Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017) --- "A Thousand Planets Can Take You On A Long Journey Through The Galaxy."

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Plot Summary

In the 28th century, special operatives Valerian (Dane DeHaan) and Laureline work together to maintain order throughout the human territories. Under assignment from the minister of defense, the duo embarks on a mission to Alpha, an ever-expanding metropolis where diverse species gather to share knowledge and culture. When a dark force threatens the peaceful city, Valerian and Laureline must race against time to identify the menace that also jeopardizes the future of the universe. (1) 

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     In Luc Besson’s new movie, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017), he takes what people loved about his 1997 film The Fifth Element and the visuals of James Cameron’s 2009 film Avatar, and gave us one of the most visually pleasing films since Avatar. It is obvious how much work went into bringing the world of Valerian to life. The visuals are amazing and captivating, to say the least. There is a ton of CGI that is so realistic that most of it could pass as movie makeup and it also shows how cheaply the effects are in some movies. In addition, it is impressive the creativeness of the Art Direction, Set Direction (Evelyne Tissandier), Costume Design (Olivier Bériot), and the Makeup Department (Thi Thanh Tu Nguyen), which only enhances the beauty of the world displayed; a world where well known cameos don’t feel forced or out of place.

The Fifth Element (1997) --- “Local Man Searches The Galaxy For The Elements. You Won't Believe How Number 5 Saved Him!”

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In the 23rd century, a New York City cabbie, Korben Dallas (Bruce Willis), finds the fate of the world in his hands when Leeloo (Milla Jovovich) falls into his cab. As the embodiment of the fifth element, Leeloo needs to combine with the other four to keep the approaching Great Evil from destroying the world. Together with Father Vito Cornelius (Ian Holm) and zany broadcaster Ruby Rhod (Chris Tucker), Dallas must race against time and the wicked industrialist Zorg (Gary Oldman) to save humanity. (1) 

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     The Fifth Element (1997) is a comic, pulp, sci-fi film that is pretty different from director Luc Besson’s heavier and high-octane films like the Taken trilogy, the Transporter films, and even Lucy (2014). However, this film does not seem out of place in his repertoire and despite most of his films being majorly serious with little to no humor (with the exception to 2014’s The Family), The Fifth Element is by no means a serious film with a fairly decent size fan base. As a Sci-fi film, The Fifth Element is a worthy addition to the genre by bringing mythology, other world creatures; Star-trek worthy action, and futuristic special effects, this film covers all its basis. The humor only adds to the film’s range/reach and without it then the film probably would not have been as successful as it was, bringing in a Worldwide Gross of $263.9 million USD. It is obvious that in 1997, The Fifth Element was ahead of its time.

Dunkirk (2017) --- "Even Impossible Odds Can Have Extraordinary Outcomes."

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Plot Summary

In May 1940, Germany advanced into France, trapping Allied troops on the beaches of Dunkirk. Under air and ground cover from British and French forces, troops were slowly and methodically evacuated from the beach using every serviceable naval and civilian vessel that could be found. At the end of this heroic mission, 330,000 French, British, Belgian and Dutch soldiers were safely evacuated. (1)

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     Director Christopher Nolan has reached the pinnacle of on-screen spectacle with the visual stunning film that is Dunkirk (2017). The cinematography (Hoyte Van Hoytema, director of photography) is masterful and while there is a growing trend of action films relying on CGI, here Nolan kick that trend as far as possible and instead the feats of practical effects are breathtaking: there were nearly 6,000 extras cast, authentic WWII vehicles used, and the beach of Dunkirk was  used as the actual shooting location. There have been a lot of opinions on Nolan’s usage of IMAX film cameras but I can only say that is ever enriched this film. The cinematography was breathtaking and every frame looked terrific. There is no question that Dunkirk will be compared to other WWII classics like Saving Private Ryan (1998) and while both films deliver great performances that are where the similarities end. While Saving Private Ryan was engrossing as an emotional narrative due to the depth of its characters and their mission, Dunkirk is more about its subject matter and spectacle. There is no actual leading character(s) in this film but I will explain why it wasn’t needed later on.

