Guardians of the Galaxy

 Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

Starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Lee Pace, Djimon Hounsou, John C. Reilly, Glenn Close, and Benicio Del Toro

And the voice talents of Vin Diesel and Bradley Cooper

Directed by James Gunn

Click here for my Letterboxd review

The RyMickey Rating:  D+

Click here for my previous RyMickey Rating review

Onward

Onward (2020)

Featuring the vocal talents of Tom Holland, Chris Pratt, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Mel Rodriguez, and Octavia Spencer

Directed by Dan Scanlon

Written by Dan Scanlon, Jason Headley, and Keith Bunin

Click here for my Letterboxd review

The RyMickey Rating: C+

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018)

Starring Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Rafe Spall, Justice Smith, Daniella Pineda, Isabella Sermon, James Cromwell, and Toby Jones

Directed by J.A. Bayona

Written by Derek Connolly and Colin Treverrow

Click here for my Letterboxd review

The RyMickey Rating: D

The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part

The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part (2019)

Featuring the vocal talents of Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett, Tiffany Haddish, Stephanie Beatriz, Charlie Day, Alison Brie, Nick Offerman, Maya Rudolph, and Will Ferrell

Directed by Mike Mitchell

Written by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller

Click here for my Letterboxd review

The RyMickey Rating:  D+

Avengers: Infinity War

Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

Starring Robert Downey, Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Josh Brolin, Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Don Cheadle, Tom Holland, Chadwick Boseman, Paul Bettanny, Elizabeth Olsen, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Tom Hiddleston, Idris Elba, Benedict Wong, Pom Klementieff, Karen Gillan, Danai Guirra, Letitia Wright, Peter Dinklage, Benecio del Toro and Gwyneth Paltrow

Featuring the vocal talents of Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel

Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo 

Written by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely

Summary (in 500 words or less):  Seemingly every single character from every single Marvel movie (with the exception of the Ant-Man cast for some reason) teams up to fight Thanos (Josh Brolin), a being who longs to collect six Infinity Stones scattered the universe in order to gain great power which he plans to wield in order to destroy half of the universe's population in order to create what he believes will be order across the galaxy.

• I've watched every single Marvel movie, but I've got to be honest -- when it comes to these Infinity Stones that are front and center in this flick, their importance never registered a lick for me when I watched the flicks.  Fortunately, it's not difficult to catch on -- and likely through some type of unknown osmosis, I must have somewhat understood things about this concept in the multitude of other Marvel movies despite never really paying attention to them before.  Nevertheless, the six stones -- Mind, Soul, Space, Power, Time, and Reality -- would allow Thanos to be seemingly unstoppable in his quest and this flick, despite carrying the "Avengers" moniker in the title is really a "Thanos flick."
• Interestingly enough, while Thanos is most certainly a "villain," his intentions carry much depth and by having this film focus so greatly on him, the audience is able to oddly connect with him in ways that we never really have done before with the baddies in the Marvel universe.
• The flick is a ballsy one, quite frankly.  Much has been made about how no one is safe...and that's certainly true.  Multiple deaths pepper the film and a few of them even carry some surprisingly emotional resonance.  Whether the sequel to the film changes the path of these now-deceased individuals, we will have to wait to see, it still packs a visceral wallop at moments.  You won't be on a high after watching this one...in fact, it'll likely be just the opposite.  And for a big budget motion picture that's a risky move...but it does pay off for the most part.
• Unfortunately, the film starts to drag after about an hour.  Action scene is stacked on top of action scene in the flick's final ninety minutes and the nonstop loud noises, explosions, and chaotic nature grow wearisome.  Yes, we get the standard Marvel humor peppered throughout -- which helps to make this company's films so much better than the dreary, "unfun" DC brand -- but it's not quite enough to boost this upward ratings-wise into the top five Marvel films for me.

