Murder on the Orient Express

Murder on the Orient Express (2017)

Starring Kenneth Branagh, Penelope Cruz, Willem Dafoe, Judi Dench, Johnny Depp, Josh Gad, Derek Jacobi, Leslie Odom, Jr., Michelle Pfeiffer, and Daisy Ridley

Directed by Kenneth Branagh

Written by Michael Green

Summary (in 500 words or less): Detective Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) embarks on what should be a pleasant train ride only to discover that a murder has occurred.  The only possible culprits are those on the train and it's up to Poirot to figure out whodunit before the train reaches its destination...and before they strike again.

• Kenneth Branagh's Murder on the Orient Express feels like it could have been made decades prior to this one.  That's not a bad thing, however, in this fast-paced culture in which we live, even I feel like this one could've stood to have a bit more life injected into it.  The pace proves to be a bit too slow.
• It's fun to see a big cast like this and the film's twists and turns allow most of them to ham it up every now and again with some overly dramatic moments.  The cheesy corniness works in a film like this and isn't ever laughable, but instead adds to the overall aesthetic.  
• That said, while the actors' corniness isn't laughable, the story often is.  The plot's surprise mystery twists just end up seeming too convoluted to be even moderately believable.  Sure, the screenwriter is simply following in the footsteps of Agatha Christie's book...but that doesn't mean Agatha Christie's book was any good.  Sometimes simpler is better, but in my few experiences with Christie -- via movies, plays, or books -- she doesn't follow that mantra...and it doesn't always work with modern-day audiences.

The RyMickey Rating:  C+

Thor: Ragnarok

Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

Starring Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Idris Elba, Jeff Goldblum, Tessa Thompson, Karl Urban, Anthony Hopkins, and Mark Ruffalo

Directed by Taika Waititi

Written by Eric Pearson, Craig Kyle, and Christopher Yost

Summary (in 500 words or less):  Thor (Chris Hemsworth) returns to his home planet of Asgard and forces his brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) to help find their father Odin (Anthony Hopkins) who was missing, but then found hiding in Norway.  Odin reveals that he is dying and that his death will unlock the prison cell that his firstborn daughter Hela (Cate Blanchett) has been kept in for years because of Odin's fear that his daughter was becoming too ambitious.  Upon Odin's death, Hela returns to Asgard and chaos begins to reign as she forces Thor and Loki off the planet.  Thor lands on  Sakaar, a weird planet full of space waste and home to massive gladiator-style battles by people captured by The Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum), one of whom happens to be the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) who had been missing ever since the events of "Captain America: Civil War."

• Right off the bat, I should just say that Thor: Ragnarok is my favorite Marvel movie yet.  Director Taika Waititi (along with the trio of screenwriters) have crafted a fun-filled humorous ride filled with solid action sequences that carry some gravitas and importance in the grand scheme of the Thor franchise storyline.
• The balance struck here by Waititi in terms of action and humor is what the Guardians movies wants to be, but hasn't yet achieved. 
• Considering how much I despised Thor: The Dark World, I admittedly wasn't expecting much here, but the change in tone to something a bit more light-hearted works amazing well.
• Despite the oftentimes more whimsical and humorous nature of the film, there's still some important stuff going on here.  The family dynamic between Thor, his sister Hela, and their brother Loki is some heavy stuff and carries heft in the grand scheme of Thor's story...all the while likely helping to set up storylines for the upcoming Avengers film.
• Kudos to the entire cast -- Chris Hemsworth gets to display his comedic chops (which are always impressive), Jeff Goldblum and Mark Ruffalo appear to be having a ton of fun, Tessa Thompson brings a strong female presence to the proceedings, and Cate Blanchett tears up the screen as the villainess.  SPOILER ALERT -- Here's hoping they can find some way to bring her back in future films because she lit up the screen whenever she appeared.

The RyMickey Rating:  B+

Spider-Man: Homecoming

Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

Starring Tom Holland, Michael Keaton, Jon Favreau, Zendaya, Laura Harrier, Jacob Batalan, Tony Revolori, Marisa Tomei, Chris Evans, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Robert Downey, Jr.

Directed by Jon Watts

Written by Jonathan Goldstein, John Francis Daley, Jon Watts, Christopher Ford, Chris McKenna, and Erik Sommers

Summary (in 500 words or less):  After the events of Captain America: Civil War, Peter Parker (Tom Holland) - AKA Spider-Man - returns to New York where he wants to officially join the Avengers, but is told by Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.) that he is not ready.  Peter returns to high school while fighting minor crimes in the city underneath the Spider-Man outfit.  At the same time, Adrian Toomes (Michael Keaton) is incredibly angry after the Department of Damage Control reneges on the deal his salvage company had received to continue clean-up of the Battle of New York (which was seen in the original "The Avengers" movie).  Toomes had already uncovered several pieces of extraterrestrial paraphernalia and has discovered that he can utilize them to create advanced weapons.  Eventually, the worlds of Peter Parker and Adrian Toomes will combine as Parker attempts to prove to Tony Stark that he deserves to be an Avenger.