Fury (2014) --- "Sometimes Even The Strongest Of Places Can Have Weaknesses And Be Melancholy."

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April 1945. As the Allies make their final push in the European Theatre, a battle-hardened Army sergeant named Wardaddy (Brad Pitt) commands a Sherman tank and his five-man crew on a deadly mission behind enemy lines. Outnumbered, and outgunned, Wardaddy and his men face overwhelming odds in their heroic attempts to strike at the heart of Nazi Germany. (1)

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*WARNING* this movie contains brutal fighting/war games, blood, guts, and heavy usage of the F-bomb ( in practically every sentence).

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This is one of the best war movies since, Saving Private Ryan, Black Hawk Down, and the Thin Red Line. When you first view this movie you may think that this movie is too intense, that this depiction of WW2 was far too brutal to have happened, unless of course you actually studied what happened during WW2.

War Horse (2011) --- "The Bond Between A Boy And His Horse Travels Across Countries And Through Years."

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Albert (Jeremy Irvine) and his beloved horse, Joey, live on a farm in the British countryside. At the outbreak of World War I, Albert and Joey are forcibly parted when Albert's father sells the horse to the British cavalry. Against the backdrop of the Great War, Joey begins an odyssey full of danger, joy, and sorrow, and he transforms everyone he meets along the way. Meanwhile, Albert, unable to forget his equine friend, searches the battlefields of France to find Joey and bring him home. 

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    Steven Spielberg has directed many amazing movies throughout his career; films like Schindler's List, Jaws, E.T, and Saving Private Ryan just to name a few. So when it was announced that Spielberg was going to be directing film adaption called War Horse there is no doubt that the film would have some big shoes to fill considering that the play and book, of the same name, were big hits. Based on the book by Michael Morpurgo (When the Wales Come, My friend Walter), War Horse, which should be an essential children’s read, tells the story of a young boy named Albert Narracott (Jeremy Irvine – The Railway Man, Now is Good) and his beloved horse Joey. Living in the countryside of the Britan, Joey and Albert develop a unique bond that beyond a simple relationship between man and animal, they are each other’s best friends. But Joey and Albert’s bond gets tested with the beginning of World War I and the two find themselves separated through warring countries. As Joey finds himself trapped in the devastating fields of war can Albert keep his promise to find him and bring him home?

Unbroken (2014) --- "Sometimes Not Giving Up Means Going Past Your Limitations."

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 As a boy, Louis "Louie" Zamperini is always in trouble, but with the help of his older brother, he turns his life around and channels his energy into running, later qualifying for the 1936 Olympics. When World War II breaks out, Louie enlists in the military. After his plane crashes in the Pacific, he survives an incredible 47 days adrift in a raft, until his capture by the Japanese navy. Sent to a POW camp, Louie becomes the favorite target of a, particularly cruel prison commander. (1)

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     Unbroken (2014) is the heartbreaking and inspiring true story told and directed with realism and heart. We see the skies raining down bombs and a sea full of sharks, some people are merciless while others kind. But throughout all of the pain and suffering, there is Zamperini with is mantra/message, "If you can take it, you can make it." The direction (Angelina Jolie) and cinematography (Roger Deakins) were superb but in a subtle way. The story, based off the book of the same name by Laura Hillenbrand, is a great bit of a history as it is co-written by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen (Down from the Mountain). There are two ways you can approach this film.

War for Planet of the Apes (2017) --- "The Rise Of An Ape World May Cause Human Speech Impediments."

