Thor Ragnarok

Thor Ragnarok
3D Movie Review

Written By James Tate

3D

Thor Ragnarok, following the trend of the more recent Marvel Cinematic Universe films, makes an effort to appeal to audiences experiencing the film in 3D. For this film though I actually believe that viewing this in 3D improves the overall experience. The action scenes especially, with people flying around and punching people across the room it just looks a lot better because of the 3D. I enjoyed the use of multiple layers of 3D and overall how good looking the 3D visuals are within this movie. I’m impressed with this 3D, and would actually recommend seeing it with the 3D glasses than without.

Final Verdict: Great 3D

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Movie

Thor Ragnarok is the third film in the Thor franchise, and possibly the best of the series? Thor Ragnarok picks up where we left him in Avengers Age of Ultron. Thor has now been searching the galaxy for the infinity stones for about two years now but to no luck. Returning home to Asgard he meets up with his brother Loki and they both get themselves into a mess of trouble when they accidentally meet up with the character of Hela. Hela is stronger than either of them and seeks to rule Asgard . Thor eventually finds himself stranded on a gladiator planet where he meets Hulk as well as another asgardian. Thor must gather a team, return to asgard, and save the day from Hela.

Typically the films in the Thor series have just been okay in quality . In the previous Thor Movies many of the story elements fell flat, and it always felt like the filmmakers were holding something back. Like if they weren't fully comfortable embracing the Thor character or his mythos. To a large degree the previous two Thor films have taken themselves a little too seriously. Ragnarok fully embraces the Thor mythos while adding its own spin on the character and even the lore. Another thing that Thor Ragnarok can be praised for is the fact it doesn't take itself completely seriously and puts in the right amount of comedy. And it's not an overdose of comedy either, like the case with the film Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2.

I'd have to say that this is the best MCU ( Marvel Cinematic Universe) film of 2017, and arguably the best sequel to a film series. It's not a disappointment like Guardians of the galaxy  2  and its a stronger film than Spiderman Homecoming, Thor 3 has it all. It has a great cast, great humor, many great actions scenes, and to its credit it has a very memorable villain. This is why I have to give this movie a 10/10. Thor Ragnarok is my favorite film of this entire year(2017) and is everything I could want from a Marvel movie . 

Final Verdict: 10/10

©2017 MARVEL © Disney. All rights reserved.

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Blade Runner 2049 3D Movie Review

Blade Runner 2049

3D Movie Review Written By Adolph Vega

 

3D

The 3D visuals for this movie are subtle and limited in scope. Most of the time I forgot the 3D was present because it’s such a minor aspect of this movie. At times certain parts of the environment will appear farther or closer away to the viewer. The 3D depth is limited to only a few layers. Some scenes with rain or snow look especially nice in 3D as the partial effects give the viewer the illusion of being emerged within the scene. Other times the 3D is used to highlight the actors faces during close-ups. The 3D helps make the actors appear more realistic and give the viewer a better sense of their emotions. Artistically the 3D is nice addition to this movie, but I just don’t care. I really didn’t gain much of anything by watching this movie in 3D. It’s not a terrible 3D presentation but it’s not all that interesting. Overall the 3D is just too subtle and too forgettable to recommend. 

Final Verdict: Weak 3D, 2D Recommended

 

Movie

Blade Runner 2049 is a fascinating movie and a stunning sequel. 

Before I discuss this new movie, I need to quickly talk about the original Blade Runner. The original Blade Runner (1982) is a hugely influential science fiction movie . To be honest I am not a big fan of the original Blade Runner. I found the original Blade Runner to be slow and pretentious. I was born after the release (1983) so everything I heard about the original Blade Runner was based on the post release hype. I do enjoy science fiction, and I do enjoy movies that make you think, but I could not enjoy the original Blade Runner movie. The story of Blade Runner is based on a book from Phillip K Dick (Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?) which I never read. I went into this sequel with an open mind and hoping that I could enjoy 2049 on its own merit. I am happy to report that Blade Runner 2049 is a vastly superior movie compared to its predecessor.