• Undoubtedly the best Spider-Man movie to date, Spider-Man: Homecoming is a fun ride, filled with some great performances and a bad guy in Adrian Toomes - AKA The Vulture - who feels based in reality as opposed to being some maniacal supervillain hellbent on the destruction of Earth.
• Despite having storylines being built upon from previous Marvel films, I couldn't help when watching this to think that this would be a great introduction into the Marvel Universe for a young kid.  There's something refreshingly innocent about the proceedings.
• Sure, there may have been a sextet of screenwriters for this one -- a number which usually doesn't bode well for things -- but this group manages to create a balance between typical Marvel tropes and a 1980s John Hughes-ian vibe which the screenwriters and director Jon Watts admitted they were going for.
• Tom Holland is absolutely engaging as Peter Parker and actually feels like a high school kid which is something the previous iterations could never quite manage.  His classmates -- Zendaya, Laura Harrier, Jacob Batalan, and more -- help to create a humorous and realistic high school atmosphere that doesn't feel fake, but also doesn't feel outside the realm of the Marvel Universe itself.

The RyMickey Rating:  B+

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)

Starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Elizabeth Debicki, and Kurt Russell

And the vocal talents of Vin Diesel and Bradley Cooper

Directed by James Gunn

Written by James Gunn

***This film is currently streaming via Netflix***

Summary (in 500 words or less):  The Guardians clan is back as we further explore familial relationships of members of the group.  Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) reunites with his long-lost father, the god Ego (Kurt Russell), while Gamora (Zoe Saldana) continues to explore the rocky relationship with her sister Nebula (Karen Gillan).  

• Many Marvel fanboys love the irreverence of this series, but as evidenced in the first Guardians film and now this one, these movies don't excite me as much as others.  I like the characters that inhabit the films, but writer-director James Gunn hasn't yet crafted an overarching story that really pulls me in.  
• There is certainly a charm and ease that Gunn and his cast delivers.  The easy-going nature of this flick makes for an enjoyable watch at times, but whenever the film tries to create exciting action sequences, I find myself checking out.
• Unlike some other Marvel franchises which didn't succeed on their first go-rounds, but then rebounded on their second like Captain America (or even vice-versa, succeeding in their first and failing in their second like Thor), Guardians has maintained this middle ground of being simply average through both of its film iterations.

The RyMickey Rating:  C+

Snatched

Snatched (2017)

Starring Amy Schumer, Goldie Hawn, Joan Cusack, Ike Barinholtz, Wanda Sykes, and Christopher Meloni

Directed by Jonathan Levine

Written by Katie Dippold

***This film is currently streaming via HBO***

Summary (in 500 words or less):  Fired by her job and dumped by her boyfriend, Emily (Amy Schumer) is desperate to have fun on her pre-planned trip to Ecuador.  With no one to go with her, Emily reluctantly agrees to have her mother Linda (Goldie Hawn) tag along.  While out exploring the island, Emily and Linda are kidnapped by masked men and they must do all they can to return to safety.

• Snatched is a 2017 equivalent of Romancing the Stone -- an "adventure comedy" minus the romance -- but it's not as good as that fun 1980s flick.
• My first experience with Amy Schumer was with the very good Trainwreck, but this film squanders her comedic chops with a plot that can't really sustain itself even over the short runtime.
• That said, because of both Schumer and Goldie Hawn, Snatched is much more watchable than it deserves to be.  Yes, subplots with some ridiculous characters played by Ike Barinholtz, Joan Cusack, Wanda Sykes, and Christopher Meloni are too silly to merit screentime, but at its heart the mother/daughter dynamic between Schumer and Hawn is believable and undeniably enjoyable.  It makes me long for Hawn to take part in a better film instead of having this be her first screen venture in 15 years.  Here's hoping she doesn't wait another decade-and-a-half before she takes another role.

The RyMickey Rating:  C+

Justice League

Justice League (2017)

Starring Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Gal Gadot, Ezra Miller, Jason Momoa, Ray Fisher, Jeremy Irons, Diane Lane, J.K. Simmons, and Ciarán Hinds

Directed by Zack Snyder
Written by Chris Terrio and Joss Whedon

Summary (in 500 words or less):  Indulge me for a moment, as I copy the first paragraph of the Wikipedia summary for Justice League -- 

"Thousands of years ago, Steppenwolf and his legions of Parademons attempt to take over Earth with the combined energies of three Mother Boxes.  They are foiled by a unified army that includes the Olympian Gods, Amazons, Atlanteans, mankind, and the Green Lantern Corps.  After repelling Steppenwolf's army, the Mother Boxes are separated and hidden in locations on the planet.  In the present, mankind is in mourning over Superman, whose death triggers the Mother Boxes to reactivate and Steppenwolf's return to Earth an effort to regain favor with his master, Darkseid.  Steppenwolf aims to gather the artifacts to form "The Unity," which will destroy Earth's ecology and terraform it in the image of Steppenwolf's homeworld."