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Caesar (Andy Serkis) and his apes are forced into a deadly conflict with an army of humans led by a ruthless colonel (Woody Harrelson). After the apes suffer unimaginable losses, Caesar wrestles with his darker instincts and begins his own mythic quest to avenge his kind. As the journey finally brings them face to face, Caesar and the colonel are pitted against each other in an epic battle that will determine the fate of both of their species and the future of the planet. (1)

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     Counting the saga from the original 1968 version, War for the Planet of the Apes (2017) is the 9^th Planet of the Apes film and the third in the most recent reboot. In 10 years after Rise of Planet of the Apes (2011), a simian virus has wiped out about 95% of the human race. Now it’s 5 years after Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014) and the last two human factions are preparing for a final epic war against each other, while at the same time uniting against the apes. The apes, led by Caesar, wish to be left alone in the forest but the humans, focused on their destruction, force the apes to fight. After one particular attack and unimaginable losses, Caesar erupts in anger and wrestles with his darker side as he begins his own quest for vengeance, thus providing the foundation for the movie.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014) --- "The Dawning Of An Ape World May Lead To An Ape Betrayal We Saw Coming."

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Ten years after simian flu wiped out much of the world's homo sapiens, genetically enhanced chimpanzee Caesar (Andy Serkis) and his ever-growing band of followers have established a thriving colony just outside San Francisco in Muir Woods. Meanwhile, a small band of human survivors emerges, which forces Caesar -- as a leader -- to grapple with the dual challenge of protecting his people and re-establishing a relationship with the remaining human population -- the latter being Caesar's secret wish.

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     Rise of Planet of the Apes (2011) [RISE] is one of the rare remakes that proved to be a success and even enhanced the original film. In addition, the film had heart and an original take on a well-known story.  However, RISE pales in comparison to the almost Sci-fi masterpieces that is Dawn of Planet of the Apes (2014) [DAWN] directed by Matt Reeves (Firefly, War for Planet of the Apes) and picks up 10 years after the events in RISE. There is very few movie today that use an overload of CGI without feeling overused (i.e. Avatar, The Hobbit trilogy, etc) and DAWN is one of those lucky few. The film was seamless and the level of craftsmanship displayed is marvelous,  I forgot that I was mainly watching CGI characters brought to life through motion-capture (mo-cap) technology. But the CGI is not the only thing that succeeded in this film, instead, there are three main parts that without one or the other than the movie would have sunk.

Rise of Planet of the Apes (2011) --- "Sometimes A Reboot Can Have Positive Results."

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 Will Rodman (James Franco), a scientist in San Francisco, is experimenting with a drug that he hopes will cure his father's (John Lithgow) Alzheimer's disease. After his work is deemed a failure, Will becomes the guardian of Caesar, an infant chimp who was exposed in-utero to Will's drug. Caesar displays unusual intelligence, and Will decides to continue his experiments secretly. But as Caesar's intellect and abilities grow, he comes to represent a threat to man's dominion over Earth. (1)

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     I was a bit hesitant to see Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011) when it first came out, partly because I loved the original 1968 version and the 2001 reboot did not do the franchise justice. After seeing the film, I was truly surprised that I enjoyed the film. The script is very well written by being both entertaining and intellectual with a certain depth of storytelling that it is very rarely seen in movies today. In films like Transformers, the non-human characters end up getting lost somewhat as the plot is primarily driven by the human characters. This film does not do that, in fact, the humans take a back seat in the film and are mostly there for dialogue purposes. This allows for the ape-centered story to shine through and it does so with purpose.

Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) --- "Which Is Worse: Asking Your Crush To Prom Or Stopping An Bird-Man From Terrorizing The City?"

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Following the events of Captain America: Civil War (2016), Peter Parker attempts to balance his life in high school with his career as the web-slinging superhero Spider-Man.(1) 

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     As Marvel fans and moviegoers know that in the last 15 years we have three different Spider-Mans that follow somewhat different plotlines. So it was understandable that audiences would feel apprehensive when it was announced that Marvel Studios was coming out with Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017). But fear not for Spider-Man: Homecoming nothing like the disappointing reboot of The Amazing Spider-Man (2012 & 2014) and it brings something new to the table.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014) --- "This Is Why Non-Metal, Latex Suits Are The Preferred Choice Of Superheros."