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+

Movie Review - Passengers

Passengers (2016)

Starring Jennifer Lawrence, Chris Pratt, Michael Sheen, and Laurence Fishburne

Directed by Morten Tyldum

There was so much promise in the first hour of Passengers that I found myself wondering why in the world the critics and general public dismissed this sci-fi flick upon its release last Christmas.  And then the second hour happens and all the goodwill engendered vanishes as the film resorts to the typical Hollywood-ization of "bigger equaling better" instead of continuing on with the more intimate tale created at the outset.  The tale of two disparate films that never mesh together, Passengers ends up being an ambitious disappointment which is quite a shame.

Sometime in the distant future, the starship Avalon is traveling to the colony of Homestead II, an Earth-like planet that will hopefully provide a sustainable life for the 258 crew members and 5000 passengers aboard.  It's not a quick jaunt, however -- the journey takes 120 years -- so the people aboard the Avalon are placed into hypersleep due to wake up four months prior to their arrival on Homestead II.  Unfortunately for mechanic Jim Preston (Chris Pratt), his sleep pod opens up 90 years early and he finds himself completely alone on the gigantic spaceship with robot bartender Arthur (Michael Sheen) as his only companion.  After a year, however, Jim is finally no longer alone when writer Aurora (Jennifer Lawrence) is found walking around outside of her pod.

This romance in space is what works so incredibly well in Passengers.  The chemistry between the affable Chris Pratt and the engagingly whip-smart Jennifer Lawrence is compellingly sweet as the duo run rampant through a huge futuristic world.  Their solitary companionship is surprisingly successful.  Unfortunately, the film veers off that path in its final half, forcing the charming duo to engage in a typical science fiction/action scenario that stands in such stark contrast to the lovely romance that precedes it.  Admittedly, there is a twist to Passengers that I'm unwilling to discuss here and the twist is believable and successful in its implementation...which is why it's even more disappointing that director Morten Tyldum's film shifts to genericness at its conclusion.  There was a huge opportunity for this film to be daring particularly in its final act and then screenwriter Jon Spaiths just takes the easy Hollywood way out.  It hurts even more since the first hour of this thing is filled with nice performances and a different perspective on the science fiction genre.

The RyMickey Rating:  C

Movie Review - Jurassic World

Jurassic World (2015)

***Viewed in 3D***
Starring Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Ty Simpkins, Nick Robinson, Vincent D'Onofrio, Irrfan Khan, Jake Johnson, Omar Sy, BD Wong, and Judy Greer

Directed by Colin Trevorrow

While Jurassic World doesn't have the same emotional pull as 1993's Jurassic Park when we first witnessed dinosaurs roam across the screen under the more than capable direction of Steven Spielberg, this 2015 return to that same Costa Rican island is by far the best sequel of that film to come down the pike.  Thanks to similarly capable direction by Colin Trevorrow (of which this is only his second film), his crew of screenwriters, and surprisingly winning performances from Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard, Jurassic World is an enjoyable continuation of this series paying enough homage to the past while also creating well-rounded characters all on its own.

We return to Isla Nublar, and despite the chaos that ensued in the first three films of this series, the InGen corporation and its CEO Simon Masrani (Irrfan Khan) have decided to bankroll the theme park Jurassic World.  Years have gone by and the park is a huge success -- which is more than can be said for John Hammond's initial attempts in the first film of the series.  However, much like your typical theme park experience, the guests keep wanting more and more.  In order to satisfy the masses, the park's operations manager Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard) has had InGen's geneticists (headed by Dr. Henry Wu -- BD Wong of Jurassic Park fame) cook up a genetically-modified dinosaur called the Indominus rex which is bigger and more deadly than any predator currently on the island.  While he certainly appreciates the "Bigger!  Faster!  Scarier!" mindset, Masrani wants to ensure his guests' safety, so he asks Claire to have one of the park's well-respected trainers and former military man Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) check out the Indominus' paddock.  Unfortunately, as is wont to happen in a film like this, something goes wrong...and then things start getting worse and worse.