• Granted, there's a whole lot more to Justice League than that summary above, but just reading that gives you an idea of how ludicrous the overarching story of how this movie is.  Justice League is supposed to be DC Comics' equivalent of Marvel's Avengers, bringing together the best of DC's superheroes, and yet director Zach Snyder and his two screenwriters squander the appeal of bringing together Batman (Ben Affleck), Superman (Henry Cavill), Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), the Flash (Ezra Miller), Aquaman (Jason Momoa), and Cyborg (Ray Fisher).
• It's obvious that screenwriter Joss Whedon was brought on to add lightness and humor to the decidedly heavy aesthetic that always permeates the DC Universe films.  While some jokes land, most just feel like they were added on in reshoots.
• Ben Affleck has talked about leaving the franchise and I think that's best.  Granted, it isn't all his fault as Zack Snyder's choice of direction cause the character to lose any modicum of charisma, but Affleck just never seems like he's having fun with this iconic figure in the slightest.
• The Flash is certainly the standout here to me with Ezra Miller getting the bulk of Whedon's jokes and thereby showing the most charisma.  Perhaps his standalone film will be the first DC flick to actually win me over completely because thus far, they've been incredibly disappointing.

The RyMickey Rating:  C-

Wonder Woman

Wonder Woman (2017)

Starring Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Robin Wright, Danny Huston, David Thewlis, Elena Anaya, and Connie Nielsen

Directed by Patty Jenkins

Written by Allan Heinberg
***This film is currently streaming via HBO***

Summary (in 500 words or less):  The origin story of the titular super hero, we follow a young Diana who as a child admires the warrior women with whom she lives on the island of Themyscira.  Trained by her aunt (Robin Wright) in the ways of the Amazonian females, a grown Diana (Gal Gadot) rescues American pilot Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) after his plane crashes in the waters off of her island home.  He tells Diana that World War II is ongoing and Diana leaves Themyscira in hopes of finding Ares, the God of War, who ages ago caused chaos amongst the gods.  It's decidedly more complicated than that...but long story short, Diana wants to seek revenge on damage Ares caused the Amazonian women years ago.

• While Wonder Woman is the best DC comics film so far, it really didn't need to be all that good in order to achieve that title.
• Much was made about how this was the first female-fronted superhero film and while that's an admirable feat, in my opinion the film was overpraised simply because of that.  At its heart, Wonder Woman is an origin story and most superhero origin stories lack excitement overall and that's the case here.
• Gal Gadot is fine as Diana, but she lacks a bit of nuance.  I think in subsequent films (see Justice League which will be reviewed soon), her character grows in appeal, but here she's a bit too stalwart which at times is a bit off-putting.
• Although directed by someone other than Zack Snyder whose stamp has been on nearly every DC movie thus far, this film still carries his aesthetic at times.  Most of the opening act taking place on the Amazonian island looks so fake and computer-generated that it's tough to really buy into what we're seeing.

The RyMickey Rating:  B-

Dunkirk

Dunkirk (2017)

Starring Fionn Whitehead, Mark Rylance, Tom Hardy, Tom Glynn-Carney, Barry Keoghan, Jack Lowden, Harry Styles, Aneurin Barnard, James D'Arcy, Cillian Murphy, and Kenneth Branagh

Directed by Christopher Nolan
Written by Christopher Nolan

Summary (in 500 words or less):  A look at the land, sea, and air military actions taking place in Dunkirk, France, during an epic battle during WWII between the Allied and Nazi forces.

• There's a visceral excitement to Dunkirk as director-writer Christopher Nolan drops the viewers right into the action from the film's outset leaving behind backstories about characters and instead focusing the flick's entire 100-minute runtime on the action taking place as Allied troops retreat to coastal Dunkirk, France, while they await to be rescued as the Germans close in on them.
• The fact that Nolan isn't really in the running for the Best Director Oscar (despite being nominated) is shocking to me.  While it's true Nolan's film isn't so much about characters, what he's done here visually and cinematically is stunning. 
• The men on the beaches of Dunkirk fought together and died together and Nolan's desire to treat them as a mass of men instead of singular individuals is an interesting concept.  While it's not something we're used to as a cinematic audience, the film still manages to carry emotional weight which is a triumph.
• Nolan puzzle pieces the land, sea, and air battles together, eschewing a linear timeline which does at times prove a bit confusing, but in the end works as the pieces fit together and we see the whole picture he was trying to create.
• Ultimately, the film doesn't quite succeed at showcasing the MASSIVE battle and rescue attempt that happened at Dunkirk -- in fact, fellow Oscar nominee Darkest Hour did a better job at that -- but Nolan's film is still a great visceral piece of cinema...and this is coming from someone who thinks Nolan has been a bit overrated prior to this.

The RyMickey Rating:  B+