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We've always known that Spider-Man's most important conflict has been within himself: the struggle between the ordinary obligations of Peter Parker and the extraordinary responsibilities of Spider-Man. But in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Peter Parker finds that his greatest battle is about to begin. It's great to be Spider-Man. For Peter Parker, there's no feeling quite like swinging between skyscrapers, embracing being the hero, and spending time with Gwen. But being Spider-Man comes at a price: only Spider-Man can protect his fellow New Yorkers from the formidable villains that threaten the city. With the emergence of Electro, Peter must confront a foe far more powerful than he. And as his old friend, Harry Osborn, returns, Peter comes to realize that all of his enemies have one thing in common: Oscorp.

- Written by Sony Pictures Entertainment

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     Although I enjoyed The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014) but I was not super impressed with it. The film was entertaining. The action and visuals were fun and they way in which they displayed Spider-Man’s spidey sense was very interesting. However the story felt very predictable so the few twists or interesting scenes were not as surprising as they could have been. The film needed to hit some major plot points but since there was no actual flow in the film the plot developments keep coming with no end in sight. This made the plot very choppy and did not feel like it had been finished properly. The only other issue, as far as the story goes, that I have is the subplot of Peter's search for what happened to his parents, mainly his father. It was a new and interesting idea considering that the original trilogy did not do so but it was underused and more so there to fill time in between the romance and action.

The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) --- "Spider-Man Vs. Lizard-Man...Who Will Survive?"

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Peter Parker (Garfield) is an outcast high schooler who was abandoned by his parents as a boy, leaving him to be raised by his Uncle Ben (Sheen) and Aunt May (Field). Like most teenagers, Peter is trying to figure out who he is and how he got to be the person he is today. Peter is also finding his way with his first high school crush, Gwen Stacy (Stone), and together, they struggle with love, commitment, and secrets. As Peter discovers a mysterious briefcase that belonged to his father, he begins a quest to understand his parents' disappearance - leading him directly to Oscorp and the lab of Dr. Curt Connors (Ifans), his father's former partner. As Spider-Man is set on a collision course with Connors' alter-ego, The Lizard, Peter will make life-altering choices to use his powers and shape his destiny to become a hero.

- Written by Columbia Pictures 

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     The Amazing Spider-Man (TSA), which cannot necessarily be considered as Spider-Man 4, is essentially the same story with a few changes in comparison to the Sami Raimi trilogy. Here the web swinging is slightly more realistic, the idea that Spider-Man is a menace to the public is more greatly defined, Parker’s character outside of being Spider-Man is different, he has a different love interest, and a new/different villain.

Spider-Man 3 (2007) --- "Black Alien Goop Can Turn A Good Guy Into A Rebel."

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 Peter Parker has finally managed to piece together the once-broken parts of his life, maintaining a balance between his relationship with Mary-Jane and his responsibility as Spider-Man. But more challenges arise for our young hero: Peter must also capture Uncle Ben's real killer, Flint Marko, who has been transformed into his toughest foe yet, the Sandman. Harry Osbourne, Peter's old friend, has set out for revenge against Peter by taking up the mantle of his late father as The New Goblin.  Suddenly Peter's suit turns jet-black and not only amplifies his powers but it also amplifies the much darker qualities of his personality and Peter realizes that he has to his greatest enemy yet ... himself. Can Peter reach deep inside himself to free the compassionate hero he used to be and conquer the darkness?  Or will he lose everything and everyone, including himself, to the darkness trying to consume him? 

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     After watching Spider-Man 3 I was left feeling satisfied, being it was an adequate sequel, and somewhat disappointed, as it was certainly a step down from Spider-Man 2 (2004). Of course, Spider-Man 3 does well in maintaining the similar feeling of the first two films and it did not feel like we were not continuing the story; continuity plays a big part in a series. The scenery and characters felt the same, Peter’s apartment, the Daily Bugle offices, Peter, Harry, Mary Jane, etc. easily jump back into their normal routine and carry over well. The part that I was disappointed in is the pacing and the scope which don’t feel similar to the previous two films; ultimately this makes the movie a bit messy. Perhaps it is because Spider-Man 3 tries to tell a story that is just too big for one movie and this makes it messy. This has a lot to do with poor explanation and the decision to include three villains; in comparison to the first two films. And while there is nothing wrong with having more than one villain, at the same time they have to be able to work together rather quickly.