Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

 Rogue One : A Star Wars Story

3D Movie Review Written By: Adolph Vega

3D

The 3D presentation of this movie is pathetic and a total waste. I honestly forgot about the 3D visuals for about 90% of this movie. Occasionally, the barrel of various rifles will pop out of the screen, but the focus is on the character holding the rifle and not the actual rifle itself. This makes the popping out 3D rifle look blurry, and it
becomes a distraction within the specific scene. The movie only uses two or three layers of 3D depth, and it's entirely forgettable except for one scene. This five-second scene has a few characters look down from a tall structure, and the 3D visuals helps to give the illusion of depth. Overall the 3D presentation is totally worthless and adds
nothing to the viewing experience. Under no circumstances can I recommend watching this movie in 3D.

Final Verdict : Terrible 3D, Watch in 2D

Movie

 

This is a difficult movie to review and discuss without spoilers or direct references to the other Star Wars movies. Technically this movie is a stand alone movie, but it is also dependent on your
understanding of the events from the other movies within the Star Wars saga. The plot follows the efforts of the Rebel Alliance as they
attempt to defeat the galactic empire. The empire has created a new massive weapon called the Death Star. This movie is focused on a motley crew of rebels as they work together to take on the empire.

This movie takes place immediately before the events of the forth Star Wars movie, " A New Hope", but after the events of the third movie "
Revenge of the Sith". So you can't really call this movie a prequel to "A New Hope" because "Revenge of the Sith" is already that movie. This
movie isn't exactly a sequel to "Revenge of the Sith", and is more of a side story that indirectly attaches itself to both movies within the
time line. The Star Wars time line can be confusing to explain, because the release order and narrative order ae not the same. Sadly, the movie doesn't clear up this confusion and has a sub-par first act that overloads the viewer with too much information. Don't get me wrong, I was able to enjoy and understand the story elements to this movie, but it felt too convoluted for it's own good. I also found the story to be predictable and a little cliché.

The movie has a large cast of characters and is set on several different planets and moons all over the galaxy. About 70% of the characters within this movie are only exist within this movie and are not in the other Star Wars films. The main cast is very likeable, but they come and go so quickly that it's hard to get attached to any individual character. What you see is what you get with these characters and they all are basically one dimensional and don't have screen time to really develop or grow. I liked this group of characters, but I didn't care about them. The robot K-2SO was my favorite character, and it has some fantastic dialogue. It's kind of a shame that the robot steals the show from all the other humanoid characters within this movie. Overall I do really like the main cast of characters, but I wish they had more time on screen to develop.

Fundamentally, this movie is a science fiction war movie from the perspective of the scrappy Rebellion. The story is a tragic tale and a
much darker movie than any other Star Wars movie. I give the movie credit for handling these mature themes and making a compelling story.
The movie balances a gritty narrative with a underdog, inspirational theme. One plot element toward the end of the movie I found extremely
ridiculous and infuriating. This scene includes one character assisting another character at a critical moment of the movie. This assistance feels tacked on and robs the first character of a satisfying conclusion of their character arch. I can't really discuss this scenario any further without spoilers, but needless to say I found how this scene to be poorly handled.

The movie has stunning cinematography with many beautiful shots. The special effects are top notch and the use of computer generated
characters works  fairly well. I was aware that certain characters were computer generated, but it wasn't a huge distraction to my enjoyment of the movie. I do want to warn any parents  reading this review that this movie might be too dark for younger children.

Overall, I enjoyed Rogue One: A Star Wars story and found it an enjoyable movie. I liked the characters but I ultimately didn't care about them. I give credit for the bold decisions the movie makes but I still found the movie lacking. 

Final Verdict: 7/10

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Sing

Sing

3D Movie Review Written By: James Tate

3D

The 3D of the film was visually appealing, and was not an eye sore . The animation is very colorful and there is plenty of things popping out of the screen throughout the film. I am a fan of this more classic “popping out at the audience 3D” even if it appears gimmicky or cheesy. The characters are colorful in how they dance and sing on screen and it looks better 3D than if it were in 2D. While this movies shouldn't be considered top tier 3D, it’s certainly was a good 3D presentation that I can recommend.

Final Verdict: Good 3D

Movie

As an "Illumination Entertainment" production I went into this movie with fairly low expectations. The company is fairly new,  and in my opinion not even on the same level of Dreamworks. Their movies usually deliver a few laughs here and there, but generally speaking they make mediocre movies . So when I took my younger brothers to see this movie I walked out pleasantly surprised . Sing is a humorous, colorful, creative movie, that is better than I expected it to be.

The movie takes place in a world populated entirely by anthropomorphic animals. The film’s primary focus Is a koala bear named Buster Moon who is the owner of a music theater. Buster's theater is now in financial trouble due to showing numerous failed productions. Buster is told by the bank that the theater will be repossessed in the near future. Buster Moon discusses this with his friend a sheep named Eddie Noodleman. They discuss a plan to try and save the theater from closure by hosting a singing competition, with the grand prize being $1,000. As he prints flyers for the competition a huge misprint occurs, suddenly  a gust of wind scatters the posters all around the town. Now  everyone in town thinks the prize money is actually $100,000 instead of $1,000, which causes every one in town to immediately want to try out for the show.