The story of Blade Runner 2049 continues the narrative of the original movie and builds upon it. Sadly Blade Runner 2049 is dependent on its predecessor and barely makes any sense if you have not watched that original movie. The film starts with a few blocks of text on the screen. The text is a little small but it gives the viewer a huge amount of backstory. This backstory fills the gap in between the two Blade Runner movies . The use of several blocks of text to start a movie is far from the best way to introduce this universe. The movie takes place in a bleak futuristic city of Los Angeles. Ryan Gosling is K an android who is the Blade Runner and works for the Los Angeles police department. As a Blade Runner K must discontinue(kill) older model androids (replicants) who refuse to be slaves for humanity. K is a newer type of android who is not supposed to have free will. The movie follows K as he discovers the truth about the replicants and their evolution . This movie discusses many deep philosophical themes such as the concepts of free will, love, humanity, slavery , and more. Is it moral to use robots/androids as slaves when it's obvious that they are intelligent conscious beings? The movie is presented as a dramatic thriller that slowly unravels its mysteries. The movie is heavy with meaning and symbolism yet finds a way to make an interesting compelling narrative. The movie knows how to handle the deeper elements of the story but never feels overly preachy. At times the movie can be slow paced but overall it knows how to keep things flowing.  The world of Blade Runner 2049 is bleak and dire, but I was never bored by it. 

The characters within this movie do a fantastic job of bringing this story to life. Ryan Gosling as K gives a masterful performance. K might be an android but he has intelligence and commands the attention of the viewer. K doesn't act human but doesn't act overly robotic either. It’s difficult to explain but he walks the line between human and machine and gives one of the best performances of his career. Joi is the holographic girlfriend of K and is an amazing character. The special effects for Joi are simply incredible and are a major aspect of the character and how she is portrayed on screen. I have never seen any work of fiction that has made a holographic character so compelling and interesting. Harrison Ford reprises his role as Rick Deckard and is mesmerizing on screen. Jared Leto is Niander Wallace who is the mastermind behind the newer more advanced androids. His screen time is limited but he oozes charisma every second he is on screen and is an incredibly threating individual. Some of the characters are lacking depth but overall the acting is excellent with many interesting characters. I really enjoyed the entire cast of this movie and found all the performances to be strong and well done. 

The movie is gorgeous to look at both because of the special effects and the excellent cinematography. The visuals within this movie are spectacular. The world of Blade Runner looks lived in, realistic and authentic. I never questioned the computer graphics or the special effects within this movie.  I loved how technology was showcased within this movie. Technology is ever-present in this world, but it doesn't always work correctly. The movie is well shot and knows how to show off its gorgeous scenery. The action scenes are few and far between but I found them to be gripping and fun to watch and easy to follow. The visual design of this movie is rich and is well constructed. 

The movie deserves high praise but I did have some problems with it. One aspect I found strange within this movie was the excessive amount of female nudity. I have nothing against the beauty that is the female form, I have no problem with nudity on scene, but its overdone in this movie . The many nude women are beautiful and the shots are tasteful but it feels unnecessary for this story . Another aspect I found perplexing was a sex scene in the middle of the movie. I found the scene to be incredible to watch because of the special effects and interesting execution, but it was totally random. The scene is very sexy and well shot but is totally out of place and not earned for the characters involved. This scene leaves the viewer with more questions than answers. I also had problems with other scenes near the conclusion of the movie. Many aspects of the final act are lacking context for the viewer and it seems overly bloated. With a movie that is nearly three hours long, it feels like the final act was rushed. The durability of the androids/replicants is also something left ambiguous. I never really know how badly damaged any of the characters really are. The issues I have with this movie are minor and don't dramatically hurt the whole movie. This movie is very close to being perfect so many of my critiques can be considered nitpicking, but they bothered me enough to feel compelled to mention. 

