Creed passes the Ran test with flying colors: there are no African-American sidekicks; no black criminals; no black "clowns" mugging for the camera; the black people aren't all uneducated; and the black guy isn't the first, or only, one to get killed (Actually, nobody dies in this movie. The black guy, who was the only one to get killed in a previous Rocky movie -- Rocky IV -- is mentioned quite often, however). And yet, the film -- a big-budget, mainstream Hollywood film -- is filled with African-Americans.
Rocky, Rocky II, Rocky V and Rocky Balboa all showcase the blue-collar and poor side of Philly -- but mostly Italian Philly. Creed features -- even parades -- African-American Philadelphia for the first time. But Creed's most significant departure from the rest of the series is something that shouldn't be such a big shift after all. The city is 44.1% African-American and the only black guys we've seen in the franchise up to this point are out-of-towners:Apollo Creed, his family and his team; Clubber Lang;Mason Dixon and his entourage; George Washington Duke; and Union Cane. For fuck's sake.
The black guy mentioned earlier, who was killed in Rocky IV, is former undefeated world heavyweight champion boxer Apollo Creed. And he practically haunts this film. It's even named after him. But it's his son Adonis' story and how he copes with having a legendary father. The previous film, Rocky Balboa, touched on Rocky's son Robert's struggle to live in his famous father's shadow as well and its revealed in this movie that he surrendered to the pressure and moved, not only out of Philly, but out of the country. Rocky tells Adonis that Robert, Jr. now lives in Canada. Adonis however, takes the challenge head-on. He not only takes up his father's profession, he moves from Los Angeles to Philadelphia in order to solicit the Italian Stallion's training expertise. And in turn, when Rocky needs someone to lean on, it is Adonis, and not his only son, who supports him. For the first time, Sylvester Stallone plays a supporting role in a Rocky movie -- and he was richly rewarded for it. He was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar and won a Golden Globe for the same category. Creed's release date, November 25, 2015, marks the fortieth anniversary of the date of the first scene in the original Rocky. How's that for coming full circle?
If you're looking for a movie that provides some good action, scary scenes and 2 hours of fun then you need to check out ‘Overlord.’ It’s nowhere near an award-winning type film but the acting is good (especially by that of the movie’s hero, Jovan Adepo) and it is has plenty of war action and some sci-fi scares. I'm not sure whether it's been set up for a sequel or not based on the ending but if they do come out with one I would not mind watching it. This is a great popcorn flick!
It is such a disappointment when you see a preview for a film that catches you from the get go and your anticipation just builds and builds and then you see the movie and afterwards you just can’t believe how let down you were. Well, unfortunately that is what happened with the new Steve McQueen film, “Widows.” Anything with a cast consisting of Jon Bernthal (he only makes a brief appearance but it matters not to me as he is one of the best actors today in my opinion), Robert Duvall, Colin Farrell, Daniel Kaluuya (excellent in the film), Liam Neeson and the always amazing Viola Davis I figured would have to be excellent. There are some outstanding performances needless to say so that does help. The other thing in its favor is the storyline, a unique one by today’s Hollywood standards. ***SPOILER*** When a group of robbers end up getting killed in a heist, the wives left behind end up getting pulled into a dangerous world of criminal behavior and have to pay back a debt they did not realize their husbands owed. So the story begins to focus on how they can pay back so much money and it comes down to doing a heist themselves. All of this you would think would keep you on the edge of your seat but the biggest downfall is that it takes forever (and I mean it feels like forever) for any action to take place! I bet it took an hour and a half before the ‘widows’ even pick up a gun. Anyway, there are some twists and a few highlights but it is definitely not the film I expected and wanted it to be.
Upgrade belongs to several movie sub-genres. It's a possession movie; a Frankenstein story; and an A.I.-gone-wrong film. Venom may have broken October box-office records but neither it nor Freddy's Revenge can hold a candle to Upgrade as a dark tale about two minds inhabiting the same body. Ex-Machina aspired to be The Bride of Frankenstein for the Digital Age but pales in comparison. As classic as it is, Robocop is an 80s movie -- and looks like it -- and its 2014 remake is a sink full of dishwater. We've seen the dangers of unchecked artificial intelligence before but Upgrade is way tf more exciting than Blade Runner. It's also a murder-mystery that even seasoned movie buffs won't unravel ahead of time.
I just got in from seeing ‘The Girl in the Spider’s Web’ and I can honestly say that Hollywood has blown its perfect opportunity to have its own female version of James Bond, a heroine by the name of Lisbeth Salander. In fairness I will admit to not having seen the first Swedish film based on the international bestseller, ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ but I did see the American version, starring Rooney Mara, and while it's the better of the two films, even that's not saying much. In the current film, Lisbeth Salander is played by Claire Foy and while I also enjoyed her portrayal, the movie itself was disappointing. It is hard to see this happen to one of my favorite series of books and character. In my opinion, Lisbeth Salander is one of the best characters in modern literature and it appears that she will have to remain that way - in literature and not in film.
Here it is, my take on ‘Bohemian Rhapsody.’ First let me begin by saying that my overall experience could have been much better because nothing ruins a movie faster for me than people who continue to talk, even in a low voice, after the previews. I don’t even like people talking during the previews! When you sit your butt down in those seats and the previews start, shut your pie-hole, people! You can talk outside! But I digress...
Anyway, I loved the film overall but say that with some mixed emotions because there were some scenes where I felt like the actors tried a tad ‘too hard’ to be like the real life characters they were portraying. To start, the storyline itself was good and kept me entertained from the get-go. The moment I saw Rami Malek, portraying Freddie Mercury, I was captivated and knew I was going to see a great performance. The introduction of Freddie to his future band-mates was done very well and it gave good insight, not a lot of background though, into how they worked their way to the top. As for the band members, Brian May, John Deacon and Roger Taylor, the actors portraying them did a great job and I commend them for their performances. They were all very much spot-on in terms of appearances, especially Gwilym Lee as Brian May (who looked and acted just like Brian May from the interviews and performances I have seen) and Joseph Mazzello as John Deacon. Ben Hardy, who portrays Roger Taylor, was good but just not as good as the others. But then of course you have the star of the show, Freddie Mercury himself, who apparently was as flamboyant in his lifestyle as he was on stage. I am not sure why the film is being criticized for not exploring his sexuality and diagnosis with AIDS as to me this was very well covered. I didn’t find anything insulting or insensitive about the way these things were portrayed either so I need to read more into what all the ruckus is about. Anyway, there were moments where I could really see Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury and then there were some scenes where I just saw the actor (with fake teeth) trying to be Freddie Mercury. For the most part, he does an outstanding job, especially as the film goes on and I want to believe it's because he became more comfortable with the character. There were others who were integral to the story, including Freddie’s parents, with whom he had a difficult relationship, especially his father, then his business partner, who really just used him and fed into his wild lifestyle of drinking, drugs and promiscuous sex, and most critical, the love of Freddie’s life, Mary Austin, portrayed by Lucy Boynton, who did a great job. I have to say I knew in real life Freddie Mercury had a female love interest early on but had no idea he asked her to marry him so this was a fun fact to learn. It was a surprise to see Mike Meyers in this film who does a very good job in the short time he's in it. But the real star of this film is the music and the recreation of one of the most historic moments in rock history -- Queen’s 1985 performance at Live Aid. The recreation is uncanny and Rami Malek and crew give the performances of the film during these scenes. Even with a few minor complaints about performances I still think this is is great film and would see it again!
