Director: Travis Knight
Writers: Marc Haimes (screenplay), Chris Butler (screenplay)
Stars: Charlize Theron, Art Parkinson, Matthew McConaughey

Synopsis: A young boy named Kubo must locate a magical suit of armor worn by his late father in order to defeat a vengeful spirit from the past.

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Laika studios may not have a deep resume but so far it’s very respectable. Coraline is a really good film from 2009, followed by ParaNorman and The Boxtrolls, which are slightly inferior but still good in their own right. And now here we are with Kubo in the Two Strings, which is their best film so far. In fact, I’d go as far as to say that Kubo in the Two Strings is one of the best films we’ve seen in 2016, period. The film is bursting with a pathos that lingers from the opening frame, coupled with Kubo‘s stunning visuals, making for one of the best experiences you’ll have this year.

Kubo (Art Parkinson) is a young boy taking care of this mother, who is slowly losing her memory. One day, after his aunts arrive and try to steal him away, Kubo’s mother sends him on a journey to locate a magical suit of armor that was worn by his late father. This magical suit is the only way to defeat his vengeful aunts and grandfather. With the help of a talking monkey (Charlize Theron), brought to life by his mother’s magic, Kubo begins his journey. They soon find the aid of Beetle (Matthew McConaughey), an ex-Samurai warrior who also suffers from memory loss after being cursed into his insect life-form. The three of them eventually learn secrets of who they actually are and that narrative is interwoven with such grace, wit and heart.

Marc Haimes and Chris Butler’s screenplay perfectly captures the heart of this story, but not without having a little joy along the way. They smartly inject humor that not only works well for these characters but also the narrative at large. The timing of it doesn’t always work but overall Haimes and Butler succeed in giving Kubo the needed fun that balances well with the film’s drama.

At the heart of that drama are these notions of memory and how they are used as a coping mechanism when we experience pain and suffering. It’s in these ideas where Haimes and Butler, and director Travis Knight, succeed the most. The way they are able to balance the surface level story, Kubo finding this armor, while expertly laying out these powerful themes of memory underneath is quite extraordinary. Additionally, those ideas tie provocatively to the Japanese lore depicted in Kubo, which was a perfect vehicle to carry out this story. As a result, the film’s climax is poignant, visually captivating and is sure to satisfy both children and adults alike.

Charlize Theron and Matthew McConaughey are great supporting voices but it’s Art Parkinson who steals the show. Parkinson’s vocal performance as Kubo is really something else. He confidently illustrates this longing Kubo has for family as well as this desire to just be a kid. Kubo is mature beyond his years but he is also a vulnerable young soul who longs for parental love. You feel every bit of that in Kubo and a big reason for that is Parkinson’s robust delivery. It is also why the film’s themes resonate so powerfully by the end.

Kubo and the Two Strings isn’t a film that relies on emotion, but rather it earns its affection by delivering a fun story that is engaging and moving in its demonstration of how family, and our memories of them, function when we need them the most. Memories sometimes fade but through storytelling, it keeps them alive as well as the people in them. It’s a powerful idea elevated by Dario Marianelli’s stirring score and the lush stop-motion animation provided by Laika studios. I cannot begin to reiterate enough how wonderful the visuals are in Kubo. It’s simply fantastic.

Go see this movie ASAP.

Overall Grade: A

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Hear our podcast review on Episode 183:

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Director: Mark Osborne
Writers: Irena Brignull (screenplay), Bob Persichetti (screenplay)
Stars: Jeff Bridges, Rachel McAdams, Mackenzie Foy

Synopsis: A little girl lives in a very grown-up world with her mother, who tries to prepare her for it. Her neighbor, the Aviator, introduces the girl to an extraordinary world where anything is possible, the world of the Little Prince.

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Animations have always held their place in our hearts. They typically appeal to the innocent nostalgia of our childhood, and there’s always a larger meaning hidden beneath the surface teaching us a valuable lesson we should be utilizing in our every day lives as adults. Every animation film should hold this peaceful center ground between being aimed towards children, and having a creative element that appeals towards adults. The Little Prince captures this healthy middle ground, and dazzles visually while doing it.