While the basic plot is certainly similar to that of Jurassic Park, the film never feels as if it's simply aping the original.  The amusement park aspect of this film is much more fully realized and more commercialized -- more fitting for today's society -- and feels unique enough to not be a simple rehash.  Yes, we're still given two kids in peril -- Claire's nephews Zach and Gray (Nick Robinson and Ty Simpkins) are visiting their aunt when all hell breaks loose.  We have another vehicle malfunction which causes some issues with the dinos (although this is at least almost as exciting as the Jeep sequence in the original since The Lost World gave us such a hideous car moment).  We have an ending that is nearly identical to the original.  Yet, somehow, Jurassic World still comes out feeling fresh (and this is coming from someone who just watched all the films in the Quadrilogy within the span of a week).

Part of the reason for Jurassic World's success is the charisma and charm exuded from Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard.  While I've liked Howard in things, I've never thought her to be a captivating presence onscreen.  She tends to always play dour and forlorn, yet here she totally won me over with an authoritative bitchiness which then gradually cedes into a somewhat heartwarming aunt who not only fears for her nephews but for her guests within the park.  It helps, of course, that in her scenes with Chris Pratt the two have a natural chemistry that creates a humorously amorous relationship.  Their constant bickering at the film's outset is inevitably foreshadowing a romance down the line, but the duo make the obviousness work.

Quite frankly, I'm not sure Pratt could ever not have chemistry with someone onscreen.  It's obvious that this guy has the charm, suaveness, and debonair attitude to be this decade's Movie Star and Jurassic World continues to prove that point.  He's fun to watch and I think that has to stem from the fact that Pratt is just beginning this leg of his career path.  He knows what's ahead and I think he's living in the moment and relishing every second of it.  His excitement is contagious and certainly works in the film's favor.

There's nothing wrong with having a little fun at the movies and Jurassic World is just that.  While it can't reach the levels of the original, it's certainly a worthy successor and one that carries on Spielberg and Michael Crichton's legacy proudly.

The RyMickey Rating:  B

*Note:  I'm really hovering between a B+/B here.  I'm so early in my 2015 reviews -- I've only seen three films at this point -- that my rubric is so small, it's tough to really judge.  I reserve the right to lower or raise this slightly once I've seen ten or so 2015 films.*

Movie Review - Guardians of the Galaxy

Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

Starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Lee Pace, Djimon Hounsou, John C. Reilly, Glenn Close, and Benicio Del Toro

And the voice talents of Vin Diesel and Bradley Cooper

Directed by James Gunn

The hit of Summer 2014, Guardians of the Galaxy is Marvel's funniest flick to date and it's those comedic aspects that work the best and give the film its life and vivacity.  Whereas some of the action sequences feel a bit derivative of things we've seen before (not just in Marvel flicks necessarily), the humor keeps Guardians kicking and makes it one of Marvel's better efforts to date.

Despite seeming perhaps convoluted, the overarching premise here is simple -- in outer space, a group of low-level criminals band together to fight a supervillain in hopes of saving their people and making a little money on the side.  While we're not reinventing the wheel, a film like this hinges on finding a credible cast of actors to portray an amusing cadre of characters in order to carry the film beyond the average.  Guardians succeeds undoubtedly as it's the characters (and the actors portraying them) that elevate this film to something worth watching.