In the end, I still loved my time with Blade Runner 2049. The story is amazing and successful resurrects Blade Runner for the modern era. I found the characters to be fascinating and the acting performances to be excellent. I had some problems with the movie but what I enjoyed greatly outweigh any negative aspects. Overall Blade Runner 2049 is one of the best movies of 2017 and it shouldn't be missed. 

Final Verdict: 9 / 10, Editors Choice Award

©2017 ALCON ENTERTAINMENT, LLC., WARNER BROS. ENTERTAINMENT INC. AND COLUMBIA TRISTAR MARKETING GROUP, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

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Update: 

After further thought I have updated this review to include an Editor's Choice Award for this movie. The more I thought about this movie, the more I like it (not enough to give it a 10) but I felt this movie is truly something special and shouldn't be missed. 

Terminator 2 Judgment Day 3D

Terminator 2 Judgment Day 3D

Movie Review Written By: Adolph Vega

Watch my Video Review below : 

3D

2D to 3D movie conversions can be a very difficult thing to do. Some filmmakers do this only for a cheap cash grab and others actually take the real effort and make older movies look brilliant in 3D. Fortunately this is the latter and this 3D conversion looks fantastic. The first thing they did for this 3D conversion was to clean up the negative and totally restore the film. 3D aside the movie has never looked this good. The movie looks sharp, vivid and rich. The 3D visuals look fantastic as if it was meant to be in this format. So many times the movie inherently uses perspective in effective ways so converting it to 3D was a smart choice. 3D depth is used well in the long passageway in the hospital scene and during the ravine chase scene. The movie starts with a scene in a blazing fire with a terminator skeleton looking into the screen, and that fire looks fantastic in 3D. The fire has multiple layers of depth and looks much more interesting and intimidating in 3D. Another scene toward the end of the movie has a character in molten lava and this sequence makes you feel like you are in the lava with him as it splashes around. At many moments objects will pop out of the screen and use 3D pop in fun ways. I loved seeing Arnold Schwarzenegger pointing various guns out of the screen. All these scenes were in the original cut of the movie so it never looks forced or out of place. The movie looks fantastic in 3D and this is a wonderful conversion from 2D and a wonderful restoration of this movie. Obviously this movie was originally created in 2D so it does have limitations on the quality of the 3D, so it’s especially impressive how well the 3D fits this movie. This is a fine example of a quality 3D conversion. The 3D visuals look clean, sharp and make for a more visually enjoyable movie. This 3D conversation is highly recommended and is well done.    

Final Verdict: Great 3D

Movie

This movie is possibly one of the most difficult movies for me to review. It’s difficult for me to objectively make an unbiased movie review for such a wonderful movie. 

For me several statements are true regarding Terminator 2 Judgment Day:

·       Terminator 2 is possibly one of the best sequels of all time. 

·       Terminator 2 is one of the best action movies of all time.

·       Terminator 2 is one of the best movies staring Arnold Schwarzenegger.

·       Terminator 2 is one of the best movies from the 1990's.

·       Terminator 2 is the best Terminator movie in the franchise.

·       Terminator 2 is an iconic movie for my generation.  

So what exactly makes this movie so incredible? Basically it’s everything, the story, the action scenes and the characters are all top notch.

This movie tells the tale of futuristic robots who travel back in time to kill John Connor in the present time. In the future John Connor will be the leader of the human resistance against the robots. The robots previously attempted to kill Sarah Connor (John's mother), but they failed and now they return for another attempt to change the future. If you never seen the first Terminator movie you will be fine watching this movie because it does an excellent job of recapping that story yet being it's own chapter in this movie series. Two machines are sent back in time, one a T-800 model and one a T-1000 prototype model. The T-1000 is an incredible machine made up of liquid metal and can shape shift and transform into anyone it touches. The T-800 is a robot with a metallic skeleton that is made to appear human. Will the machines be successful in terminating John Connor and preventing the human resistance in the future?  Watch this movie to find out.