The Little Prince revolves around The Little Girl (Mackenzie Foy) whose mom has devoted her time to absolutely making sure that her daughter is accepted into what they call “The Academy.” This type of hard work, dedication to studying and working from when she wakes up until she goes to sleep. After a horrific failure at her initial interview with the academy, the little girl and her mother move into a new house, the little girl meets a man who simply goes by The Aviator (Jeff Bridges). The Aviator has seen a whole new foreign version of the world that The Little Girl has lived in forever. The Aviator has a story that revolves around him crashing his plane in the Sahara Desert and meeting the boy simply known as “The Little Prince.” After a terrible accident, this leaves The Little Girl alone, ready to search for The Little Prince in hopes to rekindle the relationship between The Aviator and The Little Prince.

With a wide variety of different animation styles, The Little Prince is an absolute joy visually. The film holds a lot of very serious undertones that create an incredible connection with the audience. Whether the audience is a young child, or a grown adult, the film has something that everyone can relate to and understand. The film only slams this idea into our heads further by having these immaculate visuals. With a modern animation style in the reality of the film, to the stop motion almost papyrus aesthetic when The Aviator tells his story, the film advances and broadens it’s spectrum visually. Giving something for everyone to enjoy.

As for a story, the idea is an incredibly interesting one, evolving from an almost Orwell 1984 dystopian city life, to the dream state glorified masterpiece that is the dream world and then finally we return to the Orwell style, showing the brutality of growing up and forgetting about people, and memories that meant a lot to you as a child. We see various different outlooks on the world our characters live in, and this adds another dimension to the film. Whole other universe’s are created, literally, and it is just pure essence of joy. We as an audience also connect seamlessly with these characters so once again props to the writers. It feels that in a lot of films that have been released this past year we seem to lack more and more connection with the characters causing the emotions that the film makers attempt to create to fall short. We cannot understand or even enjoy or dislike events that happen to a character if we don’t care about them at all.

The Little Prince is another wonderful little gem hidden within the canyons of Netflix’s selection. A diamond in the rough if you will. However, it’s an easy film to watch and comprehend, the film dazzles visually and emotionally giving us a copious number of emotions to feel and exhale as we finish the film. The film makers build us up, forcing us to feel for the characters and understand and share their happiness together. They also bring that happiness to a screeching halt and throw us down this rabbit hole of depression and anger, but only to bring us back to a glorious happy go lucky ending. In essence, The Little Prince film for audiences of all ages to enjoy.

Overall Grade: A-

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Hear our podcast review on a previous Extra Film:

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Director: Fede Alvarez
Writers: Fede Alvarez, Rodo Sayagues
Stars: Stephen Lang, Jane Levy, Dylan Minnette

Synopsis: A group of friends break into the house of a wealthy blind man, thinking they’ll get away with the perfect heist. They’re very wrong.

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My top movies so far this year are Green Room and 10 Cloverfield Lane. Both of these movie are beautifully acted and directed, and they have to be since they take place primarily indoors. Having a film take place in one primary location is a huge challenge because you need to keep the audience entertained for the entire running time. Thrillers like these I find enjoyable because it creates that psychological horror which to me is much more effective than your typical films in this genre. One of the reasons that Green Room and 10 Cloverfield Lane are successful is because they both have a strong antagonist and a strong heroine. I can’t say this enough, but I am all about strong female characters, and I love how more female characters are in roles that are usually reserved for men. Green Room has Patrick Stewart and Imogen Potts and 10 Cloverfield Lane has John Goodman and Mary Elizabeth Winstead. Don’t Breathe is the next great thriller of 2016 and despite its flaws should be considered one of the best horror films of 2016. Don’t Breathe is directed by Fede Alvarez (Evil Dead (2013)) and stars Jane Levy, Dylan Minnette, and Stephen Lang. Like Stewart and Goodman before him, Lang provides a bone-chilling performance as The Blind Man.

