is that of a young girl. This young girl is semi-adopted into the ape clan and is another stand out. This girl is a simple character and doesn’t have many lines but is a joy to watch on screen and has beautiful sweet innocence presence on screen. The movie keeps some of the best characters from the previous movies and adds several new additions that are all excellent and interesting. This movie does a wonderful job with handling all these characters and making them feel complete and meaningful.

The only problem I had with this movie was with the ending. I won’t spoil this aspect, but needless to say it is the definition of a deus ex machina

ending. The conclusion makes sense within context of the location this movie is set, but it still feels too convenient. Maybe the deus ex machine ending was intentional for the narrative but it feels cheap and like a cop-out. Overall the movie does end in a satisfactory manor that feels like a closure to this series of Apes movies and delivers catharsis.

In conclusion this movie is an excellent science fiction film. My issues with this movie are minor and related to the ending and the slow pacing. The story, characters and acting are all truly wonderful. These “Apes” movies have done something truly spectacular and made a perfect trilogy and this third movie wraps things up nicely. “War for the Planet of the Apes” is an incredible summer movie, and Andy Serkis (motion capture & voice actor for Caesar) deserves award recognition for this performance within this movie, because it’s perfectly executed and is totally believable. This movie is almost perfect and totally resonates with its emotional and dramatic elements. This movie is easily one of the best movies of 2017 and should not be missed.

Final Verdict: 9/10, EDITORS CHOICE MOVIE AWARD

Click here to download and listen to my audio podcast review of War for the Planet of the Apes

War for the Planet of the Apes Official website

Spider-Man Homecoming 3D Movie Review

July 10, 2017 by adolph vega in Spider-man homecoming, 3D, Marvel Cinematic Universe

Spider-Man Homecoming 3D Movie Review

Review Written By: Adolph Vega

Screen Shot 2017-07-01 at 3.30.32 PM.jpg

Screen Shot 2017-07-01 at 3.23.28 PM.jpg

Screen Shot 2017-07-01 at 3.24.46 PM.jpg

Screen Shot 2017-07-01 at 3.23.45 PM.jpg

Screen Shot 2017-07-01 at 3.24.00 PM.jpg

Screen Shot 2017-07-01 at 3.25.09 PM.jpg

3D

The 3D for this movie is not spectacular or amazing but it is good. It can be fun to watch this movie as Spider-Man travels around New York and objects fly from the background to the foreground. One early scene with a bank robbery was very interesting to watch in 3D because many dollar bills were floating around and popping out of the screen. The 3D visuals looked nice but it didn’t blow me away or really capture my imagination.

Final Verdict: Good 3D

Movie

This is the sixth overall Spider-Man movie but the first within the Marvel cinematic universe. This movie feels new and different and makes sense within the grander marvel cinematic universe.

The main plot of this movie is simple yet effective. This movie showcases Peter Parker / Spider-Man after the events of "Captain America Civil War”. Peter Parker / Spider-Man wants to have another big adventure, but is stuck in high school. Eventually Spider-Man discovers that local criminals are buying and selling some powerful weapons and he attempts to stop them. Peter Parker has to balance his school related priorities, being a superhero and his personal relationships all at the same time. Secret identities are not a big aspect within the marvel cinematic universe, but it works perfectly within this movie. Tom Holland's portray of Spider-Man / Peter Parker is very charming and funny. The movie has a fantastic supporting cast that work well together. This cast has a wonderful chemistry together and they play off each other’s lines in a realistic and enjoyable fashion. I never doubted that these actors felt right in a high school setting, and they did a fine job of showcasing “the high school experience" without falling for all the typical clichés and usual tropes. The movie works well as both a superhero movie and a high school friendship movie.

The main villain of this movie is that of the Vulture. The Vulture is an interesting character, and the movie does a wonderful job of setting up his backstory. As the viewer you can clearly understand his motivations and you can easily sympathize with this character. This villain is fleshed out and is not a one-dimensional archetype. The great Michael Keaton expertly portrays the Vulture. I found him to be threatening yet grounded in reality, and I really enjoyed his performance on screen. The Vulture is easily one the best marvel cinematic villains. The vulture is not interested in world domination or conquering the universe, he just cares about himself and his family. I find this simplicity to be very refreshing. The Vulture is an excellent addition to this movie and is a well-developed villain.

This movie is set in the grander Marvel Cinematic Universe and generally it works well for this story. You will see several mentions of the previous Marvel movie stories and marvel characters within this movie. The movie has many Marvel superhero cameos. Sadly we don't see any cameos or mentions from the current Marvel TV shows. I understand that the Netflix TV shows have adult content (Dare Devil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist) and are a different demographic from typical Spider-man movies, but the fact remains that this movie and those TV shows are all set within the same New York City. It seems bizarre to why Marvel refuses to connect these TV shows with the broader Marvel Cinematic Universe and why this movie refuses to acknowledge those Marvel TV shows. At times the movie feels overstuffed with Marvel cameos so why they couldn’t include a quick Dare Devil line or something small like that is beyond my understanding. At times it seems like Spider-Man can simply phone a friend for assistance at any time, and it can become jarring when some characters enter the scene at the most convenient moment. The marvel cinematic universe references work well to fill in the details of the story, but at times it can be a little too cute.

I do have some minor issues with this movie. I have a problem with how it changes a key aspect of the character of Spider-Man. It just doesn’t feel right to exclude this distinctive Spider-Man attribute within this movie. Another negative aspect is how clumsy Spider-Man is portrayed within this movie. Spider-Man looked more agile and seasoned in "Captain America Civil War" (which happens before the events of this movie) than within this movie. It seems like a blatant continuity error and it seems very odd. Some of his sloppiness can be explained by the story elements within this movie, and how his suit is more advanced because of the technological engineering of Tony Stark (Iron man). This sloppiness makes Spider-Man more relatable but at the cost of cheapening his character’s abilities . I also had a problem with how the movie rushed many story elements. The movie refuses to allow Peter Parker to enjoy many scenes with his school friends. The movie never allows Peter Parker to enjoy his life, even for a little bit. I understand that the character has to make sacrifices to be a superhero, but it seems rushed for the sake of revealing the next action scene and is not totally natural to the story. I also had a problem with a specific action scene toward the end of the movie. This action scene feels anticlimactic and slopped together with cheap special effects. The problems I have with this movie are relatively minor but are worth mentioning.

The movie is extremely entertaining and has a wonderful sense of humor. The movie tells its story seamlessly and it hits all the right tones with the cast. I have seen all the previous Spider-Man movies but I have never seen one exactly like this one. This movie feels fresh and new and works well for what it is. I enjoyed the different locations the movie visits and how creative it is with the new Spider-Man suit. The movie has a wonderful villain and many enjoyable action scenes. The movie flows well, is fast paced and is tightly edited. The movie does have some problems but they don’t substantially ruin the movie. Overall this movie succeeds more than it disappoints and delivers a fun enjoyable movie. Tom Holland is an excellent Spider-Man and I look forward to seeing more of his web slinging antics in the future.