The movie is perfectly balanced with excellent action scenes that are exciting and entertaining. The special effects use both practical and computer graphics that look still fantastic after 26 years. At times the action is intense but it's well paced within the movie. The movie knows how to slow down and give the viewer some breathing room and explain the details of the story and characters. So many movies lately have shaky camera or do too many quick cuts that distract the viewer, but this movie knows how to showcase its incredible well-choreographed action scenes. The movie has many explosive set pieces and the action is enjoyable from beginning to end.

The movie has a subtle sense of humor that is perfectly handled. The movie has some jokes and moments of levity, but it never overwhelms with its use of comedy. The comedy works well for the tone of the movie and is never too silly or corny. The comedic elements are used to make a more enjoyable movie and to make the characters more enduring. The comedy is a nice addition to the movie that feels natural and is never forced.

The characters of Terminator 2 are what make this movie truly be special. Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) is a strong woman, who carries the weight of the world on her shoulders. Sarah knows all about the machines and the future and nobody believes her. John Connor portrayed by Edward Furlong does a great job in his role. John acts like a realistic young teenager and is independent and charismatic. For the most part all the characters have substance and depth and grow throughout the movie. Arnold Schwarzenegger is the T-800 Terminator machine and he does an excellent job with this role. The terminator is stiff like a robot should act, but has the capacity to learn. The T-800 shows fantastic character development during the movie. The T-1000 robot is menacing and threatening machine that has only a few lines but knows how to have a memorable presence on scene. Overall I enjoyed all the characters within this movie and the time spent on each character.

This version of the film is based upon the original 1991 theatrical cut of the movie with some changes. Some of the changes done to this movie are to correct minor continuity issues with the special effects that were visible in the original cut. Another change with this movie is with the visual fidelity. Like I mentioned within the 3D section of this review the visuals are now dramatically restored. The movie looks sharper and more colorful than ever before. The movie was never ugly to begin with but this restoration looks fantastic. These changes to the movie are worthy upgrades and only enhance the original movie. This is NOT a director’s cut, or extended edition of the movie. The changes don’t change the movie; they only perfect what is already present. If you are interested in the specific scenes that were changed and you don't mind spoilers this article from screenrant.com showcases the specific changes. The photo below might be helpful the showcase differences between the two versions. 

Another website Moviemistakes.com has many more mistakes (not all of which were corrected in this re-release) for Terminator 2 Judgment Day; you can read that article here. 

All that being said I am slightly disappointed that many of the additional and extended scenes that were part of the "extreme" and "ultimate" Terminator 2 edition DVD's weren't included in this restored version of the movie. Some of those deleted or alternate scenes were fantastic additions to the movie that really enhanced to the story. Specifically I really enjoyed the "smile" scene and the "chip reboot" deleted scenes. This is just a personal preference and this movie is perfectly fine without those additional scenes. 

One aspect of this movie that I truly love is how touching and sincere it is. Several scenes within this movie made me cry.  The emotions I felt within this movie were earned and never done by cheap manipulation or overly sappy scenes. Many lines of dialogue resonate with the viewer after the movie ends. The movie has a soul to it and it transcends beyond a typical brainless Hollywood action movie. The action scenes have meaning and I actually care if certain characters live or die. It delves into deeper questions, such as what is fate? Is humanity a doomed species? What does it mean to be a human being?  This movie is never preachy or obvious with its deeper elements. This movie is much greater than the sum of its parts. 

In closing Terminator 2 Judgment Day was an excellent movie in 1991 and is an excellent film in 2017 and forever shall be an excellent film. The movie is a modern day classic and is one of my favorite movies.  Terminator 2 Judgment Day is a must watch and a complete and total success of a movie. 

Final Verdict: 10 / 10

© STUDIOCANAL 2017 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 

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