Head of the brigade is Peter Quill -- an Earthling abducted when he was a young boy by a group of space pirates who saw potential in him to carry out various petty criminal acts because of his background.  Quill (played amusingly by It Guy of the Moment Chris Pratt) is a ladies' man, a guy's guy, and a self-aware jerk.  Having carried out many a petty crime, Quill is being hunted by bounty hunters as the film opens and, this being based on a highly inventive series of comic books, two of those hunters happen to be a small raccoon named Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper) and a tree-humanoid-type create named Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel) whose English vocabulary consists only of the sentence "I am Groot."  Quite frankly, Rocket and Groot make Guardians of the Galaxy the success it is.  Virtually unrecognizable vocally, Cooper's take on Rocket is hilarious giving the genetically engineered raccoon more hutzpah and humorous grit than I ever could have expected.  Add to that Diesel's shockingly amazing ability to convey a variety of emotions simply by spouting the words "I am Groot," and the dynamic duo of Rocket and Groot should be formulating their own spin-off as I type this.

Nice turns from Zoe Saldana and Dave Bautista round out the ragtag bandits who end up doing battle against the vicious Ronan the Accuser (a virtually unrecognizable Lee Pace) who is attempting to find the Infinity Stone which will give him great power and set him up to handily defeat his foe in Thanos (a cameo turn from Josh Brolin), widely considered to be one of the most powerful men in the universe.  With this being an origin story for the Guardians and their universe, it's obvious that set-up was going to be needed for Marvel virgins like myself, but the tensions between Ronan, Thanos, and the Guardians felt a bit underserved here.

Director James Gunn certainly ups the humor quotient in Guardians of the Galaxy to great effect, but the action sequences in the film he also co-wrote feel a bit underdone.  Perhaps it's just the silliness of battling in space -- which never feels "real" to me in any film -- but the sense of tension or excitement was never really present for me in any of the flick's action sequences.  Ultimately, this is a real shame because Guardians of the Galaxy attempts to be a breath of fresh air in the Marvel Universe.  While it certainly succeeds at being different, the potential was there for something better and it doesn't quite achieve it.

The RyMickey Rating:  C+

Movie Review - The Lego Movie

The Lego Movie (2014)

Featuring the voice talents of Chris Pratt, Will Ferrell, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett, Charlie Day, Alison Brie, Nick Offerman, Liam Neeson, and Morgan Freeman

Directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller

So much hype may have ruined The Lego Movie for me seeing as it was greeted with glowing reviews and much love from the public upon its release in February.  To me, directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller -- who brought us the fantastic Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (and the great 21 Jump Street as well) -- are repeating their same old shtick here with less success.  Perhaps their charm has worn thin as I found much of The Lego Movie's jokes to fall flat and the overall plot to be a bit boring and bland.

The Lego Movie follows Emmet Brickowski (voiced by Chris Pratt), a Lego construction worker who does everything by the book -- he follows directions and instructions to a T.  One evening on the construction site after everyone else has gone home, Emmet falls down a hole and finds, unbeknown to him, the much fabled (in the Lego world in which he lives) "Piece of Resistance" and, after touching it and seeing prophetic visions, Emmet is knocked out.  He awakens captured by Lord Business (Will Ferrell) -- the "mayor" of this aspect of the Lego universe who, Emmet discovers, is out to eliminate free-thinking and imagination.  Emmet is rescued from Business's clutches by Wyldstyle (Elizabeth Banks) and taken through a portal to a whole slew of Lego lands in an attempt to hide Emmet and the "Piece of Resistance" from Lord Business.  Emmet discovers on this journey that Lego lore states that whomever uncovers the "Piece of Resistance" is the Master Builder and will bring security to all of the Lego worlds which places unimaginative Emmet in a bit of a pickle since he has never been a free thinker...but now the Lego people must put their trust in him in order to defeat Lord Business.

The Lego Movie works best when the film takes on a variety of pop culture references and brings them to the forefront.  Seeing Lego Batman (voiced brilliantly by Will Arnett) and a variety of other well-known entities interact with Emmet is the most successful aspect of the flick.  Unfortunately, when The Lego Movie focuses on Emmet -- as it does most of the first half of the film -- the jokes don't land with as much resonance and get tired and worn quicker than they should.  Admittedly, my second viewing of director Lord and Miller's Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs didn't hold up, so maybe I've tired of their weird humor, but I'd like to think this impressive team has more to offer in the future.  Unfortunately, The Lego Movie bored me and that's sometimes the worst criticism one can offer.