The plot is pretty straightforward as it tells the story of three Detroit teenagers, Alex ( Dylan Minnette), Money ( Daniel Zovatto) and Rocky (Jane Levy) that make a living breaking into people’s homes and stealing only valuables, not cash. Once learning about a blind military vet winning a huge $300,000 cash settlement, and figuring he’s an easy target, the trio invade the man’s secluded home in an abandoned neighborhood. Once inside they quickly learn that the blind man does an excellent impression of Frank Castle and Matt Murdock.

Although the plot is pretty straight-forward (and I may have already said too much), movies like this cannot be spoiled because the acting, cinematography (in particular the effective camera angles) and the intensity of the situation is something that needs to be seen to be believed. Fede Alvarez pays homage to several classic and recent thrillers including The Silence of The Lambs, Jaws, and Cujo. Alvarez’ camera is set up perfectly in almost every frame.

It’s important to mention that this film is more visually driven than anything else as the film probably has a total 25 minutes worth of dialogue, but trust me, the movie really takes off as soon as the blind man wakes up. I have been giving a lot of praise thus far but there are a few issues in the plot that are bigger than the Detroit ford buildings.

Jane Levy needs to be cast in more films asap as she was absolutely phenomenal as Rocky. I think Warner Bros. needs to give her a call because the part of Pamela Isley needs to be fulfilled in the DCEU. Stephen Lang delivers a home-run performance as The Blind Man and between these two performances are in line with Green Room and 10 Cloverfield Lane’s female-male duo.

Don’t Breathe is much better than I expected and is a beautifully shot and directed film that will give you chills for most of the running time.

Overall Grade: A

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Hear our podcast review on the Next Best Picture podcast:

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Director: Matt Ross
Writers: Matt Ross
Stars: Viggo Mortensen, George MacKay, Samantha Isler, Frank Langella

Synopsis: In the forests of the Pacific Northwest, a father devoted to raising his six kids with a rigorous physical and intellectual education is forced to leave his paradise and enter the world, challenging his idea of what it means to be a parent.

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This year has been seen an expansive divide between “big budget” filmmaking, which has been more of a let down, and the indie circuit which has been thriving stupendously in 2016. Matt Ross’ Captain Fantastic continues that upward trend for the indie market. Ross delivers a really funny, smart and emotionally satisfying film, all without being overly sentimental.

In the forests of the Pacific Northwest, Ben (Viggo Mortensen) is devoted to raising his six kids with an intellectual education and philosophy that challenges societal norms. Ben also implements a rigorous physical regiment that all of his kids must abide by at the same time. When they learn the fate of their mother, Ben is forced to take his family on a trip that causes friction between what he’s been teaching his kids and how the real world operates. All of this leads to a stirring conflict that will satisfy both of your movie needs for laughter and emotion.

Viggo Mortenson gives arguably one of the best performances of his career. Ben’s convictions and the love he depicts for his kids really comes through in Mortenson’s performance. The brutal honesty of his character not only adds a thematic punch to this film but also blistering humor that works great here. George MacKay is also very good as the eldest son, who is longing for some normalcy while still holding onto the roots of what his dad taught him. Nicholas Hamilton is worth noting as well. His scenes with Mortenson in particular are very affecting.

Captain Fantastic resonates heavily because of how Ross smartly interweaves a narrative that is fun on the surface but also thematically rich. The film offers several different viewpoints on parenting philosophies and cultral norms without telling the audience which one is right. Ross leaves it up to the audience to decide and simultaneously these notions provides robust conflict for the adult characters of the film. In one scene we see Ben and his family at dinner with extended family and it’s clearly evident that cultural norms are rubbing up against the isolation that Ben and his family have been clinging onto for years. The culmination of this tension is really funny but it raises some great questions about how we parent and why we choose to hide certain things from children.

Captain Fantastic thrives on comedy that knows when to peek its head and when to let drama and emotion carry the audience. Alex Somers score provocatively amplifies each of those elements, as does the beautiful cinematography from Stéphane Fontaine. The imagery of Captain Fantastic is breathtaking during its opening act when we are introduced to Ben and his family. Even as the family progresses from its initial location, Ross doesn’t let his setting go to waste. The camera becomes an important tool that he uses evocatively to capture the beautiful symbolism underneath this film and it makes for some captivating filmmaking.