As the movie begins it is very similar to the TV show American Idol. They showcase the auditions in unique and hilarious way. You see several different animals singing many different kinds of songs. The songs the animals sing vary greatly and it includes, but isn't limited to: modern Pop, hard rock, and even Japanese bubblegum. I really enjoyed the various song covers they had, and felt that the musical selection was a very diverse list of songs from almost of every genre and era. If the film was 100% modern music it just wouldn't have been the same.

Without spoilers, I would have to say the best aspects of the film are its colorful animation and its crisp sounding voice acting. My only grips with the movie includes its plot, which can be cliche and sappy at times. Other then that I was never bored or annoyed by this movie . I can easily recommend this movie, specifically to anyone who enjoys movies like Zootopia,  great music and voice work of Seth Macfarlane.

Final Verdict: 7/10

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Moana 3D Movie Review

Moana

3D Movie Review Written By Adolph Vega

3D

This movie was made for stereoscopic 3D and it looks fantastic in 3D from beginning to end. Clearly the cinematography and 3D were made hand in hand because it looks like 3D characters are interacting in 3D environments to showcase great stereoscopic 3D. The movie looks pretty , sharp and better because of the 3D . The movie occasionally uses two dimensional art style to present the narrative and during these scenes they use multiple layers of depth to make a richer tapestry of visuals that look outstanding in stereoscopic 3D. Sometimes objects will fly out or pop out and it's done within the context of  the storyline and what is needed for the scene and doesn't seem gimmicky or silly . The usage of 3D is clearly an intelligent design choice to make a more visually interesting and impressive movie . One example of this is how the movie handles sailing . Many different aspects of the ship will appear to pop out and retreat into the background depending on what is needed within the scene. The 3D element makes it look like your peering into a diorama and it looks impressive . Objects shown on screen seem tangible and help this animated movie come to life and seem authentic. Occasionally the movie goes in first person and gives the audience a true 3D visual treat that is trilling to see . The best word to describe the 3D element of this movie is smart . This movie has a wonderful 3D presentation that should be an example for other future 3D animated movies to learn from . This is easily one the best and smartest applications for 3D in a animated movie that I have seen in years. The 3D element is the complete package and is both fun and well executed and looks sharp and vivid . This movie deserves my highest accolades and earns my highest rating for its flawless amazing execution of stereoscopic 3D.  

Final Verdict: Great 3D, Editors Choice Award  

Movie

When I walked into the theater I had no idea what to expect from this movie. I know nothing about the culture and / or religion of the island people this movie is based upon . When I left the theater I was stunned because I felt like this movie perfectly introduced this setting into the mainstream and left me completely satisfied . Disney has achieved something truly spectacular with this movie and is unlike anything else that I have seen .

The movie perfectly executes an original and interesting story with fully developed and likeable characters. Moana is the story of a young woman (named Moana) who lives on an island with her family , friends and neighbors but yearns to travel.  A curse falls upon the island and Moana seeks the help of the demigod Maui to save the island.  Maui himself needs assistance from Moana because he has lost his special abilities. The story is focused on the dynamic of Moana and Maui working together to help save the island and her people . 

The movie is a musical and they perfectly incorporate musical storytelling elements into the narrative. I love all the musical songs presented within this film. My favorite song involved a giant glittery crab. I am tempted to buy that song off iTunes because it's the composition and flow are so much fun . The musical element feels natural and works well into the story. I found myself smiling and tapping my toes to the fantastic melodies and rhythm. Disney has done it again and made a wonderful musical animated movie. 

The characters are the aspect of the movie that I adore the most. The characters are well developed, complex and are rich in personality. The movie does a fantastic job establishing the characters and developing them . The characters have a  perfect chemistry with one another.  I understand the character motivations and I find them to be very relatable. The writing is sharp and dialogue seems natural and is perfectly deliverered. The voice acting in this movie is excellent and the characters come alive on screen and feel authentic. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson portrays Maui as a cocky self absorbed demigod that is extremely charming, especially when he sings . Moana is a strong independent woman that is very interesting and likeable . I even enjoyed the comic relief chicken named Heihei who doesn't speak but steals many scenes with his foolishness. The comedic aspect of this movie feels natural and is never too silly. The giant glittery crab that I mentioned earlier is named Tamatoa and is totally fabulous and is a perfectly animated character. The grandmother character Tala has so much personality and is pure joy to watch on screen. The excellent characters give this movie a soul and make it something truly special. 

When it comes to negatives I found nothing major to report .  One character element felt a little sudden but I won't discuss the details of this because it's a huge spoiler. Overall I love this this movie because it has a wonderful story with rich interesting characters. I found the action scenes to be fun and well executed and the pacing to be smooth. The animation within this movie is gorgeous and distinct. I was enchanted by this movie and found it extremely entertaining , funny and heartwarming.  Disney has made something truly memorable and remarkable with this movie and I welcome more new original stories from different parts of the world. Moana feels new and different and yet familiar . Moana is favorite movie of the year and is the definition of cinematic excellence,  and I consider it to be an instant modern Disney classic. 

Final Verdict: 10/10, Editors Choice Award 

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