The RyMickey Rating:  C

Movie Review - Delivery Man

Delivery Man (2013)

Starring Vince Vaughn, Chris Pratt, and Cobie Smulders 

Directed by Ken Scott

In order to make money in his younger days, David (Vince Vaughn) donated anonymously to a fertility clinic over the course of two years.  Twenty years later, David discovers that the clinic utilized his sperm to father 533 children, over a quarter of whom have filed a lawsuit to find out who their biological father really is.

Therein lies the story of Delivery Man and the simplicity of it is both welcoming and a detriment.  Unfortunately, in order to flesh out the tale, writer-director Ken Scott has David go on a mission to try and secretly meet each of the teenage kids named in the lawsuit and this episodic nature of the film's middle act wears thin after a while.  After he meets Kid #3, you can't help but to find yourself waiting for this never-ending meet-and-greet to conclude.

Delivery Man does have a surprising amount of heart and that's due in large part to Vince Vaughn's performance.  Although I grew tired of David's insistence on meeting his spawn, I never disliked Vaughn's ability to show a bit of heart -- a quality I typically haven't seen before from the comedic actor.  Unfortunately, Vaughn's success with the role isn't enough to elevate Delivery Man beyond something simply average.

The RyMickey Rating:  C

Movie Review - Her

Her (2013)

Starring Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams, Rooney Mara, Chris Pratt, and Olivia Wilde

Featuring the vocal talent of Scarlett Johansson

Directed by Spike Jonze

Full disclosure:  I watched Her immediately following shoveling a ton of snow and my tired body and rattled brain likely wasn't ready for the serious tone displayed by writer-director Spike Jonze.  While I appreciated the somewhat depressing look at love and intimacy presented by Jonze, I'm fully aware that a second viewing a few years from now may give me a greater appreciation of the film -- or may simply confirm my feelings that Her is good, but nothing more than that.

Joaquin Phoenix is Theodore Twombly, a thirtysomething guy who works as a writer of sorts.  You see, the film takes place in presumably the not-so-distant future and Theodore gets hired by regular folks to pen love notes or write personalized letters to their significant others.  (Odd, but kind of ingenious in the way it furthers the "lack of personal connection" in relationships that the film wants to highlight.)  Having just separated from his wife Catherine (Rooney Mara) and going through some rough divorce proceedings with her, Theodore downloads a new operating system for his computerized devices that is programmed to carry on conversations with its user.  Named Samantha (and voiced by Scarlett Johansson), the app quickly becomes a huge part of Theodore's daily life and, perhaps despite his best efforts, he becomes romantically attached to it/her.

Perhaps the reason for my lack of utter enjoyment of Her is the fact that I can't help but think that it paints a rather grim picture of our future.  While I loved Jonze's rendering of our country's upcoming years (set design and costumes were really top notch -- not too futuristic, but just enough to make their points), it's ultimately a bit disheartening.  While I think the film attempts to aim for your heart, it never really struck me there.  Phoenix is quite good as the lovable, though inherently sad Theodore, and it's incredibly easy to see why he fell for the sultry voice of Johansson, but despite their relationship being surprisingly believable, it was a tiny bit flat.  Perhaps that was the point, however -- a relationship with a "thing" rather than another person is going to be lacking that intimate connection.  (And see, as I type this, herein lies why I probably should watch this again...I'm liking it more as I ponder the film's conceptual ideals.)

With a great supporting turn from Amy Adams (is it wrong that I found her geeky character here much sexier than her alluring turn in American Hustle), Her is worth a watch, but I will admit that I'm a bit surprised it cracked the Best Picture list of nine.  Then again, as I mentioned, perhaps I wasn't in the right mindset and it may need another viewing in time.

The RyMickey Rating:  B