Overall Grade: A

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Hear our podcast review on a previous Extra Film:

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Director: Todd Phillips
Writers: Stephen Chin (screenplay), Todd Phillips (screenplay)
Stars: Jonah Hill, Miles Teller, Steve Lantz

Synopsis: Based on the true story of two young men, David Packouz and Efraim Diveroli, who won a $300 million contract from the Pentagon to arm America’s allies in Afghanistan.
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Poor advertising can make or break a film. Whether it be the groundbreaking, eye boggling trailers (Suicide Squad) or just making a film appear it is apart of one genre when actually belonging to another. Leaving us as an audience disappointed when we go in expecting a drama and receiving a comedy or vice versa. And the absolute perfect example of this working in the audience’s favor is Todd Philips’ “War Dogs.”

Down on his luck massage therapist, and bedsheets salesman David Packouz (Miles Teller) is having trouble living the life he dreamed of in Miami Beach. After attending a funeral, David reunites with an old childhood friend Efraim Diveroli (Jonah Hill) who promises him fame and fortune as an arms dealer. With a baby on the way, David agrees to Efraim’s offer and the two begin what becomes known as one of the biggest arms scandals in the U.S. The two start running guns, literally, and start making money hand over fist. The two run into a bunch of speed bumps throughout the entirety of the film, ultimately ending up in their downfall.

The story is very well written, and very well delivered. The set up for the obstacles that the two encounter are very well thought out by the writers and very believable in the scenario that they two are placed in. A strength that the story possesses is that the two characters are each other’s own downfall, and their own worst enemy within the entirety of the film. Miles Teller is abrasive and demanding when he shouldn’t be and Jonah Hill is so wrapped up in himself that he can’t see straight. This makes for a very healthy, and effective set up as far as story telling elements go.

Speaking of Miles Teller and Jonah Hill, the dynamic duo both deliver stellar performances. Miles Teller seems to be starting a breakout career of sorts, with his breakthrough performance in Whiplash, and an upcoming Oscar worthy performance in Bleed for This, Miles Teller delivers yet again in War Dogs. At first, he kind’ve takes a back seat to Jonah Hill’s abrasive performance, but then more towards the end of the film, he breaks out of his shell and shines like the young promising actor he is proving himself to be. Personally, I get very excited anytime that Jonah Hill decides to do a drama performance versus his usual comedy repertoire. Jonah Hill is slowly proving more and more that his acting abilitity has a much farther range than witty one liners and back and fourth comedy routines. Jonah Hill absolutely shines in this film, and she be prospected by more drama directors for future projects.

Todd Philips is the man in the chair for this film, making it his 9th feature film. Philips is mainly known for directing the wildly popular comedy “Hangover” trilogy. But honestly, seeing this film from him is refreshing. The “comedy” in the “Hangover” is very lackluster and does not produce many laughs, and I believe Todd Philips realized this. War Dogs is a very effective and powerful drama about two guys trying to chase a dream and failing. The direction given by him is riveting and I believe he should continue to pursue dramas because this film is a perfect example of how to create drama.

As far as a production, the film is very standard. The cinematography is very straight forward and standard. The production and costume design don’t have a ton of outlandish and eye-appealing designs. But this just continues the whole proving that film relies on it’s screenplay and it’s story to deliver the drama. We don’t need any spectacular spectacle, or wonderful camera moves or production design because this film relies solely on the strength of the story, the dialogue and it’s characters.

War Dogs was advertised mainly as a comedy and I believe it fails in that endeavor, the film does not have a lot of funny moments, and the comedy it attempts to force into the film is not effective in anyway possible. I believe that this is the reason behind many other bad reviews of the film. The film is not a comedy in any means, there are funny moments hidden within the film, but the film is about a very serious subject and deals with a lot of serious subtext. That being said, this is an example of how bad advertising can work in a film’s favor.

War Dogs is a spectacular drama film, with a nearly flawless screenplay. The onscreen duo of Miles Teller and Jonah Hill, is just a pure joy to watch for the duration of the film. The story is told and delivered effectively and this film deserves much more attention than it is receiving by critics and the general audience.

Overall Grade: B+

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